Contests and Pinkeepers

Was very excited to learn that my block had won 3rd place in the CQ4N group baggie swap contest. In this swap, each person made up a baggie of fabrics and embellishments. The baggies were swapped out and each one had to make a block using all the things in the baggie. The finished blocks were then voted on.



It was interesting to work with choices made by someone else. Fortunately Amy did a wonderful job of coordinating her colors and provided a generous variety of embellishments. Thanks, Amy, for a great baggie.



I got a second baggie of lovely goodies from Ira in Israel. That block will be posted later, as I was unable to complete it before the time limit ran out.

My second theme was Under the Sea. I used a dark blue lame for the water. I appliqued a cream seashell and worked spider web roses centered with pearls on it.



I used a satin centered organdy ribbon for the background seaweed and overlayed it with feather stitching in floss and silk ribbon. The floss is tipped with seed beads.



Pins are pushed between the layers around the edge. A interesting and fun experience.

My SRH group decided to recycle unwanted CDs into pinkeepers. So we did a swap with two themes.

This is my In the Garden pinkeeper.

I am still working at learning the different SR stitches.About the only thing I do well is a spider web rose. So this gave me a chance to try something new.

I have been using The Silk Ribbon Embroidery Bible by Joan Gordon as my training manual. So I decided to use one of her motifs with my own twist.

As yet my supply of ribbon is very meager, so I embroidered the fence, tree branch, stepping stones and birdbath with floss. Since I love irises and purple, I added those instead of more french knot flowers. The spider web (which doesn't show up too well) is silver metallic, and the little black spot is a floss spider. AHHH, but the cardinals do look like birds!!

Eagle charity block

Several ladies in my CQ group decided to submit blocks to be made into a wallhanging for a charity auction. Since the receiving group provides live cam coverage of nesting eagles, the theme of the hanging was easy. As we spoke of it as the Regal Eagle project, I decided to move away from the traditional CQ block.

I have recently discovered landscape quilting and thought that this would be perfect for showing the awesome beauty and gracefulness of the eagle--a very worthy choice for our national bird.

It took fussy cutting from three diferent fabrics to provide the background. The eagle, cut from a fourth fabric, was appliqued and embroidered to make it the focal point. There is a distant eagle to the right (you can just see the wing tip) that is machine embroidered with touches of hand stitching for further accent. Sorry about the cramped photo-my camera is on the fritz and I had to scan the block, which was too large for the scanner bed.

Although it does not show well in the pic, there is hand stitching on the rocks and grasses, with a few beads added for some bling. All in all, I felt pleased with my results. The other blocks I've seen are wonderful. This hanging will be a stunning piece of art.

It has come back home

Was so excited to get my finished block from the Green Color Study RR. Thanks to all the lovely ladies who so freely gave of their talents to make my block a truly beautiful piece of art.

The purple study block will soon be finished, and I'm looking forward to the naming of the next color. These block will make a lovely wallhanging when all are finished.

Purple, purple, purple!!!

Had the pleasure of working on Wendy's block in the CQ4N color study rr. Wendy had worked a lovely peacock on her block, so I decided to stay with that theme and I chose to do a peacock eye feather. I used a design from Cindy Gorder's book Beaded Crazy Quilting ( a great book of ideas). The eye and spine are worked in beads. The barbs are worked in a couched varigated thread .



I'm sorry to know that only 2 more blocks remain in this swap, but there will be another color and more fun for all!

My second block was for my CQI rr. We had no theme, so Debbie chose for passion for purple. My kind of gal!!!

I am learning to do needle tatting and had made a piece which was to have been oval shaped. NOT!! Mine turned out to be rather rectangular (can't imagine why). When I saw the ciggie, I knew what to do. I dyed the tatted piece a pale lavendar in a uneven shading to give it an antique look and framed the lovely lady. I laced it with a muticolored ribbon. Along the lower edge I used various shades of purple to make spider web roses and looped straight flowers with bead centers. A Victorian look button in gold-tone filigree with a pearl like center work well to pull everything together. Ahhhh, just can't get enough of purple.

Purple color study RR

Crafting and doing alterations

Haven't posted for a few days--my alterations work keeps getting in the way of my fun. But I can always free up bits of time to do my favorite thing- create in fabric.



