Wordle is the Word!

I was so excited with the Wordle word clouds I made yesterday for Thistle Thicket Studio that I had to make one into a mini quilt today. I just think these things are so fun, and I love how my little quilt turned out.

It now proudly hangs in my studio, aka sewing room. Now if I could just get those big red buttons hung.....

~Sharla

P.S. Has anyone caught the movie references in my last two blog titles? "Wordle Me This" is from the Riddler's catch-phrase in the Batman movies - "Riddle Me This"; and today's title "Wordle is the Word" is from the movie "Grease". OK, maybe a little lame :)

Wordle Me This?

What is Wordle? Wordle is a word cloud generating website. What's a word cloud? A group of words randomly placed in a grouping. So what does that have to do with quilting? The things you can do with word clouds is only limited by your imagination - customized quilt blocks, quilt labels and mini quilts are just a few of ideas.

Let me give you a quick walk through. Go to www.wordle.net and click on 'create your own'. Type words that you want to appear in your Wordle in the text box. The more often the word is repeated, the larger the word will appear in the Wordle. To keep two or more words together, either type the words with no spaces between the words or use a tilde (~) between the words. After you have your words typed, click go. It will ask to allow Wordle to run, click yes or allow and Wordle will generate your word cloud. Now you can select different fonts, layouts and colors for your Wordle. Here are a few examples to give you an idea.....



To save your Wordle, select 'open in window' and enlarge to full screen. Save by taking a screen shot and pasting to Microsoft Publisher. Crop the screen shot to your liking, then save the image as a picture. Now you can print your Wordle on colorfast fabric sheets that are made for ink jet printers.

I think I'll make the last Wordle into a mini quilt to hang in my 'studio'. I'll share the finished product soon!

~Sharla

Magnetic Chalkboard Tray

I found this dirty old tray hidden in a stack of galvanized tubs and buckets while cleaning out our barn the other day and decided it was destined to be recycled.

After a good washing, I spray painted the tray with chalkboard paint, drilled a couple of holes at the top and laced a hanger through them (absolutely love this multi-colored tape measure fabric by American Jane), then decorated it with an array of old buttons, spools, and thimbles. It'll be a great place to stick reminders, jot down shopping lists, etc.

I made magnets out of empty wooden spools decorated with yellow measuring tape and a button.

A close up of the buttons, spools and thimbles decorating the bottom of the tray.

Right now, I have it hanging over one of my cabinet doors until I decide on a permanent home in my sewing room. I think it's a great way to display some of my notions!

~Sharla

Displaying Quilts

I love quilting, but have a hard time letting go of quilts after I make them. But tucking quilts away in closets doesn't let me enjoy my labors of love. The dilemma, therefore, is how can one display multiple quilts for maximum enjoyment? Here are a few of my personal quilt displays....

My favorite display is this ladder display in my entryway. The quilt on the wall is hung from a decorative curtain rod with clips - easy to change out for the seasons.



My collection of antique quilts fit neatly in an antique ice box. A scrappy table runner layered with a doily adorns the top, while another quilt hangs over the ice box door.

This quilt chest was purchased at a craft show. To keep the quilts uniform in the chest, I cut a piece of foam core board to fold the quilts around, then slipped the board out.

Group similar quilts together. Here, brighter quilts with white backgrounds compliment the white furnishings.

A baby crib tucked under my cutting table holds another array of quilts.

How do you display your quilts?

~Sharla

Upcycled & Recycled

The fall season ushers in a host of craft and antique fairs around the country. And upcycling and recycling junk is all the rage at the fairs. This morning, I spied this old Singer recycled into yard art. I guess Singers have more purposes than just sewing!

So how have you seen old sewing machines recycled?

~Sharla

Almond Joy Cookies

As the weather turns cooler, and fall turns into winter, there are two things I love to do - quilt and bake. There's nothing better than a day of quilting with an occasional hot chocolate and cookie break. So I'm always on the search for yummy cookie recipes. One of the latest that's been showing up on my Facebook feed is "Almond Joy Cookies". I thought I'd share my version of the recipe - and yup, I've taste tested them and they have my 'sew good' stamp of approval!

Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 - 11 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped  or sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine dry ingredients, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stir in the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well mixed then stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Drop by rounded tablespoon-full onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: http://www.piarecipes.com/2013/09/almond-joy-cookies.html

 

 

Enjoy!

 

~Sharla

Chalkboard Quilt Tutorial

I just love chalkboards! They can serve so many purposes and are fun in any décor. So imagine my excitement when they came out with chalkboard fabric! So, of course, I had to make a Chalkboard Quilt!

This little quilt usually hangs on the side of my refrigerator greeting friends and family as they come into the kitchen.

This quilt is great for scraps! And I embellished the pinwheels with buttons!

For a 'First Day of Fall' treat (a couple of days late), I'm sharing my pattern for this Chalkboard Quilt. Click here for the pattern. This would make great Christmas gifts - you better get started though, only 92 more days left!

~Sharla