tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54031520876327398552024-03-17T22:02:28.602-05:00Erika Mulvennasew to live: live to sewErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.comBlogger448125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-84920649820749674902024-03-09T11:15:00.003-06:002024-03-09T11:15:32.559-06:00NEW Spring Classes and WorkshopsHere's a handful of new opportunities to learn with me this spring! Color theory classes are up top, scroll down to see several sewing/quilting/garment technique classes including a rad OPEN SEW hosted by yours truly at the Evanston Art Center (come sew with me!!!).Color Theory WorkshopsQuilting with Value & HueSew on Central, Evanston ILSaturday, April 6th, 2-5 Click HERE to register or Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-5665073695820729232024-03-07T12:16:00.003-06:002024-03-07T12:16:30.125-06:00In Process: A LieI'm currently working on a new art project, another word quilt that I've been thinking about for more than a year. The front is almost pieced together and this is a good opportunity to share the process so far. This doesn't really have a name yet, but for obvious reasons I've just been calling it "the lie"!I don't use computer technology when designing because I enjoy drawing and sketching out anErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-17351750645297545292024-02-20T08:00:00.001-06:002024-02-20T08:00:00.171-06:00Hello, I'm Erika. (A Re-introduction) Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I'm Erika. I started this blog 14 years ago to connect with other creative people and share what I make. It's been a long while since I posted anything like a personal introduction. I never know what to say about myself, but I'm taking this opportunity to tell you about me - so please leave a comment and let me know a thing or two about you, too!I live inErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-24028215323431633142023-11-27T12:01:00.000-06:002023-11-27T12:01:22.082-06:00Transparency Block Quilt Here's my most recent finish made from some transparency study blocks I made over the period of a few months.This comes from an exercise in finding solid-colored fabrics that create the illusion of overlapping transparent shapes (usually created with colored paper). This is an experiment straight out of Josef Albers book, Interaction of Color, finding pieces of colored paper that look as ifErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-42400770724152958472023-08-30T10:40:00.006-05:002023-08-30T10:57:05.305-05:001962 Mercury Meteor 2 Door FOR SALERare 1962 Mercury Meteor 2-door hardtop, an awesome survivor
still mostly stock. Original 221 Windsor V8 engine (rebuilt), original Merc-O-Matic
3-speed transmission (rebuilt), new dual-pod brake master cylinder, new 4-barrel
carburetor, upgraded electronic ignition, new dual exhaust, new interior, all
original dash and original hubcaps. Only 72,000 original miles. This car is Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-70894528278384547692023-08-22T10:21:00.001-05:002023-08-22T10:21:30.408-05:00Evanston Art Center 26th Biennial Exhibition 2023 Good news everyone! I am included in the amazing group of talented artists juried into the 26th Evanston + Vicinity Biennial 2023 exhibition!WHAT: one of the Midwest's largest and most prestigious juried exhibitions offering artists the opportunity to have work viewed by talented curators.WHEN: Exhibit on display August 26 - October 1, opening reception takes place on Sunday, August 27 fromErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-87520672310092716772023-08-21T14:34:00.002-05:002023-08-21T14:34:34.080-05:00A Window Bag for Favorite Pins! I made a little shoulder bag that both displays and protects your favorite buttons and pins!The secret is in the bag flap; arrange your pins and buttons on this stabilized fabric pin holder, then slip it in a pocket hidden in the top of the flap.I made one for myself and one for Fidget, it's so cute! There's a FREE tutorial to make this bag up right now at WeAllSew.com if you'd like to makeErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-48148225703890988482023-06-21T16:22:00.001-05:002023-06-21T16:22:14.480-05:00DIY Cat Toys!I just finished this fun little trio of cat toys, a pointy mouse, floppy fish, and spooky spider! You can make the toys solo, or attach them to a simple to sew wand for bonus play points.Find the free, downloadable pattern for the little cat toys and a tutorial for making the wand toy over here at BERNINA's WeAllSew blog.Sir Issac the Cat definitely approves.All you need is a bit of fleece, some Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-22294544267721502142023-04-24T11:41:00.002-05:002023-04-24T11:41:48.979-05:00Creative