Can't seem to go long without doing some crazy quilting. Joined a cq swap in one of my postcard groups. These guys are small, but it's enough to feed my habit. I'm looking forward to receiving mine and admiring the work of others. Ok, ok, I like picking up new ideas. But I do admire the talents of others greatly!!

I have become interested in landscape quilts. I got Valerie Hearder's books Beyond the Horizon and Point of View. Excellent books, very instructive. I decided this was something I wanted to try.



I have been thinking of doing a Bob Ross painting, and thought- why not do it in fabric?



I am quite pleased with the results. I started with a yellow background fabric which I painted with watercolor pencils. Then I started piecing the foreground. I used a mixture of thread painting and the pencils to embellish . Then I framed the scene with this beautiful Native American patterned fabic and finished with a silver concho of a spinning lizard below the cactus. I like it very much, and I look forward to doing more.

A week of work

Have been doing my thing on Lindy's block in the VicCQ fall rr. I found some cute leaf buttons in fall colors at Joann Fabrics, so I chose a bronze colored block and used the buttons in the corners to surround a lace fan. I hand dyed the fan with soft greens, yellows and gold. The fan is accented with fargo roses and yellow and bronze colored seed beads. I used an olive green organza ribbon and pearls as a seam embellishment to the left.

This swap has been interesting in that I have worked with colors that I don't normally choose. I prefer the soft colors usually associated with spring. But working with the rich, deep colors of fall has been very satisfiying.

Aaaahhh, summertime!!!! Our season to season swap is summer-the time of fun in the sun and vacations. For the CQ4N swap I chose bright colors that I don't often use. Since the block will be mine when finished, I departed from the traditional handwork and used a cute machine embroidery design of that old summer standard--Sunglasses. The reflective lenses show palm trees, sailboats, fish, and seabirds. Summer just isn't summer without the appropriate footware-so a piece of timtex, a scrap of fabric, and some beads became a stylish pair of flipflops



For lounging on the beach I added a hand embroidered sling chair and a colorful beach ball created with crayons. A meandering vine with yellow flowers finishes off the seams. Now what can I do with the songbird????

My FAT group is celebrating its 3rd birthday this month. We settled on a party hat swap filled with goodies. I chose a confetti print and embellished with a bear and birthday cake machine embroidery design. I timmed the top and brim with a multicolored eyelash yarn and added a red ribbon chin tie. Now I'm off to find some goodies to fill it with.

Anything Goes block

In between alterations, I have been working on my Anything Goes block. I framed a landscape view with a lovely flowering tree. I overworked the blossoms with french knots and the branches with stem stitch. I worked a meandering stem stitch around the frame and did a scroll in the block above. I accented the scroll with a pewter art deco face button and a heart charm. It has been mailed, and I waiting to see what the other stitchers have in mind for the block. Excuse the not so good photo: my camera has not been repaired yet, and I'm still relying on my scanner.

Small, smaller, smallest

I decided that I wanted to make a seascape for my AAQI project. I handpainted a light blue cotton for the background and located a tan with brown accents for the sand. The mermaid and sea creatures are machine embroidery.

I added a pale blue tulle ovelay and hand embroidered and beaded the sea plants. I am quite pleased with my first venture into a project that is not a traditional pieced or crazy pieced block!

The smaller project was one I enjoyed very much putting together. One of my groups was doing a "Glimpse from a window" mini quilt. I thought of my view of a neighbor's pasture from my livingroom window. So I began looking through my scraptub for horse fabric. After putting the window together, I decided that something was needed in the foreground, something more interesting than the chair and floorlamp that sets there. So I added a table and put my knitting basket on the table.



I wove some tan fabric together for the basket, added some "knobs" cut from a novelty yarn for balls of yarn, and added knitting needles made from jewelry head pins. It made a lovely little 5 x 7 wallhanging.

The smallest of the projects was a Spring inchies swap. As things where still rather hectic and I was pressed for time, I fudged a bit. I used a set of minature machine embroidery patterns and did them the quick and easy way. I think the little designs look springy! The bottom set I had done by hand before everything went downhill.

