Allie's in Stitches

Max and Esther....Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:56:00 +0000

My wall-hanging of them, that is. Those two are just getting started on a lifetime together....!

After I finished framing the photo with embellishments and lettering, it was time to quilt the image on my Handi Qiuilter Sweet 16. I prepared it for quilting by spray basting two layers of drapery lining cotton into place behind it on the back of the top.

That was simple enough! No pinning needed....

I used a yellow thread for quilting and then added some colored pencil to the background.

I just wanted the figures to stand out from the background a little bit more. And they were definitely glowing that day....

For the binding, I did what I often do: iron trim along its length and take advantage of its finished edges and pretty weave. It was easy to zigzag it in place with clear thread in both the top and the bobbin (so it wouldn't show on the back.)

Finally, I couched some cording along the inside edge of the binding.

I did have fun with those felt flowers from Custom Fabric Flowers. I teach the velvet/silk ribbon flower in my Craftsy class!

Here is the whole piece...

It's actually squarer than it looks...you know how the camera bends the edges... ;-)

It measures 14.5" X 17.5".

It was a joy to make this...now it is on to the Ringbearer's Pillow!

My Craftsy Class

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:21:00 +0000

Since the beginning of March I have been entirely focused on preparing a class for Craftsy.

If you are unfamiliar with them...on their website they describe themselves like this:

A wide selection of online crafting classes from the best instructors from around the world.

Watch your classes from anywhere, from any device with an internet connection.

Take them anytime you want, as many times as you want. Your access never expires.

Classes are on a wide range of subjects, including cake decorating, crocheting, cooking, machine embroidery, home & garden, jewelry, knitting, paper crafts, sewing, weaving, spinning, and.....QUILTING, which is in fact their most popular category by far.

So you can imagine how utterly thrilled and honored I was to be asked to teach a class on crazy quilting!

I prepared for my "shoot" for 2 1/2 months, designing the class, sewing up class projects, samples, and step-outs. This week I finally went to Denver for three days to put all that hard work onto video. People will be able to sign up for Crazy Quilting from anywhere in the world!

Beyond that, part of my job, and one I am really looking forward to, will be interacting with my students online, via the fabulous software "platform" the Craftsy software engineers have developed. I'll be answering students' questions, looking at pictures of work that they post--and students will be able to interact with each other, too.

So I want to share a glimpse of my week, working with my great crew at Craftsy...

This is where my day started, as Danica used her considerable skill to make me look presentable on camera. I am telling you, it was a WHOLE lot more make-up than I have ever worn, but she knew what she was doing. I never did get used to it though!

The first morning, Amy got the set all decorated.

Max, the tech man!

My fabulous producer/director, Alissa Norton, was such a pro...I couldn't have gone 5 minutes without her guidance, creativity, and support. We had a beautiful collaborative experience over the 3 day shoot, and I left with a true new friend.

Alissa ran one of the cameras, and Rob here ran the other one; he also was in charge of the sound. It was so cool to see how Max, Rob, and Alissa choreographed the shoot over the three days.

I was calling myself "Gloria Swanson"--like the heavily made-up character in the original "Sunset Boulevard"--because of all the make-up I had on. But they assured me, it wasn't so much! Here I am getting ready for the "Stashbusters" segment, one of the highlights of the whole experience.

You can tell, I was having a blast....

On the last day we grabbed some lunch together before the final afternoon of shooting. We knew we were coming down the homestretch and were feeling great about our work.

The class will be launched in about a month...I'll be sure and let you know when it does. I'm really excited about being able to introduce crazy quilting in this new (to me) venue. Sending thanks and love to my friends at Craftsy for giving me the opportunity!

And...now I can start blogging about what I'm working on again! It's been a long hiatus. I'm looking forward to posting things as they happen in the sewing room once more....

See you soon!

Max and Esther....Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:02:00 +0000

Those little blue flowers I had pinned on there above the photo had to go...they didn't show up well enough.

But the floral frame is coming along nicely! I am almost ready for the lettering....

This is such a fun project....

