A Quilt Story: PM Lip Pop

I've been meaning to write up the stories behind of some of my favorite quilts. So often my quilt pictures only get published to Instagram and the story behind them gets lost or I forget to share what inspired me in the first place. Since this is one of my very favorite quilts and hasn't already been featured, I thought I start with my PM Lip Pop mini.

PM Lip Pop by Raeann McIntosh
January 2015

This quilt was created for round two of the Schnitzel and Boo mini quilt swap hosted by Kristi over at Schnitzel and Boo. My partner was Raquel, @raquelsews. She's a bad ass LA fashion photographer and designer. She screen prints her photos onto fabric and creates home decor and fashion accessories for her brand Olivo

 I knew I was going to have to bring my A game to create something that represented her aesthetic and would fit into her fashionable lifestyle. I love pop art and really felt like that was the right direction for this project. After spending hours drawing doodles and Pinterest-ing ideas I stumbled upon the work of Patrice Murciano. Patrice is a visual artist from the south of France. His work is incredibly colorful and graphic and his style of portraiture is striking. Seriously, his Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorites; you should definitely go check it out. I found his work to be incredibly inspiring. 

Just a Kiss by Patrice Murciano

As soon as I saw Just a Kiss I knew I wanted to try to recreate it in fabric. I created a low-volume, improve pieced base. I then dove into my scrap bag and pulled out various shades and patterns of pink, purple, orange and splashes of black, white, and yellow. I free form cut pieces and layered them on top of the base until I was happy with the basic layout. 

Applique pieces laid out on improv base

Once I was happy with the results of my fabric architecture, I laid down the thread work. I used pink, purple, white, yellow, orange, and back thread to secure the applique pieces and give definition to the design. I then added random straight line quilting to the base to finish out the piece. 

close up of the thread work

 

My version isn't as graphic and didn't achieve the depth of the original inspiration piece. The lips aren't as full and some of the sense of movement has been lost in translation. Regardless, I'm still crazy pleased with the result. I feel like it's a great quilty interpretation of a ridiculously cool art piece and showcases all of the things I love about quilting. I keep thinking about revisiting this design and creating a large, usable quilt. 

100 Days of Creating Rae

Man, I suck at blogging. Instagram gets all my quilty updates for the most part. One thing I am excited to give a little more detail about is the #100daysproject that's been popping up on IG over the past week.

The basic idea is to pick a creative activity and work on it for 100 days. After mulling over all the possibilities (do I paint?, do I quilt?, do I hand stitch?, do I play piano?, etc) I decided to take a different route.

As some of you know, I've been struggling with neck and shoulder pain for almost a month. The muscles in my right shoulder have been in constant spasm and have caused me tremendous pain for some time.  My chiropractor thinks it's 100% stress induced. I think she's probably right. I've been incredibly unhappy in my work, I'm tired all the time, I have little patience for my family, and I've become increasingly cynical in my dealings with others. Dr. D  has recommended that I find ways to intentionally relax and reduce my stress.

To that end, I have decided to spend my time with the #100daysproject creating a better, happier, and more connected version of myself. My IG hashtag for this project is #100DaysofCreatingRae. I know that historically my happiness stems from a sense of creativity, compassion, feeling interconnected with others, active learning, and living out goodwill. Therefore, I resolve to spend these 100 days creating art, reading, praying, doing yoga, playing with my children, doing community service, reconnecting with my husband, cooking, simplifying, and cultivating a greater compassion for others.

I anticipate that this is going to be extremely hard work. The thing about hard work though is that it tends to yield fulfilling results.  Follow along with me on this journey (@jrshules on Instagram). I invite you to start a journey of your own. We can support and encourage each other. Let's see what we can create in 100 days.

Nerds Craft it Better Swap

The Make a Dalek, Make a Friend swap is almost all wrapped up and by and large it was a success. There were a few hiccups along the way; lost packages, traveling partners, and life getting difficult the way it tends to do. However, I really think that most people had a good experience. The participants made some really amazing things ranging from clay Cybermen and mini quilts with LED lights, to original TARDIS paintings and bow tie jewelry. The level of talent and creativity that came out of this swap surpassed what I had expected and I'm proud of everything that we created. If you get a chance, run through the #MakeADalekMakeAFriend feed on IG. You won't be disappointed.

Throughout the course of #MakeADalekMakeAFriend I received many requests for a nerdy swap that wasn't limited to one fandom or theme. That's when I started thinking seriously about a #NerdsCraftItBetter swap. I wanted a swap where the IG craft-o-sphere would to be able to celebrate all of the things that make us nerdy in all the ways that we like to create things. For me, this swap isn't just about making cool geek stuffs. It's about celebrating who we are and the things we really love to do.

