Friday Fantastic

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Legends of Calypso

Confession: I was totally seduced by the blue Color Calypso fabric line (that isn't even available anymore). I don't think I even waited for a sale to snag my fat quarter bundle. I loved the colors and the individual designs from the very first time I saw them in a magazine ad. I didn't unpackage my June 2018 bundle until late 2022. I still am not sure what I should do with it, yet I love to look at the gorgeous hues when I need creative inspiration.

I adored the "color-kissed" flower print so much, I decided I need a dress made of it. I bought four yards. Again, I didn't wait for a sale. But I also still haven't gotten around to selecting a pattern for the fabric. (I have so many blue floral fabrics for which I haven't yet chosen dress patterns!) I can't decide if I want this particular dress to be a jumper I can wear in all seasons or a summer-sleeved frock that will get put away in winter.

I didn't expect to see any of the collection go on sale ever, but more than one year after I bought that initial bundle, a handful of the jelly roll strip packages landed in a popular online sale bin. I wasted no time in adding one to my collection.

I knew from experience one package of 40 or 42 jelly roll strips is not quite enough strips to make the entire skirt for a dress I designed with my own Spoonflower fabric designs back in 2014. (Man, I can't believe it's been that long ago now!!!) I knew must supplement. When I buy a set of jelly roll strips I intend to fashion into a dress, I typically buy a yard of my favorite fabric in the collection or in a coordinating solid to add half a dozen or so more strips to the skirt and to create a dress bodice. Pockets typically are made from whatever I have in my scrap bin that goes along with the dress fabric as close as possible. After all, my deep side pockets don't show.

I modified my strip skirt design just a bit with blue floral fabric leftovers from other projects and cut from worn-out dresses I made about as far back as high school.

The Color Calypso fabric line was so dated (most fabric collections - except for Moda Grunge and various solids - don't tend to be on the shelves longer than a few months), I knew there wouldn't be much yardage selection anywhere to add to my dress, so I thought a coordinating solid might be a nice addition. I used an online store's color matcher tool and bought a couple of yards of the recommended blue.

I wasn't impressed with the solid shade when it arrived. In 2021, I used the solid in my Painterly Charms quilt, then used the leftovers in a table topper for my mom for Mother's Day.

I haven't had enough time to make anything for me for so long, I'd set aside all my planned dress projects. I hoped a better Color Calypso coordinating solid option might materialize one day. At the end of 2019, I needed a tiny bit more of one specific fabric to finish an unrelated quilt. I got online to find the fabric, and there in the daily highlights was what I considered the perfect match for the Color Calypso dress! Moda Grunge, of course.

When this new fabric arrived, I couldn't wait to sit down to my sewing machine! I could not wait to wear this new dress! I cut the strips I needed several months later, and the following year or so, I cut out the bodice, lining and pockets. The unfinished project has been on my dining room table-turned sewing table since March of 2020. I never touched it again until now!!!

It likely will take a while to finish the piecing, and then I'd like to topstitch each seam with row of fancy embroidery. I went through my thread stash and don't have anything but a blue solid for the topstitching, but I guess I have a while before I have to make that decision. Each skirt panel will be at least 24 strips wide, and I'm only 9 strips into the first of two panels. Sadly, this isn't a dress I'll be wearing to church this coming weekend. How I wish I could finish it that fast!

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Wordless Wednesday

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You're on Candid Computer!

I've struck gold, or, well, I've struck red, in this year's sunflower crop. I had three productive red sunflower stalks (from about 100 seeds that were supposed to sprout red sunflowers). I just can't get enough photos of my gorgeous sunflowers this year!

I thought it would be really fun to put a smiley face in the middle of one of my gorgeous red sunflowers because red sunflowers make me so darned happy! I tried my hand at adding the smile via AI, particularly in the new Photoshop Generative AI, in which you start with your own image and ask the AI to improve it.

The results were mostly disappointing. I got a couple of cute images, but nothing was what I wanted. And who knew "smiley" is a bad word??? (I had to use "smiling" or just plain "smile".)

