Pumpkins in Disguise

Jack o'Meow Meow
 - a pumpkin disguised as a jack o'lantern masquerading as a sassy kitty

My Etsy team, RNEST, has monthly creativity challenges centered around a theme. This week's theme is "In disguise." So inspired, I designed four pumpkins in disguise. First, they are all disguised as jack o'lanterns, but I couldn't stop there. I thought it would be really fun to play around with why and when people use disguises. The theme speaks to Halloween, which is where the jack o'lanterns came in for me. But I wanted to have even more fun with it and so I started thinking of one of my favorite things: historical romance novels and the "fancy dress balls" they are always attending. Fancy dress or masquerade balls seem so romantic and fun and I just had to incorporate that into my project. So, take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine a world of pumpkins-turned-jack o'lanterns and what they might be doing in Victorian times. They might indeed be getting all fancied up for a fancy dress ball, like my pumpkins have.

I'm still working on three of the pumpkins, but the one shown is Jack o'Meow Meow.  This jack o'lantern is masked and ready for the ball - and is ready to compete against some scary competition. Check it out here! I'd love your vote!

New Year, New Addition, New Studio, New Everything!!

Again, sorry for the long absence! The Quilted House's new addition arrived a wee bit early, but healthy and happy as can be! We welcomed our baby girl, Zoe Lorraine, on December 7th, 2011! I'm still busily purging and organizing our home and having a blast with my little sidekick. A REALLY early labor, hospital stay, bedrest, and another preterm labor and delivery, found us rushing to get the house baby-ready. Since I was on bed rest for the month before Zoe's arrival and the studio was off-limits, every spare piece of everything got stacked about in the studio space! So now I'm tasked with a major purging and reorganizing project as we get rid of the excess and transfer the studio to another space in the house. It's so exciting to transform The Quilted House studio into a more organized, streamlined, and baby-friendly space. I hope you'll enjoy following along with the tranformation!

The online shop hasn't seen any new additions in a bit, but while I get things in order, the Clearance section still houses items that I very much loved creating and hope you love as well. You can also still use the MAKEROOM4BABY coupon code to get 20% off the entire shop, including clearance.


A sample of the items you can find in the new Clearance section!



I'm Back!!

The Quilted House at Wedgestock
with baby "on board"

So sorry for the long absence, but I've been busy growing a baby! Very excitedly we'll be welcoming a new addition to The Quilted House in early January. We've been busily purging and organizing our home to welcome our new baby. As my nesting instincts kick in, I can't help but want to do the same thing to The Quilted House studio. It's more than just organizing designs, fabric, and supplies, but also organizing my thoughts about my shop. There are so many things I'd like to try and so many things I really love creating. I already have new priorities as my pregnancy proceeds and I know they'll change even more once our baby arrives. It's fun to re-envision the types of items I want to create and provide for sale in my shop and how I'd like to run my business with my new responsibilites as a mom. It's so exciting to be on this journey and I hope you'll enjoy following along with me!

My first step is creating a Clearance section which will house items that I very much loved creating and hope you love as well. I've looked around the shop and found items that I'd like to have a new home, so my instincts to purge could be a big win for you. Get started a little early on your holiday shopping and check this section often as new items catch my eye as I organize!


A sample of the items you can find in the new Clearance section!



Monday's Marvel: The qClutch: Refreshed

You may remember a while back that I introduced the clutch-style wallet that I'd just finished designing and was about to launch in the shop. Well, I didn't launch the new design back then, but, after a few improvements, I'm ready to launch it now! Oh how I love these wallets and really love the improvements, too! These are fun to make, but they do take quite some time due to the measuring, folding, and pressing of the interior card pockets. It's worth it though! These wallets just have it all!

Wednesday on the Worktable: qPouch - Kindle, Nook, and iPad Style

The worktable has been covered with creations in preparation for two shows in April:

• Library Services Craft Show, April 29th at the Rochester Holiday Inn Airport 8 - 5
• MayDay Art + Crafts, April 30th at the Main Street Armory 10 - 4

I plan to introduce three or four new designs at MayDay - likely with a preview at the Library show. I've been working sewing up the first this week: qPouch - Kindle, Nook, and iPad style! Take a look and tell me what you think!