Max and Esther

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:26:00 +0000

My older son Max is marrying his Esther next month, cause for great celebration!
I am making a little commemorative wall-hanging for them. I'm just starting out...

They look so happy, don't they?
I'm going to frame them with flowers, like in one of the classes I teach...

This should be very fun to do...especially because I get to look down at their smiling faces as I work. I'll post progress shots as I go....

Nous Allons Paris!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0000

What an amazing thing has happened!

http://dmc-threads.com/winners-dmc-memories-contest-announced/

Never in my wildest dreams did I think my entry to this contest, "Tell Us Your Story for a Chance to Experience Ours" that DMC presented last fall would win....but it tied for the Grand Prize, so they are sending both of us winners to Paris for a WEEK, each of us with a guest. A highlight of the trip will be a train ride to Mulhouse, 3 1/2 hours from Paris in the Alsace region, to get a tour of the DMC factory...and a special chance to view their needlework archives.

My sister is coming with me, and we are over the moon.

We're going in September, and I will be blogging all about it!

Thank you, DMC, for the trip of a lifetime!!!!

Twenty Years in the Garden....Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:29:00 +0000

Oh, how I have enjoyed this project.
It was a much needed interlude between finishing the book with Val and a new endeavor which will keep me quite busy until mid-May (when I can tell you about it; I'm quite excited!)

All the vegetable beds planted looks like this:

The corn is a little short. But I didn't have enough ribbon to make it taller!
Such are the problems when gardening and embroidery meet.

As we all should do with our finished projects, I provided a label with some documentation.

It includes a photo that inspired my quilt too.

I made a simple binding from turning the backing fabric to the front in a fold, and appliqueing it down. But I dressed it up with some couched cording.

This was a nice opportunity for me to get a little more warm color into the piece.

And now it is done and mailed off to the Quilt Alliance for their "Twenty" contest, exhibit, and fundraiser (though I'm not eligible for the contest as a serving board member, I love to participate each year.)

Happy Gardening, everyone. Tis the season!

Twenty Years in the Garden...Tomatoes, Marigolds, and Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:54:00 +0000

The beds are all planted!

Tomatoes are good companions to marigolds; we always grow them together.

But before planting, the posts have to go in.

Getting those vines going....

Can't forget the marigolds!

A few French knots on the French marigolds, of course...

The tomatoes were made the same way the squash leaves were: silk that that had its edges burned in a candle flame. This time I used tweezers to hold those tiny tomatoes, though.

Now for the corn....To get the leaves shaped the way I wanted, I ended up using a second needle with fine thread to help fold the wide flat leaf over, like corn leaves do...

Like this...

Worked pretty well!

After I got it done and showed Robert, he said that the corn was too short and looked stunted. Indeed!
So I added some height and of course he was right!

So here it is, just starting to tassle. ;-)

Now I just need to do the finish work, backing and binding the quilt, so I will go do that and post a final picture when it is all done.
Thanks for following along!

***********************
The guidelines for the "Twenty" contest benefiting the Quilt Alliance are here. Do enter!

Twenty Years in the Garden...the Wildflower Bed

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:26:00 +0000

Always, the wildflowers are welcome in the garden!
Here is the bed "planted" to them in this quilt...

Click on the photo to see better...
They are kind of generic flowers, but I was thinking of California poppy, nicotiana, cosmos....and a few others whose names I forget!

***********************************************

In the comments for my last post Rebecca Grace asked:
I noticed you singed the silk ribbon cut into leaves for one plant, but not for the cauliflower. Did you do anything to prevent those little bits from fraying apart?

Also, do you do all of your embellishing embroidery by hand, or do you ever incorporate decorative machine stitches or embroidery into your work as well?

As to the first ?, I didn't do anything to prevent the little leaves from fraying on the cauliflower. If they fray, they fray...and I'll pretend it was those cabbage worms that did it!

And for the second?, in this quilt all the embroidery is by hand. But I am definitely exploring the inclusion of decorative machine stitches in other work.....

Two more beds to go.....

