May is Almost Gone

.........and we caught some!! This is the little trading card I did for June of 2007. Ray and I went to Arkansas twice a year for a lot of years to fish. We really had such a good time - so many nice memories.

The following small quilts are art journals and are 8 1/2 by 11. These things are all fun to make.



Roses won't be blooming for a while yet but they're worth the wait.


This is called Summer's Here

Where does the time go? Tomorrow June starts and summer unofficially starts then. Thought I would put up an art journal (the small quilts that are so much fun to do) or two for the new season. Both of them were started on the computer. I altered the picture of the rose by changing color, then sewed on pretty little glass beads hoping it looked like droplets of rain. The other has a picture of a cute girl I found on the internet that I printed out on transparency film then transferred it to fabric with the use of a gel medium. There are so many fun things like that to do.

Wallhanging in the Works

Last fall, our guild took a road trip up north to shops around Traverse City. I usually don't buy patterns but I found three that I had seen in magazines and online that I liked so I bought those. I was able to come up with most of the fabrics from my stash - they will all be in batiks. Batiks are so gorgeous! This is fused raw edge applique so they are easy as pie to get together. The flower pot is quilted and I think that looks pretty good. I look forward to quilting the rest of this piece. My machine quilting is getting better albeit nothing great - just takes practice! (Click to enlarge)

By the way, there was frost on the roofs this morning and all the plants made it through the night under their covers.

Gardeners have to be Prepared to Cover!!

On the front stoop - all snuggled in for the frosty night. After a day of over 80 degrees yesterday, there is a frost warning for tonight. Supposed to get down to 36. So, the flowers have to be covered. It's usually supposed to be safe to plant after Memorial Day - but Memorial Day used to be May 31st and now it is a Monday holiday so it was really early.

These are spending the night in my messy shed.

An Art Journal Quilt

A few years ago, a group met to make art journal quilts which are the size of a sheet of paper. This is one I made using a photo of my Mom and Grandma, some old tatting, and a funky flower with a button center. Everything was scanned, designed on the computer and printed out. I love working on the pc. (Click to enlarge)

Little Black Quilt

Wool quilt that is machine appliqued with buttonhole stitch.

Applique Sampler

Used for a class I taught at the Quilted Giraffe quite a few years ago. One of the first things I machine quilted.

The Planting is Almost Done

Before planting...............................................

On each side of the back steps, I have pots. This year I put red fountain grass in them along with some dusty miller, bronze leafed begonias, allysum and a pretty trailing plant with white flowers. Oh, yes, and one flowering kale. Should be pretty - at least it's different than I usually plant.


As you can see, my garden is not very big but it's kind of pretty.


Pretty geraniums in a cool basket I bought last year.


Two new little Austrian pines (really slow growers) a faux black kettle (there a couple of real ones on the patio), the old wagon wheel and refreshed red rocks. Replaces a before picture.

Red sweet potato vine and ornamental kale along with some sweet allysum in an old "sauerkraut" crock. The kale really comes into its full beauty when the weather cools in the autumn. Hope this is pretty.

Time to Plant

Gorgeous plants. (Click pictures to enlarge)

These two flamingos replace my old plastic ones - I have had pink flamingos in my garden for over 20 years. Aren't they great?

It's finally planting time - keeping my fingers crossed that the chance for frost is over - but have some fabric "blankets" in the basement if it isn't. Spent yesterday going to three favorite nurseries and buying lots of plants. Here are part of them waiting to bloom where they are planted. Today I planted and used up almost everything I brought home. This weekend I will have to buy some more as there are still some things I didn't get finished. It's all container gardening now but that is good for me at my age. Gardening isn't as easy as it used to be but it still is fun and I still want my flowers. Today I was thinking of Mrs. Abbott - a neighbor of mine when we first moved to the Kansas City area. I imagine she was the age I am now or maybe older or younger. There were a lot of flowers in her back yard - lots of asiatic lilies that her husband had planted and taken care of. I don't know how long he had been gone. She was such a sweet little lady and she and I would talk flowers. She had an old tractor seat on legs and would sit on it and do her gardening. So I was thinking as I sat down to do something that I am kind of like Mrs. Abbott now. Will post pictures of my planted garden later. It's lookin' good.

Amish Star

A wallhanging living with my son and daughter-in-law in Kansas. This is hand quilted.

(Click to enlarge)

My Hoya Plant Blossom

Single flower on hoya blossom. I put the blossom face down on the scanner bed, held the lid open (gives a black background) and scanned it at 400%. If you click the picture to enlarge it you will see the lovely details that could never be seen with the naked eye. It looks furry! There is so much that can be done with the scanner, camera, pc and printer. Fascinating.

The lovely bloom on my hoya plant. It looks almost artificial.

(Click to enlarge)

Wheel of Mystery Ready to Go

My Old Friend

My 20 year old Bernina - what a great machine it is.

(Click to enlarge)

Artist Trading Cards

Four of us in our quilt guild trade ATC's (the size of a baseball trading card) with a different theme each month. May's theme was the Beatles' Baby You Can Drive my Car. This is my card showing our teenagers with our son's '57 Chevie back in 1972. Cool car - even cooler kids! (Click to enlarge)

A Favorite

A favorite wallhanging

(Click to enlarge)

Lollypop Trees in a Jellybean Field

Waiting to go to the basement to be made into a sandwich for quilting. Can't decide whether I am really crazy about this one or not. It's a happy little thing. Will post it's portrait when I have finished it. (Click to enlarge)

Ready to be Quilted

A small white wool wallhanging ready to be machine quilted. The blocks are all buttonhole appliqued by machine and it is embellished with buttons and some embroidery both by hand and machine. The wool is so soft and pretty.

(Click to enlarge)

Butterflies

Quilt using fabrics from the only block of a month quilt I ever signed up for. Not a good idea for me to do that! (Click to enlarge)

Whirly Twirly Round and Round

This quilt was done in batiks using freezer paper and gluestick and then invisible machine applique. One of my favorite quilts. (Click to enlarge)

What time is it?

Blogging could certainly become addictive. I keep fumbling and stumbling along trying to figure things out and every once in a while something becomes clear. However, I can't figure out how to change the time of day that shows up on the entries. It is three hours earlier than it actually is -not that it makes any difference - but I would like to find out how that can be changed.

Bless Your Heart

A wallhanging I did for a wedding gift for the son and new wife of my daughter and son-in-law's best friends. (Click to enlarge)

Another Quilt

Hitch Your Flowers to a Star. Machine appliqued and hand quilted - 1988. The little sunbonnet girl pillow is hand appliqued and hand quilted - other pillows were from my candlewicking days!

The small wallhanging is a Piece 'o Cake pattern done much later and is machine appliqued and quilted. Still had some of the fabric from the quilt left so it matches well. (Click to enlarge)

Attagirl Carol

This is my first attempt at curved piecing. Of course, it is paper pieced which is absolutely wonderful for all the sharp points which I never would have attempted the old way. Some of the fabrics are really ugly - but the whole quilt is very attractive.
(Click to enlarge)