The Sewing World of Stormee

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-29T12:18:00.003-06:00

I just want to say Happy New Year and want to thank all of you that have followed my blog. I know that I have not always been good about updating my blog but many of you have continued to follow. I have my own computer now which makes it easier to update my blog because now when I get a serge of ideas to post on my blog I don't have to wait til someone else(DH for one) to get off. Then I forget what I wanted to post.
Speaking of that, I don't know why I don't write this stuff down. What makes me think that I am going to remember what I wanted to write 3 days ago, let alone a month ago, for that matter 1 hour ago. I have a note book right there on the table in my sewing room and I still didn't write down what I wanted to say.
This year I promise I am going to make sure I keep my posts going. Not to say that I will post every day but I will be posting more often.
I love sharing what I make and fabrics that I find with other sewers. I love to sew and I love anything that has to do with sewing. I want to try every gadget or tutorial that I see.
In my sewing room there is a poster by Sark that I bought a a garage sale about 14 years ago. It is called "How To Be An Artist". I love that poster because when I say to people that I am an artist, they always ask me what I paint, or what do I draw, or what university I went to. Well if being an artist means that I have to have gone to an art school then I can say I went to the University of Sark and here's my diploma. If you ever read what she says about being an artist you will see that to be an artist you just have to be you and love what you do best. I can sew, I love to sew and sewing is my art form. Fabric is my medium.

Latest chenille jacket

Go to my Etsy Shop for more details.

Anyway that is all for now, until next time. Please leave a comment it is nice to know that someone has read your blog.

Boxes

2011-08-19T13:07:00.000-05:00

I would like to share this little story about someone that has been very special and instrumental in my creative process, that is my cousin Sereta.
It has taken a while for me to piece this together because you see my cousin passed away a few years ago. I still think about her and the ways she influenced my life.
For one thing Sereta was very tall (about 6 feet) and when I walked next to her I never felt short, I felt proud and as tall as she. I would have to walk, all most run to keep up with her. She would say, "hold up your head and suck in your belly, walk from heel to toe and you will be able to walk all up and down these hills" we was living in Oakland, California at the time and did a lot of walking in San Francisco. Anyway back to the story I wanted to tell.
When Sereta and I was growing up, she lived with her grandparents, and in the Summer when I would go visit my grandmother, who by the way was Sereta's grandmother's twin and lived in walking distance of each other, I would spend hours at Sereta's and we would make dolls out of sticks and dress them in leaves. Sereta was so creative and she could make a rock look like the best thing in the world to play with.
Sereta always had the most interesting items in her room, whether it was a rock she found or a stick doll she made and dressed in a magnolia leaf. One thing she did is collect boxes, all kinds of boxes and some she decorated and embellished with ribbons and shells or small rocks. I loved to go into her room and open the boxes and look inside and see what little surprises she had hidden inside them. Sometimes it would be a rock, a piece of candy, a bead, or a feather she found laying in the yard. Once I was visiting Sereta and there was one box that she had decorated and it was sitting on the dresser and of course I went straight for the box to see what was inside. She said "nooooo that box is special and you cannot look inside, that is my special box". Well that peeked my imagination and my curiosity, I just could not imagine what was in that box that "I" was not to open. Every time I visited Sereta I wanted to look in that box. And it became more intriguing as the Summer went by. Well Sereta never let me look in that box. She knew that I was intrigued by the box and she kept me guessing about it's contents.
Years later after years of being separated from my favorite cousin and many boxes later ( you see I started a collection of my own) I was able to ask her about that box and what she had in it that I could not see. She said "magic stuff" and "you didn't know that I was magic did you?" I never got to know what was in that box but I still think about it and sometimes I think " a box full of rocks probably" or "feathers" I'll never know for sure but it keeps my creativity flowing. When you come to my sewing room you will find that I too have a lot of interesting boxes in my collection hoping to peek someone else's creative nature and curiosity.
Just before my cousin went home I was able to go to California and visit her, and while there she handed me a beautiful round box that I still have. I still don't know what was in that box. But I will let you guess what is in this one.

This is the box that Sereta gave me. It is very special to me.

I have started creating boxes also. Here are two boxes that will be available for sale in my Etsy Shop. I think that boxes intrigue me because they have tops on them and you always wonder what is inside them. Some are just plain shoe boxes. Some boxes have jewels on them. But one thing for sure, when you see a box sitting on a table or a dresser, you want to open them up and see what is inside, but sometimes it is better to just look at them and wonder. Set one of these boxes on your coffee table, end table, or your dresser and watch the curiosity of your guests.

Made with muddcloth and leather these boxes are embellished with beads and shells and are very sturdy, you can also use them as gift boxes for that special gift. Or just keep someone's curiosity going.

Word Play Quilts, Zaren's Quilt

2011-08-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

This book by Tonya Ricucci is one book I am so glad I purchased. It has so many wonderful ways to add words to your quilt. It is so easy, I have started making quilts for grandkids with their names on them. The good part about it is the easy to follow directions for each letter that are in the back of the book. I have enjoyed reading the book from cover to cover and trying the many ways to make numbers and letters in a quilt. If you, like myself, are more of an art quilter or have never made a quilt and would like to. Then this is the book for you. Also this is the latest quilt top that I am making for my grandson. It is just a small cuddle quilt, but I think that kids like having a small quilt to drag around.

Now it's your turn to go and make your own.

Dalayla's Day With The Long Arm Quilter

2011-08-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter, Dalayla, came to spend part of the Summer with me and we had such a great time sewing together. She took to sewing like she had been sewing all her life. Well she did spend a lot of time with me when she was a toddler.
One thing we did while she was here was to go to one of my quilting sister's, Jean, and quilt Dalayla's quilt on Jeans long arm.
Here is a video of Dalayla using the machine

Cathedral Windows Quilt

2011-07-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

The Cathedral Window Quilt pattern is gorgeous. The Origami-like folding of fabric, the jewel like tones of the "windows", the layers of fabric and stitching - all combine to create an amazing, complex looking quilt. The reality is that the process is not that hard, and with a little learning and patience, you can do it quite easily.
Well this blog post is not a tutorial. It is a story about my experience with the pattern. I taught myself to make the block when I got a little card in the mail with the instructions on it I learned to make the block very quickly and before I knew it, I had completed 4 panels. It is a very addictive block to make. It is done by hand and you quilt as you go, so as you finish a block , you are also finishing your quilt.
This is my story about the Cathedral Windows quilt and my experience. I started teaching a group of women from my church to make the block a few years ago, but right in the middle of learning the block, I moved away and I did not get a chance to see any of the finished quilts in that group.
Well back in June 2011 I was in Cedar Rapids and visiting the church when Lois, one of the ladies in that group came to me and said, "I would like for you to see my quilt" she said that after I left she continued to work on her quilt and it took her about 5 years to complete the quilt. She was so proud of her quilt and I was too. She let me take pictures of her quilt and said that she did not mind if I put the pictures on my blog. I just want to say that this is a very fun easy quilt to make. I looks hard. But when you finish a quilt you will be so happy you made it. There are so many tutorials on the internet to show you how to make one, and so many ideas. I made mine and while making it I got the big idea to add photos in the windows. So some of my CW quilt has photos of my family and friends.
Here are pictures of Lois and her quilt.

Now I know that this makes you want to get started on your own Cathedral Windows quilt.

Edit Profile - Threads

2011-07-07T20:53:00.001-05:00

Sewing and displaying what I sew is so fun to do. There are many sites on the internet that makes it easy.

Edit Profile - Threads

Neck Tie Quilt

2011-03-31T12:13:00.000-05:00

I am finally creating at a good pace and it feels good. Good enough to write a blog post about it.
A few years ago, my cousin presented me with a tote full of neckties (thank you CeCe) and through the years I have added to that collection by going to the thrift store and buying more, and by taking any and every tie that was donated to my collection. I ended up with a barrel of ties. My darling husband was so kind to take three days and make ready all my ties by cutting them open and taking all the filling out. Thank you Bobby.
I decided that I would make a quilt out of the ties first, then what is left will go into a jacket. I did not realize all the beautiful ties I had collected, my husband even traded a couple of his ties for the ones he found in my barrel. There are silk, satin,cotton,wool, and also some polyester.
I have started on the quilt first, I decided to use the foundation piecing method since I have all different kinds of fabric and textures. It is hard to use some of the ties because they are so beautiful, I keep putting different ones back for the coat. So now I am closing my eyes and whatever tie I pull out, I have to use. That makes it a lot easier. I am going to put the quilt together row by row as I go along. I am not going to worry about what colors or textures should go next to what, it is an art quilt that when it is done, won't win any contests(?) but will be beautiful in it's right. I will continue to post about this quilt and when it is done you will see. My husband said "if you don't do anything with these ties after I have done all this work, I will not do anything like this again" So that is another instinctive reason for me to get this quilt done.

