Dancing Girls are (almost!) ready for the Stage

This is my next project, after I make a party doll and a few postcards....

Just a quick note early on a very rainy Monday morning to let you know that the Dancing Girls are ready for their debut performance ( meaning:  I'm almost done with the binding ) and as soon as the sleeve and label are applied, I'll have another pic to post, but in the meanwhile, if you want to see them kicking up their heels, check it out on my grannygoodstuff post from last week.  I hope this link works:

http://grannygoodstuff.blogspot.com/

Still so much to learn about this blogging stuff, but at least it is easier than writing Fortran!

and when the rain stops, I can go out and play in mud!  .... um, I mean, plant some flowers!

World's Biggest Hexi Challenge on display in Brisbane

Later this Spring I will be teaching a class in English Paper Piecing - also known affectionately as 'hexi' piecing.  I'm still working on the class sample, but stumbled upon this impressive example while trying to catch up on the blogs today and just HAD to share this hexi eye candy - very impressive effort by the world's hexigon quilters - proof positive that paper piecing is alive and flourishing.

They can't get it all in one picture anymore... so for more info, here's a link to the website:

http://worldsbiggesthexagonquilt.blogspot.com/2010/03/craftexpo-brisbane.html

I'll try to post again soon - I'm either out enjoying the sunshine or sewing up a storm in the studio.

March is National Craft Month - loving the sparkle in this star!

I've been increasingly interested in using up the supplies I already have on hand - including using some rather unusual "raw" materials in ways I've never tried before.

Recently, I participated in a "Going Green" charm challenge - I looked around the house for something I had on hand that lent itself to recycling, and remembered that pile of holey socks in the bottom of my closet - AHA!  I remembered how well the painted batting scraps worked a few weeks ago, and applied the same 'painting' method to a square of tube sock cut across the foot - no toes, no cuff, no heel, just foot.  This worked out even better than hoped - although the sock fabric did absorb a LOT of paint!
Once dry (which took a while, even with the assist of the hair dryer) I layered the sock wrong side up and added a scrap of batting and a scrap of 'backing' fabric - then quilted a star shape, added a little more paint to the 'highlights' and came up with this:

I also dismantled a bracelet and 're-purposed' the beads and wire -  and I'm really pleased and encouraged by this result - I love the sparkle in this star.

Tell me what you have crafted lately.   I love getting comments - what's yours?

quilting, quilting, more quilting while cheering on Olympians!

Pat Sloan issued a challenge to her peeps - to finish a quilt during the Olympics - read more about it on her "Death by Quilting" website, blog, etcs: 
http://www.deathbyquilting.com/
http://quiltmashup.com/
http://patsloan.typepad.com/pat_sloans_corner/

Pat is an amazing talented, full of energy and ideas kind of person - I love her!  she's such a quilt enabler!

While I'd like to be doing nothing BUT quilting, there are other obligations a quilter must attend to, and those things have taken a lot of my time this week.  You know - eat, sleep, shovel snow, and sew on and sew on!
 Here is what I've been working on:

can you guess where this was taken?  Not much of a challenge, huh?  This quilt is getting big - and I've run out of places to pose big quilts for their progress cameos, so bear with me!  Until the weather warms up enough to put them outside, at least!

These blocks are from Pat Sloan's Turkey Tracks Block Swap last October - only one of these is mine, the rest came from swap participants, who all did wonderful blocks, as you can see!  I received six blocks, but only know three of the names.

I put the sashes on yesterday and then sewed the rows together and added the first red borders today.  Another border will be added, and then it will be a twin/large throw size.  This is an excellent way to make seven 12" blocks into a twin size quilt.  The only tough part is calculating the size of those setting triangles.  I'll put this one on the HQ16 to quilt it - as soon as the weather (i.e. basement!) warms up a bit.

Tomorrow is the last day of February - Are you ready for March?  It comes in like a LION, remember?

Monday already - where did the weekend go?

