Projects

I have completed a small quilt for DGD. It was a kit from JoAnn's. I want to tie the front and back together yet and it will be done. I am working on a heart with a bird fabric that I think is vintage. Had no real reason to make this except that darn bird kept yelling at me!! I also wanted to share my pink block from a previous post about the challenge on CQ4Newbies. I have added to it and I like it alot better than I did when the contest was completed. I am still not sure that it is done. I may not be posting for several days as I have eyelid surgery this afternoon, as DH says I will return with the wide eyed surprised look. (more likely racoon eyes!! LOL) Ya'll behave while I am gone!!

Jane's Class

Saturday was a great day of craft therapy!! I spent the day at Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale and took a class from Jane on making a mixed media book like the one on the cover of Sew Somerset! WOW I loved it and am so pleased with how my book turned out!!

Jane and her daughter Jeanie were great teachers!! Loved all the inspiration !!I did manage to get the front on the top of the post!! Other pictures are the inner pages and then the close up of one of the pages! I loved the pictures I got to use in this one so I had to make a closeup!! The back cover has the clever Fiber Art by Karen tag that Jane included with our goodies for the class!! I am sure that I will be making more of these in the future! Our kitties went to their new home last night with Don, he will love them and take great care of them for me. The house seems quiet this AM!!

Embroidered Christmas Napkins

Yes, I know it isn't even time yet!! I found these while digging in a drawer for something else and since I am in this embroidery mode I decided to pick these up and have a go at it. I have one done, one 3/4 of the way done and 4 more to go after that. They are looking pretty festive and another project to get completed before we leave for SC!

Finally can share

These two pieces I have been working on and hinting at for sometime but since they were part of a challenge that just ended on CQ for Newbies I couldn't post. The challenge was to make one CQ block that was your usual style and colors and the other block was to be outside of the box. My comfortable block was done in pinks with some seam work, nothing special. The outside the box block was done in blues, had a print in the center, I handpainted a heart on it, used beads---totally different. The blue block is now the lid of a cigar box, I still need to line the inside of the box. I had a blast doing this and plan to do more in the future where I push myself more and put more work into each block. Mine had been looking pretty boring and naked. I finished the wedding pillow that I showed a while back, stay tuned for pictures tomorrow. I also did some fabric dyeing with markers and alcohol, what an easy and fun way to get some color on things. I experimented w/aida cloth, rayon seam binding, lace and an unknown fiber content fabric. All of them turned out great and will inspire me to do more of this. So nice to find something that can dye fabric that can be bought locally at even the dollar stores!! Will share pictures of the dyed fabrics tomorrow.

Project completed

Another fun project completed!! I used a tutorial from Dawn at http://www.thefeatherednest.blogspot.com/ to make this! Mine is slightly different than hers. I kind of went with what was laying around me on the table. The best part was getting to use the real bird nest that I had found in the yard some time ago and saved!! Isn't it sweet?? Update on the weight loss which I haven't done in awhile:73#!! If you had told me this in Jan I would have thought you were crazy!! I have to have eyelid surgery the 29th, because they have drooped so much they are blocking my vision!! LOL Who knew your eyelids get fat too??

UFOs completed!

I am trying to clean up a number of UFOs that are hanging around, before I hit the road. Here are a couple of makeovers. The boot is a paper machie boot found at Michael's for 99 cents!! I gave it a coat of pink paint, w/gold for the sole and then a coat of pearl over the pink. I have thrown in a doily. I am not sure what else will go in, I just know that it is not finished yet!! LOL The pink box was dark blue and is now pink! It is wood and has a hole wo it can be hing on the wall. I will be adding to it also. So far I am pleased that each of these has turned out so cute.