As you can see, there are many nice ties going into this quilt.

Here is a picture of my first block.

Here is a sneak preview of the cuddle quilt I just finished for the quilt guild that I belong to. Go over and take a look at that blog also.

How to Get Back To Sewing After a 2 Month Vacation

2011-02-13T20:45:00.000-06:00

Well here it is February, we got back from our vacation in December and this is the first month that I have had so many projects going at once. It is very hard to get back in the flow of sewing and designing new creations when you have been on a long vacation. One thing I did before I left was reorganized my sewing room, that was not such a good idea, why? When I returned and tried to get started, I could not remember where I put everything. Ha ha. I had rearranged so well that it took me a week to get everything back the way it was so that I could find it. I know it doesn't make sense to you but it does to me.
On thing I made was this vest for my husband. He asked me to make him a vest to go with a suit he had and I looked through my stash and found this beautiful upholstery fabric. It goes perfectly with his suit.

This is a close-up of the fabric.

A real nice fit.

Looks nice with the suit.

I also made this 3 piece linen ensemble and have listed it in my Etsy Shop. You can check it out there and also check out some of the other items I have listed there.

It is really a cute outfit.


I love the buttons they really make the fabrics come alive.

Check out my shop to see all the pieces. This is a very comfortable easy going suit and you will feel so cute in it.
I had to just get myself in gear and get back in the groove. Every day after my vacation I did a little more than I did before. I reorganized my sewing room, and went through all my fabrics to remind myself what I had. Also before I left I had a stack of things that I wanted to make, so I just pulled one thing and started working on it. I did not try to finish it right away. I did not want to put any pressure on myself. I did set some new goals and challenges for myself. Just taking it a day at a time. But guess what, it is time for another vacation.

Catching Up

2010-10-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I posted on this blog. Writing for me is not easy. There has been a lot going on in my life since I last blogged. I have made some great creations and now I am winding down and getting ready for a much needed vacation. I am so excited about it because my husband and I are going to be traveling to California on the train. I have traveled by train before but this will be the first time we will be riding in one of those roomettes. We are going to Georgia first the visit daughter Renee then traveling to Iowa to visit son, Buster and daughter, Tee, daughter Melissa and various other relatives. Then on to Mt. Pleasant to get on the train. I am going to blog about it along the way. I am expecting a very exciting trip. Pray for us.

Here are some pictures of some of the stuff that I have made since I last blogged.

This vest with matching bag.

Pear Jam yummy.Great on wheat toast

I made this outfit. I think it is cuter on the hanger. LOL

Ojore' Gets His Quilt

2010-03-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

I have to say that I feel so good today. Finally finishing the quilt that I made for my grandson and also getting it sent to him. He received the quilt on March 24, 2 weeks before his birthday! I told his mom to go ahead and let him open the package because Granmommy could not wait to see him with it. Thank God for modern technology! Being able to see the pictures right away is truly a blessing. He said "I can lay on it and look up at the clouds" He also recognized all the trucks he told his mom "I think I see a excavator" to tell you the truth I did not know that I put one one the quilt. I thought they were all trucks. LOL He is so smart. It took about a year to make this quilt and to think with 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grands, Granmommy has a lot of work to do.

Stormee at the Artists Co-op in Martin, TN

2010-02-20T19:17:00.007-06:00

Today was our day to man the gallery. So Bobby and I packed our lunch and headed for Martin, Tennessee open the gallery and receive customers. It was a good day and it was nice to be in the environment of artists and their work. Martin is an interesting town and because it has so very talented artists also. We will be traveling to Martin at least a couple times a month. But it is not that far from Paris.

It is always so nice to see your own artwork displayed in a gallery along with other artists. Just to think that someone is walking up to your work and trying to understand it. While there several people came in and looked around and said how happy they was to have an artists co-op in Martin.
Here is the display of my jackets.

This is one of my favorite pieces by Peggy King of Martin

I love this birdbath

My handsome husband who is so supportive of me and my art. He is my biggest fan.

The best part of the day was when my dear friend Minister Joan Blackman came over from Union City, TN to spend part of the day with us. We always have a grand time.

This co-op is such and interesting place with a lot of surprises and interesting spaces.

Cloth Basket

2010-02-02T22:12:00.005-06:00

This is a basket I made out of clothesline rope. I know that you have seen these where you wrap the fabric around the rope and zigzag stitch it on. Then you assemble the basket with a zigzag stitch. It is pretty big. I was really happy with it. Although I wish I had found a more neutral thread to sew it together with. I used white thread (ha ha). Next time I will not make it so big.
Well I was so excited about making this that I got out one of my scrap bags and cut all the scraps into 2" strips. I am going to make another string quilt. I really enjoyed the last one I made. It was so much fun.

As you can see, I have a lot of scraps. This basket makes a great display for them.
I also made this jacket that is on display in my Etsy Shop
You can read the details when you go to my shop. You can look around while you are in there.

I love the button

A Good Start In January

2010-01-15T11:27:00.000-06:00

It is a shame to invite folks to your blog (through Entrecard,Facebook,or Twitter) and not have been there that much myself. I vow to post more. The thing is, I just don't have a lot to say. But I want to thank all that have visited and left a comment. It helps.

I was reading someone's blog the other day and she was talking about that very thing and I realized that I am guilty of that same thing. It is like inviting someone to your house and not being home.

Today I thought I would post the latest quilt I have been working on. To start,the members of our quilt guild are required to make at least 4 cuddle quilts a year (these we donate to the Le Bonhuer) So anyway this is my first one for the year.
This was such a simple and fun quilt to make. I got the pattern from the Quiltville blog. If you ever want to learn how to do a certain block you can find it there with very easy instructions. Anyway once I made the first block, I could not stop until the quilt was finished. It is a small quilt only 48"X 48".
This is what one square looks like. I made 16 squares.

My quilting sister Mildred Puckett came over and showed me how to tie the quilt. Boy that saved a lot of time for me and I like the way it looks. I tied it with pink cotton crochet thread.

Now I know you will love this chenile pillow also. It will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop very soon. I will tell you that it is nice and big and fluffy. It is one of those pillows that you will want to hug when your (significant other) is not around.

I am trying to figure out what to do with this bag I made, I had some of the chenille leftover from the pillow so I decided to make this bag. This is as far as I got and now I don't know how I will do the handles. The ends are finished so I don't know what I am going to do with it so I am going to put it aside and do something else. Any suggestions?

This is one of the blocks for the quilt I am making for my granddaughter, it is a wonderful quilt that will look like a four story house when (whenever) I get done with it. But you can enjoy some of it now.

If you recognize what rooms these are, let me know then I will know that I am on the right track. Ha Ha.
Until next time, happy blogging!

My Backyard in December

2009-12-27T18:02:00.000-06:00

I looked out my back window today and what did I see?
All the leaves have fallen off the tree (trees)
Just a little poetry for my readers, no I am not a poet and I know it. But I was just amazed at the way the backyard looked with no greenery. To me it is still beautiful, the trees have such unique shapes, that wooded area in our backyard looks so mysterious but not so mysterious that I feel like I should be out in it. And I don't feel that I need to go explore what is in those woods. The other day there was 3 deer out there. I tried to take a photo of that but by the time I got my camera they had gone. I love looking at nature.

Also today Bobby (my husband) and I went to church with his dad. He asked me "don't you have enough pictures of us? I don't think we ever get enough pictures of our loved ones. Dad is looking real good for 83 years young.

New Pillows

2009-11-21T15:56:00.000-06:00

These are some of the pillows that I will be listing in my Etsy shop real soon. I don't know if you remember me talking about mud cloth. But I was talking about how beautiful mud cloth is when you use it in patchwork. Well I put some in a couple of these pillows and it really made the animals jump out. These pillow are not made to try to match your decor but to accent. It is always nice to have one thing that doesn't match. At least that is what I think. So I love creating these pillows, I call them Gollie Gollie pillows because they are the ones that you hug while watching tv. Or set a plate of food or bowl of popcorn while watching a movie. When you get sick it will be your best friend. Which reminds me, my husband has this quilt that his mom made for him, I can tell when he is not feeling well because he will get that quilt and curl up in it. I call it his Gollie Gollie. That is the way you will feel about these pillows.
So keep watching my Etsy shop and you will be able to purchase one of these pillows. But you had better act fast because the pillows usually go quick. Everyone likes having a Gollie Gollie.

