Sew Worth It Retreat

November 11,12 &13th 2014

Firstly, I want to thank Janet for carrying the blog the last few weeks with no contribution from me. As has been said before, I live in Venice, Florida and Jan in England so it is rare we actually get together.  I am thrilled to say I have just had coffee with her as she called in on her way back from her holiday in Florida on route to the airport.  I think she was expecting me to be collapsed in a heap after 3 solid days teaching at the above retreat.  Instead she found me so excited and unable to stop talking trying to share with her all the fun I had.

I taught two classes. 

 The first was a project on the Serger making a beach cover up (Kimono robe) that I had designed taking into account that there was a harsh time limit and people who had never worked on a serger or made a garment. The real challenge was they had to complete it in 3.5 hours!!!  There were 40 students each day and they were all super smart and industrious and all robes were finished although a few preferred to take theirs home to hem.  The rest used a coverstitch to complete the hem.  As a teacher I view success as everyone finishing and loving what they have done.  I was beyond thrilled! 

This pattern for the Serger is available as a download from the store on this site

 

 After lunch we began our second project `Playing with Scraps` which involved cutting out shapes and patterns in the fabric and making a fused fabric picture which could be turned into a working clock.  I encouraged people to really `do their own thing` and play.  For those that felt more comfy working from a pattern they had the option to make a `Fish Fuse Clock` which I designed but even then many added their own touch.  Some made elephant clocks, sewing machine pictures, vases of flowers....so much creativity.  I think being `arty` is such a difficult thing for many people. I see it as just playing with no rules but I think many find it very difficult to be confident about it.  I know I did when I was younger.  I had one lady say, `I love doing this because it reminds me of when I was a little girl and played with paper dolls`. I loved that comment.  It was a very relaxed class after the Robe and I still cannot believe we got two projects done in one day.

I used the `Silhouette` cutting machine to cut out all the numbers for everyone.  No fun cutting out detailed numbers!!!

 As  I said at the beginning, it was a `brilliant` three days.  Thank you to all the class participants
who were so much fun and so lovely.  I am still excited!!!!!!

Also, a big `thank you` to Sue, the owner of `Sew Worth It` Sarasota, for inviting me to teach at the event and to her staff.  Especially Donna and Pam who helped me throughout.  I could not have done it without them.

Hexagons and Vet bills!

After sharing my cluttered desk last week - this week it was time to get some serious stitching done.

Having sorted through my fabric collections I had decided to go back and finish some stuff off.  Starting with the really bright hexagons that I started last week.

I ended up with a pile of lovely bright half hexagons - ready to arrange into some sort of quilt.

This is how they look from the front and back once they are joined. 

Its not overly clear but I hope you can see how the seams are pressed.  Some quilters insist that the seams should all go in one direction and others say in opposite directions. 

On this half-hexi I pressed the inner seams towards the purple area and the joining seams in opposite directions.  It lays nice and flat which was my main objective. 

With this type of quilt it was difficult to decide which way to press them since I wont know yet how they will join onto other hexis.  However - I'm not too stressed about that - for me sewing is all about pleasure.  My quilts are not for exhibition they are for fun and the joy of making them and if a seam is slightly out - I can live with that!  That's not to say I'm a sloppy stitcher - just not going to beat myself up over a seam that isn't quite perfection!

 

The picture above shows the 'Y' seam in the centre of this half-hexagon.  In other words the point from the central triangle comes 1/4" above the seam edge.  It's not as clear as I would have liked, but I point it out as it took me a while to realise that was correct!  When the half-hexis are joined - with 1/4" seam - the points will be in the centre.

 

So - here they are - a lovely pile of half-hexagons all pressed and ready to arrange into some sort of quilt.

I don't really know what this will end up being - lap quilt - picnic quilt - bed quilt?  Who knows - I'm just letting it develop and enjoying the process.

I have a 'portable' design wall which I use to arrange blocks and see how they are working together.

I use the term portable loosely as its six feet by six feet - made up of two 6 x 3 sheets of polystyrene, covered in a napped cotton fabric and 'hinged' in the middle to join the two pieces.  Because my workroom is already full - no spare wall space - the design wall lives upstairs when not in use.  Manoeuvring it downstairs and into my workroom is something of a challenge.  But once it's in there - it really is great to have.  I can also fold it in half - with the blocks still in place - to work on another time.

The blocks can just be placed on the surface and the nap of the covering holds them well enough without pins, making it easy to arrange and re-arrange until I find an arrangement I like.

