Collectincat

Adding cookies to the menu...

2011-02-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

...after I did these delicious Earl Grey tea cupcakes and tea leaf flavored frosting. I don't usually like my chocolate in cake form---but these cupcakes were an exception!!! Yummy and interesting with the tea flavor in the marshmellow-creme-like frosting.

Then I had finally done some Cake bites... which take a great deal of time, but are very tasty for all the effort and look soooo pretty.

These chocolate crackle cookies were especially for folks who like dark rich chocolate and not a lot of frosting. I liked the way the cookie split and crackled in the baking, so the powdered sugar made a neat design. My granddaughter's friend tried one because she LOVES dark chocolate. We asked her if she liked it and she was so enthralled with it she just 'hummmd' When she finally finished it she said it was fantastic!! So I think I might just keep these in the files:)

I had ordered a pan that made this next cake all in one baking. It looks like a three-layer wedding cake, but it is a mini---perfect for two people, or one very enthusiastic cake eater...lol

Am not totally pleased with it. I always do EXACTLY what the instructions tell me on my first try with something new. This batter recipe that came with it only filled it to the beginning of the large layer, so I assumed it would bake up to the top as it finished. NOPE, it was a very small bottom layer. So I am going to try another recipe with more batter involved and watch the cooking time, and give it another try.

They are also very difficult to frost because of the shape. You would think it would be a cinch, but not sooooo.
I'm going to try a softer smoother type of frosting and see if it makes a diff. Meanwhile, I did make this one look ok, and put it next to the coffee mug so you could better see how small it is.

Now THIS is my kinda cookie!!!
Two lemon cookies with lemon cream cheese frosting between. Delicious!! A definite Keeper!!!

Fondant trial

2011-01-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

Finally got brave and did a little cake with fondant totally covering it. well, it was sooo easy it is making me very brave for the next size. Here is the front view with a lily made out of fondant also.

Here is the lily at a side angle.

And here the back shows the leaves and stem.

I tried a butter cream pearl edge, but I don't have the right tip to do it well yet. Just ordered some more tips today.

And here are some shots of other designs I did in the last couple days...

Yup, I'm still Baking...

2011-01-24T18:14:00.000-05:00

...time just got away from me

Here are the two little bundts all dressed up

...and I had an idea for a mini-cake for two that I wanted to try. I don't have small enough cake pans, so I tried a couple bowls that have a nice rounded top - but straight sides. I torted them and added strawberry filling to these strawberry cakes. They were fun to frost and having a dome top made it easy to glaze in a nice smooth manner.

And a six-inch cake split and filled made a pretty cake too

...and here is a cute Chai tea cake with dark chocolate chai filling and powdered sugar dusting.

It was very tasty, especially the chocolate, but it was a bit dry in texture. Think this might be a canidate for simple syrup added before I frost.

I also gave a try to making a sponge cake that swirled into a jelly roll shape. It was absolutely delicious with the raspberry whip cream filling. Very light cake, perfect when you had a big meal! I'm thinking I would really like to make more of these!!!

parts of projects, and a failure

2011-01-10T10:03:00.000-05:00

Did another biscotti that was quite delicious, but am realizing all biscotti pics look alike...lol

Then I tried another shape of biscotti, as well as flavor, and it kinda melted into itself. And it was very greasy because of the amount of butter. It was a round parmegian cheese which looked so pretty in its picture. Mine weren't worth taking a picture, tho.

On to other goodies, my daughter said the restaurant she worked for served fancy individual desserts and I would have to dress it up as well as have it taste good if I wanted to possibly get them as a client. Soooo, either jumbo cupcakes or mini-bundts seemed a possible. I went out and bought more of the little inexpensive bundts that I had purchased six of earlier. Now I have 14, enough to make a decent batch of desserts.

The first one is a LEMON OLIVE OIL THYME CAKE, which is a mouthful to say as well as eat. I was surprised at how delicious this came out to be. And my husband ate his and declared it good, before I told him the odd ingredient of thyme was in it. Here's one with it's lemon glaze (super lemony taste) and a chocolate butterfly.
Not bad, but I think I can do better...

So I got out my fondant and colored small batches and got to work on flowers to add and a butterfly as the real topper.

I also have some really scrumptious APPLE WALNUT SPICE bundts ready to dress up. We taste tested last night and I definitely think this is a keeper!! Think I might make little apples of fondant to dress this one up.

Banana Bites

2011-01-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

Had those tops of the banana cupcakes that Lex felt weren't good enough. So I made them into cake balls and popped them in chocolate bottoms and dipped them in glaze that is bright banana yellow.

Very tasty, gonna make more of these little guys!!

Crazy Carrot Cupcakes...

2010-12-30T22:15:00.000-05:00

Yup, that's what I'm calling them. The healthiest cupcake I will probably ever make. I needed something that would taste good with cream cheese frosting, as there was a ton of it left from making the red velvet cake.

There are fruit and veggies in it, so it is just barely a cupcake... But I'm sitting here eating it and it is quite delicious!! Carrots and raisins and pineapple and nuts, and whole wheat flour. It's kinda lunch and dessert at the same time!

And after a bit of rest and then a walk with the dog, I tackled another biscoti. This one is a Pecan Cranberry one. The interesting ingredient is a box of corn muffin mix. Made for a very tasty biscotti. I like this idea of different flavors other than what the stores offer.

Day 3 brings the pictures...

2010-12-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

The cream cheese frosting was a big hit, and they liked my attempt at decorating. A good improvement over the first. The shell border came out pretty, blended the red and white as I hoped. The flowers were again too soft to petal up the way they should have. The leaves were easier and better controlled for me, so I think I am getting more comfortable with the pastry bag.

2-day projects, a HABIT?

2010-12-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

So much for making a few cupcakes in red velvet and then working on a little 6-inch cake!!! The first try came out HEAAAAAAVY, and very pinky red. We tasted them and they were eatable, but so very moist in the middle and so darned heavy. A decision had to be made- keep going and make the frosting, ---or dump the whole batch, go find another recipe and try again...

I can't believe I was able to get myself to throw away all that hard work,---but I did it. And decided to do a cake full size according to what the recipe asked. Two 8 inch layers. I had already made a raspberry filling for the first batch and now I can use it in the layers, to torte it.

Went to make the next cake and lo and behold!!! I reached for the baking soda container and realized it was the CORNSTARCH!!! That explained the brick cupcakes!

That actually made me feel much more hopeful for this next cake...Which came out a deeper red color and smelled and felt better when I took them from the oven.

So I torted them with my new cake leveler,and filled the layers and put on that rough coat of frosting to keep the crumbs under control.

And now it is the next day- day 2- and I will put the cream cheese frosting together and try to make this cake pretty. Pics to follow later...

2- day cookies!

2010-12-25T17:14:00.000-05:00

Sugar cookies are not supposed to be a two day project!!! But these managed to take that long because I was trying new techniques. Made the dough and then refrigerated. MORE than 3 hours later I tried rolling out the first half. It said 1/8th inch thick, so I thought okay realllllly thin and delicate. Well that doesn't work with a small cookie and sure doesn't work with a large snowflake cookie with cut-out holes!!

So I smooshed it all back together and put it back in the fridge. Took the other half and went to work on a thicker roll out. THIS was much better. So I cut and baked the whole batch and went looking for that simple glaze recipe I thought I had.

Grrrrr. I couldn't find it anywhere and my internet connection decided to DIS- connect for a while. When my husband got it working again, it was so late I only managed to find another online, and then I went to bed.

Next day I made the glaze and put some on white, and then added blue to do some more and then added lots more blue for a different shade. The yellowish tone of the cookie made the first blue kinda turquoise. So I used up all the store-bought liquid food color that I had on hand before I discovered the new stronger Gels.

Then, of course there was all the individual icing for the designs.

Feeling better...back to baking

2010-12-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

The cold finally backed down and made life bearable...so I was back to work in the kitchen yesterday. I loved the idea of sweet potato in a cupcake ever since I had seen a lady in East Haven on TV mentioned as a winner in a cook-off. They showed her lovely cupcakes and mentioned that one was made of the unusual ingredient- sweet potato. So I found a recipe to get me started which was called 'intermediate'. Which to me meant 'more work than you are used to'...lol

It was my first try at a 'reduction' and I was a bit nervous as I always am about trying something I don't yet understand. I did it slightly wrong in the way of putting ingredients together, but it seemed alright anyway. It was used to coat the top of the finished cupcakes and then the rest was used in the frosting, which was VERY sticky to make. Marshmallow fluff from my childhood fav. sandwiches was folded into a huge amount of butter and that cider reduction stuff. Folding was a real workout for my wrists!!!

Had to coat chopped pecans with melted butter and a bit of salt and toast them. Never did that simple step before either. But it was worth it, cause they sure tasted good that way.

THEN came getting the frosting onto the cupcake!!! I had run out of the long plastic disposable bags so I thought I would use the first of the parchment paper triangles to make a bag. Well, they came out MUCH shorter and I had a terrible time keeping the frosting from squishing out the top and all over my fingers and I had to refill a million times, and it was a colossal mess!!! If someone had been home it would have been a hilarious video to have on record. But I smooshed thru and the cupcakes don't show any damage at all.

Forgot to mention, when I was feeling so miserable with the cold, I did manage a simple-but decadent- bar cookie....

On the same day I made those fantastic sweet potato cupcakes with apple cider frosting, I decided to tackle BISCOTTI.
And again, this was a type of baking I had not quite understood how to tackle. I did buy a biscotti baking pan in hopes they would come out better in the proper pan. And of course, it came with a recipe!!!

So I thought, before I try any fancy ones, lets use the one that is meant to be used in this pan!! As I put it together, I got the gist of what was necessary to make them taste so good and yet still be dry and crispy and dunk-able!! The dough was super sticky so I did add more flour than it called for to get it to shape into the long roll and fit the pan. It also said the roll would be 2 1/2 inches high and yet fit to the edges of the pan. NO WAY was it that high, but I hoped for the best.

I LOVED the results! And I will definately make more of these!

wicked bad cold!!!

2010-12-21T09:06:00.002-05:00

Caught a cold from my granddaughter and it is nasty. Slowing me down. I tried frosting more cupcakes and they were coming out terrible so I quit and gave in to the cold and rested up. Went shopping for more ingredients, and felt better, enough to get started with a cider reduction this morning to use with sweet potato cupcakes.

Other granddaughter Lex is coming down for her lesson this afternoon. Going to try orange cupcakes. Hopefully I will have lovely pics this evening to add.

