BCQuilter's Weblog

So here I am!  Not much news on the quilting front, actually not much news on any front!

Thank you to Ruth, for giving me the much-needed boost to write.  I promised a little while ago, that I would share what I did with the label for the “Memories of Maui” quilt.  The photos have been sitting on the disc in the camera for, well lets just say, long enough!

Do you recall when I first started this quilt?  My first blog and photos of the “Hawaiian Quilt“.  I did a “close-up” (although I must admit, revisiting it, it is not much of a close-up).  I mentioned, I think, of having a bit of fun, and including some of the backing fabric into the blocks.  It made a meandering path of footprints from the bottom of the quilt to the top, on the left side of the quilt.  It was very clever of Shawn to include in the quilting footprints travelling up the quilt as well.

When I was delivering the quilt to Marie, she sent it back home with, and asked if I would do the label.  The plan was just using a piece of muslin, writing out the particulars, then stitching a border around the muslin using the fabric that was used for the binding, and the inner border.  That was the plan!

As I drove home a completely different idea took place.  I couldn’t get it out of my head.  I drew it out on paper.  Erased.  Redrew.  Erased again.  Redrew.  I did this a few times, until the design was just right!  Then I realized, I was going to have to figure out some way of transferring the idea from paper, to fabric!  What was I thinking!  My drawing skills are not the best, and I had to think about it for quite some time, on how I was going to take the design from paper and transfer the idea to fabric.  LOL.  I should have taken some photos of the drawings.

I have not done much machine applique, and again it was one of those things, I just jumped into without giving it too much forethought!  Its amazing what you can achieve, when you don’t think about it too much, and do not let your intimidation take hold.   I decided I wanted to use the satin stitch for the applique.  Of course, that made it so much easier!   I’ve used the satin stitch on other things, besides applique, so it was “easy”.  Did I mention that I don’t think applique is easy?  I know it needs more practice.  I just haven’t found much I wanted to do, to achieve the practice.

Oh, I had considered using my embroidery machine, but again, I haven’t had much practice with it either, and I wanted to use the KIS principle.  Keep It Simple

Here is the label!  I was so surprised, when I realized the fabric lined-up with the backing.  I turned it over and used the ladder stitch to stitch the label to the backing.

I traced my foot.  Have you ever noticed that tracing a foot, looks a lot different then a footprint?  I really didn’t like the shape, so I cleaned it up a bit.  I cut out the muslin foot print, and pressed a piece of freezer paper, so I could do the writing.  I had darkened the lines on some lined paper, and transferred those to the “dull” side of the freezer paper as a guide when I wrote the label information.  I cut a piece of Pellon Wonder Under and traced the foot outline, and applied it to the muslin.  I cut out the foot shape.  I then appliqued the foot shape to the fabric using the satin stitch.  I had decided to use the backing fabric to ‘hide and blend’ the label to the backing.

I have to mention this again, but I was so surprised that I could line up the label with the backing fabric to “hide and blend” the label even more.    I was very pleased with the results.

Marie was so tickled.  I had told her I kind of lost the little toe, and that someone had suggested I create a toe ring.  She said she would have loved that!  Oh well, if I had asked her, it wouldn’t have been a surprise.  I really enjoy making labels that are not “square”.  I like the whimsiness of using different shapes.

And I haven’t done this for a while!  Here is my challenge to you, if you choose to accept it!  If you have not made a unique shaped label, I challenge you to do so on a quilt.

Now for a personal update:  I am doing okay.  My 6 month scans were all clear.  It seems that I have chronic pain.  I have found that this has been very draining, but I am now taking medication so I can function.  I didn’t realize how debilitating pain could be.   I have been off work since the middle of December.  I just found it had become too much, and I wasn’t doing anything but working, even at only 3 days a week for 4 hours a day, I was resting when I wasn’t working.  I realized this is not what I wanted to do.  I needed more than just working in my life.  I think what brought it all to a head, was when my DD#2 really wanted to do some craft things with me for Christmas, and I just didn’t have the energy to do it.   The look of disappointment on her face broke my heart.  She understood, but I didn’t.   I am now working up to doing things I like.  I meet once a week with a quilting/sewing group.  That exhausts me too, but at least I am having fun!

I had my one year anniversary of my diagnosis.   I survived the week.  As a year ago, it was a week-long experience.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to react.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I think I prepared myself to look on the bright things.  At the Living With Cancer Support group they told me to celebrate and I did.  I made up for missing my birthday last year.  I hadn’t really thought of it at the time, but yes, I was diagnosed two days before my birthday.  I celebrated with 21 family and friends with a pot-luck dinner.  A friend (who has the same birthday as me) of my father’s had stopped by and asked what they could bring.  I had invited him and his wife to join us.  He plays in a band (bluegrass and country music), and asked if I would like them to play at the birthday party.  I was honoured, and told him I would love that.  The music was fabulous.   One of my friends from out-of-town gave me a book “Choosing to Smile” written by three British Columbian women about their lives with cancer.  The book was inspirational.  I didn’t know if I really wanted to read someone’s story about cancer, but I am glad I did.  I laughed, and I cried.   I hadn’t realized it, but for my journey, I have also chosen to smile.  And I will keep smiling.  Recovery is taking longer than I expected, but I am at this point in time, cancer free.  I am so thankful and grateful for all of you!  My “Hug Quilt” is on my bed, and every night I goto sleep with it tucked around me.

I have put together a project which I will be working on at my sewing group.  I just realized, I started this project two years ago.  It was a Leader/Ender project, and now it is coming together.  I am hoping to have all the blocks stitched together this week, which means another photo-op, and another blog post!

-Alice