Quilting and Recycling

The batting is cut to size because I'm planning on binding with the back.

I'm making this little quilt to test out a pattern I drafted for a hexagon quilt that is sown in strips. Mostly I made the top out of articles of clothing. A few pretty tops and a brown skirt and this blue vintage sheet, plus some scraps of plaid. The batting is an airplane blanket.

I love to recycle and re-purpose fabric into quilt projects. I often drool over designer collections and I do buy fabric sometimes, but mostly I find lines of fabric to be pure inspiration for how to pair fabrics in my own stash. So much fabric is readily available in the way of clothes and cotton sheets, so much of it in perfect condition aside from minor flaws that can be discarded when choosing quilt pieces. It is like a puzzle, trying to decide what to use. 

Especially for a project like this one, which is a practice piece. I have it basted and ready to go, just as soon as I decide how to quilt it.

I am inspired to finish up this quilt because I was telling my BC quilting friend Caroline Heinrichs at Good Earth Quilting about my interest in recycling and I won her giveaway! I am so excited not only to win some beautiful fabric but to have made a connection with another quilter who enjoys the economical and environmentally friendly practice of re-purposing fabric.

We have so much surplus in this age when things are made to be thrown away.

Also I just have to bring to light that clothing manufacture is often outsourced to factories where people are paid poorly and have no rights. Banana Republic, GAP, Old Navy, Levi's, Victoria's Secret, etc etc... it is shocking to do some research and investigate how many popular stores and brand names get their clothes from third-world countries with the cheapest labor.  For me, using these like-new but discarded items is a way to honor the people who made them, who might work in a sweat shop, while we in the developed world might buy something and never even wear it.

The age of consumerism is soiling our planet. I love new fabric and I do buy it with pleasure, however I also want to advocate for reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling products whenever possible. For thrift of course but also for the Earth and for our oceans.

Okay, now I will get off my recycling soap box, promise!

Up close and personal with a baby goat's breakfast

At home I am counting my blessings, and among them my three milking goats and the bounty of milk and poo for the garden that they give us. Animals always pick up on my mood and every morning they offer me a reminder to have gratitude for the abundance in my life and to live in the present moment. The goats love having a routine, and they give me a reason to maintain stability in my life.

I might be in danger of becoming a crazy hippie goat lady.

I can always count on these two to help make the milk disappear.

It is my sweet boy's birthday today.

We had a pirate party and he had a wonderful time, greeting every guest at the door with a big "Happy Birthday!!"

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my rambles!

On this Work In Progress Wednesday I am linking up with Lee at her blog, Freshly Pieced.

Have a beautiful week out there.

Blackberry Patches

Finally I am finished with my FMQ project!

I am so happy with how it came out, mistakes and all.

I'm going to call it "Blackberry Patch" because the little flowery black fabric used throughout the quilt reminds me of blackberry flowers. The quilt also makes me think of blackberry lemonade, with all the yellow squares.

This was the first time I free motion quilted a project larger than a potholder or oven mitt.

The quilt backing is a vintage polka dot sheet.

As you can see I had some tension problems along the way. And, there are a few places where my quilting "skipped" because the weight of the quilt was pulling it away from the machine. This created the odd stitch that was about 3 times too long and veered off in the wrong direction. But, that only happened a few times before I got the hang of how to maneuver the quilt and hold it properly.

I also employed a few techniques from Crazy Mom Quilt's Quilt Making Basics. This is the most popular quilt blog I've come across, and I think that is because this lady is really, really good at writing tutorials. I used a flat strip of binding and didn't do any ironing, I just machine sewed it to the front and then folded and pinned it in place before hand sewing it on the back. So easy!

Poor little guy, look at that sad face. Wrapping him up in the quilt made him feel a bit better but all in all it was a rough and ready photo shoot because little David needed some attention. I just managed to get a shot of his little Easter basket that I made this out of willow this morning - first basket I have made in years. It is really tiny but it was a nice project for getting back into the craft of weaving.

The problem with basketry sometimes is timing. I put this willow on to soak about 8 days ago - it has been ready to weave with for a few days already. I had to make something or else the bark will peel if it soaks too long, and the willow will kink up instead of bending nicely.