God is The Artist

2009-11-11T21:08:00.001-06:00

The other day the sun was out and the air was a little crisp,the sky was so blue and the leaves on this tree was just starting to turn. I looked up at the top of the tree and this is what I saw, To God be the glory, for the things He has done. I have learned to appreciate beautiful scenes like this one.

Round Robin

2009-11-03T11:28:00.000-06:00

A round robin is a great way for a group of quilters to challenge each other creatively. In its simplest form a round robin is an ongoing exchange of quilt projects where each person takes a turn adding to the project. You will not be able to see your block again until the all the blocks are finished. Oh what a surprise that is going to be. Beyond that, it can become quite elaborate depending on the rules agreed upon by the group. That being said, our quilt guild just finished a round robin and I was so impressed with the beautiful quilt tops that came out of it. There are some very creative folks in our guild. I am very excited about being in the next round robin that is coming up soon. We are starting with a 12 to 16 inch block. At our next meeting we will each share our block, then they go into a bag and we will not see them again until the round robin is done.
Here are some of the photos from the last round robin

A Stitch at a Time

2009-10-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

It is always an honor when someone writes an essay about you. This is an essay written by a very dear sister/friend that I met on this journey called Life. Sometimes you think that you have learned so much from a person, then you find out that they also learned something from you. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I have.

A Stitch At a Time
By Gaylynne Shade-Rudison
The first time I met Doreen Bryant, who we all called Stormee was at church in Fort Dodge, Iowa. My first impression of her was that she looked quite exquisite. She stood out from the crowd. Her salt and pepper hair in dreadlocks, twisted up and wrapped in a scarf. One of her many dreadlocks hung down the front, framing her cheekbone. She wore a long, layered, draping, pastel pink, yellow, blue, green, and white dress with wide flowing sleeves almost appearing angelic. She was one of the first members to come over to me, introducing herself and welcoming me to the church. I complimented her on her beautiful dress and she then told me she made it herself. I remember even then thinking of how creative she must be. She was certainly talented. During the course of our conversation, I found out that she was my neighbor as well. She was very warming and she even invited me to come visit her sometime. I had just made my first friend in Fort Dodge.
I remember the first time I went to her house, coming into what should have been the living room, I noticed a long rack of clothes hanging. There was a form that looked like a headless mannequin, colorful, neatly crafted cloth boxes, and purses with patchwork designs. There was a lounger that sat in front of the bay window with two oversized pillows that leaned against it and the curtains that were hanging from the window matched the pillows. As I went into what would have been the dining room, I saw a sewing machine, a surging machine, a cutting board, ironing board and iron, and piles and piles of fabric. It was clear she had a passion for sewing. I later found out she also loved to teach the art!
As a child, I made a pillow or two but really took no interest in sewing. The patterns seemed like a foreign language to me, a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I had no patience when it came to pinning, tracing, and cutting out patterns. Then there is the unexpected poke you get from the needle in which you are controlling and still forget your finger is in the way. Ouch.
Every time I saw Stormee, she would say something like, “I’m working on a new project, you have to stop by and see it.” “Maybe we can get together and do something.” “I find such peace in sewing.” “You ought to try it sometimes.” My response would be, “Yeah, we’ll have to do that some day.” While thinking to myself, “blah, blah, blah, How in the world could sewing be relaxing when all I have ever experienced was agony and defeat?!” I felt like maybe I didn’t want to ask her how things were going anymore because it was always sewing, sewing, and more sewing.
At Walmart, church, or on the front porch, it didn’t make any difference where I saw Stormee, she talked about sewing until I finally gave in and agreed to come over to her house and at least try to follow her directions.
The next time I came to visit, her husband opened the door and welcomed me in. As I came in I saw her sitting on the other side of the room, in her hand-crafted, black with Kenta’ print sundress with the matching head wrap on. Her dreadlocks hung out from the top of the wrap. Her eyes were focused on the pieces of violet and red cotton fabric squares she held in her hands against the base of her sewing machine.
I could hear the steady beat of the needle going up and down. The ceiling fan spinning above her and the chain that hung from the fan clattered against the glass bulb. A halogen lamp sat in the corner near her workstation illuminating the room. Behind her was a white rectangular table and on the table was a pair of scissors, a pin cushion shaped like a tomato with pins sticking out, spools of multicolored thread, and rainbow colored fabric squares. The squares were stacked orderly as if in line to be stitched together with the pieces she held in her hands. I later found out they were set up just for that purpose. She was making a quilt for her granddaughter. Although, it’s not something I can do, I thought it was a great gift to give someone. I wouldn’t mind having one myself.
As I had promised Stormee, the time came when I began to sew with her. A group of teen girls from the church were designing their own squares and then stitching them together to make a quilt that would be displayed at the art center.
Prior to this day, Stormee cut out these 9x9 muslin fabric squares. She also had a bag of scrap fabric of many colors and patterns from other projects she had done. These pieces were used to sew together on the squares to appear as if they were puzzle pieces connected all together. After showing me quickly how she wanted it done, Stormee gave me a handful of the squares, small pieces of colorful fabric, and told me to take it home and work on it over the next week.
I agreed, took it home, and over the next week I experienced the peace she talked about in sewing. I was able to allow my mind to focus totally on the project at hand and not everything else that was either on my mind or going on around me. Following her directions, I watched the plane muslin squares turn into art. This was wonderful. I felt like a creator. I did just a small piece of the quilt but when it was put together, it was beautiful. My eyes were opened to the art of sewing. This small project helped me to see the calming side of sewing.
I was anxious to get started on the next project. I would go to Stormee’s house and just watch her in creating her masterpieces. There were times when she would ask me to do little things on her projects such as, Iron a piece here and there while explaining to me the importance of the fabric needing to be straight and how the pieces fit together easier. Just what I dreaded the most, she would ask me to cut out patterns, pin the patterns to fabric, and cut the fabric after pinning the pattern on and amazingly, it wasn’t so bad. She had shortcuts and it didn’t seem so frustrating.
I thought to myself, “time to venture out a little.” I began to try simple patterns, like children’s shorts with no pockets and simple tanks for children. They came out pretty good and my children loved them all! I remember going to church and hearing some of the ladies and children complimenting my girls on how beautiful their dresses were and they would smile and say, “Thank you, my mommy made them for us.”
Seeing this and hearing the children’s kind words encouraged me to step out of my shell and try more things. I made dresses for my daughters to wear to a wedding and even for a couple of girls at the church.
Everyone would rant and rave about my work. This made me want to do more! It became fun to me and I loved getting the compliments with each new project.
Stormee was really proud of me! She would wear the dress I made her and tell everyone who inquired about her attire, “I didn’t make this dress, it was my Protégé who made it for me. Isn’t it beautiful?”
I now love sewing!
It’s something to see this flat piece of fabric come to life. With a little cutting, pinning, sewing, and love, it becomes a piece of art to be enjoyed by you and others.

Q.U.I.L.T Guild

2009-09-28T10:50:00.001-05:00

What a great month we had for September. First, our Sept meeting was a blast because some of the quilters worked on these beautiful little cellphone purses that we planned to sell at the "Arts on the Square" festival that was held in the town square of Paris,TN.

Every meeting we have "Show and Tell" and the is the part where we show some of the projects that we have been working on. This part of the meeting is great because it is the way we inspire each other to finish projects,to start a new project or just to tell each other that we are doing a great job. I love it when my quilting sisters offer suggestions or tell me what a great job I did on an item. I love "show and tell". Here are a few of the items that was brought for show and tell.

As you can see we have been busy, making quilts. I feel terrible because I did not take notes of who each quilt belongs too. I will do better next time. But as you can see, we have some very talented sisters in our guild. That is why I put my name on the nomination list for next years president. I feel I will learn quite a bit and will also be very busy, but still encouraged to do my art.
I really enjoyed this past Saturday, our guild set up a display at the art festival that I spoke of earlier. It was a beautiful day, and even though it looked like it was going to rain, it never did. We stayed ready at all times to collect our quilts and get them undercover before they got soaked. But thanks be to God, the rain did not come until 30 minutes before the festival was over.
We had a drawing for our charity quilt that was made this year. I was thrilled when I won the quilt. I will cherish it. I did not get a chance to work on this one, but I look forward to next year when I will get a chance to work on the next one. I was told that I will have to work double time one the next one. LOL
So sit back and enjoy our display.

And this is the quilt that I won.

Thank you Doris Van Dyke for modeling one of my jackets.

And of course I set up some of my own art

The end of the year at our guild is a high time. So stay tuned to my blog to see the exciting happenings at the Paris, TN Q.U.I.L.T Guild.

