Works in Progress!

Thanks to Nick Coman http://www.dragonflythreads.com I finally sent my pattern out to be multi-sized (graded)! It will not happen overnight and I still need to see about printing, etc., but it's finally on its way. I'm very excited!

Meanwhile I'm working on a reversible jacket. It doesn't have a name yet. I wonder if each side should have a name or if I should just name the entire jacket. Any opinions? I've never made a reversible jacket before so this question has never occurred to me. Oooh, it would be really clever if it read forward for one side and backward for the other. (example: Flamingo is Pink and Pink is Flamingo only that's a pretty lame example. Help!) Or maybe a palindromic name...

Hmm, where do you put the label on a reversible jacket?

I'm also working on a positive/negative jacket called trees. I'm quite pleased with the blocks, but I need to figure out which layout to use. I sent sample layouts to several friends; I'm just awaiting their responses. I've looked at it too long to be objective.

AND after seeing all the recent interest in hexagons and English paper piecing I've decided to get back to work on my Hexie jacket. The body of the jacket is done, but I still have the sleeves to make. I put it away when we got the kittens since I had everything laid out on a styrofoam sheet for easy transport. I probably don't have to tell you how the kittens felt about styrofoam...

Life is good!

Lisa

Valentine Quilt

I'm running true to form this year and have my Valentine's Day quilt ready to put up just a little too late. But just think how nice it will look next year!Here is a close up of the shadow applique. The pinkish vine shapes are actually a red fabric, but the ivory overlay tones them way down. You can't really tell in this picture, but I stitched around the shapes using metallic gold thread and lightly trapuntoed the heart shape.

And I bought myself a Valentine's Day gift yesterday: a new Bernina! I'm so happy with a new machine to play with, but there is, as always, a rather steep learning curve.

Lisa

Redlands Results

The workshop I taught to the Citrus Belt Quilters in January has produced results already. Two totes have been finished (and another was finished the next day for sharing, but I didn't get a picture...)

This beautiful curves tote without flanges was made by Nancy

And here is the curves tote with flanges made by Leila
With an innovative flip side!

It was such a pleasure working with these talented and enthusiastic ladies. Several jackets were in process during the workshop also. I hope they send me pictures when they finish, too. It's so hard as a teacher to see such pretty things in progress without getting to see the results. I'm so grateful to these two ladies for sending me pictures!

Lisa

Guild Program Idea

Pele's Fire
Is your guild looking for a different sort of program? Something new and exciting? I present fashion shows of over 40 of my jackets to quilt guilds, sewing groups and women's groups. I came to wearable art from a background of quilting so my designs are often based on quilting techniques and use fabrics that quilters are familiar with: COTTON with the very occasional lamé, dupioni silk or polyester thrown in for variety.

Wearable art is the next great thing! Let your guild be on the cutting edge. Be inspired by the wide variety of techniques in my very wearable (not show pieces that are never meant to be worn) jackets.

Contact your program chair and let them know you want to see my ever changing collection of jackets at your guild in the near future. Check out my website www.quilts2wear.com

Lisa

The Snowman Project: February

We met on Friday and here are the results.Veronica's February made by Dorothy

Thelma's February made by Veronica

Pat's February made by Thelma

Marlys' February made by Pat

my February made by Marlys

Dorothy's February made by me

This is such fun! I recommend that you get a group together and try it.

Lisa

Tipsy

I will be presenting a fashion show on Friday morning, January 27 to the Citrus Belt Quilters in Redlands, California. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area!

For every fashion show I try to have something new (I never do the same show twice) and this is one of the new jackets I will be showing in Redlands. As you can probably tell, my work lately has been influenced by the Modern Quilt movement: simple minimalist designs, bright multi-colored fabrics paired with solid fabrics.

I call this one Tipsy since it looks like blocks about to topple over. And I think maybe I was a bit tipsy, too, when I took the obviously crooked photo!

Here is the lining. I achieved the multicolored look by stenciling gold first, then stamping, over the stencil, in blue and red.

I went to Road to California on Thursday and was very pleased to see more people than ever wearing fabulous wearable art jackets! I was disappointed that the show did away with the wearable art competition, but there was plenty to see on the backs of people all around me. I hope you get a chance to attend this year as the quilts are out of this world!

