I figured it out! Here is the video.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Who Knew the Gas Company Could Knit
I have got to figure out how to upload video, but until then I will just do it the old fashioned way via a link. Any knitters or wannabe knitters - check out this video - it is a commercial from the Belgium Natural Gas Company. So now Belgium makes great beer, great chocolate and really fun commercials. Wanna know how they pulled it off - check out the link at the end of the video - they show you everything! Enjoy!
Belgium Natural Gas Commercial
Belgium Natural Gas Commercial
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Trip To Hawk Mountain
I've had a wonderfully busy weekend - filled with things I love to do and those I have to do. Yesterday my husband and I hiked Hawk Mountain - I find it so inspiring. We met the fellow below.
He can't fly, but he's scary as all get out! This is a quilt I made celebrating Hawk Mountain - it's called Spring Sermon - Hawk Mountain. Why "Spring Sermon" - because the plant on the left is called a Jack-in-the-Pulpit; I imagine it's preaching to all of the other plants and wildlife in the picture. I can't wait for all of the spring plants to make their appearance on the mountain.
I painted the background fabric and the fabric for the birch log. I use oil pastels to highlight specific areas after I'm finished with the quilting and thread painting. It was the result of a challenge in my Layers quilting group. Tomorrow I'll be introducing you to the upcoming challenge - it was influenced by my love of Hawk Mountain.
I love this photo from yesterday - moss is one of my favorite subjects to photograph - this is a new one for me - the upright growth is so interesting - looks like little worms stretching up from the ground.
Imagine taking the bark of this tree and interpreting it in fabric - I think it would be beautiful.
These next two photos are from my local park - they look like giant beaks emerging from the ground. You can see a giant stamen encased in the purple beak on the first photo. They are growing in the very marshy sections of the park. I have no idea what they are - if you know, please leave a comment.
He can't fly, but he's scary as all get out! This is a quilt I made celebrating Hawk Mountain - it's called Spring Sermon - Hawk Mountain. Why "Spring Sermon" - because the plant on the left is called a Jack-in-the-Pulpit; I imagine it's preaching to all of the other plants and wildlife in the picture. I can't wait for all of the spring plants to make their appearance on the mountain.
I painted the background fabric and the fabric for the birch log. I use oil pastels to highlight specific areas after I'm finished with the quilting and thread painting. It was the result of a challenge in my Layers quilting group. Tomorrow I'll be introducing you to the upcoming challenge - it was influenced by my love of Hawk Mountain.
I love this photo from yesterday - moss is one of my favorite subjects to photograph - this is a new one for me - the upright growth is so interesting - looks like little worms stretching up from the ground.
Imagine taking the bark of this tree and interpreting it in fabric - I think it would be beautiful.
These next two photos are from my local park - they look like giant beaks emerging from the ground. You can see a giant stamen encased in the purple beak on the first photo. They are growing in the very marshy sections of the park. I have no idea what they are - if you know, please leave a comment.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Happy National Quilting Day
Hi All - hope you had a wonderful National Quilting Day! I didn't do any quilting today - it was such a beautiful day my husband and I spent the day hiking at Hawk Mountain - wonderfully inspiring!
I'm sending you this bouquet of flowers to help you celebrate the day. I made this years ago - and sorry it's not finished. It was the outcome of a class I took with Teresa Fusco on "snipplets", all raw edge, all glued. It was pretty much this class that confirmed that I do not like raw edge or gluing. Thing is - I really like this piece - so rather than banish it to the back of my quilting closet forever - I'm sharing it with you on our special quilting day.
Here are some detail shots. I loved coming up with my flower designs in this class.
Two simple offset triangles make an intriguing flower.
Spring is here and so are pussy willows.
I love the bend to the twigs of the plants.
Simple flowers, yet all distinctly different.
I was new to machine quilting when I took this piece to the machine - I over quilted - basically thread painted some of the first flowers I attempted to quilt. I honestly don't think it can be saved - but it's still nice to look at. Enjoy your holiday quilters!
I'm sending you this bouquet of flowers to help you celebrate the day. I made this years ago - and sorry it's not finished. It was the outcome of a class I took with Teresa Fusco on "snipplets", all raw edge, all glued. It was pretty much this class that confirmed that I do not like raw edge or gluing. Thing is - I really like this piece - so rather than banish it to the back of my quilting closet forever - I'm sharing it with you on our special quilting day.
Here are some detail shots. I loved coming up with my flower designs in this class.
Two simple offset triangles make an intriguing flower.
Spring is here and so are pussy willows.
I love the bend to the twigs of the plants.
Simple flowers, yet all distinctly different.
I was new to machine quilting when I took this piece to the machine - I over quilted - basically thread painted some of the first flowers I attempted to quilt. I honestly don't think it can be saved - but it's still nice to look at. Enjoy your holiday quilters!
Friday, March 19, 2010
We Deserve This Beautiful Day
If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region you deserve the absolutely beautiful weather we've been having this week - sunny and seventy - ahhhhh! I'm finally defrosted after the winter. Spring is right around the corner, and when I think of spring I think of yellow.
