It's been rainy, cool and cloudy here for most of the summer. This summer has felt like more of a Portland or Seattle summer than one from Kansas. When the sun peeked out today, I welcomed it with open arms. The leaves are vibrant colors this year. A splash of beauty.

I thought I would begin to show you how I cover a paper mache box with fabric.There are several ways to do this....so it's not my way or the highway. If you have another method that is easier....let me know. I'm always glad to learn something new!


I picked out this blue print from our new fabric line Old Primrose Inn to cover this round box. Vintage things are always my favorite, so I thought I would distress the fabric a bit to give it an aged look. I am using 1/2 yd. of fabric.

I use Rit Color Remover. It's a powder that comes in a small box. You can find it with the laundry products in your local grocery store. Wet the fabric first and then fill the sink with about 1" of warm to almost hot water. Add 1/3 of the package of Rit Color Remover to the water. Stir to mix the powder in the water. Don't worry about the exactness of all of this....it's just a fun science experiment. Great way to play with some of the fabric in your stash that you no longer like as much as you did before. It might turn out to be your favorite print!


Add your wet fabric. Make sure the solution covers the fabric.


Several factors will make this process quicker. More powder and hotter water. By using less powder and cooler water you will have more time to choose when the fabric is ready.

My first time doing this process I boiled water, used a full package of color remover and then added the fabric. The color was removed from the fabric in about 2 seconds. To make matters worse, I couldn't get the fabric out of the boiling water quickly enough. Learned my lesson with that one! Now I use hot water from the sink and less powder.

The color of the fabric begins to take on a yellow or orange cast. When I think the fabric is ready I pull it out of the water and then begin the rinsing process. As the rinse water hits the fabric sometimes the color seems to return to the print. This means you have to dip the print into the color remover for a bit more time.


The fabric in front is the original print. The one in the back is the print after the color removal process. The process removed the soft blue and now the print looks green. The print motifs are a stronger yellow, which is ok....but the overall look is not the vintage look I wanted. Honestly, I think I like the original print the best....so back to my fabric stash to select another print.


This black print is one of my favorites from our Aunt Lucie's Cottage line.

I added a bit more powder to the solution and repeated the process with the black print. Here it is after color removal. Rinse the prints out to remove the solution.

Then add a bit of Rit tan dye to soften the look. Usually I do this process in my sink. But I just stuffed the fabric in my dye jar.

Leave the fabric in for about 5 minutes and removed it to check the color. If it looks ok, pull it out and rinse...if not put it back into the dye bath for a bit longer. I repeated the process with the blue print too. Even though it wasn't my favorite....sometimes I'm surprised after the fabric is overdyed with tan dye.


Here they are.....drying on the line.
I'm off to work on another project while the fabric dries!
"See" you tomorrow dear friends!

Alma

Here is the link for the correction. http://www.dashdist.com/blackbird.html

Click on the link and it should take you to our web-site. Scroll down on the "home" page to the last entry for Recent Updates. Click on the link and it will open the pdf for you to print.

I will give instructions for covering a paper mache box with fabric. It's lots of fun and very easy. Look for them soon!


Until later!

Alma

I'm going to post a link on the blog site for you to download the correction to Joyeux Noel. Look for it tonight. (I have to get my husband's help to upload it to my web-site.) The e-mail resolution isn't working well. Some of the e-mails I sent out were returned. To make sure you all are able to get the correction sheet I think this will be the best way.

Until later!

Alma

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you what I did today. It seems so trivial .....but I have to admit I really enjoyed myself. (I'm going to tell you but you have to swear not to tell another soul!)

The weather was lovely. I took some of my white rick rack and cotton tape and over dyed them with tan Rit dye. They are hanging on my string clothesline to dry.


Then I got my favorite glue (PVA glue from Paper Source), a sponge brush, sanding paper, chip board (a heavy cardboard), and a piece of decorative paper. I used a piece of music paper.


I cut the chip board about 2 1/2" x 1 3/4" with my rotary cutter. You have to press the blade firmly to cut through this thick cardboard. I spread the glue on the chip board with my sponge brush and glued the musical paper in place. The picture above shows the back side of the chipboard. You can tell from this photo that the musical paper was not cut exactly.



