Butterfly Linocut Needle Keeper

No mini quilts today! Instead, it is another needle book but I have decided to call it a needle keeper instead because it sounds cuter. Don't you think?

I made this one as a gift for a friend who is in a lot of physical pain. She enjoys cross stitch and I believe that she is still able to do her needlework in her condition. I thought this little gift might bring a smile to her face when she needs one.
This butterfly linoleum block is special to me because I made it twelve years ago for the cover of our wedding invitations. I printed them with gold ink on white cards and used a sheer rice paper overlay that had silver and gold bits in it. I then tied each card with a thin gold ribbon to hold the overlay in place. The reply cards had a side view butterfly with it's wings closed (I used one on a mini quilt awhile back that you might remember).

"Beach House" Linocut Mini Quilt

I made another mini quilt. I can't help myself. I enjoy making them so much! In each one, I try something new. I am planning a bed size quilt using linocuts and with each mini quilt, I am trying out new techniques, piecing, quilting and ideas that will help me make decisions about the big quilt.

This time, I used pieces of batik left over from my underwater mini and a table runner that I made a couple of years ago. The print in the center is my seashell linocut on natural linen. This time, I tried out a new piecing idea with a square center design rather than rectangular.

I also tried some freemotion quilting on the linocut itself. I really like that and will do it again.
The back of the quilt is pieced as well in the same materials.
This one will be in my shop. Hopefully is it destined for a beach house. That's where I envision it hanging, hence it's name!

Mini QT Swap, Underwater, July 2010

Mandy received her underwater theme mini quilt yesterday so I can share it here now. She asked for a bit of whimsy so I added a disappearing mermaid tail and a shell with a pearl. Mandy prefers bright fabrics so I feel like this quilt falls a bit short for her but I just didn't have any materials that were bright and would work for underwater. I did a bit of embroidery here-french knots on the octopus and starfish. I used beads on the mermaid tail and a few scattered in the sand. I had some material that reminded me of sea creatures that I used to cover a couple of buttons and I stitched those on. The little fish at the top were done with a freezer paper stencil. The background of the whole piece is a snail trail block. I used a lot of free motion quilting on this piece and have by no means mastered my technique. I apologized to Mandy for practicing so much on her!

While investigating Mandy's likes and dislikes, I discovered that she collected Kokeshi dolls. This was my favorite part of the swap. I made her a pincushion with a little doll I sketched up. I made a freezer paper stencil and stencilled onto linen. I had so much fun with this pincushion and it made Mandy very happy so I am thrilled.

Sewing Needle Book

Though I thoroughly love making mini quilts with my linocuts, I was trying to think of something more utilitarian to make using them. This idea popped into my mind a couple of days ago. I made a sewing needle book with my pansy linocut on the front.

The back of the book is made of patchwork strips (mostly quilter's cotton but one little bit of voile). The cover is quilted and bound with a pieced binding.

Inside, I used a piece of Heather Bailey's wool/rayon blend felt to hold and organize needles. The book has a button closure and measures 5 3/4" x 7 3/4". I am pleased with the way it came together and would like to make more. I put this one in my shop.

"Sundrop in Summer" Mini Quilt

In fleeting spare moments over the last few days, I have been having fun making this little mini quilt.
I particularly enjoy quilting mini quilts because they are easy to move around, I can quilt with as much detail as I like.
I embellished with french knots on this fussy cut piece of Nicey Jane.
And I used my "Evening Primrose" linocut. When I carved this design, I thought that the flower was an Evening Primrose but apparently, it is a Sundrop. The two flowers look nearly identical but open at different times of the day. For the purposes of this quilt, which was intended to be bright and cheery and summery, I will call it a Sundrop! I also added one of my scallop design linocut covered buttons. The binding is mostly white but it has a tiny section of Nicey Jane in the binding on the right. Do you see it? On the back, I centered my "During Quiet Time" label on that bit of scrappy binding. I love little touches like that. I am not sure if they please anyone else but they please me!

