tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280492652024-03-16T02:27:28.258-07:00BeadlustWill you join me? We'll journey together along a beaded pathway! Robin AtkinsRobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-50566040496737473672024-01-18T00:20:00.000-08:002024-01-18T00:20:49.297-08:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Hexie Quilts - How to Make a Hexie Facing to Finish a Quilt with a Hexie-shaped Edge</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYigwuK3EXIRwYJtkBY-zFaUOvv7NJ-qh7l_PKXZQGAex8M7kiG41hZy81I0D2JjIzJUfjI0aMfIkylzMpyy9BwNq18Ssf1xxj2BCxdCADBwJE17tadz5q3e3Rg8DUSDZGE5Cgw93mk-SSEPHfa7GvwbLuv9Om7vwKmk_Me1AFRIeAD6eRJtC/s1488/Atkins_Robin_Hexie_Quilts_Triptych_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1488" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYigwuK3EXIRwYJtkBY-zFaUOvv7NJ-qh7l_PKXZQGAex8M7kiG41hZy81I0D2JjIzJUfjI0aMfIkylzMpyy9BwNq18Ssf1xxj2BCxdCADBwJE17tadz5q3e3Rg8DUSDZGE5Cgw93mk-SSEPHfa7GvwbLuv9Om7vwKmk_Me1AFRIeAD6eRJtC/w532-h396/Atkins_Robin_Hexie_Quilts_Triptych_.jpg" width="532" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> Of course there are many ways to finish the edges of a hexie quilt, including making them straight by sewing partial hexies to fill the gaps, and then binding it like any other quilt. I happen to like seeing the hexie shape along the edges. This post is about the facing method I use to achieve that look.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">1. The facing will be made of the same size hexies as the top. I generally use matching fabrics. In the image below, you can see the fabrics in the strip of facing hexies match the fabrics on the top.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPie-V-myde5EYPaRBnbhOjfLAedzSfKl77AlmsBjUsQQWubM4j_bWSZ3X55NQdi9bi0_wk78ApadaW8PkyMo7JL3sC_hoQR3aK3q0FtX_TIVHqB8ipzmYcHK7R9bZH_arYhAjKyPRZRUrETxOB1V4fP3geBo6l6SoN2_lCM-pu2qMa4587U26/s936/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="936" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPie-V-myde5EYPaRBnbhOjfLAedzSfKl77AlmsBjUsQQWubM4j_bWSZ3X55NQdi9bi0_wk78ApadaW8PkyMo7JL3sC_hoQR3aK3q0FtX_TIVHqB8ipzmYcHK7R9bZH_arYhAjKyPRZRUrETxOB1V4fP3geBo6l6SoN2_lCM-pu2qMa4587U26/w598-h174/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_1.jpg" width="598" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> 2. The facing can be a single row of hexies, as shown above, or more. In the example below, I have created a double-wide hexie border for my <i>Grandma's Flower Garden</i> quilt. The hexie facing is a duplicate of this border. In the photo below you can see a bit of both the front (border) and back (facing) of the folded quilt corner.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO6I_QbV5FuVpTijjiUgZGf4N0-7eyqOmMQ0zACA5MbBe0vmkthbhW_1vXCdcqizfcNpvWbaHbIUXS3YcYql3AW2fvoT1tkb-u0HSke_CgVt8pTz8kjkv4v8jWC-nwQF-BlvQWBDGZBRDgSrvhci8XZyusqb7UKa6x8QFSSjClAbyEIOknAzx/s1296/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1296" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO6I_QbV5FuVpTijjiUgZGf4N0-7eyqOmMQ0zACA5MbBe0vmkthbhW_1vXCdcqizfcNpvWbaHbIUXS3YcYql3AW2fvoT1tkb-u0HSke_CgVt8pTz8kjkv4v8jWC-nwQF-BlvQWBDGZBRDgSrvhci8XZyusqb7UKa6x8QFSSjClAbyEIOknAzx/w385-h296/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_4.jpg" width="385" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">3. Make each of the facing hexies the same way you made hexies for the quilt top, then stitch them together to form separate strips for each side of the quilt. I also made separate strips for the corners of the above quilt.<br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TWzr0DPaJMk-W_6Vm1HQ4LKlJzYZrJvfcy5CnZ1o7TkVjt_owen-w3rZWaB1CikewOlAjBLQ-TEXpkJXdx-ZwrG5YlXpga4ucr1M1r-aEuIKDgf8vFP0L7CsBoQdsKfFzu00LV71glXt8H6joQW7NP8ROEPeETIQoNV3QQSBzO4-hjFVc1GU/s1440/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_5lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1440" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TWzr0DPaJMk-W_6Vm1HQ4LKlJzYZrJvfcy5CnZ1o7TkVjt_owen-w3rZWaB1CikewOlAjBLQ-TEXpkJXdx-ZwrG5YlXpga4ucr1M1r-aEuIKDgf8vFP0L7CsBoQdsKfFzu00LV71glXt8H6joQW7NP8ROEPeETIQoNV3QQSBzO4-hjFVc1GU/w598-h278/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_5lg.jpg" width="598" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">4. After making the strips, spray them lightly with spray starch and press well. Then remove the basting stitches and papers. Press again. The facing is ready to attach to the quilt top.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">5. Now comes the slightly tricky part, and (sorry) I don't have pictures. This step is to trim away the excess backing fabric and batting. The goal is to clip enough away so that the quilt edge is not overly bulky. Trim the batting a full quarter inch back from the outer edge of the quilt top. Trim the backing fabric an eighth inch back from the outer edge of the quilt top. Imagine looking at the quilt after you've trimmed the excess. Imagine it face down on a table. All the way around the edge you will see about 1/8 inch of the top fabrics under the trimmed backing fabric. If you lift the backing fabric, you will see 1/4 inch of the top fabrics under the batting. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">6. Lay the strips of hexie facing along the edge of the quilt, and baste them in place.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNzdGmiPyPUPwzoyO5rpUwbLp8JjzsbDsmpAAYG1pf4dr_8CxKtEy3itLgoLyK8bakjlP-kJrut5MvpiCGCGcKyGZfCZ_Qt2VHAmWxUAdrG_kDvyDtTgCYYWL5VxQXC7taj9JQ7X_3RzwssA4a-PaUMWJuyYRwpap9gO-9UXjREhbAMLeUFUu/s1008/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="1008" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNzdGmiPyPUPwzoyO5rpUwbLp8JjzsbDsmpAAYG1pf4dr_8CxKtEy3itLgoLyK8bakjlP-kJrut5MvpiCGCGcKyGZfCZ_Qt2VHAmWxUAdrG_kDvyDtTgCYYWL5VxQXC7taj9JQ7X_3RzwssA4a-PaUMWJuyYRwpap9gO-9UXjREhbAMLeUFUu/w618-h135/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_2.jpg" width="618" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">7. Stitch the top and bottom hexies together using a slip (hidden) stitch along the outside edge. Then stitch the inner edge of the facing to the quilt backing. Alternatively, you can use a decorative stitch along the outside edge, such as the button hole stitch, as shown below.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdsYhKd2q3_y9L7dpNMS6ulSOO2yryFhugL3yeBSGXm9vmVOfIQQJ9AESPyVh7m8_pkf2ml0zvk90_Z0KrCSAs1qOHFzYzyHSEoohXOE8WrjxYVluwQwSVwmMEn5cdILUIpijGcqTsV1zIj8JYw2wLM9DM7pamJWnjAvSasElgRYrtrsVwzIY/s1012/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="1012" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdsYhKd2q3_y9L7dpNMS6ulSOO2yryFhugL3yeBSGXm9vmVOfIQQJ9AESPyVh7m8_pkf2ml0zvk90_Z0KrCSAs1qOHFzYzyHSEoohXOE8WrjxYVluwQwSVwmMEn5cdILUIpijGcqTsV1zIj8JYw2wLM9DM7pamJWnjAvSasElgRYrtrsVwzIY/w614-h277/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_3.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />8. There are some decisions to be made about quilting the facing area of the quilt. In general, just as with normal quilt binding, I recommend quilting before the facing is added. Quilt the top to within 1/4 inch of the edge, then add the facing. There is no need to quilt the facing. However, in the case of <i>Grandma's Flower Garden</i> (above), the facing mimics the border on the top, which was ignored when quilting the flowers. So, after attaching the facing, I quilted 1/4 inch from the edge of the blue and the floral hexies all the way around, stitching through all the layers. This gave a nicely finished look to it. You can see the quilting stitches in the photo above. Below is the finished quilt. It's big enough to be a topper on a queen sized bed. The hexies are 3/4 inch. Here's a link to a time-line post listing all of the steps and how long each of them took to complete: <a href="https://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/04/grandmas-flower-garden-34-inch-hexie.html">https://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/04/grandmas-flower-garden-34-inch-hexie.html</a><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTjyr8Dz-XMIdc5lHGQ2QsGJNEPewoWw5kOMIfWWingXojG3uXu_6ztU_DvkQYTz_zSw0Ur0DuFJkhyphenhyphen2mDE-G1GHrw2RGrfMAKUvS5NTdNvZCbcKgUZjg6rY2FiJA6VLN7lSSohT6SVhjKirp_Q_-LgQUiV9pJaFQW1SjtGRWkQYrz8rwOrhO/s2000/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_GrandmasFlowerGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1521" height="648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTjyr8Dz-XMIdc5lHGQ2QsGJNEPewoWw5kOMIfWWingXojG3uXu_6ztU_DvkQYTz_zSw0Ur0DuFJkhyphenhyphen2mDE-G1GHrw2RGrfMAKUvS5NTdNvZCbcKgUZjg6rY2FiJA6VLN7lSSohT6SVhjKirp_Q_-LgQUiV9pJaFQW1SjtGRWkQYrz8rwOrhO/w492-h648/Atkins_Robin_Facing_Hexie_Quilt_GrandmasFlowerGarden.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-33091811386962351692018-01-15T21:22:00.000-08:002018-01-16T01:03:26.879-08:00"Eclipse" - Scrappy Improvisational Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGo63JX1ww/Wl1oN8HLAaI/AAAAAAAAFxU/4SiD4qQxGm8xeBEkaIgZXk8pUhVNM2P5gCLcBGAs/s1600/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt, detail" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="798" height="175" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGo63JX1ww/Wl1oN8HLAaI/AAAAAAAAFxU/4SiD4qQxGm8xeBEkaIgZXk8pUhVNM2P5gCLcBGAs/s400/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_preview.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt (detail)" width="400" /></a></div>
When my brother, <a href="http://thomatkins.com/" target="_blank">Thom Atkins</a>, visited last fall, he showed me (and a few quilting buddies) his new method for designing and constructing "scrappy improv wall quilts," a technique that turned out to be a lot of fun for me, especially given my long history with an improvisational, intuitive approach to bead embroidery.<br />
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Basically, what we did was to empty our bags or boxes of scraps onto a large table and start pawing through them, pulling out ones that appealed to us at that moment. For me it was all about color - red, magenta, fuchsia, with hints of pink, golden-yellow, orange, lavender, and dark green. All of the fabrics were in my scrap box. We had two days of Thom's demonstrations and guidance. During that time, each of us in our small group produced a unique and very pleasing "piece" or "block," measuring roughly 18 x 21 inches, the size of a fat quarter.<br />
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One of my red scraps, cut in a nice arc at one end, was the start of it all because I liked the shape and the color. Next I picked up a small strip of yellow, and held it behind the arc of red. Ooooh! Nice enough to repeat. The scrap of orange/red batik was large enough to cut a similar arc, and the strip of yellow was long enough to go behind that one too. These two arcs formed the basis of my piece.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmzWMXB0RxM/Wl1sdfRbrVI/AAAAAAAAFxg/o-P-Ca9ALv8DuY98AFPEtp2w05J7i3CEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Eclipse_OriginalSize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt, in process" border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmzWMXB0RxM/Wl1sdfRbrVI/AAAAAAAAFxg/o-P-Ca9ALv8DuY98AFPEtp2w05J7i3CEwCLcBGAs/s400/Eclipse_OriginalSize.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt, in process" width="352" /></a></div>
You can see the two arcs above; the lower right was the first. The yellow strip was only about 3" wide, not enough to go all the way around the arcs, but I cut two shapes that would echo the top of each of the arcs. I layered the remaining scraps from that on top of the arcs along the vertical edges of the design. Then I put a dark green scrap behind the arcs and the yellow, which set them off nicely. The rest was just filling to the edges of the quilt with more scraps, including fussy-cut leaves and flowers.<br />
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The next step was to glue it all together along the 1/4" seam overlap, working in layers from bottom to top, and cutting away the excess fabric from the underside after each piece is glued. Cutting away the excess fabric leaves a double layer of fabric only at the seams; the rest is a single layer. The glue is Elmer's School Glue, Disappearing Purple, as shown below. It is an organic stick glue, relatively easy to sew through, repositionable, (in case you change your mind), and purple when first applied, drying to transparent (so you can see where exactly you are putting it).<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYuA-P5tBE/Wl1vGt4QyEI/AAAAAAAAFxs/PNdQSrvFrKIPYxK_ry8pjUSDttTkXwIHwCLcBGAs/s1600/ElmersSchoolGlue_Purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Elmer's Washable School Glue, Disappearing Purple, 3 sizes" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1004" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYuA-P5tBE/Wl1vGt4QyEI/AAAAAAAAFxs/PNdQSrvFrKIPYxK_ry8pjUSDttTkXwIHwCLcBGAs/s320/ElmersSchoolGlue_Purple.jpg" title="Elmer's Washable School Glue, Disappearing Purple, 3 sizes" width="267" /></a></div>
Thom's method is a type of <a href="http://thecraftyquilter.com/2017/08/a-roundup-of-raw-edge-applique-techniques/" target="_blank">raw edge applique</a>, typically accomplished with heat-fusible web, such as "wonder under." The typical method, given a complex, layered design such as mine, would have resulted in a thick, stiff, multi-layer surface, which would be difficult to quilt, even with a machine. In Thom's method, there is no web, and in most places only one or two layers of fabric. Like all raw edge techniques, the raw edges must be sewn down, and the resulting quilts are not very suitable for bed quilts unless there is heavy stitching over the raw edges (for example, dense, zig-zag, machine stitching).<br />
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After gluing my original (shown above) quilt top, I assembled the quilt, using a spray glue to layer the backing, batting and top. The next step was to stitch along the "seams," the overlapping, glued edge of each piece. From there, it was up to each of us as to how to finish the quilt, perhaps with machine quilting, such as stippling or contour stitches, or perhaps with beading, all of which Thom does on his quilts.<br />
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A couple of months went by after getting to the unfinished stage shown above. I liked it, but didn't know what to do with it, until one day when I was at our Senior Center, getting foot care from a trained nurse who comes a couple times a week to help those who need it. Her treatment room, about the size of a walk-in closet, has no windows. Her client faces the door to the room, a plain, wooden door. "That door needs a quilt," I told her. The rest is history; my scrappy improv quilt, <i>Eclipse</i>, hangs there now.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bN1ZnO-1nNY/Wl10165ccSI/AAAAAAAAFx8/ol8XXTcYoPs9JmRBF6uCnwsZi2RWE1-iwCLcBGAs/s1600/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt" border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="656" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bN1ZnO-1nNY/Wl10165ccSI/AAAAAAAAFx8/ol8XXTcYoPs9JmRBF6uCnwsZi2RWE1-iwCLcBGAs/s640/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improvisational quilt" width="448" /></a></div>
Only first I had to finish it. Above is the finished quilt, <i>Eclipse</i>. Below I'll tell you some of the finishing steps and about how I transformed it from looking flat and ordinary to sharp and textured using embroidery embellishments. Please click on the photo so you can see the details!<br />
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You might have noticed that the finished quilt is longer (better suited for hanging on a door) than the original piece. That was a challenge, although less than you might expect, because Thom had demonstrated for us how he sometimes extends the size of his quilts. In short, I roughly planned out the addition, the mock-up shown below, then created it using the same process and scraps as the original piece.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J4KvRVsPRxc/Wl13WHOhESI/AAAAAAAAFyI/h5V7kQnaMA49qvRc-QKUyvkl8yI6EEgCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Eclipse_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", mock up of added part at bottom" border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="719" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J4KvRVsPRxc/Wl13WHOhESI/AAAAAAAAFyI/h5V7kQnaMA49qvRc-QKUyvkl8yI6EEgCQCLcBGAs/s400/Eclipse_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", mock up of added part at bottom" width="285" /></a></div>
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I used fusible "tape" made for butt-joining pieces of batting, to add a new piece of batting to the bottom edge of batting on the original (upper) part of the quilt. The horizontal strip of striped fabric overlaps the two parts of the quilt and the joined batting underneath. As you can see below, I added a fussy-cut flower over the striped fabric to break up the horizontal strip and visually join the two parts.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lNkWNRn7YQE/Wl18pWD9TPI/AAAAAAAAFyY/s-6SNi53ercQ8ZoTRx9f6x5k44LQCOpVwCLcBGAs/s1600/RobinAtkins_AddedSection_Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", added part at bottom, detail" border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="864" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lNkWNRn7YQE/Wl18pWD9TPI/AAAAAAAAFyY/s-6SNi53ercQ8ZoTRx9f6x5k44LQCOpVwCLcBGAs/s400/RobinAtkins_AddedSection_Detail.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", added part at bottom, detail" width="400" /></a></div>
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Confession time... I'm not good at machine quilting, and don't even have a proper quilting foot for my old machine (1972 Pfaff). I tried stitching around the fussy cut flowers to secure the glued edges, but failed miserably. What to do? Ah, hand-sew with embroidery stitches and floss? Yes! It took a few tries, but eventually I found stitch and thread combinations that worked.<br />
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It looked so good that I decided to add stitching and knots to the yellow arcs next. Wow! That popped the eclipse look! In the photo below, you can see bits of all the embroidery stitches I added. Not only does the embroidery provide embellishment and emphasis, it also further quilts the piece. Click the photo to see the detail and better read the stitch identification.<br />
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Here are two more detail photos of the finished quilt (without the text boxes).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRzBdl5L2jc/Wl2Bqw_zzDI/AAAAAAAAFys/m5HL33_ryvkMlCqZwNj5eYsm28N54KzvgCLcBGAs/s1600/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_detail01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improv quilt, embroidery embellishment" border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="936" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRzBdl5L2jc/Wl2Bqw_zzDI/AAAAAAAAFys/m5HL33_ryvkMlCqZwNj5eYsm28N54KzvgCLcBGAs/s400/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_detail01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improv quilt, embroidery embellishment" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyXCjIk0aRU/Wl2BvuCu3-I/AAAAAAAAFyw/nH2p2eHPthoMYS3i56AOQWSeOsA5TGGtQCLcBGAs/s1600/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_detail02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improv quilt, embroidery embellishment" border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="936" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyXCjIk0aRU/Wl2BvuCu3-I/AAAAAAAAFyw/nH2p2eHPthoMYS3i56AOQWSeOsA5TGGtQCLcBGAs/s400/RobinAtkins_Eclipse_detail02.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, "Eclipse", scrappy improv quilt, embroidery embellishment" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lots of fun, and I like the results! Will I do another one? Well, right now I've finally returned to my <a href="https://beadlust.blogspot.com/2016/05/hexie-2-report-733-hexie-flowers.html" target="_blank">hexie project</a>, where I'm likely to remain for many months, but after that, scrappy improv may be just what I need!<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-84455039930160844882017-08-21T03:02:00.000-07:002017-10-14T21:14:57.794-07:00Frida's Flowers - 1 Year Crochet Project - So Much Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQB161OXLpg/WZqDrzGdFhI/AAAAAAAAFuM/VB7eBftCWkQS5TCL5Kmqwc7vgfaWxNv8QCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Block5_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crochet flower, hexie-shaped block made by Robin Atkins" border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="720" height="242" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQB161OXLpg/WZqDrzGdFhI/AAAAAAAAFuM/VB7eBftCWkQS5TCL5Kmqwc7vgfaWxNv8QCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Block5_sm.jpg" title="Crochet flower, hexie-shaped block made by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
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It All Started with Hexie-lust!</h3>
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Look back to early 2012, when my dear friend, Christy, started covering little hexagon-shaped bits of card stock with fabric, making stacks of 6 ready to sew together as petals for a hexie flower. While I was working on a beading project, she was making these utterly irresistible stacks of hexies, until finally I succumbed to the temptation, and joined her.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6Y0cKMIPOI/WZqGkOM36mI/AAAAAAAAFuY/zCezKrTunnU-InX-uHig14w17XTfhVlBgCLcBGAs/s1600/Christy_GreenHexies_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My friend, Christy, with her bag of hexies, is a great influence on me!" border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6Y0cKMIPOI/WZqGkOM36mI/AAAAAAAAFuY/zCezKrTunnU-InX-uHig14w17XTfhVlBgCLcBGAs/s400/Christy_GreenHexies_1.jpg" title="My friend, Christy, with her bag of hexies, is a great influence on me!" width="305" /></a></div>
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Here is Christy holding a whole bag of covered hexie shapes, made for the pathway around her hexie flowers.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-4VBM5snPA/WZqGy-N0CCI/AAAAAAAAFuc/i_48UXy5ukAWBLj2f6yMgBJSxs63hiMRwCLcBGAs/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_LastSeam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Grandma's Garden, hexie quilt, finishing the top" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="549" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-4VBM5snPA/WZqGy-N0CCI/AAAAAAAAFuc/i_48UXy5ukAWBLj2f6yMgBJSxs63hiMRwCLcBGAs/s400/RA_HexQuilt_LastSeam2.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Grandma's Garden, hexie quilt, finishing the top" width="305" /></a></div>
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And here I am holding my hexie quilt, showing the final seam of hand stitching needed to complete the quilt top for my hexie quilt, <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2012/03/grandmas-flower-garden-quilt-im-doin-it.html" target="_blank"><i>Grandma's Flower Garden</i></a>.</div>
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You'd think that hand-stitching and quilting over 4,000 hexies would be enough for any sane person, right?</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNNIXXq2Ccw/WZqKDXtpA1I/AAAAAAAAFuo/JvVfRaBdmCMi5JH-54ceKbB-BLnH3X0gACLcBGAs/s1600/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, 733 hexie flowers, made for triptych quilts" border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="864" height="152" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNNIXXq2Ccw/WZqKDXtpA1I/AAAAAAAAFuo/JvVfRaBdmCMi5JH-54ceKbB-BLnH3X0gACLcBGAs/s400/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, 733 hexie flowers, made for triptych quilts" width="400" /></a></div>
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Guess I'm not sane, because in 2015 I started another hexie quilt, or as it turns out, a triptych of wall quilts, for which I've <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2016/05/hexie-2-report-733-hexie-flowers.html" target="_blank">completed 733 hexie flowers</a> (which requires 5,131 individual hexies)!</div>
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Getting Hooked on Crochet </h3>
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OK.... so now, I'm finished with hexies, right? You guessed it! The answer is, "NO WAY." And once again it's Christy's "fault." With her hexie quilt on the back burner for a while, she moved into a crochet phase, making lovely afghans and shawls. She, along with Sabine, my friend in Germany, got me hooked on crochet (pun intended). </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBJO4qC4b0Y/WZqLwg-KQvI/AAAAAAAAFu0/F2fxn-NEAA4Xjjw9OkpCizzfOiN28IacgCLcBGAs/s1600/VirusShawl_detail_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, crocheted shawl" border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="864" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBJO4qC4b0Y/WZqLwg-KQvI/AAAAAAAAFu0/F2fxn-NEAA4Xjjw9OkpCizzfOiN28IacgCLcBGAs/s320/VirusShawl_detail_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, crocheted shawl" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the first shawl I made late in 2015, learning and getting comfortable with the hook. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lHNkOq9xzw/WZqNr1PWLoI/AAAAAAAAFvA/i7k7qyu1tTQPfaBk_CrP1gqYmn6qk_SNgCLcBGAs/s1600/HexieThrow_HuibPetersen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="crocheted afghan by Huib Peterson using Frida's Flowers pattern" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lHNkOq9xzw/WZqNr1PWLoI/AAAAAAAAFvA/i7k7qyu1tTQPfaBk_CrP1gqYmn6qk_SNgCLcBGAs/s400/HexieThrow_HuibPetersen.jpg" title="crocheted afghan by Huib Peterson using Frida's Flowers pattern" width="300" /></a></div>
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Then.... the <span style="font-size: large;">big bang</span> happened... <span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">the </span>crochet-hexie connection</span>!!! This is it. I saw this picture on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/huib.petersen" target="_blank">Huib Petersen's Facebook page</a>, fell bonkers in love, messaged him to find out about it, and learned that there is a pattern for the flowers online. Click on the above photo of Huib's flowers to see it enlarged... Wouldn't you be a bit inclined to go bonkers over it too???</div>
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On June 12, 2016, just <b>one day</b> after seeing his crocheted hexie flowers on Facebook, Christy and I were in <a href="https://www.islandwools.com/" target="_blank">Island Wools</a>, our local yarn shop, buying DK-weight, cotton yarn in a dozen colors, ready to begin our own stacks of crocheted hexie flowers!<br />
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On a whim, right there in the yarn shop, we decided to keep what we were doing a secret... not to show or tell anybody about our project until we finished our afghans... no blogging or posting on Facebook about it. We didn't even tell Libby or Julie at the yarn shop why we kept ordering more cotton yarn. Our secret-keeping made it all the more fun! </div>
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Original Crochet-Along, Frida's Flowers</h3>
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According to Huib, the instructions for his flowers came from a <a href="https://www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/Frida%27s+Flowers/0_CAFA122_CAFA135_CAFA139.htm" target="_blank">Stylecraft, Crochet-Along, called Frida's Flowers</a>, staring an original pattern by <a href="http://janeknits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jane Crowfoot</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cSk2UqDw-Q/WZqR2SZU3oI/AAAAAAAAFvM/B7z5sl7vHTQwR1osA56UNDZON5nBsYwnACLcBGAs/s1600/frida_final1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frida's Flowers, Stylecraft Crochet-Along, designed by Jane Crowfoot" border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="693" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cSk2UqDw-Q/WZqR2SZU3oI/AAAAAAAAFvM/B7z5sl7vHTQwR1osA56UNDZON5nBsYwnACLcBGAs/s400/frida_final1.jpg" title="Frida's Flowers, Stylecraft Crochet-Along, designed by Jane Crowfoot" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a photo from the instructions, showing the finished afghan, which includes several identical flowers in each of 2 simple and 5 complex designs. All of the designs are are multi-colored and textural, with raised flower parts, enough to make us drool!</div>
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Bored with making 6 identical flowers - Colors calling us!</h3>
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Our plan was to get together at my house every Sunday afternoon to crochet hexie flowers, each of us completing enough flowers to make an afghan. In a little over a year of working 4-6 hours nearly every Sunday and some Tuesday evenings as well, we each had completed 39 flower blocks and 6 half-flower blocks, and were ready to crochet them together.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtzHCzrwSwU/WZqYkEcxjMI/AAAAAAAAFvc/z50__Fd8_S8YSz60PH_ZCHUXMw72ZITKQCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Blocks3_Aug2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, Block 3" border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="576" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtzHCzrwSwU/WZqYkEcxjMI/AAAAAAAAFvc/z50__Fd8_S8YSz60PH_ZCHUXMw72ZITKQCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Blocks3_Aug2016.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, Block 3" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ooops... I'm getting ahead of myself with this story. We began with this block, called <i>Rosa</i>, which was the 3rd block in the overall design. (Blocks 1 and 2 are the more simple ones with a small central bud and plain background). This one is the easiest of the full flower designs.</div>
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But, for both of us, it was difficult, as there were several stitches we didn't know. Thanks to Youtube videos, we were able to learn them. However, after making two flowers each in the pattern colors, partially out of boredom and partly because of the influence of Huib's multi-color, no-two-the-same flowers, we decided to pick our own colors, making only a pair in each colorway. This, of course, caused us both to buy a lot more colors of yarn... oh for fun!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNKYnIQV5OE/WZqasmdaYxI/AAAAAAAAFvo/YbPt3Pe2I-k7JsFcTdP9UecD9ZejP0xXwCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Blocks3and4_Aug2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, Blocks 3 and 5" border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1080" height="273" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNKYnIQV5OE/WZqasmdaYxI/AAAAAAAAFvo/YbPt3Pe2I-k7JsFcTdP9UecD9ZejP0xXwCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Blocks3and4_Aug2016.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, Blocks 3 and 5" width="400" /></a></div>
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After making 6 each of Blocks 3 and 4, mine looked like this. Christy's color choices are different... enough different that our finished afghans may look like sisters, but definitely <b>not</b> like identical twins.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktzTNJcIOOY/WZqblirhhfI/AAAAAAAAFv0/s3MM3LSzK9cfpYXa7U1suNfCRcR0JMgGACLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Block5_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, colors inspired by flower catalog images" border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="936" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktzTNJcIOOY/WZqblirhhfI/AAAAAAAAFv0/s3MM3LSzK9cfpYXa7U1suNfCRcR0JMgGACLcBGAs/s400/FF_Block5_03.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, colors inspired by flower catalog images" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgCMsB8uxh0/WZqbj5cwgPI/AAAAAAAAFvw/rOKBnIbR3l8_N2KJJiAMUMEcZuYCTgYNQCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Block5_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, colors inspired by flower catalog images" border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="936" height="305" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgCMsB8uxh0/WZqbj5cwgPI/AAAAAAAAFvw/rOKBnIbR3l8_N2KJJiAMUMEcZuYCTgYNQCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Block5_04.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, colors inspired by flower catalog images" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started looking at flower catalogs to find new color combinations... and both of us were buying yarn like crazy. Some brands have more that 50 color choices in DK-weight cotton. I admit to spending over two hundred dollars on yarn all-in-all, with some remainders for future projects. Never mind the cost... I adore all the colors.</div>
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Designing Our Afghans</h3>
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Early in the process, both Christy and I decided we wanted to make something more like Huib's, with a random or nearly random placement of the blocks. Plus, we wanted it to be a bit bigger than the 31-block original design.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--YG-Z4JIi1M/WZqeDrhUU3I/AAAAAAAAFwA/D0jhF6jfpucKYW0mY4DhN-bm9qAKwtJEwCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_HalfFlowerBlocks_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, crocheted half-blocks for sides of afghan" border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1008" height="312" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--YG-Z4JIi1M/WZqeDrhUU3I/AAAAAAAAFwA/D0jhF6jfpucKYW0mY4DhN-bm9qAKwtJEwCLcBGAs/s400/FF_HalfFlowerBlocks_RA.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, crocheted half-blocks for sides of afghan" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also, we didn't want to include any of the more simple blocks, except as modified half-blocks for the sides.</div>
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A year went by, with the two of us continually challenged, thoroughly enjoying the process of making our blocks. Then it was time to lay them all out!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A86wTzYBvFA/WZqe0-0amcI/AAAAAAAAFwI/eqvraLhEyX8wP5XGgvLs2E02rtb_LrmGgCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Layout_RA_Blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, layout for crocheted blocks" border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1008" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A86wTzYBvFA/WZqe0-0amcI/AAAAAAAAFwI/eqvraLhEyX8wP5XGgvLs2E02rtb_LrmGgCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Layout_RA_Blocks.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, layout for crocheted blocks" width="400" /></a></div>