Color LectureGood news everyone! I've partnered with the Modern Quilt Guild to offer an on-demand video on the subject of using color in your creative work, so if you're currently a member of the MQG through a local guild or as an individual member you can access the video at any time right here.If you're not currently an MQG member you can join as an "Individual" at the national level for just $35 a year, orErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-1933615729426715202023-04-18T12:21:00.004-05:002023-04-18T12:23:01.263-05:00Yellow + Blue ≠ GreenI just finished this visual experiment to check out the theory in Michael Wilcox's book, Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green.The theory that yellow and blue don't mix to create green is based on the physics of light being absorbed and reflected by a colored surface. We have a simple idea of how this works like sunlight shining on green grass; all the wavelengths of light other than green are Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-4624373944792732952023-03-09T16:31:00.002-06:002023-03-11T21:54:45.495-06:003 Reasons to Cultivate Your Creative Color PracticeGood news everyone! The Evanston Art Center has just scheduled my one-day color workshop, Cultivating Your Creative Color Practice for March 7, 2023! Click the link ⬅ to get registered. This workshop is perfect for all levels of makers regardless of what you make or how you make it.If you already make creative and colorful stuff, why would you want to take a class to learn more about color? Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-85209419992255919362023-03-07T12:38:00.001-06:002023-03-07T12:38:08.577-06:00WTF Pins are HERE! Good news everyone! Pins featuring my WTF quilt are now for sale in my shop!The image is a high-quality photograph of the original quilt in this 1.5" x 1.5" square pin with sturdy closure on the back. If you haven't seen photos of this piece, head on over here to see more. WTF was on exhibit in 2022 and is now part of the International Quilt Museum's permanent collection.I hope you enjoy Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-40589430327006396782023-02-15T09:59:00.002-06:002023-02-15T09:59:47.758-06:00Make a Patchwork SuncatcherI've been playing around with making patchwork suncatchers with solid-colored fabric scraps, thread, and my sewing machine. It's a fun way to bring a pop of color to my mid-winter windows. You can find the free tutorial to make a patchwork suncatcher (just like this simple log cabin block in my window above) at BERNINA's WeAllSew blog here!Once you get the hang of the basic technique you can use Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-59482220221763228022023-01-28T15:38:00.001-06:002023-01-28T15:38:58.915-06:00What Is Cone Opponent Theory?The Visual Contrast Color Wheel is based on the theory of cone opponency in human color perception. So, I'm sure you might be asking yourself what exactly this is, along with, "Why is this wheel different than the red/yellow/blue color wheel?" or "What does Visual Contrast mean?" Read on below to find the answer to all of these questions!Cone opponent theory applies to part of the human color Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-78083184502555399492023-01-27T10:35:00.004-06:002023-01-27T10:35:49.963-06:00A Little "LOVE" Mini Quilt Tutorial Check out my little "LOVE" mini quilt inspired by Robert Indiana's sculpture and 8-bit pixilated letters. You can find my free tutorial to make a Modern Love Mini Quilt at BERNINA's WeAllSew blog today!It looks super cute in our living room, I might leave it up past Valentine's Day 💕.Without really thinking about it too much it seems like I'm on a streak of creating word quilts. I can't Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-41981840533009502522023-01-23T08:00:00.002-06:002023-01-23T16:51:53.823-06:00Open for Business! The Visual Contrast Color Wheel represents several years of research and work, and I'm so excited it's finally ready to share with YOU! These color wheels are finally stocked in my online shop which is officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS as of today! Click here to visit the website and shop.I'm starting things off slow with the online shop (to account for the learning curve of owning a small Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-80161118922011654532022-11-25T12:07:00.000-06:002022-11-25T12:07:37.543-06:00Quick Handmade Holiday Gifts to Sew Here are 5 free project tutorials that you can stitch together quickly for last minute gifts!Make a quickly quilted scissor holder with a scrap of batting and two 8" x 11" pieces of fabric. It's by far my most popular DIY with hundreds of makers checking