This is the start - looking at it now - I think it needs more pattern .................

This is all the blocks I have made - and now I have run out of those particular fabrics .....


........... it's about big enough for a table topper but I think I want it larger ............ so - more fabrics are order because, of course, I don't have the 'right' ones in my stash!!

It will have to wait a while now ..........

............  meanwhile - here are a few more hexagons!!

These ones are designs from Anita Good - they are stitched out on my embroidery machine and will hopefully become a table topper very soon.  I love the pencil sketch effect of these designs.

............. and this photo shows a little more detail of the stitching and how the blocks could be assembled.

Finally - whilst I was sorting through my UFOs - I found yet another hexagon - this time a small table runner from an online class I have been taking from Amanda Murphy.  I especially like her simple clean style for applique.  All this one needs is for me to finish the quilting and bind the edges.  Should be a quick finish then ................



Final note for today - Kai was progressing quite well with his leg/hip injury - he's taken a big step backwards this week and is on even more medication - even more limited exercise - and feeling very fed up!!  Our vet is quietly confident that will be all that's needed - at least for now.  I do hope so :)

Janx

Kai - updates and a few silly moments!

 

 

 Kais' leg seems to be improving - slowly.  As you can see he is very comfortable sitting and watching 'his' garden!!

Hopefully he will continue to improve and be back to his usual fun-loving self soon ..........

........ looks a bit spooky here doesn't he ???????????

............. comfy in the garden ......

......... ready for Christmas already ............
















Enough silliness ............ next time back to fabrics ..............
Jan

What's happening with Deb?

It's a little quiet from Deb as she's been off doing shows and working on samples for a three day sewing retreat in Florida in November.  You can find links and details on the website www.debcanhamstudio.com - I'm not allowed to say what the projects are - it's a secret for now - but I can say they are all fun!!

In the meantime she has given a FREE pattern for a miniature Snoopy!!

Here he is - don't you just love him????

The pattern is a download and as I said - he is FREE  -  go get him now!!


We have also, both of us, been collecting some luscious Kaffe Fassett fabrics so there will be designs using these soon I'm sure.

............  this is the start of my Hexagon Table Topper in KF fabrics.............





More on that next time

In need of some order!

There is only so long I can cope with chaos!

 This is a view of my work room that I'm not proud of!!

My trouble is I tend to get carried away with several projects on the go at once and then spread all over my desk areas - and then really can't work on anything!!

I am fortunate to have a largish cutting/pressing area as well as areas for sewing and planning - not to mention considerable storage - but somehow it ends up looking like this.  I am quite a tidy person at heart but when the creative bug hits home - this is what I end up with! 

I had finished writing up the patterns for the Water Lily/Poinsettia candle mats so they didn't really need to be there any more - nor any of the associated fabrics and threads.  So it was time to put away - re-organise and start all over again.

A break from pattern writing was needed.  Something fairly straight forwards that I could pick up and put down without too much disruption.  Kai was still needing care although his leg/hip is slowly starting to show improvements it was still uppermost in my mind, so I didn't really need anything too heavy to concentrate on.

I started by sorting through some groups of fat quarters I had been hoarding  collecting together.

These little birds are so fun - just need to come up with a design that will utilize their orientation..............

..... love how all the colours and feathers work so nicely with the blenders - chosen to pick out colours in the bird fabrics - work so nicely together ...................

........  maybe I should start something with the Kaffe Fassett collection ................... 

.......  or this set of Text prints ......................

.............. in the end I decided I would work on a project I started a while ago.  I get a little obsessed with things sometimes - at the moment its Hexagons (and circles). I had purchased a bunch of bright jelly roll strips just because they were cheap and cheerful!  Not orderly like the collections above - really in your face.  I had been playing around with hexagons and saw plenty on Pinterest but it was the big and bright ones which caught my eye.  So these fabrics were ideal for starting something that I could pick up on when I had a spare bit of time and put away again until next time.  They have been waiting a while to be continued, after my initial enthusiasm.  I started by joining the 2 1/2" strips into pairs and then used my 60 degree ruler to cut triangles with my rotary cutter.

There is almost no waste this way and the best benefit is that there is no joining of little pieces - something I'm not that good at!

So - I ended up with a pile of triangles - I got 12 per strip.  Six of them have the orange at the point and the other six have the purple - so enough to make two hexagons.

Now to join them into half-hexis - which will be joined up into rows.  This is SO much easier than joining whole hexagons - no Y-seams!  This is not my unique idea - I have seen it on several places on the internet so I don't know who came up with it originally - but Thank You whoever you are - for making it easy!!

