Tufted Tweets--A Pincushion Giveaway

For those of you who have been following for awhile, you know that I am a huge fan of Laurie Wisbrun of Scarlet Fig. She has been designing her fabulous fabric and now has her first line, Tufted Tweets, with major fabric manufacturer, Robert Kaufman. I have impatiently patiently waiting for the fabric to arrive in stores (yes, the sound you hear in the background is my fingers drumming on my desk....) but in the meantime, Laurie generously sent me a bag of selvages along with a few nice-sized scraps from the line.

Of course the obvious thing to do with such a treasure was to make pincushions. We are having a simultaneous chance to win a pincushion. On Laurie's blog, you can leave a comment to win this red and orange pincushion:

And by leaving a comment on my blog, you have a chance to win this really cute purple and green pincushion:

Simple as that. Leave a comment here and leave a comment on Scarlet Fig. And on June 6, we'll each be picking a random winner. And go to Sewing on the Edge for some new pincushions. If you are a Flea Market Fancy lover, you'll want to check it out.

My friend Jan

Me on the left and Jan on the right                     Jan on the left and me on the right

My friend Jan and I have been best friends since we met in our first year of grammar school in England at age12. Can you believe that we are nearly 13 years old in the photo above!

 She emigrated to Canada to be my bridesmaid and we were back yard neighbours for years and babysat each other's kids.   She moved out west many years ago, but we still managed to keep in touch and visit and attend each of the children's weddings in Las Vegas, Vancouver Island, Toronto, Port Perry, and Montreal.   And this week she was back in town for a visit with her daughter.  We met today for lunch and it was lovely!    

Arlene's Stumpwork CQI RR

Here's Arlene's block after Karin and I have completed our work on it.  My contributions are the calla lilies, the dragonfly and the cast on stitch flower seam in pink/maroon.  The calla lilies are worked on muslin in a hoop and sewn on later.  For the needlelace leaves I worked on a pad made up of several layers of heavy cotton covered with a layer of "press and seal" saranwrap.  Under the saranwrap was my pattern.  After the leaf outline and centre lines have been couched down, the leaf is worked on top of the plastic.   When the couching stitches are removed, the leaf lifts off. 

The dragonfly wings were also made the same way.  But I had loads of trouble keeping the blanket stitch around the wire flat, it wanted to spiral, and it took me several tries to figure out why this happened and how to fix it as you can see from the pile of discarded wings.  In my time I've done a lot of macrame, and the blanket stitch around the wire is really a half knot.  In macrame when you do half knots, say for a planter hanger, the work spirals.  When you do a full knot, or a square knot as we called it, the work lies flat.  So that was how I did the dragonfly's wings, and they finally stayed flat. 

Pat's Giveaway!! HURRY!!!!

GO NOW: http://quiltingcanbefun.blogspot.com/2010/05/yard-sale-giveaway-extended-one-more.html


SHE says...
EXTRA-EXTRA BONUS PRIZE!!!


EVERYONE'S NAME WILL GO IN FOR THE DRAWING FOR THIS WHO VISITS MY YARD SALE TODAY AND LEAVES A COMMENT.

Satin's, velvet, different lace's, buttons, embroidery floss, etc.

 
 
SO HURRY NOW!!!!

The kittens are growing!

The kittens are getting bigger and developing very playful personalities.  They are chasing the dog and the corgi is now playing with them.  We have come a long way in just a couple of days.  Just a couple of examples:

You can clearly see just how playful they are becoming....with  everything and everyone, including each other.  They really are fun
to watch.

Well, until tomorrow, happy quilting!

And the winner is...

I bet you think I'm going to give you the name of another giveaway winner. Nope.

This is some little-known information about me. I love the Indy 500. Really. I have been following it since I was in grade school. In those days (geez, that makes me feel old, even though I am so not...) it was only broadcast on the radio. I would take my beach towel and suntan lotion and listen to it outside while I tried to get tan, "tan" being kind of a relative term. I have red hair and the best I can do color-wise is get beige.

Then they started showing it on TV, but it was always on tape-delay. Isn't that a weird thought, with instant information on the internet and "spoiler alerts" on my Comcast home page?

