Scenic Route

 Almost every morning I take an hour or so to drink my coffee and look at my favorite blogs to get some inspiration and catch up with the virtual world.  I follow friends' blogs about their lives and families, a scientific illustration blog, and way too many craft blogs.  And then there's pinterest, which I just started using and am really enjoying. 

I had planned a day of working on my denim square quilt when I ran across a picture of pojagi.  Not really a quilt, though pieced like one, a pojagi is a Korean wrapping cloth.  I was suddenly struck with how ugly the curtain on the door to the garage was. It's been there as long as we've owned the house and has always escaped my notice.  So scrapping everything else I had planned for that day,  I made a pile of old linen clothes that I had thrifted. 

 

Notice the aluminum square to the left of the pile.  I cut it up with scissors every now and then to sharpen the blades.  It worked for a short time and was helpful because my scissors are overdue for a sharpening.  But I digress - Check out those orange pants.

 They were at my local thrift shop and I had to have them.  They were 100% linen, Ralph Lauren and PINK.  I thought I could dye them brown but stupidly picked up the terra cotta dye (WHY?) and they went horribly orange and - even if I had grabbed brown - fatally splotchy.   Easy come, easy go.  I can always cut things up and make them into something else.

 So, I cut up several linen pieces (5 pairs pants, 1 red dress, 1 white shirt, 1 orange top) and ironed the bejeebers out of them.  I then cut them into smaller squares without giving it too much thought.  I wanted random sizes for a crazy quilt look.

Here's my attempt at a tutorial of how to make a thing I've only made once:

 One of the cool things about pojagi's is that they have no wrong side.  I think this kind of seam is called  a flat felled seam but feel free to correct me.  I layered the square on top about 1/2 inch lower than the edge of the bottom square.

 I sewed the seam down at about 1/4 down from the edge of the top square.

 There is a whole lot of ironing involved with this process but linen is happy to be ironed.  I ironed the overlap from the bottom square into the seam allowance.

 Like so.

 Then I sewed along the ironed under edge and voila!  A completely enclosed seam.  For consistency's sake, I call this the wrong side

 Here's the right side.  Time to iron it again to give it a clean look.  I actually messed that up once or twice so I have some wrong side seams on my right side and vice versa but it's a very forgiving process.  I made several panels and then sewed all those together using the same seam.  It was time consuming but I love the result:

Tada!  Curtain.  I rushed the end - it was dinner time - so the top is messy.  I should, and one day will, redo it but I'm just going to leave it for now.  It makes me happy.

 Here's one of the other cool things about pojagi, because they are not quilted - they don't have to be because the seams are totally enclosed - they are as sheer as the fabric used and look amazing with the light behind them.  Perfect for curtains in a place where privacy isn't important.  I have the best view from inside my garage.  Since that view just isn't observed by everyone, I plan on making another for the kitchen window that looks out to the yard.

I feel like the colors have a similar '70's vibe as the denim squares quilt will have when I get back on track with that.  I like being able to follow my nose and make things in an intuitive way. They tend to relate to each other without me even noticing right away.  I try to give myself a creating day every week or so so should get back to the other quilt soon...unless something else catches my eye...

In the name of that process pledge I took...

...here's where I am with the latest quilt.  I went back and forth to JoAnn's several times.  Man, they can be so annoying.  I settled on this thin wale corduroy.  It's soft but thick enough to stand it's own with the denim.  Also I love the colors.   Very fall.

So now to decide what to use where. 

I really thought that the red would be the background for sure.  I bought the most of it; I could easily use it for the back of the quilt.

 

But I like the green a ton, too.

 

Definitely not the blue.

I may even cut squares and just make the whole top of the quilt patchwork-y.  It looks sort of funky and '70's to me.  But I don't want to lost the impact of the embroidery.  So I'm gonna cogitate for a bit on this.

In the meantime, I've almost finished the baby quilt I'm making for one of my husband's co-workers.  I used a remnant from IKEA.  It was a panel and a half of a little scene so I put them together in a way that looks sort of cubist-ish.  I hope it doesn't freak the baby out to have a chopped up fox on a blanket.

I quilted it using a running stitch with different pinks.  I got bored at the end and changed them up a little bit.  I just have to finish the mitered corners and it's done.

I took the pictures in my kitchen in order to get the best light.  Have you ever seen such an ugly floor?  We hope to replace it in the next year or so. 

What I'm up to lately

I'm still working on the running stitch quilt squares.  I'm just not sure about my next step. 

I'm pretty sure that if I just sew all the squares together, the detail of the embroidery will be lost.  

 They need some kind of solid border.

Right now, I'm intrigued by this technique.


I've also been inspired by this quilt.

 I also like the idea of putting them in a sort of path formation. 

For now I've just set it all aside to think about something else.  

I've been having a great time making post cards.  They're small and you can either stick with a theme and really explore it by making a bunch or make one of something and move right on. 

And you get to make a mess with glue and scissors.

They can really pile up, though.

So I joined Postcrossing, which I really like and recommend, but not everyone there appreciates a handmade card.  

 

It's so much fun to make postcards, I really wanted to 

send some out to other people who enjoyed them, too.

  Luckily, I found the International Union of Mail Artists.    

I've sent a few out including this one: 12-12-12.  I'm really looking forward to getting something in the mail from other artists.  I'll post some here when I do.

Here are some that I made recently 

but haven't sent yet.

 

I also made some that are drawings.  They are just from photographs but I changed the faces so you wouldn't be able to recognize them if you saw the drawing next to the photo.  In fact, the first two are from the same face. 

I love drawing older faces.  They have so much more going on than young, perfect faces.

 

 

 I had so much fun drawing again.  I really haven't drawn much at all since having the kids.

A couple of nice stacks.  It makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

 

 

 PS.  Yes, I had a way better time putting the pictures where I wanted them this time.  Thanks for the ideas!  Still not perfect, though.  That Blogger is always fighting me!

Part of the fun...

 ...is the decision making process.

Do I like these with few, simple stitches best or...

...these, totally filled with lots of stitches.

Or both together.  Whichever I choose , do I mix them with blank denim squares or...

Or just the stitchy ones.

This one is my favorite today.

This one escaped that part of the process because I decided it was a postcard.

I just have to figure out how to address it and affix postage.  Any ideas?  Ones involving duct tape will especially get my attention.

The worst part by far is arranging the pictures on blogger. 

They almost never go where I put them

I'd love some advice there, too.  What's the secret to controlling picture placement on Blogger?  Quilt squares are waaaay easier.