it out each day and does make a fantastic gift for anyone who sews.Perfect for holding one large pair of shears and a smaller pair of Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-26600859999151219612022-11-23T11:37:00.001-06:002022-11-23T11:37:27.817-06:00Learn to use Furoshiki Wrapping ClothsFuroshiki, or the Japanese tradition of wrapping items in cloth, isn't anything new. You can find lots of stuff online about how to create some traditional furoshiki wraps, and where to buy traditional Japanese furoshiki.I feel like I'm late to the party using furoshiki this holiday season, especially since I'm, you know, knee-deep in so much fabric!I am obsessed with using fabrics from my stash Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-80587410352236370202022-11-11T10:45:00.000-06:002022-11-11T10:45:01.663-06:00300+ Years of Color Theory: Chromatics, The Analogy and Harmony of ColoursThis is a new post adding to an old project; reading some of the most important books about color theory in the past 300+ years. I started this reading project in 2016 with a short post about the books on my reading list, and posted a short book report to remind myself of what I found important about each book. I recently found a few more books to add to the list, and this is one of my Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-89476562277986681272022-11-07T12:00:00.001-06:002022-11-07T12:00:15.719-06:00DIY Playing Card, Collecting Card, or Tarot Card MatI recently created a quilted mat that also functions as a carrying pouch for cards of all kinds - from playing cards to Pokémon and trading cards! I shared a freebie tutorial to make one at BERNINA's WeAllSew blog, and you can find it by clicking here.The playing card mat in the tutorial finishes at 21" x 21", just large enough for a solitaire game of klondike. And perfect for trading (or Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-23985835667234758652022-11-01T16:00:00.000-05:002022-11-01T16:00:29.700-05:00The Big BITCH BITCH, 202251" X 50"Cotton materials, polyester threadI started working on this piece at the end of last year, having made a little sketch earlier in 2021. I was inspired by the mid-century American graphic designer Murray McCain's cover of a 1962 children's book aptly titled "BOOKS". I mean, seriously, this book cover! The colors and shapes are amazing. I really love the little exclamationErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-68314114881356452582022-10-12T12:55:00.003-05:002022-10-12T12:55:47.349-05:00How to Make Fabric Fall Leaf Decor I made a bunch of scrap fabric fall leaves a few weeks ago based on six different leaf shapes we can find in our neighborhood. They were fun to make, especially the part where I got to pull a bunch of fall colors out of my scrap bins. With a whole pile of these finished, I looked for ways to decorate with them in our home.They make a really cute garland that can hang inside or out (picturedErika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-4785148959444836312022-09-06T15:37:00.011-05:002022-09-07T09:23:56.126-05:00Introducing The Visual Contrast Color WheelI'm a total freak for color theory and how humans try to analyze color! After reading so many books about color and color vision, I realize now how different the process of human color vision is from the type of color theory I learned in art school.I'll show you what I mean. Look at a few of the most prevalent color systems used to find color harmonies (those color combinations utilized by Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-76774033626649558072022-08-18T14:08:00.004-05:002022-08-18T14:08:57.344-05:001995 BERNINA 1080 Meet my little 1995 BERNINA 1080. This certainly isn't my first-ever sewing machine, but it was the first BERNINA machine I ever purchased! It's hard to believe this little guy is now officially vintage, which means I've had it for a long time.I bought this machine back when I was in art school. I was doing so much sewing that I literally burned-up a basic sewing machine, and knew that I Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403152087632739855.post-4808800220735266922022-08-01T19:45:00.002-05:002022-08-01T19:45:53.229-05:00WTF Quilt Acquisitioned by the International Quilt MuseumI'm very honored to announce that the WTF quilt is going to a new home at the International Quilt Museum's new Modern Quilt Collection! Making this quilt was a way to stay sane during the craziness that was 2020. It was definitely a learning experience as this was my first word-focused quilt. You can read a bit more about the process here if you're interested.We've enjoyed the quilt (Erika Mulvennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15819965592532896464noreply@blogger.com2