In this YouTube video, I walk through my process of matching up pieces of glass with fabric. The glass is from my stash that I have collected over the years while antiquing and thrifting. You can see the glass reveal HERE. The fabric is designed by Bari J. and made by Art Gallery Fabrics. Bari J.’s designs are artistic, eclectic and offer a variety of colors to match glass, buttons, thread, and crystal & glass beads for the decorative pin.
Happy quilting and crafting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
Another glass reveal video is up on YouTube. In preparation for our move back in 2022, I pulled several batches of glass and fabric and packed them together. My intention was to make the pincushions over the next few months…it has now been almost 2 years! I am determined to make these batches of pincushions. I realize now that the intensity and labor of making these pincushions is a joy but also a lot of work. It was fun opening up this box to find all of the beautiful glass and vessels along with Bari J.’s Eve fabric line by Art Gallery Fabrics. Below is the “reveal” and re-discovering of glass and fabric. Enjoy!
Also, at the beginning of the video I show a quilt I’m working on as I continue to learn about my Innova M24 Longarm quilting machine. I’m so happy to be able to use this powerful piece of equipment for myself and others in the near future.
Happy quilting and crafting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
I recently went through a box of glass, mostly salt cellars and other small vessels, and made a couple of pincushions with glass found in that box. I used a clear glass mustard dish with a lid and a clear glass salt cellar. I found a hand painted dish while antiquing that measures around six inches in diameter and has a lip around the edge. Pairing the dish with pincushions as a catch-all for sewing notions, etc., is another way to up-cycle and enjoy unique pieces of glass, pottery, or china. The hand painted Imari dish with gold highlights is an elegant dish and prompted me to look for fabric with metallics blended into the pattern and fabric. I had many fabric choices, as you can see in the video, but decided on two that I felt best complimented the dish.
Happy quilting and crafting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
Chance. Destiny. Karma. All synonyms for the word kismet. This was a new word for me that I learned when Sharon Holland released her Kismet line, by Art Gallery Fabrics in November 2020. This fabric has been on my radar for some time, but my busy life kept me from completing a pincushion batch until last month.
As I continue to make pincushions, I’ve created a system that makes the process easier. One of the steps, which helps me organize and streamline, is matching fabric and glass before I sit down to create. Matching requires thought and reflection when auditioning pieces. Because of this, I feel like I really become acquainted with the fabric. I enjoy this process so much!
I am starting a new series called “Salt Cellar Spotlight”. There are so many different salt cellars with seemingly endless opportunities for creating. I thought it would be interesting to highlight the salt cellars and a few details. I hope you find it interesting too!
SALT CELLAR SPOTLIGHT
Name of Salt Cellar: Tapered shape prism cut1
Size: 1 3/4″
Manufacturer: Unknown and difficult to pinpoint due to cut glass being made by the artist with slight alterations creating thousands of different patterns1.
Year Produced: Unable to pinpoint since manufacturer is not identified but consensus dates production between 1880-1920 and most likely around the turn of the 20th century1.
Interesting Salt Fact: Sodium and chloride are the chemicals combined together that we refer to as table salt. Sodium is required for human bodies to adequately function2.
Interesting Historical Fact (turn of 20th century): Scott Joplin wrote The Entertainer. I learned to play this iconic piece of piano music in my youth. NPR has an interesting article about Scott Joplin.
When Lucy and I first started making pincushions, we frequented many antique shops hunting for just the right salt cellars. Over time, we started noticing other small dishes and finally ventured into different pieces to test if they would work. Ashtrays are a very common find. Some of the ashtrays we have found are made in beautiful patterns with interesting glass. Reclaiming and repurposing the glass spurs our imaginations and provides inspiration for creating.
Continue readingMaureen Cracknell, a fabric designer for Art Gallery Fabrics, has a new fabric line available. You can view the Lookbook for pretty pictures and inspiration including this version of the Pike quilt. I fell in love with this fabric!
Maureen’s fabric was perfect for pincushions too.
Quilting this was fun! I enjoyed changing the quilting motif in the different fabrics. I knew I wanted to have a wavy crosshatch in each of the block centers plus a lot of soft swirling lines in this quilt. The design evolved as I quilted.