****************************************************************
****Remember to enter YOUR quilt for the "Twenty" fundraising contest for the Quilt Alliance. Guidelines are here. Be sure and check out the amazing prizes and sponsors! The quilts will be exhibited all over the country this summer before they are auctioned in the fall on eBay.****

Twenty Years in the Garden...Planting the Beds

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:11:00 +0000

Robert came over to my work table and said, "I wish it was that easy!"
Shaping and planting the garden beds in late spring is a ton of work. But for me...I get to do it with velvet, silk, ribbon, and thread. Ha!

I've gotten four beds "planted" and want to show you how that went.

The cauliflower was made from leaves cut from wide silk ribbon, and French knots in #3 cotton perle.

Next came the onions. When working on this tiny scale, the nature of the supplies one chooses is critical. Susan Elliott is a master in this regard and quite inspiring!
So for the onions, a hand-dyed gimp seemed just perfect.

A simple straight stitch was all it took.

The next bed over is for salad greens. 4mm and 7mm silk ribbon was a natural choice here, but the colors were a tad flat. So after my stitching was done, I touched up the ribbon--in place--with a fabric marker.

This is pretty forgiving so it was not scary. But if I really screwed it up, I could have taken out that stitching and replanted, so to speak.

The fourth bed is for squash. This was a little more involved, but tons of fun.

Burning the edges of silk seals it from fraying, and gives a nice dark outline around the shape. You do have to be very careful though. You just pass the edge over the top of the flame very quickly.

I cut out and singed a lot of the leaves, and then glued them into place.
A toothpick and fabric glue stick was just the way to go.

Here is a close up of one plant glued...

...and then with the stems and blossoms added.

So here is the vegetable garden so far...

I added some flowers along the edge of the cauliflower bed because I made the paths too dang wide. (Robert always measures out his paths.)

Here is the quilt as of this morning.

It's coming along!

But for now I have to lay it aside, as I have an exciting new assignment that is going to occupy my time for the next month or so, and alas, I can't show or tell about it quite yet. But I will be so excited to share my news in May!

****Remember to enter YOUR quilt for the "Twenty" fundraising contest for the Quilt Alliance. Guidelines are here. Be sure and check out the amazing prizes and sponsors! The quilts will be exhibited all over the country this summer before they are auctioned in the fall on eBay.****

Twenty Years in the Garden....Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Ohhhhh it has been fun!

The mid-ground area is about completed. I brought the number of sunflowers up to twenty (people were counting them!) Then I finished the hydrangeas, zinnias, and marigolds, and some tall grass. Remodeled the little yellow house a bit too, but it needs more work...

About those grasses...

I love this ribbon by my friend Vicki Day.
But it was too poofy for how far back in the composition it is, so I just lightly stitched over it with clear thread and I think it worked. ;-)

See, there it has been flattened, but not too much.

I've shown this to a few people and every single one of them counted the sunflowers, so now there are 20 of them.

We always leave them to go to seed for the birds in fall. Doesn't take them long to eat everything!

The middle border has the annuals I always sneak into Robert's vegetable patch...

This year will be no different!

I gave the house a little more detail work, but it's not done yet.

But for now, it is time to decide which crops to plant.
Just like in real life!

**Remember, this quilt is for the "Twenty" contest to benefit the Quilt Alliancce. You have plenty of time to create your entry! Guidelines are here.**

"Twenty Years in the Garden"

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Val and I have sent in our manuscript! There is much work left to do before it is published in May 2014...but almost all of it is C & T's job at this point. ;-) Which means that after 15 months, I can turn my attention to something else. And blog about it!

So it has been so much fun to begin my quilt for this year's annual fundraiser/contest for the Quilt Alliance (formerly named The Alliance for American Quilts, but now it has gone international--hence the name change.) The theme is "Twenty", to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Quilt Alliance.

The guidelines for entering are here. I hope you will do it!

I've been itching to do an embroidered landscape, so I chose to depict "Twenty Years in the Garden". We've actually lived here for 22 years now, but it's close enough...

I thought I would just post a series of photos showing the process...