A nicely padded space to keep devices safe!

External pockets on the front and back

Says it all!

Double batting in the body and pockets = quadruple padding for your device

And pretty fabric combinations make the whole design perfect!

Wednesday on the Worktable: Karen's Under-the-Sea Satchel

My friend Karen, of Duncan Creative, asked me to make her a new satchel. She fell in love with Michael Miller's Sea Beauties fabric, but wanted that for the interior to avoid having the bag look like a diaper bag. I decided to create the bag in dark brown to 1. match the hair of a couple of the mermaids and 2. hide dirt!

I had a ball creating this custom satchel. I love the mermaid-covered fabric Karen chose. I decided to compliment it with variegated sea blue thread for the quilting. I love how it pops off the dark brown. The addition of the patch I showed you on Monday gives her a little preview of the interior and then when she opens the bag she gets a nice under-the-sea surprise!

And don't think this bag is just a pretty face. With five pockets on the inside, a large pocket on the bag, and an attached key fob, this little beauty is a workhorse too! I have a good feeling that it's just what Karen is looking for!

Monday's Marvel: Prize Winners

Now, if you follow on Facebook, you know that I promised if we reached 150 entries then I would draw two winners and yippee!! Random.org has picked two winners of my Gettin' Down to Business Card Wallets: #14, Birgit, and #128, Asuka! Congratulations!!

Friday's Fresh Find: REaction Gifts

Owen Clockpop

This Friday's Fresh Find comes from right here in Rochester, NY: REaction gifts. I actually found this shop a few weeks ago and refound it yesterday to use one of her listing to illustrate my Thursday's Thoughts on time management. I knew immediately it was the perfect shop for today's find.

Alison Davidson carefully handcrafts her time pieces using materials that are recycled, reused or repurposed. She says, "This helps to conserve our planet’s REsources, and gives nature a better chance of REstoring her balance." I couldn't agree more! This is such a fun and unique way to recycle!



Linda Clockpop

I hope to meet Alison and see her wares in person at MayDay Underground Arts + Crafts on April 30 - we'll be two of over 90 awesome artisans at what I think is the greatest indie art show ever!

Take a look around REaction Gifts and give the shop some love - it's definitely worth the time!

Sylvia Clockpop

Thursday's Thoughts: Time Management

Mara Clockpop by REaction Gifts

Time management, one of my favorite subjects because I am so very bad at it! By day, I work fulltime as an Instructional Designer and my afternoon, evening, and weekend hours are consumed by running my business, maintaining relationships, and caring for my home. Not an uncommon story - everyone has demands on thier time that they need to manage. I thought for this first Thursday's Thoughts, I would comb the internet for words of wisdom on time management (which is actually a great use of my time since I have a time management project I'm working on at my day job! Two birds, one stone (not that I would throw a stone at a bird!))

Marilyn1545:

"Take an hour or so the evening before to organize your chores for the next day."

Additions: On social networking:

"You don't have to do everything. It is easy to get sucked in [to social media], so limit your time on each site. 5 - 10 minutes is enough time for facebook and twitter, and the more you stick to a schedule the easier it will become."

Pure Handmade:

"I can not survive in my workshop without having my To Do list very visible on my desk. I have too much to do everyday that the only way to keep up with everything is having my TO DO List update."

Here's a post with more from Pure Handmade on To Do list and a great 1-10 To Do list suggestion.

An Etsy Life:

"DO NOT have a tv in your work space, and if you have no choice,  don't turn it on."

An Etsy Life is full of great time management tips that you can check out by following this link.

And from me:

Use your tools. Technology can be a time drain, but it can also be a time saver. Schedule a little time to explore the calendaring features of your phone, to find apps that will save time, to link work, home, school, and personal calendars in one, etc.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you! I know looking through all the great advise helped me and now off to work I go!

Before you go off to get organized, don't forget to enter Monday's giveaway to win your choice of Gettin' Down to Business Card Wallets!