...Peachy

2010-12-18T22:35:00.003-05:00

...so I tried the cola cupcakes with the peaches added, and they came out a little more moist that I think might be right. They tasted fine and I went ahead and tried my hand at frosting them with flowers.

Made my second batch of butter cream frosting with the addition of meringue powder, and it came out MUCH stiffer than I expected, so I had to add more milk, and then my mixer DIED!!!

Yup, the darn thing just stopped dead, and I had to go get the older one that I had put aside for a future tag sale item... thank goodness, it still worked, and it definitely has more staying power than the newer, and apparently cheaper made one.

But the frosting wasn't still quite smooth enough, and I had to take another whack at mixing it more. But I had a small bowl of peach color frosting, and the big white bowlful. So I had twice the work and twice the mess.... I had bits of frosting allllllll over the counters.

And I have now developed a tremendous yearning for a STAND MIXER --- but the cost,,,ouch!!

Saw a nice black Kitchen Aid one for $299...that's three hundred dollars!!! Do I invest that much before I know whether this is going to be worth doing?? I expect I have already spent a hundred fifty or so on all the little tools and stuff needed.

They were real fun to make tho...hmmmmm

Trying a new idea...

2010-12-17T23:01:00.002-05:00

Repeated the cupcakes my GD, Lexie, made but added a different touch. I took a single serve container of peach chunks and added it to the batter. Used the juice with the liquid required to make 1 cup liquid. They look fine, but I have a terrible cold and didn't feel like tasting them tonight. Will wait for morn, and hopefully will feel more like frosting and then taste testing.

I think I'll call them 'Peachy Keen Cupcakes" Watcha think?

FaceBook fading...

2010-12-16T21:24:00.005-05:00

Facebook is finally fading...because I found a new toy that has been there all along! My oven, who hardly recognizes me... is making my aquaintance recently. It started with my granddaughter, Alexis,considering her future in culinary school versus hairdressing, versus community college.

Paying to learn to bake is pretty expensive, as it turns out. Community college is seeming to be a better deal.....so..... dear GD, how would you like to learn to bake with me???

Well she thought that would be great fun, so I re-arranged my kitchen and brought out all my baking tools that I could find, and then bought some more and then a super video-packed on-line baking book that really focused on the cake decorating I wanted to get into.

And off we go!

Lexie is more into cupcakes and all the cute things you can do with them. So we started simple, with a list of goodies in my kitchen for baking. She had to find all of them, so she would know where to get all her ingredients and tools as she baked. She was surprised at how long the list was!

BTW, she is 18 and is VERY limited in what she has baked in the past. So we had a fun time cooking from scratch. She made a simple chocolate cupcake with peppermint creme frosting. She decided to make half of them green and half of them white. The emerald toppers had chocolate curls to decorate, and the creamy white had bits of hard candy broken up with a hammer (she got out a bit of frustration with that!)

We were so excited to share them with the family at our Tuesday night get-together that we FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE

I made out a little opinion paper for each family member to give their opinion of the cupcake. It worked out very nicely, as we asked them to please be honest and not give her a 10 just because we are all family. It averaged out to about a 7, which I thought was a fair evaluation for her first try.

THESE WERE HER NEXT ATTEMPT

She is going to start her own blog and explain more about her adventures with me, so it is enough said that these cupcakes were not as pretty but soooooo much better tasting than the first. She got 8's and 9's on these. I'll let her tell you the secret ingredient...

On to my own trek into cakery...
I was going to be meeting my two sisters at our "Sisters Sewing Sircle" in a couple days, so it was the perfect motivation for making a desert. I chose to use a box cake for my first try, because I wanted to focus on the frosting more than the cake. I followed a couple extra pointers from that on-line book and the cake came out nice and smooth and even, and for the first time came out of the pans perfectly!!!

I got brave and tried cutting the two layers into four, so there could be a filling. I made a little frosting 'dam' around the edge and put in blueberry preserves for the filling in a lemon cake. Then I did the rough frost to keep the crumbs under control. Which WORKED!

The white underlay came out pretty good, and I loved the paper-towel lace effect. But the frosting for the yellow flowers was softened by the fact I had put it in the fridge overnight. I don't know what the cold does, but the petals wouldn't stiffen. I won't refrigerate the left-over frostings again.

The mail brought my first order for new fun tools, and I ripped it open and used the drop flower tip for the blue flowers. And because I didn't have enough pastry bags or know-how, I didn't change the drop flower tip for a star tip and the edging is not all that it should be. NOW I have the merngue powder to stiffen up the iceing and have figured out what to do about changing tips.

My sisters were amazed that I had made it and loved the taste as much as the look!!
Sucess!!

I know I have a lot to improve on, but I felt pretty good about my first foray into baking with a purpose.

well hello there, blog...

2010-01-29T16:32:00.002-05:00

Haven't been by in months, as I discovered Facebook and all the fun games it had to offer. And then there is the chatting going on. And messages coming in. And gifts to be received from fellow players.
It just goes on and on, and I am HOOKED right along with so many others.
My daughter Teri got me started with FarmTown and it merrily went on from there. I have since deleted FarmTown, for the cuter Farmville and am even more intrigued with Fishville.
And then my granddaughter got me going on Petville and is my stiffest competetion!!! lol

That same daughter, Teri, just started her own blog today, so I may stop in here more often after visiting hers. She wants to push her writing ability and see if anything really solid comes of it.

Yes...I've been busy

2009-03-08T19:06:00.005-05:00

It's been months, I know. I completely re-did my craft/sewing room to another part of the house. We had the floor re-finished and of course the room had to be totally empty to accomplish this. Which gave me a chance to design the spacing for my stuff, and that meant cabinets for the stuff, and a new sewing table.

So here is the beginnings of that table

Lots of little parts...

And of course Maggie my dog decided the parts were tasty!!!

And then after muuuuuch difficulty getting these two movable panels put together I turned the table over thinking I was done. See those white lines on the hinged pieces of the flaps??? THEY ARE UPSIDE DOWN!!

At last----- It's done

And now for the three tall cabinets and two small ones.

Here is the beginning of that project, the first small cabinet. It took me a week of slowly doing a bit at a time to put them all together...

Here is the space I have to fill with those wonderful storage cabinets to hide all my material and trims and part projects and anything else I can stuff in there.

Enough for now. I'll show more progress tomorrow.

I'm back...just for a minute

2008-11-22T17:58:00.002-05:00

Here are three little mini-purses I made for a shop here in town. That is what has kept me non-stop busy and finding it hard to blog. I also set up and printed dozens of note cards from screensaver photos. The owner wanted local color for them- and postcards for tourists, as well as townfolk who wanted to show off their town.

Then there were the journals, which I just realized are gone without my taking their pics. Bummer. She wanted simple styles that wouldn't have to be too pricey, so I had to back off lots of extras and she loved the results. She even gave me ideas to make them slightly different styles.

And I also did quite a bit for another shop down closer to the ocean. Higher end tickets were possible as the area is a bit more affluent.

I did these with my embellisher and kept the hand-sewed additions to a minimum. They are big enough for the cell phone and keys and charge cards, license and have longer straps to go shopping with.

This last one is smaller and will hold the cell, and not much more, therefore just a little strap was needed.

Off to more projects...

Latest doings

2008-10-29T20:45:00.005-05:00

Finished my crazy quilt wall hanging and hung it in the kitchen over the phone to give me something to look at while I am talking. LOL

Here is a bit further back for a better understanding of the setting.

Autumn birds

2008-10-21T17:35:00.004-05:00

Finally finished the little autumn birds.

It doesn't show the details well in the close-up but I tried.

I'm asuming it is because it is felt, but this one doesn't seem to want to sit really flat. Something I will have to figure out. Also the colors are super bright like trees on a sunny day, but the pic looks a bit cloudy.

happenings lately...

2008-10-18T19:38:00.004-05:00

You name it.. it's been happening.

Haven't been blogging because I was really busy getting as much ready as possible for an offer to sell my stuff at the Nail Salon I go to. She knew I sold on ETSY and said she would like to offer her ladies some of the handcrafts in the area. I think some of the other clients may be adding to what I brought over yesterday, but I am not sure.

This wild and crazy felt job below turned into the little cell phone purse you see below it

It is beaded as well as felted and I learned how to make the handle with some advice over at Fibreand Stitch.

Here is a closer look.

Then I went on to a bigger piece of felting with the browns and oranges of autumn to make this earthy purse that is peach satin lined and beaded all over. Holds the cell phone and a bit more.

That big glass bead was $2.75, which is a lot for me to spend for just one bead, but it was perfect to finish off the look, I think. Here is the back, and I wish the pic had shown all the beading more clearly.

I just love this satin lining. It really gave the felt an elegant feel to it.

Made five quick bookmarks to have something less expensive to offer.

I added a bunch of my small wall hangings that were just coming off ETSY and five lap quilts that were in waiting.
Now I am felting some more - gotta earn the cost of that new embellisher!!
This is similar to a post card and the ATC's I did earlier. I liked the effect so much I decided to enlarge a bit more and add a tree trunk and more birds. You can see white squares where I intend to put the birds, and needed to leave a bit of background exposed to not make the birds 'lumpy' and easier to fuse and sew.

Here, hopefully, you can see the wind blowing in quilting, and the birds are accented and held down with free-motion embroidery.

Now to get some housework caught up and enjoy the outdoors a bit longer. It is getting cooler every day and I'll be inside for months really soon.

Trying something old- that is new to me...

2008-10-03T09:17:00.002-05:00

Crazy quilting originaly didn't appeal to me. Too many colors and textures and all that handwork!!!
But I recently saw CQ swaps going on and the blocks had color themes and were using cottons, rather than silks and velvets in some cases. Ah...Hah!!- break the rules and do what you feel like works for you (ME).
So I put together three black and white squares and started looking through all my trims and buttons and threads to find pink embellishments. Reason---That is my kitchen color scheme! On my first try I wanted to keep the results, and that meant hanging it somewhere in my own house. So I have to pick a color scheme that fits some part of the house. I have a skinny piece of wall that could use a bit of color and be see-able by others to appreciate my work...heh,heh.

Here are some of the pinks I could scrape together...

...and a closer look of my first block try.

When I finish, I will add sashes and make it a long skinny piece, maybe even make it look somewhat like a bell-pull. Haven't decided yet.

Did Couple postcards and an ATC

2008-09-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Been ignoring ETSY in order to get a few ATC;s done for swap, but took time out to get this postcard done for the inventory.