And when I think about yellow, I think about lemons - Meyer Lemons! Today is all about the Meyer Lemon - those beautifully bright yellow lemons scented with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Some say they are a hybrid of lemons and mandarins, others debate that marriage. I say they are delicious and the perfect food to help usher in the beginning of spring.
For dinner tonight I made both a vegetarian main course salad and a dessert using Meyer Lemons. The salad is a Farro, Asparagus, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. Farro is an ancient whole grain similar to spelt - if you have trouble finding farro you can substitute spelt or barley, or even brown rice. We love farro for it's chewy and nutty flavor.
8 ounces farro cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
Olive oil for sauteing
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 large roasted red beet, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cups arugula
Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan, add the asparagus and toss with the oil. Keep the heat high to saute quickly - about 2 minutes, until cooked but crunchy. Cool. Combine the farro, asparagus, almonds, lemon zest and cheese. Toss to combine.
Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice and olive oil. I use this cool little mixer I picked up on a trip to Italy to mix dressings - Europeans have some of the coolest kitchen gadgets. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and toss to coat.
Line your serving plate with a bed of arugula, top with the farro salad, and then top the salad with the diced beets - it is lemony delicious.
For dessert I made this lovely, light Meyer Lemon Budino - a budino is a pudding in Italian. This recipe is so easy to make and even more delicious to eat. When it first came out of the oven it was an inch over the ramekin. Enjoy your weekend and this lovely weather!
And when I think about yellow, I think about lemons - Meyer Lemons! Today is all about the Meyer Lemon - those beautifully bright yellow lemons scented with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Some say they are a hybrid of lemons and mandarins, others debate that marriage. I say they are delicious and the perfect food to help usher in the beginning of spring.
For dinner tonight I made both a vegetarian main course salad and a dessert using Meyer Lemons. The salad is a Farro, Asparagus, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. Farro is an ancient whole grain similar to spelt - if you have trouble finding farro you can substitute spelt or barley, or even brown rice. We love farro for it's chewy and nutty flavor.
8 ounces farro cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
Olive oil for sauteing
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 large roasted red beet, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cups arugula
Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan, add the asparagus and toss with the oil. Keep the heat high to saute quickly - about 2 minutes, until cooked but crunchy. Cool. Combine the farro, asparagus, almonds, lemon zest and cheese. Toss to combine.
Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice and olive oil. I use this cool little mixer I picked up on a trip to Italy to mix dressings - Europeans have some of the coolest kitchen gadgets. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and toss to coat.
Line your serving plate with a bed of arugula, top with the farro salad, and then top the salad with the diced beets - it is lemony delicious.
For dessert I made this lovely, light Meyer Lemon Budino - a budino is a pudding in Italian. This recipe is so easy to make and even more delicious to eat. When it first came out of the oven it was an inch over the ramekin. Enjoy your weekend and this lovely weather!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Baskets Full of Poseys
It's time - the reveal of my Mom's quilt - no more teases - today is the day.
Meet my Mom, Leah - she'll be 90 years old this December! She has never been a quilter, but she loves to embroider everything, as long as it's not cross-stitch - her stitches are beautiful. A few years ago - when the Fort Washington show was still in Fort Washington - I signed her up for a block of the month quilt from Sis n' Me. I thought she needed something to keep her busy.
Every month she received 3 new blocks to embroider - the blocks needed to be traced onto the fabric - she did the tracing the first month, and then quickly decided to make it my chore. Mom was diligent in her task - every month completing the 3 blocks. The heat was on - she did her part and expected me to do the same when it came to putting everything together. There were 32 blocks in total - but I used only 30 in the setting of the quilt. All of the blocks feature baskets of flowers, and all of the blocks are chockful of French knots - she loves French knots. I apologize for this next photo - this quilt is difficult to photograph.
According to the pattern, the blocks were to be set on point with intersecting sashing. My Mom traced the first blocks square and I didn't have the heart to tell her she goofed. I figured I'd just continue tracing them as squares and deal with a new setting after she finished the embroidery process. If I do say so myself, my setting has way more interest than your standard sashed on-point setting.
A dear friend, Jackie, from my guild, Calico Cutters, agreed to hand quilt it for me. I just couldn't see machine quilting something with so much handwork on it. Jackie did a beautiful job on the hand quilting.
My Mom loves her quilt and was very excited that I was going to share it on my blog - she has absolutely no idea what a blog is. I gave her one more assignment - she is to be stitching our names on the corners, and the date. I hope you enjoy her handwork!
Meet my Mom, Leah - she'll be 90 years old this December! She has never been a quilter, but she loves to embroider everything, as long as it's not cross-stitch - her stitches are beautiful. A few years ago - when the Fort Washington show was still in Fort Washington - I signed her up for a block of the month quilt from Sis n' Me. I thought she needed something to keep her busy.