The Yo Yo Ladies of Paducah, Kentucky

2009-08-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

At our last Quilt Guild meeting we had as our guests, the Yo Yo Ladies of Paducah, Ky. This is a group of quilting ladies that make yo yo's and quilted items that they sell for different charities. What a great time we had, they shared some of their quilts with us and with each quilt there was a wonderful and interesting story. They have also been featured every year in a Japanese quilt magazine. One of the members showed her beautiful spider quilt, I fell in love with it and decided to give it a try. Here is the one that I made.

Well I thought I had taken a picture of the on she made but I couldn't find it. I did take some pictures of some of the quilts that they brought. Although I can't remember any of the stories that was told about the quilts. They brought so many beautiful quilts and we felt very blessed to have been able to see them. I was inspired to get to my studio and get to quilting.

This last quilt is a yo yo quilt. They said that it has 1700 exceptional yo yos, they said that they was not perfect yo yos because only God is perfect.

If you click on the photo, you will get a better idea of what a yo yo is.

Beaded tapestry denim jacket

2009-06-19T12:30:00.001-05:00

Beaded tapestry denim jacket
Originally uploaded by Stormeejean

When I received a box from my aunt containing some of the sewing items of my grandmother's, I was thrilled. It contained lots of items that Grandmother had collected through the years. I will blog some of these later.
One of the items in particular was what looked like a work in progress. It was a shirt all cut out and ready to sew. The back of the shirt had this beautiful tapestry (I did not know what else to call it) on the back. Grandmother had beaded parts of the jacket, I thought it was so beautiful, at first I tried to finish the shirt, but the tapestry was a little heavy and it made the shirt hang funny. So I cut the tapestry from the materiel and created this jean jacket which holds the tapestry well. I decided not to trim the shirt fabric because it was so pretty. I added some more trim and not this jacket is ready to wear.

More from the Q.U.I.L.T Guild

2009-06-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

We had our monthly Q.U.I.L.T (Quilters United In Lasting Tradition)It was a good meeting. We worked on the quilt that we are making for one of the members. I helped to cut some of the strips. I did learn how to get my pieces cut very straight. That is the one thing that I love about this group and that is everyone is very generous with information. I brought a cuddle quilt for show and tell and for donation to the children's hospital the only thing is I got a couple of places underneath that buckled and one of the members gave me a hint on how to keep that from happening. Then I learned how to join my binding on the bias that is a wonderful hint that I have been using in a lot of my garment sewing. This is the quilt that I made for the children's hospital.

Also in the guild we all wear name tags and we made our own tags. At this meeting I decided to take some photos of some of the name tags because they are so interesting the different ideas that each person had for the name tag.

Also last weekend I had the opportunity to watch my friend Mary make this beautiful wedding cake for her son that got married. Mary makes delicious cakes and this cake was sooo good. I have so many talented friends.

Prayer Bag

2009-05-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

I started making these little drawstring prayer bags a few years ago, I also made little books to go inside them. Then I would give them to people and ask them to pray for each of the people whose names were in the book. Then I asked them to add names if they wanted to or words of encouragement or their favorite scripture then pass the bag on to another prayer warrior. The idea was that you would be praying for people and situations that you know nothing about and someone you did not know would be praying for you.
Well a couple of weeks ago I received a package in the mail, it was a little beat up but guess what was in it---one of the prayer bags, it had been in circulation since 2005 it had been as far as California. I was so excited. I have decided to begin my prayer bag ministry again.

Pretty Flowers

2009-05-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

2005_0126may200008
Originally uploaded by Stormeejean

I just posted some new pictures of my little home on flickr. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I also have pictures there of my house before the flowers and the trees bloomed. What a difference a season makes.

The Q.U.I.L.T Guild (Quilters United In Lasting Tradition)

2009-05-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

I joined this group of quilters last December. After the first meeting I was hooked. Not only on the group but also hooked on the idea of quilting. I say "idea" of quilting only because I have not really dug in made a quilt yet. But I have helped with a couple of the projects that the group has done. One of the on-going projects that the guild has is the Cuddle Quilt Project, the guild donates about 100 quilts a year to Labana and St. Judes Childrens Hospitals for children with cancer. Some of the quilts that are made by the members are also donated to the hospital here in Paris, Tn.

We have some other fun events also, like our May birthday party, where we celebrate the quilds' anniversary and all the members' birthdays. On May 7th we celebrated by drawing names and each of the members bought the person whose name was drawn $15 worth of fabric. We each wrote down the colors we wanted and the person we drew was supposed to get the color they wanted. There was a lot of wonderful color combinations given.

Also at this same meeting we ooooed and ahhhhed the beautiful batik fabrics and quilts that Diane of Batiks by Design brought in to show. She had totes and totes of fabric and quilts that were delightful and inspiring. You can go to her website for more information and to see her beautiful fabrics and quilts.

Quilted Bath Mat

2009-04-16T14:14:00.001-05:00

Quilted Bath Mat
Originally uploaded by csnoto

My friend made this. Check out her store for more of her work.

Denim Jacket

2009-03-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

Now don't you love denim jackets? They are so versatile you can dress one up or dress it down. There is a funny thing about denim, it is so durable and classic. It doesn't matter how long you have had that jacket, it might have been your mother's or your grandmother's jacket, it doesn't matter because the older it gets and the more you wash it, the more you love it. I have two jackets now that I have had for a long time, I have put them in the box to go to the Salvation Army so many times but everytime I get ready to go to the SA with the box, I try the jacket on one more time. Then it ends up back in my closet and I wear it for another season.

The jacket in this post is a jacket I made for a special customer (all my customers are special) she wanted me to do something special on the back of the jacket. I was happy with the results. What do you think? I also highlighted the front and collar of the jacket with mudcloth and used some very creative free-motion quilting stitches to finish it off. The diva on the back is embellished with rhinestones and shells. I know that my customer is going to love the attention she will get when she wears this jacket. You will have to enjoy looking at it on this post because it is definitely a one of a kind.

And of course it carries the PJBSW Seal of approval.

Sunday and Shirts

2009-03-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

My handsome husband is my best model for the men's wear designs that I create. I love to make men's shirts and making them out of unique fabrics is a must. Get ready for some of my newer men's shirts designs coming soon. Right now go over to my Bobby Joe S40 Designs Shop and check out the beautiful and unique designs for men.

2009-03-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

I know that I have been neglecting my blog lately but I just did not have anything to write about. But then I signed into my entrecard account today and it cost 16 ec to advertise with me. I thought "wow I had better get busy" So if you are reading this post you might as well get over to your account and sign up to advertise while it is cheap.

I did want to share that last month I made 2 queen sized t shirt quilts and a full sized t shirt throw with the left over t shirts. Now I know that you remember one of my other posts where I talked about making a quilt for a customer that brought over 67 t shirts. I ended up making her the two quilts using the fronts and some of the backs of the t shirts but since I had all those backs leftover I did not want them to go to waste so I sewed them altogether and made a throw, I didnot put backing or batting so that is why I called it a throw but guess what I forgot to photograph the throw. But here is the quilt. And now you know that I was not just sitting here playing free-cell all day. Ha Ha just told on myself.

Need a Haircut?

2009-02-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

Give him a few years.

T Shirt Quilt #1

2009-02-13T11:20:00.000-06:00

This is a quilt that is made out of t shirts. This was a special order from a customer that had saved up t shirts for quite a few years. She was in the army and was in Iraq, and Germany. She had t shirts from most of her travels. This is 1 of 2 quilts I am making. This quilt is made of the t shirts from the different schools and events in which she participated and the other quilt (not finished yet) will be of her army life, so stay tuned. Oh she also went to a Tina Turner concert and bought a tshirt. Can you see that shirt?

This quilt measures 90"x 105"

This is a Great Vest

2009-02-03T09:55:00.000-06:00

It is called begger's cloth because of the process used to texturize the denim; take a razor blade or something sharp and poke holes throughout the fabric then wash the fabric.To finish, layer the fabric over another fabric and topstitch, you can either topstitch by sewing straight lines every inch or so or you can (what I did) free-motion quilt the whole thing. I used taffeta for the the layer under the cloth then I lined the vest with taffeta. The weight and hand of the fabric is very pliable like your favorite pair of jeans. This vest is a must for your wardrobe. It is a one of a kindvest that you will want to put on with almost everything you wear. It has two 5 1/2" X 4 3/4" lined pockets on the front and I like the way the pockets blend in with the fabric. And it also has a 5" welted inside pocket. Over all this vest is made from the inside out. And,of course it has the PJBSW seal of approval.

You can go to my Etsy shop to get all the other details. You don't want to miss out on this vest it is a great buy and a great design. See how nice it looks with your favorite white shirt?

As you can see, if you view my other posts that I have used this cloth in other garments, it is a unique look.