Then finished this one up for the "something old/new/borrowed/blue challenge. This one is different in that the challenger wants us all to mail our goody to her and then she mails them out to the exchange partner she has chosen.
The felt base was the 'old' as I have inherited it from my husband's aunt and it had a 15 cent price tag on it for the 8" square.
New is the embelisher I just got to put the card together.
Borrowed is the lite purple strips cut from a piece removed from the bottom of a dress I hemmed.
Blue is the hearts, flowers in the hearts, and blue lace ribbon.

And last was another ATC with kinda fall colors. Fun to work with foil and a new glue I got to attach the enamel doodad in the middle that was formerly an earring.

ATC's fun

2008-09-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

These cards were so much fun to make on my new felter. Lots of yarns on top of a gold piece of felt made the background. Then I took the dog for a walk to think about how to make each one a bit different. It worked out so well you can see only three of the five, as two have already gone out in the mail awaiting a trade.

Then there is THIS card...

Pure torture, when I decided to use the red mohair I had felted on the pink half circle as a great frame done in the buttonhole stitch around the edge. Well, I get stubborn when I decide something. So I spent very frustrated minutes trying to get that fuzzy end through a regular needle, then a cross stitch needle. Finally did and found I had to pull the needle through with pliers on every stitch.

Then HORRORS, I ran out of yarn before I got all the way around!!!!! And I had such a long one to start!!!

OH NO, I have to thread another needle, as that last stitch broke the first needle. After a small struggle I had a brainstorm, I had once used some kind of glue to firm up yarn on another project, so I thought it might help again. Took a dot of glue to the end of that fuzz and waited.

It worked! Now just a few more tugs and pulls and it was finished.

Note to self----NEVER use mohair to hand stitch again!!!

ALQS is finished!!!

2008-09-18T08:21:00.004-05:00

Amazingly, this started as another challenge piece, "Something borrowed/something blue. I made the blue petals from some strips I had already sewn together from a past project. They were BLUE. Good start, hmmm
But after I cut the petals, I took a good look at my instructions and realized it was not supposed to be more than 6" square!! Well one petal was longer than that!

So lets see what can be done. Oh, Yes, ALQS can be bigger, and I haven't had any ideas for it yet. So off and running I got a whole bunch of bits and pieces and embellished them onto a previously dyed piece that had been sitting around.

What great fun my new embellisher machine is. I like the effect better than fusing. Keeps the three dimensional look. Then I did fuse the petals on and added the fuzzy yar frame for the way to hold them all in place.

Added a yellow circle with more curly yarn and copper ribbon, and quilted windy swirls up towards the top. I meant for bits of the flower to look like they were blown up into the sky.

And that is how "Windy day" was born. Hope my secret partner likes it!

Connecticut River

2008-09-16T13:07:00.002-05:00

Took my dog for a ride/walk the other day and got some pretty shots of the water and wildlife.

So I thoght I would share them while I am working on my new "EMBELLISHER-NEEDLE FELTER-PUSHER" I love it!!! It seems so strange not to have to do the fancy threading and cutting off and even just deciding on a color.

It's a Pfaff, and so simple to use. Been thinking about getting one since I started reading FiberNStitch. ANY MORE FELTERS OUT THERE---PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW HOW TO FIND YOU. I would love more information, and ideas, and seeing what you do.

Two more ATC's arrived

2008-09-09T11:00:00.006-05:00

These were both purchased at ETSY as I wanted to have some examples of what they look like and how they are put together, etc. actually in my hand. I know it seems basic, but I always have this need to know more, to be sure I do it right and equally put in the effort others have done.

I have four put up at my ATC blog and am about to work on a postcard requested from a customer at ETSY She liked my kitty cat called urban hunter and wanted as close a repeat as possible for a gift. Imagine, she liked it enough to keep it and order another for a gift!! Real upper on a downer rainy day, eh???

Also have three more ATC's in the make, gotta add some pretty beads, and then bind them and take their pics. It never ends!

Visiting sisters...no quilting time

2008-09-06T21:47:00.003-05:00

Here we are...at least three of us. The other two were joining us the next day. As I mentioned to one of my fellow bloggers, we talk and play cards and sun on the beach and ride around visiting each house and we EAT. It shows!!! I'm the one in lavendar and shades, the next youngest is in pink at my side, and the sitting sis is the one from Georgia. She is also a twin to one of the sisters still not here. The twins were the fourth birth after a brother snuck in. The 'baby' is another sis, who as the youngest is 59. I hit 66 next week, so I get the old lady jokes constantly as they are all younger.

This is a pic of one of my first ATC cards. I loved the idea of artistic cards either bought or traded that were tiny examples of so many artists I admire.

I love the details on this little fish named George. He is a 'pretty' fish, yes he is.

Love this one as it is my first TRADE. Which means I must get to work and make some to trade back with. This has a neat little face on it that caught my eye on Kate's blog And then when I received it I was able to appreciate the detail that went into it. Great colors, too.

I had a dream...quilt

2008-08-19T07:55:00.005-05:00

I couldn't quite believe I "dreamed up" this quilt while I was sleeping. When I woke up I immediately started to add to the original image and turn it into something I could actually do. Then I went looking for the base material that was a teal batik type in the dream. And, as I have a ton of scraps in that colorway, I did find the perfect piece that drifted into my dreamscape that night. So now how do I make it happen in reality???

I started with a piece of fine net and criss-crossed it with a gorgeous sparkly teal ribbon to look like a real fish net. Using stabilizer paper underneath worked just fine.

Then I had to decide where and what to put under the net. I had some real tiny shells from beach collecting, and pieces of mica that my grandkids had given me. I broke up one of the mica into smaller pieces and thin as possible and used a dot of fabric glue to hold them in place. And the most important piece was a fish. I had recently gotten a stash of goodies from ETSY including a pair of lightweight fish earrings. They fit the bill perfectly. Took off the earwires and sewed one carefully onto the background.

Now to set the net in place and attach it with little seed beads at each cross point to keep all the goodies in place.

Can you see the beads?

Then I attached more of the teal ribbon on the outside of the net and folded one edge in a couple wrinkles to make it look more 3D. Can you see the sparkle of the mica?

Added a solid teal edge and did some quilting to make it look as though the net was being pulled out of the water.

Then I added the 'free' fish and some eyelash yarn and beads for seaweed. I carefully put the yarn over the fish to hide his little loop that held him to the quilt.

And VOILA...as they say...I have a finished dream. I call it "Caught" and I like to assume the catcher is also a believer in releasing, as he only wanted the shells, RIGHT?

Autumn Fireworks finished...

2008-08-05T21:20:00.004-05:00

...and put into my ETSY shop My hand is doing just great, and I am finished with the therapy and only have to do regular exercises at home for about a month. I was delighted to get three sales in the shop in the last couple weeks, but that also makes me anxious to get to work and fill the empty spots. I wanted to get at least 50 items available before I relaxed about it and allowed myself to do some personal quilting--LIKE THAT DARNED KING-SIZE BED QUILT-before another winter goes by!!

Hand is getting better...

2008-08-03T16:46:00.004-05:00

...so I can finally get to typing and more importantly, to quilting. The swelling was so bad I couldn't bend the hand for two weeks. This caused the tendons to stiffen somethin' terrific!! So now I am going for physical therapy and doing exercises every hour to get the hand working again. It is much better and I'm back in business--Whoopee!
Here is one I started a couple days ago to see if I could work the hand in all the moves necessary. It is coming along nicely, and I hope to have it finished soon.

This is a UFO that I finally decided to get back to work on. I wanted to do more embellishing, but couldn't quite decide what would look good. Now I have some beading and embroidery ideas and just have to get to it.

This is a FINISHED wall hanging for ETSY that I am calling "Losing touch" It is the first time I added metal findings from my husband's shop drawers full of hardware. Fun treasure hunt with a whole new eye down in his dusty ole drawers and containers!

Ouch!

2008-07-15T07:10:00.003-05:00

Got a bad dog bite on left hand Sunday, so typing is curtailed and crafting at a full stop. When the swelling goes down, I can sew again and also try some of the new thingss I am reading about in Fibre and Stitch, my new 'zine.

Meanwhile I am catching up on Blog reading.

Baby Quilt coming along nicely

2008-07-11T10:39:00.004-05:00

and faster than I expected. Took a shot last night of this much of it. Got the blocks made and laid them on the border and triangles material to see how it would go. I love the colors together, and am pleased that my ability to choose coordinates seems to be improving. I used to always have one color that didn't seem to work. And I wouldn't discover it til after the quilt was mostly made.

I like this one totally and am going to have trouble giving it away. Except the woman receiving it is so worthy of getting my best effort. She has diabetes of the worst kind, she needs needles every day, not like mine that is diet-controlled. She lost a baby already and we have all been praying she would make it all the way with this one. So far, she is doing just fine.

He did good- challenge met!

2008-07-08T16:05:00.004-05:00

Here is my five material (minus one which was allowed) postcard done via my husband.It wasn't really that hard, and I am relieved he picked so well. He even told me he actually took down a second box, and he deliberated and put some back and forth til he thought they worked together. I passed on the black with gold dots because I couldn't figure out how to blend with what I had. Adding lots of pink lace and thread made it quite cheery and feminine, I think.

I even addd a row of hearts after I sandwiched it, so the hearts show on the backside

I had to put this together quickly because I got a baby shower invite this morning and I know just what quilt I want to make. Will go shopping for material first thing tomorrow before it gets unbearably hot. I don't know how long it will take to make and I only have about four weeks. That seems like a lot at the moment, but I know how stuff can happen and get in the way of quilting time.

New challenge...

2008-07-07T17:45:00.005-05:00

...'cause I don't have enough to do...LOL. My red and black is coming along pretty well so it will be finished by tomorrow. More hand sewing little metal things on it, and then the binding. As I have done before, I expanded the size so was forced into the 'add backing to the backing' thing. It's getting to be a bad habit. But I had those little extra black and white pieces and it just seemed to be a waste to throw them away.

The challenge (from Quiltland Chronicle in the list of bloggers on the right)is to have someone else pick out five materials from your stash and you make a quilt with them. You can add colors and you can take away one of the five chosen for you. It can be any size but small is expected unless you just love the choice and have lots of the material on hand. In my house there is only one other person, dear husband. He headed for the craft room with a big sigh and 'I guess I could do that'. Now here is a partial assortment of colors and amounts available, and ...

...HERE is what he chose!!!

Do you think maybe he could have picked up one more box, if not five...nooooo, he picked up only ONE...and it was BLACK. Now I love black as you can tell from the quilt up at the top. But I am definitely going to have to add a color, probably pink, to keep this from being dreary.