For the last five years, Mark and I have been up at Huntington Lake, getting our summer rental cabins ready for our first guests of the season. Only this year, the cabins are still buried in snow up there. The road hasn't even been plowed all the way to our cabins and we have no water. Next weekend, what should be our first rental week of the season will find all of us in the owner group (hopefully) up there getting the cabins ready for the season. And the guests scheduled for that first week will either have to find a vacancy later in the season or wait until next year.

Back to my point. What this means is that for the last five years I haven't been able to watch the Indy 500. This year, since we are home for the weekend, we settled ourselves in the family room and got to watch the whole race.

And the winner, for the second time in his career, is Dario Franchitti. Of course, that is old news to you already if you follow sports at all.

Mark still can't really figure out my love of the Indy 500. Other than this particular race, I don't follow IRL racing at all, although I do really like Nascar. There is just something about the pomp and pageantry of the pre-race show that gets me every time I watch it. The 33 drivers being announced, Jim Nabors singing "Back Home in Indiana," and Mari Hulman George saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines..." Shivers, I tell you!

But speaking of winners and giveaways, stay tuned for updates in a day or two, because Sewing on the Edge will be participating in two really cool giveaways. I could do a spoiler alert, but I think suspense is always kind of fun...

Amy's Creative Side: Winners! Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2010

Amy's Creative Side: Winners! Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2010


If you entered the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.... go see if you won!!! Amy did an amazing job coordinating and the sponsors were very generous!

*hugs*
Jackie

The Circle Game

The book I'm painting in is an old music book that I found at a thrift store. It was the perfect size for making into a journal and the price was perfect. I think if I would have gone out and purchased a brand, spanking new journal to paint in, I wouldn't have felt so free and daring to just play and experiment.

I'm finding that my attempt at painting in a looser style has been much more fun than when I painted in the past. I am sitting down and painting and pretty much completing the painting in the same sitting. Whereas before, I would paint a layer, let it dry, repeat, repeat, and repeat. It would take me too long to complete the painting and I was working toward perfect color blending and no flaws.

FORGET THAT!!!! This is much more fun and I have a finished painting in an hour, give or take.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday. Today I'll be putting my annuals (flowers) out into my flowers beds and pots. Can't wait!

Day 3 Pat's Yard Sale Giveaway!

Drool over this or do what I did, GASP! LOL (click to make it larger)

Get on over to Pat's Yard Sale Giveaway! Only one day left!

Sashing

This is a bad picture, but all I could get at the moment. Here is where I am with the Green/Purple BOM Quilt. All the sashing is sewn on.

Taking this photo was difficult as I was standing on the bed and holding the camera all the way up to the ceiling. I wanted to take the photo outside on the deck, but it was too windy. Borders are next and I'm not at all sure what I'm doing with those yet. We shall see.

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend. Happy Memorial Day!

An Oldie but a Goodie

I just posted a quilt onto the

The SSSQ Quilt-Along with Kaffe Fassett on Facebook

I made it a few years ago when Kaffe Fassett released his Victoria and Albert Quilts book. At first it was hard to get my head around all the colours but once you get into the design, it all makes sense and the final result was beautiful - or at least I loved it.

The Facebook group has been great. You need to have made a quilt using Fassett's designs or fabrics. Once you leave photos on the page either Fassett or Liza Prior Lucy will comment on your work. It really is a bit of a buzz.

Day 2 of Pat's "Yard Sale Giveaway!

get on over to:
http://quiltingcanbefun.blogspot.com/2010/05/yard-sale-giveaway-thursday-thru-sunday_28.html

Pat and her tutorials ARE great!

see her day 2 post!

One in Every Color--The Paint Chip Edition

I saw this on TV last night. Loved it!






Whatever you are doing this Memorial Day weekend, I hope it is relaxing and colorful.

More Painting

I am on a roll with face painting, I tell you. I shouldn't stay away from it for too long at a time because then I go into overload mode I guess. And here I was hoping for one face a week a few days ago. Silly me!