I'm "planting" favorites that have recurred through the years: the sunflowers under the alder tree, hygrangeas that I love but Robert doesn't, always a border of zinnias....of course, the beds in the foreground are for our favorite vegetables....

Nice to be back here with you!

Shauna's Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:52:00 +0000

I have a very generous, warm-hearted friend.

Shauna's mother saved her mother's linens for years and years. After her mother passed away, Shauna has slowly gone through her things and has decided to part with some of them. When I saw her recently in California, she gave me a large bag full of treasure.

I've become more and more interested in incorporating vintage textiles into my work--just ask eBay about all the quilt blocks and fabrics I've been bidding on. This lace trove here will keep me engaged for months.

There are doilies....

...and more doilies.

Lots and lots of the lace is crocheted. Isn't that rick rack neat in its lace incarnation?

Some of the pieces are very fine and very old.

Just breathtaking to me, from another age entirely.

I can't wait to get to work with these new elements. The second book is coming along very well, so I'll be able to venture forth into this new direction in a little while....

Thanks for stopping by! I know I've been rather piano lately.....

Thanks...

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:01:00 +0000

Happy New Year, my friends!

It has been difficult not to blog here as freely as I used to...but when our book is done this coming May, I know Val and I will both be so glad to re-enter our blogging circle of fellow stitchers again with our works in progress...Unfortunately, I have to wait to blog what I'm doing for a months more.....

I will say we have had so much fun creating together, and truly look forward to offering our ideas and efforts to you all!

So for the moment, I just want to say.....

Thanks

7" X 9"

by Allison Aller, 2013

Christmas 1994

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Returned from the Broderie Perse and cut-out lettering days of 18 years ago.....a Christmas greeting to you all from the sewing room of 1994.

And to All a Good-Night

11" X 19"

Hope your Holidays are Bright!

New Class Samples

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:39:00 +0000

I've been having fun embellishing my Crazy Pieced Heart Block and also making a new "Frame It With Flowers" class sample, this time honoring my husband's family. Have a look!

This block has a whole new incarnation when it is quilted and then embellished!

This is such a simple project, but what a fantastic gift it could be....! You still have plenty of time to get one done before Christmas.

...and....Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Author Photoshoot...with Val and Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:51:00 +0000

After spending all last week together, Val and I just can't hold it back any longer:

****We are writing a book together for C & T Publishing!!!!!****

We've been working on it together since last January, and are having an absolutely lovely time collaborating.

Val came to visit me here in Washougal last summer when we actually got to sew together for several days.

Our styles of working are pretty different, which makes the exchanges between us so rich. She is so neat and calm and executes her work flawlessly, while I am wild and out of the box.

She realized this when I dumped out all of my silk stash on the floor of my living room so we could pull some fabrics for our projects.

Val loves to swim, but swimming in silk was a first for her!

We've had such fun working long distance together....but of course it was wonderful to reunite in Wichita last week and we got a lot done in person. I can't wait until you all can see what we are up to! But it will be awhile....our manuscript is due next May, and the book won't be out until May 2014! That is soooo long to wait....

We knew that last week was our one chance to have our photo taken together, as we won't see each other again before next May. So we asked our fellow C & T author, Judith Baker Montano, to take our author photo for us. Judith is a very fine photographer, and she graciously agreed to help us out. The fact that she has been a huge influence on both of us in our work made it even more special.

Well, getting one woman to be happy with a portrait of herself is hard enough, but two of us? It took three different sessions over three days, but Judith was so kind and funny with us, (saying outrageous things to make us laugh) not to mention being very experienced (telling me, "For God's sake, put on some LIPSTICK, honey!"), that she finally got one we both love.

Val and Judith are looking at some of our 400 shots....yes, it took that many!

Here is Judith trying to get my frizzy hair a little bit under control.

We had some funny outtakes...

Nope, I was giggling and the light wasn't right...

Oops, there's a plant growing out of my head!

On the last morning, Judith got it.

We are thrilled with Judith's portrait and each feel very, very lucky to be traveling on this wonderful crazy quilt journey together. We can't wait to take you with us!