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Almost at once, it was clear that the flowers needed more space, more black around each one to set them off. So, before crocheting them together, we bought more skeins of black yarn, and added a row of double crochet around each of the blocks. This also would add a bit more to the size of the afghans, making them large enough to cover both arms and legs while watching a good movie on a winter's evening.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kArkHiPBfg8/WZqiMqzjgXI/AAAAAAAAFwU/eRdF0yyU85QnQsmr6bnAewbE_5fmL8kjACLcBGAs/s1600/FF_AssembledBlocks_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, all blocks joined with crocheted slip stitch" border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="936" height="371" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kArkHiPBfg8/WZqiMqzjgXI/AAAAAAAAFwU/eRdF0yyU85QnQsmr6bnAewbE_5fmL8kjACLcBGAs/s400/FF_AssembledBlocks_RA.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Frida's Flowers, all blocks joined with crocheted slip stitch" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is my finished arrangement, the hexie flower blocks crocheted together with a slip-stitch, awaiting a border. Although the original design included a border that would have worked OK, by then I was flying solo, wanting a border I could call my own. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2IwN5QtM_Ns/WZqjX-i7t1I/AAAAAAAAFwg/ARqbkxM4ICoFHoq1s4bIYvN47kn7WxImwCLcBGAs/s1600/FF_Border_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frida's Flowers, popcorn edge stitch invented by Robin Atkins" border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1080" height="216" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2IwN5QtM_Ns/WZqjX-i7t1I/AAAAAAAAFwg/ARqbkxM4ICoFHoq1s4bIYvN47kn7WxImwCLcBGAs/s400/FF_Border_RA.jpg" title="Frida's Flowers, popcorn edge stitch invented by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
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After some experimentation, trial-and-error, crochet and un-ravel attempts, this is my final border invention, which includes the "popcorn" stitch, central to many of the flowers. It was challenging to figure out how to crochet the increases and decreases necessary for the zig-zag edges on the sides, and still keep it flat. Again, trial-and-error was part of the process.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZqOaIAFL5M/WZqlhgmrhSI/AAAAAAAAFws/OmwHffT00WAjBnzy7c_ljnig43Q2bDK_ACLcBGAs/s1600/FF_RA_AlmostFinished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins with nearly completed crocheted afghan, Frida's Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="745" height="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aZqOaIAFL5M/WZqlhgmrhSI/AAAAAAAAFws/OmwHffT00WAjBnzy7c_ljnig43Q2bDK_ACLcBGAs/s400/FF_RA_AlmostFinished.jpg" title="Robin Atkins with nearly completed crocheted afghan, Frida's Flowers" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is my almost-finished afghan, my own version of Frida's Flowers, showing the size!</div>
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Entering at the San Juan County Fair</h3>
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As we neared completion, we faced a moral dilemma, a difficult decision. We both enjoy submitting entries at our local <a href="https://www.visitsanjuans.com/members/san-juan-county-fair" target="_blank">San Juan County Fair</a> each year, especially in the Fiber and Textile Arts Divisions. These entries are judged and eligible to win ribbons and cash prizes. In previous years, there haven't been many crocheted items entered, nothing that has won any of the top awards.</div>
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We figured our afghans could be "game changers," that they had a chance of winning. But we didn't like the idea of being in competition with each other for the top awards, the <i>Best of Class</i> and the <i>Best of Show</i>. If we both entered, neither quilt would win a top award, or one would win and the other wouldn't (which might be the worst outcome). So, after some heartfelt discussions, we decided I would enter mine this year, and she would delay finishing hers until later so that it would be eligible to enter next year.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ny4BJr3YR8s/WZqnW6avS_I/AAAAAAAAFw4/SUj35NRZM0ssdIUJZiS1rXW9R3I99UM4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Fridas_Flowers_Fair_Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, crocheted afghan, Frida's Flowers, wins top awards at Fair" border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1008" height="285" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ny4BJr3YR8s/WZqnW6avS_I/AAAAAAAAFw4/SUj35NRZM0ssdIUJZiS1rXW9R3I99UM4QCLcBGAs/s400/Robin_Atkins_Fridas_Flowers_Fair_Awards.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, crocheted afghan, Frida's Flowers, wins top awards at Fair" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's what happened... <i>Best of Class </i>and <i>Viewer's Choice</i> for me in 2017!!!! And hopefully, the same will happen next year for Christy's version. Twelve months from now, I know for sure all the attendees will have forgotten my quilt, and will love seeing Christy's flowers, just as they did mine this year!</div>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-8030911099938020892017-03-04T00:39:00.002-08:002017-06-10T11:38:13.409-07:00I Just Closed My Business....With very mixed feelings, sadness and joy all jumbled together, I closed my business with the state of Washington today, retroactive to December 31, 2016.<br />
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It's super great to think about never having to keep track of business miles, save receipts for every little business expense, do the tedious bookkeeping, take end-of-the-year inventory, or prepare everything for taxes.... Not ever again will I have to do any of those odious tasks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7NFX2GSR8Q/WLp4Kt_MD9I/AAAAAAAAFt0/nzHpDT34zzsRx8sv48Dhi0z4AFZ94MhTwCLcB/s1600/RobinAtkins_HeadShoulders2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, bead artist, teacher, author" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7NFX2GSR8Q/WLp4Kt_MD9I/AAAAAAAAFt0/nzHpDT34zzsRx8sv48Dhi0z4AFZ94MhTwCLcB/s400/RobinAtkins_HeadShoulders2.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, bead artist, teacher, author" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, celebrating 41 years in business as Artist - Teacher - Author</td></tr>
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On the other hand, my business has pretty much been my "identity" since 1975. That's 41 years - more than half of my life. What am I now? How will I respond when somebody asks, "What do you do?" Will I say, "Oh, I'm retired now?" Will I say, "I'm an artist?" It feels a little like I'm walking around 3/4 naked, the clothes of the past 41 years gone, the remaining artist clothes not enough to cover my nakedness.<br />
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But, we will not have any crying over spilled milk; the deed is done; the authorities officially notified. And, with respect, I thought it might be fun to share a few photos here, photos of the business me, and the story in more-or-less chronological order.<br />
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It all started when I met Liz Chenoweth, who is still my closest friend, and who at the time was studying metalsmithing at the University of Washington and I think working for a commercial jewelry manufacturing business in Seattle. I got the bug from her. After taking a short class in soldering sterling silver to make jewelry, I bought a workbench and all the tools, getting into it full-tilt-boogie! Liz helped me, teaching me all that she knew, and helping me to realize the design ideas I had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gh06PXuvZ10/WLp2XVSvI8I/AAAAAAAAFtk/2THyIwWL64EzSd-CKeyi0pFij1nWfZYkACLcB/s1600/TheFort_RobinLiz_1975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins and Liz Chenoweth, metalsmithing studio" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gh06PXuvZ10/WLp2XVSvI8I/AAAAAAAAFtk/2THyIwWL64EzSd-CKeyi0pFij1nWfZYkACLcB/s400/TheFort_RobinLiz_1975.jpg" title="Robin Atkins and Liz Chenoweth, metalsmithing studio" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz (on the right) and me in our metalsmithing shop, The Fort</td></tr>
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I don't recall the exact date that I drove to the Department of Licensing to get my business license, but on that day, I named my business <i>Atkins Creations</i>, because I intended to make and sell sterling silver (and a little later, gold) jewelry. I bought a handsome, red, ledger book, and began the 41 year process of keeping track of all expenses and all income, mostly for tax purposes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqPcruLgzUg/WLpiHwB1vaI/AAAAAAAAFtM/vbUW6CvVqsUsLHtpF5pCNWrFtoXduoSFwCLcB/s1600/RA_Man%2527sRing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, sterling silver, man's ring" border="0" height="375" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqPcruLgzUg/WLpiHwB1vaI/AAAAAAAAFtM/vbUW6CvVqsUsLHtpF5pCNWrFtoXduoSFwCLcB/s400/RA_Man%2527sRing.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, sterling silver, man's ring" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling silver ring, commissioned by a male customer</td></tr>
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New-beginnings.... in the spring of 1975, Liz and I decided to set up a metalsmithing shop in the spare bedroom in my little home in Ballard. Removing all other furniture, we put in side-by-side workbenches, and installed a polishing table/motor. We called our shop the Fort, because we were just like kids in the summer, when we couldn't wait to be in our "fort," our hideaway, our own special place. We both had day jobs, but we lived for spending time in the Fort. My job was 5 days on, followed by 5 days off, which was great because I could work with metal for 5 consecutive days at a time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssZV-4Eax3w/WLpbcbiBIMI/AAAAAAAAFsQ/ctDTlcj49hAcBkow9b3TciXC48Mg6coJQCLcB/s1600/RA_Man%2527sNecklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins - sterling silver necklace with jasper stone and leather" border="0" height="276" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssZV-4Eax3w/WLpbcbiBIMI/AAAAAAAAFsQ/ctDTlcj49hAcBkow9b3TciXC48Mg6coJQCLcB/s400/RA_Man%2527sNecklace.jpg" title="Robin Atkins - sterling silver necklace with jasper stone and leather" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jasper stone set in sterling silver, sterling clasp, leather cord - this is a man's necklace</td></tr>
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We sold our work at some of the craft fairs of the time, but mostly we held "open studio" days at my home, slowly building a fairly decent client list. Eventually we made most of our money doing commissions. It was a marvelous, fun time in my life. That's for sure!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17lkDGlE-s4/WLp3OB6D3XI/AAAAAAAAFts/4fuuYhrEazsk6SLzQKXBztboqLkvJkx7wCLcB/s1600/Jewelry_StudioSale_1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, metalsmithing, selling at open studio" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-17lkDGlE-s4/WLp3OB6D3XI/AAAAAAAAFts/4fuuYhrEazsk6SLzQKXBztboqLkvJkx7wCLcB/s400/Jewelry_StudioSale_1976.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, metalsmithing, selling at open studio" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the display of my silver and gold creations at our second "open studio," 1977</td></tr>
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Three years later, in 1978, I started a new "day job," one which quickly turned into something much more demanding of both my time and creative energies than had been my previous job. Soon, I could no longer continue making and selling jewelry at the previous pace. And, by the early 1980s my jewelry tools and supplies were lonely and dust covered. But, I didn't close the business officially.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sTTtSMh7sAA/WLpcU8Qb_mI/AAAAAAAAFsU/yc3UWdnTyuQqJJnFBBZVxgmYKRSuoBLTACLcB/s1600/Teal-purple-black%2Bnecklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, beaded multiple strand necklace" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sTTtSMh7sAA/WLpcU8Qb_mI/AAAAAAAAFsU/yc3UWdnTyuQqJJnFBBZVxgmYKRSuoBLTACLcB/s400/Teal-purple-black%2Bnecklace.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, beaded multiple strand necklace" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple strand necklace in style taught by Carol Berry</td></tr>
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The hook was still set, because in 1987, I took a 2-day class from Carol Berry on making multiple-strand beaded necklaces. BEADS! In those two short days, I fell absolutely bonkers in love with beads, and within a few months, I was back in business again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vItEBsheEgg/WLpdV_k82_I/AAAAAAAAFsg/PWm-eUJrrgYxI6eHmNZRRXSOBGPmNgKggCLcB/s1600/RA_Courtesan_necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, beaded multiple strand necklace" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vItEBsheEgg/WLpdV_k82_I/AAAAAAAAFsg/PWm-eUJrrgYxI6eHmNZRRXSOBGPmNgKggCLcB/s400/RA_Courtesan_necklace.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, beaded multiple strand necklace" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple strand necklace I made as a "project" for Margie Deeb's book, <i>The Beader's Color Palette</i></td></tr>
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This time, I added the name <i>Beads Indeed!</i> to the official license, making it <i>Atkins Creations - Beads Indeed!</i> Nice, huh?! Plus I quit my day job, deciding to support myself somehow with beads. Not easy. Especially for the first few years. Hard work and lots of rice for dinner. Since the selling part of making gold/silver jewelry was never fun for me, I decided to make my living this time by selling beads (just the "raw" beads, not made into jewelry) and teaching classes. If I sold a few pieces of beaded jewelry, that would be fine, but there would be no pressure to pay the bills by promoting my own creations. On the other hand, selling beads WAS fun; and buying beads to sell was even more fun!<br />
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By 1988, I sold my metalsmithing equipment, and turned my garage into a studio/store for both selling beads and teaching beading workshops. For 10 years, that was my life, my identity... <i>Beads Indeed!</i>, open every Wednesday of the year, classes most weekends, open for your beading needs at any time by appointment.<br />
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It worked! I could have my cake (beading/beadwork) and eat it (selling beads and teaching classes) at the same time. You have to know that back then I did not in any way consider myself an <i>artist</i>. I knew I was a pretty good <i>craftsman</i>, making jewelry that would last and that looked great technically. But I did not think of myself as a creative person.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAQ4gyuL-Y/WLpe6IV3T4I/AAAAAAAAFss/ZpEftn5a_x0cZMDS7Dc5ZlRqLkz0P0r6ACLcB/s1600/Generations%252C%2Bpg%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, improvational bead embroidery" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAQ4gyuL-Y/WLpe6IV3T4I/AAAAAAAAFss/ZpEftn5a_x0cZMDS7Dc5ZlRqLkz0P0r6ACLcB/s400/Generations%252C%2Bpg%2B4.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, improvational bead embroidery" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Generations</i>, a small pouch, my first improvisational bead embroidery piece</td></tr>
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The discovery (made mostly by Carol Berry, with some input by me) of "improvisational bead embroidery" in 1991 caused a shift, both in my sense of identity and my business. Gradually, stitching beads on fabric without a plan, letting a piece develop bit by bit without trying to control it, and thankfully with no intention of ever selling it, altered my perceptions about myself as a craftsman, turning me into an artist.<br />
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This was such a huge alteration of identity. It made me feel more sure of myself as a teacher, and gave me the confidence to promote my beading workshops far beyond the walls of my studio/shop. I traveled to many states, teaching at conferences, for bead shops and guilds, branching out to teach beading to quilters and fiber artists, eventually even teaching at art schools. All in all, <i>Beads Indeed!</i>, in Seattle turned into a pretty decent business. I could afford to eat out now and then, plus travel to far away places, like China, Germany, and Eastern Europe, on bead-buying trips.<br />
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Those 10 years, immersed in beads, with a growing sense of myself as an artist, gave me the confidence to begin writing books about beading, which in turn, provided another source of income, income I would need after moving from Seattle to San Juan Island, where I could no longer depend on selling beads to support myself because the population base was so small.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygpIJvhW2w/WLpfqQbA3tI/AAAAAAAAFsw/19aicAC0D-8rJjRC6kbiD0Zlw13Rlp3uwCLcB/s1600/RobinAtkins_MarriageBag_Totem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, improvisational bead embroidery" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygpIJvhW2w/WLpfqQbA3tI/AAAAAAAAFsw/19aicAC0D-8rJjRC6kbiD0Zlw13Rlp3uwCLcB/s400/RobinAtkins_MarriageBag_Totem.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, improvisational bead embroidery" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marriage Bag</i>, a small purse I made while deciding if I should marry Robert</td></tr>
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That move, in 1998, was because I met Robert Demar, who a few years later became my husband. He already lived on San Juan Island, which was a plus for me, because I love it here, much more than living in a big city, even though Seattle is quite nice as cities go. After we married, I still traveled widely and fairly frequently to teach beading workshops, but I needed to fill the time when I was home and also needed to earn more money. The answer came easily... write books about beading! My first book, <i>One Bead at a Time</i>, was published in 2000, and was re-printed 3 times. Including two small booklets, there are currently nine books with my name as the author.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRXxzh_Ldgc/WLphdDXgpLI/AAAAAAAAFtE/LwSGva-GkYEg-BRBrmDS1egUTkKUh9PNwCLcB/s1600/Atkins_OneBeadAtATime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="book by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRXxzh_Ldgc/WLphdDXgpLI/AAAAAAAAFtE/LwSGva-GkYEg-BRBrmDS1egUTkKUh9PNwCLcB/s400/Atkins_OneBeadAtATime.jpg" title="book by Robin Atkins" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first book, published in 2000</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dNORqrbeyAk/WLphdiepKxI/AAAAAAAAFtI/nuhPRwbO4SIxrNIwx604v3eNY97JM1AHwCLcB/s1600/Atkins_PhotoGuideToBeading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="book by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dNORqrbeyAk/WLphdiepKxI/AAAAAAAAFtI/nuhPRwbO4SIxrNIwx604v3eNY97JM1AHwCLcB/s400/Atkins_PhotoGuideToBeading.jpg" title="book by Robin Atkins" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My most recent book, published in 2013</td></tr>
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I guess my business identity, for the past 41 years, can be summarized as: "teacher-artist-author." But, in the last two years, it's been mostly "artist," with much less teaching and no further book writing. Business income has dwindled to a pittance, I'm 74 years old, and I don't enjoy the record-keeping. Even my accountant agreed. So today I pulled the plug on <i>Atkins Creations - Beads Indeed!</i><br />
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Already there are new questions facing me, questions such as:<br />
<ol>
<li>What shall I do with the remaining inventory of my book, <i>Heart to Hands Bead Embroidery</i>?</li>
<li>Shall I keep paying for my website (my domain name and web service), which includes my primary email address, and which badly needs to be updated?</li>
<li>Shall I continue teaching now and then, maintaining the necessary supplies to do so?</li>
<li>Can I immerse myself in creating things (quilts, art, bookmaking, beading, etc.), with no intention of doing anything with the things I create, not using them as examples when I teach, and not selling them? </li>
<li>And, of course, there's the question at the top of this post.... who am I now?</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-URDLcK8HHZI/WLpgh_a3N7I/AAAAAAAAFs8/6tDzeYJykyQz7GiM20ONFcJUBUV4bYRIQCLcB/s1600/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, improvisational bead embroidery" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-URDLcK8HHZI/WLpgh_a3N7I/AAAAAAAAFs8/6tDzeYJykyQz7GiM20ONFcJUBUV4bYRIQCLcB/s400/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Home.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, improvisational bead embroidery" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Home,</i> one in a series of bead embroidery pieces about gratitude</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-996443987490979692017-02-11T15:21:00.001-08:002017-02-27T14:10:23.803-08:00I'm Back to Painting! Decorative Painted Papers for Bookmaking and Paper Arts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DH54I9pk8HQ/WJ9zFS8qcZI/AAAAAAAAFos/J-XLn7cCClYCUeFEKA-9bdgftGepBf0LQCLcB/s1600/Robin_Atkins_DiagGreenToRed_PaintedPaper_detail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DH54I9pk8HQ/WJ9zFS8qcZI/AAAAAAAAFos/J-XLn7cCClYCUeFEKA-9bdgftGepBf0LQCLcB/s400/Robin_Atkins_DiagGreenToRed_PaintedPaper_detail2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I learned to create decorative painted papers from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vry9_AycQPM" target="_blank">Paulus Berensohn</a>, <a href="http://albie-smith.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Albie Smith</a>, <a href="http://www.lkperrella.com/cgi-bin/itsmy/go.exe?page=17&domain=1&webdir=lkperrella" target="_blank">Lynne Perrella</a>, <a href="http://www.annebagby.com/Anne_Bagby/workshop_information.html" target="_blank">Anne Bagby</a>, and others by taking wonderful workshops from them in the 1990s, and soon adapted their techniques to making books with beadwork inserted into the covers, like the one below. I use my painted papers on the book covers and for signature covers, which look great with this type of binding.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5AiTS6rSqE/WJ94sp3DHjI/AAAAAAAAFo8/vYcbW3WUzH43CKG_-Cj5c7qGWns6JnXwwCLcB/s1600/RA_EarthJournal_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5AiTS6rSqE/WJ94sp3DHjI/AAAAAAAAFo8/vYcbW3WUzH43CKG_-Cj5c7qGWns6JnXwwCLcB/s400/RA_EarthJournal_cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
But after moving to the island where I've lived for 20 years now, I gradually got into quilting and textile arts, kept the beadwork going, and cut way back on painting. Until now!<br />
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Inspired, cajoled, and arm-twisted by one of the Textile Guild members, who wants to learn how to paint papers and make books like mine, I agreed to teach a workshop (2 days of painting and 2 days of bookmaking) for the guild members. Of course, since I hadn't painted for many years, I first had to get back into practice. Yay! What fun I've been having, painting in my shed (thankfully heated). The paper below is my favorite of about 20 painted in the last two weeks. The size is 18 x 24 inches. (Please click to see the details!)<br />
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And below are two more to go with it. The paper above will be used for a book cover, even though it will be hard for me to cut it up. The two papers below will be cut (horizontally) into thirds, and used as signature covers. For those unfamiliar with bookmaking, a signature is a section of papers within a book. Each of the six signatures in my book will be covered with this decorative paper.<br />
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It's a fun, playful, and experimental process to paint like this, easier for me than it would be to paint figuratively (landscape, still life, or people). With this type of painting, I just mix matte medium with a color or two of acrylic paint, and apply it by rolling, stamping, stenciling in layers. I keep adding layers until I like it, at which point it's a finished paper. There is always at least part of each paper that pleases me enough to use it for bookmaking and paper arts.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1lHEUq8H3c/WJ9-ImjM9lI/AAAAAAAAFpo/EEjjiBHlXVUoKdYsdjRtUm62EZnK7hCLgCLcB/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Supplies_PaintedPaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, tools and supplies for painting decorative papers" border="0" height="378" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1lHEUq8H3c/WJ9-ImjM9lI/AAAAAAAAFpo/EEjjiBHlXVUoKdYsdjRtUm62EZnK7hCLgCLcB/s400/Robin_Atkins_Supplies_PaintedPaper.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, tools and supplies for painting decorative papers" width="400" /></a></div>
These are the basic supplies and tools I use to paint the papers:<br />
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1.) Although acrylic paints and this method can be used to paint on almost any surface or paper, I usually paint on 80-90# drawing paper to make decorative papers.<br />
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2.) I prefer using a roller to apply background colors or glazes, rather than a brush. My favorite, purchased online from Dick Blick Art Supplies, is a 2.2" <a href="http://www.dickblick.com/items/06901-5238/" target="_blank"> dense foam roller</a>.<br />
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3.) Assorted stamps and stencils. I carve a lot of my own stamps, as you will see below, but sometimes also use commercial stamps. Note that commercial rubber stamps with fine detail for stamping with inks do not work well with acrylics, as the paint clogs the fine lines, ruining the stamp.<br />
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4.) Assorted materials, such as a notched adhesive-spreader, coarse sea-sponge, webbed food packaging materials, and bubble wrap are useful to print, texture, and stencil.<br />
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5.) Acrylic paints. I use heavy-body paint (rather than fluid acrylics) of student-grade or better quality.<br />
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6.) Matte medium and glazing medium (slow drying) are added to extend the paint.<br />
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I know, maybe you're thinking I should do a video tutorial. OK. You set it up, and I'll do it. In the meantime, I'd rather be painting... Here are three more recently painted papers for your viewing pleasure (I hope).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys_vG82VpZQ/WJ-Bsa2Ow-I/AAAAAAAAFp8/D_OO2hKumcghCPBhRZY0h3UCN5n60A00QCLcB/s1600/Robin_Atkins_DiagPatternsOnBlRd_PaintedPaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, decorative painted paper, paint stamp stencil with acrylics" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys_vG82VpZQ/WJ-Bsa2Ow-I/AAAAAAAAFp8/D_OO2hKumcghCPBhRZY0h3UCN5n60A00QCLcB/s400/Robin_Atkins_DiagPatternsOnBlRd_PaintedPaper.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, decorative painted paper, paint stamp stencil with acrylics" width="305" /></a></div>
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The one directly above is my attempt to emulate batik fabric from India. I had a bedspread back in the hippy 60s with a burgundy design on a mustard yellow background, the memory of which was the inspiration for this paper. I carved all of the stamps used to make it.<br />
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I love to carve my own stamps, and sometimes cut my own stencils as well. Let's take a look at that process. It's quite easy really, requiring only a block of Speedy-Carve (or other high-density rubber carving block), and a Speed-Ball Carving tool. Designs can be free cut, drawn right on the carving block, or transferred from a tracing. Here's a fairly decent <a href="http://www.limegreennews.com/howcarv.html" target="_blank">tutorial on the stamp carving process</a>.<br />
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Designs? Well, everywhere I look I see possibilities for carving more stamps! Recently, visiting a fabric store with my quilting buddies, I spied a fat quarter of batik fabric with a luscious design. Here is the fabric:<br />
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And here is the stamp I carved from a tracing I made of the central flower. The stamp is the same size as on the fabric, about 3" in diameter.<br />
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I also cut a stencil, which you can see below. A friend had a commercial stencil of these three leaves, which I really liked. After borrowing her stencil to use on one of my papers, I traced the painted image, and cut out my own stencil. The tool in this image is a Speed-Ball cutter, which I use to carve the rubber to make stamps.<br />
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You've already seen (way above) the whole sheet of paper I painted using just this stamp and stencil, but here's a detail. If you click to enlarge, you can see more about how I paint in layers, first the background colors, next the leaves, then a different color over-stencil on the leaves, and last the flowers.<br />
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If you like to play with paint, you might want to give it a try! Here are just a few more of my recently painted papers to tempt you...<br />
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I'll be teaching a 2-day <b><i>bookmaking workshop</i></b> in mid-May using papers like these to create three different books. There may still be a spot or two available in the class. If you are interested, you can <a href="http://robinatkins.com/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> for more information.<br />
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You may want to visit my website to see more about my <a href="http://robinatkins.com/new.html#bkop" target="_blank">handmade books</a> and <a href="http://robinatkins.com/new.html#paint" target="_blank">painted papers</a>. And there are several earlier posts here on Beadlust with pictures of books made with painted decorative papers and beading by my students, as well as other related topics. Here are a few of them:<br />
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<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2006/07/bead-embroidery-in-hand-made-book.html" target="_blank">Wedding book</a></li>
<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2006/06/lisas-beautiful-hand-made-book-today.html" target="_blank">Lisa's book</a> (from a workshop I taught in Wisconsin); her fabulous website is <a href="http://lisabinkley.typepad.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2006/06/beads-long-distance-friends-i-just.html" target="_blank">Susan's book</a> (from a workshop I taught in Wisconsin)</li>
<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2006/12/merry-christmas-have-beady-new-year.html" target="_blank">painting papers for making Christmas cards</a></li>
<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2008/03/using-symbols-in-our-art.html" target="_blank">Using symbols in our art</a> and <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2008/04/symbols-revealed.html" target="_blank">symbols in acrylic painting</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2007/07/fabrics-hand-painted-with-dye.html" target="_blank">Using these techniques to paint with dyes on fabric</a> and <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2008/11/painting-fabric-with-dyes-workshop-with.html" target="_blank">more fabric paint/dye examples</a></li>
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Susan Anderson took my bookmaking/painting/beading workshop twice at the <a href="https://pacificnorthwestartschool.org/" target="_blank">Coupeville Art Center</a>. These are the papers for her first book, and if you click to enlarge, you can also see her finished book. <br />
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And, to close this post, here is a photo of some of the handmade books I've created over the years... most of them utilize decorative painted papers and bead embroidery.<br />
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Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this long post :)!Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-2895528738803723352016-12-21T06:21:00.001-08:002016-12-27T21:46:27.212-08:00A Visit to an Indigo Fabric Dying Studio in Hungary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fgD8u_Vqbjk/WFp0YaCUx7I/AAAAAAAAFlw/gKh4TwlEk4Yo3ZDevSljZFbTwQIXZtXNQCEw/s1600/BlueDye_FabricsIBought_Peek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungarian, 9 different patterns" border="0" height="138" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fgD8u_Vqbjk/WFp0YaCUx7I/AAAAAAAAFlw/gKh4TwlEk4Yo3ZDevSljZFbTwQIXZtXNQCEw/s400/BlueDye_FabricsIBought_Peek.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungarian, 9 different patterns" width="400" /></a></div>
This fabric is called <i>Kékfestö</i> in Hungarian, a word that roughly translates as <i>blue-dyed </i>or <i>blue-dying</i>. Producing these fabrics is a cottage industry in Hungary, which dates back several centuries. The dye is indigo; the cloth is cotton; and the long, arduous process results in a type of batik fabric. The photo above shows a small fold of each of the fabrics I bought at the <i>blue-dyed </i>studio shown below. (As always, please click on the photos if you'd like to see more detail.)<br />
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When in Hungary in October, 2016, my quilting/travel friend (Lunnette) and I, as guests of my Hungarian <i>bead sister</i>, Anna Fehér, had the very exciting experience of visiting the hand-dying studio of Miklós Kovács in the little village of Tiszakécske, SE of Budapest. The studio, located behind his home, includes two rooms, one for printing the raw cloth with a wax resist, and the second for dying the printed cloth with indigo. In front of the building, you can see rods above the deck, which are used for hanging the fabric to dry after it is dyed, and a wagon loaded with printed cloth ready to be dyed.<br />
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Meet Mr. Miklós Kovács, now in his 80s! Charming and animated, he is explaining his traditional, hand-dying process to Anna. Blue-dying has been the Kovács family's livelihood since 1878, each new generation being trained by the previous Master. It is strictly a family affair. Miklós, his wife, Margit, and their two daughters, Gabriella and Mária, currently produce about 10,000 meters of Kékfestö (blue-dyed) fabric every year. When Mr. and Mrs. Kovács retire, the business will pass to their daughters. This post shows how they turn plain white cloth into beautiful fabrics with white motifs on an indigo background.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CqHGLV9C0oU/WFqEoU4Rq3I/AAAAAAAAFmE/RhwH3eZX7jILEVq-MQGfcY5HaU-tkAeKgCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="raw cotton used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CqHGLV9C0oU/WFqEoU4Rq3I/AAAAAAAAFmE/RhwH3eZX7jILEVq-MQGfcY5HaU-tkAeKgCLcB/s400/BlueDye_09.jpg" title="raw cotton used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" width="400" /></a></div>
