There is nothing like a rainbow on a dark & dreary day…

This lovely quilt is a collaborative effort to which I added some different prairie points and pieced rainbow binding. I wanted the points to echo the points on the wonky stars and I think it turned out nicely! The fabulous quilting was done by Janet!

Here is the front of the Rainbow Wonky Stars quilt. I pieced the aqua block…

And here it is all washed and folded… super yummy!

Some more rainbow wonky stars appeared in my craftroom. The pieced rainbow stripes were the backing for my wonky star quilt but looked amazing as borders along the top & bottom of the quilt. A herd of cranes were slowly spreading across the floor…

And now for some random cute fluffy Percy cat-ness…

And some more rainbows in Claire’s hand…

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts )

PatchworkPottery

Carter and I unloaded the salt kiln yesterday.  Good firing, although the temp at the back of the kiln lagged behind more than usual, so a few pots will need to be refired.  Here are some photos.  Some of them are truncated in this view, but if you click on an image, you can see [...]
Nan Rothwell Pottery

My fabric scraps have finally outgrown their bin so lately I have been trying to incorporate more scraps into my projects. One sunny morning at the breakfast table, I sketched out this idea for a sunflower made of strips of scraps.

Well… it hardly made a dent in my orange scraps. I cut into some of my freshly purchased fabrics for the background and enjoyed a bit of embroidery. I do believe that Percy Persimmon likes all the orange!

I realized half way through that I needed to glue baste all the petals down because they were flopping all over the place. I will be finishing it off with some yummy free-motion quilting… lots of petals to secure all the scraps and then something fun in the wide outer border. Off to do some doodling!

And here is a scrappy mug rug I made for the VMQG March challenge & swap. I tried different free-motion quilting on each strip! I quite like how it turned out and since I’m unable to go to tonight’s meeting I guess that means I can keep it ;o)

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts )

PatchworkPottery

We had a great workshop last week, with attendees coming from Ohio, New York, and North Carolina.  Kevin Crowe and I collaborated on it, with folks spending three days in my studio and then three in his.  We’ve a repeat on the pattern scheduled for August of this year and since everyone liked the format, [...]
Nan Rothwell Pottery

My Teacup Pouch pattern is now available in my SHOP! Originally featured in “Pretty Little Purses & Pouches” in 2008, this digital pattern booklet now includes templates for CoffeeMug & HotCocoa pouches, detailed instructions for installing the zipper as well as making the handle and tea tag zipper pull.

All PatchworkPottery digital pattern booklets include metric conversion chart, stitches & terms section, fully illustrated step-by-step instructions, and full size templates. I am no longer sending out e-newsletters so please subscribe to my blog by e-mail to receive shop & pattern updates.

Thank you Sonja for helping me test this pattern. Your Teacup Pouch turned out amazing! I especially like your matching tag! To see or add creations made using PatchworkPottery patterns, please visit the PatchworkPottery Patterns flickr group!

Coming soon: SpringTime Bag in April and Quilted Teacup & Saucer in May. Is anyone interested in testing these patterns for me?

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts )

PatchworkPottery

The Crane Star pillow pattern is now available in my SHOP. The Crane Star is a versatile pattern made up of six cranes. This pattern includes instructions for basic paper-piecing technique as well as layout & instructions to make a 19 x 19 inch pillow cover.

Paper-piecing allows the quilter to create intricate blocks with accuracy and ease. The fabric is sewn directly to the paper template. Felicity tested my pattern using her own choice of fabrics which I think looks fabulous. I have enlarged the pattern ever so slightly. Read her review here.

PatchworkPottery pattern booklets include a metric conversion chart, stitches & terms section, fully illustrated step-by-step instructions, and full size templates. Try joining rows of half Crane Stars to make a matching quilt or incorporating a single crane into a quilt.

The Teacup Pouch pattern will be available next week. The SpringTime Bag and Quilted Teacup & Saucer patterns are coming soon!

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts )

PatchworkPottery

Cowan Pottery was in business for a brief period of time; specifically, between 1912 and 1931. That’s not to say, however, that this Ohio art pottery company didn’t leave a lasting impression – it most certainly did.