This quilt was made with 100% recycled materials, except for the thread and batting.

It measures about 52" x 70".

I am so happy to have saved this project and turned it into a finished quilt. It feels really good to have it all done! Time for a picnic?

Jenna Jade Designs

I am so excited to share a photo of my new cashmere sweater!

My "Jenna Sweater"

This soft and cozy sweater is made from other cashmere sweaters, that Jenna stitched together on her serger. She has made about a hundred of these gorgeous garments, and all of them are unique and equally beautiful. Some are more like dresses, some are for men, some have lots of machine embroidery and applique. Often they are evocative of forest-dwelling faeries or elves, with peaked hoods and bell sleeves. They are perfect for the west coast.

Mine is a little big on me but I seriously have barely taken it off since I got it, it is so comfy! I love it - especially the appliqued wool stars along the hip line.

Check out some more of Jenna's beautiful work at her site:

Jenna Jade Designs

Up-cycling at its finest.

Jenna works primarily with wool and a couple summers ago she made this fantastic dress and gauntlets out of the green wool pool-table lining from the pub. Such creativity! She has also serged together wool blankets to create patchwork quilts and has a coveted pair of wool pants that were made in the same style.

Jenna sent me a little poncho when my baby was born. I convinced David to model it for me tonight because I can't find a picture of him wearing it as a baby.

It has a little pointed hood with a heart stitched on the underside. Such a sweet handmade baby gift.

Meanwhile in my world...

The fabric pile of shame.

We won't even talk about where my sewing pile is at right now. Boxes of scraps and fabric and clothes and bags are begging for my attention. Cringe.

But I have been furiously free motion quilting instead. It is actually kind of a work-out, or maybe that is because I am really out of shape. But seriously I feel like I've just been wrestling and wrangling this thing through the machine. Only a little ways left to go.

Pins are our friends.

One day I will organize all my sewing junk, and make a fancy pincushion, and have a neat pile of only brand new designer fabric! Well, at least I'll probably do the first two. I am passionate about recycling, and truly the original purpose of quilting was to reuse fabric and make the most of what is available. I'm glad to incorporate re-purposed fabrics into my projects, even if it means that my stash sometimes looks like a crazy heap.

Cheers to the beauty of upcycling.

Mending vs. Upcycling

I often think of myself as "upcycling" something when, in actuality, I'm just "fixing" it. But there is still a real sense of satisfaction in giving something a new life and saving it from being thrown away.

To mend: to repair something that is broken or damaged.

To upcycle: to reuse discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original.

I recently found a great backpack that had a broken zipper. The material is heavy canvas and it has a bead work patch near the bottom.

I removed the zipper and was so lucky to find another one in my stash that was just the right size. It even matched the beads in the little patch!

Good as new.

I also recently recovered my favorite office chair with some great tweedy fabric that I got for free.

I took the chair apart, did some quick sewing with the machine, and attached the new cushion covers with... HOT GLUE.

The hot glue worked because the chair is screwed back together through the fabric seams which will hold everything in place even if the glue fails. In my sewing and gluing frenzy, I did not think to take "before" photos of the faded orange and sharpie-marker-stained fabric. Oh well.

Both of these projects are more like "mending" than "upcycling", right? 

...Still crafty!

In other homesteading news, the weather has been mild enough to get into the garden. I have been weeding and appreciating my stalwart winter veggies, especially the beautiful leeks.

I have a strong suspicion that these leeks are "Blue Solaise". This is a French heirloom variety of leek and it grows bigger and better than any other variety I have tried. This patch was grown from seeds that I saved from a harvest in my garden two years ago.

Leeks make beautiful flowers that bees and butterflies love.

Leeks also produce a small bulb at their roots, which looks like a little clove of garlic. This bulb will grow into a big, beautiful leek! Leeks are amazing food producers and are hardy and delicious. They are certainly one of the more under-appreciated vegetables.

I am looking forward to the overwintering Brassicas sprouting red and purple broccoli this spring, too.

Also, my four goats are all pregnant and I think they are starting to show!

It is hard to tell if their belly bulges are babies or just a wad of hay and gas. (Lovely)

But the real sign is on the udder. These goats all have firm and perky teats.

PREGGO!

Firefly wishes you all a wonderful week.