Anyway, this next photo is the next face in the progression of faces and I really don't like this one. Hey, who said I have to like everything I make. It's okay NOT to like it. It's all about the practice and experience. With this one I started with a different base color and her appearance is just too pink for me. So I won't be using that color again for skin, that is, if I can remember which color it was.

I started with Payne's Gray on this next face. While I'm happy with how this one turned out, I'm not so sure I will start with Payne's Gray again. It's all about the practice and experience...right?! Oh and I'm very happy with how this one's lips turned out.

I have been sewing the last few days too, honestly, I have. I am making more blocks to go with one of my BOM quilts. This quilt is one of the versions I made with the blocks from Three Creative Studios Block of the Month project. Here are some of my blocks that I had made a while back.

I had made the original 9 blocks from the block of the month project, then I made the 3 bonus blocks and ended up with 12 blocks (these are 12" blocks). I threw them all up on my design wall a few days ago and decided I'd like this quilt to be larger. So I used my Electric Quilt program and recolored eight of the blocks from the project. I finished the last of the eight additional blocks last evening. At this point all the blocks are too much to fit on my design wall and I can't place them up there and get a good photo. I also have decided to add a dark purple sashing so that is what I'm now working on. I hope to have a photo to share of my progress soon.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us!  First, I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday--the weather in our area is suppose to be fantastic--enjoy outside activities and parades!  Second, I am hoping to enjoy some free time!  I just came in from a school FFA banquet, another night school function and I am almost caught up on work, so I am hoping to get some hand work in--I so need the time to relax.  I will also be going to watch my son march in the parade in the school band on Monday!  Lastly, I hope to get the garden work completed and some outside sun in the process! 

On another note, the kittens are getting bigger and are really playing!  My daughter let them run around in the family room and they had a ball!  I will have to get more pictures taken too!

Well, it is time to call it a night, so until tomorrow, happy quilting!

Pat at Quilting Can Be Fun! is having a Giveaway!

GO TO: http://quiltingcanbefun.blogspot.com/2010/05/yard-sale-giveaway-thursday-thru-sunday.html

She is calling it a YARD SALE, but it's a FUN WAY to have a Weekend Giveaway!

YARD SALE GIVEAWAY- Thursday thru Sunday Is open to everyone. Winner's announced on Sunday.

Go to the Blog post NOW!

One in Every Color--The Wedding Edition

Do you remember this adorable couple--Jessie and Luke?

And the quilt a lot of us worked on? From the many special people in Jessie's life who made a block to the friends and family who spent a weekend sewing the top together? It had a place of honor in Moscow, Idaho, this past Saturday as the backdrop for Jessie and Luke's wedding. In the meeting room at the LaQuinta Hotel.

The original plans were to get married on the golf course. Then there was a change of venue to the arboretum closeby. But then weather threatened to interfere as the forecast was for nonstop rain all weekend. Indoors or outdoors? Jessie made the decision to not worry about the weather and just plan to have the wedding indoors instead.

The quilt binding still needed to be completed.  I worked on Friday morning and afternoon (it is a big quilt) and finished the last side after the wedding rehearsal Friday night.

Decorating started in earnest early Saturday morning. The tables were in a U-shape and there was a color progression of colored water in different interesting containers, crayons that Jessie had made earlier, wedding-related quotes matted on matching paper. I wish I had taken a good picture of the tables. You'll have to use your imagine. It was really frugal, creative and beautiful.

Lots of twinkly lights. And these hung from the ceiling:

Pictures of Jessie and Luke's life on the wall:

(my favorite...)

We got a lunch break and went to Moscow Bagels. It was threatening to rain and I never turn down a chance to wear my awesome raincoat--Anna Maria Horner laminated cotton--I highly recommend it. But I digress.

Yummy. (I didn't take a picture of my bagel either so you will have to imagine that too!)

The weather cooperated in the afternoon enough for pictures. If you call freezing cold and gale-force wind cooperating. Okay, maybe gale-force is a little exaggerated. But it was really windy. It was a beautiful setting (and we all had lots of hairspray).

And then it was back to the hotel for the ceremony. I didn't take pictures during the ceremony as I was busy being a surrogate mother of the bride, which was such a special honor. Thank you , Jessie.

