Long Time No Write

Here's what's been going on.
I've been making and passing out lots of blocks for folks to knot or bead. (If anyone wants to help in making the blocks, I would love it!!) I sent out an e-mail to folks I knew were working on knots and/or beads asking to send in anything you had completed so I could get some photos. A magazine had expressed interest in a possible story. Well, there was some confusion at the P.O. office about the name on my box, so if you sent anything and it got returned, I'm sorry. It has been corrected, and I should be getting things in the box now.

So, about the magazine. I sent in a photo of what I had available, and hoped for the best. I got an e-mail late this week from an editor at fiberarts magazine that the photos were fine and she would send me a copy of the article when it was published!! Not sure when it comes out, but will let you know to keep an eye open for it.

I am going to start working on a little press kit, and would love to include everyone's blocks in the next photos. Please send in anything you have done. The variety and personality of different makers really brings charcter to the overall piece.

Thanks for all you do! C

look for new photos below the comment break

Overwhelming

You haven't heard much from me in a while. I had every intention of being of being a teriific cheerleader for this project when I started. I thought I'd be able to fake my way through those times when I have to stop listening to the news because it's just too much. I get overwhelmed and have to step back for a while. So, I stepped back until I had more positive words to send you.

The project continues to grow, and folks are helping out on it all over the place! It might be getting some local publicity. I was at an arts festival this last weekend working on a block, and one of the other participants asked me about what I was working on. I explained the project and she jumped up and got pen and paper and started taking notes, and asked, "Would it be alright if I shared this with my editor?" Well of course! So we'll see what happens there.

On another note, someone had asked earlier about when to send the completed blocks to the p.o. box. I had said save them up and send them in groups to save on postage. That's still fine with me if it's fine with you, but, I have had to rent a storage place for the project, because as it grew to about 50 pieces, I realized it was the symbolic representation of10,000 deaths. That was too much death to have at my house all the time. And possibly too much for your house too, so feel free to send them in whenever - I would love to see more of them coming in! My plan is to take them from the p.o. to the storage unit and finish putting things together there. I have a few more to pin on and will remember to take a picture for you.

Thankks again for all your help!

Caron

Yellow

Lucy, my friend from Avon, donated some wonderful yellow fabric! I have cut squares and binding pieces for 50, count 'em, 50 blocks from the yellow! So springy like buttercups, or dandelions.

I will get those sewn up over the weekend to bring to my Minnesota Contemporary Quilter's meeting in Minneapolis Monday evening. This is such a wonderful group of artists! They always inspire me, and are always eager to help make knots. There is always great show and tell and lots of laughter at these meetings, you can't help but leave anxious to get home and try out the technique someone talked about, or the brianstorm of an idea that came up. You can check us out at www.minnesotacontemporaryquilters.net .

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for helping!

Lost Mo Jo Found

So sorry for the long lapse. I have been under the weather in a pretty big way. Finally have energy to do more than just survive.

Now that I' m out from under the rock, I've got some catching up to do.

Thanks to everyone who has come on board and been working on the project!

Go check out Nellie's blog, Nellie's Needles http://nelliedurand.blogspot.com . She displays her beatiful art quilts and, has been such a support in getting the word out, and getting folks to help. Thanks Nellie! Nellie is a big fan of the grommets, so it looks like at least portions of this project will be going metal!

Here is how I think we can make this work on a bunch of levels all at once. The troops are divided into sqauds, divisions, platoons, battalions, brigades, etc... this project can be divided into similar sections.

Bead chain and grommets are going to be spendy, so, maybe we can work in smaller squads and platoons as money is raised for this particular type of armor. When there isn't yet funding for the grommets, we can hang them from the safety pins.

Timeline - I would love to see this hang somewhere publicly for the anniversary of 9/11. That seems a little ambitious right now, but we could definitely have some sort of platoon, brigade, division amount done. We could even hang the smaller numbers in more than one location at the same time.

As soon as I get 100 or so blocks, and can get some good photographs taken, I can put some more concerted effort into finding venues. If any one has ideas, for places to display this, let me
know.

I've had a couple questons about variations. Along with french knots, black seed beads are a fine alternative, and couching bead chain would be fine too. Someone has made made square spirals, someone else, stars and snowflakes. If we all stick with mostly black or metallic for the color I think some variety here and there is ok.

Thanks,
Caron

The Tutorial at Last!

Look! Pictures! This first one shows a 6" square each of backing, batting (any kind will do, I am even piecing my scraps together - butt 2 pieces of batting together and zig zag!), and a solid. Stack these into a sandwich with the solid fabric on top.

