Made in North Carolina Awards - wish me luck

Our State magazine is sponsoring "Made in North Carolina Awards" and I decided to enter. I'm not sure I made the right decision in entering but the very worst that can happen is that I don't win (which is what I believe will be the outcome) and I'm not out anything.

I entered my Bicycle Wall Hanging because it's my favorite quilt I've made so far. I especially like the fact that I designed the appliqué so it's a completely original creation.

The official contest website is Enter the Made in North Carolina Awards. Their official description of the awards is:

Help us celebrate the astounding talent that North Carolina has to offer with Our State’s inaugural Made in NC Awards. We’re searching for the highest-quality items produced across the state in four categories: Food & Drink, Style, Craft, and Home.

Show us what you’ve got, North Carolinians.

I entered my wall hanging in the Craft section. The strange thing is that you only submit a photo. I don't mind not surrendering my wall hanging to them but do photos really do any craft justice? Wouldn't it be better if they accepted preliminary photos, narrowed those down, and requested the chosen craft(s) be submitted in person? The rules state that the item being entered can be delivered to the contest location but, again, I'm not thrilled about turning it over to them. Surely the people who submit Food & Drink have to submit the actual items. How can you judge apple butter based on a photo?

Well, come August 24, I'll have confirmation that my quilt wasn't chosen for an award. And I'm okay with that.

 

Bicycle Wall Hanging

A little red bicycle with a basket of flowers and books - few things say summer to me more than this image! To celebrate the coming of summer, I designed and created this bicycle wall hanging. It incorporates my love of appliqué, bicycles, books, flowers, and polka dots. I wanted this to be as happy a wall hanging as I could manage, and I think I succeeded.

What do you think?

More pictures are available here.

Although not clear in this photo, the tires and seat are black polka dots, like the border. I am a lover of all things polka dot. Few designs are as cheerful to me as dots of all colors.

This completed wall hanging is available at my Etsy shop.

This is a completely original design. I used Adobe Illustrator to trace several different kinds of bicycles until I got it looking like an old-timey two wheeler. For the flowers and books in the basket, I fussy cut from appropriate fabrics that spoke to me. (You can't really see the books in the basket but they are there.)

 If you would like to make your own wall hanging, here is a copy of the bicycle. Please don't claim this design as yours - a link back would be nice but not required. Anything you choose to do with this design is up to you, as long as you don't say you designed it yourself. Thanks!

Bicycle for applique (c) Crafts of Note

Quilting pattern for wall hanging border (c) Crafts of Note 2016

Ballerinas Dancing Across a Wall Hanging

I have always loved the art of Ballet. If I'd been shorter, thinner, and more athletic, I would have dreamt of being a ballerina. Alas, that was not to be. I am a sewer which means I can create ballerinas from fabric and thread. This is the result!

Even more photos are available here: Ballerina Wall Hanging - Four Swans Dancing

Ballerina Wall Hanging is available from my Etsy shop.

I created this wall hanging using Adobe Illustrator to trace various ballerinas in several poses. If you would like to make your own wall hanging, here is a copy of the swans. Please don't claim this design as yours - a link back would be nice but not required. Anything you choose to do with this design is up to you, as long as you don't say you designed it yourself. Thanks!

Four Swans Dancing (c) Crafts of Note 

Joyful Elephant Wall Hanging

Isn't there something so adorable about elephants? I've always thought of elephants as true gentle giants. I feel certain that in real life they are loud, smelly, and ill tempered - much like us, now that I think about it.

That doesn't mean that I don't harbor a love of elephants. When I saw this design at Windham Fabrics, I knew I had to make my own.

I was a little surprised that the elephant on the appliqué pattern wasn't reversed. And since I'd already printed it out, I decided not to reverse it when I made it. That makes mine a mirror image of the original but I'm okay with it. I still think it's incredibly adorable.

What do you think?

More photos are available here: Joyful Elephant Wall Hanging.

Joyful Elephant Wall Hanging is available in my Etsy shop.

Geek Sewing

I am a longtime closet geek. I'm not embarrassed by being a geek, it's just not a trait by which I identify myself. Loving Star Trek, Star Wars, Avengers, and Sherlock is one part of my life. Some people in my life can't understand the fascination, and I get that. I'm also a HUGE fan of Shakespeare and that's as strange to some as loving science fiction.

How do those add up? In the words of Walt Whitman:
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

I have never been a comic book lover so it came as a huge surprise when I went to see The Avengers and fell in love with those characters. I loved the movie and it instantly became one of the favorites. It also inspired my first foray into geek sewing.

Captain America Pillow

Yes, I am team Cap. I did all the Avengers as pillows, which you can see here.

Before Avengers was Star Trek. I was not old enough to enjoy Star Trek when the original series was on but when I grew into it, I loved the optimism, the hope, the fellowship of the Enterprise and her crew. Not to mention having a gigantic crush on Captain James T. Kirk. 

I haven't sewn any Star Trek items although I made a stained glass Enterprise. It sold and I need to make more. 

I am old enough to have been one of the original Star Wars fans from the first, and still to me, the best movie. Star Wars is one of my go-to movies when I need familiar and comforting. Seeing Luke, Obi-Wan, Leia, and Han never fails to make me feel secure and home.

I made Star Wars tote bags from original designs, which you can see here.

Equally surprising to loving The Avengers was falling completely and utterly in love with BBC's Sherlock. While not a huge fan of the original Sherlock Holmes as written by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle, BBC's Sherlock quickly became a favorite. It's unfortunate that there is such a long gap between seasons but the results are always worthwhile. The show inspired me to make these pillows.

Sherlock and Watson from BBC's Sherlock

Again, these are original designs although the characters do not belong to me. (I'd really like to belong to Sherlock, truth be told!)

Not so long ago, I made the mistake of posting a question about one of my totes to a Facebook forum. I am conflict-averse and knew I shouldn't have posted there. Curiosity overrode caution and I posted the question. Rather than getting a sensible answer, I was lambasted for being so derivative. I was told that I should only post original creations and my shop was filled with the work of others. It made no difference when I pointed out that I was hardly alone in posting fan items inspired by popular culture. 

I don't consider my creations theft. I don't claim to own any of the Avengers or their icons. I do make my own version of each creation, based on images from the original medium. Even Disney has backed off from demanding that fans cease and desist. It's a new world of crafting. We all borrow from books, movies, and TV shows we love. We don't claim them as our own, only as our own interpretation.