Copper Bling

2008-07-06T16:13:00.006-05:00

Yup, that's what I call them...I did a four-postcard abstract and then cut them into the four individual cards.
That is a leather chair seat behind them, so you can hardly tell where they start and stop unless you look really close. It's fun trying to keep each one different and yet have an all-over one-piece look at the same time. I loved the foil and it wasn't any more difficult to sew on. I was afraid it might 'shatter' or something. But it went smoothly. Not so much the copper thread - I did have quite a few breaks. I even remembered to change to a metallic needle and loosen up the top tension, but it still decided to snap every so often. I've had other metallics that have been MUCH worse, so it was frustrating but bearable in comparison.

I recently ordered some MistyFuse and other goodies and they just arrived yesterday. Got some different paints to try. Says you can dye with them and I thought it would be nice to do a mini-dye - like for postcard backgrounds. And I ordered a small rotary cutter thinking it was like my little (OLD) one and this one is even smaller!! GOTTA LEARN TO READ THE DETAILS! This is not the first time I ordered something totally different than what I thought I was getting. And I HATE to return things, so it stays, regardless.

I ran out of my old paper-backed fusible doing this cat and two butterflies for a small lap quilt, and then...

...tested the new stuff on a fun cut idea of black and whites on this neat red batik.

Bookmarks, then that forest green quilt...

2008-07-04T07:31:00.004-05:00

Made some neat bookmarks using my DH's laminator. Put eight of them on my ETSY shop. I just fused the pieces, rather than stitching, as the stitches would have made it too bulky.

Then I went back to work on that lime/forest green sampler quilt and finished the last block. All those little squares didn't quite match up the way they were supposed to, but this quilt is one I am keeping, so I am less fussy.

Added a pic of this one I had done a few weeks ago.

Then brought the twelve pieces up to the bedroom rug to see the effect and re-arrange the squares many,many,many times til I decided this might do.

Bookmarks, and back to that green quilt...

2008-07-03T21:48:00.003-05:00

Made good use of my DH's laminator and put together some neat bookmarks for my ETSY stash. I fused only, as stitching would make it too lumpy. Had the beads already handy and loads of small pieces of ribbon. (Never throw anything away, right??)

Then I took a break from little things, and did that last big block on my green forest theme sampler quilt. I put all the pieces on the bedroom rug to see if I could get a feel for the order I prefered. Moved them around a whooooole bunch and decided on this.

Now I have to make the insert pieces and sashes and binding, etc, etc. It never ends, thank goodness. Such fun.

How cool is that?

2008-07-01T17:05:00.004-05:00

My Stare Eyes quilt made it into a Treasury page on ETSY. That means someone liked it and put it in with a group of favorte pics that has to do with "eyes"

And I finally got my "Purple Fantasy" finished. I added beads at the last, mainly to hold down the angelina fibers. But it did fill in and hold down the rather empty black areas, too. I could have done more quilting there if I had thought it out at the beginning. But sometimes that makes me more inventive at the end. Like that big pearly purple button, thatI hadn't even found when I started. I do find that the ideas usually flow along as it comes together, rather than being completely perfect before I start. That is the fun of it for me, I think, seeing what I can come up with on my own with no pattern. This close-up may show the details a bit better. And it is all PURPLES - not blues. Darn the internet, not being able to read the purples!!! Or is it my camera?
That is a tiny piece of a feather boa in the center and couched yarn squiggling next to double-needle threads, and triple bugle beads with a silver round one at the bottom
The half circles are hand-dyed(that I did about two years ago) and those twisty purple 'arrows' coming out from the half-circles are the foil covered cloth I did a few days ago. I love that stuff, and have to get to work with more of it. Fun!

My ALQS goody arrived...

2008-06-28T16:06:00.004-05:00

...and is just lovely.
But you folks can't appreciate the great colors here, as they don't seem to photo well. That is PURPLE in the flower petals, not blue. And the edge matches, and that gingham frame is a really pretty green. It is proudly hanging in my craft room on my yellow wall and picks up the purple on the other wall. Perfect!

Just for fun, I took a shot of the corner of my first use of foiled cloth in a quilt. It is those squiggly things coming off the half circle. Having great fun in making this 'Purple Fantasy" Almost finished, just need the border, and I will show you all the completed project. I was curious if it would look purple, and it does look more so than Annie's quilt flower. Hmmmmm.

And in between trying to decide what to do on the purple thing, I started some business card holders. Found the pattern on About.com and thought I wanted one for myself, and then decided they were a good thing at a lower price for My ETSY Shop so here are some ready for the last part.

And this is MINE, finished and loaded to go.

Here is how it looks closed.

Foiled...for the first time.

2008-06-25T21:06:00.003-05:00

I finally had the chance to try my first foiling onto materialIt turned out to be quite easy, once I read the directions about three times to be sure I understood the concept. I tried a bunch of cottons and a couple pieces of velvety material with little sparkles on it that I had cut off the bottom of a dress. Turned out it adhered best to the velvet, who knew? Now I am working with the purple piece to make a study in purples. Got lots of other purple parts thrown on a black background to start. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.

Just so you know, I don't quilt constantly - sometimes I go down to the sea...
...and spend time with my sisters, and today with some neices I had not seen in quite a while. We three sisters who are here in Ct. get together once a month in what we laughingly call "The Sisters Sewing Sircle" A fourth sis has moved to Georgia to live near a fifth sis who has been down south for quite a few years. They get to join the sircle once a year in Sept when they come up here for a visit.

We take turns at each others house and the hostess is supposed to make the lunch. We are supposed to sew or quilt or knit or something like that...but...
we did fine the first few months, until more interesting things popped up. Like a new shop to visit, or a tea room for lunch, or a quilt show, or a new card game to learn. You get the picture. It turned into a fun get together that seemed to include less sewing and more different fun!!

We didn't see any problem with walking the boardwalk, climbing rocks, and one sis even got in the water. Us other two love the atmosphere but not the cold water. We prefer the shade and breezes and chance to catch up. And the incredible views.
I didn't bring anything to sew 'cause I thought the camera was more needed for this 'Sircle' meeting. What do you think?

Been busy refreshing and finishing

2008-06-24T09:14:00.004-05:00

Took out a couple small quilts that have been stored and freshened them up for sale. This kitten one is just the right size for a kid to drag around as his blankie, or to put over a baby in his car seat. So off it goes.

This one speaks for itself, I love Cats!!! I did a zig-zag kind of meandering around the cat material and it made the cats puff out a bit. Better look than before.

And this one is a brand new one that you had peeks of earlier. All done and I don't want to let it go!!!!! I really liked the colors and how it turned out, but I can't keep everything I make, CAN I???Here is a closer look. I added beads for the 'bubbles' of air for the fish, and the cat is machine quilted all around and has pink stitching in the ear and nose. I did wavy swirls in the blue areas, like ocean waves and foam, kinda...

Whooo...Hooo!!!

2008-06-20T11:12:00.002-05:00

I did it! Got my first sale at the Etsy shop. What an encouragement that is. So fast and two quilts sold. Really makes me want to continue putting my ideas into fabric form.
Still want to do swaps and love reading everyone's blog for inspiration and actual instructions. But this is such a challenge to my finishing stuff and maybe even getting UFO's turned into CASH. Gotta go and tell my family members!!!

Done...and open for business

2008-06-19T10:52:00.004-05:00

So here it is... the finished product, at last. Doesn't look like trouble, does it?

So glad to get this one done.

Who knew the border would take almost as much time as all the detail quilting???

AND IT IS FOR SALE at my new Etsy shop I finally did it, and got all the info in place and put on six little quilts for the public to own.

Please, please, please come by and visit. I know fellow quilters will not likely be interested in spending money there, but you never know what else you will find, at my shop and at the hundreds of other ones. I bought a necklace and the lady made earrings to match with clips for me, as I love sets and don't have pierced ears. (total coward when it comes to any kind of needles, I used to cry for shots, and I'm talking when I was in my forties!!!)

Then I checked out one of the other new shops and couldn't resist buying some of their cookies from NY 'cause I LOVE COOKIES and these were made with interesting additions of spice like rose drop cookies with BLACK PEPPER. And OH yes, they are goooood, as well as the other two types I tried.

The other exciting event was my first grandchild graduating. My goodness was it a noisy time for all., The crowds were trying to out-do each other with applause and hootin' and even horns-in-a-can blasting. What a racket! But our boy made it and we are delighted. Here is a shot of him and his mom(our daughter)

peeks...

2008-06-17T17:03:00.005-05:00

Here is a peek of the quilt that has been driving me crazy. Looks simple, doesn't it? It's almost done and ready for a full pic, by tomorrow maybe?
And here is my choice for the cat template in the fish/cat quilt. I even added a bit of flange on the edge to carry the cat color and not make it look so alone. Now for a lot of free-motion to hold the cat in place and give the water some waves. Gotta make sure the cat eye is really clear. The 'life' in the pic will be lost if that eye isn't just right.

Grrrrr...some days are tough!

2008-06-15T15:02:00.004-05:00

Working on a small quilt to put on ETSY and have ripped out and finally cut off the edge binding!!! I wanted to put a cord on the edge and then attach the mitered corner border. Can't do BOTH sucessfully. Lots of growling and finally scissors. Then tediously re-making the quilt a little larger and adding the border in a different manner. This involved three layers, of course, patched onto an already layered finished quilt. Well, more ripping ensued as I figured out which was the right way to get it attached without rough edges showing on the back. I am almost there - added the skinny flange without the cord inside, and then a bit wider border. Well darn it, I didnt get the edges ironed quite together, so I sewed one edge on and totally missed the edge I couldn't see underneath. More ripping, except I stopped to take a break and calm my nerves, so I could finish and keep my sanity!

And meanwhile yesterday after the first ripping and cutting I quit on this one and started a whole new one! Had a ton of these blue strips from a bargello quilt I did for my granddaughter and a bit of this fish material from my son's wall quilt. So I put together this simple log cabin block as a starter.

And I haven't figured out which cat template to add, as I want it to be looking at the fish in the block. The eyes will have to be adjusted a bit to be looking directly towards the fish and if they are playing 'stare-eyes'.

Because the block is so basic, I want to add a bit of pizazz to the border pieceing. Still thinking and planning.

Next.....

2008-06-11T21:13:00.003-05:00

Working on a new project now that the ALQS is done. Did a quick sewing job making a swag for the sewing room curtains, and then a couple more of the Ann. Quilt squares.

Now I am almost finished with a small wall hanging for sale in Etsy. I want to open a little store there and need to get some inventory ready.

I have some decent scenic ones I am willing to part with that are all original to add to some new ones, like the one I am working on.