Blogging and Sewing

2009-01-24T18:33:00.000-06:00

I have been blogging for a few months now and it is fun. Although when I created this blog I did not know what I was doing and even still didn't know what a blog was. I still have a lot to learn so if you have any suggestions for me, I will be glad to read them. I don't know what a rss feed is, or a blog feed. So if you can explain it to me I would appreciate that.
I really wanted to talk about sewing in this post because that is what this blog is about, The Sewing World of Stormee. I hear some people say "oh I sew" but do they say, "I love to sew" so when I hear the "oh I sew" then I think of sewing on buttons or a rip in the seat of your pants that you sewed up. But when I hear "oh I love to sew" then I think about wearable art. I think of couture sew, a master tailor, seamstress. You see, you have to love it. There is so much you have to do to get ready to sew. Picking fabrics, deciding what you are going to make with it, then measuring cutting it out, getting all the seamlines and darts marked and measured, making sure your thread matches. Then the other thing is making what is in your head manifest. Sometimes I have great ideas but then if I chose the wrong fabric then I have a mess. Your seams have to be straight, if your fabric is striped then you want to match the stripes as much as possible. But sewing is a lot of fun. Just like blogging. The more you do it the more familier it becomes and then you learn not only to like it but to love it.
Like this jacket here I call it the I Love Paris Swing Jacket now I just love the fabric that I used to make the facings and sleeve cuffs. It is denim that has been poked full of holes then washed. What you get then is a piece of holely denim. Ha Ha. What I did was put a piece of fabric behind it and topstitched all over it. It gave a beautiful 2 dimensional look. Then I just so happened to have some denim that is the same dye lot as that holely denim, or at least it matched perfectly. I really wanted it to be a beautiful jacket so I really took my time and worked each part of this coat like my mom was going to come in any second and do an inspection. Now that is a whole other blog post. My mother was the person that taught me to sew, and when I did not do something right she would just take that seam ripper and rip it out, tell me what I did wrong, then tell me how I was supposed to do it then make me go back and do it all over again. I tell you I hated to see that seam ripper come out. But I tell you that now if you ever purchase anything from me it has the "Patricia Brown Stover Washington" seal of appoval on it. That means not seam ripper was used. I am only saying that each garment you purchase from me is very carefully and well made. I got off the subject of the jacket. This jacket is so good looking on, it has nice deep pockets and it is lined with that pretty lime green satin lining. You will love wearing it because it can be your most causual jacket because it is denim and it can be dressy because of the style of it. I know that it is hard to see the workmanship of the jacket in pictures but I can assure you that if you purchase it you will be so glad, because when you see how much work was put into it you will be amazed and will feel that you got quite a bargain. Oh and did I mention the Bag that goes with it? Go to my Etsy shop and check them both out.

2009-01-22T23:59:00.000-06:00

I would like to talk about a couple of items that I have in my Etsy shop. You see I know that it is hard to tell what an item looks like on a dressform which I am using to photograph the garments, so I thought I would take some time and talk about each item. The first item I would like to present is the Strike it Rich Gold Trenchcoat, when you put this coat on you will feel like you have hit the jackpot, because #1 the price and #2 the fact that it is so well made. I really took some time and thought this over and over, what to do with this beautiful piece of fabric that was sent to me by my sister in Chicago. She told me to do whatever I wanted with the fabric, she was going to make drapes but decided not to or she changed her decor. I thought "what can I do with drapery fabric" But when I received the fabric I was surprised at how beautiful it was and how it was so easy to sew. The fabric is a heavy drapery taffeta that has a kind of jaquard design. Then to top it off, I remembered the beautiful buttons that I had ordered from Buttonsgalore they are amber colored rhinestone buttons. When I put these buttons next to the fabric they looked delicious. So there I had the buttons, the fabric now the hunt for the perfect lining and wouldn't you know it, I found the lining at Hancocks fabric. I chose a bright yellow lining because I wanted the lining to contrast without making the coat hard to wear with other garments. The great thing about this coat is you can wear it as a dress. It is a great traveling piece because you don't have to iron it. Can't you see yourself "stepping off the plane" in this beautiful coat. You can email me or comment on this post if you would like more information about this coat. It is one of a kind and the nice thing about a trench is that it will not go out of style, it is a great piece to wear anytime. Oh and isn't it great that I found the pin to match the buttons? This is a great buy and if you mention my blog when you purchase it I will give you 20% off the price. Check it out.

I Am So Excited

2009-01-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

A new president tomorrow! There is so much work to be done. All the festivities of the inauguration are so exciting for the Obamas, but I know that there is so much to be done later. So let them enjoy these festivities. This a time that you want to sit down with your kids and let them know what they are experiencing right now. When they get older they will thank you for it.

No TV for the Last Month

2009-01-15T19:05:00.000-06:00

My husband and I made a decision in December to let our Direct Tv go. We decided that we could no longer afford the internet and Direct TV so one had to go so we decided to let the Direct TV go. We both agree that we get more work done than we ever did. I have been studying my Bible more and have been getting lot's of sewing done. And best of all we both sleep better. We never had a tv in the bedroom anyway. My husband said that he misses the football games and the World news most of all, but he has been catching a lot of news on the internet. I would rather have the internet than tv any day. My husband started school and he really gets alot of studying done for school as well. We listen to music. I got out all my oldies but goodies reggae, and blues cds today and we had a good time. We talk even more than before, my husband is very talkative he can talk on any subject and I never get bored. He is funny too. So it has been a month and I have crocheted 2 doilies, did about $100 worth of alterations (this week). Life is different without tv and I love it.

Oh yes here is another skirt that I made out of a pair of jeans. The jeans belong to a very happy customer in Georgia. I am getting quite a lot of orders for these skirts. It is easy to fit the skirts because usually if the jeans fit well then the skirt is a great fit. This customer wanted pleats in the back of hers, and she wanted to wear it with her red boots.

I also wanted to share this picture with all my blog readers, it is a picture of the front window at the consignment store that I work in. And yes, you guessed it that is my "sudoku puzzle quilt" draped over the seat. Now isn't that a beautiful window?

Yeah! My first blog award

2009-01-12T21:18:00.000-06:00

I have been given the Lemonade award from Crystal Raen's Recycled Craft Things. Now I am supposed to choose 10 that I feel deserve this award. And I will try to do that because I have learned so much from other bloggers about blogging. And if there is an award to be given and I have the power to give it, then I will go and find 10 deserving blogs. Now if I have not done this correctly please let me know so I can do a better job next time. Here is my award, isn't it cute?

Ok now here are the rules:

#1 You must link back to the person you received the award from.

#2 You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

One more thing, I would like to that Crystal for all the help she has given me with my blog. I have learned so much and want her to know that I appreciate it very much. Now here are my ten awards.

Waterrose there is some very good information on this blog and some beautiful cuffs too.

Carmen's if you don't know what to do with those locks of yours, check out this blog.

njemacreative Has a beautiful Scorpion Necklace.

Blossomingtree Has great networking ideas.

Twentypoundtabby Oh the cutests little stuffed animals, cats and dragons.

Gufobardo My Lord what an artist!

Humblebeads Beautiful beadwork for you.

Sewl Sista #1 I having a baby and you can view her progress and get sewing tips at the same time. Lot's of good info there too.

Sachi Designs You have to see her scarves, they are so beautiful

RSS Designs in Fiber You have to see the fine thread crochet that she creates. It is awesome.

Now here is a little something for everyone. Please go and check out these blogs and tell them Stormee sent you. LOL

Late Autumn in Tennessee the Duster

2009-01-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you remember in November I did a blog post about a certain piece of fabric that I created and I had a poll to see if I could get an idea of what to do with the fabric. Well I will tell you which idea won, It was the kimono style jacket. I made a long kimono style duster. It was hard to decide because it was quite a big piece of fabric. So the duster won and it is now listed in my Etsy shop. Go over to the other blog post and see what the fabric looked like before and now see what it looks like now.

I have been sewing for many years and I am always amazed at how beautiful fabric is when it is uncut. Then you cut it and sew it and walla you have this beautiful garment. I will always be amazed at what a piece of fabric can do for your spirit.

Favorite Jeans into a Skirt

2008-12-19T11:38:00.000-06:00

I made both of these skirts from a pair of jeans! I also added some mudcloth and leather which helped to make very unique skirts.

If you have a pair of favorite jeans you would like to make into a skirt, here are some ideas, but if you would like me to do it, you would have to send me your jeans ( a pair that fits you well) and there is a $65 dollar charge, that includes shipping. I will use leather (if I have it) or mudcloth or any fabric that I find that works with your jeans. Each skirt is different and takes on it's own personality so you will be surprised and happy with what you get.