First, they need thousands of meters of fine-quality, tightly-woven, raw cotton cloth, which is rinsed to remove impurities, then carefully ironed and rolled onto wooden rods which fit onto the printing machine. This pile of untreated cotton cloth, manufactured in Turkey, is the remainder of a big shipment purchased at the start of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7lK7LYQpJk/WFqFCCmF3rI/AAAAAAAAFmM/LZeP6HyO9mwsw0UB0ZHv9MolqQVn9A91wCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="printing blocks used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7lK7LYQpJk/WFqFCCmF3rI/AAAAAAAAFmM/LZeP6HyO9mwsw0UB0ZHv9MolqQVn9A91wCLcB/s400/BlueDye_07.jpg" title="printing blocks used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" width="300" /></a></div>
Next they need a print block or plate. These are made with wire pins of various diameters, which are pounded into blocks of dense wood. Here you see the many plate choices available in the Kovács studio, each yielding a different motif on the fabric. The length of each print block is the same as the width of the fabric; the width is the width of the pattern repeat, generally designed to be about 4.5 inches..<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joGIWXgcQu4/WFqFa98xAAI/AAAAAAAAFmU/e0iPrdVBT0kix7f7jHFNzoAd9eFgizLlgCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="printing block used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joGIWXgcQu4/WFqFa98xAAI/AAAAAAAAFmU/e0iPrdVBT0kix7f7jHFNzoAd9eFgizLlgCLcB/s400/BlueDye_08.jpg" title="printing block used for Kekfest (blue dyed fabric)" width="400" /></a></div>
This is the end of one of the print blocks, showing how the design is formed by setting metal pins of different diameters into the wooden block.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQvyXD5NXAQ/WFqFwEpgDRI/AAAAAAAAFmc/4S8fpPfhq8oncYyw4_pLAQqeUFPfd7zjACLcB/s1600/BlueDye_08aSm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungariant batik" border="0" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQvyXD5NXAQ/WFqFwEpgDRI/AAAAAAAAFmc/4S8fpPfhq8oncYyw4_pLAQqeUFPfd7zjACLcB/s400/BlueDye_08aSm.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungarian batik" width="400" /></a></div>
And here is the fabric (after dying it with indigo, and removing the wax resist), which was printed with the block in the photo above it. Naturally, a half-meter of this one came home with me!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBrruPm084c/WFqGNmGIqlI/AAAAAAAAFmg/VakWuqZPWK8LcpXzXUdpEBujQK56mtdmgCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German machine used to print wax resist when making Kekfesto" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBrruPm084c/WFqGNmGIqlI/AAAAAAAAFmg/VakWuqZPWK8LcpXzXUdpEBujQK56mtdmgCLcB/s400/BlueDye_02.jpg" title="German machine used to print wax resist when making Kekfesto" width="400" /></a></div>
This is the machine which is used to print the motif on the raw cotton cloth with a wax resist. Mr. Kovács keeps his printing machine, built in Germany 120 years ago, in good running condition with machinist skills he learned alongside his father.<br />
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You can see the sprocket, lower right, which is adjusted to advance the fabric through the machine in increments exactly the length of the pattern repeat. For most motifs, the fabric advances 4 to 5 inches after each time the print block is applied to the fabric, thus revealing the next short stretch of un-printed cloth.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yesGmWgvc_k/WFqGz3SXmzI/AAAAAAAAFmw/TblnTNMSRjsF7zPmnwQQXxZr1cnveJZHwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German machine used to print wax resist when making Kekfesto" border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yesGmWgvc_k/WFqGz3SXmzI/AAAAAAAAFmw/TblnTNMSRjsF7zPmnwQQXxZr1cnveJZHwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_04.jpg" title="German machine used to print wax resist when making Kekfesto" width="400" /></a></div>
Here you can see many meters of raw cotton cloth, suspended on a metal rod at the back of the printing press. There is a <i>leader of waste cloth</i> stitched to the end of the roll which has been fed through the rollers of the machine to get the process started.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Med6z1bOyMM/WFqM6qJZRKI/AAAAAAAAFoE/58CadOp8jUIvQOCWZwXGnjRE1qRYwMO9gCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed fabric), wax resist added to tray on machine" border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Med6z1bOyMM/WFqM6qJZRKI/AAAAAAAAFoE/58CadOp8jUIvQOCWZwXGnjRE1qRYwMO9gCLcB/s400/BlueDye_03.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed fabric), wax resist added to tray on machine" width="400" /></a></div>
At the front of the printing machine, a worker swipes a tray with wax resist, which is tinted green so that it will be visible on the printed cloth. The printing block touches down on the waxed tray, picks up a coating of was, and then presses firmly against the fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQbyFTwNmsQ/WFqG0sh5xeI/AAAAAAAAFm0/PyipKLFtFMMlvum07d7S3rrVVOz-x8JvwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto, printed with wax resist, hung to dry" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQbyFTwNmsQ/WFqG0sh5xeI/AAAAAAAAFm0/PyipKLFtFMMlvum07d7S3rrVVOz-x8JvwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_05.jpg" title="Kekfesto, printed with wax resist, hung to dry" width="300" /></a></div>
After being imprinted with wax resist, the fabric is wound up and down through a drying rack located behind the printing machine.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1jTXmB-wVQ/WFqG51qo0oI/AAAAAAAAFm4/GNih14mbUcAzRUzuvQ5bXk39zg98lvPgwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto, printed with wax resist, ready to dye with indigo" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1jTXmB-wVQ/WFqG51qo0oI/AAAAAAAAFm4/GNih14mbUcAzRUzuvQ5bXk39zg98lvPgwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_10.jpg" title="Kekfesto, printed with wax resist, ready to dye with indigo" width="300" /></a></div>
When it is dry, the printed fabric is folded and stacked until there is a sufficient quantity to begin the dying process. You can see that some of the raw cloth in this pile was pre-dyed pink, blue, or beige. After over-dying with indigo and removing the resist, the motif on these pieces will be pink, blue or beige with an indigo background, rather than the much more common white motif with an indigo background.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cv85ihK03I/WFqM4K2_5kI/AAAAAAAAFoA/3grD4sdXACcB0jj8DjEABgpms4YfAKR4wCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed fabric),detail of fabric printed with wax resist" border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Cv85ihK03I/WFqM4K2_5kI/AAAAAAAAFoA/3grD4sdXACcB0jj8DjEABgpms4YfAKR4wCLcB/s400/BlueDye_06.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed fabric),detail of fabric printed with wax resist" width="400" /></a></div>
This close-up photo shows how the fabric looks after the wax resist (tinted green so that is shows on white cloth) is dry. This is the motif being printed while we were there. Liking the design a lot, I was very pleased to find finished fabric in this pattern available to purchase.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAh2pk_-tGo/WFqGxlsEucI/AAAAAAAAFms/91MRY_sfLwQVLy33cUG6yqwNEbSAflVFwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_06aXsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungarian" border="0" height="296" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAh2pk_-tGo/WFqGxlsEucI/AAAAAAAAFms/91MRY_sfLwQVLy33cUG6yqwNEbSAflVFwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_06aXsm.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, Hungarian" width="400" /></a></div>
And this is how the cloth will look after it is dyed with indigo, the wax resist removed, and the fabric washed and ironed. As you might have already guessed, a half-meter of this one came home with me!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBjYkStuEYo/WFqMyuUo2aI/AAAAAAAAFn8/qLjBDFSC3OgX36dkatgKG_S1P5pMTW5ogCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins (on left) at Kekfesto studio in Hungary" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBjYkStuEYo/WFqMyuUo2aI/AAAAAAAAFn8/qLjBDFSC3OgX36dkatgKG_S1P5pMTW5ogCLcB/s400/BlueDye_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins (on left) at Kekfesto studio in Hungary" width="300" /></a></div>
As we watch the cloth passing slowly through the rollers of the printing machine, Lunnette holds a scrap of dyed fabric which was tied to the machine, indicating the motif currently being printed.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-convMZFwpI4/WFqHC66_nZI/AAAAAAAAFnA/ABlceWx-vskMmQdLrY1GEaf-FGA_xLpJACLcB/s1600/BlueDye_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, preparing concentrated indigo dye" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-convMZFwpI4/WFqHC66_nZI/AAAAAAAAFnA/ABlceWx-vskMmQdLrY1GEaf-FGA_xLpJACLcB/s400/BlueDye_11.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, preparing concentrated indigo dye" width="400" /></a></div>
At last, we get to the dye pot! Here on the burner, a concentrated indigo dye formula is being readied to pour into the dye vat.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yne9MRV5Cow/WFqHAWhm0vI/AAAAAAAAFm8/UGA4iJbjYQEa5u6nH1DUeA1t_5WtCJq0wCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, rubber gloves for dying with indigo" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yne9MRV5Cow/WFqHAWhm0vI/AAAAAAAAFm8/UGA4iJbjYQEa5u6nH1DUeA1t_5WtCJq0wCLcB/s400/BlueDye_12.jpg" title="Kekfesto (blue dyed) fabric, rubber gloves for dying with indigo" width="400" /></a></div>
Don't forget to wear those heavy rubber gloves, or the skin on your hands will be tinged with blue for a long time.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bV9E8F6lLI/WFqHG-6JeZI/AAAAAAAAFnE/y_bvu74cZ5wGmsq8JlEFrX6lCLVu-UTxwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric) master craftsman, Miklos Kovacs" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bV9E8F6lLI/WFqHG-6JeZI/AAAAAAAAFnE/y_bvu74cZ5wGmsq8JlEFrX6lCLVu-UTxwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_13.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric) master craftsman, Miklos Kovacs" width="400" /></a></div>
Mr. Kovács gave a long, animated talk (all in Hungarian, which I only <u>slightly</u> comprehend) about the whole process of blue dying. You've already seen how the cloth is printed with wax resist. The next step is to dye the background.<br />
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The cloth is dyed in a vat with the indigo dye-bath at 85 degrees
C., then washed to remove the wax and rinsed to remove the excess dye.
After rinsing, the cloth is looped over racks to dry outdoors, which
completes the dying process. Sadly, he did no dying while we were there, so I don't have pictures
or first-hand experience with precisely how it is done to share with
you.<br />
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However the fabric is not yet ready to use. It must be starched, dried,
and then pressed using both steam and steel rollers with heavy pressure,
in order to create the traditionally desirable shiny finish on the
cloth. Finally, the fabric is folded onto bolts for distribution to
shops and end-users. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4e19NuaB0o0/WFqHMD-NwQI/AAAAAAAAFnM/GqwXy0OTwHsuG_nKXFGjuDtgJ8oXm9PqwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), templates for printing table cloths and runners" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4e19NuaB0o0/WFqHMD-NwQI/AAAAAAAAFnM/GqwXy0OTwHsuG_nKXFGjuDtgJ8oXm9PqwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_14.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), templates for printing table cloths and runners" width="400" /></a></div>
We learned how they hand-print motifs on cloth using a template, such that after dying, the fabric can be cut out and hemmed as a finished table cloth. You can see the templates hanging on the wall. The desired template is placed over the fabric, and a pencil used to mark the registration points for lining up the printing block. Fabrics which have already been printed are stacked in front of the templates. After being dyed, this fabric will be made into table cloths and runners of various sizes.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IIKkGn1h_YQ/WFqHP5z7RHI/AAAAAAAAFnQ/PvGShNgqaoAchk0dY05xGB2R81lLjBeKQCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), hand stamped with wax resist for table cloth" border="0" height="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IIKkGn1h_YQ/WFqHP5z7RHI/AAAAAAAAFnQ/PvGShNgqaoAchk0dY05xGB2R81lLjBeKQCLcB/s400/BlueDye_15.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), hand stamped with wax resist for table cloth" width="400" /></a></div>
This is a section of cloth which as been marked with a template, and hand-stamped with wax resist. After dying with indigo and removing the wax, it will be made into a rectangular table cloth with a lovely double border all the way around.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1cb0qPZguwQ/WFqHUaBHPLI/AAAAAAAAFnU/-B9CMTXxN6E_dEWCTtLgTZI6_7CkNjjXgCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), hand stamped with wax resist " border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1cb0qPZguwQ/WFqHUaBHPLI/AAAAAAAAFnU/-B9CMTXxN6E_dEWCTtLgTZI6_7CkNjjXgCLcB/s400/BlueDye_16.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), hand stamped with wax resist " width="400" /></a></div>
Mrs. Kovács demonstrates for us how she lines up the print block with the penciled registration marks, and then lowers it onto the fabric. With the stamp resting on the cloth, she lightly pounds it with her fist to set the wax into the fabric. It was obvious to us that carefully making each wax impression all the way around the cloth takes a lot of time and concentration. As you an see below, the results of her hand-printing are stunning!.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kp_m_uN6mPM/WFqHkYkI-hI/AAAAAAAAFno/05GezhdM9Y4xEalB7_rfW0gTVp51gpEhwCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_TableCloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), round table cloth, hand printed" border="0" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kp_m_uN6mPM/WFqHkYkI-hI/AAAAAAAAFno/05GezhdM9Y4xEalB7_rfW0gTVp51gpEhwCLcB/s400/BlueDye_TableCloth.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), round table cloth, hand printed" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is an example of a hand-stamped, indigo-dyed fabric made into a round table cloth. Obviously, it came home with me, and is perfect for my kitchen table! This fabric is quite wide, and takes a great deal of space and time to print. Yet, the prices were very reasonable!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMY6GDnhefI/WFqHcLUid9I/AAAAAAAAFnc/Rgw6ayPB2wUHJdlF56i_cJxAPH0fXsLaACLcB/s1600/BlueDye_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik yardage" border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMY6GDnhefI/WFqHcLUid9I/AAAAAAAAFnc/Rgw6ayPB2wUHJdlF56i_cJxAPH0fXsLaACLcB/s400/BlueDye_18.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik yardage" width="400" /></a></div>
After spending several hours in the studio, we were invited to the house for a shopping bonanza! Fortunately, hoping ahead of time that we would be visiting a Kékfestö studio when we got to Hungary, we had saved our allowances for some months, and were prepared to shop for future quilting and sewing projects. The prices, ranging $10 to $15 per meter depending on the width, seemed very reasonable considering the quality of the fabric, and the extreme amount of work that goes into producing it.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBh60L1PxBM/WFqHhvPF3PI/AAAAAAAAFnk/zbWBaoQISu4fIgxvUQkN2gVgYl6XAxhcQCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_Apron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik apron" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBh60L1PxBM/WFqHhvPF3PI/AAAAAAAAFnk/zbWBaoQISu4fIgxvUQkN2gVgYl6XAxhcQCLcB/s400/BlueDye_Apron.jpg" title="Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik apron" width="357" /></a></div>
In addition to yardage, both of us bought a table cloth and an apron. Mine is shown above.<br />
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What a totally delightful experience we had! Mr. and Mrs. Kovács are as friendly and nice as can be! If you ever get to Hungary, you can find their fabrics and finished products in the picturesque town of Szentendre, just a short drive or train ride north of Budapest on the Danube River. <a href="http://www.kekfestokovacs.hu/" target="_blank">Here is a website link</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1-VukBLbBo/WFqHdzmEfnI/AAAAAAAAFng/Vs_yOaWf_as1-zuczcZe1cP-mIV_oRTNgCLcB/s1600/BlueDye_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Master craftsman of Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik" border="0" height="377" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1-VukBLbBo/WFqHdzmEfnI/AAAAAAAAFng/Vs_yOaWf_as1-zuczcZe1cP-mIV_oRTNgCLcB/s400/BlueDye_19.jpg" title="Master craftsman of Kekfest (blue dyed fabric), Hungarian batik" width="400" /></a></div>
To end our visit at the Kovács studio, here is a tribute photo of the elder Mr. Kovács, who during his boyhood in the 1920's was immersed in the world of his family's blue-dying business, and who continued producing Kékfestö indigo-dyed fabrics for his entire life, while training his own son to continue the trade.<br />
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Like his father, the younger Mr. Kovács has trained his daughters to continue when he retires, although I'm sure he has many more years to go, probably well into his 90s..<br />
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My last two photos in this post are a little surprise for you. Before falling in love with beading and quilting, my main passion was Hungarian folk dancing. I danced in a performance group for 10 years (and later became one of the group's choreographers), performing at many events in the Seattle area, including Bumbershoot and the Folklife Festival. We also performed at the World's Fair when it was in Vancouver, British Columbia. I and several of the other dancers in the group made most of our costumes using Hungarian fabrics and original costumes as patterns.<br />
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It was folk music and dance that first called my heart and soul into Hungary, where I have since spent a cumulative total of well over a year of my life, spaced over 14 different visits so far.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-P8f_BeygQ/WFqOR5K64TI/AAAAAAAAFoU/kg8RFblzu80a7OHVFXH3taBgqluz1qoLgCLcB/s1600/RA_WorldsFair_Sept1986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Hungarian folk dancer, wearing costume of Kekfesto (blue-dyed fabric)" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-P8f_BeygQ/WFqOR5K64TI/AAAAAAAAFoU/kg8RFblzu80a7OHVFXH3taBgqluz1qoLgCLcB/s400/RA_WorldsFair_Sept1986.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Hungarian folk dancer, wearing costume of Kekfesto (blue-dyed fabric)" width="256" /></a></div>
So, here you go. This is me, wearing a costume I made with Kékfestö fabric for performing the dances of the Szatmár region, located in northeastern Hungary. This photo was taken in September, 1986 at the World's Fair in Vancouver, Canada, where we performed on two separate occasions.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTdK50UBpFA/WFqOOMiKRzI/AAAAAAAAFoQ/Xsp3gJUaLEQU-bYxwnMFyrtbu9gpZ-h7gCLcB/s1600/RA_DancePerformance_1984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Legenyes Hungarian Folkdance Ensemble, performance 1984" border="0" height="253" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTdK50UBpFA/WFqOOMiKRzI/AAAAAAAAFoQ/Xsp3gJUaLEQU-bYxwnMFyrtbu9gpZ-h7gCLcB/s400/RA_DancePerformance_1984.jpg" title="Legenyes Hungarian Folkdance Ensemble, performance 1984" width="400" /></a></div>
And this is me on stage at a festival in Redmond, WA, happy as can be, Hungarian folk music, song and dance, filling me with joy! Michael Kappleman and I are the second couple from the left.<br />
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So you see... Kékfestö and I go back a long way. Next, I'll be quilting with it!<br />
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*****<br />
My apologies to Hungarians for not using the correct accent mark for the last letter of the Hungarian word <i>Kékfestö</i>. I spent 4 hours trying to do it, but could not get Blogger to accept anything I tried. Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-11099229605926510162016-12-06T22:58:00.003-08:002016-12-09T19:25:32.726-08:00My Quilt for 2017 La Conner Quilt Museum Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lM6VNHdsoaI/WEcRoQa_S_I/AAAAAAAAFfQ/3qrNh4w-DD4b0qEflubq4lAu0H9TWmHGwCLcB/s1600/Atkins_Under%2Bthe%2BQuilts_peek1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, quilt for 2017 La Conner Quilt Museum challenge, detail" border="0" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lM6VNHdsoaI/WEcRoQa_S_I/AAAAAAAAFfQ/3qrNh4w-DD4b0qEflubq4lAu0H9TWmHGwCLcB/s400/Atkins_Under%2Bthe%2BQuilts_peek1.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, quilt for 2017 La Conner Quilt Museum challenge, detail" width="400" /></a></div>
To be honest with you, the past two months (Oct. and Nov.) have been miserable for me because of the election campaign and results. Now, finally, the cloak of despair, the fog of depression, is lifting a little.<br />
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One evening, as I noticed the challenge kit from the <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/" target="_blank">La Conner Quilt Museum</a> on top of my quilting to-do pile, a flicker of an idea passed through my brain. Then, as I awoke the next morning, the flicker became a small flame, which in turn lead me to accept an invitation to spend an afternoon quilting with some friends, which (in order to have something to work on) got me rooting through my fabric stash.<br />
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Now, quilters, beaders, and artists of all types, will recognize the phenomenon caused by physically touching your materials, supplies, and tools. Suddenly your wearisome thoughts of the election (or whatever else got you down) are gone! You fondle your stuff lovingly, and with great anticipation, you make the first cuts, fanning the flame, turning it into a nice warm fire. Ah, saved from the chilly fog, at last!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPGFigC7tks/WEcRyFrK86I/AAAAAAAAFfY/15uqRJbeRKItiqyy6M_Fiat5NtUz0evTwCEw/s1600/Block1_Vintage_Quilted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vintage quilt block, 11 inches square, hand pieced" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPGFigC7tks/WEcRyFrK86I/AAAAAAAAFfY/15uqRJbeRKItiqyy6M_Fiat5NtUz0evTwCEw/s400/Block1_Vintage_Quilted.jpg" title="vintage quilt block, 11 inches square, hand pieced" width="400" /></a></div>
My journey out of the fog began with this vintage block from a quilt that someone, somewhere, started long ago, but never finished. It, along with many others, was donated to the La Conner Quilt Museum. The Curator, Kathleen Kok, not knowing what she would do with all the vintage blocks donated over the years, just kept them in a corner waiting for an idea to form. And form it did!<br />
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Every year the Museum has a challenge as a fundraiser, showcasing the entries at the annual Quilt Festival. For 2017, the challenge theme is "Time" and the material provided in the kit is one of the vintage blocks from their collection. The block above is the one I picked. It is just so cheerful... how could I resist? Hand pieced, it wasn't perfectly sewn, but still I fell instantly in love with it. Mine for a $10 contribution!<br />
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Of course, it was just the block. In the photo above, I have already layered it with backing and batting, and then hand quilted it.<br />
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My idea is two-fold. (1) Since the "time" theme can be portrayed by a transition from these early fabrics to modern fabrics, I decided to repeat the block using Kaffe Fassett fabric scraps left over from <a href="https://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/05/circle-dancers-shimmer-quilt.html" target="_blank">my shimmer quilt</a>. (2) Feeling powerless in the face of impending doom after the election, I had to find some ways to assert my beliefs, and this quilt was to be one of them. I've long been concerned about the ever-increasing world population, about all the small, yet constant ways overpopulation is damaging and destroying the natural systems of the planet. So the title will be: <b><i>Under the Quilts, Time Flies, and Population GROWS</i></b>. My idea is to illustrate this concept using both color and beads. You'll see.<br />
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First though, a few words about making the modern block. At first I tried to make a pattern for the "flower/star" by tracing one of the triangles from the back side. I hand-stitched the required 16 pieces together FOUR different times, varying the seam allowances each time, trying to get it to lie down flat. Obviously, I did not correctly copy the original, because when I finally sewed it so it was nice and flat, it was also too small. Grrr.<br />
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A smart quilt friend (thanks Tori) suggested I trace a section from the right side of the block and add 1/4 inch seam allowances all around. Good idea, but there were small differences between the sections... which one to trace? Trying to answer that question, looking at the block, I finally saw how the pattern was derived! (Light bulb!!!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_qjtcOlk81w/WEdmWqfNQzI/AAAAAAAAFf0/dnwsWOMpyo0oH57eYE14OOYovx1YilNYQCLcB/s1600/Atkins_Quilt_Pattern1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pattern for vintage quilt block, 11 inches square" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_qjtcOlk81w/WEdmWqfNQzI/AAAAAAAAFf0/dnwsWOMpyo0oH57eYE14OOYovx1YilNYQCLcB/s400/Atkins_Quilt_Pattern1.jpg" title="pattern for vintage quilt block, 11 inches square" width="397" /></a></div>
It's two overlapping squares of the same size, one on point and one not. All it took was to measure the sides of the squares on the original block (which averaged 8.5 inches), cut them out of paper, fold the diagonals and sides, put a pin through the centers to join them, rotate the top one until the folds lined up, tape the two together, and draw along the fold lines. Voila! Now, all I had to do was cut out one of the half-points, add my quarter-inch seam allowances, and there was the perfect pattern for my new block. The rest went quite quickly, and below you can see the quilted result. (Note: I added quarter-inch seam allowances to each of the pattern pieces shown above to get the final cutting pattern.)<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tgsnP2vxrA/WEdmoe7bbHI/AAAAAAAAFgA/5BW558YB68090kf1CFQnzVyJ0pC9O0pTgCLcB/s1600/Block2_Mine_Quilted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, hand pieced, hand quilted block, Kaffe Fassett fabrics" border="0" height="398" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tgsnP2vxrA/WEdmoe7bbHI/AAAAAAAAFgA/5BW558YB68090kf1CFQnzVyJ0pC9O0pTgCLcB/s400/Block2_Mine_Quilted.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, hand pieced, hand quilted block, Kaffe Fassett fabrics" width="400" /></a></div>
You might be wondering why I've layered and quilted these blocks. How will they be joined to form the quilt? The answer is they won't be joined! Instead, they will be bound as separate little quilts (each 11 inches square), and then appliqued to a separate "background quilt."<br />
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Here is how they look with the binding.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz3pT3JcMO0/WEdmju2osCI/AAAAAAAAFf8/gAb8tzpbHaI23tdcWu2iSlO4ePxzbwI9wCLcB/s1600/Block1_Vintage_Bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vintage quilt block, hand quilted and bound by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz3pT3JcMO0/WEdmju2osCI/AAAAAAAAFf8/gAb8tzpbHaI23tdcWu2iSlO4ePxzbwI9wCLcB/s400/Block1_Vintage_Bound.jpg" title="vintage quilt block, hand quilted and bound by Robin Atkins" width="397" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOSrNvwK36M/WEena_yFiKI/AAAAAAAAFgQ/AqmPwjTzXZU7n5fT3B42tvDVnIik2GjiQCLcB/s1600/Block2_Mine_Bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, hand pieced, hand quilted block, Kaffe Fassett fabrics" border="0" height="395" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOSrNvwK36M/WEena_yFiKI/AAAAAAAAFgQ/AqmPwjTzXZU7n5fT3B42tvDVnIik2GjiQCLcB/s400/Block2_Mine_Bound.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, hand pieced, hand quilted block, Kaffe Fassett fabrics" width="400" /></a></div>
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Notice that the over-all color of the modern block is darker. This matches my concern about over-population of the planet. Time flies, and the population GROWS, making the world a darker place for me, as many species become stressed and obsolete, as the desert lands grow and the forests shrink, as potable water becomes polluted and scarce, as crowded people war with each other. You know. If you watch the documentaries and contribute to various environmental causes, you know. Darker.<br />
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Thus, the quilt also becomes darker as the eye travels from top to bottom. Here is how it looks with the two blocks on the background quilt, the transitioning colors from light to dark, representing about 70 years in time passing (estimating the date of the fabrics in the vintage block at approximately 1946). This is an extremely tiny period of world history, but one in which world population sky-rocketed from 2.3 billion to 7.4 billion.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VnTjagAO0Oo/WEcSCJ4uJbI/AAAAAAAAFfo/7f9nb84NQ5wbWdANO63yMUPJJ5svV0ZggCEw/s1600/BeadReady_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, quilt for 2017 La Conner Quilt Museum challenge" border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VnTjagAO0Oo/WEcSCJ4uJbI/AAAAAAAAFfo/7f9nb84NQ5wbWdANO63yMUPJJ5svV0ZggCEw/s640/BeadReady_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, quilt for 2017 La Conner Quilt Museum challenge" width="332" /></a></div>
You can probably see the little heart beads, but if you click to enlarge the photo, you'll see them more clearly. The pair at the top represents a couple. They dive under the quilt, have some fun, and produce four lovely children (between the two blocks). These four pair up, dive under the quilt, resulting in 16 children. Under the quilts, time flies, and the population GROWS. That's m' story, and I'm sticking to it.<br />
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Now, here's a question for you loyal readers who have come so far with me on this thing. The quilt looks really pretty the way it is. But originally, I had planned to do more beading on it. I planned to bead several vines circling the outer border of the quilt (not the binding). Across the top of the quilt, the vines would be light green, with many green leaves, bright-colored flowers, and some critter beads/charms (bees, birds, bears, fish). As the vines trailed down the sides, they would become darker, until at the bottom they would be beaded with dark brown, black, and darkest greens, with no critters, and only a few dark flowers. The visual message (I hope) would be, "this is what happens when we overpopulate the world." What do you think... leave it like it is now or bead the borders?<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Global Population Information</h3>
Think of it this way. Every single month increasing world population adds another Los Angeles AND another Chicago to the planet. That's 24 gigantic cities worth of people added EVERY year; more than 240 giant cities every 10 years. Imagine how many cities full of people will be added in your life time. Crunch the numbers and see what you think.<br />
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Evidence of heavy population demand on resources is all around us. Global aquifers are being pumped 3.5 times faster than rainfall can naturally recharge them. Eventually they will run dry, perhaps as soon as 75 years. Topsoil is being lost 10-40 times faster than it is formed. Feeding all 7+ billion of us is increasingly difficult, impossible actually.<br />
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There is no technology solution to accommodate the increasing demand of uncontrolled global population growth. The only solution is <b>voluntary one child per couple</b> for a couple of generations, on a Global participation level. If all countries followed the lead of countries with the lowest birth rates (Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, and Poland), we could reach a more sustainable Global population of 3 billion by 2100!<br />
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Please, talk about this with your child-bearing-aged kids, grand kids, students, etc. We teach environmentally sound practices in most schools, write books and make documentary films about issues like clean water, over-fishing, fracking, etc. But rarely does the topic center on overpopulation. Be proactive. Make it happen.<br />
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If you are willing to read (or listen to an audio book) to learn more about Global population, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Countdown-Last-Best-Future-Earth/dp/0316097756" target="_blank">Count Down</a> is an excellent read.<br />
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Here is a link to the previous <a href="https://beadlust.blogspot.com/search?q=countdown" target="_blank">bead embroidery pieces (and poems) I've made concerning population growth</a>.Thank you for reading all the way to the end, and for anything you can do to help people understand what we need to do.<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-36469154458542649662016-10-27T22:04:00.000-07:002018-02-07T02:06:26.398-08:00I have Dupuytren’s Disease<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Last November an odd, rather hard, bump suddenly appeared in
the palm of my right hand. A few weeks later, in a routine physical exam, I
asked my Dr. what the lump might be. She thought it was a harmless, ganglion
cyst. In January, suddenly two more lumps appeared in the same area of my palm,
about 1.5 inches below my little and ring fingers. Feeling some concern about
this, I made an appointment with a hand specialist, a surgeon, who told me with
absolute certainty that I had <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/dupuytrens_contracture.html" target="_blank">Dupuytren’s Disease</a>.<br />
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In case you are wondering, Dupuytren (pronounced sort of
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>doo</u>-pi-tron</i>), is the name
of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Dupuytren" target="_blank">French surgeon</a> who pioneered a surgical treatment for the disease in 1831.
