Bi-fold Coccyx Cushion

Original Piece of Foam With Cuts

I started with a piece of faom 19" x 8" x 3".  I knew I wanted the cushion to be 16" wide, so I started with this chunk.  I used my bread knife to cut the foam.  However, when I bought the original piece, they cut it with an electrical knife.  That works much better; makes a smoother, cleaner cut.  I do hope you can see how I slice this piece to make the two parts.

Cutting and Trimming the Pieces

After slicing the piece of foam, I cut off the little ends and took out the chunk I needed gone in order to make it good for my spine.

Making Pattern Pieces

I made my pattern pieces by using the foam that I had cut out.  I decided the best way to insert the foam was by having the outside edges open and then closed with velcro.

Checking How the Pattern Pieces Fit

I highly recommend this step.  I found I had forgotten the seam allowance on one piece.  Better now than after the fabric is cut.

Checking How the Sewn Fabric Cover Fits

This gives a little reassurance that things are going to fit.

The Finished Cushion

I sewed the two pieces together at the center of the top.  For easy carry, it will fold on this 'joint'.  I'm sure you will do a better job of sewing.  However, the 'sitting test' gave my new 'watermelon cushion' high marks.  Very comfy.  I'm all set for that long long long trip to Houston.

What would I do differently:  allow more time, make my pattern a little more accurate, and try to work when I am not tired.  My pattern was a bit sloppy and the fit is very loose.  I could have cut those pieces a little smaller.  Just very happy it is DONE.  Done is alway good!

Quilting: Year 3 in Review

This is a review of the quilts I completed from October 2009 through September 2010.  

Blast Off

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Crazy Quilt for Morgandy

Christmas Star block

for a guild project

Cathedral Window Pin Cushion

from a guild demo

Me and My Buddies

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

I printed my brain scan and then stitched away.

Crazy Quilt Purse

for my new red 3 season coat

Mermaid Study

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Whole Wall Insulating Quilt

for winter warmth and summer cool

I put a reflective fabric on the back.

Wild Rose

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Chair for Morgandy

Morgandy means 'litle one by the sea'

The Tigress in the Tortoise

for a Quilting Arts Challenge

Based on my outer and inner animal.

Egret Mobile

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Comfortable

for a word challenge

Flower Child

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Given to Morgandy's mother, Jodi, on Mother's Day

A Taste of Summer

my entry for the 2011 Quilting Arts Calender

The challenge wanted a taste for each month or season.

Colts Banner

for my grandson, Max, a BIG Colts fan.

15 Pears

for a 10x10 show and sale

I started this during a surface design workshop.

Psychedelic Fungi

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Quinceaneros:  The Dance

Celebrating 15 years of Quiltart

3 Golden Pears

made for a 10x10 Show and Sale

I like it so much, I decided to keep it.

Geode

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Rebirth: My Apricot Tree

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Artist Trading Cards

In response to a call for donations for a charity fundraiser, I made 28 ATC's.  Because of the number, they have their own gallery.

Lace

for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope

During the Houston show in 2008, Diane Petersmarck ran a stay at home challenge [SAHC]. Lois Jarvis provided a piece of her Rust-Tex fabric for each of us. Then, if we used the fabric in one of the quilts, Diane's sister Beth, sent us a piece of her hand dyed silk velvet.

Basically, we all made our little quilts for Ami's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. I made 5.  I used the Rust-Tex fabric for one; the other four used photos of my face broken up in different ways.  The Rust-Tex quilt and 2 photo quilts were put up for sale during the Houston show of 2009.  I thought maybe the other 2 were not good enough, since they were not put up for sale.  The 2 kept out featured my whole face; I thought maybe that was not acceptable.  At the time I was really disappointed. 

The Changing Face of Alzheimer's 2

Recently, that disappointment turned to elation. I was told those 2 were kept out because Ami was planning a traveling show for 2011. Approximately 100 quilts were kept out as possibilities. 53 quilts were picked out of that batch to be part of the show. One of mine is going to be in this exhibit, "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope".  I am thrilled and honored to be part of this traveling show which starts in January of 2011.  It is a totally unexpected surprise.  

If you would like to shop Lois' Rust-Tex store, click here

http://www.rust-tex.com/

If you would like some of Beth's wonderful fabric, click here.
http://quiltersstitchtogether.com/index.html

For a short time, all of the chosen quilts may be seen here
http://www.alzquilts.org/exhibit.html

PS.  I really wish I had used someone elses' face.  I'm already tired of looking at 'me'.

15 Pears

15 Pears

This is one of the pieces I started during my week at a surface design retreat. The colors are a real divergence for me. I agreed to donate 3 10"x10" pieces for a local charity event in October. Knowing how I can not always trust my body to behave, I'm trying to do them now. One done, 2 to go.

This one has many textures and is both silk screen and free form paint applied with some little scrapers I made out of Styrofoam. The Styrofoam was the kind that food is put in at the market. This is easy to cut and shape. Hope you all try using this free material.
 
I'm not a big fan of variegated thread.  However, it just seemed to fit this colorful piece.  Comments appreciated.  What else could I have used.

Flower Child

original photo of Morgandy (taken by her Father)

I finally finished this FFFC quilt I've been working on for two weeks. I had the concept before my week at the surface design workshop. I actually made a background for it while I was there. Therefore, it should have gone very quickly. Well almost. There were a few bumps in the road.

Although I had a photo I was planning on using. I wanted it bigger than the printout from the 8.5"x11" size that is my printer capability. To get around this, I thought I would rotate the photo. When I tried this in Picasa, I lost large hunks of the photo. I went into Paint, added some blank edges all around. Then back to Picasa to rotate it. This worked GREAT. Then I was able to trim to size. Therefore I printed the largest possible image of Morgandy on the same size paper.

Morgandy rotated after adding borders all around.

Sorry I could not show the borders added.

Apparently the file type is not compatible to this system.

Original rotated and cropped photo after some added paint.

You will notice the original photo has some hidden body parts. I painted over the photo to add those parts. At my first try, I painted the shoes with a 'shiny black' paint.  It looked more blue than black.  It took 3 coats of paint to cover that up.

This is the background that I made specifically for this quilt.

Satisfied, I tried the cut out against my intended background. Nope! That did not work. I went through my stash and found some flowered fabric I really thought would work. Nope. That was not it either. Then my small group came to the rescue. Peggy suggested I use bites of both, yet turn over the flowered fabric because it was so bright. [I love bright, gaudy and glitz.] That worked much better and became my finished background.  Thanks Peggy.  I couldn't have done it without your input.

Problems quilting were major tension problems. Of course when the machine is giving me tension problems, I also tense up. Finally I just did it. I decided to quilt around each flower petal so that it would really look like a blanket of flowers.

After the binding was on, I hated the binding. I thought the black would frame the quilt and the black jumper would pick it up. No. It was overpowering. Off with the binding. Next I faced it. That was rather quick except for the hours of picking out the batting from the micro stitching I like to use.

'Flower Child', 12" x 17.5"

detail showing dimensional flowers

'Flower Child' detail

In the end I am pleased with it. When the facing was stitched I added the intended dimensional flowers.

It is a Mother's Day gift for Morgandy's Mom. I think she will like it. At least I am happy with the outcome. I'm finishing a bit close to the gift giving deadline, but I did make it.