Me and Writing

2008-12-08T22:41:00.000-06:00

I am not a writer but since I have started this blog and reading other blogs, I find that I am always thinking about writing and thinking of things to write about. For instance, I saw a tree the other day in a field, the tree was standing there all alone and it had no leaves on it. I thought what a beautiful tree, I am going to take a picture of that tree and write something on my blog about it. Also there is a young lady at my church that loves purses, every Sunday and every Wednesday (Bible study) she has a new and different purse. And each purse tells me what kind of mood she is in today. Well I asked her what was her favorite thing, and guess what she said, "purses". It shows, and she takes good care of her purses too, along with her great purses, she is always dressed so nice earrings, bracelets, dresses or pants she always has the right purse for each. Here is a photo of my purse diva. I am writing this because when we say that we have nothing to write about there is really alot we can find in our everyday life to write about. See I have started two subjects. Now you can look forward to two new posts from me one about that tree and another about the Purse Diva. That leaves it open for the hat diva, and the shoe diva. Also I still have to write and post about my art which you will be seeing some new stuff real soon. Like this doily.

I love making doilies. And you will see more in my Etsy shop. This is a blue pinwheel doily. It took me about 2 weeks to make. Some people that crochet will say oh that is a long time. I crochet after I have finished a day of sewing. It relaxes me. I have seen some very beautiful crocheting and that will be another thing to blog about.

Late Autumn in Tennessee Part 2

2008-11-24T12:33:00.000-06:00

Ok the vote is in, I will make a kimono style jacket out of this beautiful piece of fabric. Thank you everyone that voted, that helped alot. The next time I make a piece like that I will do another poll. So stay tuned. Here is a picture of the fabric I am going to use. It will be a lined jacket and I will use a soft maybe sheer fabric for the lining. Also here is a picture of the style of jacket I plan to use. When using this kind of fabric, the less detail the better.

Would you like to have one of these jackets in your wardrobe collection? What would you wear it with?

Late Autumn in Tennessee

2008-11-16T17:12:00.000-06:00

WoW! I created this fabric by sewing strips of chiffon and georgette fabrics together the colors are warm and earthy and remind me of the colors of the trees here in Tennessee at this time of year. Now that I have created it I don't know what to make out of it. Some of the things I thought of are: duster, jacket,shawl, wrap, caftan. Keeping in mind that the fabric is mostly sheer. It is very light and airy. So if I make a duster, it would look very good with a solid color pantset under it, or a straight black sheath. I am going to post it on here and in my Etsy shop. I am offering it for sale in my shop and I thought that maybe there will be a creative seamstress/artist that can think of something to do with it and want to buy the piece. I will leave it posted for two weeks only in my Etsy shop. So think about it.

Will you cast your vote for the one of the items and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Another First

2008-11-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

This is from an email I got from my son-in-law. He is an avid formula-one fan. That'a auto racing.

I'm extremely happy that Barack Obama has taken the presidency. There are two things that I really wanted this year, both were obtained in the last week. One a new, inspirational, black President, and Two a new, inspirational, black Formula One champion. Because you all know about Barack Obama, there is no need for me to explain. But you may not know about Lewis Hamilton. The first Black Formula One champion and the youngest formula one champion ever.
Formula One is the highest paid auto racing series in the World as well as the most watched Race series in the world. Forget NASCAR, Formula onesupersedes. Take a moment to educate your self (with the URL below) on another great accomplishment. Not quite the Presidency but another positive step in the same direction for Blacks and the world in general.
Enjoy...Thank God.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7705325.stm

Me and the First Lady!

2008-11-05T13:27:00.000-06:00

I was invited to a friend's house for her birthday. And guess who came to the party! Yes Michelle Obama. She even let me have my picture taken with her. The first thing Michelle did when she came in the door was kick her shoes off. She is a very nice person.
The person who had the birthday was Helen Miller, she is the state senate representative for Fort Dodge, IA. She commissioned me to make a jacket for her and she is also a very nice person.
This is a very historical event and I am so proud to be a part of it.

Endless Possiblities

2008-11-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

Since I moved to this little town of Paris, Tennessee, I have not tried to market any of my work around town, until one day I was walking downtown in the city sqaure and came across this cute little shop called Endless Possibilties. I thought it was a great name for a shop. So I went in and talked to the owner. She was standing behind the desk in a daishiki, I thought "this is a good sign" so I talked to her about me displaying some of my work in her shop. And she was delighted. So here it is, I just wanted to share. She not only features artists in the area but you can also bring in furniture and antiques. Not a junk shop. So my artwork looks very nice on her shelves. I thought I would start out with just my boxes first and I also put a vest in there. I think I will add my bags next. So if you happen to be in Paris, TN, stop in Endless Possibilities for a visit.

Before Christmas Sale and Trunk Show

2008-10-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

Right now there is a sale going on in my Etsy Shop! You are invited to come browse and purchase anything in my shop at a whopping 30%off. So if you have been eying one of my one-of-a-kind items at 30%off. To get your 30% discount just go to my shop and purchase your item at regular price (using PayPal), and then I will immediately return your discount amount. If you choose to pay with a money order, you can send the amount minus the discount. Also receive free shipping within the Continental USA. So this is a great time to purchase your original design by Stormee's Ultimate Designs.

This sale ends November 30, 2008.

The Scrappy Jacket

2008-10-23T04:26:00.000-05:00

This is the Scrappy Jacket that is listed in my Esty shop. I thought I should model it myself. I grabbed a bag of my silky scraps and sewed them all together (randomly) then I cut out the jacket. It was interesting how it came out. I also lined the jacket with a soft coral silk fabric. I also hand sewed small square (plastic) crystal beads all around the band and sleeves. This jacket is so nice, it is light and airy and you feel good when you wear it because it does not feel like you have anything on. If I look good in it you know you will too. If you want to purchase the jacket, you can leave a comment on this blog, go purchase the jacket and I will give you 25% discount. Just purchase the jacket (using paypal) and I will refund you the 25%, what a bargain.

Random Acts of Fans Quilt

2008-10-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

This quilt started me back into the world of quilt making. For me, I think I have been making quilts all my life. I don't remember a time in my life when sewing was not the center. My grandmother quilted and won a few competitions with her quilts. She used to have me sit with her cutting pieces for her quilts. Each piece has to be precise. As I grew older I turned my intrest to making clothes. Then I started making quilted jackets and I really love making them. Each jacket that I make comes out so different from the last. Each one that I make, makes me want to make another. I love blending the colors and finding colors in fabric that don't come to life until you add another color with it. So when my Quilts and Heirloom team presented the fans challenge on our blog I decided to take the challenge and make a quilt. We was supposed to do 36 squares any size.

So I cut 36 squares and used the crazy quilting technique on each of the 36 squares. I will tell you that after about the 10 square I was ready to quit. But I don't like to start and not finish so I kept on going. It took about 4 days, to crazy quilt the 36 squares, I did 9 squares a day. Then I sewed the squares together randomly. I did not try to match colors or angles. As I finished each square I turned it upside down so that I would not try to coordinate it with the one I was working on. That is how I came up with the name "Random Acts Of Fans" I love the way it looks sporatic and unconventional. I also made a pillow that looks so prettly with it. It is a small quilt, 48 X 48 inches. Just big enough to cover your legs while you watch tv. I made one for my friend and she uses it at work to cover her legs from the air conditioner she says it is the perfect size. I am often asked how long it took for me to make a quilt. Well this quilt took me about 1 week. I try to do projects that go fast, that is what keeps my art interesting. Thanks for checking out my blog. Please visit my Etsy shop for more details about this quilt and to see some of my other designs I have available.

Sudoku Quilt

2008-10-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

After I did the Sudoku Oops with the jacket, I wanted to follow with the Sudoku Quilt. This time I started with a Sudoku puzzle that was already solved. Then I cut squares from 9 different fabrics,put them in piles and gave each pile a number from 1-9. Then used my (solved) puzzle to arrange the top. Now what I had to do was sew together 9 nine patch squares. It was easy, I got a little carried away and the last square that I put in was upside down. But that was the great thing about the way I put the quilt together because it was easy to take that one square out and turn it around. The part I really enjoyed was the free-motion quilting. I did not do any handstitching on this quilt, thank God for free-motion quilting. I like making small lap quilts. I am not ready to commit to large bed quilts. I like to get done in a couple of days. I love the way the colors came together on this quilt it is bright and cheerful. You can go to my Etsy shop to get more details.