Instead of a unity candle, Jessie and Luke had a celtic handfasting ceremony (this is where the term "tying the knot" originated). Close family and friends each had a ribbon that we tied around their wrists, binding them together. It was an amazing part of the ceremony and really beautiful.

Jessie had made all the flowers for the ceremony, along with help of friends/family along the way. They were unique and beautiful  (I seem to be using the word "beautiful" a lot). Beautiful colors and lots of embroidery detail and vintage buttons, inspired by Princess Lasertron.

Aren't they AMAZING? Jessie's bridal bouquet is the silver and white one. The others were bridesmaids' bouquets. The three surrogate mothers each had a wrist corsage and the guys had matching boutonnieres.

It was a wonderful weekend. Jessie's mother, Sue, would have loved it.

As you start your new life together, Jessie and Luke, remember all the love that surrounds you, not just from those at the ceremony but from all the other people in your life.

Wordless Wednesday--the "we inherited a 'rainbow' of Smirnoff bottles" edition

Feeling Blue

.....or perhaps a little green and yellow.  Noooooo, not me! I'm not blue.  Or green.  Or yellow.  But my new journal painting is.

I am happy I got another face painted in my journal. I hate this one and I love this one. I was so unhappy with how she was turning out using a more traditional skin tone, so I decided to let loose and just give her some funky color. I am loving how that part turned out. I hate her lips. I really have to work on the lips. Not on this one anymore....but hopefully over time.

Stitching from the Soul

A few months back I was delighted to get a request from Quilting Arts Magazine asking if I would be open to writing an article on my Work Quilts. They wanted me to talk about what my inspiration was and a bit about my process in creating them. I was more then happy to do so, and am very pleased to announce that the article is now out and can be found in their current June/July issue! (I loved the title that they gave to the article, as it truly sums up what I am trying to do.)


Thanks Quilting Arts!

Also, I wanted to let you all know, in case you hadn't yet heard, about the new Online Quilt Museum which was created by the amazing Karen, of Selvage Blog.


This site will no doubt prove to be a valuable and educational resource to quilters and quilt lovers. Karen contacted me a bit ago while she was building the new site, asking if I would allow her to feature my Hurricane Katrina Quilt in the Online Quilt Museum's Exhibit section. (Speaking about "stitching from the soul"... this quilt poured out from my soul.)


When I saw Karen's presentation, I was so honored and impressed... she did such a fabulous job, really bringing out the emotion that I felt in creating it... even typing up a section of the words that I wrote on the backside. The whole site is truly a wonderful! Please be sure to visit, and also of interest... Karen is offering Gallery space to individual quilters for a mere $4.95 a month. Go here for the details.

Have a great week!

More on the Background

I received a couple of questions on the three cats quilt in the last post. I thought I'd answer those here. One question was if I am going to paint the kitties. Nope! These are going to be done like some of my recent quilts with my mosaic collage technique (tutorial in the works as I write this).

Another question was what exactly I did to create that background. The fabric you see is many different creamy/neutral fabrics cut into small mosaic pieces. Again, the tutorial will explain my methods. The tutorial will be available by mid June, if all goes well, perhaps even sooner. Here's a close up of the background.

I shared the many pieces of fabric I cut for this background a couple of posts ago. Remember the cookie sheet photo??? Well after creating the background I did have some fabric pieces left over and I put them all in a zip-lock bag. This bag is 8" x 8" and I could still fit more in there, so it's not overly full. I'll save these for another project.

I have been a very bad sketcher lately. I have fallen very behind in drawing my Creative Cues. Before today I was six words behind. Now I'm only four words behind because I sketched a couple of the words this morning.

Creative Cue #16: Full

This sketch shows a beverage that is mostly full, and a peeking kitty who is full of curiosity.

Creative Cue #17: Pocket

This sketch shows a pocket full of sunshine.

And finally, I completed this quilt a couple of days ago and finally got a good day for photographing it. I finished the edges with a brown fabric binding. I thought of black at first, my usual favorite, but I thought I'd go with brown instead as I thought it fit this color scheme quite well.

Spring Tulips, 20.5" x 20.5"

Available in my Etsy shop