Just a little something

I've been pretty busy lately, but I can't tell you or show you what I've been doing. Instead, I'll show you a little project that I'm working on for Debra's Pregnancy Project. This is in exchange for some embroidery work she is doing for me.

I am using the X-Block template for this, and it's going pretty darned fast! Too fast, actually. If I would have stopped and read the instructions when I started this so long ago, I would have realized that the nine patch blocks I made weren't sewn in the correct order. Leave it to me to make it far more complicated than it needed to be!

I am certain no one else does this but me, right?

First, I made the green ones, then I reverse-cut the purple ones. Then I gave up, put them in a box, and moved on with something else. So, yes, I know they would have been better all one color or the other, but I have so many of them made....and her project really needs another baby quilt, so off it will go this weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you all have a loverly Valentine's Day!

Hubby Honey has already showered me with my favorite flowers and he has a special date for dinner at Le Fou Frog and an evening with the Czech Orchestra planned for Sunday.

What good be better than that?

And sew it goes

So, today I am straightening the stewdio, working on bits and pieces here and there. I've got sofa pillows to make smaller, a cat bed that needs mending and a couple of new projects to plan. Between the rain, the snow flurries, the 70 degree days turning to 70mph winds and dismal skies, I've not managed to do much of anything. Or so it seems.

These are the fabrics for my next 5 projects. Yes, I said 5 projects. You see, I am going to go to Cambria, CA in March with 4 of my best quilting buddies for a private retreat (like last year). So what are these projects? Uh uh - not going to tell. You'll just have to wait and see what they are next month!

And this little nine inch block is quite a beauty. One of my stitch friends has been working on these for the last year. They are from a LQS BOM. They will make an absolutely stunning quilt when all completed!

Quilts and updates

So many of you have asked me what I am reading now days, and or to give them a good book recommendation, that I thought I would add a new little widget on my sidebar for you! I've joined Goodreads where I am tracking the books I've read, the books I am reading, and the books I want to read. Thanks to Ms. Jan, this is a great way to track them all quite handily. Now, you can see at least four pages of my highest rated books that I've been reading right from my blog.

Now, for the quilts!

This is the finished quilt top that I was commissioned to make out of "grandma's clothes." This picture is before quilting.


Here's is a surprise cuddle quilt for a friend of mine that an on-line group made for her (before quilting). It's made of all civil war fabrics, which she loves. I got to set it together, take it to the quilter, and bind it. The pattern is quite pretty, called Carolyn's Stars and can be found on quilterscache.com


She received it Saturday after I picked it up from the quilter. You can also see Shirlee's 2006 Birds of a Feather quilt hanging on the wall behind my friend looking at her quilt.

More beads and Bonsai

I've been busy beading the Bonsai lately (sounds like a new dance, doesn't it?) and I've made some great progress. Last night I got all but three lines done on the background. So far, I've spent about 60 hours all told on the pearly background parts.

So many people tell me they couldn't do this type of work. But here's my secret: I either have a 12 pound cat sitting ON the work or under it - and she makes me smile!

Next I have to get the rest of the embellishments in the leaves and make sure all the three dimensional parts are secured. Then I'll be back to quilting on the borders. I've inked the kanji script label onto Habotai silk and it will be attached on the front left lower border, backed with Thai silk and more of the cream vintage kimono. Think how a label on a man's suit is attached on one of the sleeves....

You can double click this picture to see a closer view of the beads and the designs in the silk kimono piece.

15 Little Quiltlets

As you may recall, this project was started in the fall of 2007, using an idea we (15 quilters who blog)got from MayBritt at Abyquilt in Norway (Sept 2008) Mine is the eighth one down from the top (all batiks), and I couldn't be happier!

If anyone wants to adopt our steps (which were modified slightly from AbyQuilts), feel free to start a group and have fun. We sure did! And can you believe that not one quiltlet was lost or misplaced in these last 15 months? They finish at a nice little cubicle size/doll quilt size/quiltlet size of about 13" X 18".

Round 1: The owner of the RR makes the left top block/piece sized 4”x4”
Round 2: Add a piece 5”x4” besides the first piece
Round 3: Add a piece 9”x3” below the two first
Round 4: Add on the right side a piece 4”x7”
Round 5: Add two pieces below the others, 6”x4” and 7”x4”
Round 6: Add two pieces below the others, 10”x4” and 3”x4”
Round 7: Add at the bottom two pieces, 4”x3” and 9”x3”
Round 8: Appliqué something
Round 9: Embroider something
Round 10: Add batting and backing, and baste the little RR
Round 11: Write something on it by hand or by machine
Round 12: Quilt the whole RR by hand or by machine
Round 13: Add another appliqué
Round 14: Add embellishment (buttons, beads, laces, etc.)
Round 15: Add a sleeve and sew binding on the RR

We will be doing this again (with a few more modifications to the steps), and we'll probably start the next round in April or May. If you are interested in joining us, you must have a blog, and you will need to be able to stay committed to the project for 14-15 months. If you are interested, please send me an email with the header "I'd like to play!". I'll have a little questionaire for you to fill out. Once we know exactly how many more people can join the group, I will let you know whether you can play with us or not. If you can't, maybe the next time?