Now, even the most inclusive of swaps need to have some rules. Please read carefully before clicking the link at the bottom.

1. You must have an active and public Instagram account to participate. An active and open feed makes it easier for your partner to find out info about you and your tastes so that they can create with you specifically in mind. Also, posts from private accounts will not show up in the hashtag feed for people who are not following you. This is non-negotiable. I apologize to those of you who are unwilling or unable to be public (understandably for many good reasons) but I just can't handle that particular headache right now.

2. We will use #NerdsCraftItBetter to tag our work and keep up with our swap community. You must post to the hashtag at least 3 times (essentially once a month) during the course of the swap. Being active makes it more exciting for us all. If the swap grows large enough to need swap group overlords you will also be required to tag your group and your swap mama/papa. Posting a shot of your finished creation and the package you receive is mandatory. 

3. You must create and post a mosaic of the geek stuff you love and types of crafts you would like made for you. Include a broad range of  items in many craft styles and varying difficulty levels. Please also have examples of your work and the kinds of crafts you enjoy in your feed. You may also direct swappers to other sites such as Pinterest and Flickr for ideas on your taste and aesthetic. 

4. Be aware that this is a general crafting swap. It is open to all kinds of crafters. I will attempt to match up partners based on crafting style and requests, but I'm not making any promises. You need to be OK with the possibility of receiving any kind of craft (sewn, quilting, knit, crochet, painting, sculpture, mixed media, etc).

5. You must complete the Google Docs form with your info. Remember, this is what your partner uses to create for you so be clear and specific.

6. This is a blind swap. You will create something for your partner in secret and not reveal your identity until your package is received. You will not know who is creating for you.

7. You must create one medium-sized  handmade project that pertains to at least one of your partner's expressed interests and include one small extra item (handmade or purchased). Anything additional is left to your discretion.

8. Quality matters. Intentionally think on your partner's likes and tastes when designing your project. Create using quality crafting supplies and take your time. We all want to receive something that is meaningful and well done. Do not expect to half-ass something together and not get some serious public shade from me and be blocked from further swaps that I coordinate.

9. Communication matters. It is mandatory to respond to DMs/emails from me and any swap overlord in a timely manner.  I don't mean you have to respond immediately, but if it's been three or four days and I haven't had an email back I will assume that you are flaking. Swappers who do not communicate will be eliminated from the swap and their maker will be instructed to forward their creation to the swapper's partner.

10. Sign-ups will close January 15th. My goal is to have partner assignments and  form responses out no later than February 1st. I will be keeping a close eye on the numbers. If I do not have enough group overlord volunteers to accommodate the number of swappers, I will close sign ups early.

11. The deadline for posting packages will be May 1st for international swappers and May 14th for local swappers. This will give you a full three months to create for your partner. Carefully consider your current schedule and the time needed to create at your pace and still meet the deadline prior to signing up. You must send tracking info (or customs info for international swappers, as tracking is cost-prohibitive) to me and any swap overlord when you post your package.

12. Say thank you. Your partner spent time, energy, and money to create something just for you. Acknowledge that gift and be sincere.  We are a community and should treat one another with friendship, love and respect.

13. Please, please, please resist the urge to sign up if you can not complete the swap. Speaking from experience, it is no fun to have a partner who disappears and doesn't acknowledge gifts received or send creations to others.  It's also hurtful to your partner and stressful for me for swappers to be tardy in creating and mailing packages. That being said, I understand that life can sometimes be a total bee-otch. Please communicate with me ASAP if something happens and you can no longer participate so that I can recruit an angel swapper to take your place. Again, swappers who flake without cause or without prompt and effective communication will be banned from my future swaps. 

14. Have lots of nerdy fun. If your partner is into something you are unfamiliar with, take the time to delve into a new geeky interest. Learn a little about each other and don't apologize for what you love. 

Sign Ups are Now Closed

Thanks for sharing my love of all things nerdy and crafty and playing along with me. May the Force be with you!

Rae

I've Been Down With the Sickness

Have you been wondering why I haven't been posting? Of course you have. For the past three weeks at least one person in the clan has been ill of one sort or another. EB ended up with bilateral ear infections and pink eye, which she promptly gave to me.

pink eye can suck it

As you can see, it was nothing but glamour on New Year's Eve over here. I actually had to call into work. No one wants a red-eyed ogre standing over their bed when they're lying sick or hurt in the ER.  Since then, with the help of some lovely antibiotic drops, my eyes have cleared up. The hubs and I are still fighting with some sinus yuckage and my left ear intermittently hurts like a mutha, but over all things are looking up. Miraculously, Ro didn't get sick at all. Thank God, because I may have completely lost it if she was unable to return to school yesterday!

