Sew

Another art journal that I did sometime ago. Old advertisements were scanned and printed on fabric. The little roll of twill tape was in a box of things I bought at an auction in Illinois. Auctions are so much fun. The sticker on the tape states that it costs 12 1/2 cents and was from Clarke's Department Store in Peoria.

This Caught My Eye

This block is from a quilt that was in this month's Love of Quilting magazine and was done in very big, bright prints. I have this pretty little dotted background piece and like the look of some of the Kaffee Fassett prints for the flowers and butterflies. It will just be a wallhanging - will do 7 inch blocks probably four across and four or five down with no sashing and a pretty border including a narrow first border. As usual, I will do the buttonhole stitch - maybe in black? The little guy's antenna will be embroidered with a french knot at the end. Will keep you posted.

Two Earlier Pieces

For today, I will post two older pieces. Above is a wallhanging called "Going Around in Circles" done in batiks and curved pieced. It took me probably 25 years of quilting before I finally tackled curved piecing--and it wasn't anywhere near as difficult as I had anticipated. The quilt at the top is "Black Magic" done in the beautiful oriental prints and a lovely black on black background fabric that I found in Arcola, Illinois, when we went down to the Rockhome Quilt Show. That is Amish country. This is the last quilt that I hand quilted and it is done in gold thread and a very pretty piece.

More Kaleidoscopes

What a beautiful morning here in Michigan! A former neighbor of mine described this kind of day as "This is what heaven is like." Very lovely description of a lovely day. I have added some more of the kaleidoscopes. The top one is of a vintage magazine cover--I have a folder of lots of the covers - they are so great. Following that is one I took out my door on a snow morning, followed by one from a photo of ribbon embroidery - glorious! The last one is from one of many fuzzy scarves I crocheted a couple of Christmases ago. Aren't the kaleidoscopes fun? (Click to enlarge)

No Name Yet

Here is another top that I put together this spring. I had planned to machine quilt it myself, but I think it is a little too big for me to wrestle with so will have it done by someone with a longarm. I am pretty pleased with the colors - it is buttonhole appliqued. Wish I had more of the fabric that is the first border to use for the binding but there is not enough. Probably will do it in black or maybe just sew short pieces together and have a patchwork binding. The block patterns are a mixed bag - most of them came from a book put out by Piece '0 Cake which are five inch blocks. I enlarged them on my scanner. I love that thing. Used to have to square things off and draw the lines in bigger squares to enlarge. Quilting and the computer certainly go hand in hand! Some of the patterns came from old Quilters Newsletter Magazines. There are several of them that are in other quilts I have done. I think this will be one of my favorites. (Click to enlarge)

I think I moved when I took the picture!

Here's the Lollipop Tree Wallhanging

Have been having a time trying to get a good picture of this little piece. I finished it Thursday at the Sit and Sew. My camera is actually not too complicated but I forget from time to time how to use the menu. Anyway, here's the lollipops and jellybeans. (Click to enlarge)

Good for a Grin

On Wednesday, I went with Sher and her friend Deb to a great nursery in a little town nearby. As I wandered around through the plants and already planted containers I spotted this! Doesn't it look like a little choir of singing pansies? Or little smiley faces all dressed up! I just had to bring it home to live on my patio. The tiny little yellow flowers with brown centers are little miniature zinnias. Made me grin!! (Click to enlarge)

The Calming Effect of Quilting

Yesterday at lunch, we were talking about the calming effect of doing hand needlework. I mentioned this little poem I found in an old book that really made an impression on me. It is so very true--

Many a heartache has been buried

In the growing petal of a silken rose,

And the sharp edge of sorrow has been dulled

By the sweet, calm monotony of a shining bit of steel.

Anon

Sit and Sew Day for Q2

Marsha, Jean and Helen having a serious consultation. I am sure they got it all figured out!

Johanna, one of our newer members, with pillowcases made today.
Here she is - Leslie - our president. What a pretty, fun lady - so glad she agreed to head us up for another year.