With thanks to the internet, especially <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/index.html" target="_blank">The International Dupuytren Society website</a> and <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/Forum_English/" target="_blank">forum</a>, I have learned a lot about this disease and have since taken steps to
prevent or at least slow its further development.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Dupuytren’s Disease (also called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupuytren%27s_contracture" target="_blank">Dupuytren's contracture</a>) is basically a non-malignant, tumor-building,
auto-immune disease that affects the hands, with about a 40% chance of eventually
turning a functioning hand into a claw which cannot be opened. The disease
targets the tiny fibers which join the skin on the palm and fingers to the
structure of the hand (bone, muscles, tendons, nerves). The fibers become
enlarged, hardened, and inflexible. In roughly 60% of the people who have it,
the disease at some point goes dormant, leaving the person with partial to full
use of their hand(s). For the unlucky 40% who lose the use of their hand(s),
the options are grim. Surgery to remove the fibrous tumors, along with 6 months
of physical therapy following surgery, is a horrendous ordeal. And often the
small bits of remaining tumor grow and spread, resulting in a
closed, useless hand again some months or years later. There is no known cure.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">You can skip this paragraph if you are not so
interested in the disease in general. In the following paragraphs, I’ll tell
you about my personal experience with it so far... Some other names for
Dupuytren’s Disease are: claw hand, Viking disease, palmar fascia contracture, and
flexion contracture. Because it often causes one or more fingers to curl inward
toward the palm, it is sometimes confused with trigger finger, an entirely
different affliction. It is linked to heredity, Northern European descent, diabetes
and other auto-immune diseases. Men are more likely to have it than women, and its
incidence increases in older (over 50) folks for both men and women. Often it
is dormant until there is injury or trauma to the hand(s). There are currently
four categories of treatment: <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/radiation_therapy.html" target="_blank">radiation therapy </a>(successful only in the very
early developmental stage of the disease), <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/needle_aponeurotomy.html" target="_blank">needle aponeurotomy</a> (generally
considered for stage 1 or 2 of the disease with 6 to 90 degrees of
deformation), <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/dupuytren_collagenase.html" target="_blank">collagenase injection</a> (also stage 1 or 2), and <a href="http://www.dupuytren-online.info/dupuytren_surgery.html" target="_blank">surgery</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"> </span>(advanced stages).</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aJLJr1eO4eQ/WBLKF8eNbFI/AAAAAAAAFd4/xuJRek0f_AcfoZSqUbQ2u2BIuaQaLLjSQCLcB/s1600/AtkinsRobin_BJP_CopyMyHand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dupuytrens Disease, my right hand prior to symptoms showing" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aJLJr1eO4eQ/WBLKF8eNbFI/AAAAAAAAFd4/xuJRek0f_AcfoZSqUbQ2u2BIuaQaLLjSQCLcB/s400/AtkinsRobin_BJP_CopyMyHand.jpg" title="Dupuytrens Disease, my right hand prior to symptoms showing" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a copy-machine scan of my right hand in August, 2012. At that time, I probably had the disease, but there were no obvious signs of it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4az8XklGqDg/WBLGbsO4krI/AAAAAAAAFds/ib02h2O6yMIz3hXJpIrSGyu7K1BWzww6wCLcB/s1600/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="my hand (beaded), before onset of Dupuytren's Disease" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4az8XklGqDg/WBLGbsO4krI/AAAAAAAAFds/ib02h2O6yMIz3hXJpIrSGyu7K1BWzww6wCLcB/s400/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Hands.jpg" title="my hand (beaded), before onset of Dupuytren's Disease" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a piece I created using the above scan. It celebrates the many blessings of my hand. Who knew that 4 years later it would be in jeopardy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you know me at all, you know that I love to stitch! Give
me a needle and thread, a few beads or layered fabric that needs hand-quilting,
and I am in heaven. If I couldn’t stitch, I’d be miserable. Already, I
noticed (in January) that my right (dominant) hand was losing flexibility and
strength. I dropped things all of the time because my grip was not as strong. And
I could not spread my fingers or flex them backwards. The progression was
alarmingly fast at that time, and affected my ability to hold and control a
needle, scissors, etc.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, as I learned more and more about the possible development
of my disease, I decided to take an immediate step to get radiation therapy, which
reportedly has an 85 to 93% chance of halting further development of the
disease, if taken when the disease is in its initial, active, developmental
phase. The treatment consists of 5 + 5, daily, low-dose, radiation sessions
(with a 3 month or more interval between the first and second five sessions).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the USA, the medical profession has mostly chosen to
ignore the early stages of the disease, because (I guess) it only becomes a
serious issue for about 40% of those who have it, and they (like me) are mostly
older folks with a good chance of dying before the disease becomes seriously debilitating.
Until quite recently, treatment has been in the realm of the surgeons. The
one who diagnosed me, for example, did not even mention radiation therapy. He
simply said that if it got worse, much worse, we could consider surgery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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For this reason, not many hospitals or insurance plans offer
or cover radiation therapy. I discovered that it is offered by Overlake
Hospital in Bellevue, WA, but not covered by my Medicare Insurance Plan. The
out-of-pocket expense for the treatments for one hand would be a whopping
$25,000 if I chose to pay for it myself. Even if my insurance had covered it, my
cost would still have been 20% or $5,000. So I began to look into other options.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ptV6OZeuLR0/WBLR99lHpcI/AAAAAAAAFeU/QJ5yiT_kYGIpnabopd2StLygyIADPq_7wCLcB/s1600/RadiationTreatment_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dupuytren's disease, markup of nodules and cords on both hands" border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ptV6OZeuLR0/WBLR99lHpcI/AAAAAAAAFeU/QJ5yiT_kYGIpnabopd2StLygyIADPq_7wCLcB/s400/RadiationTreatment_05.jpg" title="Dupuytren's disease, markup of nodules and cords on both hands" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I learned that one of the Radiation Treatment Centers in
Germany had been treating about 300 Dupuytren patients per year since the mid-1980s,
and keeping extensive follow-up records on their patients. The total cost of
treatments for one hand is $1,800. I figured if I bought airline tickets enough in
advance and stayed in low-cost lodging, I could make two trips to Germany and
get the treatments for a lot less than I would pay in the USA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few emails later, I had an appointment for
my first clinic visit and <a href="http://reviews.treatmentabroad.com/cancer_clinic/germany/cyberknife_center_hamburg" target="_blank">treatment in Hamburg, Germany</a>, April 23, 2016. My cost for lodging and travel expenses and the first round of treatments was just under
$3,000.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOje4-9D-mU/WBLS2fE_lTI/AAAAAAAAFec/j2Uq0PNMbGMCy_VhFdAhN-8885Nh709PACLcB/s1600/RadiationTreatment_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dupuytren's disease, radiation therapy in Hamburg, Germany" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOje4-9D-mU/WBLS2fE_lTI/AAAAAAAAFec/j2Uq0PNMbGMCy_VhFdAhN-8885Nh709PACLcB/s400/RadiationTreatment_01.jpg" title="Dupuytren's disease, radiation therapy in Hamburg, Germany" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The RT machine just before my last treatment. It will be lowered to just above my hand for the 30 +/- seconds of the radiation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good news! I just returned from the second (last) round of
treatments, with the cost being less because of cheaper airfare and no initial
exam/treatment plan. The total cost for both trips to Germany and the treatments was about
1/5 of what it would have been close to home in Bellevue, WA!<br />
<br />
Although I also have the disease in my left hand, it has
not developed enough yet to warrant radiation treatment, and (with luck) may never do so.
On this second visit, the Dr. was pleased to tell me that he could detect no further
progression of the disease in my right hand since the first series of
treatments. I’m hoping to be among the lucky 90 or so percent who never see
further development of the disease. Although I’m slower and clumsier than I was
10 months ago, I can still sew, bead, crochet, and knit! Let’s hear it for
taking quick, affirmative action!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have this disease or know anyone who does, you/they can <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/p/radiation-therapy-for-dupuytrens.html" target="_blank">find specific information and links here</a>, including the details of when, where, how much, and by whom I had the treatments.<br />
<br />
And last of all, here is a link to an interesting article, featuring <a href="http://healthguides.healthgrades.com/article/7-famous-people-with-dupuytrens-contracture" target="_blank">7 famous people who have Dupuytren's Disease</a>. </div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Dupuytren Report 1 yr. After Radiation Therapy</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Good news! It's almost 1 year since I completed the second round of radiation therapy on my right hand in Germany. In this year, there has been no further progression of the disease. I believe there has even been a slight softening of both the nodules and cords. My lack flexibility (only slight ability to bend my fingers backwards, and reduced spread of my fingers to thumb) is the same as before the treatment. Although some sources recommend it, I don't wear a brace at night (but do try to fall asleep with both hands flat on my tummy), do exercises, or get any type of massage therapy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-1801665422485935912016-05-14T16:04:00.000-07:002016-07-04T16:29:41.582-07:00Hexie 2 Report - 733 Hexie Flowers Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImkCTJUTE7M/VzetOhhX8AI/AAAAAAAAFcQ/bSOEcpRAF6scTDzf3XQfguxrrrgVeoGGACLcB/s1600/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="hexie flowers, detail, Robin Atkins" border="0" height="152" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImkCTJUTE7M/VzetOhhX8AI/AAAAAAAAFcQ/bSOEcpRAF6scTDzf3XQfguxrrrgVeoGGACLcB/s400/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" title="Hexie flowers, detail, Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I started cutting scraps of fabric to make hexie flowers on September 1, 2015. After 9 months of labor, I have just finished stitching the 733rd flower! I'll do the math for you... That's 5,131 hexies. They are small ones, 3/4 inch per side. The finished flowers measure just under 4" in diameter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zivfZyeEBMY/VzetrmdadLI/AAAAAAAAFcU/81jSPy_mM1kO626auUGWxq7ys1vM4kQ4QCLcB/s1600/Flowers_Final44of733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="44 hexie flowers, Robin Atkins" border="0" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zivfZyeEBMY/VzetrmdadLI/AAAAAAAAFcU/81jSPy_mM1kO626auUGWxq7ys1vM4kQ4QCLcB/s400/Flowers_Final44of733.jpg" title="44 hexie flowers, Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
To give you an idea, this is what 44 hexie flowers look like. In case you don't know, for each hexie, the fabric is cut, and then basted over a paper, hexagon-shaped form. The hexies are then hand-stitched together to make the flowers. It takes about 1 hour to make one hexie flower, start-to-finish; thus 44 hours to make the batch above. Click the photo to see better detail of this process, which is called <i>English paper piecing</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BTraIkJU3g4/VzeuFDgXddI/AAAAAAAAFcc/16mjh8krAu4DRcs5G8oHixN22o1A3W1yQCLcB/s1600/Flowers_Finished733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="733 hexie flowers, Robin Atkins" border="0" height="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BTraIkJU3g4/VzeuFDgXddI/AAAAAAAAFcc/16mjh8krAu4DRcs5G8oHixN22o1A3W1yQCLcB/s400/Flowers_Finished733.jpg" title="733 hexie flowers, Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
And here are all 733 hexie flowers! Each flower is a different fabric. Although a few of the flower petal fabrics were also used for flower centers, I'm certain that there are over 1,000 different fabrics used in these flowers.<br />
<br />
What's next? Well, I'm going to build a design wall using sound-proofing foam-board covered with a king-sized flannel sheet. I haven't quite figured out how to make it yet.<br />
<br />
When the design wall is ready, I'll get out my hexie flowers and start to "paint" with them. Who knows what will emerge? Not me. I only have a vague idea that I might want to try "painting" an abstract view of our island shoreline.<br />
<br />
When the "painting" process is finished, I'll stitch the flowers together in small groups, and then stitch the groups together. The result, hopefully in my lifetime, will be a queen-sized, non-traditional style, hexie quilt!<br />
<br />
Thanks to everybody who shared scraps of fabric for me to use!<br />
<br />
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *<br />
<br />
For those interested, here is a link to a "time study" and photos of my previous hexie quilt, <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/04/grandmas-flower-garden-34-inch-hexie.html" target="_blank">Mama's Garden</a>! Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-60897304052587571882016-03-11T16:42:00.000-08:002016-03-11T18:15:15.809-08:00Does Machine Quilting Enhance Quilts that are otherwise Hand-Sewn?Oh dear, I'm sorry to have neglected posting here for so long. Although many suitable topics and photos have passed through my mind and camera, there just hasn't seemed to be a nice chunk of time available for putting it all together. Today is the day to begin again!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Qaac1V6xw/VuMqyd2ZKSI/AAAAAAAAFas/FBDTozeSXp8kwMYhqb1T37KkMJryngdsg/s1600/Winner_InspiredByAlice_03a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, border detail" border="0" height="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Qaac1V6xw/VuMqyd2ZKSI/AAAAAAAAFas/FBDTozeSXp8kwMYhqb1T37KkMJryngdsg/s400/Winner_InspiredByAlice_03a.jpg" title="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, border detail" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspired by Alice</i>, by Marilyn Lidstrom Larson of Willow City, ND (detail of border)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the past two months, it's been all about quilts and quilting for me, with beading taking a bit of a back seat for a while. My quilt and travel buddy, Lunnette, and I flew to Ontario, California for <i>The Road to California,</i> which is a ginormous quilt show with more than 1,000 quilts on exhibition and over 200 vendors. We gawked (and spent all of our allotted budget) for 3 whole days, barely noticing our fatigue and sore footies.<br />
<br />
There are several intriguing subjects to cover, inspired by our experiences there. Today's post is about traditional applique and machine quilting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GukGcVFGH6I/VuMz2OrsZLI/AAAAAAAAFbA/ozsugcEeYDYmqYNPX-z42hFZ2CcLDYfew/s1600/Winner_InspiredByAlice_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GukGcVFGH6I/VuMz2OrsZLI/AAAAAAAAFbA/ozsugcEeYDYmqYNPX-z42hFZ2CcLDYfew/s400/Winner_InspiredByAlice_01.jpg" title="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspired by Alice</i>, by Marilyn Lidstrom Larson of Willow City, ND<br />
photo credit (for this photo only): Road 2 CA </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6j7FuiVHVUw/VuMz0NtUazI/AAAAAAAAFa8/3wVnqsFxpVQdMH1ELSlCfodFce1x_H1VQ/s1600/Winner_InspiredByAlice_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of maching quilting" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6j7FuiVHVUw/VuMz0NtUazI/AAAAAAAAFa8/3wVnqsFxpVQdMH1ELSlCfodFce1x_H1VQ/s400/Winner_InspiredByAlice_02.jpg" title="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of maching quilting" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspired by Alice</i>, by Marilyn Lidstrom Larson, detail showing back </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukYEEesDMQk/VuMz4D1o_oI/AAAAAAAAFbE/qPyLKp4CmIMNvdyorJx2q-OYf-R6ybw7g/s1600/Winner_InspiredByAlice_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of applique" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukYEEesDMQk/VuMz4D1o_oI/AAAAAAAAFbE/qPyLKp4CmIMNvdyorJx2q-OYf-R6ybw7g/s400/Winner_InspiredByAlice_04.jpg" title="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of applique" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspired by Alice</i>, by Marilyn Lidstrom Larson, detail of center </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g1A_pTT14xA/VuMz6UlMlwI/AAAAAAAAFbI/d5_4wbZp47MkezPeLctlFnAGedlFBF5mQ/s1600/Winner_InspiredByAlice_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of maching quilting" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g1A_pTT14xA/VuMz6UlMlwI/AAAAAAAAFbI/d5_4wbZp47MkezPeLctlFnAGedlFBF5mQ/s400/Winner_InspiredByAlice_05.jpg" title="quilt, Inspired by Alice, Marilyn Lidstom Larson, detail of maching quilting" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspired by Alice</i>, by Marilyn Lidstrom Larson, detail of center quilting</td></tr>
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<i>Inspired by Alice</i>, shown in the photos above, won the first prize of $1,000 in the <i>Traditional, Wall, Applique</i> category of the main (judged) exhibit! Take a moment to study the pictures, click on them to enlarge them, notice the way the applique and machine quilting compliment each other. Also think about what this might have looked like if the maker, Marilyn Lidstrom Larson, had hand-quilted her work the way Alice, her grandmother (and inspiration for the central portion of the quilt), would have done. I love this quilt, totally love it, and believe it deserved the award it received.<br />
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At the same time, it saddens me that in all the juried/judged shows I've seen (and entered) recently, there is no category specifically for hand sewn quilts... quilts which are hand-pieced, hand-appliqued, hand-embroidered, and/or hand-embellished,<b> and</b> finished with hand-quilting. Nope, hand-sewn quilts are judged right along with machine-sewn quilts. In my observation, machine-quilted pieces are the ones that win almost all the prizes, even in the <i>traditional</i> categories. Why is that? Is hand-quilting considered passe, a thing of our grandmothers' time? Is it because machine-quilting has more pizzazz in the viewers' and makers' eyes? Is it because the machine manufacturers are huge financial supporters of these shows and providers of much of the prize money? Is it because the machine manufacturers run the training programs for judges?<br />
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OK, let's look into this subject a bit more. Later, I'll tackle the subject of the influence of the machine manufacturers. For now let's consider this question:<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Does machine-quilting enhance quilts that are otherwise hand-sewn?</h4>
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Interestingly, at <i>Road to California</i> this year, there was a small exhibit of hand-sewn quilt tops, made long ago (most of them in the early 1900s) that were not quilted or layered with back and batting by the maker.