Still playing catch up

The Purple RR block for this month is Lindy's. She very thoughtfully included little goodie bags for those who worked on her block. There was a lovely piece of velvet in the baggie I chose, so I gave part of it back in the form of a butterfly. I made each wing section separately and backed them with cotton fabric. After embellishing with sequins and beads, I tacked the sections in place. For the body I rolled a triangular piece of cotton print around a small piece of batting and sectioned it by wrapping it with thread and trying off . A piece of craft wire bent into a v shape and curled on the ends was attached for the antennae. A blanket stitch trimmed with seed beads completes two sides of the block. Hope it's to your liking, Lindy.

I finished construction of two pixie dolls from Allison
Marano's May Pixie pattern. I hope to mount them
on a wooden base positioned as though they were playing Leap Frog. They have a wire armature, so I'm hoping they will hold their pose. They sure are cute little guys.

Last month's purple block belonged to Velina. I chose a long narrow block and "planted" a rose tree. The roses are a mixture of spider-web roses done in silk ribbon and organza ribbon. I edged the tree with feather stitching and beads. Hope you enjoy it, Velina.

More postcards finished

I have been working on getting my postcard swaps finished out before deadlines. There is Elvis as he started--in black and white; frogs in Batik Only; a proud eagle and flags for Support Your Troops; and Dragonflies. That pretty well gets me through May.

Now I must begin on my mini quilts.

Bits and pieces

Finished with a couple of postcard swaps. I really enjoy making these mailable pieces of art.

I decided to work on some small projects. I have made ATCs, so I decided I would do a plus size inches swap representing the 4 elements-fire, water, earth and air. Plus size inches are 1 1/2 inches in size. I had thought they might prove to be a bit difficult to do, but they were suprisingly easy to handle.

I had a red fabric which always appeared "hot" to me, so that became fire. I added a zig-zag stem stitch in yellow and a few orange and red beads.

A brown batik became earth with the addition of a stone donut bead and a couched wool yarn.

Water was easy, also. I had a blue and white fabric that looked "wet" so I embroidered a simple little fish of detached chain stitches and clear bead bubbles.

Wind gave me some problems, until I thought of a favorite childhood character, Winnie the Poo and his blustery day. After that it was easy. Now I think I am ready to attempt inchies.

Green block finished

I decided to try my hand at an embroidered motif. The fantasy flower is done with a combination of chain, satin and stem stitches. I couched a novelty yarn around the patch, and accented with buttons, and a small flower cup bead centered with a seed bead. The large corner button called for something more, so I added beaded tassels. I hope Sue enjoys my efforts.

Now I'm off to complete more postcards.

Peaceful house

Favorite Disney Pal

Whee, out of state company has left, a family illness is over, the 32 cafe panels are done and hung; things are finally getting back to what I consider "normal " around here. Have been working to get caught up on my postcard swaps. Now, I'm off to work on a green block for my RR. Later.

Back to normal, I hope!

I finally made it back. Between customer business, out of state company, and family illness, it has been a while since my last post. There has been company in the quest room with my computer, so my online time has been short.

The 32 cafe panels are finished and hung; the tuba carrying bag has been finished and the tuba is no longer sitting in my sewing room floor. A run of baby showers has had me busy making bibs and burp pads. All of that is done, so now on with the fun stuff.

These are a couple of the embroidery designs I used. (Betty's Original Designs)

Getting things done

Recieved Kristi's fall rr block which she had done in lovely golds and brown. I decided to stay with that color way and I made a stumpwork owl in brown tones. I perched it on a vine and added beaded berries. I outlined the block with scolls in a golden brown floss and added gold foil leaves.

Well, I need to start making cafe panels, so happy stitching.

Powered by Qumana

Busy Days

Haven't posted for a while as I have been quite busy. Had a slack period, so I joined 3 postcard swaps, a beaded doll bead-a-long, a beaded face pin challenge, a block of the month quilting project, an ATC swap, and the CQ purple RR. As always happens now I have a gentleman wanting me to make a bag to protect the tuba he bought on ebay, a commerical customer who needs 32 cafe curtain panels, and another gentleman who has commissioned me to make him a quilt from his father's neckties!!!

Well, I made 6 ATC's instead of the 12 I had originally planned. I got my designs embroidered for my personal Easter card giving. I'll put them together between other tasks I suppose.

