Inspired Image: Erica of Jello 07

Hello, my name is  Erica de Groot.

You can find me at jello07.com and jello07.blogspot.com and casaelnaranjo.nl

This image comes from my blog, it is a recent design I made. I might sound strange to say about your own design but the strawberry mouse (which can be used as a paperweight—on your desk or on your picnic table to keep your napkins from blowing away) makes me happy.

It inspires me because it gives me more inspiration to make new things.

I particularly love the colors of felt and the fabric itself.

It makes me feel happy and inspired.

 

The 3 words it conjures up are colors, summer, happiness.

 

***

I've already started my Easter baking as my parents are coming to town for the weekend, so I will have much to report on Monday. I'm even toying with the idea of making homemade pasta for a pesto lasagna I have planned for Easter dinner—we'll see! Enjoy the weekend everyone and thanks so much for being here.

Link Love: Found Florals

 

I tend to catch up on other blogs while I'm eating lunch each day and since I come across so many lovely things, I've decided that I should start sharing them with you. Today's topic: florals.

New lovely bookmarks from Abbytryagain have me wanting to find a sunny spot, a lawn chair and a good book.

The fascinating peak into Anna Maria Horner's quilting life, where I learned that she used thicker thread and embroidery needles for her stitches.

 

This absolutely stunning watercolor print from lilydove on etsy (via Decor8) is spring in pretty print form. (And I will be surprised if one of her prints doesn't turn up as a future print of the month!)

 

Twig & Thistle has some lovely Easter entertaining inspiration (originally via the Wedding Style Guide) that is making me very happy it's spring and I was able to enjoy two meals outdoors this week. (Also, for the record, I'm a sucker for pretty, completely set tables, outside—the wall behind my desk is filled with them.)

 

Not only do these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies from So Good and Tasty look delicious, but this one is sitting on the most darling plate. I do love the subtle whimsy of old floral china patterns.

Is it Time to Start a Modern Quilting Guild in Des Moines?

  

 
I think I want to start a quilting guild in Des Moines. Actually, I should be more clear by saying that I realize there might already be one, but I want to start a "modern quilting guild". What's the difference, you may ask? Well, thanks to this handy article on Etsy, I learned about the Modern Quilt Guild, an organization made up of chapters of "modern" quilters all around the country. I wouldn't have defined my quilting as modern before today, but I'm certain that these are my people (as far as quilters go) now that I've read through how they were defining the word—and after spending some time on their flickr page. Here's a sampling of some of my favorites from (Gabriel's baby quilt from broadloco is pictured above), along with more info about the MQG:

Concrete garden from Jaybirdquilts

The Modern Quilt Guild is a community of quilt guilds across the country. The online community of modern quilters is thriving and this guild grew out of a desire to also have us meet in person. The founding branch of the guild started in Los Angeles in October of 2009. Through blogs & the internet word spread quickly of the fun they were having and now branches have started popping up all over the country. We are a young organization just getting started with planning, organizing and sorting out all we will do as an association.

 

  

NB's Quilt 2 from Kate @ swim, bike, quilt

Modern quilting is a new twist on the traditional art of quilting. This may mean something as simple as using a traditional quilt block and updating it in a fresh fun new way. That includes using modern fabrics, modifying the block arrangement or even the scale of the block.  The piecing could be improvisational and wonky, or it could be very exact and measured, following a pattern or creating your own. The quilting could be traditional stippling, clean straight lines or a very “free” have fun, quilt as you go style. Fabrics could be upcycled vintage sheets, custom digital printed fabric, a yummy selection from one of the new modern fabric designers, or an old fabric from an ever growing stash.

Zig zag from  Lollyquiltz

Modern quilting is also about the attitude and the approach that modern quilters take. It respects the amazing artistry and talent of the tradition of quilting, while allowing the quilter to challenge the “rules”. In fact, if there were one rule in modern quilting it would be that there are no rules.