Potholder Pass 4

First and foremost, I'd like to thank the talented Krista for allowing me to use this image of her potholder from Potholder Pass 3 for our new button. Isn't this an amazing potholder?
Potholder Pass 4 will be a bit smaller and more restrictive than the prior rounds, because I am getting tired! To join Potholder Pass 4, you must go to the Flickr group and express your interest on the sign up thread and send me a Flickr message with your name, address, Flickr name, and color preferences. I will not separate international and domestic shipping so please join only if you are willing to send internationally. I can tell you that it is not expensive if you package the potholders in a flat, bubble wrap kind of envelope. The swap is only open to active Flickr members. I will check your photostream if I do not recognize your name to see if you are active on Flickr. We want people to be active and participating because it is more enjoyable that way. If you have been late or did not follow through with a prior Potholder Pass swap (for unexcused reasons) you may not join this round. I am also going to limit the swap to the first 30 people who sign up and are accepted.
Otherwise, the rules are the same:
1. Potholders should be a minimum of 6", preferably 7-8".
2. Please use insulated batting in the potholder-at least one layer, preferably two.
3. Try to accommodate your recipient's color requests and their taste.
4. Send a set of 2 potholders. They can be identical or coordinating.
5. You must adhere to the deadline for the swap.
6. You must join the Flickr group and respond to group posts, etc. because good communication makes the swap work so much better.
7. Please mind your manners and promptly thank your partner when you receive your potholders.
I am sorry if this excludes some interested people but I really don't have enough time with my family and other commitments to hunt down people who aren't following through on the swap and then finding angels for those who didn't receive potholders.
If you are interested in joining, you have until August 28th to join. Secret partners will be assigned within the next few days so that sewing can begin September 1st. Potholders must be in the mail by the end of September.
Join here (once I get the thread started--give me a few minutes).

Matchy Matchy Sundresses

I whipped up a couple of sundresses using the same methods that I used for Lily's octopus dress. I purchased this material a couple of years ago when a store in town was closing. By the time I learned of the sale, everything was an additional 50% off. I bought 4 yards of this Pop Art Posies by Sue Penn for Henry Glass and Co. for $4.00!

I didn't know what I would use it for exactly but just found a use for half of it at least. With two yards, I was able to make two matching size 5ish sundresses. One is for Lily.

The match is for her good friend who is turning five at the beginning of August. Lily will wear this dress to her party so when her friend opens her gift, she will realize that they have matching outfits. I think it will be a big hit. The birthday girl wears the skirt that I made for her last birthday every time it comes out of the wash. The matchy matchy friends part will be an added bonus.

Ring Pillow

Our wedding anniversary prompted me to take a peek at my wedding dress and veil. I had forgotten that my ring pillow was also stored in the same box. I thought I would share it with you.

It's just simple and timeless which is generally my taste. I believe that that darker colored daisies were just a subtle off white but age has turned them a little darker. Fortunately, I am finding that I like them that way! I have vauge memories of stitching those little beads in place. I hope that my children might decide to use this for their weddings. I doubt that anyone will fit in my wedding dress or find it to their liking but a pillow seems like a possibility! And it is something my son could use that way too.

Twelve Years

Twelve years ago today, on a similarly hot day, I married the most wonderful husband and father. I think it is worth posting here because he (along with my mother) is my biggest supporter in my creative endeavors. He knows how important my creative time is to me and how it helps me re energize after a trying day with the kids. He was even the one who started my blog...quite literally. I do believe he was sitting at the computer and said, "OK, what do you want to call it?" and he started typing into Blogger.
I chose this picture even though it is a little grainy because it shows my dress and veil nicely. My Mom and I made them. The dress is silk with a circle skirt. As I recall, my mom is to thank for yards and yards of hemming. The bodice has a beautiful lace overlay and covered buttons up the back. It is a simple dress but it suits me.
Boy, we are getting old though. My husband's dark hair is now nearly completely grey!

New Additions to the Family

My husband has been on vacation so yesterday we all went to the nursery down the road (quite literally about 4 lots away) to browse and look for a few new things to fill some bothersome empty spots.
This is "Spiritual Corridor." Isn't she a beauty? I love the "ruffle picotee" edges on the petals! I didn't worry about buying this plant because I haven't lost a daylily yet. They are so drought and pest resistant. Even the nasty little voles haven't bothered them so far.