Busy days

I have been keeping busy with various projects. I received my second color RR block. On Connie's block I used feather stitch with beads as my seam treatment. I hand-painted a lace peacock motif in varying shades of green. I accented it with seed beads, seqins, and bullion knots. I hope it meets Connie's approval.

I decided to made friendship dolls for the ladies in my Color RR. Since our color study is grren, I started with a green fabric and embellished with with beads and SRE.

First block of Color RR finished

Ahhh, another project finished. I have finished my patch and seam on Sharon's green block. Since ours is the green bean group, I crossed stitched beans and used a chenille yarn to outline the oval. A lovely varigated green eyelash yarn meanders around the patch, couched down with seed beads. A wide ribbon runs along my seam. I used the chenille yarn to scroll down the middle of the ribbon and embellished with seed and bugle beads and sequins. It was a fun block to do. Look forward to receiving the next one.

I think I will do some wire work today and make a brooch. Until next time, happy stitching.

Valentine Swap

I finished my postcard for the SRE Heirlooms valentine swap. It is my first swap with this new group. My SRE skills are limited to spider web roses and leaves, so it isn't anything fancy. I hope Florence will enjoy it, and take into consideration that this is only my second SRE project. Well, off to see about learning some new stitches. Happy stitching to all.

Busy Day

It has been a busy day. I completed two projects for my yahoo groups and a project for an alterations customer. The project for the customer was a first for me. I made a bag to hold his tuba. What a challenge.



In the way of fun projects, I finished a valentine postcare card for a swap in a new group-SRE Heirlooms. My SRE skills are mostly limited to spider web roses and leaves, but I hope this group will enlarge my abilities as I practice more stitches.

Iris Folding

Was iris folding and got one of those "what if" ideas. I have signed up for a fall rr in my VicCQers group and remembered that I had a maple leaf pattern. What if I did the maple leaf in fabric? Is it possible? Well, I tried it and it worked out beautifully!!! So, that maple leaf is now the center patch on my fall block. If you are interested in iris folding-this is a good site to visit-http:www.irisfolding.circleofcrafters.com. It's wonderful to dicover something new. Happy stitching.

My patch is done

Have completed my patch on my green garden block, and it is ready for mailing. I was making clay heads for goddess dolls and decided to use one on my block. It made a cute sunface. My swap block is in the mail and I am looking forward to receiving it. I have been sketching out stitching combinations for seam treatments. Looking forward to seeing them actually stitched out.

I have just altered a sweatshirt to make a jacket. I used my embroidery machine to add butterflies to the front and back. Will post photos when I figure out the problem with my camera.

Well, that's it for this time. Happy stitching.

My patch is done

Well, I have completed my patch on the green garden patch and it is now ready to go into the mail. I was making cly heads for goddess dolls and decided to use one on my patch. It made a very nice sun.

Just finished a sweatshirt jacket. Will post photo when I figure out the problem with my camera.

Color RR

My block for the Color RR for my CQ4Newbies group is finished. The theme for this RR is Green Garden. The blocks are varying shades of green and all embellishments will be green. I think a monochrome block will be a challenge. I will now do my patch and two seams. I will post a picture before sending it on its journey.

I'm anxious to receive my block to see what work is done by others. I think I have only swapped with one person on my list.

This morning shows a return to FL winter weather; sunny with temps in the low 70's! Lovely!!

Well, I'm off to begin work on my block. Later. Happy stitching.

I took the plunge

Well, I took the plunge and jumped in head first and became a blogger. I have been assured that this is easy. As I am computer challenged I'm not to sure about those comments. Please be gentle when telling me of my mistakes, but do tell me as I want this to be a learning experience as well as fun.

I think I will end here for tonight; I will try again when I have learned to upload photos.
Goodnight from cold Florida.

I took the plunge

Well, it's finally done. I took the plunge and jumped in head first and became a blogger. Hope everyone will bear with me as I get started. Gently inform me of my mistakes or give me your opinion on have I may improve things. Hopefully, things will get better with time and experience.

Ahhh, the Christmas season is over, and things should go at a slower pace. Gifts were finished on time and received with smiles. My stocking stuffers this year were embroidered pocket tissue covers.