Here is a couple of shots of the ones that are already to go...

Wheeew...Finished--Finally

2008-06-06T13:33:00.003-05:00

I'm afraid I'm not one of those ladies who works on four or five different projects in one day. I'm doing good if I work on one a week. I might take time out on one to start another that has a quicker deadline, but only focus on that till it is done. I had to totally stop thinking about the Ann. Quilt til I finished this little one. This is a discipline I have to force on myself, or deadlines come and go and I am playing around with the wrong quilt. I'm not saying my BRAIN isn't busy on many, many other ideas. Just my fingers must stick to one job at a time!!!

Soooo... here is the finished project for ALQS...

Here is a close shot of the 3-D flowers...

And my first try at mitered corners...
The view is not the best for the corner, but shows the 3-D butterfly up close.

Tried a lot of lessons recently learned in this project. Those mitered corners, the 'petal play' for 3-D effects, free motion embroidery, scenic layout, machine applique.

Now I've gotta let Kate know it's done, and get it out in the mail to...????

The ALQS is coming along...

2008-06-03T12:35:00.003-05:00

Here is a close look on the free-motion embroidery with the little flowers attached by one of the fancy stitches the machine came with. I learned how to double fuse the flowers so that they can be 3-D. Can you tell they are 'free'?

Next part is putting the big flowers together the rest of the way and adding a small accent in the sky. Then last is the binding, which I decided was the leaf color in a skinny edge. Gotta remember to add the fast triangles and a label, which I almost always leave off till the last second.

I'm loving every one of the quilts that are shown on Kate's blog as finished. I sure hope my more unconventional artsy one is acceptable to it's new owner. I'm not inclined to follow patterns too exactly and love to mix ideas together, which makes for surprises. Even I don't know totally what to expect!!!

Meanwhile, between quilt work, I took some time painting a new rail on the far side of our driveway. It looks great and I can get closer to the edge with it there to look over at the brook which is dropped down from the main yard like a river at the bottom of a cliff-only MINI.

Got a cute pic of Maggie posing at the edge of her circle of the yard. I went beyond it and when I came back she was sitting patiently waiting for me so I got a 'still' pose for a change. She's doing great with the electric circle fence controlled by her collar. She is safely in the yard, even when she goes after cars passing by. She goes right to the edge of that invisible circle and barks like mad, but we don't have to worry about her getting hit, as she can't go out of the yard without a little zap-which she doesn't like at all.

On with the ALQS...

2008-05-28T10:35:00.004-05:00

Here is the results a few days ago...

And now we have a whole bunch of concentrated zig-zag hoding down those petals...

And this is the rest of the story. A lot of different quilt clases involved in each part of this ensemble...

Don't want to say too much more til I have more to show. Got a lot more to do and then the question of what exactly should the border be. Simple mitered, in one of the main colors, or something a bit more complicated. Any thoughts???
I'm considering that pretty lime green of the leaves as an accent and keeping with the spring theme I am hoping for.

Meanwhile, out in the yard the flowers are opening up daily, and the dark purple Iris, my fav, are just starting, right after the little lighter-colored ones.

Found a Giveaway...how sweet!

2008-05-25T15:46:00.003-05:00

http://mytwocoldfeet.blogspot.com/
Hardly any time left, but I think I made it to this charming lady's giveaway. This is the first time I have ever seen this and find it to be such a kind thought as well as a way to invite folks to one's blog. I was taking a rest and reading up on more bloggers in the ALQS group and I found this.

Been working on the quilt finally, after a few days off to work on other bigger things. -- like a few tons of gravel for our driveway area!!! I have been asking my DH to help me change the garden strip on the far side of the driveway, by eliminating the small scrappy plants, and widening this area to comfortably hold a visiting car. Now that I see it, I may park MY car there as there is more shade most of the day. With summer coming, I like the idea of getting into a coooooler car!

Here's my clemitis that made it through it's first winter. I have 'killed' a few in the past and am so glad to see this one succeeded.

Gotta start over... DARN

2008-05-18T18:43:00.002-05:00

My ALQS came out way bigger than what is allowed. It went over 35 inches because my basic block needed to be on point. I'm "inventing" as I go, and before I got too far it was obvious it was coming out BIG. So I'm re-inventing the idea on a smaller scale. Which means it is totally different from the original plan! Same color scheme, and even same basic idea - but different!

I'm getting a bit nervous as some of the ladies have already finished and MAILED theirs, and they are gorgeous and so much full of talent. No more work on the Ann. sampler til I finish this baby.

I did start the backdrop for the fancy work, so I feel a bit better than I did yesterday. So far it is 18x20 -which works.

Went to my neice's candle party this afternoon and saw the latest work they had done on their little house. The place was practically comdemn-worthy when they bought it from a relative. They have worked really hard in the last couple years with her father and my husband doing some of the more complicated stuff. It's so nice to see young people taking the time and energy to improve their home from a mess to a really comfortable little castle. It's not one of the mini-mansions so many young couples seem to feel they must have. It's quite small for them and their two boys, but very satisfying for a starter home that makes them feel like a real family established on their own.

Sampler quilt is moving along...

2008-05-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

...and I am doing less and less ripping and repeating. Thank goodness. I've never worked much with star points of any kind in the past so this sampler is a real learning process for me.

I did it, I DID it...

2008-05-11T17:11:00.003-05:00

Finally got a square done on the anniversary quilt that didn't get ripped apart even once!
Ta--Dahhh

I noticed some ladies have taken pics of their sewing areas, so I thought I would share my little space.

This is looking down the small alley my husband calls my "craft cave" -like "you comin' outta that cave sometime today??? I'm hungry!"

I keep all my material in boxes by basic color. But my stash is growing a bit faster and I may have to just put the pieces in piles as soon as I figure out where to put some of the not-so-necessary stuff in another spot. There is never enough room!

This is the corner between the windows that I hung fabric post cards I received in a couple swaps. There are more in the pic before this one on the left side.

This is the window on the front of the house with the serger and lots of stuff including a cd player to keep me motivated and happy in my cave! The house is old and shaped kinda funny so this little room in an L shape is actually the very front of the house, and the entrance to the main room is off to the far side of this room. My kids all loved the chance when this became their bedroom, because it is tiny but very private from the rest of the house, and actually has a great deal of storage space. I don't know if you can tell, but there is a double closet at the end of the tabel the surger is on. And it is stuffed too!!

More of the yard while it is so pretty...

2008-05-10T15:28:00.004-05:00

This is the view out my kitchen window. This decrepit cherry tree has been there since we moved here 37 years ago. My DH wanted to cut it down when we had some others done. I said as long as it is capable of blooming every spring, I want it.
That is Hershey Kiss, enjoying the new grass. She is one of my son's mate's three horses. We get to enjoy them in the scenery without the work and upkeep.

In the quilting arena, I tackled two more of the Ann. quilt, and did a little less ripping out, so I guess I am beginning to get the idea. I love the colors, even though they are a different direction than I usually go. That lime color is the hot thing right now and it did a nice job of picking up the color in the other pieces.

More of our beautiful spring yard...

2008-05-07T11:12:00.006-05:00

Lost some of the shots I had resized yesterday. Thought I had put them in the right folder and they dissapeared. Found them in My Pictures instead of the designated folder.

This is one our Bridal Wreath plants in full bloom with the corner of the garden shed showing. Love this plant but it grows towards the sun and I wish it would be a bit straighter, rather than bending over my little garden near the path. I'm considering letting the creeping phlox take over on the ground, and the Bridal Wreath let loose. The only plant I would bother moving from that patch is the astilbe. Gotta go get some annuals for that arch with its two planters.

This 'birdhouse?' is a stump from trees we just had removed on the other side of the yard. My DH thought I might like it as an accent in the garden. I think it looks kinda cute there, but it is a very close-to-the-ground birdhouse, so maybe it could be a new home for a toad???

Now to my latest quilting... Here are my eight blocks I am submitting to the Block Lotto for May.

Right away Maggie decided to lay down on the pretty new spot on the rug!!

Spring has SPRUNG 'n' the grass has rizin'

2008-05-05T17:23:00.005-05:00

...AND THERE IS NO DOUBT WHERE THE FLOWERS IZN! I got out in the yard with the camera and thought I'd share some of the best shots on my blog with you. Here is Maggie 'in flight' as I was taking a pic of the cute little 'butterfly bath' I picked up at a craft show last year. It's a teacup upside down with a bit of rafia and little glass stones in the saucer to sparkle and keep the water too deep supposedly for the butterflies to land and take a sip.

Maggie just loves it when we are out in the yard with her. We got one of those electric units that gives her a little shock to keep her in her 'circle' She does so well with it I can leave a door open and let her come and go as she wishes. She comes in to check on me and then pops out again. But now I'm working in the yard and keeping her company.

Here is a shot of my first year with this flowering almond. I planted it last year but don't consider it really mine 'til it makes it though it's first winter. It's blooming great in spite of Maggie finding it just the right height to nibble on. She actually bit off a blossom and settled in the grass to munch on it. shiish!

I took my annual shot of my garden shed and it needs work. The flower box rotted off and left a bare spot under the window. And the clock and thermometer don't work anymore and hardly show under the ivy. I LOVE how the ivy is creeping over everywhere. So the clock and thermo go and the ivy stays. But gets trimmed when it gets carried away. Each year it got a little better as I made improvements. It looked so barren when it first arrived, but now it fits right into the yard scheme and color of the house. After this last year, though, it got a bit tattered and needs an uplift. Now I am finding the energy to do just that.

My DH put in the cinder block patio and stairs and built the lattice for the ivy. I need to refresh the paint and I think I will paint the door that pinky purple you can see on the milk cans at the side.

OOPs, it's supper time and I have to post this and go!

Maybe it will work as a grocery bag?

2008-05-05T14:37:00.002-05:00

This is my laptop computer's new traveling bag, for my trip to the beach. If you read my last couple posts you know that is on hold. I frantically worked on this a few weeks ago to get it done before April 25- my departure! Now it sits there looking pretty, but with nowhere to go.

I do most of my groceries on Peapod which is online shopping with home delivery from the food chain here called Stop & Shop. I started using it when I was so very anemic the thought of shopping made me want to go to bed. Now I am so delighted to use the couple hours in some other fun way, -like gardening or quilting- I still use the online for groceries. But once in a while it is worth going for some special items, or just to see what is new, or I need to go to the fabric store around the corner -so I might as well pick up some food. There is a push to not use those plastic bags we all got so used to, so I am trying to remember to bring various tote bags I have made. This one though, is not as deep and has big flat pockets for the computer stuff that won't especially suit food.