The second photo shows that sandwich, and the pieces of binding needed. From the same solid fabric as the 6" square, cut 2 each - 3 1/2 " x 6", and 3 1/2" x 7 1/2". (The samples on the left and bottom.) Fold each piece in half lengthwise, and press. (The samples on the top and right)

Place the raw edges of the 6" pieces on the edge of two sides of the 6" sandwich. Stitch 1/2" from the edge. I press binding away from the top of the sandwich, then I fold the binding onto the back of the sandwich and pin. Turn the sandwich over, and stitch 1/4" from the edge. (I have been using black thread for this. It saves from having to match thread to the solid color fabric and is consistent with the knots.)

It will look like this from the back,

and, like this from the front! If needed, trim the edges.

Center the 7 1/2" binding strips across the 2 remaining sides, and stitch 1/2" from the edge.

If you look closely you can see how the binding is turned in the next picture. So, just like with the other sides, you press the binding so it is away from the top of the square. This time, you will first turn the excess binding in towards the back of the quilt, over the edge of the first binding. This is kinda visible on the left side of the following picture.

Once the excess is folded in, you can fold the rest of it over like the other 2 sides. It takes a little practice, but you can do it! Now, stitch 1/4" from the edge with the black thread on top. Leave extra long tails at both ends of this top stitching. It's too bulky to back- stitch, so I pull the black thread to the back and tie each end off to secure it. I tried to show you that in the 2nd photo.

See the long tails for securing the threads?

I know this seems like a couple of extra steps for the binding, but this will give a little more stability t o the edges. They will be taking on some stress.

Now you are ready to make french knots! Or, some folks have elected to put seed beads on as a variation on the theme. It also occurred to me that if one wanted to count out 212 beads worth of bead chain, that could be couched on. Couching tutorial later if there is interest.

I have been putting my 212 knots on each block in a spiral starting at the center. After every 10 knots, I make a small stitch. This saves on alot of counting. Once I get closer to the outside and feel like I'm getting close to 212 knots, I can count the stitches by 10's. To start the spiral, I make a knot just a little off center, and make the next knot about 1/4" to the left, and again, and again, it's kind of a square at this point, so I make a concerted effort to make the fifth knot abit above and a bit out, and that is where the spiral begins. (I will try to remember a photo of the beginning knots). The spiral pattern is optional, I do it because it's easy for me to keep track of how many knots I've made and I like how it looks. If you figure out something else go for it, and share it withthe rest of us! **

Here are the first 12 blocks pinned together! I think that's enough for one post. Let me know what critical information I've forgotten!

**UPDATE!!! I have received a couple of blocks that have the knots in a peace symbol pattern. While I am ever so thankful for help, but, I do have a caveat. I want this piece to be more abstract, and allow each person viewing it to be free to feel and think whatever they need to feel and think without ideas being put in their heads. Any abstract design is fine for the knots or beads. Just nothing dogmatic. It's the dogma that I believe gets us into these nasty situations to begin with. I live in a big "red" bubble in a "blue" state. I have learned that whispering is sometimes louder than shouting.

I am going to keep the peace symbol blocks on my design board as my inspiration, because that is what this project means for me.

Not A Number One Draft Pick

It was as it should have been that I was always the last chosen for team sports. I am kind of clumsy, and don't like things thrown at my head. In my own defense, I did always try.

Now as an adult, I would be the last one you choose for your IT team. I have, finally, on the fourth attempt, installed my thing-a-ma-bob that willl read the photos from my camera's memory stick. I will perservere and figure this out.

Ok. Maybe I did just have the right brainstorm this time. Wrong again, but Imust be getting closer. I have to go to work. Will wrestle more with my PC tonight.

Baby steps

Progress for a techno-phobe! I have finally managed to access my own blog from my own computer. Things are looking bright even on this dreary day. (I even added photos, ok so they showed up below the first post, they're still there, go look!)

So the update on things - I am still finding lots of people who want to help! I figured out how to make things a little simpler and a lot less expensive. I put together four blocks with grommets and bead chain as a sample/ proto-type. The silver stuff was quite distracting from the blocks themselves. So, we're going punk. As a quilter, I have at my beck and call, a basket full of brass safety pins. (I have quite a few, but you know we'll be needing more, so scrounge through your sewing studios for 1 1/8" size pins) It's working wonderfully to pin the blocks together from the back. I've been inserting a bead in between to give just a little space. (These beads could be purple, as in purple heart, and represent the injured.)

Tomorrow we'll see if I can make my new photo port function and have the tutorial photos in odd places!

C