Spring Celebration -- So Many Colors!

I'm so excited to introduce you to my next participant in the Spring Celebration. I would certainly not be surprised if the Seminole Patterned Pillow in bold Spring colors is the first prize to be taken. I love the way So Many Colors uses colors and patterns in this and all of her work in her Etsy shop of the same name here. She also keeps her Facebook page very up to date about her work. You can also find handdyed knit fabric and handmade handbags in her shop.

As part of the Spring Celebration you could win the gorgeous pillow above valued at over $50. Glenda gave a step by step tutorial on her blog showing how the pillow was made using the Seminole Patchwork technique. I found it quite fascinating and I'm going to share the abridged version of it with you. You can find the entire post here. But first here is a description of Seminole Patchwork from So Many Colors:

Seminole patchwork is a piecing technique originated by the Seminole tribe in Florida after the introduction of sewing machines in the early 1900's. The technique consists of sewing strips of fabrics together, cutting the strips into smaller pieces then sewing them back together to create beautiful, repetitive patterns.

First I selected the five fabrics to be used in the pillow, all very vibrant! Then I chose one of the band or strip set patterns from Basic Seminole Patchwork by Cheryl Greider Bradkin. This particular band pattern uses four strips but I wanted to use one strip of each color so I added one. All of the strips except the very narrow one are 1 1/4" wide so adding another strip was easy. I also decided that I wanted a wider finished band so I added 1/4" to each strip.

First step is to straighten up the edge of the fabric. Then carefully cut one strip from each of the fabrics. Accurate cutting show up in the quality of the finished band.
With the adjustments I made to the strip widths I ended up with four strips at 1 1/2" wide and one, the yellow, at 1". Then I tried the strips in various arrangements until I was happy with the look. This is not the arrangement I ended up with.
Sew pairs of strips together using 1/4" seam or as close to that as possible. More important than the seam width is the consistency of the width for the length of the strip.

Don't sew more than pairs of strips together at one time. Each pair should be ironed flat then ironed open before adding another strip. This helps to minimize stretching when ironing, again helping with accuracy for the finished band.

Continue sewing strips together, ironing after each seam. Usually all of the seams are pressed in the same direction.

Even with careful cutting, accurate seams and careful pressing you can get a wavy edge.

The next step is to cut the strip set into strips. Some patterns use straight cuts with offset seams. This pattern uses a diagonal mirror image cut so the strip set can be folded in half and cut.

Now the strip sets are sewn together, matching seams a closely as possible. This is the part where I often rip seams out. Small mismatches don't bother me but more than a tiny bit will interfere with the finished pattern. Here's the finished band sewn but not ironed from the front.
Now we're ready to put banding strips on the edges and assemble the pillow.
SoManyColors on Etsy
SoManyColors on Facebook
SoManyColors on Blogger

See the contest rules here to find out how you could win the Spring Seminole Patchwork Pillow!

Spring Celebration -- Split Rock Ranch

We are well over halfway through the Spring Celebration and I'm very excited about the response so far. We have 175 entries into the big Giveaway and I'm happy to have brought some exposure to some amazing handmade shops. The next participant is another longtime blog friend of mine. Split Rock Ranch is your one stop shop for all things fiber. For a yarn/color addict like myself her shop is like your local crack dealership. She is donating this handspun/handdyed skein of yarn in lovely Spring colors. Here are the stats: 100% Merino
Handspun 2-ply
16 wpi = Sport Weight
2.5 oz 200 yards
Care Instructions: Hand wash in cool water with mild detergent. Do not twist or wring. Roll in towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat to dry.

I love this shot of the roving before being spun into the yarn on her spinning wheel. It's always fun to see where your yarn came from.

Split Rock Ranch also sells prize winning llamas from their herd at the site Split Rock Llamas. I've always been fascinated by llamas and I enjoy reading about her animals on her blog here. Here is a description of her site:
"We are a small ranch located in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. We raise, train, breed and sell llamas and fiber, handspun yarns, handdyed fibers and handmade items made from natural fibers."

She also sells her hand knitted garments made from her own fibers on her site and other fiber goodness. I have bought her Basic Needle Felting Kit with Instructions, Fiber, Felting Needles and Foam Pad to the right. I've started playing with it and I love all the colorful fiber that was included. I've also bought a drop spindle with some roving from her last year but I must be honest that I haven't conquered the spindle to date. I'm hoping to take a class later this year to learn from someone in person.

For all the knitter's out there this is about the best prize you can imagine. You don't often see a giveaway for handspun merino wool out there.

http://www.splitrockllamas.com
http://splitrockranch.etsy.com
http://www.splitrockranchllamas.blogspot.com

See the contest rules here to find out how you could win the Spring Celebration Handspun Merino Skein from Split Rock Ranch!

Spring Celebration -- Nature Acre

For today's feature as part of the Spring Celebration I am featuring a relatively new Etsy shop called Nature Acre. You could win this lovely gift set with a wine bottle bag and 4 coasters, valued at $15. Here is the description:



"We are on the brink of spring and summer, when outdoor entertainment and enjoyment will again be possible. Go wine tasting, and bring a bottle home in style with this reusable gift bag. Use it for yourself, or give as a gift. Bag is made from 100% cotton material, and is machine washable. Coasters are also made from 100% cotton, and are lined with thin polyester batting; they are also machine washable. Drawstring closure. Wine not included."

Nature Acre makes other household items like the Cedar Satchet and the Martini Olive Throw Pillow below. They also sell some interesting destash and vintage items.

The interesting thing about this shop is that the proprietor is married to none other than Sinclair of Nature With Me fame. Sinclair is a very talented and generous crafter/blogger who also organizes a charity craft project each month called Sharing Our Gifts. I've gotten to know her pretty well through the past year but I had no idea that her husband was also involved in the handmade community. I asked him a few questions about their lifestyle and goal of living a handmade and sustainable life.

1. How did you get involved with crafting and what are your mediums?
Like most people, I did crafting as a child. As I progressed into adulthood, my interests were more focused on music and theatre, but I have always drawn and considered myself an artist. My wife has been instrumental in rekindling my interest in crafting, mainly in the knitting realm, but also in needle felting and sewing. I like wool as a medium, but am open to many other materials as well.
2. Where do you get your inspiration?
I find inspiration from nature, works by artists, my daughter (who is becoming an outstanding artist in her own right) and my wife. My wife is very helpful when I want to bounce ideas around.

3. Did living a handmade life bring you and your family closer together?
Absolutely! It is very fulfilling to have a common interest in arts and crafts and a profound appreciation for all things handmade. We love to find and make unique and carefully crafted items. It brings us together to search for materials and discuss ideas, and it also slows us all down and causes us to live a more thoughtful and aware lifestyle.

4. Tell me about your goal of living a sustainable lifestyle and what does it mean to you?
Making my own usable items, growing my own food, learning to use manual tools of various trades, and purchasing as little assembly line merchandise as possible are some of my sustainability goals. It is important to have quality goods that were not created with the built-in, planned obsolescence with which we are bombarded in our consumer driven society. I have made little changes toward the goal of living a sustainable lifestyle, such as purchasing an antique safety razor and buying replacement blades that can be resharpened rather than using a disposable razor.

5. What are your goals for your business in the future?
At this point, I consider it a hobby. My goals are to grow as an artist and really discover what I can do and how far I can go within the realm of handmade crafts.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/natureacre
http://naturewithme.blogspot.com/
http://sharingourgifts.blogspot.com/


See the contest rules here to find out how you could win your own Wine Bottle Gift Bag Set!