Eventually, once I've made all the half hexis they will be pinned up on my design wall to arrange the pattern, before sewing them all together.

But that's for another day - for now I'm happy cutting and stitching and taking a break from pattern writing.

This week has been busy to say the least!!  What with planting an additional 200+ bulbs in the garden before autumn really sets in - then my dog, Kai,  went lame! 

 

He is usually so playful!!

 

So it was gentle exercise, medication, trips to the vet for x-rays and now we have to hope it gets better.  

But - I have been busy with finishing and photographing some things Ive been working on for new patterns.

This is the Water Lily Candle Mat.

Its a simple piece of quilting and assembly but looks so pretty don't you think?

........... then I got to thinking it would look lovely as a Poinsettia for Christmas .........................
 . and added some coasters too

Looks nice set on the Hexagon Table Topper - also a new pattern for Christmas. 

Here's the Topper without the candle mat so you can see the detail.  Quick and simple to make - just what's needed for the Christmas period when we all have so much to do.

.............  and speaking of Christmas - here's my new wall hanging - also going to be in downloadable pattern form very soon.




............. actually I can't believe I'm in Christmas mode when it's only October and we haven't been on holiday yet!!

This recycled denim Table Topper is something I made a little while ago.  I really love it.  What a great way to use up some of those denims I've been storing for just the right project!

............... maybe this will be a pattern too if there's enough interest ...................

.................... and finally .............. a little FREE pattern for a coaster ..................  in animal print for fun

You can download it for free at the website www.debcanhamstudio.com  or even on this blog if I can work out how to load it !!

Not much from Deb this time as she's busy preparing for classes and shows.  More next time I'm sure

Jan x

Welcome to our New Blog - Creative Sisters - Deb and Jan

Welcome to our Brand New Blog!!  This collaboration between Deb Canham and me - Janet Clark - came about through our long standing friendship.

Deb, my husband Richard and me!

We have been friends for twenty plus years and met through the collectible bear world.  Deb specializing in her fabulous miniatures and mine on the larger side.

Although very different in our styles, we have admired and encouraged each other along the way.

Deb continues to design and produce many wonderful miniature bears, dolls, dragons and other creatures, which can be seen on her website www.debcanham.com .  She is also teaching a variety of workshops both sewing and serging.

I stopped making bears (under the names of Teddystyle and Janet Clark Originals) a few years ago to concentrate on my many other interests - all of which involve fabric and thread!  I've continued to teach, both hands-on workshops, but more and more online.  

With Deb living in Florida and me in the UK, we kept in touch mostly by email and the occasional phone call.

Then we got Skype!!!

Now - we could not only email, but we could actually talk face-to-face and show each other what we were working on.  I've even taken Deb on a tour around my garden in the spring - via the laptop!

Best of all - we could ask each others opinion on a piece of work, whether that be a doll or our other shared passion - Quilting!

We both found ourselves in a period of transition - Debs business was changing and she was making more originals and the business that hosted my online classes changed direction and stopped running the classes.

We chatted and Deb casually suggested she could put my online classes on her new website  www.debcanhamstudio.com  - alongside her work and tutorials.

The idea grew from there.  What we are especially good at is encouraging and inspiring each other.  We have different ideas and styles but they complement each other.

And so ' Creative Sisters' was born.  We could have a joint blog to share our work and patterns we are working on.  The products would be for sale on the website, and the blog could show the processes, have tutorials and the odd Freebie!

We hope you will enjoy this new adventure along with us - and tell your friends of this great new place to buy patterns for dolls, bears, and quilty things, as well as finished products and workshops.

Here is a selection of what can be found at www.debcanhamstudio.com 

These are from Deb    .......................

....................................................  Boomer

....................... a gorgeous Folio Cover using machine stitches





........... and just look at this fabulous Serger Cover - a full tutorial is available for this.  Not only will you learn new tricks for using your serger to the full - but you will finish with a beautiful cover for it.

............... and from me .......... don't you just love this little felt bird?  

Lots more in the tutorials

...........................  Funky Mermaid ....... one of my most popular patterns ......................




.....................  and below is Santa and his giraffe ..............................also available as a pattern

All patterns and tutorials are available as downloads - no waiting for the postman!!

...................... and coming up very soon ..........

Quilty Things to make and use

Water Lily Candle Mat

Christmas Table Topper

and lots more in the planning and sampling stages.

Thanks for looking.  Please come back often to see what else is new.

Jan and Deb x