Crackpot Quilters’ Blog

An almost completely, virtually, practically, literally true play, in four acts. It takes place in an ordinary kitchen.

Act I

Spooky music starts.
Telephone rings.
Telephone rings again.
Homeowner enters from stage left.
Spooky music gets louder.

Telephone: Call from wireless source.

Homeowner looks on in horror!

Telephone: Call from wireless source.

Homeowner: What the????

Telephone: Call from wireless source.

Homeowner: (tentatively picking up receiver) Hello?

Telephone: This is Grandma Ann.

Act II A few minutes later.

Homeowner: Where is that telephone instruction manual? Aha! Here.

Homeowner rifles through booklet, pushes buttons on telephone receiver, and hangs it up.

Homeowner: I stopped it.

Act III Later that day.

Homeowner walks into kitchen.

Associate Homeowner: (from behind a computer) It’s still talking.

Homeowner: I stopped it.

Associate Homeowner: It’s still talking.

Act IV The next day.

Associate Homeowner: Maybe you didn’t really stop it.

Homeowner: (Picks up receiver and pushes buttons.) See, it says ‘Off.’

Associate Homeowner: Maybe it has two voices.

Associate Homeowner picks up instruction manual and begins reading instructions.

Associate Homeowner: You have to turn the base unit off, too.

Homeowner picks up receiver and pushes more buttons.

Homeowner: Now I stopped both of them!

Victorious music begins.

I finished my November Bead Journal Project page this weekend. It is Blue Abundance. That seemed like a good theme for November. I chose to express abundance by “overbeading”–using more beads than there was room for on the page. Trying to make the work more three-dimensional was a challenge. But that’s a big part of the fun. Because I really love the color blue, I loved making this page.

Technical Details:
I used Lacy’s Stiff Stuff as a foundation. I painted it blue with Dye-na-Flow. The beads are 11/0s, Delicas, 13/0 Charlottes, 15/0s, 6/0s, 8/0s, bugles and a few odd shaped beads. There are several types of fringe, a ruffle, and some volcanoes. (What’s the real name for that stitch?) There are also a couple of stitches that came from a book written in Japanese that Rebecca gave me. Neither of us could read the directions, but the diagrams were great! It is 2.75 inches by 2.75 inches. I used both Nymo and C-lon thread.

Here are a couple of pictures that show the texture:

What I Was Thinking:
I am fortunate to have an abundance of wonderful family and friends. My material needs are met. I want to remember at Thanksgiving to be grateful for all I have and to remember to share with those in need.

Issues That Came Up:
This page showed both the advantages and disadvantages of the small size. I had a few other things to do during November so the small size gave me time. But I wish I had had more space to include more beads and more stitches. I was surprised to see so many dark blue beads on the page when it was finished. I still have a rather abundant stash of blue beads, but I have identified a need for more 15/0 medium blue beads.

Now it’s on to Christmas projects!

To show abundance, I decided to “overbead” the page–putting more beads on the page than there is actually space for. I’ve been a flat beader, and showing dimension and texture has been an interesting challenge. I’ve admired the work of the many BJPers who do so well with texture and dimension, and I just had to try it. I’m learning a lot!

I chose blue because I have an abundance of blue beads, as opposed to an abundance of “the blues.” Ok, ok, ok, I hear the voices in the background. (You know who you are) I’ll ‘fess up. Blue is my favorite color and that’s why I have so many blue beads. Blue makes me happy!

Like my other BJP pages, this one is 2.75 inches by 2.75 inches. It is on Lacy’s Stiff Stuff that I painted with Dye-na-Flow.

I may not finish this by the end of November because we are expecting an abundance of fun and family next week. Our big job (besides the turkey) will be to babyproof the place. The 14-month-old Walking Man is coming !

The F for Friedrich went so well yesterday that I was ready to try the M for Martha today. I think it turned out very well, too. I got lots of practice with turning outside corners! I am really enjoying the machine applique, and it opens up lots of new possibilities for baby and kids quilts. I can’t figure out now why I was so hesitant to try it! Here’s the full placemat so far (the red at the top and the bottom is just for the binding):

So, add two mittens to the bottom or leave it as it is?

Here’s my latest machine applique work. I’m working on placemats for Martha and Friedrich for Christmas gifts. They match a bib I’ve made for Agnes. The placemats for the two kids will be the same except for an ‘F’ appliqued on one and an ‘M’ appliqued on the other. I stitched on the F this afternoon and was amazed at how well it turned out. Beginner’s luck? We’ll see how the M goes. Here’s a view of the whole placemat. Should I applique on two mittens in the lower left corner or leave it as it is?

Here is the Hope Stone with Fringe. I wrote about it a few posts back, on November 11. I’ll mail it off later this week.

an organized fabric stash! 🙂 Now that the construction is winding down, I’m working on reducing the amount of dust in the basement and getting things organized down there. And of course the top prioritity is organizing the fabric stash and other sewing supplies!

The Hope Stone was completed before the Crackpot Convergence, but it was to dark to photograph. So watch for a picture next week.

Two crackpots have converged in Bloomington. Here is one crackpot working at her mobile beading station. We have learned that there is a quilt show in Bloomington this weekend. Report to follow…