A couple more hexagons for your viewing pleasure. These are such fun little "bits" to hold in your hand and embellish and embellish and then embellish some more. When I have them in front of me, they look absolutely "full" and totally embellished. However, looking at these pictures, they look a little bare. Hmmm.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Hexagons
A couple more hexagons for your viewing pleasure. These are such fun little "bits" to hold in your hand and embellish and embellish and then embellish some more. When I have them in front of me, they look absolutely "full" and totally embellished. However, looking at these pictures, they look a little bare. Hmmm.
Monday, October 26, 2009
New Machine
Earlier this year, I told my good friend, Crazy Judyth, that if she ran across a working treadle sewing machine, for a reasonable price, to grab it for me. Not only did she manage to get a line on one machine, but she got two machines -- and one of them is mine.


The cabinet is in very good shape -- only one little spot on it where it looks like someone set a wet glass, but to me that's nothing. I see lots of fun in my future when this baby comes to my house to live. Gee, do you think maybe I could get Madeline to work the treadle part?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Birdhouse Quilt

Here it is -- my birdhouse CQ. Since starting CQForNewbies (button to join on the right sidebar), each spring I'd run a birdhouse block swap. Here are all the great blocks I've received through the years, all nicely trimmed to size and ready to be sewn together. I made a few more blocks myself as I wanted 16 and just didn't have the patience to wait until next Spring and another swap. My thanks to:
Row 1: JK, Kathy Shaw, Me and Unknown
Row 2: Kathy Shaw, JK, me and me
Row 3: Me, Kathy Shaw, Christy Thornberg, Janet Popish
Row 4: Me, Faith Debbs, Unknown, Unknown
Some people didn't sign their blocks and I forgot to write their names on it. If you recognize your block, please let me know. EDITED: These blocks are 8 inches finished. This is our (CQForNewbies) standard size block that we swap.
After picking out the above lay-out, it was time to start sewing the blocks together. Here's where I learned some lessons:
We are sewing embellishments way, way too close to the seam line and not leaving enough extra on the blocks for seam allowances. I'm as guilty as everyone else. I have a nice little pile of beads, butterflies, more beads, charms, that I had to clip off the blocks in order to get the seams sewn -- and these were just the things that were in the actual seam line. I had to hand-sew many of the blocks because the beads were too close to the seam line to enable the block to go under the sewing machine. Hand sew. Through all those layers -- sometimes as many as 8.
Then my "assistant" decided to come and see if I had made the right choices in my block arrangement. She needs an up close and personal view.
Friday, October 02, 2009
"Tocktober Fest"

Don't know what we're talking about when we mention "tocks?" Then scroll down.
"Tocks" -- cute name for "buttocks" of course.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
CQ


Friday, September 11, 2009
New Project
Boxes of fancy fabrics and a big tub of vintage kimono and obi fabric. These guys are finally going to see the light of day and no longer be cooped up in boxes and plastic bins. I worked and worked for 2 days piecing blocks and you know what? The piles don't look any smaller -- they still look the same size. How can that be? How many blocks do I have to make before I notice a dent in the stash? Sheesh!My little friend got all "hyper" with all the activity going on -- pieces of fabric thrown to the wind, lots of strings to play with, the iron cord whipping back and forth.

So far I have 19 blocks. I'll show them next time.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
I won!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New Round Robin Starting
On CQForNewbies, we are doing a new round robin -- Fantasy Landscapes. Above is my fantasy land, Midnight in the Fairies Garden. Since CQForNewbies has been established for a little over three years now, we felt it was time to take everyone a few steps further. This is our first RR for more experienced stitchers. A lot of our members have been with us from day one and are ready to take on more challenging swaps. Now by no means does that mean we are not helping newbies any longer. CQForNewbies is still a newbies group and we still have lots of swaps open to everyone, especially newbies. If you'd like to join us, there's a button on the right for you to click and it takes you right to the sign up page.
Below is the next to the last block in my Birds of a Feather quilt that was supposed to be done much earlier this year. Don't know what happened -- I was doing really good with my block a month and then the bottom just fell out. These are all appliqued blocks using fabrics from my stash. I am currently working on the LAST BLOCK (yahoo!) but it has about a million leaves in it so it's going slow.
Last but not least, is my final block for my Birdhouse CQ. When we first started CQForNewbies, one of our first swaps was a birdhouse swap. I continued this swap each year, always with a birdhouse and/or a bird requirement, and by adding a couple of extra blocks myself, I now have 16 completed blocks and am ready to start setting this together. This will be the first CQ I have attempted to put together and of course, there will be all the seam work and embellishing after the top is complete. Since craft show season is starting up, it may be a while before I can get back to this one.Monday, August 03, 2009
August



Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July 21


I did two blocks as I am the hostess and I had to be prepared in case an odd number of people joined up.
I also received this gift from my dear friend Mary in Louisiana. We'd been discussing covering the little Altoid tins and I guess I asked so many questions that she was nice enough to send me one so I could see it up close and personal (LOL). It even has my initial on it. And as if that wasn't enough -- she sent me two of her beaded motifs. I definitely see more CQ blocks in my future so I can take advantage of these great beaded paisleys. Thank you again Mary!
And last, but definitely not least -- I bet you didn't know that a chair rung could be a pillow? My little wild kitty was very good while my foot was so messed up. She sat very close to me for days on end and was a very sweet companion.
At one point, I had my foot up on a TV tray and Madeline jumped up on the tray right by my foot. I was immediately on guard -- scared she would hit my foot -- but she didn't. She layed down, very close to my injured foot, and put one of her soft little paws ever so gently on my foot and would give it a little pat. Then she's sleep a little, wake up, and put her little paw, once again very gently, on my foot and give it a little pat.