I love Paris Swing Jacket

2008-10-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

I have always loved the swing jackets, I was going through some old photes in my family album and came across a photo of my mom in this swing jacket, it was a black and white phote so I don't know what color the jacket was she had on. It looked like it might have been white or off white. I always loved the way my mother looked in that jacket with it's big cuffed sleeves. So I decided to recreate that jacket. I made my jacket with denim fabric. Also I used a method where you cut the denim full of small holes, then wash the piece so that it frays, then quilt it to another piece of fabric. I used denim as a backing fabric for this project and I free-motion quilted the two layers together. Then I used that piece for the facings for the jacket and the cuffs. It gave a very nice contrast. I then lined the jacket with beautiful bright green satin lining. Oh and then I added a bag. You won't be able to resist it. It is so nice. And the denim is so soft.

Now that I live in Paris, Tennessee we have an Eiffel Tower Replica which I found to be a very nice spot to take pictures. My friend Yolanda, was a willing model and I think she complimented my swing jacket very well. Visit my Etsy shop for more information and pricing.

USS General Simon B Buckner

2008-10-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

When I was about 10 my mother, siblings and I left Germany on a naval ship. We left Bremerhaven Germany and came back to the states, landing in New York 11 days later. The ship was so big and I always remembered it. I remember the name of the ship
(the USS General Simon B Buckner). With this great technology called the internet I have been able to find a picture of that ship and wow, it does not look as big as I always pictured in my mind. I remember a bad storm and I remember calling it a big boat and the sailors telling me that it was not a boat. What an adventure for us. My dad had told me to make sure I ate and kept my head up so that I would not get sick. And that is what I did, my mother and siblings all got sick but I did not, I ate every meal. And I remember eating the most delicious meals. One day my Mother was too sick too go to dinner so my brothers, sister and I went to dinner alone, I ordered apple pie ala mode. I had always heard about it
but had never had it before. I did not know that it was apple pie with ice cream on top. My brother's laughed and laughed at me, my mother have made that for us so many times. Anyway this is a picture of that ship. Click here to see the ship.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/i05000/i05100c.htm

Featuring Tote Bags

2008-09-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

Right now I am featuring tote bags in my Etsy shop. Yesterday I got carried away with this idea of taking the silk cuttings from my serger and arranging them on fabric. I covered it with tulle and free-motion quilted the top. What happened was I was serging some silk scarves for another project and when I got ready to throw out the cuttings they looked so beautiful that I just could not throw them away. So I decided to make something out of them. They add great texture. Please visit my shop to see more details.

Just Shirts

2008-09-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

Right now I am featuring shirts in my Bobby Joe S40 Designs shop. My husband and I are working together to design unique and exciting shirts for men. You might think, what can you do different with shirts, well click on the link to our shop and see what we have designed so far. I hope that you will like what you see.

Here is a sample of what you will see there.

Cotton Fields

2008-09-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my husband and I went to visit his sister and on the way to her house we passed several cotton fields. Finally as we got closer to his sister's house I could not hold it any longer I made him stop the car so that I could get out and go and touch the cotton growing. I could not believe that cotton actually grows just like the balls you get at the drug store. YOu know the cotton balls that we use to cleanse our faces, I know that there is more of a process to it than just picking the cotton and using it. I went on a search to find out more about the process and found some very interesting articles. On article talks about how the cotton is picked then separated from the seed. There are certain machines that are used for this process and you can read about them in on this website called Cotton's Journey. Of course I took these pictures so that anybody that has not seen cotton growing up close and personal here it is through my eyes. One day I will go to the fields when I see the cotton trucks out there picking and processing. Until then here are some photos I took.

Caramel Cake

2008-09-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

One of the mothers at our church made me this awesome caramel cake. I don't want to cut it. It is so beautiful. She makes the best caramel cakes. Anyway here is a photo of the cake. I know that you would love a piece also. I wish I could share with you because you know I cannot eat this whole cake. I think I will freeze most of it.

A Sudoku OOPs

2008-09-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

I had the idea to work out a sudoku puzzle on the back of a jacket. So I made 9 squares of 9 colors and tried to work the puzzle without refering to the book. I had a book of sudoku puzzles but do you think that I would have taken one of those puzzles and created the grid from that? Oh no. I tried to do it myself as I made the jacket. Anyway I thought I had the puzzles solved but if you look close enough you can see that I have two of the same pattern in the same line. That is why it is called Sudoku OOPS. But you will have fun creating your own sudoku puzzle. You might want to start with a pencil and a book of sudoku puzzles.
Here is my jacket, you can view it on my webpage, it is the jacket at the bottom of the page.

What a mess!

2008-09-05T07:37:00.000-05:00

Have you ever started a project and it just went all wrong? Nothing turned out the way you wanted it to. Well that is what happened to me yesterday, I started a pair of men's trousers, I measured and measured because I really wanted them to turn out great. Well when I got the front of the pants done, they were about 2 inches smaller than they were supposed to be. Then the back was 2 inches shorter, what happened? So I tried to ease in as much of the front but the side seam looked crooked. I did not want to take out any of the pleats so the front of the pants is goint to look funny if I use it anyway. I used a Vogue pattern and I used the size for 36inch waist, but no matter what I do the size is not going to come out to a 36 inch waist. It is alot smaller. So I think I am going to redo the thing and cut out the 38 for the 36. Anyway I just folded these pants and put them aside for a few days, I haven't given up ong the pants but I sure had to put them aside for a while. I think I will go and work on something else and come back to it later.

Coming soon also

2008-09-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves to give beautiful handmade blankets, whether they are quilted, knitted, or crocheted. My sister Betty designs the most beautiful knitted blankets, that will be seen on my website very soon. I have some talented sisters and you will be seeing alot of their talent at work on my website very soon.

When you can't have a real dog.

2008-09-03T09:46:00.000-05:00

Well I have never wanted a real dog, but I love dogs. I have only owned 2 dogs in my lifetime. But I do like dogs. But the other day I went over to my sister, Betty's house and another sister, Paulette was visiting from Iowa, and Paulette was making these fluffy cute little doggies out of yarn. At first I thought that they were real little dogs but come to find out, they were little yarn dogs that you can sit on your bed or on your couch. She made one for me and I set him on my couch, sometimes I set him on my bed, then sometimes I set him on the bottom step. Makes me feel like I have a little puppy that is getting under foot. You can have one too. Just go to my Etsy shop and you will see them for sell there. Or you can find them on my website. As you can see they come in all colors, you can even request a color.

Poem by Sark

2008-09-02T09:56:00.000-05:00

I have always loved this poem by Sar
Stay loose.Learn to watch snails.Plant impossible gardens.Invite someone dangerous to tea.Make little signs that say yes!And post them all over your house.Make friends with freedom & uncertainty.Look forward to dreams.Cry during movies.Swing as high as you can on a swingset, by moonlight.Cultivate moods.Refuse to “be responsible.”Do it for love.Take lots of naps.Give money away.Do it now.The money will follow.Believe in magic.Laugh a lot.Celebrate every gorgeous moment.Take moonbaths.Have wild imaginings, transformative dreams, and perfect calm.Draw on the walls.Read everyday.Imagine yourself magic.Giggle with children.Listen to old people.Open up. Dive in.be free.Bless yourself.Drive away fear.Play with everything.Entertain your inner child.You are innocent.Build a fort with blankets.Get wet.Hug trees.Write love letters.

New Earrings

2008-09-01T19:24:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Aimee, made me these earrings. They match my outfit perfectly. We had a very nice day at church. Yes I made my outfit. And I also made the vest that Bobby has on.

The Cinderella Dress

2008-08-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

I call this The Cinderell Dress because it is going to take a special person to wear this dress. It is a beautiful sundress, with beads down the back. The fabric content is 95% cotton with 5% lycra for a little stretch. It would not fit my mannequin so it is for someone whose hips are about 32-34 inches. The waist is 30" the length is 38"If it is too big, you can easily alter it, or have it altered. And guess what! It is free, if you are the "Cinderella" that can fit into this dress it's yours. I just need you to pay the $8.95 for shipping (through PayPal or RME). So all you Cinderella's get your tape measures out. The first one to respond and pay the shipping, receives the dress. It is a beautiful dress I would just like to have someone wear it before the summer is over. You can comment on this post if you are Cinderella.

Rayon Shirt with Mudcloth

2008-07-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

A very comfy shirt. Looks good with slacks or jeans.

Long sleeves with cuffs

Mudcloth accent gives you an Afro-centric look.

Size 2X

Chocolate Shirt

2008-07-15T18:54:00.001-05:00

If you like chocolate you will love wearing this shirt. It is made of wonder chocolate colored silk-like fabric that has a striped design woven in. It is long sleeved, with stand up collar.

For neck size 16 1/2.