Use the sand "paper" to sand the edges until the excess paper comes away and is flush with the chip board edge. This sand paper is really some kind of netted material my husband purchased. The regular sand paper is my favorite...but this works well too.


After the edges are sanded away I wrap my trim around the card. Now it's ready for my sewing box. This trim is one I purchased at quilt market. It is cotton cording for candle wicks.

I couldn't resist purchasing it. I thought it would be a great finish to some of my pincushions. Who knew candle wicking could be so attractive to me at market? It was one of my favorite finds.


Here is a trim card I made several years ago. It's a color copy of a picture of my husband when he was eight. I have him "all wrapped up!" It's one of my favorites.


This was some wrapping paper that I couldn't throw away. It had to have another use. Now it's holding my rick rack.


I love old bird prints. This is a reduced color copy of one of my favorites. The perfect backdrop for my daisy trim.

Now you know I'm loosing it don't you? I just can't help it. When I get done the trims look so sweet in my sewing box....the problem is they look so great I don't want to use them.

A couple of notes.

September and October Stockings will be released the second week of November. We are running behind....(and I'm busy with my trim cards!)

We will not have a fall quilt book. The pattern Wild Pomegranate is it until spring....we will then have a spring book published by the Kansas City Star. The quilt from the beach will be in the spring book.

Loose Feathers will be released in November too.

There is an error in Joyeux Noel. E-mail me and I will send the missing pattern to you. I uploaded one of Niki's strawberries twice. I'm really sorry...but have a pdf to correct it. I know you will want to make her cute berries!

Until later dear friends.

Alma

I finished the third sewing box this morning. So, the random number generator came up with these three numbers.

#428 - Gina from Sunny Australia
#119 - Amy R.
#28 - Debbie at Woolen Sails

Congratulations ladies! E-mail me at alma@blackbird-designs.com and I will send out your prize.

It's been cool and cloudy here. I'm wishing for better light for photography. I feel like all of the pictures I'm taking are in the dark. Tomorrow it will be sunny and warm up a bit. I'm planning to ride my bike as I can tell I need a bit of exercise and nothing better than riding a bike!

At quilt market, a woman from California talked to me about her garden. She said she canned everything. When she returned home, she planned to pick pomegranates from her trees in her yard. She makes Pomegranate Jelly every year. After her conversation, I couldn't get the image of the lovely color of pomegranate seeds out of my mind. I found 4 at the grocery store last night and just had to buy them.


I do feel a bit guilty though. Anything with that many seeds is really serious about reproduction! I manually removed the seeds from the pulp. I know there are various methods to do this ....but they seem to easily fall away from the pulp with a bit of pressure from my fingers.

The above picture illustrates the number of seeds from 3 pomegranates. I did use all of the seeds from 4. You need 3 3/4 cups of juice. I didn't have quite enough so added water to make up the difference. I juiced a couple of lemons and added 1/2 cup of lemon juice. I always add a tsp. of butter to reduce the foaming when making jelly.

I added 1 package powdered pectin to the juice and brought to a boil. I then added 5 cups of sugar and brought the mixture to a rolling boil again. I let it boil for a minute and then poured it into the glass jars. I wash the jars in the dish washer and remove them while they are still hot.


The jelly is in the jars and the tops and rings are in place.

I place them in this old canner. I lower the jars until they are covered completed by boiling water. The lid is placed on the canner and they boil for about 7 minutes. After the process is completed I take them out and let them cool. Check the seals, the lids should be sucked down (you'll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools).

I can't wait to taste. While the jelly is in the canner, I scrape up enough jelly left in the pan to have a taste.

I rate this breakfast worthy! The lemon juice lends a bit of tartness. Love the color and sweet flavor.

Barb uses her pomegranates a bit differently. Here's a picture of her latest pattern we released at market. So many ways to celebrate this wonderful fruit.

Pomegranates are in season September through February. In the states, California and Arizona seem to grow the most. So now is the time to get yours! If you plan to quilt your pomegranates, Barb used the fabric line from Old Primrose Inn. It should be in your quilt stores in the next couple of weeks.

Until later!

Alma

Today was laundry and cleaning day. Trying to get caught up from all of our travel. Evening is approaching and my home is feeling a bit more orderly. A bit more peaceful.