I think this sounds like it's right up my alley and I can imagine that meeting up with fellow quilters once a month to stitch, share and get to know each other would be really fun and informative. So if you live in or around Des Moines, and you make or are interested in this type of quilts/quilting, let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to investigate starting a chapter.

Q&A: Handmade Bag and Purse Maker Jennifer Ladd

Name: Jennifer Ladd
Location:  Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Website/Blog/store:  jenniferladd.etsy.com
Facebook page: facebook.com/jenniferladd
Twitter: twitter.com/jenniferladd

Tell me a little bit about what you make, and why you like the process of making.
I make handmade bags and purses.  I love the challenge and excitement of using raw materials to create something cute.  Bags are especially great for this - they are generally constructed inside-out, and it is always thrilling to turn them back at the end of the process and see how it turned out!

How and when did you become interested in making bags?
I used to be a French teacher full-time, but we adopted our beautiful daughter from Vietnam in 2007 and I quit to stay home with her full-time.  I absolutely loved my new role, but after a few months, I did find myself getting a bit stir crazy and I needed a creative outlet just for myself (a bit if a break from Sesame Street!).  I started sewing a lot more and made myself a few new bags.  It was so fun for me that I decided to try selling them, and I haven't stopped since!

How would you describe your style?
When I design my handbags, I lean toward simple shapes and modern lines.  But I also try to add a surprise bit of levity to each purse with bold colors and eye-catching designs.  I'm also a fan of the unexpected ... an elegant clutch with an octopus on it, for example!

Where do you do your work?
I have my own sewing room in my house—such a nice space, and such a treat to have my own place that I can do with what I please (without toys, crayons, and Cheerios)!  I made sure it had bright colors so it is a fun, inspiring place to work.  Here are some photos:

Where do you look for inspiration?
I am inspired by beautiful fabrics.  I always get happy when I see a beautiful fabric combination. And
I think my work is most recognizable by its bright colors.

Is this your full-time work?
My daughter is my full-time job (the best one I ever had!).  My days are dedicated to her.  I sew at night as a bit of a mental break for me, a time to relax and express some creativity.   As she gets older, I do find myself having a bit more time to dedicate to my shop, but that will probably be short-lived ... we are in the process of adopting another baby girl from Ethiopia!

Weekend Project: Feed Sack Pillow Cover

I started out the weekend intending to turn a stack of my granny squares into a throw pillow cover, but things veered slightly off course once I actually got to sewing.

I sewed my squares together—I wound up using all the same size because the fit together so nicely—and I love the somewhat modern and yet still traditional vibe that the finished rectangle has. I measured it to fit the front of a pillow that I have, and that needed a makeover, but the shape/size also lends itself nicely to a trivet. Or a placemat, which is what my friend Virginia called it before promptly requesting that I make her a set of 8 for the fall.

When I went to figure out which fabric I was going to use for the base, which was going to come out of my stash because as this was an experiment (and not worth brand new fabric in my book), I found a very cool feed sack that I'd forgotten about. I whipped it up into a pillow cover—which was fun because after the patchwork pillows, I really understand how the general design needs to work—and realized that it was perfect just the way it was.

So for now, I'm going to enjoy my granny square trivet and my new feed sack pillow cover and call this one a successful exercise in stream of consciousness crafting!

P.S. I also pinned the bias tape onto the big quilt that I've been working on for over a year and let me tell you, I am a VERY happy girl about being that close to being done. That and finally seeing flowers starting to bloom were definitely the highlights of my weekend!

Inspired Image: Helen Summers of Thimbletop

After a brief hiatus, I'm bringing back the Friday Inspired Image series! I know, it's exciting stuff. I'd love to feature some of you right here on a future Friday, so if you have an image that speaks to you that you'd love to share, email me at thingswemake [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll give you a chance to share the spotlight! Now for Helen's pick, which I particularly love because I'm also from near Philly...

