Posted on by agilejack

Things I Might Want to Make… and Other Cool Stuff

Since I’ve been in a bit of a dry spell in my creative life, I’ve been looking at Instagram and Pinterest a lot for ideas and for projects to make. Some of the things I’ve looked at are quilt patterns. Some are fabric and color combos. Some are fun things to make that I don’t necessarily need.

Here’s something I ran across the other day that I think is so freaking cute!

This is a free pattern from Tilda. You can find it online here.

I nearly made one of these on impulse the other night. Imagine how adorable this would be out of some bright Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics. I resisted the impulse, but I think it’s likely I will make one of these before too long. I have no idea what I would do with it, but I kind of feel like I want one.

I ran across another fun project today that was shared on Instagram by Aurifil Thread. it’s an accordion pouch that has four different compartments. You can use it for sewing supplies, to store your circular knitting needles, all kinds of uses for this one.

It was made by Strawberryquilts on Instagram, one of the Aurifil ambassadors this year. She didn’t share a pattern. Just said she found a tutorial on Youtube. So I did a little search and found this tutorial.

It looks like this would sew up really quickly. I might whip one up this weekend. I could use one of these to organize all my circular knitting needles. I might alter the pattern a little… making it a little taller than in the tutorial.

Several months ago I purchased a set of drunkards path templates.

Holy cow! What a crappy photo!!! But it’s just a picture of templates, so you get the idea.

I’ve wanted to make a drunkard’s path quilt for years. And last week I saw this one on Pinterest. And again, whoever pinned this didn’t give credit to the person who made it. I’d really like to acknowledge them.

(UPDATE: My blog reader, Kitty Ann, let me know that this is the quilt above. Peaceful planets by It’s so Sally.)

When I saw this I immediately thought of a stack of batik fabrics I put together a couple of years ago that I intended to use for a star quilt. Instead of using those batiks, I made that quilt with batik scraps. So that stack has been sitting in a drawer waiting for a project.

The templates are pretty big so this would probably whip up quickly.

And as I type this I’m laughing at myself, thinking… “Just what I need… yet ANOTHER project!!!”

Oh, and I got some good news tonight. My friend that visited in September has confirmed her plans to visit again in late February! So we find ourselves planning what quilt top we’re going to make together when she’s here.

We’re thinking it might be this one: the Libby Quilt by Kitchen Table Quilting. We saw this made up at Boersma’s Quilt Store in McMinnville, Oregon, when she was here a few months ago. Here’s the quilt they made and had displayed in their store.

I had most of the fabrics in my stash and was able to find the couple I was missing. My friend had to buy more to get all the fabrics needed. And if. you recall, I had a bit of a process in finding the right background fabric. Here’s what I have for this project.

I did end up finding a background fabric I liked better online and have purchased some.

I think it’s likely we’ll make either my quilt or hers. They are exactly the same. I feel like it should make up relatively quickly, especially with two of us working on it.

So I am encouraging my friend to bring her fabrics and we’ll make her quilt top. Then I’ll either feel inspired to make one for myself, or I might decide to scrap the idea and use the fabrics for something else.

The last thing I want to share tonight is this Instagram video of a zebra sculpture my friend Adam Thomas Rees made. He’s an amazing artist and the process for making his pieces is really fascinating.

Here’s an image capture from his video. It doesn’t do the piece justice. It’s just an enticement to get you to take a look at his video.

His pieces are made from Fimo clay. He makes ‘canes’ that have a clay design in them, then he reduces them to get different sizes of the same image. Then these images are put together on the surface of the sculpture.

Here’s a video from his Youtube page that shows how he makes a fire burst cane.

He’s also a really talented painter. He did a portrait of my Forrest about five years ago. It hangs on the wall behind my sofa. And I love it!

I had asked him to paint a portrait of Forrest and gave him absolute free will to choose a photo and do it in his own style. Before it was done, I lost Forrest at the age of 14.5 years. Adam shipped the portrait to me about a month later. I cried when I opened the box. It’s my Forrest!

37 Replies to “Things I Might Want to Make… and Other Cool Stuff”

  1. Once again I enjoyed your post. Your ambition amazes me! You gave me an idea with the drunkard path rulers, I have had a set for several years and have used them maybe 3 times. I am dealing with my piles of scraps, that quilt could be one of my use up scrap projects. That is a darling painting of your Forest, I would have cried too. Take care and enjoying your posts. Thanks Doreen

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    1. A scrappy drunkards path would be fantastic! Could even make one using crumb piecing for the circles. So many options!