On shorter vacations I wouldn't bother to drag along the laptop, but a whole month made it worth taking. I still have high hopes for a reprieve on May 12. Better late beaching than no beaching.

Puddles everywhere!!!!!

2008-05-04T16:47:00.005-05:00

...and I'm not referring to the inches of rain we had the last couple days. I may NOT have my month at the beach. There is a tiny slim chance it may start late, as the judge may decide in favor of the renters for this year getting what they were promised. The husband is trying to declare the cottage as his 'residence'. We shall see.

Meanwhile, I got over my frumps and got on with things. In the last post I mentioned the block lotto contest and boo-hoo- I didn't win that, either. And that was in spite of the fact that a whole bunch of the ladies offered their block chances to us newbies. I am sending my blocks out accordingly and starting to work on the next month's design. I LOVE that new design as it involves green and purple- my faves! I already have one in the making from our quilt retreat last Nov, 2007. that came out bigger than I expected. I think it will fit our daybed, even. Here is a shot of the top...

Again meanwhile, I am finally inspired to start my 'little quilt swap' quilt, as we have until the first of July, and I know how I am. Gotta get going, or I will be frantically pushing something together and not happy with the results.

Here is a pic of the parts - so far...

Got a clue as to where I'm headed??

Here are my first two blocks of the About.com anniversary quilt for last year. I came in at the very end and thought this is great, do one a month. Only I am starting it six months later and doing more than one at a time. But this took a good deal longer than I expected. I rippppppped and ripppppped out parts as I tried to figure out which direction I was supposed to be sewing them together. I have never done a sampler like this and at this rate it will take a couple years to get JUST the squares done. Here they are hanging in front of me for motivation.

Now to get back to work on the 'parts'.

Block Lotto Gift...

2008-04-19T13:57:00.003-05:00

I got the nicest surprise with this new endeavor. A lady donated her blocks to us newbies because she had won other times, so I have one more chance than my own six(for my six blocks) so I have to try to get two more made and up the count so there are more winners in general in the lotto. I believe they have four by now and my two blocks could be just the ones that up the count enough for four winners. So I'm off to sew more little squares together.

I am going to be busy packing for a trip to the beach for a month starting next Friday, so I will be loading a lot of stuff for me and the pooch- including my sewing machine and a great new quilt pattern to try. My DH wants to stay on the home front, as this is great working-in-the-yard weather. He will make spot visits-along with my kids and other family! But it is a quiet vacation, before the summer crowds, and a sewing and quilting and knitting, and cross-stitch, and maybe a bit of painting vacation for me. With lots of beach walking mixed in, and scenic picture taking for screensavers. This is my first LOOONG vacation ever, and second alone. I am a very great lover of peace and quiet and alone-time, so it is going to be heaven for me.

Here are a couple of envy-making pics of the area.

I joined a 'block' lotto

2008-04-11T15:40:00.005-05:00

So what kind of lotto invloves Blocks???? A quilting one, of course!!! Never seem to have enough to do, LOL, so I thought this looked like fun. Did two blocks to start, and then managed to find the time to do four more. The lotto allows eight, but this may be it for this first time. Let's see how it all works out. Depending on how many blocks get entered, there can be more than one winner. Last month they said there were six, so I like those odds, and am going for it.

Alzheimers quilts

2008-04-10T15:09:00.004-05:00

Jungle Series Lion

Jungle Series Tiger

Jungle Series Zebra

Ocean Blue

Winter Wolves

The Chase

Spring Cardinals

Look Deep

I've done quite a few of these little quilts over the past few months, and would like to share the pics. Ami Sims is amazing. The quilts are now sold on eBay and still making good money for the Alzheimers research. Hope they find some answersw before I reach the point of needing it!

A year??? since I blogged...

2008-04-03T14:48:00.004-05:00

Good grief, I have been busy, eh? Actually I was on a down swing through the last months, and discovered I was severly anemic, and diabetic. So I went the round of doctors and tests and learning a new way to live with both problems. Got them under control now, and hope to do a bit more with my faithful ole blog.

My 'puppy' is now a bit over a year, and no longer a 'lap' dog in the true sense. She got bigger than expected and is eating very well, so she is about 35 pounds. And here I was figuring she would be a tiny l6 pound snuggle-bunn for my lap. She still loves to snuggle but my lap is a bit crowded and she gets uncomfortable after a bit, and opts for the floor or the little love seat. Let's see if blogger uploads her pic a bit better than it used to.

Well, it did a very fast job of it, I'm glad to say. So now to get to work with my camera and show all of my more recent quilting! Bee back soon, I hope?

Fabric postcards again...

2007-04-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

Here is a recent postcard. I call it "Spring Moon" and it is one of the 12 I made for a swap in our own Quilt Guild. It is a piece of Rayon print from a dress I had to shorten, and a sheer piece to make the moon. The threads were a pearly white, which doesn't show in the pic as well as for real.

Foolishly, I sent out the first bunch without remembering to take pics. I hope to remedy that at our May meeting. We are all supposed to bring the ones received, and I will just have to get shots of all - including MY OWN.

I have two more to finish up. Should remember to take those shots, and I want to get pics of all the ones I received, also. It is their very first ones, and I can tell that, as they resemble some of my first attempts. Okay but not as well made as I can accomplish now. Practice does make a big difference.

Sweet Magnolia...

2007-04-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

YUP! That's her!

And she is doing just great. Not to go on tooooo long about a dog on a quilt and screensaver blog, but she is coming around to commands and bonding to me so quickly. I just love her. Quilt-wise, of course I can make her a little jacket, and easily make some quilted pads for her crate, and her soft carrier.

When I was picking up some new sock yarn I asked if there were any sweater patterns for a pug, as that would be her size. The lady delightfully brought me over to a rack and found one immediately. I was a bit rushed, so I said I would be back to drool over what yarn to use and pick up that book. So my future yarn projects are already in my head!!!

She is knibbling on my shoe, so I will stop for now and play with her. She NEEDS me---ain't that great!!!

...awaiting a new PUPPY!

2007-04-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

No time for quilting...spent a few minutes surging an edge around a mini-blanket for the crate that the new puppy would be coming home in.

She is named Sweet Magnolia...Maggie for short. And she is an unusual mix that is apparently becoming popular out in the California area. She is a "Brug", which is a Pug momma, and a Brussels Griffon daddy. OMG is she adorable!!!!!

Haven't had a dog in over 15 years, but I felt the need to have a little furball that needed to go outside on a regular basis, and would want to go riding with me. I have a problem with agoraphobia, which in simple terms means I don't like to leave the house and be with bunches of people. I can do it, but I get very anxious, and want very badly to keep the visit short and gooooooo hoooooome. I'm hoping the dog will give me more confidence and something to put my attention to, which will hopefully get me past some of my anxieties. Already, just in talking about getting her has made me more open with some aquaintences recently.

And I certainly don't overlook the love and devotion a dog can give, and I can return. My cats are loving, but don't follow me around, and don't want to go for a walk or a ride in the car. Ya know what I mean???

Will post a pic ( or maybe a whole bunch!) as soon as she gets here.

Now shouldn't there be a way to quilt for my pup? A simple blankie that I know will be chewed and/or peed on. Or maybe a doggie coat for when our weather gets cold.

BTW, I was delighted to read they don't like really hot weather, so she should be very content to be in my AC house in the high heat of summer, whooohooo!

A try with "Paper-Piecing"...

2007-03-26T09:05:00.000-05:00

I picked up these paper-piecing patterns when I was at my last Quilt Camp. I finally tackled three of the blocks. I'm thinking it is not my kind of quilting. Seemed to be extra steps I didn't feel I needed. Maybe it is more worth while when there is a lot of different pieces involved. This was just a log cabin pattern that was a bit fancier. Oh well, live and learn. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?

It looks quite nice on this long skinny spot of wall and it will do til I find a design I like better.

This winter's "Obsession"...socks

2007-03-23T09:15:00.000-05:00

Yup, I finally got brave enough after all these years, to try using four needles instead of two. I had visited other quilter's blogs, and found they had a thing for the crazy new yarns available to make 'designer' socks without all the yarns being changed for each color. Whooohoo, now we're talkin'!

Here's what I have made so far, minus one pair I gave to my daughter in Texas. She was visiting home and watched me making them, and couldn't resist asking if I would make some for her, especially in the cool green/beige colors I was using at that moment. Well, of course, I finished them in time to offer her that pair, instead of making her wait for the next ones. She was tickled pink to wear them right away. It was quite cold here compared to when she left home.

These blue ones were my first try, and they came out almost the same size!!! The toe on one got finished a bit sooner than the other, and slightly different in manner. But they both fit, and that is the important point. I love how warm they are and want to show them off more with some kind of winter sandle. A berkenstock???

This pair of soft browns and oranges were my first attempt on circular needles that were long enough to do both socks at the same time. This avoided my first problem in the blue socks. And I love this yarn, as it has some aloe and jojoba in it that make them sooooo soft. There was enough yarn left to make a pair of fingerless gloves, too. They are not quite finished.

These green ones came out real purty, but were of a thicker yarn that said wool/ machine washable, so I gave it a try. I may consider putting on those noslip soles and make them slipper socks. I like the look and the texture of this yarn, but they are a bit tight in my shoes. They sure did wash great, though.

Now that spring is just around the corner, and actually started as far as the calendar says, I will be out in the garden more and save the sock making for next winter.

My first keeper in twin size quilting

2007-03-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

This was my first attempt on a larger than lap-size quilt to keep for my own use in our guest bedroom. I love putting the pieces together and seeing a design emerge. But I really dislike the trying to keep three layers together and long days of hand stitching.
In doing the hurricane relief quilts, I was shown the machine tacking idea for getting them made quickly. I love it. Now I can get those bigger ones put together fairly fast. And the batting has changed since I last tried a big one. So now I am being brave.

Purple is PERFECT

2007-03-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

No wonder I love purple... this little test says I have a purple brain. And I think I can agree with the description. Fun!

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic.
You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense.
Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Brain?

New blogger, eh???

2007-03-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

As you can guess, I've been busy otherwise and just noticed the change in Blogger. Hope the pic uploads are better, as that was my only beef with the old Blogger.
To test, here is a new pic of my cat, Chauncy, waiting patiently for us to let him in this morning.
I can't believe he is sitting in SNOW in the middle of March. I just ordered a birdfeeder, and a pretty new bird bath, and was considering a visit to the local garden center for perennials that could handle it a bit chilly. BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! The mildest winter in Ct. history, and then we get dumped on in March. YUUUUUKKKKK.
So here goes with the pic, and I'll see if I can get some shots of my winter quilting work.