Hello, my name is  Helen Summers

You can find me at  thimbletop.etsy.com

This image comes from thetransitpass.wordpress.com/

It inspires me because although I am currently living in Western Massachusetts, I'm originally from just outside of Philadelphia, so the inside of 30th Street Station is a very familiar and inviting space for me.  I love the open space, and every single time I go in I am struck by how much I love the ceiling pattern.  I have spent plenty of time sitting on those benches after having just missed that train I was supposed to take, and every time I do I end up passing the time staring at that ceiling and imagining all of the various ways that I could use that pattern in a new embroidery project.

I particularly love  the way it captures the feeling of that huge, airy space in the main area.  Particularly as spring is finally approaching, this picture reminds me of being able to just sit and enjoy the atmosphere (and the people-watching).

It makes me feel more connected to my friends and family in PA.  I actually just visited this past weekend, and I am reminded of the amazing feeling of walking up the steps into that station and just immediately feeling right back at home.

The 3 words it conjures up are breezy, open, home.

***
Helen makes embroidered pieces with a sense of humor. Here's how she describes it:
"I learned to sew when I was about nine years old and my mother first taught me how to sew a basic rectangular pillow. When I was ready to stuff my first project, she tried to teach me how to turn the fabric inside out to hide the seam. I refused, arguing that I had worked hard on my careful stitching and wanted to show it off, not put it inside the pillow where no one could see it.

As the years have gone by my sewing has changed and advanced, going through stages of dresses and shirts and bags. However, it seems that I have finally come full circle. Through embroidery, I have once again discovered my love of creating stitches that everyone can see. I think that my nine-year-old self would approve of the fact that I try to keep a sense of humor in many of the items I make."

 And with those nice thoughts, I bid you lovely weekend!

Q&A with Illustrator Judy Kaufmann

I'm really enjoying these bold, yet somehow also serene, illustrations from Judy Kaufman. I had no idea how transfixed I'd be by her answer to my question about where she finds her inspiration—I bet you will be too, so pour some coffee or tea and relax with a little light reading. Who knows, by the end of this point, your imagination might be ready to take you on a little journey.


Name: Judy Kaufman
Location: Barcelona
Site: etsy, twitter.com/jukaufmann


How long have you been illustrating/drawing and why do you like the medium?
I've been drawing since childhood, and seriously illustrating from 2003. That was the year when I took the decision to get into this medium and also to move from the city where I was born (Santiago de Chile) and come to live to Barcelona, an amazing city for illustrators and designers. I definitely like the medium when there is originality into it. I hate to find same illustration style everywhere, so of course I like when I see a lot of different styles from different people on the same city and at the same time. Makes me think about how inspiration work ...

What inspires you?
As I always say, I get the inspiration from what I don't understand, what I don't know, what I don't know how to do, what I am not. From the interest that I feel about all things that are outside of my life. That's where my imagination picks the inspiration. On the other hand, I have a bizarre and explosive inspiration when I go to museums and galleries and I get involved with different colors and formats, whether I like or not what I'm seeing.

How do you usually work- do you have an idea in your head and you sketch it out in one fell swoop or are you more likely to come up with an idea and tweak it over time?

Once, I  read an interview done to Francis Bacon that really made me a lot of sense, he was always talking about the accident, the fact that you never can think a specific idea and take it to the end, there always going to be something (here the accident comes) that appears as a detail, but will change the perspective and the message of the artwork. Obviously between art and illustration there is a large gap and does not always work like that. But to answer your question, I never know finally what it's going to be...

Is this your full-time work?
This is not my full-time work, I work in the morning for a small design studio and I keep the afternoon for my freelance design and illustration work. I work at home with a lot of different materials and techniques, I feel lucky to have a really nice space where I feel free to create.

Where do you do most of your work?

Here is a picture of my desk (at home). The table was made by Marc, my boyfriend. It is an old door painted that has a sort of sunk to leave the pencils. I love it because is comfortable and It's perfect to separate the computer with the drawing area, That's the "serious" place where I work because I also can draw in the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, the bus, in a conference or anywhere where I can get a pencil and a paper...