In other news, EB finally moved up to a big girl bed. She's been sleeping in Ro's hand-me-down toddler bed for about 8 or 9 months. Over the past 5 weeks or so she has gotten up multiple times a night saying that she can't sleep or is too uncomfortable to stay in her bed. Lately, we can only get her to sleep if she is in Big Sister's bed or in bed with us. The hubs and I decided that we really wanted to be able to sleep through the night again, so after dinner yesterday we went and bought a mattress. Much to our surprise, the store had the mattress in stock and we were able to shove it into the back of my Edge. We made a quick Target run for sheets and bed quilts while Grandmommy and Pawpaw brought over a family heirloom bed frame.  This is the result.

She's a happy little girl. The quilt I made her last year isn't big enough to fit the twin bed, but it looks super cute there folded at the foot. I'm happy to report that she slept though the night and didn't get out of bed until 6:45 this morning! MAJOR SUCCESS!!!

Because the girls share a room and Ro has been feeling a tad left out lately with Little Sis being sick and getting lots of attention (and I still haven't finished her special quilt), we went ahead and bought her a new bed quilt and sheets as well.

Ro felt special and remembered and also slept through the night in comfort.

My big projects for the day are:
 1. Finally put away all the Christmas decorations
 2. Move the old toddler bed out of the play room
 3. Move the ginormous doll house to the play room
 4. Finish the #NerdsCraftItBetter Swap blog post
 5. Learn how to switch skeins while knitting.
 6. Work on my One Little Word project and post

I'll be flabbergasted if I get even half of that done.  See you soon guys.

Rae

2014: A Quilt Retrospective, Part 2

Now to continue on with Part 2 of my quilt retrospective for this past year.

#15 Sew Berry Sweet mini

I made this mini for the IG #thestrawberryswap. This is a good example of how sometimes making it up as you go along just doesn't work. I used a mixture of techniques on this quilt and I really did not like the end result. I ended up making a redo quilt and sending both to my partner.


#16 Treasure Map baby quilt

This was a simple baby quilt for some childhood friends. Austin and Staci wanted a pirate theme for their little boy and we all fell in love with the Riley Blake Treasure Map line. I bordered the panel with simple rail fence blocks. The panel is outline quilted and the border is stippled.


#17 Strawberry Swap Redo mini

I found this free pattern, Banner Days Mini Quilt by Stitch Supply Co. and thought it was perfect for my redo. I left out the bottom and right sided borders by accident, but it still works. I quilted horizontal lines of alternating hearts and strawberries. I was finally happy with my swap offerings and my partner loved it too!


#18 Hardcore Quilting 

This is, by far, my favorite thing I've ever made. Somewhere along the way this year I discovered the Fort Worth Modern Quilt Guild. We were issued a challenge to take a traditional quilt pattern and make it modern. I chose a 1930's Art Deco pattern called Cleopatra's Fan. As luck would have it, Robert Kaufman had just released a free pattern to go with a quilt showing in their booth at market. I downloaded it, traced out the pattern on template plastic, and got started. I was INSANELY nervous about this quilt because the pattern was labeled "Advanced Expert" and I was an Advanced Beginner, at best. I plugged away and finally got my base fans completed. The knucks design is one I initially saw on IG months prior to thinking about this quilt, then again in a Google search. I could not find a source for the original artist. The fists are raw edge applique, white on black on base. The thick line of the letters are also black raw edge applique. All of the hand detail and the stems of the letters are free motion embroidery/quilting. I kept this project secret until the reveal at FWMQG. I'm super proud to say that there was an audible gasp in the room when I presented my quilt. I feel like this truly exemplifies who I am as a quilt artist.


#19 Cherry Mini

 This is another swap creation made for the #verycherryswap on IG. I improv pieced low volume fabrics for the background. Then did my fabric architecture thing to build the cherries. The cherries are raw edge applique. I like the way they pop over the more traditional crosshatch quilting design. I based this design off of a beautiful watercolor I once saw online somewhere....Etsy maybe?


#20 Blume Family Quilt

One of my previous quilts ended up being a prop in my friend's family photo session. The photographer liked it so much that she wanted me to create something for her family. We worked out a trade where I created a quilt for her and she will doing family portraits for us in the new year. I can't say that this is my design. I saw a picture of a barn quilt painting that featured this particular star. I did do all of the quilt math myself though. This is quilted with a boxy corner stipple (I totally just made up that name) and features the Blume kiddos names in two of the star points.


