Grandma Walburga: My Roots of Handmade Tradition

I had a memory today. I was using a set of pot holders I made to take some carmelized brussels sprouts out of  the oven (because if you are going to eat brussels sprouts, why not carmelize them?) I was remembering a conversation with a friend about using the "good ones". I do use the "good ones". I don't see a point in saving them for a rainy day - they make me happy every day! And when they've just gotten too singed, frayed and downright loved to pieces, I make more. It's a very happy and fulfilling cycle.

As usual, I digress. I then thought of how maybe I should start making something here or there to save for my girls for when they head off to start their own homesteading. I still have some of my very first belongings that were given to me when I moved into my first apartment: Gramps' screwdrivers, Mom's hammer. I love the feeling I get when I take those simple things out and think of receiving them 20 years ago in my very first home away from home.

And as my internal conversations go... I then thought of my Great Grandma Walburga Baalman, my great-grandmother on my paternal grandfather's side. I have fond memories of my grandma's house. It was bright aqua blue with white trim. She had a chain link fence around her backyard which was bordered with a flowerr bed on all sides as was the house. My grandma always wore pressed powder and bright lipstick. Her hair was a beautiful silvery gray and then bright white. She had a rock collection in her flower beds that consisted mostly of gigantic crystals and open geodes from her travels. She collected paper weights filled with spiders and butterflies and intricate glass designs. She loved Kewpie dolls and crocheted tiny little intricate dresses for all of the dolls in her collection. She also tatted beautiful doilies.

I didn't really remember how many things I have from my Grandma Baalman until today. I have a large crystal from her garden, a Kewpie in a pink crocheted dress, the baby blanket she made for me when I was born and a set of bath towels from my "hope chest" that every girl in our family received. I've always been a very sentimental person. My youngest daughter Cannon is just like me in that way. I remember even from that very young age of about six years old knowing that my Grandma wouldn't be with me forever. I had a sense that she would leave us before I was old enough to have my very own set of bath towels made for my "hope chest". (I also longed for a Lane Company cedar hope chest to put all of my treasures in.) I wanted a set of those bath towels made just for me by my grandmother so badly.

I think my grandmother must have had the same sense about her time with me. I will never forget the visit to her house when I received my towels. They were just like I wanted too. White with aqua blue trim and a rainbow of crocheted flowers hand stitched on. It is possible my love for aqua blue stems from my Grandma Baalman. It is possible that everyone's love of aqua blue stems from all of our Great Grandmothers collectively.

I have them. I have never used them. They were too precious. And still are. For now. I might see a day in the future where I'll be ready to start enjoying them daily. Until then, I think I'll stitch up a few little traditions for my own girls and stash them away.

Funny thing. As I'm sitting her typing this with the towels sitting next to me at my desk I just noticed the manufacturer label:

Made in U.S.A.
CANNON
All Cotton

Coincidence? Probably. Am I crying anyway? Absolutely.

It's Coming.... Madrona Road is at the mill!

Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City will find me with my new collection, Madrona Road. It is at the mill now and I hope to be able to start sharing photos of it in just a couple of short weeks!

In the meantime, Peacock Lane is nearing her 1st birthday. A few months ago Fat Quarterly did a a round up of some fantastic projects and photos going on at that time here.

Since then, I'm seeing the Falling Flowers pop up as modern basics in wonderful patchwork creations all over my favorite blogs. And just yesterday I ran across this quilt that made me stop dead in my tracks. I am in LOVE with it.

Pattern: Quilt Story #122 Rylee's Path by Heather and Megan  in Peacock Lane

And this Swoon Quilt is literally making me swoon. Melissa is participating in Katy's Swoon-Along. 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone that chooses to use Peacock Lane in their creations. It gives me so much joy to see it come to life in the hands of sewists. 

2011 Swaps!

Recently the Portland Modern Quilt Guild did a potholder swap with the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild. I showed the potholder that I made for my recipient Kristin back here. Below is the potholder I received in return from Kathy Hurley. I really love the quilting and the big grommet! 

At our December meeting we had our holiday gift swap. My recipient was Ale. I made her a ticker tape tote bag which I completely forgot to take a photo of. I received this COMPLETELY AWESOME table runner, zipper pouch, scrap bin and pin cushion from Cathy. She really knows my style. She knew that I loved to add ruffles to my quilts and put that super sweet little ruffle on the pin cushion for me. This table runner is PERFECT for my house. It will spend a long time on my table.

