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I had the opportunity to take a full day workshop with Teesha Moore today and it was just the kickstart I've needed all summer. I can barely restrain myself from running into my workroom right now and making a giant mess. Unfortunately, there's already a mess everywhere, among the half-packed suitcases. So no creating, no long post tonight.
Visas...✔
Vaccinations...✔
Vacation...✔
Well, almost!! Back in a couple of weeks.
I have been thoroughly enjoying the last few weeks, untethered by looming dates on the calendar...no move on the horizon, the wedding behind us. I've pulled out several long-marinating projects and am considering a few new creative adventures. I've been a little antsy, jumping from one thing to another, day to day, but allowing myself that time to settle on some direction.
I've made a long list of things I want to do and explore over the next
few months. I'd like to update Be*mused. Have any of you upgraded a
Typepad blog? Is it possible to design an expanded page layout without changing
your archives? So many questions. Any suggestions or advice from
voices of experience would be most welcome.
I've just gotten a new camera...another point-and-click, but upgraded. And I've uploaded Sketchbook Pro to my iPad and purchased a Bamboo stylus. I have a million ideas pinging around in my head like a pinball but I need to spend some time learning how to use these new tools to actualize them.
One thing nagging at me for years has been a desire to journal, especially to chronicle my travels. I am an incurable collector of paper travel ephemera when I'm away, unable to leave the paper chopstick cover on the table or discard the wrapper from a box of local delicacies, especially if they are graphic or hold a specific memory. I have boxes (and boxes!) of tickets and flyers, postcards and maps, advertising and magazines from my many trips to Japan, but have never figured out a format which would allow me to work in transit as well as collect and add to upon my return. I was starting to think it was time to fish or cut bait. Until now.
Some of my (many) wonderful paper bags from Japan
I think I've mentioned that I used to be an art teacher. And although I've concentrated my focus on quilting the last few years, I do often frequent some of the *paper* blogs. One of my favorites, Dispatch from LA, is authored by Mary Ann Moss and although I've enjoyed her featured travel journals over the years, for some reason her most recent, chronicling a trip to Norway, grabbed me in a way I could not ignore. Luckily, she offers an online class, Remains of the Day, that some of you may be familiar with. I signed up (summer sale!), downloaded the pdfs and started to watch the videos, with the intention of working along.
*Nevermind*. I watched all 20 something videos in two days. It was great! EXACTLY what I was looking for, the perfect springboard for my own spin on a travel journal. Which I am assembling now. Sort of. We are leaving on a new adventure soon and I won't be able to develop a full book in the time I have left, so I'm adapting what I've learned for my immediate needs. The table in our spare room is cluttered with paper supplies, scissors and tape while the bed and floor hold suitcases and accumulating travel necessities. I'm hopping this week!
The best thing about this is that it's stretching me, as a good class should. Because it's so visually oriented, it's got me thinking of all sorts of new quilting possibilities. Really, one suggestion develops many ideas! I'd highly recommend Remains of the Day if you want a fun experience. And I'll bet you have everything you need...lots of scrap paper, some fabric and a sewing machine!
On the quilting front, I've been very good about curtailing my fabric purchases lately. But how could I pass up a little from this new line, Oh, Deer, designed by Momo, one of my favorites. Especially since our new place seems to be located on what we like to call 'deer highway'.
Got your fun food fabrics out and ready? Let's get started.
For this tutorial, I've chosen three fruit fabrics ~ black cherries for the center front square, strawberries for the borders and a grape print for the backing. I would definitely prewash your fabrics for this project!! The finished napkin will be 14½" square.
The sizes of the pieces needed are as follows:
Most of my napkins were cut from strips with my rotary cutter, but when I wanted the border prints to fall in one direction, I found it easier to use these templates I made from scrap cardstock. Tracing around them with soft pencil, I'd then use my rotary cutter to cut out the pieces. It definitely results in a more efficient use of fabric and works well, too, when you're using up scraps.
Lay out your pieces as above. Using a ¼" seam allowance throughout the project, start sewing with the side borders.
On your first side (it doesn't matter which you start with), stitch along for about 3", then stop and lift your presser foot. Gently push your square back so that you skip the next 2½" - 3". Drop your presser foot and continue stitching to the end.
Clip those free-floating threads, front & back, and discard, leaving opening as shown above. (Backside...the stitching showed up better on the black.)
Sew the second side border piece, stitching from top to bottom with no break. Press outward, toward borders.
Stitch top and bottom borders onto piece and again, press seams outward, toward borders. Trim to square.
Layer top and backing pieces together, right sides facing. Pin to keep from shifting...just 3 or 4 pins per side will be fine. Sew completely around the outer edge, using ¼" seam allowance.
Clip corners and trim away all loose threads. This is important, especially if any of your fabrics are light in color, as you don't want floating threads sandwiched between the layers and showing through.
