What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

 Any season is good for making a quilt, but especially when the air is cool outside.

I only have a few batik scraps left so decided to reduce them a little bit more by making an Ohio Star quilt...AKA Sawtooth Star by some.  It's a 4 block by 4 block construction simply because that's all the lighter batik background fabric there was in my stash.  It's a good community service size - 48" x 48".  Those stars made big are so easy and finished in no time by making the 2-at-a-time flying geese blocks for the star ...

 And the base of it all is that I do enjoy making zippered pouches, especially when I find an unfinished project that can be diverted into one or two or three. 

Once upon a time I was quite often asked to make presentations to quilt guilds in the area so I always kept a project in the back of my mind for a presentation.  So, that's where this story begins....now, where does it end.

In my ongoing pursuit to downsize, I found some swatches of pojagi stitching (how it's done) by machine and decided they would make ...

contemporary embroidery posted a photo:

karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/2021/10/hand-embroi...

Here where I live it's a beautiful autumn. With sunny days and golden colors in gardens, but also rainy days, when you better read, knit or sew something useful and beautiful. It was precisely these days of bad weather that were the ones in which I managed to sew a few bags. 

Thus, today I'm happy to share my brand new bag pattern, Tama Handbag!

One of my favorite little people recently had a birthday ❤️ Since she is the namesake of our latest backpack pattern, I thought she needed a Parker Pack for herself! I added a toucan from our Zootropolis book and her name inside the bag using the letters from our Lullaby Lane quilt. Scroll through all the pics to see adorable Ms Parker ❤️
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#sassafraslane #parkerpack #zootropolisquilt #backpack #handmade #toucan #corkbag #corkfabric (at Kirkland, Washington)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU0gkryh7r1/?utm_medium=tumblr

 I'm simply not the kind of person to be bored.  When there's some free time, I'll grab a book or paper and paint or the camera.  But more times than not, I'll just grab some fabric then find a pattern (or not) and start cutting and sewing.   

The thrill of not knowing the outcome but forging ahead anyway doesn't give me the least bit of angst.  What?  It's only my time and a little bit of recycled fabric and thread.  Okay, add sewing machine needle and oil!  Anyway, I digress.  

This little bucket hat ...

 Bucket hats and more:  

There's no stopping me now...and then there were six!  Bucket hats all made from thrift store linen and jersey and denim and more! 

and other good news....the one I called "Meadows' sold today.   The one made using a Kathy Doughty, Material Obsession, quilt pattern.    I'm delighted that it's on the way to St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Still going drawer by drawer, shelf by shelf, closet by closet, room by room.  

I stacked those zippers aside to pack up for my next haul to the thrift store.  But wait!

Stopping to break for fresh air, and while happily zipping through my instagram favorites one of which is Bookhou, I discovered that I most definitely had a use for those zippers......all 14 of them. 

My first one for the test drive and modifications if needed: 

 With just a  few scraps and a few zippers:   there you have it, little nothing pouches to donate to children in need ...

I am doing a new 5-day workshop! Improvisational Stitching! But what does that mean, exactly? Well funny you should ask, because I’ve given it a great deal of thought. Improvisational Stitching is what I call what I do when I begin with a piece of fabric, usually a piece of hand dyed linen, with no… Continue reading New: Improvisational Stitching Workshop!

Some exciting news! I’m doing a Dorset Buttons Gone Wild 3-hour Workshop via Zoom. (It will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube, but will only be available to view if you have purchased the workshop. You can reference the entire workshop later or whenever you like once the workshop is over.) When: A 3-hour workshop:… Continue reading New: Dorset Buttons Gone Wild Workshop!

contemporary embroidery posted a photo:

karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/2021/03/four-inch-p...

International Women’s Day - Amazon Handmade Celebrates!

Join the celebration. Amazon Handmade celebrates women and shines the light on Amazon Handmade Artisans with curated collections!

Model, designer, wife, mom and founder of Women of Today, shares a curated collection of her favorite handcrafted items.

A Handmade by Living Water Quilter basket set is included in Camila’s curated collection!  Help lift up women artisans and entrepreneurs and shop from women makers and businesses.

Before COVID hit I would begin the day by going to the gym, riding a stationary bike for 30 – 45 minutes, perhaps taking a 45 minute high intensity workout class before heading home. So when the gym closed I figured I’d landed on a “free space” meaning I’d start my exercise routine again once… Continue reading Exercise in the Time of Covid

handwork, embroidery

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2020 REVIEW - A Basket Making Adventure

2020 was a year for new online ventures and experiences. I joined many who transitioned more personal and work activities to online platforms.

It was exciting to start a new venture with an Amazon Handmade shop!  Living Water Quilter, is not just quilts!   lol  There are baskets made with cotton and nylon rope accented with Kraft-tex, batik fabric and/or beads.

Kraft-tex is one of my favorite accents. I like to use the pre-washed designer colors.  The best value are the rolls available by CT Publishing.

Baskets are functional, fun and add color and ...

Often referred to as a negative, I’ve always thought of obsessions as a lifeline to exploration, creativity, joy and boundless energy. Being obsessed with something (rather than someone) results in any number of truly awe-inspiring things, such as these artists who carve thread spools into amazing miniature works of art. Or Andrea Love whose website… Continue reading The Joy of Obsession