      I love that painting of Forrest. He was pretty special.

      Anne

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  2. What a great tribute to your memory of Forrest, so sweet. The background almost looks like a quilt. I love your list of things you might do! Mine gets longer the more I think about it. Drunkards path is one on my list and I bought 2 sizes of the template. My mind is spinning with possibilities. I have a scrape quilt to make , a birthday quilt, a wedding quilt, an anniversary quilt…and some clothes. I will break it down otherwise it is too overwhelming and I get nothing done. The Libby Quilt is cool. I like the fabric choices, deep and rich. A subtle print for background is a nice change from a stark solid. Looking forward to pictures.

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    1. I love that painting so much. I loved that dog so much.

      I’m not a big fan of white or off whit backgrounds. it needs something in mind mind to make it more interesting. So a little black and white design goes a long way.

      Anne

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  3. The dachshunds are cute! Kitchen table patterns are ones I have to do someday, love the woven effect. Forrest’s painting is awesome 👏 ❤️❤️❤️

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    1. I love the dachshunds!

      I’ve bought a couple of the kitchen table patterns and have never made one. She has a free tutorial for her Plaidish quilt and I really want to make one but can’t convince myself to do it.

      Anne

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  4. Oh my gosh, I know what you mean about the Dachshunds – I was captivated myself by them! So, I made one. The only problem I had with the pattern is the front paw-legs are too small to carry the weight of the rest of the stuffed body, so they inevitably do the ‘splits’. I should have inserted in both legs a small dowel or stick for reinforcement.

    I would have attached a photo, but I just moved, and Ms. Dachshund is packed away in a box somewhere!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Eileen 😊

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  5. Enjoyed your blog very much this morning,I see another quilt in my future, my quilt Bee are going to make a Franken bag, they all will download the pattern from your Webpage,looking forward to all our creations,Petra Turpin.

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  6. I love a drunkard’s path block! In batik it’s even better!! The image you found on Pinterest is from an Etsy shop ‘It’s So Sally’, which the maker named ‘Peaceful Planets’ – https://www.etsy.com/listing/203268724/batik-quilt-sham-pdf-patterntutorial – I found it using Google’s feature called Image Search, I use it quite frequently for unattributed images on Pinterest, a handy tool! The painting of your beloved Forrest is wonderful, what a lovely remembrance of your fur-child.

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  7. Best curved template ever! And not just for Drunkards Path. I’ve used it for every size curve I make. Also the instructions are superb for insetting.

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      1. Hope these help!  M

        Regards from Madeline Aron

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  8. Wow! I love that Zebra! What super artistic talent your friend Rees has – just like you! Different mediums mega talent 💕. I always love your Aboriginal fabric! Some day I hope to have enough to make a beautiful quilt! Thanks for your fun projects. I love the weiner dogs 🥰. I was reminiscing about the Frogs my cousin and I would make when we were young. We would send them – unstuffed, through the mail for each other, then stuff with dried peas!
    I lived in Washington State, cousin in California. I should make one and send it to her as a surprise ☺️
    Hi Rico And Bender 🥰

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    1. I made a great big stuffed frog when I was a kid. It was made out of this odd polyester fabric that was sort of like velvet… maybe the precursor to polar fleece. I used that thing all the way through college. I have no idea what happened to it.

      Anne

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  9. I LOVE the swirl dot background fabric you chose for the batik quilt. I’ve been on the hunt for a sparse black-on-white fabric for a Jigsaw quilt I want to make. Can you share the name of that fabric, please?

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  12. I wouldn’t have noticed the cane pieces in the stripes if you hadn’t mentioned it. What a piece of art! And of course I love zebras anyway.

    If you and your friend cut your pieces ahead of time I bet you could get both tops sewn while she is there.

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    1. Those canes are really amazing. So much detail and such an interesting method for making them. This zebra is one of my favorite things of all he’s made. Truly amazing.

      Cutting the pieces ahead of time is a great idea. I really need to dig into the pattern and see how this is constructed.

      Anne

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  13. OMG I love this post. I’ve had four Dachshunds in my life, and my aunts have had that many as well. I love the Zebra and your painting of Forrest as well. The quilts are fun too. Can’t wait to see your next projects.

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    1. It looks like I can use the template for different size blocks. The different sizes are marked on the outer part, but non on the inner circle part. I’ll have to see if I can find a tutorial for how to make the different sizes. 8 inch, 9 inches and 10 inches.

      Anne

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