Here's the clever part. Insert your fingers into the border opening and pull the napkin right-side out.
Smooth out the napkin and press. As I do this, I usually use a long quilter's pin to gently prod the corners and edges out fully.
We're almost done now, though as you can see from my fancy, hand-drawn arrows, we have a gaping hole along one border edge. The next step is illustrated by a photo I took in June when I was making my first napkins....different fabric, same next step!
While this part sounds fussy, it's not! It only takes a minute. Thread a needle with a neutral or matching thread, knot it and bring it up through the fold in the edge of the border fabric. You will be trying to avoid having any of these stitches show, so close the opening by scooting the needle along between the border fabric and the center square, catching a few threads of each, back and forth. Try not to stitch into the backing fabric as you go, especially if the thread is a contrasting color. A few small catches are often inevitable, however, and not a problem.
Thread your machine with a compatible color and position your needle just inside the edge of the border, on the center square. Before I start stitching, I bring the bottom thread up through the top and pull both threads to the side to prevent balling up of thread on the reverse side of the napkin when I start stitching. Slower is better than full pedal-to-the-metal here, but it is pretty easy to just chug along, stitching the center square down to the backing. Once you've stitched around, just take a few little backstitches and clip. This step holds your layers together nicely.
Voila! Here's the finished napkin...all seams enclosed, no binding, no fiddly mitering of corners. Neat, fun, square (14½" finished) and ready to use!
But you won't want to stop. You'll want some for your cookouts!
Your kitchen!
Your clambake!
The possibilities are endless. While I think they're most fun using all food prints, I can imagine so many variations on themes...holiday, sports, birthdays, family events. In my opinion, they're most successful when the print mixes are a bit raucous. And from a practical standpoint, small, difficult stains (which are sometimes unavaoidable) will be much less noticeable on a busy dark-ish print. If you choose lighter colors, I'd suggest sticking to a busier print for maximum usability.
Let me know if you make some. I dare you to resist!
Over ten years ago, while still living here in Cleveland, a quilting friend made some fabulous napkins as hostess gifts for two others in our group. They were SO much fun, made from a mix of disparate food fabrics which were just starting to be popular at the time...cupcakes, pickles, popcorn, hotdogs, pizza. Each napkin used three different fabrics. Everyone loved them!
At the time, the rest in our group clamored for the instructions, which were quite simple but included a neat construction tip. I jotted them on a scrap of paper and *stuck them someplace*. Three house moves later, I knew I'd come across them several times through the years, but couldn't put my hands on them. (Like so many things around here...)
Late this past winter, I noticed some really cute fabric over at Fabric.com...a sushi print, reminiscent of Japanese kawaii prints, and a companion piece in a picnic print. My mind jumped right to the napkins again and with coupon in hand, I ordered some yardage. When Molly came for a visit in the spring, she noticed it sitting on a table in my sewing room (always one of her first stops when she arrives ~ checking out what's new) and asked, what's this for? When I told her, she jumped right on it. "I want some!!" (Notice, not "I want to make some!")
As always, you may click photos for closeups
I was noncommittal. The maker had moved away, I couldn't find my pattern notes. But I knew where the original napkins were so within the week I was at my friend's place...a recipient...examing the now quite worn napkins to figure out the dimensions and most importantly, what was that nifty construction trick? With napkin in hand, it just took us a few minutes to recall. She was quite happy, as she said they use them all the time and are in serious need of replacement.
I went into overdrive. I hunted for more food fabrics. I cut out LOTS of napkin combinations. I'll make some for Molly! And won't it be fun, with so many guests expected in July, to make a pile for cookouts, etc?
Long story short, I kind of crashed and burned. We used paper when everyone was here for the wedding week. But I was able to complete Molly's two requested sets, plus another as a surprise. They're all in Tokyo now, hopefully wiping mouths. I took all of these shots before wrapping them up.
These three sets of 4 veered a bit from the originals' look. Because my kawaii prints were so tiny, they didn't look good mixed with larger prints. So the search was on for compatible smalls. Also, in the originals, each napkin had a different mix of prints. On Molly's sets, I pretty much kept the focus print in the center.
And finally, because it was difficult to find small food prints, I did use a few prints that weren't.
I played with the prints in another way, however. I chose the same prints in different colors to use in separate sets. This way, the sets can easily be mixed, in different but compatible ways.
See? Three different centers with the same border prints. So much fun!
Now that things have calmed down around here, I'm back in the sewing room. While I'm poking around trying to decide where to focus, I do have a big pile of napkins to finish up. A perfect segue to more serious projects.
Next time, I'll be back with the details...you know you want to make some! While I'm stitching, I'll get some process shots and share some fabric selection tips. You might be surprised at how different some of them look from Molly's sets!