These tops were given to modern machine quilters to finish, and the
results were displayed. Studying them gave me a greater perspective on
the above question.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I
found myself looking at them through the imagined eyes of the original
maker. Would she have been pleased with the finished quilt? As you look
at some of the quilts below (and in a few cases, detail shots), ask
yourself, if you had hand-sewn the top, would you have liked the way it
looks today? Does the machine quilting enhance the work of the original
maker? I've numbered the quilts (in no particular order), so you can
respond (regarding specific quilts) in the comments if you wish. As always, you can click on the photos to enlarge them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLBEAGdhgnk/VuNcmhUN82I/AAAAAAAAFbY/_lBB6gk3AikNDTlEb9X7Ln6TxU67AwTdA/s1600/YN_Diamonds_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLBEAGdhgnk/VuNcmhUN82I/AAAAAAAAFbY/_lBB6gk3AikNDTlEb9X7Ln6TxU67AwTdA/s400/YN_Diamonds_01.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#1</b> - Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2MWCi8deOoA/VuNcr_sm-KI/AAAAAAAAFbc/gRUUJ3iBcTgoxPpwkB7atFaMiBFc7mY7Q/s1600/YN_Diamonds_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="318" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2MWCi8deOoA/VuNcr_sm-KI/AAAAAAAAFbc/gRUUJ3iBcTgoxPpwkB7atFaMiBFc7mY7Q/s400/YN_Diamonds_02.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#1 </b>- Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting, detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YUeAJNMMERU/VuNcsvw3_4I/AAAAAAAAFbg/BXV7Ho1ZbNM5_xi1Vc8xIiSLAmrZpKIYg/s1600/YN_Dogwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YUeAJNMMERU/VuNcsvw3_4I/AAAAAAAAFbg/BXV7Ho1ZbNM5_xi1Vc8xIiSLAmrZpKIYg/s400/YN_Dogwood.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#2 </b>- Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-520Ft5wQccY/VuNcvPsq1hI/AAAAAAAAFbk/sDrW3On75LMOzFHjeV01Yx4nHpJwVnt-Q/s1600/YN_FlowerBasket_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-520Ft5wQccY/VuNcvPsq1hI/AAAAAAAAFbk/sDrW3On75LMOzFHjeV01Yx4nHpJwVnt-Q/s400/YN_FlowerBasket_01.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#3</b> - Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGv6776VW-s/VuNc1Et069I/AAAAAAAAFbo/qSAlaif7HToHr61KSas4g5rysJuXTS-JQ/s1600/YN_FlowerBasket_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="291" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGv6776VW-s/VuNc1Et069I/AAAAAAAAFbo/qSAlaif7HToHr61KSas4g5rysJuXTS-JQ/s400/YN_FlowerBasket_02.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#3</b> - Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting, detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8lehIWv1Bg/VuNc7PzMMXI/AAAAAAAAFbw/8iekAgh74EMeoMo40LwQ9H1i_vmiC_yBg/s1600/YN_FlowerBasket_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="301" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8lehIWv1Bg/VuNc7PzMMXI/AAAAAAAAFbw/8iekAgh74EMeoMo40LwQ9H1i_vmiC_yBg/s400/YN_FlowerBasket_03.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#3 </b>- Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting, detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5K8JNgzS7lU/VuNc3xBMHEI/AAAAAAAAFbs/2VuiETx_ihcn7F3WgVZKo7DWgKqmHqNzA/s1600/YN_FlowerBow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5K8JNgzS7lU/VuNc3xBMHEI/AAAAAAAAFbs/2VuiETx_ihcn7F3WgVZKo7DWgKqmHqNzA/s400/YN_FlowerBow.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#4 </b>- Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHiYBw2eUaQ/VuNc9b1g_mI/AAAAAAAAFb0/TmwrKbiQgoEwmStlFRyTHXfO2NzaKh4Eg/s1600/YN_Tulips_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHiYBw2eUaQ/VuNc9b1g_mI/AAAAAAAAFb0/TmwrKbiQgoEwmStlFRyTHXfO2NzaKh4Eg/s400/YN_Tulips_01.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#5</b> - Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ4ca3LVmRU/VuNc_WhEpLI/AAAAAAAAFb4/HjVLljeXM4Irs_M0Gl5ktZIJRidcutIzQ/s1600/YN_Tulips_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" border="0" height="298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ4ca3LVmRU/VuNc_WhEpLI/AAAAAAAAFb4/HjVLljeXM4Irs_M0Gl5ktZIJRidcutIzQ/s400/YN_Tulips_02.jpg" title="vintage quilt top, modern machine quilted, exhibited at Road to California 2016" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>#5 </b>- Vintage Top with Modern Machine Quilting, detail</td></tr>
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What do you think of these? Which tops are enhanced by the machine quilting? Are there any that don't look right to you? If so, why not?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Since there is quite a difference looking at the photos as opposed to seeing the actual quits, my responses to these questions might be different than yours. To my eyes, #1 offers a believable connection and balance between the quilting and the original applique or piecing. It felt like the original maker would have done something very similar, only by hand.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I didn't want the quilting to overpower the original as it does in #3 and #5. Both of these were so stiff from the dense quilting, that it would be like sleeping under a piece of cardboard. Both of them made me feel disjointed. The lovely charm and grace of the original work seemed lost. I'm not sure why, but the background color created by machine quilting with colored thread in #5 seems almost weird... maybe because it's such an unlikely choice for the period.</div>
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Number 4 has the look of a chenille bedspread, both pretty and more-or-less "of the period." It works for me, even though the quilting is dense. The same is true for #2.</div>
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More from Road to California coming soon...</div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-7069452268537476552015-12-30T03:37:00.001-08:002016-03-11T12:09:29.952-08:00How to Frame Bead Embroidery<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgZoms3upc/VoOWOqd_wnI/AAAAAAAAFXA/elqdTH9Ze5c/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Framed_Bead_Embroidery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgZoms3upc/VoOWOqd_wnI/AAAAAAAAFXA/elqdTH9Ze5c/s400/Robin_Atkins_Framed_Bead_Embroidery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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During the past 28 years of stitching beads on cloth, I've veered away from making necklaces, bracelets, and bags or purses, mostly producing <i>wall art</i> pieces. Thus, I've had lots of opportunities to experiment with various methods of finishing and framing my work, making it suitable for display.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23VpAV1iK6E/VoONdynp3gI/AAAAAAAAFWo/kZiHZhRzr00/s1600/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Nature_OnStand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23VpAV1iK6E/VoONdynp3gI/AAAAAAAAFWo/kZiHZhRzr00/s320/AtkinsRobin_BJP_Nature_OnStand.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
I always leave ample fabric margins surrounding the actual beaded area, giving me lots of options for finishing or framing. One simple finishing method is to wrap the extra fabric around the sides of a manufactured painting-canvas (over stretcher-bars), and lace the fabric snugly across the back, as in the photo below.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yyFwmyButs/VoSCyDq6DyI/AAAAAAAAFaA/ZuTmbsN_8yc/s1600/Drawing_Lacing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery - lacing diagram" border="0" height="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yyFwmyButs/VoSCyDq6DyI/AAAAAAAAFaA/ZuTmbsN_8yc/s400/Drawing_Lacing.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery - lacing diagram" width="400" /></a></div>
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But the problem with this method, of course, is that the surface of the beading is exposed to dust and air-borne grime, which over the years may spoil the fresh look of the beading, aging the piece prematurely. So we look to frames and glass to protect our work.<br />
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Among the various methods for covering (and protecting) beadwork with glass, the following is the one I use most frequently, and like the best. It's not very expensive, or particularly difficult, although it does take a bit of time. Even if you already know about frames, please take a look at the section called <i>Preparing Your Bead Embroidery for Framing</i> in the Tutorial below.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Tutorial: How to Frame bead Embroidery</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Choosing a Frame</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This tutorial assumes the beaded work has straight sides, and will be framed in a square or rectangular frame. The frame size, color, and style are important considerations. </div>
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Wanting viewers to look at my beading and not be distracted by an overly fancy, gaudy, or large frame, I generally select a plain, narrow frame in a color that compliments my beading without competing for the viewer's attention. Sometimes I choose a stained, wooden frame if it seems to fit the theme of my beadwork better than a metal frame. Depending on the size of my beadwork, I generally size my frame at 2-3 inches more on each side than the beadwork.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Frame:</b> Often I use a painted, metal frame with a cross section similar to this.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TotahVXLRlE/VoPMjA1VRJI/AAAAAAAAFZk/624_geauWyA/s1600/FrameDiagram_3D_Rabbet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, cross-section of metal frame, rabbet" border="0" height="161" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TotahVXLRlE/VoPMjA1VRJI/AAAAAAAAFZk/624_geauWyA/s320/FrameDiagram_3D_Rabbet.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, cross-section of metal frame, rabbet" width="320" /></a></div>
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I either buy it as a kit (pre-cut pieces and required assembly hardware), assembling it myself, or buy it from a frame shop. The advantage of buying from a framer is that you will be able to see samples. Also, the framer can cut an accurate mat, foam core insert, and backing board for you, and can supply the needed risers. If you decide to work with a framer, I suggest you print this post (to show the framer how you will be preparing your work for the frame), or take the prepared bead embroidery with you to the frame shop.<br />
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<b>Glass:</b> I believe in using the highest quality glass, even though it is a lot more expensive than ordinary glass. The UV resistance is good, but the primary reason for using premium glass is its clarity, which allows the viewer to see the details of your work without any distortions or color shift, as if there were no glass at all. Note: do not use non-glare glass. It only works if it lies directly on the surface of the art. You will be putting risers under the glass so it sits above the uneven surface of your bead embroidery, not touching any of the beads; even at this slight distance from the beadwork, non-glare glass will look frosted and obscure the details of your work.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Other Framing Materials You Will Need</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Mat</b>: Choose a simple, acid-free, neutral-colored mat, either warm or cool white, depending on the emotional message and colors in your work. All those beautiful colors in the framer's palette are appealing, but for most bead embroidery, there is color and texture enough in the beads, and no value in adding more with your mat choice. If you do not have a mat cutter, a framer can cut your mat. Although I have not ever used a double mat (because I find them distracting, bringing my eyes away from the beadwork to the edges), it could be a way to gain a little more space for the glass above the beadwork.</div>
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<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WmK9-Jmrxs0/VoPPqmNW8NI/AAAAAAAAFZw/sSPkZ6WGhTo/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, risers on glass to prevent it touching the beads" border="0" height="260" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WmK9-Jmrxs0/VoPPqmNW8NI/AAAAAAAAFZw/sSPkZ6WGhTo/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_15.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, risers on glass to prevent it touching the beads" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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<b>Risers: </b>Dense plastic rods, risers are 1/8th inch square in cross-section, with an adhesive surface on one side. Use a wire nipper to cut the rods to fit along the outer edge of the glass; remove the paper strips covering the adhesive from the the risers, adhering them to the glass along the edges, as shown above. They prevent the glass from touching your beadwork, by resting on the outer edge of the mat, thus holding the glass above the beaded surface. If the surface height of your beadwork is greater, you can adhere two rods together, making a quarter-inch of space. If the depth is more than a quarter-inch, you might want to consider mounting your work in a shadowbox frame (<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2009/06/christys-bjp-first-year-finishing-tips.html" target="_blank">see this post for a good example and instructions</a>).</div>
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<b>3/16th Inch Foam Core Board: </b>Since your beadwork will be mounted directly into this foam core board, be sure to use the white, acid-free, buffered, slightly more expensive variety. You can buy it at art supply or frame shops, in person or on line. You will need a piece at least 3 inches larger than your bead embroidery on each side.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Preparing Your Bead Embroidery for Framing </h4>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByYXy9jKe3Q/VoOa9HBG6yI/AAAAAAAAFXc/XvfdKfj9_5Q/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, framed beadwork by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByYXy9jKe3Q/VoOa9HBG6yI/AAAAAAAAFXc/XvfdKfj9_5Q/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_01.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, framed beadwork by Robin Atkins" width="385" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">The piece above is the example used in the the steps which follow. It's a small piece of bead embroidery, measuring only 1-3/4 inches wide by 2-1/4 inches high. The mat is 2 inches larger on each side. Numerous folks have surprised me with high offers to buy this piece (which is not for sale), illustrating that nicely framed bead embroidery can be sold at a favorable price.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Mounting your bead embroidery in foam core board</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">As per </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the recommendations in the<b> frame</b> section above, draw</span> the frame size (which will always be designated by the inside dimensions, the size of the artwork) on a piece of 3/16th inch foam core. Use a mat knife and ruler to accurately cut out this shape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Then, measuring carefully, making sure it is exactly centered, draw lines to indicate the outline of your bead embroidery, adding 1/2 inch on each side. For example, if your beaded area was 2 inches wide, you would draw your lines 3 inches apart (2" for the beadwork plus 1/2 inch on each side). Designate one edge as the top, and mark. Draw a vertical arrow from the top through part of the center through part of the outside margin. With a mat knife, cut out the center, being careful not to damage it or the outside frame. The cut out center will eventually be placed back in the hole by aligning the arrow segments drawn on the back.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0hxe5oUHqE/VoOaIrRLF8I/AAAAAAAAFXM/eTY43WLIjO0/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, foam core board cut for beadwork" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0hxe5oUHqE/VoOaIrRLF8I/AAAAAAAAFXM/eTY43WLIjO0/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_02.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, foam core board cut for beadwork" width="372" /></a></div>
For the next step, you will need at least a 1.5 inch margin of un-beaded fabric all around your beadwork. If you have less than a 1.5 inch margin, cut strips of any cotton fabric (re-purposed sheet or shirt fabric is fine). Using a zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine, and placing the strips under the margin of the beaded fabric (wrong side), stitch the strips to the margins, extending them to a total of 1.5 inch from the edges of your beadwork on the top, bottom, and both sides.</div>
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Center your beadwork on the cut-out piece of foam core board. Hold in place using map or sewing pins, pushed straight through the beading down into the board. Wrap the fabric snugly around the board and pin from the back. Remove the pins from the front. Check to make sure the work is still centered accurately. Re-pin if necessary. Using a sewing needle and beading thread, stitch from side to side, lacing the fabric around the foam core, as in the example below. Start with the longer sides. Knot when finished. Then do the same on the shorter sides.<br />
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<b>Tip: </b>I like to rest the beaded side face down on a thick, folded, bath towel while I am lacing the back.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RPLTxGAZcXI/VoOaeiriK3I/AAAAAAAAFXU/2zIkQkZUZ8U/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RPLTxGAZcXI/VoOaeiriK3I/AAAAAAAAFXU/2zIkQkZUZ8U/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_03.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" width="368" /></a></div>
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This is how mine looks on the front after being laced around the foam core board on the back. If I had not wanted to frame this piece, I could have used double-sided, archival tape to adhere a heavy paper backing over the laced area on the back; it could then be displayed on a small stand similar to the one in the second photo from the top of this post.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrRxwqDrT1Y/VoObOM6U6NI/AAAAAAAAFXk/WKb7m1XKJ-g/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrRxwqDrT1Y/VoObOM6U6NI/AAAAAAAAFXk/WKb7m1XKJ-g/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_04.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" width="368" /></a></div>
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This is how it looks on the back, when it is placed back in the original hole cut into the foam core board. Notice how the arrows match up, insuring a perfect fit.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjktsjoInoU/VoObZEASsCI/AAAAAAAAFXs/TlA0iGYxOWc/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjktsjoInoU/VoObZEASsCI/AAAAAAAAFXs/TlA0iGYxOWc/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_06.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" width="378" /></a></div>
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This is how it looks on the front. Note: the hole in the mat will be cut exactly to the size of the beadwork, so that when it is framed, you will not see any of the fabric around the outside edge of the beaded area.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kKOgeQVCkDk/VoObg9cmq3I/AAAAAAAAFX4/_Rc8cmpOCE8/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kKOgeQVCkDk/VoObg9cmq3I/AAAAAAAAFX4/_Rc8cmpOCE8/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_05.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork laced around foam core board" width="380" /></a></div>
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Assembling a Bead Embroidery <i>Sandwich </i></h3>
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Now it's time to make a <i>sandwich </i>with the foam core board between two pieces of acid-free mat board, one which has a beveled hole cut in the center, the other which is solid and goes on the back.</div>
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To cut my own mats, I first measure and draw the exact outline of my bead embroidery centered on the wrong side of the mat. I always mark the top, because sometimes the work is not precisely square or rectangular. Of course you can give the dimensions to a frame shop, and have a professionally-cut mat made for your beadwork.<br />
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<b>Tip: </b>One way to get an exact measurement of the beaded area is to make a 100% copy of it on a scanner or copy machine. Cut out the copy with a ruler and mat knife, test it by holding it over your beadwork. If it is exact, use it as a template to mark the hole on the mat board. If the mat is hand-cut, the hole does not have to be precisely square or rectangular.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SYm-i4viEO0/VoOmYazjFRI/AAAAAAAAFYc/0_p8Xj8Ccv0/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, mat measured, hole for beadwork cut" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SYm-i4viEO0/VoOmYazjFRI/AAAAAAAAFYc/0_p8Xj8Ccv0/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_08.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, mat measured, hole for beadwork cut" width="381" /></a></div>
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Using a special, beveled, mat-cutting tool, I then cut away the center, where the beading will show.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3H7WzudepE/VoOmdBfb8rI/AAAAAAAAFYs/OcuCrBG0sVg/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, mat placed over beadwork" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3H7WzudepE/VoOmdBfb8rI/AAAAAAAAFYs/OcuCrBG0sVg/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_09.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, mat placed over beadwork" width="378" /></a></div>
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Here is how the top and middle of the <i>sandwich </i>looks, with the mat placed on top of the foam core board and beadwork.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-exypWyW6r24/VoOmb8jjAfI/AAAAAAAAFYk/v9SF-ebQOeE/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, mat placed over beadwork and backing cut" border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-exypWyW6r24/VoOmb8jjAfI/AAAAAAAAFYk/v9SF-ebQOeE/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_10.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, mat placed over beadwork and backing cut" width="400" /></a></div>
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The photo above shows a piece of mat board cut for the <i>sandwich </i>back (on the right). Note that I've drawn around the laced beadwork, and cut away a layer of the mat board to make space for the laced fabric in the <i>sandwich</i>. Do this by gently cutting along the drawn lines, being careful not to cut very deeply into the mat. Then, use a knife to lift one corner of the inside area and peel it back creating a shallow empty space.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EqaONaP-cGg/VoOn45nW7rI/AAAAAAAAFY0/8crV_RfDnn4/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork between mat and backing" border="0" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EqaONaP-cGg/VoOn45nW7rI/AAAAAAAAFY0/8crV_RfDnn4/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_11.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, beadwork between mat and backing" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is what the completed <i>sandwich </i>looks like. The beading is supported well between two pieces of mat board, and can't shift when hung. No glue or tape (to later fail or chemically alter the mat or beading) is necessary in this process. And it looks so neat and professional!</div>
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Assemble the Frame</h3>
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With the more challenging steps already completed, the final assembly goes very quickly !</div>
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Assemble the bottom and sides of the frame by inserting the metal corner plates, and tightening the tension screws. Insert and tighten the corner plates into the top of the frame. Make a <i>double-decker sandwich </i>by putting the glass with the attached risers on top of the mat. Be sure the glass is clean and clear of any finger prints. Slide the complete <i>d-d-sandwich</i> into the obvious slot in the bottom part of the frame. The hanging wire can be added now or later.</div>
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Slip the corner plates at the top of the frame into the slots on the sides, and tighten the tension screws. You should have gotten metal spring strips with your frame kit. Lay them out on the back, spaced evenly around. Push down on the center of a spring and slide it under the edge of the frame, between the backing mat and the frame. Do the same with each of the springs. If you haven't already, add a hanging wire. Add a felt or rubber wall-bumper to each of the lower corners.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GPtYJmyMrHA/VoOxDg8Ft1I/AAAAAAAAFZU/QRg41EZz_tc/s1600/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to frame bead embroidery, back of framed beadwork" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GPtYJmyMrHA/VoOxDg8Ft1I/AAAAAAAAFZU/QRg41EZz_tc/s400/Robin_Atkins_Frame_Bead_Embroidery_14.jpg" title="how to frame bead embroidery, back of framed beadwork" width="388" /></a></div>
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That's it! You are finished... your bead embroidery is ready to hang on your wall! For those who would like a little more detailed step-by-step explanation of how to assemble this type of frame, <a href="http://lenzarts.com/framing/metal-frame-assembly.html" target="_blank">this is a good one</a> or if you prefer <a href="http://lenzarts.com/framing/metal-frame-assembly.html" target="_blank">videos, this one is pretty complete</a>.<br />
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<b>Tip: </b>Whether using a metal or wooden frame, the depth of the frame is an important consideration because the <i>d-d-sandwich</i> will be thicker than a photograph or most paintings. The measurement of the depth, or space inside the frame structure to accommodate the thickness of the artwork, is called the <i>rabbet</i>. The <i>rabbet </i>measurement on the above metal frame is 9/16th of an inch, which is adequate with a single riser under the glass. But it's a tight fit, the springs having to be nearly flat when inserted. If I had used a double riser, I would need a frame with a deeper <i>rabbet</i>. I've found it rather difficult to find small, narrow, simple, plain, wooden frames with a deep enough <i>rabbet</i>.<br />
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Here is a link for downloading this post as a printable PDF. It's a free, and slightly expanded version of what you've seen above. <a href="http://robinatkins.com/Frame_Bead_Embroidery_Atkins.pdf" target="_blank">Free Download: How to Frame Bead Embroidery by Robin Atkins</a></div>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-2187931051831403912015-12-21T23:02:00.000-08:002015-12-23T00:48:00.553-08:00Dorset ButtonsMaking Dorset buttons is addictive!!! With endless possibilities for both design and use, these sweet creations keep my mind spinning, my hands busy, and my heart pulsating!<br />
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Made with a few simple materials - thread or yarn, a metal or plastic ring, and a needle - Dorset buttons can be plain, like this one on a replica of a Victorian chemise.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p78IENTajcM/Vnjf214fLkI/AAAAAAAAFVE/TyU47xuDaqI/s1600/DorsetButton_Uses_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset button on Victorian chemise" border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p78IENTajcM/Vnjf214fLkI/AAAAAAAAFVE/TyU47xuDaqI/s400/DorsetButton_Uses_11.jpg" title="Dorset button on Victorian chemise" width="400" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons can include beads, like the center button and the two on the right below.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRbvT2Q1cHM/VnjdT_yJbWI/AAAAAAAAFU4/p40zRZK_4ic/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Oct2015_ID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset buttons with beads, made by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRbvT2Q1cHM/VnjdT_yJbWI/AAAAAAAAFU4/p40zRZK_4ic/s400/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Oct2015_ID.jpg" title="Dorset buttons with beads, made by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons can be fancy like these, which I designed to suggest snowflakes.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jaaBiPip0ZI/VnjdINOze5I/AAAAAAAAFUc/ETZMhGtFROI/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_02ID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset buttons, snowflake pattern designed by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jaaBiPip0ZI/VnjdINOze5I/AAAAAAAAFUc/ETZMhGtFROI/s400/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_02ID.jpg" title="Dorset buttons, snowflake pattern designed by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons can be light or <i>airy</i>, like the ones above, or they can have a bit more visual weight like the one below, which is actually the same size (1 inch diameter) as the two above.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DdNqPWA40Q/VnjdJf7qtHI/AAAAAAAAFUk/vvrMgPd4GEo/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_03ID.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Dorset button, star pattern designed by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DdNqPWA40Q/VnjdJf7qtHI/AAAAAAAAFUk/vvrMgPd4GEo/s320/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_03ID.jpg" title="Dorset button, star pattern designed by Robin Atkins" width="320" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons can be multi-colored. I designed this one to suggest a poinsettia. Hmmm... maybe I should try again?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0V85ftbpU7Q/Vnj1JMLUggI/AAAAAAAAFWE/2-vbO7_YxKw/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_04.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Dorset button made by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0V85ftbpU7Q/Vnj1JMLUggI/AAAAAAAAFWE/2-vbO7_YxKw/s320/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_04.jpg" title="Dorset button made by Robin Atkins" width="320" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons can be made to resemble something, such as a tree.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PNBRyYB_uAM/VnjdE26SnLI/AAAAAAAAFUU/pH3NnCkyLGA/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_01_ID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset button, tree design, made by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="371" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PNBRyYB_uAM/VnjdE26SnLI/AAAAAAAAFUU/pH3NnCkyLGA/s400/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_01_ID.jpg" title="Dorset button, tree design, made by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons have many uses. Here is a Christmas ornament I recently made. It looks much prettier hanging (off the card) on a tree. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOyCBZUBuxY/VnjdQi_kkBI/AAAAAAAAFU0/LP_nZ4aOc5A/s1600/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset buttons, Christmas ornament, by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOyCBZUBuxY/VnjdQi_kkBI/AAAAAAAAFU0/LP_nZ4aOc5A/s400/DorsetButtons_RobinAtkins_Dec2015_06.jpg" title="Dorset buttons, Christmas ornament, by Robin Atkins" width="291" /></a></div>
And here are a few ideas for using Dorset buttons that I found on the web:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVP0cUdSXCM/VnjjsE8Us8I/AAAAAAAAFVo/cIa8bP9oNpY/s1600/DorsetButton_Uses_07.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Dorset buttons on knitted sweater" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVP0cUdSXCM/VnjjsE8Us8I/AAAAAAAAFVo/cIa8bP9oNpY/s400/DorsetButton_Uses_07.jpg" title="Dorset buttons on knitted sweater" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTeOFgMhm84/VnjjLeaM9AI/AAAAAAAAFVY/ILsL-8U4Kd4/s1600/DorsetButton_Uses_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset button earrings" border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTeOFgMhm84/VnjjLeaM9AI/AAAAAAAAFVY/ILsL-8U4Kd4/s400/DorsetButton_Uses_09.jpg" title="Dorset button earrings" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hEIYwErBHUo/VnjjHAs6qfI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/k2TSP_Hkoh8/s1600/DorsetButtonBracelet_01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Dorset button on knitted cuff" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hEIYwErBHUo/VnjjHAs6qfI/AAAAAAAAFVQ/k2TSP_Hkoh8/s400/DorsetButtonBracelet_01.jpg" title="Dorset button on knitted cuff" width="398" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDGvD7GHpT0/VnjjSZYo6bI/AAAAAAAAFVg/CYahMYCfSzw/s1600/DorsetButtonNecklace_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset buttons as necklace focal" border="0" height="305" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDGvD7GHpT0/VnjjSZYo6bI/AAAAAAAAFVg/CYahMYCfSzw/s400/DorsetButtonNecklace_04.jpg" title="Dorset buttons as necklace focal" width="400" /></a></div>
It was easy to learn the basics from <a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/42688/how-to-make-dorset-buttons/page/all" target="_blank">an online tutorial</a>. After that, it was just a matter of searching images for "Dorset buttons" online, experimenting until I figured out how to make different patterns, and then starting to create some designs of my own.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iREQ8m41MiE/VnjwyBP1u8I/AAAAAAAAFV4/JuKDl4aBDnY/s1600/DorsetButton_back_shank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dorset button by Distinctivelacemore on Etsy" border="0" height="291" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iREQ8m41MiE/VnjwyBP1u8I/AAAAAAAAFV4/JuKDl4aBDnY/s400/DorsetButton_back_shank.jpg" title="Dorset button by Distinctivelacemore on Etsy" width="400" /></a></div>
One thing that took me a while to figure out, was how to make the button shank. I only add a shank if I intend the button to be used as a button, and then only if I want the button to "stand apart a bit from the surface" like for use on a sweater. For purposes like the Victorian chemise at the top of this post, the traditional method of attaching the button would have been simply to sew through the central woven area of the button.<br />
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<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->The hardest part was, and still is, finding suitable rings. Most of mine are made on plastic cafe curtain rings, available at Jo-Ann's or hardware stores. The rings must not have a gap, so if they are metal, they need to be soldered. Metal rings made with 16ga. wire would be perfect, but to get them custom made and soldered neatly, would probably be expensive. They would have to be made with a metal that would not tarnish or rust, if the buttons were to last and stay nice looking. Recommendations, anyone?<br />