One more pic added...

2006-08-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is a close-up of the simple cat-square lap quilt I did for my GD Tabitha.

Aha, it worked!

2006-08-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

What is it with uploading pics? Here is the I Spy Pillowcase.

summer has flown by.....I'm back

2006-08-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

I've been very bad and totally ignored my poor blog. But spring and summer call me out the door. Working on quilts just goes to the wayside in opposition to playing in the dirt of my gardens. We had so much damage to the garden nearest and prettiest, when we had a new septic system put in last year. They tore up and re-shaped almost that whole yard area. The grass was gone, and many flower bulbs where scattered all over the ground area just below the dirt. I had to wait for them to start their growing to be able to find them.

Needless to say, the yard is looking much better now, and there are many new touches. So now I can get my head around the possibility of quilting. In the very hot days, I started slowly to put together an "I Spy" quilt for my granddaughter. She loved the little pillowcase with 3" squares I made for my youngest GD and wanted a bigger version for her bed. She is 10, and I didn't think that design would appeal, but she insisted she would just love it forever!!!

I started going through all the 6" squares I could find and then proceded to cut a whole bunch more to make enough to get a twin-size out of the design. (I had used many of my squares for the Katrina Survivors Quilts already made.) It came up a bit smaller than standard, but it will work. I put a dark purple print between each so that I could get a little more size without coming up with more squares. I didn't want to repeat any squares if I could help it. Then I was expecting to use the rest of the dark purp for the backing. But low- I was a bit short. I asked my GD if she would mind big wide stripes on the back. I had a white sheet that I could make stripes with. It came out just right. I'm trying to get a couple pics up of the little pillowcase and her lap quilt of cats. Let's see how blogger handles it today.

A "Fishy" quilt story...

2006-05-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

When I was at that great quilt show in Sommers, I got a nice little fat-quarter pack with the brightest fish patterns I had ever seen. And I thought instantly of a great quilt for my son's wall. He is into aquariam fish, as well as liking to spend his vacation at the shore in Rhode Island.

So I put my thinking cap on and came up with a kinda porthole peeking pattern. I love the idea of 'stained glass' in quilting and I had gotten this roll of bias tape in black that has the fusing already on it. Super cool and easy to work with. So I incorporated that with the fish idea. Then I had a lot of other deep blues to go with the three in the FQ pack. Because water isn't smooth and still at sea, I cut the pieces without the ruler involved. So the blue squares are off tilt on purpose, til they were the right size to match the porthole squares.

Here is the finished wall hanging. It was and interesting one to work on with color combos that are unusual for me.

Here is a close up to show more of the detail on the porthole with gold blanket stitch, and the grasses coming up from the bottom are reverse bobbin stitching along with regular free motion stitching.

One more shot of a different part to show the beautiful materials.

It's raining, so I can blog!

2006-05-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

Been playin' in the dirt since it finally got warm and sunny here in New England. We had a new ceptic system put in last year that completely re-designed our yard. So I have been digging and adding and subtracting and moving plants, etc. But today and yesterday it finally rained soft and steady for all those plants to get a good drink and settle in their new spots.

But I did manage to finish this little wall hanging. It is using my own dyed background material and a whole bunch of fancy stitches from my machine, and some angelina fibers and beads for embellishments.
It was fun doing the 'swirls' for a first try. And the angelina stuff is soooooo pretty, that I was delighted to get it attached enough to show it off. I never knew what that fiber was til I read about it here on someone else's blog. She was sorry she couldn't seem to get any more locally. So I went to my favorite shopping mall -EBAY- and now I have five different colors to have fun with.

A couple more from Seymour...

2006-04-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

...as blogger finally was willing to take my uploads!

Always loved this pattern.

A jacket after my own heart...jungle cats and friends.

I have been trying to get more pics up, and have a very hard time trying in the daytime. Seems to work after at least nine pm. Does anyone else find this to be true with blogger picture uploads???

Recent postcard art...

2006-04-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

...that I tried uploading a few days ago. Today blogger seems to be cooperating again so I'm grabbing the chance to catch up.This lacy goody is for a friend who loves victorian.
And one for a fellow tea-drinker who now lives way up in Stowe, Vt.
This was a fun project for our real estate agent who has worked extra hard on trying to sell our complicated piece of property and houses. She had a bad time with a bacteria infection and I hope this will brighten her day a bit.

Now back to the drawing board. I have an idea cooking for a wall quilt. My son that is into fishy stuff hasn't received a recent quilt from me. I got some gorgeous material in a 'sweet treats' packet at that show in Seymour. It is a jumping off point for getting going. I want to incorperate the stained-glass method, and the cut-it-any-way without measuring method I have found on other blogs. The colors are really bright and 'out-of-the-box' for me. It also will include using the fancy bobbin threads and sewing upside-down for the first time. Should be fun.

Time out from Seymour for my own work...

2006-04-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

...that I have been trying to upload for three days. Used this photo from a Vermont trip to guide the wall quilt below.
Used beads and stones to embellish and some fusible very gently touched on one edge to make the 'foam' on the water.
Longer bugle beads enhance the fall leaves
Hope you can see the crystal beads on the foam, here. And, of course there is lots of free motion quilting going on.

The difference with this quilt is that I used stiff Timtex as the base. Figured if it worked so well on postcards that a piece would make it easier to do the machine work. And the fabric pieces are just glued in place(Avery purple glue, acid-free) for the machine work, and it held the fabric just fine. I liked working on the firm surface, but found I should have included the edging in my measurements for cutting the Timtex. I put in triangle corners and used dowels on the top and bottom to hold it straight, but when you hold it in your hands the edging kinda flops and the picture is firm. Live and Learn...

A large Japanese garden quilt...

2006-04-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

...that blogger finally let me upload. What is their problem? Can't I post more than one time a day? Can't I upload more than 3 pics?

This was really detailed, and made by a group of women. The pink blossoming tree was individual branches with tiny blossoms coming out of the quilt in 3-D
Hope you can see the detail here, but it doesn't compare with the real thing.

Now I just took a chance and got two more pics uploaded. Gotta hang in there while it's working!!!!

This was a fascinating wall hanging. Certainly fabric art, not a quilt.

A little bit of everything was in this.

Seymour show had a 'Window' quilt challenge.

2006-04-05T06:27:00.000-05:00

The challenge was to depict something seen out a window. Any type of window, and any size. There were many more but I kinda liked these...

This was a flannel material so it had a very rich warm color scheme. The pic didn't pick up the warmth of the colors. I have always like this block that looks so three dimensional.
Another kitty one. It was a simple quilt, but favored my cats theme.
The lace in the window was three-dimensional and made to look like it was blowing in a breeze.

Here we have a Tuscany feel to the scene. Can imagine warm sunshine and soft breezes and a nice glass of wine in the afternoon.

Lotsa Pics!

2006-04-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

But I was only able to upload three so far. Blogger seems to be struggling again.
These are from the quilt show in Seymour, Ct.

This was just amazing, in that it is loads of little bits and pieces all sewn down to make the beautiful garden. Of course, there is a kitty, and the lady certainly has earned her peaceful resting spot.

As I favor cats, they are often in the quilts I favor. This is no exception. He looks so comfy here.

And I do love the ocean- therefore this one is especially appealing. Love the simplicity of line and fresh open feeling. Just like being there.

I will try to upload more tomorrow, as I took 37 shots. I won't try to get them all posted, but certainly as many as I can. I love all the different methods used and am so glad to have the pics to remind me and inspire me.

Goin' to a quilt show...Whohooo!

2006-03-31T17:26:00.000-05:00

No pics for today, but maybe a whole bunch in a couple more days. I and two of my sisters are going down to Seymour, Ct to a big show and I am looking very much forward to it.

I have learned so many techniques since a couple years ago when I first visited this large show. Therefore, I am itching to see more fabric-art types of quilts, maybe some postcards, and to buy all kinds of threads, embellishments, and the obvious great fabrics that I usually find at a show that never seem to be at my local stores. Hopefully, they might even have some demos with the new stuff that is out there and I have held off from trying because I don't quite know what to do with it.

A Quilt Window...

2006-03-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

...in my small bath that has no window.
I got this idea and inspiration from a quilt made for the alzheimers cause. I added my own touch with shelves, bottles and a plant. The Window also has sheer curtains and the edging is a color that looks like the wall color in the bath.

This gives you a closer look at the detail.

Fiery Sunset...

2006-03-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

...another photo turned quilt.This was great fun, as I used a lot more free motion machine quilting than ever before. Just got these great variegated threads that seem a tiny bit thicker than ordinary sewing thread. Show up much better when you 'draw' with them.
Here is the pic I used to guide me. We took this going at least 65 mph(probably more...lol) It wasn't convenient to stop on the highway, so I just shot from the open window. Hence the soft blur of all details!
A closer shot of the sky painting, and the tree silouettes. This quilt also incorporates the wavy edging idea. I thought it made a good contrast frame against the reds and oranges and yellow brightness and picks up that small dark cloud coming in at the left.

Using real photos helps make the quilts look real...

2006-03-21T22:12:00.000-05:00

I found the pic I used as a guide for the last blog entry. I put the barn on the opposite side in the quilt, but I only intended for the picture to be a guide, so it worked out well.

New Scenic quilt

2006-03-20T19:49:00.000-05:00

This one was actually all cut out from our last quilt camp get together. But by now I was improved on the machine quilting and I think this one came out better than my first ones.

Don't know if it can be seen but this is a closer look at the sewing.

This also comes from a pic I took on another trip we had made to Vermont. I figure if I use my pics, there will be more reality and balance when I try to put the fabric ideas together. I hope to try some more complicated angles now that I am getting the idea.

One more of my older scenic quilts...

2006-03-18T22:01:00.000-05:00

This one uses lace to accent 'waves' which I thought was a very clever idea. All of these use a curvy edge border idea, too. And it was encouraged to make the borders and edging wider and very noticeable, like in art work with a big mat surrounding it that made you want to look closer to the small picture within.
Hopefully you can see the lace poking up as surf and a spurt against the rock.

From the attic.....

2006-03-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

....I managed to find my scenic quilts I had worked on a couple years ago. I had seen them at a quilt show, and bought a pattern for this one, but typically, I still did it in my own way. I did need the directions to get me started in the basics, but I let my imagination take over once I got those directions in place. This dunes scene is my fav' of the ones I did that year, but I want to do even better in the details and aspects of view, now that I have a better sewing machine, and a lot more learning under my belt. I learned how to open up my thinking a great deal in the making of these 25 different postcards. So now it is time to put that new info to work in a field I had only barely touched on a couple years ago.