Wednesday on the Worktable: Armband-Style iPod Pouches

On my worktable this week is an armband-style iPod Touch Pouch - a special request. I've made several of these over the past few months, but always as custom orders. I'm not sure if I'll have them listed in the shop as a regular item, though I think they're pretty cool. I actually need to make one for myself. They're great to use when you're working out, but I do that at home and just blast the stereo. I want one for when I'm outside gardening. I ALWAYS wear pants or shorts that have no pockets and am at a loss for where to put my iPod! You'd think I would have made myself one of these already, right!?!

Armband attaches to the pouch with a button.

Simply unattach the armband to use the pouch, well, as a pouch!

Don't forget to enter Monday's giveaway to win your choice of Gettin' Down to Business Card Wallets!

Monday's Marvel: New Blog Design + GIVEAWAY!!

I’ve decided to try something new and fun here on The Quilted House blog: a daily (Monday-Friday) themed post:

• Monday’s Marvel: I’ll reveal what I marveled over through the weekend: a new creation, a perfected design, or something I'm just trying out.
• Tuesday’s Treasures: I’ll show you five awesome items that other awesome Etsians have created.
• Wednesday on the Work Table: I’ll share with you a design in progress or some great tip or trick I use in my work.
• Thursday’s Thoughts: I’ll canvass my Etsy friends and share some great thinking on the handmade life.
• Friday’s Fresh Find: I’ll share something awesome that is new, or at least new to me!

And to celebrate these fun changes, I thought I'd start with a giveaway of my latest marvel: Gettin' Down to Business Card Wallets! They are my current favorite thing to make and I'd like to give one lucky someone the choice of one for free! This giveaway is open to the WORLD!!

Here's how to enter (leave a comment for each entry!):

1. Mandatory entry: FOLLOW THIS BLOG! You know you really want to anyhow, so just go ahead!  If you're already a follower, leave me a comment letting me know.

2. Visit The Quilted House, give it a heart, and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is.

3. "Like" The Quilted House on Facebook.

4. Follow The Quilted House on Twitter.

5. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

GIVEAWAY ENDS SUNDAY MARCH 13 AT MIDNIGHT!!

On the Studio Table Today: Gettin' Down to Business Card Wallets

These are truly a joy to make! And they come out so cute! I love getting the chance to play with lots of different fabrics, designs, and colors. Business cards can be so mundane, so it's fun to make something to really jazz them up. And the addition of the key ring just takes it to the next level. My original design didn't have the key ring and I felt like there was just something missing. The key ring and fob did it for me. I hope you like them as much as I do!

A Couple New Favorite Things: Mug Mats

I made these last week for a swap and am just really in love with them. I definitely plan on adding some to the shop - who wouldn't just love sitting a cup of coffee and maybe a danish on a little mini quilt!?! Too divine!

My swap partner really loves selvages, so I got the chance to work with them in making the 2nd mat. I really like them as a design element! This fabric line, Rainy Days and Mondays, is one of my favorite and, since its such colorful fabric, the selvages are very colorful and pretty, too. I don't know how much work I'll do with selvages in the future, but I really like how they came out in this mat!

I should be getting my swap items any day now and I'll be sure to share them with you when they arrive!

The Birth of a New Design

I love reading and learning about how others create new and fabulous designs, so I thought I'd share my process, as well. Most of my designs are created out of some need, either my own need for a new something, or a friend or customer's need for one item or another. This latest design is a combination of both.

I begin all my designs with a simple piece of paper, usually graph paper, upon which I sketch and calculate, scratch and scrawl. I end up with a bunch of numbers, some barely recognizable shapes and boxes, and, hopefully, the fabric requirements for the latest design.

I then get a piece of muslin, cut it to the required size, and make a mock-up if the item. This dry-run helps me to firm up the measurements and make sure that everything that works perfectly in my mind works just as well in real life.