I did take a break from housework and covered a paper mache box with fabric. I love working on small projects. Don't you? This sewing box is for the contest. I collected some things at market and thought it would be fun to place them in something sweet for you. For you gals overseas....you don't have to worry. We are glad to ship things to you too!


I covered this box with some fabric from our Nell's Flower Shop line. (One of our older fabric lines.) This large floral print seemed just right for a sewing box. The inside is covered with paper. When covering paper mache boxes with fabric or paper I use PVA glue from Paper Source. The fabric and paper lay smooth and flat with this bookbinding glue.

Market treats are collected inside the box for you.
A small vintage French floral applique.
A charm pack of our new fabric Old Primrose Inn.
Vintage baby blue rick rack.
A paper bird cut by Kathy Schmitz. These paper birds flew all over her booth and she shared some of them with us. I thought it would be a cute needle holder. (Click on Kathy's name and go to her blog. You will see a picture of her booth and all of her paper birds.)

There was a great company selling metal findings at market. The copper colored bird was purchased from them.
A bit of vintage pink ribbon.


A small muslin bag with several buttons and a sprig of the lavender grown in my garden this summer.

The pattern on the left is a needle keeper from Bonnie Sullivan. Bonnie and Kathy are sisters. They are planning to begin cross stitch designs. Barb and I can hardly wait to see their new patterns. They will be showing at the Nashville Cross stitch market hopefully. Click on Bonnie's name to go to her web-site.

I was only able to make one sewing box today. I will be making a couple more boxes....each will be unique. So there will be 3 winners in this contest.

Leave your name and good luck! Cut off is Friday at midnight. Also please only leave one comment per person. The winners will be posted on Saturday.


Kay from The Rabbit's Lair in Roger's AR sent a photo of their Warm Hearts block of the month project. Click on the store name for more information. This quilt was designed by Barb and published in our Warm Hearts book. I'm now out of the book.....all have been shipped to The Rabbit's Lair.

Until later!

Alma

We're back! What a month!
First we packed up and went to Cross Stitch Market. Then back home for 2 days and we left for 4 days of fun at a retreat in Virginia Beach hosted by Dyeing To Stitch. Home for 2 days and then packed the van for a week of Quilt Market in Houston.

Oh the miles I have added to my van! I've been a terrible blogger! There was just no time to update. It really helps to be at home and have time to work on my computer.

After unloading the car and setting up the booth, Barb is cleaned up and ready for market fun. She is wearing her Paul McCartney shirt. She is a total Beetle's fan and will travel far to see a concert. (She's the fun and "hip" one!)

We put up two walls at quilt market. My husband originally built this set-up. He put the stud walls together and marked the placement for each board. The framework then came apart and was loaded into my van. The wooden 2 x 4's and homasote lay flat and all of our "stuff" fits on top. We rebuild the walls in the booth following my husband's instructions and add 4 homasote panels. (Like drywall only made from recycled material.) I spent about a week gluing the papers from old books on the panels. They give a nice backdrop for quilts and samplers. (A secure place to hang all we want to show. The market only provides two curtains...just not sturdy enough to hang samplers.)

I know you have seen the fireplace at cross stitch market....we have taken it to many shows. It's the perfect "touch of home."

A vintage bird cage with twinkle lights adds a chandelier. The quilt on the bed is from our new pattern Wild Pomegranate. The booth is so small....10' x 10'. But we try to pack a lot in this space. Our booth looks so dark this time. It's my fault....I forgot our two spot lights.

The quilt hanging on the bed frame is made from 2 Garden Party charm packs and a couple of 1/4 yd. pieces of background fabric. Garden Party is the new fabric line shown at this market. The fabric will be in your local quilt shop next spring.

This quilt was made from the Garden Party fabric line too. It was designed by Lisa Christensen of Moda fabrics. It will be in our next quilt book published by the Kansas City Star which will be published in spring of 2010 ....right when the fabric will be arriving in your local quilt shop. Thank you Lisa! We love this one.

A bit of autumn sparkle to help light our booth. Wish you could have been there. It would have been much more fun with all of you!

I did do a bit of shopping for you at market since you couldn't go. Look for a contest instructions on this blog in the next couple of days. I have to make something first before we can have the contest.

Until tomorrow!

Alma