Lisa

The Snowmen Project: January

I am unable to attend the quilting group I used to attend so a few of the ladies were kind enough to join me for a block swap. Each month we each work on a different person's quilt, making a snowman themed for that month. We each made our own January snowmen to set the tone.

Thelma's block, not quite done. She has added mittens and a face since our meeting.

Veronica has also changed her block since the meeting, removing the border.

Pat's snowman is celebrating the new year.

Dorothy's snowman is enjoying a visit from a friendly cardinal. (I'm working on this quilt for February.)

Marlys' snowman with a very appropriate sign.

And my snowman about to crash into a tree while "enjoying" a winter sport. Okay, we can see who has the warped sense of humor in this group!

Lisa

Reindeer Place Mats

After being late with my Halloween and Thanksgiving wall hangings I decided to make simpler place mats for Christmas. They were finished on December 22. Yay!I made 6, but probably should have made 8. How many place mats do you make? It seems like I generally get as far as 4 before my interest wanes so 6 is an improvement.

Lisa

Thanksgiving Quilt

After my success with the Halloween quilt I decide to tackle Thanksgiving. If Pierre has to climb way up there to take down the Halloween quilt he might as well put a Thanksgiving quilt in its place, right?I found Thanksgiving more challenging since there are fewer symbols, especially as I didn't want to do Pilgrims, etc. I chose a more humorous approach with turkeys poking their heads in here and there.

All is done using fusible applique and buttonhole stitch. The patterns are clipart and the lettering is a variety of fonts from WORD.

I finished it last week, just a little late for this year, LOL. Hope you like it!

Lisa

For Sale

Here is another jacket that I would part with. It has seldom been worn, just not my colors. I made it in a class with... I can't remember her name. Argh! Someone will recognize her work and post it in the comments for me. Because it's from a class and not my own design I can't teach it so it seldom ends up in my fashion show.

I call it Streak of Lighting and it was fun to make, playing around with making the orange bounce around the jacket. Again, the size is a 10-12, the sleeves are about an inch longer than usual and it is bound.
Name your price and we can talk. To be sold AS IS.

For Sale

It's time to admit that I have too many jackets (almost 100!) and clean out the closets for some new ones that I have in process. Therefor I will be posting some jackets that I have for sale. All have been worn at least a few times, and each is a one-of-a-kind work of art.

This jacket, "Meow", is a cardigan style jacket that sits just below the waist. Brown binding finishes all edges. The size is 10, but the sleeves are an inch longer than usual. To make any alterations you would have to remove the binding.

The cats are fused applique with machine buttonhole stitch. The designs on the cats are made with metallic gold Shiva Paintsticks and metallic blue Paintsticks for the eyes and therefor not dry cleanable. There are several cat designs with different doodles on the body.

The lining is a polyester satin and stenciled with trees using Stewart Gill fabric paints.

Jackets all have a flannel interior, in lieu of batting. The flannel has not been pre-washed. Let me know if you're interested by naming a price. All jackets are sold As Is.

Lisa

Dear Lisa

Dear Jane quilts were all the rage a short while ago and while I didn't feel the need to make one, the idea of using small blocks in a jacket definitely made sense. Veronica was kind enough to lend me her book for inspiration.

I chose to make the blocks even smaller: 3 inches. Because of that I limited myself to 9-patch designs. Why drive myself nuts with the math?

When I stipple quilted it I decided to try using black on some portions and metallic gold on other areas. I like the effect of depth it gave the jacket.

In January I'm starting up a mini wearable art quilt group, like a friendship quilt group, but for wearable art. I hope to have lots of new ideas and inspirations, as well as more photos.

Lisa

Botanica

I need to have handwork available for various times such as meetings, watching television, appointments, etc. This jacket is one of the results.

The stitches are mostly chain stitch variations I learned in Leora Raikin's African Embroidery class and the threads were purchased from her as well.

The designs are from some Dover books.

I embroidered each block individually, then seamed them all together. I covered the seams with a whipped running stitch.

Lisa

Square Dance

Looking at what I've posted in the past I realized that I forgot to post the finished Square Dance so here it is.

I chose to bind it in the same fabric that I used for the bottom row.

Here is a close up showing the quilting. I used a metallic turquoise thread and stitched the width of my presser foot around the outside of the turquoise pinwheels.

Now that fall has finally arrived her in southern California I can start wearing it!

Lisa