To read Val's take on this, click on over here: http://pinkbunnykansas.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-very-special-photo-shoot.html

Report from the Victorian Stitchery Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:55:00 +0000

I just returned from teaching 4 days of classes at the Victorian Stitchery Retreat in Wichita, Kansas, hosted by my friend Valerie Bothell.
It was a mellow and harmonious week, where the students all worked hard but in the relaxed and gracious atmosphere of the Hotel at Old Town. I was so inspired by their creativity and warmth.

My fellow teachers, Judith Baker Montano and Candace Kling, gave me so many ideas about how to teach more effectively, and of course being able to see all their work on display in their classrooms was extraordinary. Candace and I roomed together and talked every night until almost midnight...what a wise and cultured rock and roller she is. She was so generous with her friendship....

Here are some pictures...just a few...of a magical week.

The Frame It With Flowers Class. Each student created her own unique beauty...a couple of examples show what I mean.

Lonna's work reflected her growing up as a florist's daughter. This is her son and new daughter-in-law.

Sandy Fox "wrote a love letter", as Kathleen Glynn calls this, to her cat Tabitha.

The Wee Farmscape Class was full of enthusiasm and hard workers. I threw quite a bit of class content at them in 6 hours, and they stayed with me every step of the way. Many thanks to Pamela Kellogg for allowing me to include her waste canvas seam treatments.

This class was especially fascinating to me, because though everyone followed the same pattern, again, each of their projects had a different feel to it.

Pam Peugh's cozy farmhouse beckons...

...while Vicki Clements' is energetic like a children's' book illustration. Of course, Vicki being a pediatrician might have something to do with that! Vicki spent all four days with me and I felt especially proud of all the work she did.

Friendships can grow deeply and quickly over the needle. Love you, Vicki!

This is one of the two heart blocks she cranked out in the Curved Hearts class.

She gave me some good insights for refining the pattern for the next time I offer the class, which I really appreciate.

Vicki's mom was at the conference too, here with Vicki in the Punchneedle Flower Class.

There she is in the aqua shirt. The bond between them was a source of real joy to me. I lost my own mom 36 years ago, so I love being around mothers and daughters.

How many of us can relate to Margie's glasses here? ;-)

Lydia Talton was in the Hearts class too, and made this wonderful block...

She didn't let that ornery clear mono-filament thread slow her down!

I was able to peek in on Judith and Candace's classes on the last day.

Students learned to make underwater seascapes using Judith's freeform embroidery techniques.

Candace's classes were next door to me, so I could hear that those ladies were mostly silent, really concentrating on their work. Being able to teach such complicated techniques in ribbonry requires a very skilled teacher; I soaked up everything I could learn from watching her.

She was organized, positive, clear and precise, and tuned in to what each student needed and how she best learned.

I love this picture of Candace and Lujean, who is 79 years young...

Some of Candace's display boards give the barest glimpse of what she does.

Click on this one! You'll want to see these ribbon flowers up close and personal.

None of this would have been possible without our lovely Val, who has put on this conference for 7 years, and her friend and invaluable assistant, Dixie Derksen.

Val has said this is the last year for the conference. But....maybe we can talk her out of that........

Thank you for everything, Val.....

Loving Teaching!

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:17:00 +0000

When I started blogging about my quilt life in 2005, I never could have predicted it would lead to the opportunity to travel and share my love for stitching with others. But over the last few years, that has happened, and each time I "go out" to meet new students in a classroom, I enjoy it all the more.

I leave for the Victorian Stitchery Retreat in Wichita, Kansas tomorrow, teaching alongside two of my heroes in the fiber world, Judith Montano and Candace Kling. My dear friend Val Bothell is hosting this event and some old friends will be attending--I'm sure I'll make some new ones too! I feel very lucky.

Four classes in four days! Preparing for them has been a labor of love...

The kits for "Frame it With Flowers" are ready to go...

I made a couple new samples for my "Crazy Hearts" class.

I added quilting to this one as an experiment. Very fun...

The "Wee Farmscape" class will cover a lot of techniques so I expect my ladies to work extra hard...