Thread Painting

Yesterday and today I have been busy w/this little bird. It is from Embroiderer's Countryside Masterclass Edition by Helen M Stevens. It was reprinted in 2008. It is a wow book that arrived yesterday in the mail and I have been working ever since. It turned out better than expected, not perfect by any means!! The next one will be better! This will be something easy to take to SC. I started today to pull out things to pack from the sewing room, it was hard. I just stood there thinking I don't want to leave anything!! LOL I

New CQ Blocks

I seem to be back into the craazy quilt mode again!Here are two blocks, the purple and yellow one was a WIP that I pulled out of the drawer to finish. I think I am happy with it and can put it down now!! The other block is new: Soft Summer, made of a 4 Seasons exchange on CQ4N list. This is a summer block, I have to finish embellishing half of it and then it is sent to someone else to complete and return to me. I can't wait, I have never done this before so I am hoping I do ok. I already have ideas for a fall block.I got a Helen M Steven's Embroidery book today in the mail. This is my second and it has me really inspired to do more embroidery on the fall block. I am hoping to work in purple and gold and embroider a bird on it. Back to cleaning up the sewing room and trying to figure out what to pack......

Moving Soon

After hubby has spent several days in the hospital we have made a decision to go to South Carolina to stay with our daughter Lacy. This will give Ken a better chance at getting a kidney tranplant either from Lacy or a stranger. Here in AZ kidneys are very limited and the wait is many years, there is a shorter wait time in SC and I can also donate to a stranger and this would move Ken up on the waiting list. This has not been an easy decision to leave our home and all of our things. We are planning to leave in a couple weeks, drivin across the country. We still have Braxton the granddog so he will ride along with us. How do I pack in a few craft/art items so I don't go insane?? Good question and one to yet be answered. So far I have been busy getting him home and contacting the right people in SC to take care of him when we arrive. We do love the weather in SC and Lacy lives in a nice area w/great neighbors so it will be a great place to live plus we will be closer to the rest of our family in Ohio.

Birds and crazy quilting

I have two things for ya today one is two birds that are real simple but I like them. Birds are my "thing" right now. I need to try to make some more and I want to cut up and applique the bird fabric from Sat at the Goodwill! Maybe tonight! Here is Lacy's green crazy quilt wall hanging. It is more green than yellow as it appears here. I have done plenty of embroidery here since she does not like lace and flowers. I still need to add a spider web and some buttons. My next big project is a CQ wall hanging for dgd Faith in lavenders. Should be fun and a nice break after the green. I am piecing a block for the Crazy Quilt 4 Newbies list. It is a summer block for the season RR. It of course will be pink, I am thinking about something way out there for fall. Totally new for me, maybe purple and golds. Time will tell.

Happy 4th of July!!

The heads are off the angels and doll!! Only damage was to the tablecloth where I was working, it was plastic.... They turned out as I had hoped so here is a picture. A very good day at the Goodwill. I got the bird fabric that I wanted, not I just need to figure out how I am going to use it. I also picked up a vintage slip, a beautiful wood framed picture, some other fabric scraps and a craft book. A very good haul for $33.I have included some fireworks for ya and a picture of my oldest DD and my grands, aren't they all beautiful?? I know I am prejudice, but that is what mamas and grandmas are for, right?? Gotta love them!!

Head Removal

I thought that would get ya!! I bought 2 angels at Micheals with beautiful faces and wanted just the heads. What is a crazy woman to do....take the dremel and off with their heads!! One is off and another doll who needs a head removal is starte. A job to finish tomorrow. Will share pictures when they are done. I finished the crazy quilt bangle bracelet. it turned out nice, I think I want to "line" the inside to make it look neater. Lacy's quilt is moving along nicely, will share over the weekend. I even dug out a pillow top done in CQ in whites and ivories w/a picture of us on our wedding day that I started long ago, time to finish it! I hit the mother lode at the local thrift yesterday, a scrabble game for 50 cents (love those tile), knitting needles 50 cents, fabric 25 cents, styrofoam 50 cents, and lots more. Tomorrow I am off to Goodwill hoping to score some bird fabric I had my hand on yesteray, we will see if it happens.

Play Day

What a fun day I had at Terri's yesterday!! Great to get away and jusst make art. She taught me how to cover canvas with polymer clay. She is not finished yet but I have a good start. So far I love what we have done. Speaking of cool art be sure to check out http://www.the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/ for some great tutorials on mixed media. She is even having a sale, gotta love that!! Her blog will just get you inspired for sure. Also including a crazy quilted, block for a friend. It is not finished just pieced and a small start on embellishment. Judyth is a great person who ha back surgery awhile back and loves orange so this is a little gift along with some great velvet orange ribbon!! I have started a green crazy quilt wall hanging for dd. Will share when I have something done besides the piecing, it looks pretty naked right now!