I tried all kinds of different combinations... jelly beans, gum drops, cranberries, yarn, yellow sunflowers, even toothpaste.

After running out of this month's AI credits in Photoshop, I decided to just do it myself in Photoshop, without any AI. Using entirely my own images, too. Finally got an image that visually says exactly what I wanted to say!

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Snowflake Monday

I'm often asked how I prevent designing the same snowflake more than once. I've redesigned many of my 837 (to date) snowflakes, and many have similarities. I don't know if I'd notice an identical duplicate unless someone pointed it out for me. :)

Duplicate names, however, are an entirely different story. I've been trying to draw from master lists of names I haven't used, but I guess I sometimes don't think to look up a potential new snowflake name on my Snowcatcher Snowflake Directory to make sure the name hasn't already been used before I publish a new pattern. I've accidentally created MANY duplicates, which I had to go back and number after discovering reuse, as well as many intentional duplicates, also designated by number (because Garden 27 Snowflake is much easier than coming up with a name, sometimes!!!).

And then there are all the mountain names duplicated on our state map. I've already created a Crystal Peak Snowflake; while researching today's mountain name, I discovered there is at least one more Crystal Peak, and it sits right next to today's 13,535-foot Treasure Mountain. (And while looking for a photo of that Crystal Peak, I found a third...) We have three Treasure Mountains. You'd think I'd have a photo of at least one of them! Nope!

The best I can do is share photos from our 2015 trip to nearby Crystal Mill, one of the top five most photographed landmarks in the US. I'm so thankful we were able to make that trip before Lizard was diagnosed with Parkinson's; no way I would have made it up that four-wheel-drive road without his driving skills. And I'm so thankful I was able to see the famed mill before scores of rude tourists succeeded in getting the general store and access to the most photogenic perch shut down last year. Due to unauthorized access and vandalism, there is talk of visibly fencing off (blockade style) the entire historic site, making it impossible for casual visitors to see it anymore. How sad that hiding this national treasure might be the only way to protect it now.

I went through six mountain names before settling for Treasure Mountain. I actually took the time to look up mountain names on my Snowflake Directory this time! Good thing, because those first six mountain names were already in use! Can you believe I can forget I've already used a name??? Treasure Mountain has a history all its own. It was named for a legendary and possibly non-existent buried gold stash that has never been found. The entire Crystal area is such a treasure; I hope visitors this year were more gentle and respectful so the area will be accessible for many generations to come. Wouldn't that be a treasure?

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 7.75 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Treasure Mountain Snowflake Instructions

SPECIAL STITCHES:

Popcorn Stitch (pc)

Work 5 dc in designated st, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc.

Make magic ring.

Round 1: [Pc in ring, ch 3] 6 times; sl st in top of starting pc. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: 3 sc in each ch 3 sp around; sl st into top of starting Round 1 pc.

Round 3: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 2), sk next sc, in next sc work (1 dc, ch 15, 1 sc in 4th ch from hook and in each of next 7 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, 1 dc), ch 2, sk next sc, 1 fpdc around top of next pc] 6 times, omitting last fpdc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Ch 18 (counts as 1 fpdc and [ch 16), in next ch 3 tip work (1 sc, ch 5, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, 1 sc), working back down spoke ch 16, sk next ch 2 sp, 1 fpdc around next Round 3 fpdc] 6 times, omitting last fpdc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 18; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.

Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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Friday Funny

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A Quilt for Melody

My cute little niece is being blessed this weekend. I wish I could be there. On the bright side, her new quilt will be there!

I played thread chicken with this quilt four times and lost three. Why don't sewing machine manufacturers make larger bobbins?!? :)

I had fun piecing the binding for this quilt. If I'd had more time (I'm already more than two months late), I would have loved to piece the binding from the leftover charm squares. But the short edges of the coordinating solid fat quarter bundle looks pretty sharp, in my opinion.

Finally! I finished a quilt! I feel like it's been years since I finished a quilt. I looked it up, and Melody's cousin Evelyn got a fresh quilt from me back in March!!!Okay, so I'm very slowly getting back to being me!

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Wordless Wednesday

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