Here you can see a bit closer the machine sewing I was newly learning.

The sailboats are somewhat three dimensional in that there is only the black 'mast' holding it to the quilt. I learned how to do the two-sided material in a class called 'Petal-Play' which taught how to make three dimensional flowers etc. Super idea that I have tacked on to this quilt- and a few others. I didn't particularly like how the quilting came out on this one. I think I can do better..sure hope so.

In this close-up you can see what I mean. The shapes are a little more 'blocky' than they should have been.

My first postcard swap all finished...

2006-03-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

...with my favorite subject the big cats, and a neat idea I saw on another quilt. Each piece of 'fur' is folded and has an actual edge you can tuck your finger under. The outside edging holds them in place, with the accent cat pic in the middle.

I loved how this color combo turned out. I think it may be my favorite of the whole 25 cards. I did an extra edging with a fancy stitch, and it looks good on the back as well as the front.

This last one is "Victorian" inspired. Deep greens, pinks, and burgandy with that gold sparkle touch - great color combo in my book.

Now that I am finished with the cards, I'm dying to sign up for another swap. They were so much fun to make. But I'm going to hold off and work on my twin bed quilt for my guest bed.

And I wanted to share my 'scenic' quilts with you all, and finish the ones that are still in parts. Went to a small sewing center up in Glastonbury with my sister and got some neat 'grass' material. Have a goodly amount of scenic parts to play with and want to try using my skills that were honed on the great variety I tackled with the postcards. They definately helped me to stretch my imagination.

It also helped that I searched the sites for postcard inspiration and found so many other types of fiber art. So many talented people out there that I am somewhat stopped from trying, and yet encouraged when I read their accounts of how they felt at the beginning and some still do even now. Many humble and hardworking folks who just express themselves in a medium that is fun and beautiful and unbelievably varied.

Now to get back to work...

Almost at the finish line...

2006-03-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

Three more fun cards finished for the Postcard swap. This one has my first attemp at using cotton tatting thread on the edging. It broke more than once till I got the tension just right, and the bobbin rewound.(of course it ran out right in the middle of the trip around the edge!!!)

I called this one hot spot for the obvious reason. I had fun doing the free-motion embroidery on the little pink spot. I'm not sure I'm pleased with the black and whites, though. I think maybe I would have liked the round pieces to be exact circles, instead of freeform. And I'm thinking I would have liked it better if the quilting was grey or even black rather than the white. I'll have to try a second version and see if it improves.

This one was my first try at using different yarn and ribbon fibers with the machine embroidery holding them in place. There is a black netting with red dots covering it all, and I left the edge of the linen hanging off for a new effect.

"Fiberart For a Cause" postcards

2006-03-07T09:40:00.000-05:00

Took a bit of time out from the 'swap' cards to do some for a great cause. (http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ACSMakingFFACPostcards.html) This seemed a wonderful way to express myself and to show concern for a terrible disease at the same time. These postcards we donate are actually sold at the "International Quilt Festival" in Chicago! They sold over 350 of them last year. Cancer hasn't got a chance if we all pitch in and fight it. So I am going to try to give it a couple punches of my own.

My favorite purples with a fish missing the net. I even added a few red beads to the net edging.

This speaks for itself in it's title -"Gone Wild" The fuzz of the yarn shows off the edge of the card as well. I even took a tiny crochet hook and pulled some of the fuzz looser from under the net.

This came out so cool. I loved the shear white material with the striping and couldn't think what to do with it to make the transparency work. One of the other scraps had a cloud-like shape and the bell went off. "Sunshine on a Cloudy Day" was born.

Another quilt for the Alzeheimers challenge

2006-03-02T21:23:00.000-05:00

"GIRL TALK"
Would you believe that first one came out tooooo big by one lousy inch. I'm not at all a mathematician, and have no patience. Most of the time that is not a problem. But this challenge had rules--9x12 max size. Darn thing came out 10x11 1/2, cause I didn't do the math right!!! So here is a second one, definately under the max size. I took the basic idea from the first postcard quilt I had made. I love my big cats and I had these great textures in these materials. I thought these big cats looked like they were enjoying a chat session in the shade.

Here in this close-up you can tell I added gold beads and did a bunch of fun machine embroidery. There is even a little hand quilting around the 'girls' to make them stand out.

Now I get to make some more postcards. Well, maybe I better take some time to catch up on my bookkeeping and pay our bills. Uggggh! But somebody's gotta do it!

Three more going out!

2006-02-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

This was a fun one. I had a small scrap of these funny-looking creatures and a square of patch from a quilt and put them together with the red/purple scrap. Voila! Clowns in space!!

Then I went into my purples stash and got 'petals' picked out for the big flowers in this. Similar technique in the sunflower postcard. Love my purples.....

Last, but certainly not least, is more purples-only fishy. And that cool teal print that reminded me of seaweed. There is a lady in the postcard swap who likes fishes, and she inspired me to think in this direction.

So these three are off in the mail this morning. I had a small wall quilt to mail for the Fund-raiser for breast cancer, and a box of knitted squares for "Close-Knit Hugs", so I had to stop at the P.O. While I was doing that, I asked her about those three postcards and she didn't see they would have any trouble going through--and she liked them! That made my day, and I am off to make some more...

Postcards starting to fly!

2006-02-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

Got a second one finished with the apple theme. I actually have a 'series' going. That feels real professional--LOL! I'm always impressed with the talented folk who have a wonderful theme going in a whole group of cards.

Speaking of groups---Ta Dah...I sent my first NINE postcards off in the mail. One of them is going as far away as England. Rather nervous about all of them making it in one piece. I'm trusting reports from many swappers that they all do.

Keeping this short, as I have a couple more ideas for continuing some more 'series' cards.

Allzheimers Quilt

2006-02-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

Took a break from the postcards to make a slightly larger (9"x12")one for the Allzheimers fund raiser at this nice site...
http://store.yahoo.com/mallerypressllc/index.html
At my age, it is something that worries me just a bit most of the time, and quite a lot when I do something really forgetful and dumb!!
This was a fun try with free-motion quilting on my machine. Had to change colors quite a few times and could probably do it in my sleep now. It's kinda semi-abstract and I had fun doing it. I can only hope it raises a bit of money for the nice folks who are going through all the trouble to do this great thing for the research.

Here is a close up of "The Chase"

Now back to my postcards. I have so many ideas my fingers can't keep up with my brain. Think maybe I better start writing myself some notes.

Tea for Two postcard

2006-02-23T22:25:00.000-05:00

Got another one finished. These are parts left over from a neat set of placemats and coasters I put together from a kit. I loved the materials.
As I am a totally tea drinker (truly don't like coffee, not even in icecream!!!) I thought it was a great theme for a postcard for someone with the same liking.

Today the list came through for the postcard swap from Art2Mail. I'm so excited. We even have some folks from Austrailia and New Zealand. And my Timtex I ordered from Ebay arrived this morning too. I'm ready to get stitchin'!!

The Timtex folks suggested the use of a glue stick instead of fusible webbing. They mentioned the best was the one that goes on purple and then disapears. I have been using my spray for larger quilts, as I didn't have any Wonder-under on hand. The spray does and okay job, but you have to protect the area and hope you don't get the glue where you don't want it to be. I like the idea of the glue stick, and intend to get some tomorrow when I go grocery shopping. Stop & Shop has a mini department store in it, and a good selection of stationery goods, and crayons, pencils and stuff like that, so I hope they have the glue sticks.

Now the only thing left to arrive is the pigma pen set I ordered. Then the postcards will be flying and the post office won't know what hit them!!!!!!!!!!

Sister postcards

2006-02-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

So of course after I succeeded in sending and getting back my first postcard, I had to make some for my sisters to keep.
This Teddy bear dancer is for my sis Carolyn who loves her bears. I don't know if you can tell, but there is a sparkly yarn around the edge that gives a very delicate fringe to the card. Hope the post office can handle it!

Apples are the collectors item of my sister Sheila's eye. And she has a very tiny apartment so will appreciate the smallness of her new piece of art, I hope!The dragonfly is a close-up to the full size below...

You can also see I am having a fun time using those fancy stitches on the sewing machine. Thought those little round circles kinda looked like apples in the tree.

Sister Barbara loves yellow and has sunflowers as the kitchen theme in her home. So of course I had to give them a try. I really like this one. It was fun doing the freehand stitching on my machine. I always wanted to try, but haven't been that brave about it. This makes it easy as the project is only 4"by 6", so if I blow it, I can just throw it!!
In the close up, I hope you can tell I used different material for the petals of the flower and had fun trying that blanket stitch on the deep brown middle circle of it. I am really liking these threads of 100% cotton I got from Connecting Threads (www.connectingthreads.com) Went to buy some more and found everybody else loved their new line too. You can't get more til July, and a big apology, (and probably very happy faces doing way big orders to the thread makers behind the scenes.--thread makers doing the happy dance!!!)

There we go for today, and more to come tomorrow.

Postcard Quilt Art

2006-02-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got one done! Have been hearing about them, and then saw some great examples, then actually got a blogger account of how to make one. So here is my first try at little postcard-sized quilting.

I love big cats and all animals jungle... so I went for the lion on my first card. I picked up remnants for the fancy materials used. Stuff I could never use in a bed type quilt. A gold shear, a satin with small bits of glitter, and gold threads for accent. That is the fun of these great cards. I sent it to my sister in a nearby town so that she can give it back to me, and I can check out how well it traveled.

The second in my jungle "series"--a zebra and great black and whites. The red is on a very fine black mesh netting I put over the entire card. And the red stitches are a chance to find out what my Janome sewing machine can do with all those fancy settings.

This close-up may show the mesh, but my 63-year old hands aren't as steady as they used to be.
Here is a scenic abstract- kinda!

Anyone out there that wants to swap, please comment and put your email address in the comment. I will get back to you and give you my snail mail addy for a swap. Looking to get one from every state--I'm Connecticut.

Softness

2006-02-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

Here is the softest throw I ever made. It is flannel on the pieced side and regular cloth on the backing. That white flannel is the softest flannel I have ever purchased.

Just loved the whole results... Had a hard time giving it away. But hopefully, the folks in Biloxi, Mi will love it, too. This month I gave our lady in our quilt guild three twin size quilts, and this nice soft throw to send to the survivors of the hurricane. She got wonderful pics and letters from the people who received the first packages. It made us all feel so great for the time and energy we put into making them.
This is a closer look at the quilt.