This concept can definitely be expanded to more elaborate work. I've done 3 other ones since this sample last winter, one of which was my quilt for the Quilt Alliance's contest, "Home is Where the Quilt Is".

"Washougal Valley View" was purchased by my friend Victoria Findlay Wolfe. That was great!

The last class I'll be teaching is about making punchneedle ribbon flowers. You all know how much I love making 3 dimensional flowers... ;-)

It is going to be a busy and creative week in wonderful Wichita.

I'll report back when I get home...meanwhile, thanks for stopping by....

The Boonslick Quilting Guild...and Amish Country

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Friends, being a traveling quilt teacher can bring so much joy in so many ways: from the students who love to learn, the audience who is interested in your work (unlike, perhaps, the beloved guys in your family whom you live with), the hosts who treat you like a princess, meeting new friends and old....and from the chance to explore new areas too.

I had all these experiences in my recent trip to Columbia, MO to teach my "Pretty Crazy" class and "Essential Crazy Quilt Embroidery", as well as to give a lecture about my transition from sane to crazy quilting.

I came home filled to the brim with great memories...here are a few pictures from my trip:

What's a better sign that you are in Missouri than having some mules come visit? They live next door to my host family and greeted me my first morning there.

Here we are setting up for my Friday night lecture. This guild made sure I had every thing I needed, one person even bailing me out when my PowerPoint got stuck. *whew*

The students worked hard all day in class on Saturday.....

...and I was thrilled with the variations on my pattern and method that they discovered.

This gal said she was going to try very hard not to enjoy the handwork she is starting to add here....I loved that, and good luck!

My sweet hostess, Corrine Remeika, is learning some new embroidery stitches in Sunday's class. She brought in that lovely CQ you see in the foreground of the picture. Nice fan there!

Another true highlight of my trip was my visit to the Clark County Amish community. My old Point Bonita friend, the master handquilter and hand piecer Bettina Havig, took me there. Bettina has long ties to the community and some dear friends among them too, so she knew where to go and what to show me.

We did indeed have to share the road. A couple of buggies being driven by women intent upon their errands passed us by along the way. They each gave us a serious nod and wave.

You don't photograph the Amish people, so I couldn't capture the utterly charming school children at play in their schoolyard at lunch time, in colorful long dresses and wee bonnets (the girls), and the straw hats, black pants, and bright shirts (the boys). It felt like stepping back into an earlier America. I was dazzled.

But I did photograph the little corner store that one family had on the side of their house. Come inside and see....

Please note the minimal packaging (food is bought in bulk and then bagged in manageable sizes), natural lighting, and absence of advertising. It felt so good in there.

Front and center, the fabrics for clothing and quilts!

...and the threads, of course. Note the Bag Balm in the green tin above. That's ointment for udders, so the teats don't get cracked or for cuts the cows get. As dairy farmers, my husband and I used to buy that stuff in gallon tubs! Fun to see it here.

Everything needed for the plain and simple Amish life was for sale here, including the straw hats worn by the men and boys. The woodstove is ready for winter, the broom on the wall for sweeping up ashes from the floor....

It was hard to leave such a peaceful and interesting place....but it was back to the 21st Century, albeit in retro fashion...

Bettina took Corrine and me here for my last breakfast before heading south to the airport in Kansas City. Good coffee and conversation, not to mention those hash browns.

A special thanks to Bettina, for hiring me and squiring me about. The private quilt turning of her masterpiece quilts in her home was something I'll never forget.
Bettina is dedicated to the "made by hand" school of quilting, in applique, piecing, and quilting. Her work is unrivaled, she teaches it here and internationally, and has published 7 books on the subject.
And her friendship is a treasure to me...

Home for a bit...next stop, Wichita! There is still time to sign up for my classes. Looking forward to it!

Harvest Season

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:36:00 +0000

It's been a month since I've checked in here, and I miss my blogging friends and readers.
But my posts are going to be few between now and May 1, 2013, which is my deadline for a top secret project that I have been sewing madly for since last January. It is hard not to share what I've been doing, but I hope you feel it will be worth the wait.
There are some big surprises in store!!!!