Founded by R. Guy Cowan, an Ohio native, Cowan Pottery began as a tiny studio with only a few kilns and with Cowan serving as the owner, artist, designer, bookkeeper and so on. Despite what was surely an exhausting effort, Cowan produced many art pottery pieces and tile designs. By 1917, Cowan was enjoying the fruits of his hard work with many awards for his art pottery collections.

As was the case with many art pottery companies during this time period, World War I meant a closing of his business so that he could serve in the Chemical Warfare Service. The war ended and Cowan found himself following his passions once again, this time in a new location in Ohio. He upped the equipment, created a studio and before long, he was filling orders for department stores, individuals and other national chains. That was soon followed with commercial pottery efforts. He was able to hire a staff of artists and his output neared 175,000 pieces each year. Some of those Cowan Pottery pieces included bowls, vases, lamps and candlesticks.

Despite his impressive successes, in the late 1920s, Cowan found his business struggling financially. The demand was slowly dropping for pottery, as would-be customers found themselves struggling from a financial aspect, too. Indeed, times were incredibly difficult and by 1930, the writing was on the proverbial wall. The Depression hit fast and hard and Cowan Pottery closed its doors in December, 1931.

The legacy left behind is priceless. The glazes and artistic abilities are nothing short of genius; partly due to Cowan’s familiarity with the chemicals used in the American art pottery sector.

Cowan knew he could never walk away from art pottery and became a well respected judge and trustee for the National Ceramic Exhibitions until his death in 1957.

Art Pottery Blog

Today I added a feedback section to my BigCartel shop! I think it’s very important to receive feedback from my customers so that I can improve my shop and my patterns.

The button is now on my shop’s sidebar as well as in every shop e-mail as a FEEDBACK link. It also shows a link to feedback from my old Etsy shop which I hope helps to relieve doubts about purchasing that first pattern.

Now I’m asking for your help ) If you have purchased a PatchworkPottery pattern and would like to leave feedback, please click on the image below. Right now I have no feedback for my 355 sales in my BigCartel shop.

I can’t wait to hear about your shopping experience. I want to know if the pattern was easy to print & assemble, instructions easy to follow & if there any mistakes no matter how small. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts )

PatchworkPottery

Have you checked out the great finds in our Bargain Bin? This is a great opportunity to add to your art pottery collection or if you’re new to this particular art sector, it’s the best place to start. Check out a few of the latest additions to the bin -

Drawn to the more whimsical side of American art pottery? Then the Abingdon Pottery cookie jar is probably just what you’re looking for. This sweet Miss Muffet, who’s resting on her tuffet, dates back to 1949-1950 and is mint condition. The bottom is marked and this cookie jar measures 9 1/2″ tall and 8 1/4″ wide.

The Coors Pottery blue handled vase is a perfect example of how less is sometimes more in art pottery. The blue glaze on this double-handled vase contrasts nicely against the white glaze on the inside of the vase. It’s in excellent condition and measures 6 1/2″ tall and 7 1/4″ wide.

The unique presentation is what sets this Haegar Pottery Marigold Agate Earth Wrap Vase apart. The rich sunflower gold and yellow hues are a powerful base against the contrasting red and brown that present as abstract designs. It’s modern look and one many collectors are drawn to.

Hull Pottery remains one of the most recognized names in the industry. The Hull Pottery bow knot blue wall pocket is just one reason why. This design has a beveled handle, two side pockets and pink flowers with soft green leafing efforts. It’s a little vintage, a little traditional Hull and a lot of style. This is one that can be difficult to locate, so if you’re contemplating adding this to your Hull Pottery collection, now’s the time.

Speaking of vintage, there’s also a Rorstrand 1960s Swedish Titus art deco vase. This vivid vase offers a glossy finish against a rich blue and hues of brown. The lighter base color works well with both the colors and general design. It’s handpainted and is 6 1/4″ tall and at its widest point, measures 6″ wide.

These are just a few of the many gems you’ll find in the Just Art Pottery bargain bin.

Art Pottery Blog

Classes start next week, so I’ve spent the past several days deconstructing the expanded showroom, reinstalling the classroom, and rearranging displays.  Today I took photos on my new iphone and posted them to the Pots In My Showroom page of this website.  A sharp learning curve!  But after a struggle, the page is now reset.  [...]
Nan Rothwell Pottery