Every month she received 3 new blocks to embroider - the blocks needed to be traced onto the fabric - she did the tracing the first month, and then quickly decided to make it my chore. Mom was diligent in her task - every month completing the 3 blocks. The heat was on - she did her part and expected me to do the same when it came to putting everything together. There were 32 blocks in total - but I used only 30 in the setting of the quilt. All of the blocks feature baskets of flowers, and all of the blocks are chockful of French knots - she loves French knots. I apologize for this next photo - this quilt is difficult to photograph.
According to the pattern, the blocks were to be set on point with intersecting sashing. My Mom traced the first blocks square and I didn't have the heart to tell her she goofed. I figured I'd just continue tracing them as squares and deal with a new setting after she finished the embroidery process. If I do say so myself, my setting has way more interest than your standard sashed on-point setting.
A dear friend, Jackie, from my guild, Calico Cutters, agreed to hand quilt it for me. I just couldn't see machine quilting something with so much handwork on it. Jackie did a beautiful job on the hand quilting.
My Mom loves her quilt and was very excited that I was going to share it on my blog - she has absolutely no idea what a blog is. I gave her one more assignment - she is to be stitching our names on the corners, and the date. I hope you enjoy her handwork!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Looking for Leprechauns
Happy St. Patty's Day one and all! I'm certain a leprechaun lives in this tree trunk. I love taking close up photos of nature - the colors of the moss and lichen, the play of the light - no wonder nature inspires so many quilters.
Look at the colors and flow of the growths on this bark - imagine what you could do with fabric in these colors...
You can't see these intricate detailings of nature when you are snapping a landscape shot - so much of the beauty is lost in space.
It's another world when you look at nature close up and personal. These photo's were taken on one of my many visits to Hawk Mountain located in Eckville, PA. I'm hoping to make a visit to Hawk Mountain this weekend - Spring buds are peeking up everywhere you look.
Exploring nature in the microcosm you feel as though you've entered a new world - textures and colors are magnified.
You lose your sense of reality - wait - is this the forest floor or fabric?
Does a leprechaun live here? Has this been created by nature or the skillful hand of the textile artist???
If leprechauns live here - they live in my fabric stash. In this case - the textile artist is to be complimented for taking us into the world of the leprechaun. This incredible fabric is from Northcott, Stonehenge, from the Sunshine Cottage collection - what I wouldn't do to own a piece of every fabric in this collection!
Look closely at the number of colors incorporated into the printing of this fabric - 15 separate color applications. The hand of this fabric is beautiful - sateen-like. Northcott produces one of the finest quilting fabrics on the market - the hand and colors are simply exquisite. It is my personal favorite.
I collect fabric that captures nature in it's simplest, suggestive form. Here are a few more examples from the stash, there are many more where these came from - - below, from left to right 1. Artisan's Palette by Ro Gregg for Northcott, 2. Textures by Van Osten for Andover, 3. Venetian Glass by Ro Gregg for Northcott, and 4. Basic Grey by moda. Are you detecting a Northcott theme with my stash?
I'm using a selection of these fabrics in a new piece I am working on with "my technique" - sorry can't share the finished pieces with you at this time. Hope you enjoyed your visit today to the enchanted world of leprechauns in the forest and in fabric.
Look at the colors and flow of the growths on this bark - imagine what you could do with fabric in these colors...
You can't see these intricate detailings of nature when you are snapping a landscape shot - so much of the beauty is lost in space.
It's another world when you look at nature close up and personal. These photo's were taken on one of my many visits to Hawk Mountain located in Eckville, PA. I'm hoping to make a visit to Hawk Mountain this weekend - Spring buds are peeking up everywhere you look.
Exploring nature in the microcosm you feel as though you've entered a new world - textures and colors are magnified.
You lose your sense of reality - wait - is this the forest floor or fabric?
Does a leprechaun live here? Has this been created by nature or the skillful hand of the textile artist???
If leprechauns live here - they live in my fabric stash. In this case - the textile artist is to be complimented for taking us into the world of the leprechaun. This incredible fabric is from Northcott, Stonehenge, from the Sunshine Cottage collection - what I wouldn't do to own a piece of every fabric in this collection!
Look closely at the number of colors incorporated into the printing of this fabric - 15 separate color applications. The hand of this fabric is beautiful - sateen-like. Northcott produces one of the finest quilting fabrics on the market - the hand and colors are simply exquisite. It is my personal favorite.
I collect fabric that captures nature in it's simplest, suggestive form. Here are a few more examples from the stash, there are many more where these came from - - below, from left to right 1. Artisan's Palette by Ro Gregg for Northcott, 2. Textures by Van Osten for Andover, 3. Venetian Glass by Ro Gregg for Northcott, and 4. Basic Grey by moda. Are you detecting a Northcott theme with my stash?
I'm using a selection of these fabrics in a new piece I am working on with "my technique" - sorry can't share the finished pieces with you at this time. Hope you enjoyed your visit today to the enchanted world of leprechauns in the forest and in fabric.
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