Bibliosophy Handmade

around the Lake

 

 



   

up north

 

finished quiltiness

A finished Big Stitches Quilt, just in time for a trip to the northwoods of Wisconsin!  The batting is a thrifted wool blanket, so it will keep us extra warm on those still-chilly spring nights.

Yes, we are going to make our way to my parent's cabin, in the car, for 13 hours, with two babies.  We are crazy.  DH expects them to do worse than we think, and I expect them to do better.  Hopefully he's the one who's surprised, and pleasantly.

So all you more veteran parents, any handy tips and tricks for keeping the progeny content on long car trips?

at the park

A lot of first's this weekend:

• first visit as a family to the park where DH and I spent so much time while we were dating
• playing with our first football
• and mommy's first sunburn of the season

A good time was had by all!

inspired quilt-making

  Since taking up quilt-making last year, I've enjoyed playing with the gorgeous fabrics on the market and designing them based on things from my everyday.  My Spring at Siebenthaler's quilt was created this way, inspired by the local garden center's annuals greenhouse.  Each rectangular section represents a table with a variety of annuals, with the cream sashing the walkways between tables.

Jane Brocket takes a similar approach to quilt-making in her new book, and with an idea or scene from her life, she weaves a story about the quilt which helps her make fabric and color choices.  In an interview I read in Fat Quarterly with her about the book, she says she writes "from the point of view of an enthusiastic amateur, someone who isn't a designer and doesn't have advanced quilting skills...[she's] keen to emphasize that rules and ideals of perfection aren't as important as enjoying yourself with fabric."  Yes!  This is why I quilt: to play with fabric, and make something pretty that pleases me.

The book is quite nice, and she uses bright, colorful fabrics to great advantage.  I particularly like this Russian Shawl quilt:

And I think this Suits and Ties quilt would be a great gift for a man:

 

It's made from old woolen suits and ties, sewn together in patches.  (The only problem is how to wash it?  Any ideas?)

I'm paying more attention now to the things around me, and hope to be struck by inspiration for a new quilt soon!

slowly growing

What's been growing around you lately?

grammy apron

Mom, if you're here you shouldn't be.  Stop reading now!  Mother's Day spoiler to follow...

Isn't technology wonderful?  Well, sometimes anyway?  A great new site called Spoonflower allows you to design your own fabric, and then they print it for you.  Pretty sweet.  Especially since I've always wanted to design fabric.  While I work on my graphic design skills though, the grandmothers will be enjoying some grandchildren fabric.  We could call this design "E Squared."  My two little E's and their funny faces will now be gracing an apron for one grandma, and something else for the other grandma (no ideas yet).

My mom's kitchen is black and red, so her new apron will match, and I can't wait to do even more on Spoonflower!

Has anyone else out there made any fabric, and if so, please share with us!

a busy day

We did a lot of creating yesterday:

A surprise gift for a grandma....

Some new prints...

And more stitches on the Big Stitches Quilt; with a few more, we'll be done!

What have you been making lately?

celebrating

...our little girl's baptism.  What a great blessing she is!