Meanwhile....
There has been a whole lot of gardening going on by my Food Supplier in Chief Robert, and harvest season is upon us....

The deal is, he grows it and I process it. Pear sauce and tomato sauce have been cranked out in mass quantities, with more to come...

I don't add a thing to this sauce, and I don't peel those tomatoes, either! They are simply terrific as is off the vine.

Thankfully, once the onions are cured we just store them in the basement. It was a banner year for the onions!

Same goes for the winter squash. For some reason (a pre-natal tendency is my opinion), my husband is compulsive about growing all sorts of winter squash: Delicata, Carnival, Ambercup, Marina de Chiogga. We will be eating off these til next summer. (Shown is a fraction of the harvest, believe me.)

The potatoes are all stashed away downstairs...

But we are still waiting on the Bosc pears...

This is only a part of the tree...I'm amazed at how great a crop we have, considering the weather is so lousy while the trees flower in the spring, and the bees are down in numbers...These will go into the chutney, along with all those peppers we also have coming ripe. I'd like to try drying some, too.

And after planting some Asian pear trees 18 years ago....we have our first decently sized crop of them. They are incredible...and it's nice to know we didn't completely waste our time with those trees!
Here's Robert filling a bucket for us...

There are also some out-of-it apple trees that we don't harvest...but our neighbors here are waiting for me to chuck some windfalls over the fence.

That big cow with the horns gets first dibs on everything, that is for sure!

I will check back in with reports of some upcoming travels....off to Columbia, MO next week, and then Wichita, Kansas for the Victorian Stitchery Retreat in November (there are still openings in the classes by me, Judith Montano, and Candace Kling, so contact Valerie Bothell if you can come.)

But....a few more moons will pass before I can blog about my studio work....here is a little glimpse though...can you find the Big Dipper?

Happy Harvest to you all!

"Pretty Crazy" Class Sample Embroidered

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:47:00 +0000

I am home from my trip and my travel preparations of my 4 block class sample paid off...not a single bit of fraying occurred, my blocks stayed nicely sewn together, all was well for the embroidery.

I kept the stitching simple, as this is a sample for the Essential Crazy Quilt Stitches classes that I will be teaching in the next several months. And you know what? Sometimes, simple is great! There is no "bling" on this project, just stitching like in the old days....of course, they didn't have the beautiful hand dyed variegated threads from all over the world to play with like we do....

What was also fun about this project was combining such disparate fabrics: feedsacks, 30's repros, silk brocade, quilters cotton...and of course, the various trims added so much to the mix.
And that is what crazy quilting is all about, for me...the mix.....

Preparing a CQ Project for Embroidery on the Road

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Yes, it has been a traveling summer with more ahead!
I thought I'd quickly share how I prepare a 4 block, 18" X 18" crazy quilt project for a rough and tumble life being folded and unfolded, pulled in and out of a backpack, balanced on the fold down tray tables of airplanes, whisked aside in hotel rooms etc.

It boils down to two things: interfacing and finishing those edges.

Immediately after trimming my blocks to square I sewed them together. Then I pressed open the seams and interfaced the back. Sometimes I interface the blocks individually first instead; sometimes I even interface the muslin before piecing. But this time I wanted those seam allowances nailed down, so to speak.

The only downside is the seam allowances make a little indentation as seen from the front...but that will loosen up as the block is worked, so I am not worried about it.

After the interfacing went on, I ran an overcast stitch with my machine around the perimeter of the piece.

Especially with that ravel-ish fabric like the woven brocade in the corner, you MUST stabilize the edge or it will shred on you. Not good!

Here is the whole thing:

Cheerful, isn't it? ;-) All protected and ready to go.

This is a class sample for my Pretty Crazy class I'll be teaching in Columbia, MO this coming October. It is based on my pattern that you can buy here. (It is in the top row, second from the left.)

As I'll be teaching Essential Embroidery for Crazy Quilts also, I'll be adding that to this piece during my upcoming travels. That will be very fun and I am looking forward to it.
I'll show you how it looks when I get back... ;-)

Checking In

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Hello and thank you for stopping by!
I have not been posting much this summer so I've missed you. It's been busy and productive with visitors and travel and there is still more of that to come before this fleeting summer ends.