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I use tapestry needles, because the blunt point is perfect for "weaving" the button center (or "rounding" as it is more properly called). So far, I've experimented only with pearl cotton thread, size 12 and 8. Next I'm going to try Danish Flower Thread, which has a matte finish. I can think of many possibilities for using beads too. Some of the designs I've seen on the web are so heavily beaded, that the thread is not even visible, which doesn't quite "work" for me. I like the idea of making the buttons with finger-weight yarn (or any yarn) as closures for knitted sweaters, or as decorations for knitted caps and mittens.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liX5xcJ_8ao/VnjcOxWbJuI/AAAAAAAAFUM/WpsuHnYQ270/s1600/DorsetButtons_Vintage_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vintage Dorset buttons as originally sold on cards" border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liX5xcJ_8ao/VnjcOxWbJuI/AAAAAAAAFUM/WpsuHnYQ270/s400/DorsetButtons_Vintage_01.jpg" title="vintage Dorset buttons as originally sold on cards" width="400" /></a></div>
Dorset buttons, first made in the early 1600's in England, were popular for a couple of centuries, until the mid 1800's. You can read more about <a href="http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/Button_Making/button_making.htm" target="_blank">the history here</a>. Some of these buttons, such as the ones above, now over 200 years old, are cherished (and occasionally sold) by button collectors.<br />
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If I don't post again for a while, I'm either making Dorset buttons or stitching hexies... you know how it is when obsessions take over!<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-33736250973275612252015-11-13T21:39:00.000-08:002015-11-14T01:52:35.508-08:00Brother & Sister: Both Quilters & BeadersMy brother, <a href="http://thomatkins.com/quilts&tapestries.htm" target="_blank">Thom Atkins</a>, is a very talented quilt and bead artist!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhZzkj4EyI0/Vka7Fn3HtwI/AAAAAAAAFTY/sB4ORmKEjE4/s1600/Thom_PresentationSF2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thom Atkins, quilter, beader, artist gives a lecture about beaded quilts" border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhZzkj4EyI0/Vka7Fn3HtwI/AAAAAAAAFTY/sB4ORmKEjE4/s400/Thom_PresentationSF2013.jpg" title="Thom Atkins, quilter, beader, artist gives a lecture about beaded quilts" width="400" /></a></div>
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He's written a popular book about how to make beaded quilts.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KsBNV38o9ug/VkbE3deBbVI/AAAAAAAAFTo/9zaVcViF2LU/s1600/Thom_Atkins_BeadingArtistryForQuilts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beading Artistry for Quilts by Thom Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KsBNV38o9ug/VkbE3deBbVI/AAAAAAAAFTo/9zaVcViF2LU/s400/Thom_Atkins_BeadingArtistryForQuilts.jpg" title="Beading Artistry for Quilts by Thom Atkins" width="308" /></a></div>
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Recently he sent me a wonderful birthday present - a box of his scraps to use for making hexie flowers for my in-progress, hand-pieced, hexie quilt. Forty-nine different fabrics makes quite a stack of flowers.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBY_PB6-kvg/VkbFH40yLnI/AAAAAAAAFTw/-FWLxljjoWs/s1600/ThomAtkins_49_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, hexie quilt, stack of 49 stitched hexie flowers made with Thom Atkins fabric scraps" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBY_PB6-kvg/VkbFH40yLnI/AAAAAAAAFTw/-FWLxljjoWs/s400/ThomAtkins_49_1.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, hexie quilt, stack of 49 stitched hexie flowers made with Thom Atkins fabric scraps" width="361" /></a></div>
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Here they are again, this time arranged on a flat surface (click photo to enlarge for details). It's way fun to play with the flowers, re-arranging them in different ways, re-stacking them, and then spreading them out again.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eqvn7fa-www/VkbFXtfvH_I/AAAAAAAAFT4/pQ-KaXbne2g/s1600/ThomAtkins_49_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, hexie quilt, 49 stitched hexie flowers made with Thom Atkins fabric scraps" border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eqvn7fa-www/VkbFXtfvH_I/AAAAAAAAFT4/pQ-KaXbne2g/s400/ThomAtkins_49_2.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, hexie quilt, 49 stitched hexie flowers made with Thom Atkins fabric scraps" width="400" /></a></div>
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All the while I was cutting, basting, and stitching these flowers I was thinking about Thom, about our history and our mutual love of stitching. I recognized most of the fabrics. One was in a quilt we made 19 years ago for our mom's 80th birthday. Some were from blouses, dresses, shirts he made for himself and his wife. Some were from pillows and other home decor he made for their home. Some were from his early quilts. Most of them brought up a ton of memories for me!<br />
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I always like (and sometimes love) things that Thom makes, and yet I've also noticed when we are in a fabric store together, we do not gravitate toward the same fabrics. I wouldn't have guessed that I would use almost every one of the fabric scraps he sent. There were a few that were too glitzy, had a stronger metallic look than I like. But 90% or more could have come from my own stash. That's how much I like them.... leaving me to conclude that we are more alike than I thought.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6GwSyc8YUs/Vka6eN17QwI/AAAAAAAAFTQ/ERRdw_nm29s/s1600/R%252C%2BT%2Bon%2Bbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins and Thom Atkins, sister and brother, circa 1947" border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6GwSyc8YUs/Vka6eN17QwI/AAAAAAAAFTQ/ERRdw_nm29s/s400/R%252C%2BT%2Bon%2Bbeach.jpg" title="Robin Atkins and Thom Atkins, sister and brother, circa 1947" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here we are as kids... book ends. Me 16 months older than him.<br />
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What's it like when brother and sister, close in age, are both quilters and beaders, both of us entering our quilts in shows, both of us teaching workshops and writing books?<br />
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<b>Are we competitive?</b><br />
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A little, but not very much in my opinion. I admit to being a little "nervous" when he took up bead embroidery a few years after I make it the focus of both my art and my career. In artistic matters, he has a quicker learning curve than I do, rapidly achieving excellence in any medium he tries.<br />
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The fact that he likes bling and representational, while I like matte and symbolic, makes our work look different, which helps. We're also very different in our approach to quilt designing. While I am heavily influenced by traditional quilts, his quilts are all "art quilts." Most of his are heavily beaded, while mine are mostly not. Right from the start, he usually has a complete "picture" in his mind of what his quilt will look like when finished; whereas I rarely have a clue what mine will be like until I'm nearly finished with it.<br />
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Nor have we had issues with our teaching. I mostly teach beaders, emphasizing bead embroidery techniques rather than projects. He mostly teaches quilters, concentrating on methods for sewing beads onto quilts. There are enough teaching opportunities for both of us to accept as many gigs as we can handle.<br />
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<b>What's the best thing about our mutual passions for beading and quilting?</b><br />
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Well, we talk on the phone for hours at a time about our current projects. Our conversations would bore everybody else in our families to death, but for us it's exciting to share our ideas, challenges, and victories. We do it often! It seems each of us has always respected the artistic sensibility and skills of the other. It's great to have somebody you can count on to say, "That's really wonderful," when you show them your latest work.<br />
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We also share information about photography, opportunities for showing our quilts, inspirations, promotion of our books, and countless other related things. We help each other to solve problems and to grow artistically.<br />
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<b>It seems pretty ideal; was it always like that?</b><br />
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If you've read my first book, <i>One Bead at a Time</i>, <a href="http://www.robinatkins.com/OneBeadAtATime_RAtkins.pdf" target="_blank">available here as a free download</a>, you know that Thom grew up favored to be the artist in the family, showing his talents at a very early age. My bend was more academic, although I had no clear pathway. After majoring in art in college, Thom rapidly became established as an artist. After majoring in English and psychology, I muddled around in a couple of careers for many years. I didn't discover my passion for beading or start to think of myself as an artist until I was 46 years old. Until then I always admired Thom's art, but didn't relate directly to him about it. I'm glad it is different now; glad we are both talented and creative... together!<br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-80546878758017871592015-10-08T23:50:00.000-07:002015-10-08T23:52:37.311-07:00Tips for Cutting Fabrics for a Hexie QuiltI'm making 3/4" hexies, which means each of the six sides measures 3/4 of an inch. For these I need to cut 2" squares. (At the end of this post there is a table showing the size of fabric squares that corresponds to each of the standard sizes of hexie paper pieces.) To make each hexie flower, I need 6 squares for the petals and 1 square for the center. This is how I cut them.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLR7SyMZ5D8/VhdMyHkmQII/AAAAAAAAFSk/t8ZDe62CUKg/s1600/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hexie tutorial: for 3/4" hexies, cut rows of 2" strips into 2" squares" border="0" height="248" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLR7SyMZ5D8/VhdMyHkmQII/AAAAAAAAFSk/t8ZDe62CUKg/s400/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_01.jpg" title="hexie tutorial: for 3/4" hexies, cut rows of 2" strips into 2" squares" width="400" /></a></div>
The first thing I do, is sort my scraps into piles by size. The easiest to work with are strips. These I iron, sort by approximate width, and stack 6 strips high, aligning the top and right side edges. Then I cut each stack of 6 strips to exactly 2" wide by slightly more than 14" long. From each one of the strips, I will get one set of petals and one center. After cutting 5 stacks of strips (a total of 30 different fabrics), line them up next to each other as shown above, and cross-cut 2" squares through all of the strip piles at once.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7jC7M3zDDuU/VhdM0reqwwI/AAAAAAAAFSw/0S4t0HW7tMw/s1600/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hexie cutting tutorial: pile stacks of 2" squares, alternating orientation of each stack" border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7jC7M3zDDuU/VhdM0reqwwI/AAAAAAAAFSw/0S4t0HW7tMw/s400/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_02.jpg" title="hexie cutting tutorial: pile stacks of 2" squares, alternating orientation of each stack" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, pick up the piles of 2" squares, and place them in stacks, alternating the orientation as shown above.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NePPiX4XkRw/VhdM1aJWQtI/AAAAAAAAFS4/KEEJzk5sDYc/s1600/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hexie tutorial: trim corners off squares, cutting 6 at a time" border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NePPiX4XkRw/VhdM1aJWQtI/AAAAAAAAFS4/KEEJzk5sDYc/s400/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_03.jpg" title="hexie tutorial: trim corners off squares, cutting 6 at a time" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, use dressmaker's shears to trim the corners off of each of the piles. Each pile has 6 fabrics, so you are trimming 6 at a time. Re-stack them as shown above. Note that there are only 6 piles in each row. The 7th pile in each stack, I have set aside to use for centers. These I keep separate from the petal sets, selecting a center for each petal set later in the flower-making process.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkmzoiq5wWA/VhdM5jQJl2I/AAAAAAAAFTA/F6CI5uNlSms/s1600/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hexie tutorial: the yield from cutting the strip is 36 petal sets" border="0" height="322" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkmzoiq5wWA/VhdM5jQJl2I/AAAAAAAAFTA/F6CI5uNlSms/s400/CuttingFabrics_HexieQuilt_04.jpg" title="hexie tutorial: the yield from cutting the strip is 36 petal sets" width="400" /></a></div>
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The final step is to separate each of the piles into 6 separate piles, one for each of the fabrics. You will end up with 30 singles piles, or petal sets, each with 6 of the same cut and corner-trimmed fabric, enough to make 30 hexie flowers.<br />
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Certainly there are other, and even possibly more efficient ways to cut fabrics for hexies, but this way works well for me. Some quilters recommend using the squares without trimming the corners. I tried it that way, but went back to corner-trimming because I like not having the extra bulk toward the centers of each hexie. I'm especially glad I trimmed the corners on my <i><a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/search/label/grandma's%20flower%20garden" target="_blank">Grandmother's Flower Garden</a> </i>hexie quilt, because it was that much less to stitch through in the hand-quilting process.<br />
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Sometimes, the fabric scraps are not strips, or would more effectively be cut as a chunk rather than strip. Basically it's the same process. I stack 6 different fabrics, aligning the top and right hand edges. From this stack, I cut a 4 x 6 inch block, and then cut that in half to make two 2 x 6 inch strips. I align the strips the same way as the 14" strips above, cross-cutting several at one time, and finish the same way as described above.<br />
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<h4>
Fabric Cutting Guide for Different Sizes of Hexies</h4>
1/4" hexie --- cut 1" squares<br />
1/2" hexie --- cut 1-1/2" squares<br />
3/4" hexie --- cut 2" squares<br />
1" hexie ------ cut 2-1/2" squares<br />
1-1/4" hexie - cut 3" squares<br />
1-1/2" hexie - cut 3-1/2" squares<br />
2" hexie ------ cut 4-1/2" squares<br />
3" hexie ------ cut 6-1/2" squares<br />
4" hexie ------ cut 8-1/2" squares<br />
6" hexie ------ cut 12-1/2" squares <br />
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A very handy, and more <a href="http://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/3885/hexagon_cutting_guide_v201501.pdf" target="_blank">complete cutting guide</a> is available from <a href="http://www.paperpieces.com/" target="_blank">Paper Pieces</a>, which is where I get my pieces. Nope, I don't cut my own; too boring, and I really like the precision of die-cut paper pieces!<br />
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For a lot more helpful tips on making a hexie quilt, please see these posts:</h4>
<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/04/grandmas-flower-garden-34-inch-hexie.html" target="_blank">Grandma's Flower Garden - 3/4 Inch Hexie Quilt - Time Study</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2013/08/hand-quilting-hexie-quilt.html" target="_blank">Hand Quilting a Hexie Quilt </a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2013/07/hexie-quilt-embroidery-quilting-in.html" target="_blank">Hexie Quilt - Embroidery Quilting in Flower Centers</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2013/06/hexie-quilt-paper-pieces-are-gone-tips.html" target="_blank">Hexie Quilt - Paper Pieces are GONE + Tips</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2013/06/hexie-quilt-to-fix-or-not-to-fix.html" target="_blank">Hexie Quilt - To Fix or Not to Fix</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2013/06/hexie-quilt-top-almost-finished.html" target="_blank">Hexie Quilt Top - Almost Finished</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2012/08/hexies-galore-grandmas-flower-garden.html" target="_blank">Hexies Galore - Grandma's Flower Garden</a><br />
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<a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2012/03/grandmas-flower-garden-quilt-im-doin-it.html" target="_blank">Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt - I'm Doin' It!</a><br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-48271535146032082752015-10-08T22:09:00.000-07:002015-10-24T21:48:22.182-07:00Quilters, Beaders, and Embroiders are the World's Most Generous People!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SMbAwdSCp4/VhdLDqCPrtI/AAAAAAAAFSY/7N2MB8Xq8LE/s1600/GiftenFabrics_HexieQuilt_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gifted fabrics for my hexie quilt, flower petal sets" border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SMbAwdSCp4/VhdLDqCPrtI/AAAAAAAAFSY/7N2MB8Xq8LE/s400/GiftenFabrics_HexieQuilt_04.jpg" title="gifted fabrics for my hexie quilt, flower petal sets" width="400" /></a></div>
The quilting community is awesomely generous!!! Thanks to all who have sent me scraps for making hexie flowers:<br />
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Lunnette Higdon Hertel</div>
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Judy Lynn</div>
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Nancy Anders</div>
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Kris Phillips</div>
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Carol Holland</div>
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Bobbi Pohl</div>
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Debbie Schnabel<br />
Sue Shufel<br />
Phyllis Petersen<br />
Thom Atkins<br />
Sabine Keichel<br />
Yvonne Morrill <br />
Sylvia Griffin<br />
Christmas Cowell </div>
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I really understand and appreciate that it takes time to sort through your scraps, selecting some that you feel might work for me, packing them to send, getting them to the post office. In some cases, you even took time to cut them into 2" squares for me... WOW! Bless your hearts!<br />
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The most interesting thing is that all the fabrics I've received so far are ones I might have picked myself, yet so far there are no duplicates. As of Oct. 19th, I have cut petal sets for about 650 flowers (from my own scraps and fat quarter stash, as well as scraps I've received from other quilters), all of them unique! That's about 90% of what I need to make the quilt, and certainly enough to keep me busy for a looooooong time. It will probably take me a year or so to baste and stitch all of the flowers, although I admit to going at it with a lot of gusto.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-43873293046827113152015-09-28T13:54:00.000-07:002015-09-28T13:56:33.634-07:00What! Again? Another Hexie Quilt Started?!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb0IPcdwI2U/VgmZllSJoYI/AAAAAAAAFRA/Wy1K-VESOTE/s1600/MamasGarden_detail_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Mama's Garden, Hexie Quilt by Robin Atkins, hand pieced, embroidered, quilted; detail" border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb0IPcdwI2U/VgmZllSJoYI/AAAAAAAAFRA/Wy1K-VESOTE/s400/MamasGarden_detail_RA.jpg" title="Mama's Garden, Hexie Quilt by Robin Atkins, hand pieced, embroidered, quilted; detail" width="400" /></a></div>
If you're a Beadlust reader, you know I worked for three years (more than 1,300 hours) to hand piece, hand embroider, and hand quilt <i>Mama's Garden</i>, with 4,700 3/4-inch hexies, a true labor of love. A big push this spring got it finished in time to enter into the International Quilt Festival in La Conner, WA. Hooray, hooray, the judges accepted it into the show!!!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tcc8IneQBI/VgmZ89IAAjI/AAAAAAAAFRI/SHYEbka0fEg/s1600/MamasGarden_full_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mama's Garden, Hexie Quilt by Robin Atkins, hand pieced, embroidered, quilted" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tcc8IneQBI/VgmZ89IAAjI/AAAAAAAAFRI/SHYEbka0fEg/s400/MamasGarden_full_RA.jpg" title="Mama's Garden, Hexie Quilt by Robin Atkins, hand pieced, embroidered, quilted" width="303" /></a></div>
This coming weekend, October 2-4, all you quilting enthusiasts will find it rewarding to make the effort and get to La Conner (WA) for the Festival, where you will see an excellent selection of quilts and fiber arts, plus a variety of interesting vendors! <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/2015-quilt--fiber-art-festival.html" target="_blank">Here is the information.</a> Head first for Maple Hall, a huge 2-story building, filled with quilts, at the corner of 1st Street (the main drag) and Douglas Street! Bring your camera, because photos are allowed (at least in the past they were).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIdCUFoSrsc/VgmmWEK56pI/AAAAAAAAFSE/UAmfPbSFOQA/s1600/Map_LaConner_MapleHall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Map and directions to La Conner Quilt Festival" border="0" height="366" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIdCUFoSrsc/VgmmWEK56pI/AAAAAAAAFSE/UAmfPbSFOQA/s400/Map_LaConner_MapleHall.jpg" title="Map and directions to La Conner Quilt Festival" width="400" /></a></div>
What do you think? After all those hours, would it be crazy to even THINK about making another hexie quilt, another one with 3/4-inch hexies? Well, then I guess I'm crazy, because the irresistible call of the hexie hooked me again. And why not re-use the same paper pieces?<br />
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This one will not be traditional, and will definitely NOT be hand quilted. It will be hand pieced, using small left-over fabrics (I refuse to call them scraps), cotton prints (but not batiks). I have no idea how I will arrange them, how big it will be, or anything else about how this new project will develop.<br />
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The first step was to cut out sets of 2" x 2" squares (6 per set) to make flower petals. So far, I've cut about 130 sets. Here are 80 of them, ready to baste onto the 3/4" paper hexie pieces.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gB-e7V-9iU/VgmezSEya_I/AAAAAAAAFRc/ADbO4_AgQdg/s1600/PetalSetsReadyToBaste_80_Sept2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fabrics cut for hexie flower petals, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gB-e7V-9iU/VgmezSEya_I/AAAAAAAAFRc/ADbO4_AgQdg/s400/PetalSetsReadyToBaste_80_Sept2015.jpg" title="fabrics cut for hexie flower petals, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
From very small pieces, I cut single 2" x 2" squares to make flower centers. These I've already basted to the paper hexie pieces.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw7zh4HciX8/VgmfJYqt6EI/AAAAAAAAFRk/Oo9ff37Cgl4/s1600/Centers_01_Sept2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="basted hexie flower petal centers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw7zh4HciX8/VgmfJYqt6EI/AAAAAAAAFRk/Oo9ff37Cgl4/s400/Centers_01_Sept2015.jpg" title="basted hexie flower petal centers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
After basting some of the petals and centers, I started choosing centers for the petal sets. This part is fun! I enjoy "auditioning" various centers until one of them seems right. I'm avoiding high value contrast between petals and centers, because I might want to do a color study with them (no borders).<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CmqTlkTfrE4/VgmfYdGS-hI/AAAAAAAAFRs/0MJDvODVmg4/s1600/ReadyToSewFlowers_01_Sept2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="arranged hexie flower petal & centers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CmqTlkTfrE4/VgmfYdGS-hI/AAAAAAAAFRs/0MJDvODVmg4/s400/ReadyToSewFlowers_01_Sept2015.jpg" title="arranged hexie flower petal & centers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
When the urge gets really strong, I allow myself to start stitching the hexies together to make flowers.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibzUIlI887A/VgmfmaQ8JbI/AAAAAAAAFR0/QNRPogXIJVo/s1600/Flowers_01_Sept2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="finished hexie flowers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibzUIlI887A/VgmfmaQ8JbI/AAAAAAAAFR0/QNRPogXIJVo/s400/Flowers_01_Sept2015.jpg" title="finished hexie flowers, new hexie quilt by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
This quilt will probably have about 650 flowers! I've cut 130 so far, each different. I cut flower petals from all of my small pieces, every one. My preference is to have all 650 flowers different.<br />
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Sooooooo, if YOU have some small fabric pieces you'd be willing to donate, I'd love to have part of you in my quilt. This is what I need:<br />
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For petals - 2" x 12" strip, or 4" x 6" piece</div>
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For centers - 2" square (only one per fabric design)</div>
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Quilting weight cotton prints only, no batiks.</div>
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One petal set per fabric design (no duplicates).</div>
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Prefer small to medium scale prints.</div>
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Mail to:</div>
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Robin Atkins</div>
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1785 Douglas Road #4</div>
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Friday Harbor WA 98250</div>
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<i><b>THANK YOU!!!!!</b></i></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-86353544201972266752015-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:002015-09-23T20:01:55.555-07:00Wool Applique + Thread Embroidery + Beads = Happy Quilts!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VLYVNVBN1Es/VgNTnHj8H8I/AAAAAAAAFPQ/NY91CN7Vtxs/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Margaret_02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Margaret & Scott, a wall quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VLYVNVBN1Es/VgNTnHj8H8I/AAAAAAAAFPQ/NY91CN7Vtxs/s400/Atkins_Chicks_Margaret_02.jpg" title="Margaret & Scott, a wall quilt by Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
Oh dear, busy me, four months since I've posted here. Lots of quilting, a little beading, some travels, and recently several sets of house guests have made "retirement" a bit of a joke. For now, since the <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/2015-quilt--fiber-art-festival.html" target="_blank">La Conner Quilt Festival</a> is just around the corner (October 2-4), my subject is one small exhibition on the first floor at the <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/" target="_blank">Museum</a>, which is currently up, and will remain through the Festival.<br />
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Last year at the Festival (and again this year!) <a href="http://www.suespargo.com/" target="_blank">Sue Spargo</a> taught workshops on her wool applique embroidery methods. Those of us who were lucky enough to get in were invited by the Museum to exhibit our finished pieces. These marvelous creations are the subject of this post. Uneven lighting makes it difficult to get good photos, so please forgive poor color or tone on some of these photos.<br />
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In case you are unfamiliar with Sue's work, below is an example of her work. Students in her class could choose to make chicks, circles, or flowers. Most chose the chicks. Eight of her students are showing their work in the current exhibit. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JrBzKSMLGu0/VgNOSdX2ieI/AAAAAAAAFOg/74UF3bUfeIA/s1600/SueSpargo_Chicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicks, a wall quilt by Sue Spargo, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JrBzKSMLGu0/VgNOSdX2ieI/AAAAAAAAFOg/74UF3bUfeIA/s400/SueSpargo_Chicks.jpg" title="Chicks, a wall quilt by Sue Spargo, embroidery on wool applique" width="292" /></a></div>
My vote for <b>the most awesome-creative piece</b> goes to Bunny Starbuck for <i>She Has Flown the Coop</i>! Here it is:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96t6Q4tBlSs/VgNQEKuSFWI/AAAAAAAAFOo/6ol8Sd5gEBY/s1600/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlownTheCoop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96t6Q4tBlSs/VgNQEKuSFWI/AAAAAAAAFOo/6ol8Sd5gEBY/s400/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlownTheCoop.jpg" title="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, embroidery on wool applique" width="278" /></a></div>
Having put my chicks all in neat rows similar to Sue's example, I find it amazing that Bunny's mind took the idea and made a whole different story of it... a coop full of chicks, with two in line on the roof ready to follow the one already in the air. Don't you just love the way the lines divide the space?!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSr5if9OSSU/VgNRW-t5iGI/AAAAAAAAFOw/bRNpaW-ft7k/s1600/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSr5if9OSSU/VgNRW-t5iGI/AAAAAAAAFOw/bRNpaW-ft7k/s320/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det01.jpg" title="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_i7NvdbBVlA/VgNRdi4H39I/AAAAAAAAFPA/sja0yBthJ_4/s1600/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_i7NvdbBVlA/VgNRdi4H39I/AAAAAAAAFPA/sja0yBthJ_4/s320/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det02.jpg" title="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tZv-wJwPh-E/VgNRbqbZykI/AAAAAAAAFO4/zzSt68DP344/s1600/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tZv-wJwPh-E/VgNRbqbZykI/AAAAAAAAFO4/zzSt68DP344/s320/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det03.jpg" title="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pZn5mTE91a8/VgNRgfJ2P1I/AAAAAAAAFPI/hRep-xWcZy8/s1600/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pZn5mTE91a8/VgNRgfJ2P1I/AAAAAAAAFPI/hRep-xWcZy8/s320/BunnyStarbuck_SheHasFlown_Det04.jpg" title="She Has Flown the Coop, a wall quilt by Bunny Starbuck, detail" width="235" /></a></div>
Note Bunny's use of whispy yarn to suggest little chick feathers, her use of snaps for eyes, the one chick turned full front, the one with a bead-tassled braid and glasses, and the one with beaded loop fringe and a gathered yellow ribbon (?) yo-yo. I love them! I'm in awe, Bunny!<br />
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Below is <i>Chicks on Parade</i> by Dorie Benson. It's so fun the way they are so close together, with two of them going in a different direction, just as you might see in a little cluster of chicks. If you click the photo to enlarge it, you can see some of Dorie's excellent stitching and hand quilting!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA_SpzBOWyI/VgNUriHzTTI/AAAAAAAAFPg/BZR9QjQXkYI/s1600/DorieBenson_ChicksOnParade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="302" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA_SpzBOWyI/VgNUriHzTTI/AAAAAAAAFPg/BZR9QjQXkYI/s400/DorieBenson_ChicksOnParade.jpg" title="Chicks on Parade, a wall quilt by Dorie Benson, embroidery on wool applique" width="400" /></a></div>
The next one is<i> Chicks </i>by Glenys Baker, who not only did all 36 chicks but also made a second quilt featuring circles (shown further down). Awesome work, Glenys!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nho_zMq-LY/VgNUwRboZUI/AAAAAAAAFP0/fN-tnONYtmE/s1600/GlenysBaker_Chicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicks, a wall quilt by Glenys Baker, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nho_zMq-LY/VgNUwRboZUI/AAAAAAAAFP0/fN-tnONYtmE/s400/GlenysBaker_Chicks.jpg" title="Chicks, a wall quilt by Glenys Baker, embroidery on wool applique" width="271" /></a></div>
And next is <i>Birds of a Feather Can Dance Together</i> by Lorraine Jones. The fun of the title is matched by the fun of Lorraine's embellishments, including her border treatment. (You'll have to see this one in person, because the light from a table lamp, made the lower corner of the photo look terrible.)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai7gH_Ah-qE/VgNU0mUsLDI/AAAAAAAAFP8/0D7kxC1mAOM/s1600/LorraineJones_BirdsOfAFeather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birds of a Feather Can Dance Together, a wall quilt by Lorraine Jones, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai7gH_Ah-qE/VgNU0mUsLDI/AAAAAAAAFP8/0D7kxC1mAOM/s400/LorraineJones_BirdsOfAFeather.jpg" title="Birds of a Feather Can Dance Together, a wall quilt by Lorraine Jones, embroidery on wool applique" width="276" /></a></div>
I guess most of us like to "swim the other way," as you can see in the next piece, <i>Chickadees</i>, by Carrie Unick. I thought many of Corrie's embellishments were especially fun and creative, so I've also included a couple of detail photos.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZunrEUNiZk/VgNUszn3jGI/AAAAAAAAFPs/N_EaKaxpnGM/s1600/CarrieUnick_Chickadees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZunrEUNiZk/VgNUszn3jGI/AAAAAAAAFPs/N_EaKaxpnGM/s400/CarrieUnick_Chickadees.jpg" title="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, embroidery on wool applique" width="267" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTkHLni-TPM/VgNUmBRaFyI/AAAAAAAAFPc/yJt4KEozJao/s1600/CarrieUnick_Chickadees_det01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, detail" border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTkHLni-TPM/VgNUmBRaFyI/AAAAAAAAFPc/yJt4KEozJao/s320/CarrieUnick_Chickadees_det01.jpg" title="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, detail" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yVDJzRLEUs/VgNZnXXf11I/AAAAAAAAFQI/4rF8YRODujs/s1600/CarrieUnick_Chickadees_det02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, detail" border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yVDJzRLEUs/VgNZnXXf11I/AAAAAAAAFQI/4rF8YRODujs/s320/CarrieUnick_Chickadees_det02.jpg" title="Chickadees, a wall quilt by Carrie Unick, detail" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last of the chicks is my piece, simply named <i>Chicks</i>. It was so much fun, that I made another small piece (also in the exhibition), shown at the top of this post. Both are displayed in shadow-box type frames to protect them from dust and moth damage.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pd1NQzTK5iA/VgNU7zX9G4I/AAAAAAAAFQE/KGR975UYnFo/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Finished_Bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicks, a wall quilt by Robin Atkins, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pd1NQzTK5iA/VgNU7zX9G4I/AAAAAAAAFQE/KGR975UYnFo/s400/Atkins_Chicks_Finished_Bound.jpg" title="Chicks, a wall quilt by Robin Atkins, embroidery on wool applique" width="328" /></a></div>
