Can You Stand More Rope Bowls

My friend, Pencil Girl, hand dyed some more clothesline for me.
I scored on the styling end as I happened to have some hops and white pumpkins in my kitchen table centerpiece. They offset the autumnal colors of the clothesline perfectly.

 I just love all the random swirls this method of dying creates. She keeps the hank of clothesline intact and uses a tall vase for dying.

I will say, I wasn't as enthused about this orangy and dusty purple combo when she handed it to me. I loved the blue/green combo she dyed for me before, so these colors weren't as exciting to me.

But my friend hand-dyed it for me, so I jumped in and fell in love with the autumnal colors that emerged as I designed as I zigzagged along.

I wanted to do those loopy things again  - for no particular reason.

 There was enough left to do a small saucer which is just darling.

  I had in mind a black & white version and what emerged from the sewing machine is another piece of awesomeness. It doesn't scream black and white as much as my vision but I did a couple of new techniques on this one.

For more color at the top, I did a final round of zigzagging so it shows more.
I also made my three knots looser and just attached them with the sewing machine for a cleaner finish.

I also discovered when turning it inside out, I like the loops inside and I also like the top edge rolled down.

You might say, I have found my groove.
So much fun and quick to do.

If you search for Rope Bowl over on my sidebar (web version - won't appear on the mobile version), you can see all the posts I've done on Rope Bowls.

I am amazed I haven't gotten tired of making these yet. They are super quick to do -- less than two hours, and they come off the sewing machine all different. Very organic designing - very freeing.

Autumn Table Runner

 I survived matchstick quilting.

 Surfing the internet, I stumbled across Cynthia Frenette's blog and she had a free pattern for a table runner. She used matchstick quilting - that's just quilting lines about a 1/4" apart, mostly parallel with a curvy twist at the end of the table runner.

It was very pretty.
It seemed simple enough....

 It only took all day Sunday.

After about 30 parallel lines, I was ready to free motion quilt (FMQ) this piece. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's how FMQ got started. Some dorky sewist trying to think she can quilt, realizing very quick she hates quilting repetitious lines that never end. She veered off the 'pattern' and started free-wheeling that sewing machine like nobody's business.

I used scraps and stash for this table runner. Most of the low-volume background is from Sweetwater's Road 15 fabrics. See? A tiny bit of quilting and I start spouting out quilting lingo: Low volume!

For this table runner to work, the background colors are all low-key, light, neutral. The berries and the leaves are almost primary loud colors.

 This measures up about 40" long x 10" wide.

The background colors are all pieced together with the berries and leaves ironed on top with wonder-under (fusible web). The matchstick quilting is helping to keep those small pieces attached. Cynthia had you start with parallel lines of quilting and then veer off in a curve towards the end - following the lovely stem curve. The entire table runner is bound with bias tape ( I cut mine straight).


Even though this took all day to sew - with many breaks to keep my sanity - this was an easy sew.   A very pretty sew for Autumn.

 I can now tick matchstick quilting off my bucket list.

{ I  dislike quilting.}

BAZAAR TIME

I know I should be sewing and getting ready for the Christmas Bazaar.  It just seems so far away.....

Stop by the Knittn' Kitten to find inspiration:

Free Craft Projects at The Knittn' Kitten 

If you're looking for cool holiday gifts to make, The Knittn' Kitten will be offering a new free project sheet each week until early November. Stop in the store, get the project, and while you're there, pick up the materials at bargain prices. The projects are all donated by local crafters. Get a full list of who's participating over here.

These stunning Roses are called "Just Joey". My great-aunt Ruby said they were her favorites. They bloom profusely, they smell divine, and are hardly ever bothered by any of those pesky rose diseases.