This is a Delphinium called "New Millennium Stars." I have always loved Delphiniums but I couldn't grow them in our old yard. They just never made it more than a season. Rather than trying them here, I decided to grow a couple from seed. That way if they didn't make it, I hadn't spent much money. They did make it and have bloomed for the last two years, even though they are in an area most attacked by the voles. So, we decided to give this one a try. It's just so pretty.

And lastly, this is a new type of Blanket Flower called "Mesa Yellow." It only gets to be 18" so hopefully it won't be too leggy like some I see. What sold me is that its tag said "drought tolerant." We are in the midst of a watering ban for the fourth summer in a row. Also, things that are drought tolerant seem to handle vole damage better. Basically, the voles tunnel through the soil leaving it very, very, well drained. So the plants that are drought tolerant have been able to survive. Also, it has really neat seed pods doesn't it? They need to be removed after a bit for rebloom but I am thinking of trying to dry them.
If you can't beat the voles, learn to live with them.

Mini QT Underwater Sneak Peek

My partner for the July Underwater mini quilt swap is Mandy. I have completed her quilt and just need to put together the label and package so that I can get it in the mail soon. This is her sneak peek! I will share more once she receives it. It will be awhile because this little quilt is travelling to Australia!

Bathroom Sneak Peek

I don't have a sneak peek of my under the water mini because I can't get to it until tonight. Instead, I thought I would share some sneak peeks of our bathroom renovation in progress. It is hard to get accurate color in these pictures because it is a windowless room. The walls have white subway tiles with glass tiles for accents.

The glass pieces are shades of greens that are reminiscent of sea glass. The color is picked up on the walls.

There is one large (12" x 12") glass tile accent panel in the shower.

Once we have the toilet, sink/vanity, and medicine cabinet in, I will do another sneak peek. The glass shower will be the last thing to be installed and then I can show pictures of the whole room. I need to be on the lookout now for towels and a bathmat!

Edited to add: I neglected to mention the flooring! It is white octagon and dot tile with grey grout and there is radiant floor heating underneath so that we don't have to fit a radiator in there! Our old home has the large style radiators in all of the other rooms.

I'm back!

I'm back from a 3 night vacation. The kids had a wonderful time so I guess it was a success. Doesn't Penny look delighted as she kicked in the lake?

And Timothy and Lily swam, went on the canoe and attempted to fish. They got to share a room which they loved.
I am exhausted and glad to be home and hope to not have to attempt another vacation for another year! I am such a homebody. Penny's second molar came through while on the trip. She has also taken to pulling up and standing where ever and whenever she can. That might clue you into why I am so tired after this "vacation"!

I hope to have a "sneak peek" to show you of the under the sea mini that I am working on within the next day or two.

DQS 9 Complete

I finished my DQS9! This quilt is brighter and bolder than anything you normally see here at During Quiet Time.

I would love to tell you how I arrived at this design but I am afraid of sharing too much information about my partner's likes and dislikes and inspirational mosaic since this is a secret swap.

I can't mail until August 15th but you had better believe that I will bring it to the post office that day! As soon as it is received, I will be more chatty.

Bird and Nest Pincushion

The package that I sent for the Pincushion Pass arrived at Michele's house today! I was very excited to receive Michele as my partner. She is so creative and I love the way that she makes use of available materials/supplies and recyclables.

I was happy when she told me that her sewing room was white, sky blue and green. I love those colors too and this little bird in a nest idea was itching to come to life. The colors seemed like they would work well. Because she loves to use recycled materials in her work, I wanted to use some in this pincushion. The nest is made with an old length of clothesline that I wrapped with a scrap of raw edged linen. I stitched through all layers on my machine and then coiled it into a nest shape and secured it with hand stitches. The bird is made with felt that I purchased from Heather Bailey. The bird pattern is adapted from a Martha Stewart chicken pattern that I found free on line. I hope I did away with most of the chickenyness of it. I used slightly different buttons from my button bag to secure the wings on each side. I thought that Michele was the type to appreciate the lack of matchy matchyness.