Stand by for something different

I was contacted a few weeks ago by a nice lady who asked if I would be willing to make a quilt for her (rather for her daughter).

"Sure, says I. What do you need?"

She wanted a quilt made from some of her mother's (grandmother's) clothes. This lady died last year and they want a memory quilt made from her clothes. Apparently she had contacted numerous quilters who all turned her down. I find that rather, sad, don't you? Last week, she and her daughter brought the clothes to me, all nicely washed and pressed.



We visited a bit about styles and colors, and now I've been working on their quilt. I interfaced all the fabrics which took a while, and then cut all the strips I needed. After some playing around with the color combinations, this is what I have so far.

The borders will be white, with more strips of the shirts running vertically on the left and right sides to make the quilt finish at approximately 54" X 74". I hope they like it.

I'd like to get it to the quilter this Thursday if the weather permits. She has a backlog right now, and she's also planning a little getaway to get away from this nasty season of cold, cold, cold!

And voila! Leaves!

I've been fiddling dee dee with the leaves for the Bonsai since Thursday last. The lady who commissioned this piece for her husband cried when she saw it. Good tears, thank heavens. So now, I have his birthday of April 30 as a completion date, which is a good thing.

It's another good thing that I photograph the work in progress since now I see the pot is somewhat askew. I have to tidy that up, and the works are ready to appliqued tomorrow. And in the meantime, I have to think how I am going to make sure the leaves that are hanging over the green border edges don't get lost. Something will come to mind, I'm sure.

I must go bead shopping tomorrow too for just the right beads. Not to glitzy, but perhaps pearlized - silk white and taupe? I will quilt and bead at the same time, following the subtle branches in the kimono silks.

Bonsai!

Here is what I am working on this month. I've had this commission now for over a year - I MUST finish! I truly wish I would have been given a deadline! As usual, I've spent the last year collecting just the right fabrics and the fibers, and I've completed the darned thing in my mind at least three different ways. Today I am working on the leaf structures.

Here's what I start with when making my own fiber structures. Just a wad of of bunch of different fibers all whacked up. If you need to relive tension, then this is a good exercise for you! Then I put them all between a fold of Sulky Solvable, and stitch the heck out of it - another good stress reliever. When that's done, just soak it and the Solvable washes away. Let it dry, then cut into the shapes you want.


Here's Hubby with my new leaf fiber mat!

I've tried several different ways with the backgrounds. But I think I like the simpler vertical panel only one the best. The other choice I had was to put a green border on the top, but that just takes away from the tree. The light color panel on the left is a vintage kimono silk with plum blossoms woven in it - the next one to it (beige) is another kimono silk with tree limbs woven in it. The batik has subtle oriental bits in it, along with trees on the hillside.


I still have the pot to do, and of course, those leaves!

These clumps of leaves aren't doing it for me yet, but I'll work with them, and the next time you see them, they'll be swaying in the breeze!

It's almost the New Year!

Can you believe that it is almost 2009 already? Seems we just had this discussion not long ago for 2008. My how time flies when you're having fun! And that's just what has happened since the last post.

We've had Christmas here at the new house with the grand kids, met new friends and neighbors, and now tonight, we are having a little game party until midnight with a couple of dear friends - Byron and Darlene. I have planned dominoes, scrabble, and we'll all try out the new Wii! Chili is on, fresh bread is already out of the oven, and the dips are sitting in the fridge. What a way to bring in the new year, eh?

For the first time ever, we live in an area that doesn't forbid fireworks. So, both Hubby and I stopped at different times (unknown to each other)when the fireworks tents were being taken down last July. Let's say that if you look to the center of the US around midnight tonight, you might see our display. We certainly have enough to last a little while, I think. We've already warned the two neighbors we have that have horses, so their horses won't be upset with the noise and/or the lights.

I've got a few projects on the wall to get going on. The Bonsai tree is next, and I've got all the fabrics pulled and auditioning on the wall, as well as some bindings on a couple of quilts from last year to finish. I've been contacted by someone about making another commission quilt. We need to finish up the details on that before I commit, but it might be a nice bit of unexpected pocket change in 2009.

No quilt pictures today; the round robin quilts are slowly making their way home, so you should click through the RR bloggers web links on the right side (click next). In the meantime, but I will leave you with a celebratory picture of hubby and me. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Home again - and a surprise!