Today some of the members of Quilters Squared Guild met at the Civic Arena for a day of sewing and lots of talking and laughing - and a good time was had by all. Most of the gals worked on pillowcases to be donated to children going thru chemo - above is just a sample of some of the end results of the days work. More will be made over the summer and I am sure we will have a lovely pile of pillowcases displayed at our first fall meeting in September.

After the Deer had a Midnight Snack

All of the blossoms and most of the plants of the impatients were missing this morning from the planter on the front stoop. Check out the difference compared to the picture posted earlier this month. They also like the geranium flowers and had several of those that they could reach. There is another pot of flowers between the evergreens at the front of the house and they enjoyed the impatients in that pot, too. Thank goodness they don't like the New Guinea ones!

Kaleidoscope Kreator

I have this software on my pc called Kaleidoscope Kreator that is absolutely so much fun to play with. The segments of each one can be printed out individually or together. This is part of a New York Beauty quilt that I did. I have actually never made anything from the kaleidoscopes but there are amazing possibilities. Later I will put up some of snow scenes, fuzzy scarves, etc. What a fun way to play on the pc!

The one above is from my Attagirl Carol quilt and is in the dresden plate style. Lots of styles can be used and what is so fascinating is that by moving the template just a little over the image produces an entirely different result. I will add one that is actually a picture of some of the beautiful flowering kale. For now, I will add one more - from a picture of my granddaughter.

(Click to enlarge)

ATC Swap

Here is Julie's bug ATC and one from Claire, also. Aren't they neat? Debby didn't get one done - we'll give her extra time since we like her so much! Nice meeting tonight to round out our guild year. Good turnout and a good dinner - excellent pie!!!! Will see some of the gals at a "Sit 'n Sew" later this month - and the rest in September. Have a great summer. (Click to enlarge)

Some Pillowcases

Two pillowcases that I made yesterday afternoon before the electricity went off. When there is no power, there is hardly anything that you can do. Conked out about 5:30 in the afternoon and was out for about 20 hours. I had just bought some ice to put into the fridge and was looking out the front door. All of a sudden, the diswasher was running, the weather channel was on, and how great it was. Had heard that it might be out until Wednesday at midnight - so glad that didn't happen! The pillowcases are for children taking chemo in the local hospitals. One of the girls found out about this project and the guild thought it was a great idea. Easy to make but you can make some really cute ones. I still have to wash these which I will do tomorrow so I can take them along to our dinner meeting that winds up our year.

On my Front Stoop

I love the angel wing begonia in this planter! It is so very pretty. The white blossoms are New Guinea impatients, pink ones plain impatients and some allysum. Another little pink flamingo flies overhead. This coming five or six days are going to be HOT! I am not ready for the upper 80's and 90's - but I guess I never am ready for those temps. At least living in Michigan the summer weather is much more moderate than Illinois, Kansas or Iowa.

June ATC

The little trading card for June - theme is Bugs.

A Great Moment

Anyone who has quilted for even a little while has heard of Paducah - and the American Quilters Society Quilt Show. In 1992, I sent in slides of my quilt Blooms in the Night to be considered for the show that year. To my amazement and delight, Blooms was juried in. I bundled the quilt as instructed and sent it on to Kentucky. The evening before the show, I received a call telling me I had won second prize in Amateur Applique. It was such a thrill - I floated on air for some time. In 2002, I had another quilt juried in which did not win a prize but it is indeed winning to have your quilt hanging there with all the other beautiful quilts. (Click to enlarge)

A 50th Wedding Anniversary Quilted Card

My daughter and son-in-law will be going to Oklahoma City this weekend for the celebration of Barclay's cousin and wife's 50th wedding anniversary. Sher asked me if I would make a little quilt using the picture of the young couple that was in the invitation. This is what I did and it is all finished except for the area directly above the picture. I want to get a pretty ribbon, make a bow, and twist and turn the ribbon tails and hold them down with little pearl beads. The girls will be going to Oklahoma also so they will have a chance to have everyone together. I am sure they will all have a wonderful time. Don, the groom in the picture, is the preacher who married Sherry and Barclay in a little chapel on the campus of KU in Lawrence, Ks. A couple of days after the wedding, they discovered he didn't have the authority to marry them in Kansas, so they were remarried at the city hall and they have two wedding dates.