It was so fun to make and I am happy that she likes it. I feel a bit badly though because I don't think it is the most practical of pincushions and she informed me that it is her only pincushion. I knew that going into it too and might have been better off making my Scrappy Armrest Pincushion. I just really wanted to make her the bird. I had to take this last shot of the pincushion on the tiles and paint chips that are currently being installed in our new bathroom. I must be into these colors at the moment!

Shirring Voile!

Around Easter time, I bought enough of Anna Maria Horner's voile to make a couple of summer things. I had exactly a yard and a quarter left of the Coloring Garden voile in the rose color and a coordinating voile solid. I really wanted to make something wearable that I would enjoy. When I saw Florence's skirt, I knew I wanted to try it. It was based on a lovely skirt from Crafterhours.

I hadn't done shirring before, and now I am likely to find it hard to stop! It is so fun and I love the look. I used Florence's wonderful tutorial and it worked like a charm. My skirt is lined in the solid voile which I made one inch shorter. I used French seams for the side seams.

I did have some trouble figuring out what width panel I needed to cut in order to get the correct waist measurement. I finally settled on double my waist measurement and then used a hot iron to shrink it up a bit more. Even so, it is slightly loose fitting and can be pulled down to sit on my hips.

The extra skirt for Lily was the icing on the cake! I had enough left from the width of the fabric after cutting out my panels to cut one for her. I still have just enough scraps for a little patchwork project at some point. I get very disappointed if I finish a project with no scraps!

DQS9 Progress

Over the past few days, I have been stitching together my Kona solids. I ordered the solids from blueberrybuckle on Etsy and can I just tell you how much I love the fact that Sue put labels on each of the solids with their names? I love knowing the names of colors. I keep the paint samples for each room that we paint so that I can remember the name. I also label my plants in the garden with metal tags and labels made with my label maker. When I opened this package and saw labels on each piece, I was thrilled. The solids I am using are: Asparagus, Bright Pink, Lilac, Magenta (but it is so not magenta, it is purple), Lavender, Banana, Blush Pink (my favorite), and Maize. This is a sneak peek of the center portion of my doll quilt. It is very improvisational. The pieces are tiny. They range from 1/4" wide to 1 1/2" wide. After I assembled this portion of the quilt, I quilted it with variegated thread and a single layer of batting. Next, I will work on attaching it to the backing material with some circular borders, perhaps in Kona Wine. I am waiting for that material to arrive because I wasn't quite happy with the Bright Pink I had planned. Then I hope to include some hand stitching. There is a plan in my head but I am also allowing myself the freedom to change the plan as I go!

Bit of this and that

I love this picture of Lily that my husband took this morning! We checked for butterflies as soon as we woke up. One more emerged, probably within an hour of our checking. Lily was so thrilled that she got to hold the butterfly. It quickly left her shirt and clung to her nightgown.

It really is a treat to hold such a beautiful little creature. This was my turn!

Today's butterfly is a bit more colorful than yesterday's so I am guessing it is male. We have two more in chrysalis and will check first thing tomorrow!

I have begun work on my doll quilt for the DQS9. My partner's taste is a bit different from mine so I am branching out a bit and trying something new. She likes Amy Butler fabrics so I am using this piece from Amy Butler's Love as well as some coordinating Kona solids.

And last but not least, I received not one but three pincushions from Andrea, my Scrappy Pincushion Swap partner. I mentioned that I would like something creative so she sent me a spider and mushroom in addition to the one pictured. For a picture of all three, look here. I had to show this one, made with an artist's ceramic palette. I believe that she got her idea from Rashida Coleman-Hale's book, I Love Patchwork. It is perfect for me because I am lazy when it comes to putting my pins into my cushion. My children can attest to this because I often ask if they want to pick them up for me. With this pincushion, I can dump my pins in the center when I am lazy and they aren't in a pile on my sewing table. This is definitely an improvement especially with Penny mobile. Thank you for all three pincushions Andrea!

Black Swallowtail

Well, the day was not lost with the roses. The first of four Black Swallowtail butterflies emerged today! Isn't it beautiful? It wasn't the first to go into chrysalis. We are still waiting on that one and the other two.

And today Penny went into the sandbox for the first time. She loved it! She was such a mess though and cried when I took her in for lunch.