Glenys Baker, in one year, made not only a 36-chicks quilt (shown above), but also a 48-circles quilt, <i>Circles</i>. How she keeps thinking of new embellishment variations I can't imagine. Yet each of her circles is completely unique! Her choice of border fabrics is perfect for the quilt, complimenting the flow of color among the circles.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s_NUSk2BQF4/VgNcCfJhbOI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/g2un5Gq1eNg/s1600/GlenysBaker_Circles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Circles, a wall quilt by Glenys Baker, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s_NUSk2BQF4/VgNcCfJhbOI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/g2un5Gq1eNg/s400/GlenysBaker_Circles.jpg" title="Circles, a wall quilt by Glenys Baker, embroidery on wool applique" width="303" /></a></div>
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I love the fun color combinations and the way the beads enhance her embroidery on Nancy Anders' <i>Bodacious Blooms, </i>a joyful wall quilt if ever there was one! (Again, I couldn't quite get the color right in the photo, so you'll just have to go to the Museum to see it in person.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LxcOR1JB_0U/VgNdENwZNVI/AAAAAAAAFQY/GVvj-Qb3SRA/s1600/NancyAnders_BodaciousBlooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bodacious Blooms, a wall quilt by Nancy Anders, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LxcOR1JB_0U/VgNdENwZNVI/AAAAAAAAFQY/GVvj-Qb3SRA/s400/NancyAnders_BodaciousBlooms.jpg" title="Bodacious Blooms, a wall quilt by Nancy Anders, embroidery on wool applique" width="315" /></a></div>
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The name of Roberta Roberts' flower quilt, <i>Memories</i>, invites us to look closely at the flower with three ladybugs. I don't know the story, but I can tell there is one here... and I love that. Her embellishments are varied and fun as well.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pyKyABWi1dM/VgNeNlM-mRI/AAAAAAAAFQg/jPnb0dL2avg/s1600/RobertaRoberts_Memories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Memories, a wall quilt by Roberta Roberts, embroidery on wool applique" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pyKyABWi1dM/VgNeNlM-mRI/AAAAAAAAFQg/jPnb0dL2avg/s400/RobertaRoberts_Memories.jpg" title="Memories, a wall quilt by Roberta Roberts, embroidery on wool applique" width="307" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEZQ7Pg88S0/VgNePb6QOsI/AAAAAAAAFQo/06FhG5lziIA/s1600/RobertaRoberts_Memories_det01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Memories, a wall quilt by Roberta Roberts, detail" border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEZQ7Pg88S0/VgNePb6QOsI/AAAAAAAAFQo/06FhG5lziIA/s320/RobertaRoberts_Memories_det01.jpg" title="Memories, a wall quilt by Roberta Roberts, detail" width="320" /></a></div>
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There you have it... 10 quilts by 8 students who learned some methods of wool applique and embroidery from Sue Spargo, last year at the La Conner Quilt Festival. I'm so grateful to be one of them!Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-12492062345381991352015-05-20T11:38:00.000-07:002015-05-20T14:25:52.314-07:00Beading + Quilting - a Happy Marriage!It sure was a lovely surprise one day last fall when a representative from the <a href="http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/showschedule" target="_blank">Bead&Button Show</a> called to ask if I would be interested in sending my beaded quilts for exhibition at the 2015 show in Milwaukee, WI.<br />
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Would I be interested? Of course I would!!! But since I'm more of a beader and don't have that many beaded quilts, I suggested they also contact my brother, <a href="http://thomatkins.com/quilts&tapestries.htm" target="_blank">Thom Atkins</a>, who has made a mind-boggling number of beaded quilts in the last 10 years or so.<br />
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Brother-sister exhibition... how fun is that! You can see all 22 quilts in the Artisan Area of the Exhibition Hall if you're attending the show, May 27 - June 8. For those who can't make it, here are my quilts, the ones in the show. When you click on the first picture, you can see a slide show with full-size pictures.<br />
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It's really special how,in recent years, quilters are interested in beads, and beaders are playing with quilting, both finding ways to expand their creativity! And it's super fun to show with my bro!<br />
<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-49966752147271594592015-05-16T01:10:00.001-07:002015-05-19T15:51:23.088-07:00"Square Dancers" - Shimmer QuiltKitty Sorgen, quilter extraordinaire, and <a href="http://www.jennybowker.com/" target="_blank">Jenny Bowker</a>, the pattern developer, are to blame for this madness! <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/shimmering-triangles/122321" target="_blank"><i>Shimmering Triangles</i></a> Jenny calls it, and shimmer it does. In fact, it can be over done to the point where it's difficult to look at. But not Kitty's... Kitty, a member of our local guild and the best colorist I know, brought her shimmer quilt to Wednesday night quilting a few months ago, and<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">I fell in love, bonkers, totally in love with her quilt. This isn't a great photo, but here it is, Kitty's shimmer quilt...</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CHiZr3gjXc0/VVbgL_iyelI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/F8im7USuXxc/s1600/KS_Shimmer_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shimmer quilt by Kitty Sorgen" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CHiZr3gjXc0/VVbgL_iyelI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/F8im7USuXxc/s400/KS_Shimmer_1.jpg" title="Shimmer quilt by Kitty Sorgen" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">It's so complex, at first I couldn't even figure out what was a block, squares looking like diamonds, color everywhere, blending in some places, shimmering in others. That day, on the spot, enough of us signed up and paid, filling a one-day class instantly.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPzU5llNxM0/VVbgkQs6B4I/AAAAAAAAFJY/gzTAk6H6xNs/s1600/KittysClass_Feb2015_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kitty Sorgen teaching shimmer quilt for our local guild" border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPzU5llNxM0/VVbgkQs6B4I/AAAAAAAAFJY/gzTAk6H6xNs/s400/KittysClass_Feb2015_2.jpg" title="Kitty Sorgen teaching shimmer quilt for our local guild" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">The class was on Feb. 21, 2015. Most of the students got a block finished in class, some even finished two blocks<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Each block </span>is 16" square (finished), and has <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>69</b></span><b></b> pieces. Below is one block, showing the construction of it.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fIGcfKP5Pw/VVbnF5_Zc0I/AAAAAAAAFJ4/FSzJMTJpGXs/s1600/Block_02_Layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, block construction" border="0" height="396" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fIGcfKP5Pw/VVbnF5_Zc0I/AAAAAAAAFJ4/FSzJMTJpGXs/s400/Block_02_Layout.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, block construction" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Me? Nope. I didn't sew a stitch. Long after the other students</span></span></span> had finished arranging their fabrics on the design wall, I was still struggling with the concept, of how to get shimmer, but not too much shimmer, still arranging my fabrics (photo below).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8pxt3E2LLWM/VVbhMKG0yfI/AAAAAAAAFJg/Soju9pwUwNo/s1600/KittysClass_RobinsSquares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, tentative layout" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8pxt3E2LLWM/VVbhMKG0yfI/AAAAAAAAFJg/Soju9pwUwNo/s400/KittysClass_RobinsSquares.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, tentative layout" width="333" /></a></div>
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It was really difficult to imagine what would shimmer, what might be too contrasty and shimmer too much (for my taste), and what would have too little contrast and thus not shimmer at all.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YRCODyNZTP0/VVbmL4FpDtI/AAAAAAAAFJw/7CKdE8fl47E/s1600/AllFabrics_FinalArrangement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, final layout" border="0" height="312" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YRCODyNZTP0/VVbmL4FpDtI/AAAAAAAAFJw/7CKdE8fl47E/s400/AllFabrics_FinalArrangement.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, final layout" width="400" /></a></div>
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At home, I laid it all out on my work tables again, rearranging and rearranging the fabrics over and over again. The trick, in my opinion, is to work the diagonals. I began with a layout of focal fabrics, in my case "painterly floral prints," leaving space between them for the companion fabrics. Then choose companion "read as solid prints," placing them at the corners of the focals. Like Kitty, I decided to repeat the companions diagonally between two focals. I don't know if this even makes sense, but maybe you can see it in the layout above.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK5nAiy5osY/VVbomF0_SmI/AAAAAAAAFKI/se7G2w5R1kc/s1600/Block_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, completed block" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK5nAiy5osY/VVbomF0_SmI/AAAAAAAAFKI/se7G2w5R1kc/s400/Block_02.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, completed block" width="400" /></a></div>
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Silly me, I thought sewing it, once I got all the fabrics placed, would be a piece of cake. NOT! Well, technically speaking, sewing it is OK. Although it does take some time and attention to detail to get all the half-square triangles square, and the points nice and pointy.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lCZHSYkUT5Y/VVbphzIFrYI/AAAAAAAAFKU/3NRGqNQpchA/s1600/Block_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, completed block" border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lCZHSYkUT5Y/VVbphzIFrYI/AAAAAAAAFKU/3NRGqNQpchA/s400/Block_12.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, completed block" width="400" /></a></div>
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But cutting the triangles is another matter. To make the colors and shapes flow, it's important to blur the line of the focal square by blending the design/color outward through the half-square triangles. Above is an example of one that worked pretty well, because you can only barely discern the square of focal fabric in the center of the block.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gY-TKTkDKE/VVbp-Q12llI/AAAAAAAAFKc/w_PQNpGxbqY/s1600/FussyCutting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, cutting fabric for half-square triangles" border="0" height="308" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gY-TKTkDKE/VVbp-Q12llI/AAAAAAAAFKc/w_PQNpGxbqY/s400/FussyCutting.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, cutting fabric for half-square triangles" width="400" /></a></div>
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And here is some fabric I turned into Swiss cheese trying to get triangles that would bring the focal fabric design outward, tricking they eye, making it look like a diamond rather than a square. (Sorry, I didn't take a picture of that particular finished block.)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sARiMHTJc7s/VVb5HJF6p9I/AAAAAAAAFMA/ZROB9OhGayA/s1600/fussyCutting_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, paper piecing" border="0" height="292" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sARiMHTJc7s/VVb5HJF6p9I/AAAAAAAAFMA/ZROB9OhGayA/s400/fussyCutting_2.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, paper piecing" width="400" /></a></div>
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I make the half square triangles using paper piecing, with a <a href="http://www.quiltingandwhatnot.ca/pdf_files/twoinfinhst.pdf" target="_blank">free, downloaded template</a> printed on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Copy-Paper-Bright-Sheets-Ream/dp/B002VL5FBA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1431760327&sr=8-2&keywords=16+lb+paper" target="_blank">16 pound copy paper</a>. Paper piecing has a learning curve, yes, but it does make for very
accurate piecing, such that I didn't have to trim any of the finished
blocks at all!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6J3UZ5G-vQ/VVbvMbWNaaI/AAAAAAAAFKs/EyIvk58nEcQ/s1600/4BlockUnit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, four completed blocks" border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6J3UZ5G-vQ/VVbvMbWNaaI/AAAAAAAAFKs/EyIvk58nEcQ/s400/4BlockUnit.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, four completed blocks" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is a picture of four finished blocks. You can see the way the companion fabrics repeat diagonally to form a 4-patch block between the focal fabrics. These two fabrics need to be close in value and color. If there is too much contrast, it draws the eye away from the focal fabrics and shimmering triangles. In the case above, I think the orange and pink contrast a little too much. Also on the left the lighter and darker green is also a bit too contrasty. Fabric choices are difficult and important... Any one companion fabric has to work with two focal fabrics and the adjacent companion fabric, which in turn has to work with it's two adjacent focal fabrics. Sound complicated and challenging? It is!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56hNrG015T8/VVbxStzYncI/AAAAAAAAFK4/0r5QKxJBlA4/s1600/10BlocksFinished_TopLeftCorner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, ten completed blocks" border="0" height="318" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56hNrG015T8/VVbxStzYncI/AAAAAAAAFK4/0r5QKxJBlA4/s400/10BlocksFinished_TopLeftCorner.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, shimmer quilt, ten completed blocks" width="400" /></a></div>
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It took many days (lost count) to finish the first half of the blocks (10 of 20)... and many more to finish the last 10 blocks... a bit character building. Many times, I <strike>told</strike> promised myself I would never do paper piecing or make another shimmer quilt again in my whole life!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gMlJ9JWv_tc/VVbyff4YxFI/AAAAAAAAFLA/3RtRPl44LYg/s1600/RA_FinishedQuiltTop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, auditioning border fabrics" border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gMlJ9JWv_tc/VVbyff4YxFI/AAAAAAAAFLA/3RtRPl44LYg/s400/RA_FinishedQuiltTop.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, auditioning border fabrics" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here I've finished all 20 blocks. I've moved all the furniture out of the studio, and put it on the floor to "audition" border fabrics. Most of the shimmer quilts I've seen do not have borders, but I wanted to make it a bit bigger so it could be used for a bed quilt.</div>
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This is how it looks all finished, before quilting it, 90 x 74 inches. </div>
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Since the throat of my old machine is much too narrow to free-motion quilt a piece this size, I decided to get a professional to quilt it. But first I agonized some about how to do it. At first I thought it would be good to fussy quilt, making flowers in the companion fabric areas and vertical vines with leaves over the focal fabrics. This was my sketch for the idea.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4O3s204u_Z4/VVb1_ZrWa8I/AAAAAAAAFLU/YvWlVqB7uLY/s1600/PossibleQuiltingPlan_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, tentative quilting design" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4O3s204u_Z4/VVb1_ZrWa8I/AAAAAAAAFLU/YvWlVqB7uLY/s400/PossibleQuiltingPlan_1.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, Shimmer quilt, tentative quilting design" width="400" /></a></div>
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But then I saw a few quilts done like that, and the fussy quilting looked too busy, competing too much with the shimmer. So finally, I decided on using a double-leaf, free-motion edge-to-edge design. I named my quilt <i>Square Dancers</i>, because of the colorful costumes, movement, and squares.</div>
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Now that it's finished, guess what? I started gathering fabrics for my second shimmer quilt. I want a spring-summer quilt for my bed in softer, lighter colors. It needs to be bigger than the first one, at least 36 blocks, to work on a queen size bed. Here are some of the fabrics I've found so far:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sBUKRkxVD0/VVb3ZwGQ5MI/AAAAAAAAFLc/-4cvFQkBN78/s1600/Focals_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sBUKRkxVD0/VVb3ZwGQ5MI/AAAAAAAAFLc/-4cvFQkBN78/s400/Focals_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZHC1f5LuTg/VVb3dmAy5yI/AAAAAAAAFLs/zOKUF7ZduMQ/s1600/Focals_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZHC1f5LuTg/VVb3dmAy5yI/AAAAAAAAFLs/zOKUF7ZduMQ/s400/Focals_02.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7W12nLT6j2E/VVb3cJEvjgI/AAAAAAAAFLk/q8Vzb9nT8Lc/s1600/Focals_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7W12nLT6j2E/VVb3cJEvjgI/AAAAAAAAFLk/q8Vzb9nT8Lc/s400/Focals_03.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L100-Cn7pXI/VVb3gN4FghI/AAAAAAAAFL0/faWCuz7Gfmw/s1600/Focals_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L100-Cn7pXI/VVb3gN4FghI/AAAAAAAAFL0/faWCuz7Gfmw/s400/Focals_04.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, focal fabrics for next shimmer quilt" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are mostly designs by Philip Jacobs, one of the Kaffe Fassett Collective designers. I love his colors and designs! I will use other fabrics in my stash, but more than half of the 36 focals will be like these.</div>
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It will be fun to try this again, to apply what I've learned on the first one, to try to improve my fabric choices, always with the goal of some shimmer (but not too much) and good flow throughout the quilt. I'll also try to pick up my speed a bit, without sacrificing accuracy in the piecing.</div>
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Expect a post about #2 shimmer quilt in a couple of months. Right now, I'm still gathering fabrics.</div>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-16354979718565024532015-05-12T15:30:00.000-07:002015-05-12T15:33:53.205-07:00Finished "Chicks" Quilt (Sue Spargo Wool Applique)A week of finishing!!! Oh my, it feels good to finish things, doesn't it?!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1MPzIOkYk4/VVJ03zvDZTI/AAAAAAAAFH8/ojl4tejThTs/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Finished_Bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, finished wall quilt" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1MPzIOkYk4/VVJ03zvDZTI/AAAAAAAAFH8/ojl4tejThTs/s400/Atkins_Chicks_Finished_Bound.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, finished wall quilt" width="328" /></a></div>
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Last October, I started the applique process, stitching chick bodies and wings cut from felled wool onto the wool background fabric. Seven months later, 16 chicks, embroidered with threads and beads, run free! Please click the picture to enlarge it, so you can enjoy the fanciful details.<br />
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If you are new to this process, you can see the various steps and pictures of the chicks on <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/search/label/Sue%20Spargo" target="_blank">these posts</a>. Of course, they are inspired by <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2014/03/fanciful-wool-applique-by-sue-spargo.html" target="_blank">Sue Spargo's exhibit</a> at the <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/" target="_blank">La Conner Quilt Museum</a>, by her book, <a href="http://www.suespargo.com/store-detail.php?ID=773" target="_blank"><i>Creative Stitching</i></a>, and by taking a one-day class from her to get me going. Along the way, other books, embroideries, and drawings also inspired me.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndv3eR5B_8Y/VVJ23djL4_I/AAAAAAAAFIQ/wF4M6QpA9_8/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndv3eR5B_8Y/VVJ23djL4_I/AAAAAAAAFIQ/wF4M6QpA9_8/s400/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_10.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery" width="347" /></a></div>
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As you might guess, most of the chicks have at least a few beads. Here is one with the main motif embroidered with beads.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6Gw56b0-OU/VVJ3oWUkWCI/AAAAAAAAFIY/ADmS7lddkwg/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery" border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6Gw56b0-OU/VVJ3oWUkWCI/AAAAAAAAFIY/ADmS7lddkwg/s400/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_9.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery" width="400" /></a></div>
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And, here is one with just a few beads, the center of the "flowers," and one with no beads at all.<br />
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Also note that I've quilted the piece with <a href="http://www.cantataimports.com/accessories/thread/thread.htm" target="_blank">Danish Flower Thread </a>in a shade which closely matches the background color.<br />
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At first, I thought it would be pleasing to embellish the areas between the chicks with flowers, vines, and leaves using three close shades of the background color. Here is an example.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lei8p5aKY90/VVJ4ojhqQZI/AAAAAAAAFIk/3pGIFTXgd5E/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Quilting_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, hand quilting" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lei8p5aKY90/VVJ4ojhqQZI/AAAAAAAAFIk/3pGIFTXgd5E/s400/Atkins_Robin_Quilting_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, hand quilting" width="330" /></a></div>
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It looks OK when you look at just four chicks with the flower/vine motif in the center. But when I had finished 6 of the areas (sorry no photo), some of them with larger spaces and larger vines/leaves, it looked too busy. It took away from the chicks. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to look at the chicks or the flowers. So I picked out the vines and leaves, leaving just the flowers, which weren't such a distraction.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nOkytl_v9TA/VVJ45xo8-WI/AAAAAAAAFIs/sGx5owueu3Y/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Binding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, binding" border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nOkytl_v9TA/VVJ45xo8-WI/AAAAAAAAFIs/sGx5owueu3Y/s400/Atkins_Chicks_Binding.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, chicks, wool applique, bead and thread embroidery, binding" width="400" /></a></div>
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After sewing on the binding, the chicks seemed to need a little warming around them. So I added a line of stem stitch in variegated pearl-cotton in a magenta color. It pleases me!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAOVCkIXdwU/VVJ6JdZjJpI/AAAAAAAAFJA/fExEdMMoHsI/s1600/DisplayCase_HingedDoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall mount display case" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAOVCkIXdwU/VVJ6JdZjJpI/AAAAAAAAFJA/fExEdMMoHsI/s320/DisplayCase_HingedDoor.jpg" title="wall mount display case" width="290" /></a></div>
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Oh, and one more thing... This is a quilt, designed to hang on the wall, with lots of details to enjoy as you view it up close. But what happens to wool felt when it is out in the open? MOTH DAMAGE and DUST are the enemies. My solution? Find, buy, or have somebody make a wall-mounted display case, with a hinged door. Hang the quilt inside the case, which remains closed except when somebody wants to take a closer look. The above, found on the internet, is close to what I have in mind, with a white background of course. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps0FzxNIh4U/VVJ5MRsTgcI/AAAAAAAAFI0/PDuCTjErmtw/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Margaret_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins, wool applique ready to embellish with bead and thread embroidery" border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps0FzxNIh4U/VVJ5MRsTgcI/AAAAAAAAFI0/PDuCTjErmtw/s320/Atkins_Chicks_Margaret_01.jpg" title="Robin Atkins, wool applique ready to embellish with bead and thread embroidery" width="320" /></a></div>
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What's next in chick-land? Well, my dear niece just got married... Here is the start of her wedding gift... I'll post a finished photo soon.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-45005998496417173382015-05-05T12:36:00.000-07:002015-05-06T10:25:29.477-07:00Exhibition of my Beadwork!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sn4yVu9lwek/VUkK3Pr0usI/AAAAAAAAFE4/4y6VCUVMrDE/s1600/RA_LoadingInShow_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins bringing beadwork to La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum for exhibition" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sn4yVu9lwek/VUkK3Pr0usI/AAAAAAAAFE4/4y6VCUVMrDE/s400/RA_LoadingInShow_2.jpg" height="300" title="Robin Atkins bringing beadwork to La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum for exhibition" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing my beadwork to the Museum</td></tr>
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Many, many moons ago, when I first started beading, I made
an important decision about my future beading career. I decided not to be in
the business of selling my beadwork. That’s a huge and somewhat uncommon
decision for an artist, because most feel that in order to justify the time it takes to
do beadwork and the cost of materials, it has to be sold. Many also take sales
of their work as a marker of their skill as an artist… “if it sells, then I am
an artist; if I sell lots of it, then I am a successful artist; if a gallery
takes my work, then my work is good,” etc.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dc6gGGA7Isw/VUkUPIiL-0I/AAAAAAAAFGM/V9zlZks-n_8/s1600/Demonstration_BeckiApplegate_Christy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pre-opening demonstration of bead embroidery process by Robin Atkins, with Becki Applegate and Christy Hinkle" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dc6gGGA7Isw/VUkUPIiL-0I/AAAAAAAAFGM/V9zlZks-n_8/s400/Demonstration_BeckiApplegate_Christy.jpg" height="318" title="Pre-opening demonstration of bead embroidery process by Robin Atkins, with Becki Applegate and Christy Hinkle" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstration prior to the Opening on April 1st.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6BuYl7HjX8/VUkLaMbCogI/AAAAAAAAFFA/i6bGDXVovfE/s1600/Robin_JoCritchlow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins with a visitor at the opening of Beadlust exhibition" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6BuYl7HjX8/VUkLaMbCogI/AAAAAAAAFFA/i6bGDXVovfE/s400/Robin_JoCritchlow.jpg" height="300" title="Robin Atkins with a visitor at the opening of Beadlust exhibition" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1fulr73gj_g/VUk4k7wQkPI/AAAAAAAAFHQ/dp7slQj540s/s1600/LizRobin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins - Beadlust, exhibition at La Conner Quilt Musuem - Opening reception" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1fulr73gj_g/VUk4k7wQkPI/AAAAAAAAFHQ/dp7slQj540s/s400/LizRobin.jpg" height="265" title="Robin Atkins - Beadlust, exhibition at La Conner Quilt Musuem - Opening reception" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dear friend, Liz, drove to La Conner for the opening!</td></tr>
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Those are tempting thoughts, aren’t they?! However, I had
previously been a metalsmith, making one-of-a-kind silver and gold jewelry for
5 years. During those years, I experimented with various methods of selling my
jewelry – craft fairs, home shows, commissions, galleries – and found that I
hated all of them. Marketing my work, talking about it, looking in people’s
eyes as they walked by my booth without stopping, answering questions about how
I made something, knowing the person asking was also a metalsmith and might
copy my ideas – all of that was like a millstone around my neck, depressing,
daunting, and no fun at all.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_HPLqpITknY/VUkRXc6oF9I/AAAAAAAAFFQ/sOV30JiBGeo/s1600/SouthWall_BJP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_HPLqpITknY/VUkRXc6oF9I/AAAAAAAAFFQ/sOV30JiBGeo/s400/SouthWall_BJP.jpg" height="300" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, when <i>beadlust</i> jumped in my heart, I almost immediately
decided I would not sell my work. Instead, I would make my living by selling
beads and beading supplies, teaching others how to bead, and writing books
about beading. It’s been a great pathway for me, almost always fun,
challenging, exciting – and, it has paid my bills and given me the means for many
beady adventures. To be sure, I have sold some of my beadwork, especially
jewelry, here and there. But it’s always when opportunity comes to me, not when
I’ve struggled to be accepted for a show.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJRsrGTNqWk/VUkRw2TuBRI/AAAAAAAAFFY/hueZRuUiaZ8/s1600/Necklace_FramedCollages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJRsrGTNqWk/VUkRw2TuBRI/AAAAAAAAFFY/hueZRuUiaZ8/s400/Necklace_FramedCollages.jpg" height="338" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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Twenty-seven years later, I am looking back down my beaded
pathway with great satisfaction, pleased as punch about my initial decision.
Twenty-seven years later, I also own a substantial stash of beaded objects that
I’ve made over the years – beaded jewelry, bags, books, dolls, wall art,
sculptures, and quilts. While many of them decorate my studio and home, some
live in boxes, stored away in cabinets. I feel a bit guilty about those poor
babies. Shouldn’t I get them out, brush the dust off, and sell them? Oh yeah, I
forgot, I hate selling/promoting my beadwork.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoAJiWpT-N4/VUkSIxqwsTI/AAAAAAAAFFg/3lK1wI9MlOw/s1600/Rosie_SpiritDolls_Menop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoAJiWpT-N4/VUkSIxqwsTI/AAAAAAAAFFg/3lK1wI9MlOw/s400/Rosie_SpiritDolls_Menop.jpg" height="400" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="298" /></a></div>
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All of the above is to introduce a fabulous and unexpected opportunity
that came my way recently… The curator of the <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/" target="_blank">La Conner Quilt & TextileMuseum</a> contacted me to ask if I would be willing to exhibit my beaded quilts
and other beadwork in a one person show at the museum for the month of April,
2015. WOW! Would I be interested? You bet I would!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xMHPh_E-0g/VUkSepubFzI/AAAAAAAAFFo/N46NMoUu0Dg/s1600/Mantle_SmallQuilts_Books_MossWildflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xMHPh_E-0g/VUkSepubFzI/AAAAAAAAFFo/N46NMoUu0Dg/s400/Mantle_SmallQuilts_Books_MossWildflowers.jpg" height="238" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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Twenty-eight pieces! Once I cleared the pieces for the show
out of my studio, the nearly empty walls and display counter was depressing.
Guess what happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opened up those
boxes, and brought out things I hadn’t ever displayed, or at least hadn’t
displayed for a long time. What great fun to see them every day this past
month! I love it!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_fEP9gXttgI/VUkS3CkqnDI/AAAAAAAAFFw/-NiSW3j6Tic/s1600/RA_Intersections_Lamp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_fEP9gXttgI/VUkS3CkqnDI/AAAAAAAAFFw/-NiSW3j6Tic/s400/RA_Intersections_Lamp2.jpg" height="300" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--31aghzUw6o/VUkTKeJj_2I/AAAAAAAAFF4/t_8bx5AP74U/s1600/Tori_LindaCooper_Opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--31aghzUw6o/VUkTKeJj_2I/AAAAAAAAFF4/t_8bx5AP74U/s400/Tori_LindaCooper_Opening.jpg" height="300" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujJ4sLR3bqQ/VUkTRNdE8wI/AAAAAAAAFGA/NhuGy-ZA5gw/s1600/TravelDiary_visitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujJ4sLR3bqQ/VUkTRNdE8wI/AAAAAAAAFGA/NhuGy-ZA5gw/s400/TravelDiary_visitor.jpg" height="301" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QosTXAfaXj0/VUkVjiKsdhI/AAAAAAAAFGo/eylJO7_FZtU/s1600/SmallPcs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QosTXAfaXj0/VUkVjiKsdhI/AAAAAAAAFGo/eylJO7_FZtU/s400/SmallPcs.jpg" height="285" title="Beadlust - exhibition of Robin Atkins bead embroidery at La Conner Quilt Textile Museum" width="400" /></a></div>
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Two days ago the show closed (waaa), and my work is back
home again. Here it is, all piled up on my studio tables. Nice to have it home;
not so nice to decide which pieces go back into boxes.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1pZULg1Vl4c/VUkUr7_FbPI/AAAAAAAAFGU/4wcCyqMa9zY/s1600/AfterShow_PutItAllAway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robin Atkins studio - Beadlust exhibition closed, beadwork back home" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1pZULg1Vl4c/VUkUr7_FbPI/AAAAAAAAFGU/4wcCyqMa9zY/s400/AfterShow_PutItAllAway.jpg" height="286" title="Robin Atkins studio - Beadlust exhibition closed, beadwork back home" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibition closed - beadwork back home again</td></tr>
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And then there is the question of what is to become of it in
the long run. I am 72 years old. It might be time to start thinking about that. Some will
go to my beady friends, and some to my nieces and nephews (if they want it). And, I’d
die happy if I knew that some of the best pieces were in the permanent
collection of a museum or two. <i>Rosie, The Uncaged Hen</i>, for example should be in
a museum, don’t you think?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pa9CqI2if_0/VUkbbsvHZ0I/AAAAAAAAFHA/IBpsuRqwEcM/s1600/Atkins_Robin_RosieTheUncagedHen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bead emroidery by Robin Atkins - Rosie The Uncaged Hen" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pa9CqI2if_0/VUkbbsvHZ0I/AAAAAAAAFHA/IBpsuRqwEcM/s400/Atkins_Robin_RosieTheUncagedHen.jpg" height="400" title="bead emroidery by Robin Atkins - Rosie The Uncaged Hen" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosie, The Uncaged Hen</td></tr>
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Having the show in La Conner, seeing my work so
beautifully displayed there, gives me the energy to start thinking about the future of my beadwork,
to make a list of my all the pieces, place an "insurance value" on them, and start talking to acquisition curators about it.