Thank you so much swap partners!

Beer-vent Calendar 2011

For the discriminating beer geek, no amount of craft beer awesomeness is too much. Following up last year's Twelve Days of Beer-mas I felt I needed to outdo myself.  I'm still not sure that putting this together and surprising the Mr. Craft wasn't more fun than him receiving it. I am happy to say I was able to enjoy a lot of this gift with him. I put together 24 beers for the calendar and then a bonus three beers for Christmas day opening. 

The back row

The front row

The list in order of days:

1. Dogfish Head Chickory Stout

2. Great Divide Brewing Hibernation Ale

3. Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11

4. Fire Mountain Brewhouse Hangman Winterfest

5. Hub Abominable Winter Ale

6. Golden Valley Brewing Tannenbomb

7. Ninkasi Imperiale Stout

8. Dick's Double Diamond Winter Ale

9. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws

10. Oakshire Brewing Overcast Espresso Stout

11. Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale Brown Shugga' Stout Substitute

12. Avery Brewing Old Jubilation Ale

13. Seven Brides Becky's Black Cat Porter

14. Firestone Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout

15. Oakshire Ill Tempered Gnome

16. Lost Coast Brewery Winterbrown

17. Heater Allen Sandy Paws Baltic Porter

18. Lompoc C-Sons Greetings

19. Bruery/Elysian/Stone La Citrueille Celeste de Citracodo

20. Laurelwood Gearhead

21. Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

22. Ft. George Brewing North V

23. Southern Tier Jahva

24. Shelton Brothers Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout

And on the 25th day:

Avery Brewing The Czar

Russian River Brewing Co. Pliny the Elder

Deschutes Brewing The Stoic

A little note: If you plan to make one of these for your beer geek you might want to put the days in order from top to bottom. When opening these some of the top days fell into the holes created by the lower ones that had already been cleared. Next year: beer tree? We shall see! 

I call her The Trophy Wife

I had the amazing pleasure of being able to participate in a Secret Santa exchange with my sewing circle gals, the Yams. This bag was designed especially for Heather, occasionally affectionately known as The Trophy Wife.

I perfected the pattern through many a trial and error and these two were created for my sisters-in-law for Christmas gifts. Mine is on the cutting table now and I can't wait to have it finished!

    

Look for the pattern coming in March!

Completely unplanned, I was also Heather's Secret Santa recipient. She made me a whole boatload of awesome goodies that I'll post about soon. Thank you Heather! It was THE MOST FUN being your partner :)

Behind the Scenes of a Photoshoot

Peacock Lane Snowflake Petal Pillows featured on Sew, Mama, Sew!

Today I have a little tutorial featured on the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog using the AccuQuilt GO! Baby Fabric Cutter. Pop on over there to check out the tutorial and find out more about how I use fabric cutters in my work.

I thought it would be fun to show you here what it really looks like when I take pictures at my house.

Here is the final photo:



And here is what really happened. Actually, there were about a dozen that I deleted right after taking them with a streak running through the middle of the photo or a tail whisping past the edge.

"Oh, and what's that? Petals? Do they move? Do they FLY off the table when I hit them like THIS!? Yep, they sure do. What fun. Oh, did you put me down on the floor so I could run back up at them faster like THIS? Thanks for the help!" (Tulip)

*sigh* (me)

Who, me? What? I'm just sitting here, out of frame, minding my own business.

Beach Weekend Sewing

A few weeks ago I had the awesome pleasure of being able to hit the beach with a few of my Yams. My first project was to do some pattern testing for Elizabeth. This is the Perfect Zip Bags pattern. Elizabeth supplied me with a sweet little pack of fabrics to work with and away I went. Afterwards I played photographer in the yard of our getaway house.


My Perfect Zip Bags



Perfect Zip Bags by Monica, Gabrien and mine

Perfect Zip Bags by Monica

Gabrien also made a sweet little tote bag from a pattern designed by Monica for Better Homes and Gardens. You can find the pattern on their All People Quilt site. I love this sweet little pic I took! The tote is made with Lotta Jansdotter's new line, Echo.

Happy Sewing!