#21 Solar System Fundraiser Quilt

This is another one of those times where I just couldn't resist a cute panel. I used P&B textiles space fabric to create this fun quilt. We donated the quilt to Ro's class to include in the basket they would raffle off at the Fall Carnival as a fundraiser for the PTA. I don't know who ended up with the basket in the end, but I hope the quilt gets lots of love and use.


#22 Mark Lambert's 10th Doctor

I have been fortunate enough to win some cool IG giveaways this year. As a thank you I hosted one of my own. I asked people to tell me about their favorite nerdom and chose a winner to receive a custom mini quilt based on their picks. I chose two winners and this is my first creation (I'm still working on the second). @thesplendidstarling told me she loved Doctor Who and that the 10th Doctor was her absolute favorite. I had seen a series of graphic art designs of the modern Doctors by UK based artist Mark Lambert and fallen in love with their simplicity. I recreated his image and added some of my characteristic wonky piecing. I'm really happy with the result. The improv piecing both provides a base for and competes with the fluid lines of the Doctor's silhouette. There is chaos behind the calm facade and I think that represents who the Doctor is pretty well.


#23 The #epicbabyquilt

I don't have a single picture of this quilt (finished) that doesn't have EB in it. One of my best childhood friends asked me to create something for her new daughter. Morgan is a phenomenal tattoo artist (and owner of Classic Tattoo in San Marcos, TX) and has a very definite style. She requested southwestern reds, blues and yellows for her little girl's quilt. The design is another barn quilt that I adapted to my needs.  I'm seriously considering writing up the pattern this next year and posting here on the blog because it was just a dynamic and easy quilt to make.

#24 Vashta Nerada mini

In 2014 I organized my own Instagram swap for the first time. #makeadalekmakeafriend started out as a joke referenceing the Schnitzel and Boo swap in a conversation I had with fellow Whovians on IG. Eventually we decided that a Doctor Who themed craft swap was a brilliant idea and made our little joke a reality. My partner was Jessee from over at Art School Dropout (I'm totally using her photo up there). She is super nerdy, super crafty, and has a killer, awe-inspiring collection of geek stuffs. I knew I was going to have to bring my A game with her package. My inspiration was the Silence in the Library episode where the 10th Doctor first meets River Song and saves her from the Vashta Nerada. I used glow in the dark thread and free motion quilted "Who turned out the lights?" over and over on the base of the quilt. The astronauts helmet is all free motion embroidery that has been raw edge appliqued to the quilt.

I used 4 different colors of grey to free motion the floating skull, then highlighted it with one line of the glow in the dark thread. I think the end result is satisfyingly creepy. Don't forget to count the shadows. 

#25 Liberty Jane mini

I'm really sad that I don't have a better picture of this quilt. I made this for a Jane Austen themed swap. I finally cut into my store of Liberty of London that I won from Duckadilly Fabrics. I made Liberty and linen nine patches, designed the central embroidered monogram, pieced it all together, then hand quilted it with variegated perle cotton. I'm very proud of this piece and my husband has suggested that I recreate the embroidered monogram on a piece for our home :)

#26 Woodland Friends/Psychedelic Mushrooms

This is essentially a redo of my Boy Squared quilt made for a coworker's niece. She likes to call it the Psychedelic Mushroom quilt because I doodle quilted mushrooms and hearts into the quilt. 

#27 Handmade Modern

I'm really proud of this quilt. Here I experimented with hand painting my own fabric with watercolors. I improv pieced the painted fabric together with Essex linen in black. The quilting is color full match stick that complements the separate design elements. I enjoyed the experiment of using lots of different techniques and I couldn't be happier with the end result. 

On a side note, I don't know that I would recommend using watercolor for all your quilt painting. It works here because I wanted soft colors and I don't anticipate the mini ever being washed. I plan on trying out some other ideas for fabric painting and I'll blog my results at that time.

#28 Texture Quilt

In January I found a tutorial for a quilt sampler that explored texture in fabric by TeresaDownUnder. I resolved to make that my year-long project. As the weeks progressed I realized that, though I loved the quilt design, I did not love the color scheme and abandoned the project. I picked it up again last week and decided to turn it into a wall hanging. I took my favorite blocks of all that I had completed and made this mini quilt. The border fabrics are densely quilted with tiny stippling so that the central texture design draws the eye. I think I would still like to make this quilt in it's entirety; maybe in blues and greens instead of the grey/red/aqua combo.

So, that's it. My quilt-year in review is complete. I've made a mountain of mistakes, grown my skills, defined my aesthetic, made lasting crafty friendships, and created tons of quilty goodness. I can only hope that 2015 treats me half as well.