But I wanted you to know I am thinking of you and will post again pretty soon...
xoxox Allie

Summer Gardening and Sewing

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:46:00 +0000

This summer took a heck of a long time to get here. While the rest of my friends were scorched through June and July, here in the Portland area it has been almost uniformly cool and rainy. But since the 4th of July we have had some sun mixed in with the clouds at least!

And that means gardening around here.
My husband does almost all of it...I just take care of a few flowers here and there.
Have a look!

This front border is kind of wacky, as the plants are the wrong heights in the wrong places...but the colors are nice!

The dogwood in front has gotten so big since we moved here 20 years ago that I have a lot of shady places to fill...

Little blasts of hot color are nice in the shade.

But the real action this year is out in Robert's garden...

Here are the wildflowers, potatoes, and squash. The potatoes are insanely good eating this year.

Here is part of his Tomato Plantation...the indeterminate varieties make long vines that he carefully suspends and supports. This system took years to evolve but this year he has got it down.

The Sungold cherry tomatoes are almost ready....

This bed of brassicas--cauliflower and broccoli--is about done, the cauliflower all harvested and the broccoli flowering...it got away from us before we could harvest it all. I love its yellow flowers, though.

This is the Fig Plantation. Robert took cuttings off of our neighbor's fig tree this spring, and has nurtured those little sticks into the baby trees you see here. It's been a whole lot of work...but he loves fresh figs.

He EVEN is talking about rebuilding our funky greenhouse--which I have been encouraging him to do for years--so that those figs will have a full time place to live in the winter....

I have mostly been sewing instead of gardening...and very happy at it too.

The only problem is, I can't blog about any of it.
This makes me sad... ;-( .....but it is for a nice reason. So you won't be seeing too much of my current work here for awhile.
I of course will keep my teaching and workshop pages current just under my header up at the top of the blog.

Thanks for stopping by....and Happy Summer!

Easiest CQ Finish Ever...Herringbone Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Allison Aller) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:20:00 +0000

I finally got to finish this quilt!
I was most eager to see how that 38mm silk ribbon done in the herringbone around the perimeter of the quilt was going to look, acting as a visual "binding". I mean, it is there where the binding should be, isn't really binding at all, but suggests it.

Because this quilt:
a) is not for competition
b) has no weighty embellishments on it
c) used a woven "batting"
d) is for the wall, so is therefore not functional
I chose to use a very simple finishing technique on it that went super fast.

Here are the steps I took to do it.....

This is the back of the quilt top. You will notice the blocks have been interfaced before I embroidered them. The silk edge fabric I used for those big honking ribbon stitches was interfaced too.

My "batting", which is actually cotton drapery lining, much like flannel only spongier with a looser weave, is draped over the quilt top.
I love this stuff for crazy quilts and use it all the time. It is flat not puffy, and the weave gives a nice internal structural support to the quilt. It is cheap and easy to work with too. I get it at Fabric Depot in Portland.

For the backing I used some positively lovely shirting fabric that I got for $8/yard at a men's ties outlet store. This is very, very smooth and finely woven cotton. I pinned it all together with just a few safety pins.

You can see where I am going with this! After the drapery lining was cut to size (to reach just to the edge of the brown ribbon herringbone stitching), I ironed the shirting fabric over the edge of the batting.
I folded the extra silk fabric beyond the stitching to the inside of the top.

Then I whipstitched the folded edges together.

On the back, I just sewed four buttons to keep the layers together, located at the four corners of the center block. Here you can see that my button stitching is "in the ditch", through to the front at the intersection of the corners, and hence won't show.

Poking the needle back through to the back here.
Just four buttons, I told you this was fast!
I put a sleeve on it too...

Now the front edge looks like this:

It definitely has an unusual look to it!

I like it. ;-)
And I am glad to cross this project off my "to do" list.

I'll be teaching this block at Road to California next January. Registration begins July 8th!