This was one of 6 flamingos at a bank entrance. I thought they were just hilarious!

We got back from our fabulous vacation 5 days ago, but I've been on the move ever since. We have begun our little Christmas visits from nieces, nephew, neighbors and old friends, so I needed to bake and wrap and clean before I could actually spend time at the computer.

Now, you just never know how far Obamania travels. We went to a little island picnic with local lobster and music, and look what we found! This sticker is on the "bass" for a band that was singing during lunchtime. Everyone on the island seemed quite happy about President Elect Obama - we saw bumper stickers and yard signs in a lot of places, too!

Besides the good music, this is what I really like about our island, Anguilla. Local crayfish (lobster) for lunch? - notice that I AM drinking a diet coke to offset all those calories!

And last, but certainly not least, here's my surprise! For the last 14 months, I have been participating in a Bloggers Round Robin project. Mine is the first one that is finished (an entire month early). I just had to post it for you to see. After we get them all in to their owners next month, I will make a post of all 15 of them. They finished just 13" X 18", and until this month (due to the weather problems), not a single one of them were lost or delayed!

Isn't it just wonderful?

And away we go!

What a Thanksgiving blessing we have! Another year and another trip to the Caribbean. We usually leave the day after Christmas, but since the grandchildren are older, we'd like to be home during their winter break. SO! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning! We'll be back on December 16th.

We ARE taking the laptop with us, but the internet service is never guaranteed. If I can, I will upload some pix as we go. Overall it will be a very relaxing 17 days with nothing to do, nothing to see, and no where to be.

Opinions please?

I am working on a commission piece of a Bonsai tree. The lady is quite delightful about letting me "do my artist thing", but it is somewhat frustrating that she won't give me much input on what she DOESN'T like/want. This piece has been commissioned as a gift for her husband, the Bonsai aficionado. I worry about the pink being too "feminine. The panels aren't cut to size yet - and the center panel is an antique plum blossom kimono panel.

Originally, I was going to cut the fabric lengthwise and put the darkest panel on the left, the silk in the center, and the lightest on the right. The Bonsai tree will "drip" across all three, and the Kanji script for Bonsai will be somewhere on the piece as well. I just can't get this arrangement out of my mind now that I see it.

Comments, please? Am I too concerned about this?

Quilt Giveaway from the Old Red Barn

NO! I am not going to give away quilts. Sure wish I could, though! Go to the Old Red Barn Co. for her giveaway. It's a lovely blog with some nice links and even better she's giving away three quilts on November 17th! How cool is that?

Big Bad Momma!

The Big Bad Momma of all quilts is finally done - or at least it's a flimsy, as my friend Nancy says:) It finished out at 106" X 117". I modified Bonnie's Patches and Pinwheels pattern to use 2.5" strips that made the blocks a bit bigger. I really like this quilt a lot, and I think I will probably make another one using smaller strips out of my bins.

We have a deep mattress king bed, and my quilts never seem to drop quite far enough. Well! I think this one will! I always put my big quilts sideways on the bed and make a matching pillow case to go along with it. Since I never make a pillow roll on my bed, this works just fine for me!

The first picture is of the backing folded on top of the quilt underneath on my sewing table. The second photo is the quilt on my design wall (without borders). I couldn't decide whether to make another row all around or to add plain borders. I guess you can see which one won, right? This quilt was originally started at the beginning of the summer for my birthday quilt by my stitch group, The Amazing Quilt Babes.



Now, it's off to the quilters for a true finish!

New friends, old friends

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I was so pleased to open this Sunday's newspaper to a special "Green" section and to find that our own Bonnie Hunter had a nice article in it...presented by the Kansas City Star books/Pickle Dish group, I'm sure. Have your ordered her book yet? Go see her here, for a signed copy!

A couple of days ago, I opened my email to find an invitation to a local guild that meets about 30 minutes away from my new house. When I found out it met during the day (I don't drive at night usually), it was a go! So this morning, off I trundled to the Lee's Summit Guild and I met some new friends! I also found out that a few of them (you know who!) have been following my blog, so while they were new to me, they pretty much already knew me. It sure wouldn't hurt to leave a comment once in a while, would it? LOL! No pictures this time, but for sure I'll take my camera to the guild meeting in January! Yes! I joined the guild-but I got so excited about being part of the group, I forgot that I won't be here in December for their Christmas party. And since I signed up to bring food, and to share a ride with one of the members, I'd better get an email out about not being there.

Where will I be? Well, we're going back to one of our favorite parts of the world: Anguilla. We'll be leaving the day after Thanksgiving, and be gone for 15 days. We're going earlier this year than usual so we can enjoy the grandchildren over their Christmas Holidays. You can check the weather in Anguilla on my sidebar labelled Vacation weather. There's quite a difference between here and there, I gotta tell ya!