And then I make a real prototype. I almost always make it in fabric that coordinates with my tote bag, since I'll be carrying it for a while to make sure that the design will stand up to daily use. The prototype gives me a final chance to make sure that my new design works (muslin is great for a dry-run, but is a bit thinner than quilt-quality fabric), and that the end product will be the quality I need it to be to be comfortable selling it. It also gives me the opportunity to make something for myself - not a common occurance.

After a few weeks of use, I'm comfortable putting the new design into production and making items for sale. During those weeks of use, I often jot a few notes for adjustments and changes on the design sheet, promising that, if I can read what I've written, I'll be making an improved product.

I started my wallet journey with the Simply Chic wallet, just a simple two section envelope style wallet. Next, the Doubly Chic billfold-style wallet was introduced. The Trifecta recently followed. And now, the fourth, and probably final addition to the family is a clutch-style wallet, as yet un-named. This wallet has just finished going through it's paces. I really like the functionality of the new design and am ready to make some for the shop - it just needs a clever name!

Competition: Best Mug Shot

I've been having a great deal of fun creating two entries for a competition at the gallery that is part of my favorite coffee shop, Equal Grounds. Each participant can enter up to three 5x7 images of their travel mug in the location of their choosing. The fun part is that the "images" can be in any medium. That immediately caught my attention and I decided to make two 5x7 quilts of my travel mug in, where else?, my studio! And boy did I have fun!

I started by taking an actual picture of the mug in the two places I wanted to immortalize in fabric: my cutting table in front of a stack of fabric from my stash and my sewing table in front of my favorite sewing machine (I actually took the image in front of my 2nd favorite machine because #1 was in the shop, but since they look identical, I didn't think it would matter (just don't tell the machines!)).

After I had two pictures that I liked, I sized them in the computer to 5x7 and printed them out. These would become my patterns for color, placement, and size. I wanted the mug and a feature item in each shot to be 3D, so I needed to choose the feature items. For the sewing table quilt, I, of course, chose the machine, and for the cutting table shot, the only thing I could choose was the fabric, so that was pretty easy. Since the fabric stack is so colorful, I chose white for the background for that piece, and, conversely, since my machine is so white, I chose a pieced rainbow background for the sewing table piece. That pieced background was inspired by the crazy-pieced curtains I made for the window behind my machine, so that worked well.

I started the projects by making the most complicated items first: the mugs. These were actually less complicated to make than the sewing machine, but since there are two of them and they are different sizes and perspectives, they became a bit more complex. I immediately fell in love with the completed little mini travel mugs - they came out so adorably well!

I then moved on to the sewing machine and the stack of fabric. At this point, I decided to make the sewing machine match the actual machine as realistically as possible, but to create the fabric stack more abstractly. I thought it would be fun to work on both a realistic piece and an abstract piece for the same project. And at the end of the creation, that's exactly what I created: a very realistic quilted sewing machine and a very abstract stack of fabric - I can't decide which I like best! (I actually think I will make a series of small abstract fabric stack wallhangings at some point in the future - I really like the look of them!)

The final part of the creation was the main quilt. This part was so simple. The finished piece needed to be 5x7, so for the fabric stack quilt that had a simple white background, I just cut two 5x7 pieces of white fabric, made the quilt sandwich, quilted, and bound it and was done. The sewing machine main quilt needed to represent the curtains and the wood table, so some piecing was involved, but it was still very simple in comparison to the more complicated 3Dish quilted pieces that would be attached.

This one is "Sapphire and Cider" named after

my #1 machine, Sapphire, and the beverage

of choice in my mug: caramel apple cider

Once I had all the pieces assembled, I used the pictures I'd printed out to guide me in placing each quilted piece on the background quilt and attached them using my machine. Placing and attaching them was a piece of cake (not counting the many many errors I kept getting from my machine because the presser foot was too high - these are VERY thick little quilts!).

This one is "Abstraction and Apple Cider"

I can't believe how very well they came out! I really love them both and can't wait to see them hanging in the gallery. The staff of the coffee shop and the gallery will vote on the best "mug shot" and the customers will get to vote as well, so I hope one of these two little beauties wins - but, honestly, I already feel like they're winners - they are simply gorgeous and I had THE BEST time making them!