If you are interested in making the Pike Quilt, the pattern is FREE! You can find it on Craftsy by clicking HERE. There are a couple of colorways for this quilt and you can choose which you download. Additionally, I’ve created a coloring page for this quilt so you can play.
Happy Quilting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
I’m so happy that I’m all finished with my #sewcialbeesampler quilt! I started this quilt last year with the weekly sew along written by Sharon Holland and co-hosted with Maureen Cracknell. I finished it shortly after the beginning of this year and finally had a chance to get some pictures.
I enjoyed the challenge and look of different blocks each week. Sharon’s beautiful instructions are visually pleasing and easy to follow.
I planned from the beginning to use different fabrics in every block. My only constraint was to use my Art Gallery Fabrics stash. I have built a stash since discovering this fabric line a few years ago. The back and binding are also Art Gallery Fabrics.
This is a large quilt! I decided on an all over geometric pattern for quilting. I used Aurifil thread. Quilting was so easy to do on my domestic Pfaff using my quilting foot.
I’m so pleased with my quilt and the way it turned out. I learned so much while making it, had a wonderful time perusing the other maker’s blocks on Instagram (#sewcialbeesampler), and simply being in touch with other quilters via social media. I’m especially grateful to my friend Shayne, who introduced me to Art Gallery Fabrics, and my local quilt store Sew to Speak because they carry Art Gallery Fabrics and I can see them in person.
To see progress from last year go here or here.
Happy Quilting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
New quilt! Let’s keep this short and sweet…
Inspiration: Previous small Pike quilt. Traditional jackknife block.
New size: 55″ square
Fabric: Bountiful, by Sharon Holland made by Art Gallery Fabric
Thread: Aurifil
Pattern: Etsy Shop for $1 – link HERE!
I picked my fabrics and realized after I started putting it all together that I was following the primary color scheme. I tend to do that. A lot. I think I like that combo. ;-)
Quilting done on my domestic Pfaff. I realized that the pebbling I quilted in the center was very dense so I lightened up when I moved out. I free motion quilted this entire quilt and loved the process.
I am so happy I can offer a pattern with this quilt. I think the pattern would work with so many different fabrics!
If you make it, use #pikequilt and tag me @lesleystorts or @stortsmarket so I can see what you create!
Happy Quilting ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
As I sit here writing this post, the snow is coming down outside. That is to be expected since it is January, but 2 days ago we had 55 degree weather. The weather here is nuts! And that is where the inspiration for this quilt ended up…with the weather. Here in central Ohio, we are considered one of the cloudiest cities in the country averaging 283 cloudy days per year. Those clouds make for great filtered light and picture taking, but also a longing for sunny skies and color!
When I first sketched this quilt, I was unsure about the palette. After coloring the sketch and playing around with it, I decided to use rainbow colors and try solids from Art Gallery Fabrics. I ordered a color card to help me choose fabrics.
Intense, saturated colors were what I first pulled, but I wanted those balanced out with some softer shades too. As I began making the quilt, I really loved the colors I chose, but realized that I needed one more dark in the green/blue family so I ordered a teal to add to the mix.
The background is Essex linen by Robert Kaufman. I used Essex linen in my Great Granny Squared quilt and loved the look. I ordered a metallic but changed my mind and ended up at my local quilt store, Sew to Speak, to pick out fabric with all of my AGF solids on hand to make sure I liked how they looked together. I really wanted the background to be a soft, grayish blue that represented those cloudy skies in Ohio. The Essex linen in chambray is subtle and compliments the rainbow palette. I enjoy the mix of two different textures of fabric in this quilt.
By using Quilters Dream Wool Batting, the greater loft provides more depth in the center and around the perimeter where the quilting is not as close. Prismatic Chill was backed with Carolyn Friedlander’s Crosshatch in Pacific. Quilt was pieced and quilted with Aurifil 2600.
As a side note, while I was making this quilt, I affectionately called it the rainbow quilt or winter rainbow quilt. It’s the quilt’s pet name. Is there such a thing? I like to think of Prismatic Chill as the formal name, the one you would see on the birth certificate that no one really says. Haha!
You can find this quilt and the pattern in the Winter 2017 issue of Modern Patchwork.
Happy Quilting ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎
Storts Market 