Vest Front 2 Piece Leisure Suit

2008-07-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

This 2 piece leisure suit will surely be a comfortable change for all of you that wear a suit and tie everyday. The fabric is easy wear, it has a herringbone-like design in it, with pinstripes. You can wear this suit anywhere, it looks dressy and casual. If you want to show off your chest then you don't need to wear a shirt under it. It has lapels in front like a vest.

Size 2x long

Slacks waist goes up to size 44. The slacks come unhemmed. Tell me your inseam length and I will hem the slacks, with or without cuffs.

Price: $150

My Newest Shop on Etsy

2008-07-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

I would like to talk about my newest shop on Etsy. Well I started to just post these new items I created in my regular etsy store but then I decided to open a new shop. My husband has been giving me some ideas for men's shirts. So I thought that I would make some shirts and casual garments for men. I will be posting more. My idea is to use fabrics that are different and that are usually not used for making men's shirts. Come back and visit again to keep up with what I am doing. And also go to the new shop.

http://bobbyjoes40designs.etsy.com/

Crocheted Doilies

2008-06-26T19:50:00.000-05:00

When I was younger my mother crocheted doilies, she said that crocheting keeps her hands busy. Lately I have gotten the crochet bug again. I love making doilies. I think that they are nice gifts to give. My mother and grandmother could crochet a couple of doilies in one day. I am not that good. I have been trying to find easy patterns to try.

Another thing about doilies is that crocheting them helps me to think. When I have a designer block, or artist block, I start crocheting and then creativity comes. It really helps me think. Now when I just need to think I start crocheting and it helps me stay focused. Here are a couple of doilies that I have made.

So if you are a writer and you have writer's block, pick up a crochet hook, you don't have to make doilies, you can make a afgan or a sweater. I like making doilies.

Silk Scarf Dress

2008-06-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

Ok here is that dress that I talked about in the last post. I want to list it in my Etsy shop but I feel like I should get a model to put it on to really do it justice. It is a beautiful dress made of the softest silk and it is lined with a just as soft China silk. The jacket is made of purple chiffon that adds to the softness. I just love the colors and how they blend so beautifully

The dress

2008-06-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well I finally did something with all those silks that I had. I made this wonderful dress. I haven't taken a picture of it yet but I can tell you a little bit about it, just to get you curious to come back. Once I decided to make a dress, actually I sent the photos of the fabric to my sister, Rita, and she said that she saw a beautiful soft, silky dress. That helped me a lot. Anyway as soon as the weather gets nice I will go outside and take a picture of the dress.
Last night I started an outfit for my granddaughter, Jurnee Simone, she had a birthday that I missed, on the 15th of June. As they get older it is hard to know what they will like. I have been really trying to keep up with my grandkids' birthdays. They come so quick that I don't get the things made in time. But I remember when I was a youngster, my grandmother made us pj, slippers, hats, robes and pillows, and I remember how we always looked forward to our new pjs that we knew she would give us at Christmas time and for our birthdays. And it was about 30 of us (grandkids). I have about 20. So as soon as I get one done, then it is time to do another. But I am determined to get caught up. But I love making things for them. When I think about my grandmother, I think about the wonderful gifts she used to make, and I think I want my grandkids to think of me the same way. It is funny that whenever my grandkids call me, they ask me what I am doing then they say "sewing?" I want them to remember me like that, always sewing and praying. Well I started out talking about that "dress" and ended up talking about my grandkids. I guess it is because I miss them so much.

The Sewing World of Stormee

2008-06-18T08:59:00.001-05:00

View my page on sew-whats-new.com

A beautiful piece of fabric

2008-06-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

I made this fabric and now I can't decide what to do with it. Sometimes I get stumped like this. The fabric is made out of silk scarves that I bought from a fellow artist. It is probably hard to see the beauty of this piece. When a piece comes out this nice I have a hard time cutting it. But I thought I would show it and see if anyone can give me some suggestions.

I hung the piece on the door so that you could get a better view of it.

BobbyjoeS40 Designs

2008-06-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone I will be adding a new line of men's wear to my collection. It will be called of course "bobbyjoeS40 Designs" keep checking back with this blog so that you will be the first to see the new line. It will be 1-of-a-kind casual wear for men. I will be featuring casual shirts,trousers,vests, and 2 piece leisure suits. So stay tuned for more.

More great pictures

2008-05-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

In Paris

2008-05-06T21:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, here we are in Paris,TN. It was the Worlds Biggest Fishfry weekend. We had a very good time. I had been wanting to get pictures at the Eiffel Tower for a long time, I finally got Renee, Bonita, Bobby,Renald,and Harmone to go over to the Paris, TN Eiffel Tower and take a picture. This is going to be a norm. Whenever someone comes to visit in Paris, I will take pictures at the Eiffel Tower.

A Jacket for Auntie Bettye

2008-04-12T00:52:00.000-05:00

My aunt asked me to make a jacket for her. She wanted a chenile jacket,but Auntie is a small woman and the chenile jackets that I have made in the past are very bulky. So I designed this black and white chenile jacket and also this big roomy bag. With the princess seams it will look very wonderful on my Auntie. I have some more chenile jackets in my etsy shop. Check them out at.
www.stormeejean.etsy.com

Being uncreative

2008-03-30T19:15:00.000-05:00

This last week I was very much out of it, I did not do any sewing at all. I went through all my bins of fabric a dozen times, trying to decide what to do next. You see, I have about 10 bins of fabric and I assure you that I know what is in each one. I made a determination to myself that I would not buy anymore fabric until I sewed up what I have in these bins. But I tell you, I had to go out to the fabric store the other day and buy some fabric because I just could not make anything happen with the fabric I had. I guess I will eventually get all this fabric done. I have some beautiful pieces too.
Any encouraging words on how to stay creative with fabric?

The Black Denim Trench Coat

2008-03-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

When I was in 6Th grade, my mother bought me a plaid,black and white trench coat. I wore it all the time with a black or white turtleneck sweater and a black skirt. You could not touch me with a 10 foot pole. I loved seeing actresses with their trench coats and turtleneck sweaters. Now you see the same trench coats (but I don't think they have ever gone out of style) they are made in unusual fabrics now. I saw on Oprah that she had on a trench made out of gold organza, it was beautiful. So I don't think they will go out of style. I thought I would make a few. Here is my first one. They are also being worn like dresses now too. So they are made out of light weight dress fabrics, like silk, or satin. I put black lace on the lapels, and embellished it with rhinestone studds. Visit my online store at:

http://www.stormeejean.etsy.com/

Enjoying My Sewing Space

2008-02-29T14:25:00.000-06:00

This is my space, I love creating here. I have made it so cozy that my husband likes it here too.
I am kind of a junky person, so that is why you see all the junk, junk in bins, junk on shelves. But it is usable junk. If I did not have all this junk I would not be able to create all these wonderful things that I create. I love colorful stuff, shiny stuff, like rhinestones, and beads. Metallic is a favorite too. This room looks junky now, I think I will clean it up and take another picture when I get it kind of cleaned up. It is always good to start a new project with a clean room.

CZ's Garden

2008-02-15T18:33:00.000-06:00

My friend CZ has a beautiful garden. Everywhere she lives. When she asked me to create a jacket for her, I had to think about her beautiful garden and this is the jacket that emerged. Can't you see the beautiful echinaeca flower and oh the daisies. She does have a colorful garden.
I loved creating this jacket because I tried to use every color I could think of.
By the way, if you would like purchase some of
my art or have a piece created just for you, just
visit my shop
www.stormeejean.etsy.com
there is a lot to see there, also you can contact me
send your measurements, and I can create one of
these for you.

Black and White/ Carole's Jacket

2008-02-15T13:11:00.000-06:00

This is a jacket I made for Carole. She sent me a box of black and white fabrics she had been collecting and asked me to create a jacket for her. When I started the jacket I thought that it was going to be easy because I thought that using just black and white would be so easy, but the prints on the fabric were so busy and energetic that I found that it was just like using color. I was grateful that Carole had already picked the fabrics she liked because I did not have to worry about putting too much energy into the one piece. If you ever get a chance to meet Carole, you will see that she and this jacket belongs together.

Stay tuned

2008-02-13T22:39:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned I have alot to share, you will not want to miss out on any of my creative world. I just created this blog at 10pm and think I will call it a night. This is too much for my head right now.

My Friend Rita Rena ("I never met a hat I didn't like")

2008-02-13T22:24:00.000-06:00

My friend Rita is a queen that is never
seen without her crown. Whether her
crown is a beautiful new hairdo or a wonderful well crafted hat. She calls all her hats, crowns. That is why I created this crown for her. She wears this crown like the queen she is and when you see her you will know that she is a queen because she always wears a crown.