A few weeks ago, I joined an online yahoo group called QuiltersFleaMarket - hoping to post some things for sale as I de-cluttered my sewing studio and storage space.... so okay, I haven't posted anything yet, but for any of my newbie friends who are looking to BUY things for their studios, including books, sewing machines, etc. this is a goldmine!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QuiltersFleaMarket/

Today I rec'd two wonderful packages in the mail - a box of Aurifil thread:

and a Fiber Art PostCard:

the picture doesn't do it justice - it looks like a treasure map - complete with little treasures made from silk, paper, and brass!  ...and doesn't my stove top make a good background?

Sometime last weekend I managed to start my 'calendar quilt' with a strip for each day of the year... here's January, so far:

I can see why they need to be trimmed at the end of the month...

And  the quilt rack is attached to the dining room wall:

complete with the dragonfly quilt I made some time ago.... and yes - this is hand applique - and free-hand machine quilted, with dozens of tiny little crystals on those orange flower petals.

So - it was a productive weekend, which explains why it is a blur in my memory!

Hope yours was a good weekend, too.

Sweethearts Rock, and sewing in general rocks my world!

Hello again,

I've been sewing again....

 

this little dittie will be mailed on Monday to my swap partner, and I'll be looking forward to the one she is going to send to me!  Whoohooo, what fun!  I love swaps!

Here's a close up:

those are not X's, they are BOWS!!!

Today I worked on my 'calendar quilt' adding 24 pieces to my strip so far this year.

Beautiful day today - hope yours was, too!

fiber art attempt

So, I recently joined a Fiber Art Traders group - I think I may be overqualified for a group with the initials FAT, but that remains to be seen...

 

Here's my first efforts at being artistic in the group - it reminds me of that old song "The Sun Shines Out of Your Shoes"  by Petula Clark.  Have to smile, ya' know?

the other one was just for practice - these are only 4" x 6" so I had to get my sea legs under me before I got serious.  

So now that I know that I'm not really a doodler by nature, do you think I should give it up or keep trying?  Let me know, before I make a fool of myself!
Thanks!

graph paper solution

I want to share a link for all kinds of graph paper - http://incompetech.com
there is a ton of other stuff on this website, but I was looking for hexagon graph paper and this website has a graph paper generator that will produce a pdf file in any size grid you need for whatever you need any kind of graph paper for in metric or inches.  There's also circle, perspective, tiles, tumbling blocks, etc.  What a find!
There is a mesmerizing assortment of goodies on this site, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Christmas projects

I have a little quilt as you go wall hanging up, a dozen fabric candy canes, and a new flannel pillow done this past week - today I'll be baking cookies!  Yum - the best part of the holidays!

Here's a picture of my projects:

The directions for all of these projects were included in the recent Cross Country Designers Blog Hop sponsored by 12 quilt designers, including Gudrun (the quilt) Pat Sloan (the pillow) and the Candy Canes were offered by Miss Rosie's on day 10. All of the projects included in the Blog Hop were quick easy holiday patterns and one participant even managed to get all 12 projects done by the end of the Hop - impressive work from bro3ther! 

The designers even gave away prizes for those who commented on their blogs on 'their' days and there was a Grand Prize (which yours truly received, amazing!) which I just HAD to spread out and photograph for posterity:

An amazing and very generous assortment of goodies, patterns, books, tools, fabrics, and kits - I'm still stunned that I won all this just for making comments!  and the blog hop itself was so inspirational with all the holiday traditions, memories, old pics, etc., and even a blast from the past - it was so much fun, it was worth getting up extra early every morning just to read them all!

If you would like to see more Christmas quilts, check out my friend's blog:
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

I'm off to the kitchen to bake cookies now - merry merry time!

best of plans

I made a trip around town yesterday - tried to combine as many errands as possible to conserve energy, fuel, etc.  The errands were accomplished, but included standing in line far more than anticipated, so I didn't get back in time to sew up the candy canes, pillow, etc. that I had hoped to get to yesterday.
So TODAY I will attempt those fabric candy canes again!  and if I get those done, I'll go on to the pillow triangles.
I also want to share a blog with you today - Geta does the most amazing trapunto - scroll down the page to see her blog link - it is very impressive - AND would you believe, she GIVES HER WORK AWAY!!!!  Sign up for this month's giveaway on her blog today - and good luck!