More About my Labels

original inspiration for my labels

These are  the original label inspirations for my quilt label. 
The center "washable" I got at the goodwill bins- that's right -  "the what did I just touch in order to stand next to convicts and jockey for smelly old sheets" bins! The place to go and pay by the pound for used items! we have one close and I sometimes like to go and see what I find. I found that "washable" label attached to a bedspread and promptly ripped off and stuck it in my keeper pile. 
Then maybe a year went by and my stepson was throwing out a pair of pants and I saw this label sitting in the trash attached to a pocket. When I saw that W 30 L 30 I knew what I was going to do. 
I also have a friend who has a small collection of old school stamps in her studio. like what you'd see in a mail room or shipping department from way back in the "old days". Im sure this was also a part of the process.

 I had stamps made up in as close to the same font as possible.
If you are thinking of making quilt labels with stamps... 
Get the right ink:  I like Versa Craft - heat set with an iron
I like the look of stamping on linen best but ... Im just saying, no pressure. 
Its messy and time consuming so .. no drinking and stamping.
and 
Spoonflower would probably be cheaper

I like the "doing" and the "making" - if you do too, stamps may be for you.

 There is a great pool on flickr devoted just to labels but Ive found only a few folks who are making their own using stamps.
LULUBLOOM has a nice label she developed as does leslie.keating. I also use the number/date system  leslie uses and may end up using the "no." instead of "#" when I do a "stamp 2.0" since none can tell what that smear  # is next the numerals.   Im thinking a bit more carefully about my 2.0 stamp ideas and waiting till I have a clearer vision of what I want.  

Also I have been a little more "artistic" with my numbering and dating.
Confession: I have geeked out with the dates/numbers! 2011 is a prime number as are most of the odd numbered months. Each quilt finished in this year will get an all prime numbered label. Next year they all will be even.  Im super excited about next year, I've already made notes.. I'm mulling only finishing in January, Feb and Oct. but I may have to scratch that as the summer is my busiest "season".

This year I will be making an anniversary quilt for my husband and it will get our date which is Oct.20 but thats special and if I make any Xmas quilts they will get the rare true date. ... but in 20 years will it really make any difference if it was finished in June or July? 
Quilters Rock! 
Rachel

Today is Wednesday not Yesterday

Today is Wednesday! I know that now.. :) Thursday we get more instructions on the old Quilt along, Im working on handwork, but hmm what to do while I wait.. Work on WIP tops that I have been saving for inspiration to hit.




 
This modified Bento Box (which is really a simple quarter log cabin!) has been sitting around forever for a bunch of reasons:
Its square - not really bed sized or donate sized
I had no idea how to quilt it, I think I have notes about scalloping the edges... :) HA! not likely!
Its an eye sore - that white goes poke poke poke at my eyes. 
But now I look at it and I think " mom will love it!" "who can see the quilting on color? in the white I'll do circles" 
SO its on the quilter and should be in the binding que by the weekend....

Off Topic: Not quilt related... 
 For the past 15 years I've pretty much had chronic pain in my joints and ,if truth be told, the sweet bloom of youth masked a fair bit of pain when I was young and I think Ive had this since Ive been about 18. Thats about 30 years!!! 
This last week I went to the Doctor and he did some blood tests and I bet there will be more as the weeks and months go by. But he prescribed a 3 pill cocktail taken _Just Once_ and I feel about 10  years younger!
My dad probably had this and Im feeling very connected to my genes.
As I start *violins* "a journey of recovery and discovery of healing" (maybe I'll get a lifetime movie!)  I hope you'll bear with me.  Processing all this new data is kinda daunting.
Im feeling pretty tall. :D














                                                  

Quilters Rock!
Rachel

PS here's a Rant:.... you've been warned...
I have one more comment to make because its been just eating away at me since I heard it yesterday.  I mean honestly how did I miss this? 
In December Obama made this comment regarding the lack of marriage equality in this country:
"[M]y feelings about this are constantly evolving. I struggle with this. I have friends, I have people who work for me, who are in powerful, strong, long-lasting gay or lesbian unions. And they are extraordinary people, and this is something that means a lot to them and they care deeply about,"

This is the part of that just sent me out into outer space "And they are extraordinary people, and this is something that means a lot to them and they care deeply about," 
Ok its bad enough that  the first part sounded like a white country clubber talking about civil rights in the 60s " gosh, Ive known lots of the gays" ... but he then says  "they""them" "they" !!!
Mr President, separate isn't equal, them is us,
"We are bound by an inescapable garment of mutuality, whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." -Dr. Martin L. King, jr.-   1962


 




















WIP Wednesday

 
 
Well, its almost sewn up and the borders are pieced. Its going to come off the design board and go into hand sew mode - the plan is to hand sew 130- 150 1.25 inch dia. circles onto the border .. 
I timed it out it and it takes appox 12 minutes to sew one on - so that's about 30 hours of work.. so look for it in October to resurface ready for quilting... or October 2012 maybe... :) 
 
what are you up to? whacha doing? 
 
Quilters Rock!
Rachel

The Kaleidoscope Quilt Along with Don't Call Me Betsy

Well, I joined The  Kaleidoscope Quilt Along with Don't Call Me Betsy. Im excited! I call them Kite Quilts, but the meaning is the same:
I'm in it to win it! :) Im very keen! i've made a few of these and like them almost as much as curved piecing... so easy and fun and a really big bang for the buck. Very high Return On Investent of time! If your looking for a new project consider the KQADCMB check out the group over at flickr!

I picked some fabric:

 
I'm using my collection of red and aqua blue. I traded in this color way with Cherri over at SEW ON.
We traded 7 inch strips and parts of strips to increase the amount of different fabrics in the 2 color ways. fun.  
I really wanted to do a project with this color way before it gets too dated and because it will be dated. Did that make sense?  If my quilts survive into the future, looking at my Red/Aqua quilt someone could say "wow! hello 2010!" just like the blue and whites of the last century.  
SO its kinda a "2 fer" for me. grin.
I made a test block:
 
 I ordered some fabric over at PINK CASTLE FABRICS which I made me really happy.

I still need a background fabric and I haven't quite decided yet but I'm tempted to to do like I did on my log cabin. Using lots of whites, off whites and greys.. Im really loving how it looks and its easier on my super blonde fundus (making me light sensitive and not liking the glare of the solid white).  
 
So now that I'm done with The Jackson School Quilt ( that's for another post I think, so just ignore I said that) I'm free to start another project. 
Im also going to load another quilting project. Im trying to get some quilts made for my moms house and its kinda a great place for wips I kinda lost steam for or in this case, "a too contrasty eye sore". as her eyes process less light  ( which is common with elderly) she can take my "eyesores". 
SO - thats me full up for a while:
Handwork: binding my latest finish and log cabin applique 
Piecing: Kaleidoscope Quilt Along with Don't Call Me Betsy 
Quilting: 30s Bento Box for Mothers second bedroom

Quilters Rock!! 
Rachel

Wednesday WIP

log cabin in progress.. by 2ndAveStudio
log cabin in progress.., a photo by 2ndAveStudio on Flickr.

well, I finally got the blocks finished.... so that milestone is finished! Repeat after me: "whew!" seriously if you haven't heard "hide nor hare" from me it's because I have been cutting out these little logs and sewing and sewing... and sewing..
but the blocks are done and now Ill be taking lousy pics looking at "design" options..
truthfully, so far this is my favorite....but we'll see because this is this years "traditional" quilt ... Im going back to easy and fun... because this hasn't been as easy as I hoped.
Quilters Rock!