Although the idea of this task seems a little like “selling my work,” the show
in La Conner makes it worth the effort.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NXO4_UGwXpU/VUkVb1N9R0I/AAAAAAAAFGg/E8I-YSylixo/s1600/QuiltMuseum_RDsCycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, photo by Robert Demar" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NXO4_UGwXpU/VUkVb1N9R0I/AAAAAAAAFGg/E8I-YSylixo/s400/QuiltMuseum_RDsCycle.jpg" height="400" title="La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, photo by Robert Demar" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-32363650524911717072015-04-19T17:33:00.000-07:002018-02-28T13:51:03.434-08:00Grandma's Flower Garden - 3/4 Inch Hexie Quilt - Time Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IXjh52DiVa4/VTQ06Is_QgI/AAAAAAAAFCU/qc926EMKYLI/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers_Spread_Peek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, flowers" border="0" height="161" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IXjh52DiVa4/VTQ06Is_QgI/AAAAAAAAFCU/qc926EMKYLI/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers_Spread_Peek.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, flowers" width="400" /></a></div>
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As followers may recall, I started hand stitching hexies for a <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2012/03/grandmas-flower-garden-quilt-im-doin-it.html" target="_blank">Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt in March, 2012</a>... three years ago. Watching my friend, Christy, basting sweet, reproduction fabrics around paper forms, making little stacks of 3/4-inch hexagons, I just couldn't resist! <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/search/label/grandma%27s%20flower%20garden" target="_blank">These <i>Beadlust</i> posts show the various steps</a> to making the quilt top and the start of hand-quilting in more detail than this post.<br />
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Although I'm still hand-quilting, the end is in sight now. I'm hoping to finish in time for our County Fair in August.<br />
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In this post, I thought it might interest you to look at how much time it takes to complete each of the steps in hand piecing and quilting a 3/4" hexie quilt, and the total number of hours involved. I'm basing time estimates for all of the repetitive steps on how long it takes
me to do a large number in one sitting, after having practiced... in
other words, at my best speed.<br />
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<h4>
Step 1 - Planning the Quilt and Getting Fabrics - time: 20 hours</h4>
I decided to make a version of the traditional 1930's Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt that is less common than the one with a <i>path</i> or <i>ring</i> around each of the flowers. I chose this design. Note the green hexie <i>leaves</i>, which form a vertical-horizontal grid.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LbWPm2vC7A/VTQ1bQAfXpI/AAAAAAAAFCc/Lg_iFtcognc/s1600/TopOnTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, layout" border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LbWPm2vC7A/VTQ1bQAfXpI/AAAAAAAAFCc/Lg_iFtcognc/s1600/TopOnTable.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, layout" width="400" /></a></div>
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The final size is 72 x 92 inches, a comfortable size for a twin bed, a total of 4,694 hexies. I wanted to use as many different fabrics in this quilt as possible. <br />
<ul>
<li>flowers = 280 different print fabrics with any background color except green or white.</li>
<li>leaves = 150 different print fabrics in green</li>
<li>flower centers (repeats OK) = 25 different solids</li>
<li>double border = 1 print + 1 solid </li>
</ul>
Although I had collected 30's reproduction fabrics for a few years, I certainly needed more. From a selection of fabrics given to me, fabrics purchased in an eBay auction, and my stash, I found enough to make each of the flowers unique. Although there were not enough greens to make the leaves unique, I had about 60 different green prints, such that each is not repeated more than 3 times in the quilt. So, in the end the quilt includes more than 360 unique fabrics!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tDppPTRvySU/VTQ2dpy5BZI/AAAAAAAAFCo/zwpY1-5L68w/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers_Stack_DetailPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, fabrics for flowers" border="0" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tDppPTRvySU/VTQ2dpy5BZI/AAAAAAAAFCo/zwpY1-5L68w/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers_Stack_DetailPeek.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, fabrics for flowers" width="400" /></a></div>
<h4>
Step 2 - Wash and Iron all of the Fabrics - time: 15 hours</h4>
Yikes! A few of the fabrics I wanted to use were already washed; most were not. Knowing it should be consistent, and worrying that the reds might bleed, I decided to pre-wash and iron all of the fabrics. Doing this step in stages, as I acquired fabrics, I'm not really sure how long it took, perhaps quite a bit more than the above estimate.<br />
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<h4>
Step 3 - Cutting and Trimming all of the Hexies - time: 28 hours</h4>
For each of the 4,694 hexies, I cut a 2" square of fabric, and trimmed off the four corners. Of course, I cut and trimmed in multiples, except for a few that I fussy cut individually. Again, since I did this step in stages, the above time estimate is a bit rough.<br />
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<h4>
Step 4 - Basting the Fabric to the Paper Hexie Forms - time: 235 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KAB4zGkr-iQ/VTRGZKL55HI/AAAAAAAAFEo/LwOXQ9BGOAI/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SingleHex_Basting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, basting hexies" border="0" height="293" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KAB4zGkr-iQ/VTRGZKL55HI/AAAAAAAAFEo/LwOXQ9BGOAI/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SingleHex_Basting2.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, basting hexies" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once I learned that using YLI quilting thread for basting makes it go much faster than using regular sewing thread, I was able to baste 20 hexies per hour.<br />
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<h4>
Step 5 - Stitching Hexies Together to Make Flowers - time: 105 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jEwCmEDLVrg/VTQ3YInf5AI/AAAAAAAAFC4/ontIEske6_k/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, whip stitching flowers" border="0" height="323" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jEwCmEDLVrg/VTQ3YInf5AI/AAAAAAAAFC4/ontIEske6_k/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_SmallFlowers8.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, whip stitching flowers" width="400" /></a></div>
Averaging 2.5 complete flowers per hour, it took me about two and a half 40-hour-work-weeks to whip-stitch all 238 full and 42 partial flowers. There are 14-17 whip-stitches per 3/4 inch seam.<br />
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<h4>
Step 6 - Stitching a White Hexie Ring Around 130 of the Flowers - time: 130 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Au900LaPsk/VTQ3qdFWKNI/AAAAAAAAFDA/omKZk6qElCM/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_75Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, ringed flowers" border="0" height="307" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Au900LaPsk/VTQ3qdFWKNI/AAAAAAAAFDA/omKZk6qElCM/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_75Flowers.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, ringed flowers" width="400" /></a></div>
On average, it takes me 1 hour to whip-stitch 12 white hexies around each flower.<br />
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<h4>
Step 7 - Layout Flowers for Quilt Top; Note Position on Each - time: 4 hours</h4>
I didn't fuss too much about the layout, spreading out the flowers randomly, making sure the red ones were evenly spaced, and that no areas were overly dominated by one color. Assigning each row a letter and each position within the row a number, I marked each flower on the back (writing on the center paper piece).<br />
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<b>Step 7a - Half Flowers and Double Border All Around - time 90 hours</b><br />
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This is an update, added Feb. 2018. (I can't believe I forgot this important step when writing the original time line.) To make 42 partial flowers to fill in the gaps around the edges of the top, I cut fabrics, basted hexies, joined petals, and then stitched the partials into the gaps. To make the outer border, I made 522 individual hexies, stitched them into rows, and then stitched the rows onto the top.<b> </b><br />
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Step 8 - Sew Flowers into Small Groups - time: 90 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HsfsCGl5dA/VTQ35vTYbPI/AAAAAAAAFDI/AFYcu1bBDOM/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_LgPcs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, flowers stitched together in small groups" border="0" height="301" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HsfsCGl5dA/VTQ35vTYbPI/AAAAAAAAFDI/AFYcu1bBDOM/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_LgPcs.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, flowers stitched together in small groups" width="400" /></a></div>
To assemble the quilt top, I grouped 8-12 flowers, and whip-stitched them into a solid piece. There were 30 pieces, which took about 3 hours each to complete.<br />
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<h4>
Step 9 - Sew Small Groups Together to Complete Quilt Top - time: 123 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_maP7xuz-AM/VTQ4pmBoy7I/AAAAAAAAFDU/bF8bXK5dsA8/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_LastSeam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, rows stitched together" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_maP7xuz-AM/VTQ4pmBoy7I/AAAAAAAAFDU/bF8bXK5dsA8/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_LastSeam2.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, rows stitched together" width="305" /></a></div>
I first sewed the small groups into rows, then stitched the rows together. As the sections got larger, the stitching took longer, making it difficult to estimate the time with total accuracy. I did a couple of time tests at different stages of the process in order to figure the above total. I completed this step on March 1st, 2013, one year after basting the first hexie.<br />
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<h4>
Step 10 - Iron/Starch Top, Remove Papers and Basting Stitches - time: 33 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dFtrduhl7JQ/VTQ45bxgKmI/AAAAAAAAFDc/N_8f8Kuzm38/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_BastingThreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, pulled basting threads" border="0" height="303" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dFtrduhl7JQ/VTQ45bxgKmI/AAAAAAAAFDc/N_8f8Kuzm38/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_BastingThreads.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, pulled basting threads" width="400" /></a></div>
Removing all the basting stitches and papers took a lot longer than I would have guessed. But when I look at the pile of basting threads, it begins to make sense.<br />
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<h4>
Step 11 - Assemble Quilt Layers, and Baste - time: 12 hours</h4>
Christy and Lunnette helped me layout the back, batting, and top on the floor; then baste in a 4 inch grid. I think we pinned it first, then basted, then removed the pins. On our knees for most of the time, it sure was wonderful to have their help!<br />
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<h4>
Step 10 - Quilt and Embroider the Flower Centers - time: 70 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TVy0wxKH3FM/VTQ5a991elI/AAAAAAAAFDk/E9_dqwbKqjU/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_EmbroiderFlowerCntrs_detail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, embroidered/quilted flower centers" border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TVy0wxKH3FM/VTQ5a991elI/AAAAAAAAFDk/E9_dqwbKqjU/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_EmbroiderFlowerCntrs_detail2.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, embroidered/quilted flower centers" width="400" /></a></div>
Choosing a floss in a similar color to each flower center, I embroidered a flower. Intentionally, some of the stitches act as quilting stitches, while others slip between the layers and don't show on the back. Around the edges of the quilt, it took about 15 minutes per flower center. Toward the middle of the quilt, it took about 20 minutes per flower center. <br />
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<h4>
Step 11 - Quilt Flower Petals - time: 106 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH_464shx60/VTQ7qrFfEAI/AAAAAAAAFDw/oWPNTxJb9ek/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltFlower_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted flowers" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH_464shx60/VTQ7qrFfEAI/AAAAAAAAFDw/oWPNTxJb9ek/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltFlower_Front.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted flowers" width="388" /></a></div>
Quilting around the petals of each flower requires turning the quilt 270 degrees for each petal, which is why it takes at least 20 minutes per flower, longer toward the middle of the quilt when the whole weight of the quilt must be constantly shifted. There are 238 whole and 42 partial flowers. I'm figuring an average of 25 minutes per whole and 10 minutes per partial flower.<br />
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<h4>
Step 12 - Quilt Around White Rings - time: 65 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ymF8g3b4MVk/VTQ-PBTU_AI/AAAAAAAAFEE/SofcLFMNkDk/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltWhiteRings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted rings" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ymF8g3b4MVk/VTQ-PBTU_AI/AAAAAAAAFEE/SofcLFMNkDk/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltWhiteRings.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted rings" width="372" /></a></div>
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Like quilting the flower petals, quilting around the outside edge of each of the 130 white rings requires turning the whole quilt as I work, which adds a lot to the time it takes. I believe quilting the entire top in a diagonal grid of straight lines would take about half the time it takes to follow the curved, zig-zagging path of the hexie flowers, leaves, and rings.<br />
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<h4>
Step 13 - Quilt Around Each of the Leaves - time: 79 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-poRBkaGxhcg/VTQ-jSjWPeI/AAAAAAAAFEM/eYAmtnIahO0/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltLeaves_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted leaves" border="0" height="312" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-poRBkaGxhcg/VTQ-jSjWPeI/AAAAAAAAFEM/eYAmtnIahO0/s1600/RA_HexieQuilt_QuiltLeaves_03.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, quilted leaves" width="400" /></a></div>
Not only does this step require turning the quilt as I stitch 360 degrees around each leaf, it also requires knotting and burying the tail at the start and finish of each leaf. Also I'm changing color of thread to more or less match the fabric color for each set of 4 leaves. Around the edge, it takes about 9 minutes per leaf; toward the center 11 minutes per leaf. There are 474 leaves total, at an average of 10 minutes/leaf.<br />
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<h4>
Step 14 - Assemble Hexies for the Border Facing - time: 37 hours</h4>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTPVfTXTa9A/VTRD30LoJII/AAAAAAAAFEc/j2TcF6-p9Tw/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_BorderStrips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, hexie strips for border facing" border="0" height="186" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTPVfTXTa9A/VTRD30LoJII/AAAAAAAAFEc/j2TcF6-p9Tw/s1600/RA_HexQuilt_BorderStrips.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden hexie quilt, Robin Atkins, hexie strips for border facing" width="400" /></a></div>
To face the double (print + blue) border on the back of the quilt requires 522 hexies. To sew them together, forming the border strips, takes about 1 hour per 14 hexies.<br />
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<h4>
Step 15 - Trim Backing and Batting; Blind-stitch Facing to Border - time: 13 hours</h4>
There are 264 hexies around the outside edge of the quilt top. Since I have not done this step yet, the time estimate (blind-stitching 20 hexies together per hour) is somewhat rough.<br />
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<h4>
Step 16 - Remove Paper Pieces and Basting from Border and Facing - time: 10 hours</h4>
Again, since I have not done this step yet, the time estimate is based on the time it took to remove paper pieces and basting threads from the quilt top.<br />
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<h4>
Step 17 - Blind-stitch Facing to Quilt Back - time: 13 hours</h4>
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Step 18 - Quilt Around Print Fabric Border - time: 13 hours</h4>
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Step 19 - Blanket Stitch Around Outside Edge of Quilt - time: 10 hours</h4>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * </span></b><br />
<h4>
Total Time to Complete Hand-Piecing the Quilt Top: 873 hours</h4>
This is equivalent to nearly 20 weeks or 5 months on a 40 hours/week job. It took me a year. Mostly the time flew by as I basted and hand-stitched the little hexies together. Always there was a new print to enjoy, a new stack mounting in size to admire, a growing quilt top to thrill me.<br />
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<h4>
Total Time to Complete Hand-Quilting: 428 hours</h4>
Since this job isn't completed yet, the time is only a rough estimate, based on the times it took to do some of the already completed steps. In all, hand quilting will take the equivalent to 10 or 11 weeks of full-time work. I find the quilting <strike>rather</strike> very boring. After taking a break for more than a year, I started working on it again and hope to be finished by August this year. Audio books are the answer to the tedium for me.<br />
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<h4>
Total Time, Start to Finish: 1,301 hours</h4>
With Steps15-19 still to complete, the total is a rough estimate. Still, it is obvious that making a quilt like this, start to finish, requires more than 1,300 hours or the equivalent of over 8 months of full time work. If I were to be paid only minimum wages (2015, Seattle, WA - $11/hr.), the cost of the quilt would be $14,311 + about $500 in materials, or a total of $14,800. Good thing I intend to keep and use it myself!<br />
<h3>
<br />UPDATE, July 4, 2016</h3>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_RZO-LBx514/V3rqLnAhhQI/AAAAAAAAFc8/HuOuxdU0gGEEvxjiWJZwa4p6wfe9q8UOQCLcB/s1600/MamasGarden_detail_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt by Robin Atkins, detail" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_RZO-LBx514/V3rqLnAhhQI/AAAAAAAAFc8/HuOuxdU0gGEEvxjiWJZwa4p6wfe9q8UOQCLcB/s400/MamasGarden_detail_RA.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt by Robin Atkins, detail" width="400" /></a></div>
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By June, 2015, I completely finished one corner, an area big enough to photograph so I could submit an entry form to the 2015 La Conner Quilt Festival, sponsored by the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum. On August 7th, 2015, I received notice that it was juried into the show. Wow! That sent me into high gear for sure. After working non-stop, 7 days a week, and an average of 10 hours per day, I inserted my needle into that quilt for the last/final time on Aug. 24th, 2015, just days before delivering it to the museum. It took me 3 years and 3 months, start to finish!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_K2PFZjpXZk/V3rqnZRKBJI/AAAAAAAAFdA/_eaWKnCi76kQU0UKfr8Cje_OCqjuQBLrwCLcB/s1600/LaConnerQuiltFestival_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt by Robin Atkins" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_K2PFZjpXZk/V3rqnZRKBJI/AAAAAAAAFdA/_eaWKnCi76kQU0UKfr8Cje_OCqjuQBLrwCLcB/s400/LaConnerQuiltFestival_01.jpg" title="Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt by Robin Atkins" width="300" /></a></div>
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I was surprised, honored, and incredibly pleased to find out it won the Curator's Award of Excellence, one of the top awards, which then qualified it to be shown at the museum for the month following the Festival. Note, the finished size is 71 x 93 inches, and there are 4,700 individual hexagons in it.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOT2HBfL1Q4/V3rvGjbY48I/AAAAAAAAFdY/h8jJdbXuOw8m0D_V9mGaoLo_n0_B01AgwCLcB/s1600/MamasGarden_full_RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOT2HBfL1Q4/V3rvGjbY48I/AAAAAAAAFdY/h8jJdbXuOw8m0D_V9mGaoLo_n0_B01AgwCLcB/s400/MamasGarden_full_RA.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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Big work for both hands, but sooooo satisfying!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BspuBwnrEnc/V3rro18pXsI/AAAAAAAAFdM/XX5YtIKVJsIXK_tp78d7YOfbWBGXqsvUwCLcB/s1600/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="733 hexie flowers, ready for design wall" border="0" height="152" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BspuBwnrEnc/V3rro18pXsI/AAAAAAAAFdM/XX5YtIKVJsIXK_tp78d7YOfbWBGXqsvUwCLcB/s400/Flowers_Finished733_Teaser.jpg" title="733 hexie flowers, ready for design wall" width="400" /></a></div>
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In fact it was so satisfying that I've started another hexie quilt... Can you believe it? So far, <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2016/05/hexie-2-report-733-hexie-flowers.html" target="_blank">I've made 733 hexie flowers</a> for it! Although they are the same size hexies, there are no reproduction fabrics and the arrangement will be anything but traditional. Don't know why I love the hexagon shape so much... but it's certain that I do.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-66785130911996254152015-03-25T17:49:00.000-07:002015-03-27T21:47:44.771-07:00Exhibition of My Beadwork... April 1 - May 3!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Beadlust</i> </b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>an exhibition of bead and fiber
works by Robin Atkins</b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small; size: 4;">This is the first solo exhibition of my work!
I am very pleased and honored that the La
Conner Quilt & Textile Museum offered me a show in their new Local Artist
Exhibit Program's first-floor Landmarks Gallery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; size: 4;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; size: 4;">There are 28 pieces in the exhibition, including beaded quilts, books, dolls, and framed art. Several of the pieces are new and have not been exhibited previously. Below is one of them, a beaded and embroidered collage using some of my hand-dyed, re-purposed fabrics.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gADK4Azz2GE/VRNUAfe0AII/AAAAAAAAFCA/pmvlKxlSXfs/s1600/HerOwnTree_ArtOnly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hand-dyed, beaded, embroidered fabric collage" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gADK4Azz2GE/VRNUAfe0AII/AAAAAAAAFCA/pmvlKxlSXfs/s1600/HerOwnTree_ArtOnly.jpg" title="Every Child Should Have Her Own Tree by Robin Atkins" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Every Child Should Have Her Own Tree,</i> hand-dyed, beaded, embroidered fabric collage</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; size: 4;">I hope some of you will
be able to come see my work, as well as the work of the other two featured quilt
artists in the upper floor galleries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small; size: 4;"><b>Exhibition Information: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Where: La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, 703 2nd Street,
La Conner, WA </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">When: April 1 - May 3, 2015. Museum hours are 11-5 Wednesday through Sunday (closed
Mon. & Tues.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Contact Museum: 360-466-4288; web <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/">www.laconnerquilts.org</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Info about the exhibit: <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/beadlust---robin-atkins.html" title="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/beadlust---robin-atkins.html">http://www.laconnerquilts.org/beadlust---robin-atkins.html</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Other exhibits: The work of <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/fabric-impressions.html" target="_blank">Denise Miller and Nancy Ryan</a> is on
the 2nd & 3rd floor of the museum; Robin’s work is on the 1st
floor<b> </b></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Exhibition Events:</b> </span></div>
<div>
<ul><span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Opening reception at the museum: April 1, 4 to 7 pm; all three
artists will be there; free admission</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Demonstration at the museum: Robin demonstrates process and
techniques of bead embroidery, April 1, 2-4 pmWorkshop: </span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Robin teaches Improvisational Bead Embroidery, May
2-3 in La Conner <a href="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/improvisational-bead-embroidery.html" title="http://www.laconnerquilts.org/improvisational-bead-embroidery.html">http://www.laconnerquilts.org/improvisational-bead-embroidery.html</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A couple of readers have contacted me asking if the above work, or any of the other pieces will be for sale... Nope, afraid not... exhibition only, although the museum's excellent gift shop does carry my books. </span>Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-20782866627752354862015-03-19T23:51:00.000-07:002015-03-20T19:01:31.556-07:00Wool Applique Chicks - Tips All 16 chicks are finished now, and I've started quilting the piece!!! I'm quilting by hand, using a single strand of non-mercerized (not shiny) thread (Anchor brand), which is about the same weight as size 12 pearl cotton. This is how it looks so far...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mt1bdLMQJ4/VQu_eGZ3_1I/AAAAAAAAFAE/a3yOaXPzhBM/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks, in quilting process" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mt1bdLMQJ4/VQu_eGZ3_1I/AAAAAAAAFAE/a3yOaXPzhBM/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_Finished.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks, in quilting process" width="327" /></a></div>
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While I contemplate how to proceed with the quilting, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the design process with you, especially since a few readers have said they might want to try something like this.<br />
<br />
<b>Learning the Stitches - Which Ones to Use and Where to Use Them</b><br />
<br />
Sue Spargo's book, <a href="http://www.suespargo.com/store-detail.php?cat=12&ID=1" target="_blank"><i>Creative Stitching</i></a>, was very important in my design process. I didn't know most of the stitches when I started this piece. The instructions in the book are easy to follow, and I was able to learn all that I wanted from the book. More than learning the stitches, the photos in the book allowed me to see how she uses the stitches to embellish her wool applique shapes. Also, she writes about the threads and needles she uses. I followed her suggestions for needles, but did not use many of the threads she mentions.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bZd-BzUT-M/VQvBZ8G6fDI/AAAAAAAAFAQ/iHSOeIzVdec/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bZd-BzUT-M/VQvBZ8G6fDI/AAAAAAAAFAQ/iHSOeIzVdec/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_5.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="352" /></a></div>
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<b>Layout the Shapes</b><br />
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The wool is felted. I bought already felted (correct term is actually "fulled") wool. But you can make your own by washing wool fabric and drying it in the dryer. Here are <a href="http://www.quiltmaker.com/articles/felting_or_fulling_woven_wool" target="_blank">some useful instructions for fulling wool fabri</a>c.<br />
<br />
The first step is to cut out the chicks from felted wool fabrics. (Although I made chicks, the shape could be anything... butterflies, flowers, circles, donkeys...) I used 16 different colors, making each chick a different color. I used "chick colors" for some of the wings; others are from a bag of wool scraps I bought at the La Conner Quilt Festival.<br />
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I used 60 wt. cotton sewing thread to applique the chicks to the background fabric. Use a thread color that matches the chick color as closely as possible. Although it's a bit shiny, a single strand of embroidery floss would also work for this task.<br />
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<b>Starting to Embellish the Chicks</b><br />
<br />
When I finished appliqueing the chicks to the background wool, they just looked like blobs, barely recognizable as chicks. This is not inspirational for starting to embellish! I found that in order to even want to start, I needed to make them more real, more chick-like. So I gave them all eyes, all 16 of them. That helped a lot, but still they didn't feel real. So I gave them all feet, and then beaks. So as not to get bored, I changed thread color for both beaks and feet. Some of the eyes are made with a button; some with a flower-shaped bead; some with a disc-shaped bead. When all of them had eyes, feet, and beaks, finally they began to be chicks, and I was ready to start!!!<br />
<br />
Even so... starting is daunting. I used the same method I use (and teach) for bead embroidery... If you've taken a class from me you've heard me say, "Pick up a bead you love, and sew it on somewhere." That's what I did... picked up a thread I loved, picked a stitch that interested me from Sue's book, picked a chick color that appealed to me at that moment, and started practicing the stitch.<br />
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When I finished, I just did the same thing again. Sometimes it was the same chick, sometimes I chose a different chick. I kept picking a thread I liked, usually one I hadn't previously used, a stitch I wanted to learn or really liked, and a chick that seemed "to like" the chosen thread color.<br />
<br />
After a while, some of the chicks were fully embellished. Once I learned the stitches and had experimented with various threads, I tended to work on one chick until it was finished. But <strike>if </strike> when<strike></strike> I got stuck, and couldn't think what to do next with a particular chick, I just moved along to some other chick that appealed to me at that moment.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5CYg60TlGE/VQvBrAv9xfI/AAAAAAAAFAY/M334NNH9yiU/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5CYg60TlGE/VQvBrAv9xfI/AAAAAAAAFAY/M334NNH9yiU/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_6.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="330" /></a></div>
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<b>Another way to get started</b><br />
<br />
If you feel a bit timid about starting, you could make a pincushion, such as I did, shown below. It doesn't take a lot of time or materials, and can give you both practice (particularly in making beaks and feet) and confidence.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a84lGV39XuQ/VQxwunrbuPI/AAAAAAAAFBQ/yHtSsg-42js/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Pincushion_Applique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wool felt applique pincushion, Robin Atkins" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a84lGV39XuQ/VQxwunrbuPI/AAAAAAAAFBQ/yHtSsg-42js/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Pincushion_Applique.jpg" height="278" title="wool felt applique pincushion, Robin Atkins" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Personality</b><br />
<br />
I can't help but think of the chicks as youngsters, maybe early teens, with
emerging personalities... each, as I work on it,
starts to have a story which plays out in my head while I stitch. Once the story begins, it's easier to choose stitches, design motifs, and threads which further develop the story or personality of that chick. Thinking about the chick's personality and background story, keeps me from getting bored, and makes it really fun to work on the piece.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cdZKU7jX5tk/VQvB5mbF60I/AAAAAAAAFAg/ZKjcmKSLwv4/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cdZKU7jX5tk/VQvB5mbF60I/AAAAAAAAFAg/ZKjcmKSLwv4/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_3a.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="340" /></a></div>
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<b>Thread Hints</b><br />
<br />
I already wrote about threads, adding it to the bottom the <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/03/wool-applique-chicks-i-love-handwork.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> (or, scroll down one more post).<br />
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<b>What's Next?</b><br />
<br />
As usual, I don't know. I take it one step at a time, trying not to figure it all out before I start. I do what I know to do. If there isn't anything I know to do, then I wait... wait for an idea, for inspiration, for a solution... wait until I know what to do next, but only the next thing... I try to ignore the question of what comes after the next thing. That's what I'm doing now... waiting to know what the next step in the quilting process will be.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28049265.post-90043255675105158532015-03-12T21:18:00.000-07:002015-03-13T13:46:37.697-07:00Wool Applique Chicks - I Love Handwork!!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsX4JUIigE0/VQJdO9SEcnI/AAAAAAAAE-U/r0BNryvVka8/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsX4JUIigE0/VQJdO9SEcnI/AAAAAAAAE-U/r0BNryvVka8/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_7.jpg" height="320" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="284" /></a></div>
I started this project in October, 2014, so I would have a nice handwork project while traveling for a month in Europe. I love it!!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VxPeidapLo4/VQJdzdc8v7I/AAAAAAAAE-c/L36Fyd-OluM/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VxPeidapLo4/VQJdzdc8v7I/AAAAAAAAE-c/L36Fyd-OluM/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_8.jpg" height="320" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="300" /></a></div>
A bunch of pre-cut threads and trims, a small package of mixed seed beads/buttons/sequins, a folded piece of felt with various sizes of needles, embroidery scissors, <a href="http://www.suespargo.com/store-detail.php?cat=12&ID=1" target="_blank">Sue Spargo's book</a>, and 16 wool chicks already stitched to the background wool fit very nicely into a 12 x 9 inch zippered, mesh bag.... perfect to tuck into my backpack! I stitched on the airplanes, in people's homes, and with my beady/quilty friends! At the end of the month, 8 chicks were finished. <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2014/11/wool-applique-chicks-with-emerging.html" target="_blank">You can see them here.</a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0y8WH-Qjb6Q/VQJeaVNbgTI/AAAAAAAAE-s/CH2FVDT7moY/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0y8WH-Qjb6Q/VQJeaVNbgTI/AAAAAAAAE-s/CH2FVDT7moY/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_2.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="331" /></a></div>
Since then, I've been busy making a <a href="http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2015/03/huge-challenge-making-whole-from-parts.html" target="_blank">Travel Diary quilt</a>, and starting another very challenging "Shimmer" quilt, which will be the subject of the next post. However, once in a while, the Chicks are just the right break from machine sewing. Working on them makes me happy and peaceful.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5kM42QHPhI/VQJe8pvlv9I/AAAAAAAAE-0/5o_aNEQXReU/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5kM42QHPhI/VQJe8pvlv9I/AAAAAAAAE-0/5o_aNEQXReU/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_4.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="323" /></a></div>
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The new ones are in this post... As you can see in the photo below, I still have 2 chicks to embellish, plus one that might need something more.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-igcsR-aFD_E/VQJeFIIhF2I/AAAAAAAAE-k/1aHa4pKcjfQ/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_MostlyFinished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks, unfinished" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-igcsR-aFD_E/VQJeFIIhF2I/AAAAAAAAE-k/1aHa4pKcjfQ/s1600/Atkins_Chicks_MostlyFinished.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks, unfinished" width="321" /></a></div>
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When all of them are finished, it will be time to decide what to do with them. My idea so far is to make them into a small wall quilt, hand quilting around the chicks, maybe adding a few flowers between some of the chicks. I'll wait to decide, keeping all options open until the chicks are finished.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iINZrxwHB2s/VQJfPMxBjbI/AAAAAAAAE-8/1fJHbdbpiwY/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iINZrxwHB2s/VQJfPMxBjbI/AAAAAAAAE-8/1fJHbdbpiwY/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_3.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="355" /></a></div>
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Most of the chicks are girls, but so far 3 of them seem to have a bit of testosterone... can you tell which ones are the boys? You'll need to click on the above picture of all 16 to enlarge it enough to find the boys. If you feel like making a guess, let's give them numbers starting at the top left with 1 and going across row by row. As you can probably tell, the one below is definitely a girly girl!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6oj-Jdfeurw/VQJYqpsUT6I/AAAAAAAAE-A/2r5CgzDl1Dg/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6oj-Jdfeurw/VQJYqpsUT6I/AAAAAAAAE-A/2r5CgzDl1Dg/s1600/Atkins_Robin_Applique_Chicks_SecondEight_1.jpg" height="400" title="Robin Atkins embroidered, wool applique chicks" width="365" /></a></div>
By the way, the lace trim on the above chick is vintage lace from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButtonsandLace76" target="_blank">LaDonne Weinland</a>, an Etsy vendor. It was white, which was too "strong" a color for this piece. So I painted dye on it!!! These are the pieces I painted. To give you an idea of scale, the lace is just under 1/4" wide. The chick, from the bottoms of her feet to the top of her crown, is exactly 3 inches tall.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xw6RS1v3IA/VQJcMpO13UI/AAAAAAAAE-M/QHD1EfgpOaw/s1600/Atkins_HandDyedTrims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5xw6RS1v3IA/VQJcMpO13UI/AAAAAAAAE-M/QHD1EfgpOaw/s1600/Atkins_HandDyedTrims.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Threads! </b></h3>
People ask me where I got all the threads I use for these chicks. Here are some answers...<br />
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<b>Variegated pearl cotton.</b> I'd estimate that over half the stitches (all the beaks and feet, most of the edge stitches, tails, and top-knots) are pearl cotton, size 8 or 12. I like using threads that are subtly variegated. DMC and Valdani are two brands of pearl cotton that come in a ball for $5 to $7 per ball. I have purchased some Valdani balls from <a href="http://www.suespargo.com/store.php?cat=45" target="_blank">Sue Spargo</a> and <a href="http://www.ds9designs.com/t_valdani12.shtml" target="_blank">some from this site</a>.<br />
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But most of my perle cotton comes from <a href="http://aflembroidery.com/html/threads.htm" target="_blank">African Folklore Embroidery</a> ... Leora Raikin, the owner, packages hand-dyed, variegated, pearl cotton on cards of three colors, each color about 10 yards in length, for $5. She has a HUGE selection, from which you can have 24 colors for only $40!!! I love the colors, the subtle changes of colors in the variegation, and the quality of the thread. Here's <a href="http://aflembroidery.secure-mall.com/category/Pearl-8-Cotton-23" target="_blank">a page that shows her colors</a> in size 8 pearl cotton... mind boggling!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql_pJTA3Me0/VQNLLaNz3nI/AAAAAAAAE_0/gkYL_awGKtM/s1600/AfricanFolklore_VariegatedPearlCotton_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Variegated pearl cotton from African Folklore (I have already used some of it!)" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql_pJTA3Me0/VQNLLaNz3nI/AAAAAAAAE_0/gkYL_awGKtM/s1600/AfricanFolklore_VariegatedPearlCotton_2.jpg" height="400" title="Variegated pearl cotton from African Folklore (I have already used some of it!)" width="330" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My photo does not show the full amount you get... only how it is packaged, 3 colors to a card!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Embroidery floss.</b> For finer stitches and details, I often switch to regular embroidery floss. Again I gravitate toward the variegated colors. DMC has put out a lot of new variegated skeins in recent years. If you have an older supply of solid colors, you might want to check out DMC's 24 new colors. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/96501716/dmc-new-variegated-6-strand-floss-1-each?ref=shop_home_feat_2" target="_blank">Here's an Etsy seller that offers them</a>. Or, if you are in the Seattle area, Nancy's Sewing Basket (on Queen Anne hill) stocks all of them. They are much more subtle than previous DMC variegated floss choices, more like hand-dyed. Anchor has also added nice options to their line.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JC4y-1PSSHM/VQNBJC8YqyI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/DLgXNTW3Kug/s1600/DMC_24NewVariegatedColors_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DMC variegated embroidery floss, 24 new colors" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JC4y-1PSSHM/VQNBJC8YqyI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/DLgXNTW3Kug/s1600/DMC_24NewVariegatedColors_2.jpg" height="300" title="DMC variegated embroidery floss, 24 new colors" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztR58BTbEs8/VQM_Hq9V_eI/AAAAAAAAE_M/1BiYFWM6YDc/s1600/DMC_24NewVariegatedColors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DMC variegated embroidery floss, 24 new colors" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztR58BTbEs8/VQM_Hq9V_eI/AAAAAAAAE_M/1BiYFWM6YDc/s1600/DMC_24NewVariegatedColors.jpg" height="284" title="DMC variegated embroidery floss, 24 new colors" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also buy hand-dyed embroidery floss when I see a skein that appeals to me. Again, I like the subtlety of it.<br />
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<b>Other threads. </b>Sue Spargo offers a line of variegated silk threads in beautiful colors, which she calls <a href="https://www.suespargo.com/store.php?cat=54" target="_blank"><i>Silken Pearl</i></a>. I bought some of them from her during the class, and have enjoyed using them. The sheen of the silk is a lovely contrast to the more matte quality of the pearl cotton.<br />
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In her book, Sue recommends using a wool thread to applique the wool chicks to the background wool. Since it is quite expensive, I used 60 weight cotton applique/sewing thread by Metler, which I already had in a range of colors. It works fine. If I didn't already have the Metler thread, I probably would have bought a set of <i>Genziana wool threads</i> on bobbins on Etsy, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/198292980/genziana-wool-thread-25-color-bobbin-set?ref=shop_home_feat_2" target="_blank">here</a>. This wool thread is a bit too fine for embellishment work, but it's great for wool applique.<br />
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Novelty yarns, metallic threads, chenille, dazzle threads, etc. all have their occasional use as well. As I tend to like more matte and less bling, I don't often use these threads. But it's fun to experiment with them. I did use chenille on one of the above chicks... can you find it? <span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700778413231259614noreply@blogger.com27