Rheaya Ann

Rheaya and her daddy, Doug came for dinner yesterday. Kearstyn and Mommy were at a Hannah Montana concert in Seattle. Here she is!

In the Pink

I finished 4 post cards today. They are for a swap. I hand painted the roses then brushed them with gold. The background is pink silk dupioni. Took me 2 days to get them finished. Pretty labor intensive...but sure enjoyed it!

Another Finish

Wow...I've been moving right along working on the Joggles class assignments. Just finished the dogs yesterday. Haven't yet finished the Tree of Life...still have to do some stitching at the bottom to look like grass. I wonder how we are supposed to finish off these little wool felt pieces. The first one, Onions and Gourds, I put on a hand dye, so just did a pillow turn, but these little pieces of felt are different...will have to ask Jane when she resurfaces after the fires in CA.

1 Nov 2007
A couple of people have asked how I did this piece, so here goes.

I took a picture of Charlie and one of Daisy, then got it to the size I wanted, then printed them out.
Then I outlined the picture using a felt tip pen in black...not all the details, just what I figured would be needed.
Then I put the picture on my light box with the canvas on top. Traced the picture onto the canvas.
Now for the really fun part. I used acrylic paints...mixed and blended them. Using a foam brush and broad strokes, applied my first color, not covering the whole piece. Leave some white space.
Then I went back over it using other colors and a paint brush to blend. That's about it!!
I made a quiltlet large enough to hold both the paintings...haven't quilted the background yet, but will.
Hope this helps.

Someday quilt

On my Stashbuster list someone started this thread:

I sat down and made a list of the top 4 quilts I want to
make "someday". I then decided that 2008 will be the year to make at
least one of the quilts on this list (maybe two, because one of them
will make a good leaders and enders quilt). What are your "someday"
quilts, and what is holding you back from making them? Here are my top
5, and the reasons I haven't attempted them yet.
1. Irish Chain-single, double, triple? scrappy? Scrappy, triple chain,
my new leaders and enders project.
2. Lone Star Quilt-those 60 degree angles are something I need to work
on before attempting this.
3. New York Beauty-just seems daunting-color wise.
4. North Carolina Lily-This is what I am going to do in '08 in
traditional reds and greens.
My list does not include all the patterns I have collected over the
years, or all the quilts I want to make, just ones I dream of
having "someday".

This is my list of someday quilts.

1. Dear Jane quilt...terribly scary...tiny little blocks. I have all the fabrics for all blocks...but scared to start. Also have the book...still wondering if I need the software...but really want to piece it by hand.
2. New York Beauty...so many points!
3. A quilt made from my hand dyes and black. Just never started it.
4. My husband's quilt...have had the fabrics for 2 years.

I believe number 4 will be a definite start in 2008...closely followed by my Dear Jane. I can make a few blocks and just keep going...one block at a time.

How about you?

A Finish

Well, I finished up Charlie's picture...darkened up the eye area, so hopefully he no longer looks like a freak raccoon! I free motioned quilted it onto a quiltlet with room for Daisy's picture when it is finished. Will do a painting/quilt for Bailey too. Also finished the landscape quilt...may add a few more beads and perhaps some yarns...but it is pretty much finished. As you can see, I've just started Daisy's.

Lots Done

Wow, I was pretty busy in the sewing room yesterday. I finished the swap blocks for Loose Threads and put them into the envelope for mailing tomorrow. Then I gathered up all the pretties for the DyeHard Surface swap, divided them up and got them in their envelopes too. Then I traced a picture of Charlie (our golden) and got the first step of the painting done for my Art Explorations assignment. Charlie should be dry, so will start the second round of painting/shadowing today. Will post a pic as soon as I get new batteries in the camera.

Rheaya was here on Friday evening...her parents went to a movie. Will post a pic of her soon. She is 6 months now...and just adorable, if I do say so myself.

Ok here are the pictures promised.

One More Time

Ok...here is try number 2 Tree of Life. I know it's not very good...but I'm trying. Do you think it needs something?, possibly...just not sure what. Anybody got some ideas?

Ok Jane gave me these pointers:

Ah, a tree of life. Wonderful! Delightful in pink. Here's what I think it needs. The leaves are too perfectly distributed. They need to be more random. Your tree needs a 'ground.' I'd stitch one, using vertical stitches like grass, and have them go across the bottom in a horizontal-ish line, and make sure you sew over the tree trunk, like the grass would be in front of the tree. And lastly, you need a focal point. I see a spot on one of your branches that's a bit empty and would welcome a bird? or a butterfly or a cat sitting in the tree? Draw some things on tissue paper, and put them on the stop to see how they look and the size relationship. And keep us posted!!

And this from Brooks:

I was just looking at your lovely pink tree thinking as Jane does, that it needs something in it or on it...perhaps a squirrel or an owl living in a big knot in the main trunk..could have trailing vines to pull it together...such fun..maybe we could get together with my pink elephants..(the only colors of wool felt locally were pink, periwinkle and deep purple... a little limiting!..Will look forward to seeing what you do..Brooks

Now to figure out what to do...I'm NOT good at drawing things...but should be able to do the grass with stitching. More mulling!

Jane is right

Jane commented on my last blog entry. She said to remember the explorations in Art Explorations. Jane is absolutely right. I never would have known how I would react to using felt without this class. I think I will start a new felt piece...more mulling is necessary. lol.

Stuf & Things

Well, I finished up the quilt to the left...just need to add a backing and bind. It came out pretty cool...will post a pic when it is completely finished.

I'm scaring myself...signed up for 6 swaps...I haven't done any swaps in more than a year and guess I've been missing them. Here they are:

1. 10 signature blocks for Loose Threads....done, just need to sign.
2. Chicken block swap for The Hen House list...not sure how many I will make...possible 6.
3. 2 postcard swaps for my Fiber Art list...one pink and one with coffee or tea...need to get some ideas for these.
4. 1 Journal sized quiltlet for DyeHard Surfacing. I need to send materials for a quiltlet to a partner and someone will send materials to me. Then you make a small quilt and keep it for yourself. This will be fun.
5. This one is a biggie...for DyeHard Surfacing. It will emcompass 2008. Every month you use a technique on a quilt top, i.e. angelina, discharge, fibers/yarn, foils, metal, paintsticks, sheers, silk fusion (I have no idea on this one...never done it), and tyvek or lutrador. As you finish each technique you sign off on a data base and at the end of the year you post a picture of your finished quilt with all the techniques listed above...pretty fun! I'm not sure why all of a sudden this has hit me...just know I want to play! I haven't even played at all for soooo long.

I've even been thinking about signing up for a pay it forward challenge...still mulling on that one...don't want to disappoint anyone. Not real sure what I would send, if I choose to do this. More mulling is required.

Been working on my second week assignment for the Joggles class (see photo above for 1st week project). It is utilizing wool felt...this is NOT my idea of fun...here is a picture of what I've done so far. They are supposed to be onions and gourds. Pretty sad huh?! Won't hand sew them down...will sew by machine and use pretty colored threads. I don't think wool felt is my choice of techniques...not sure why...just know I don't enjoy it.

Joggles Class

I've been working on my first week's assignment in my Joggles Class. The class is taught by Jane LaFazio...Art Quilt Explorations. The first quilt is supposed to be a landscape. Here is mine (the second picture)...there are definite problems with it. On the left side the hill is too vertical...I needed to soften it. Still working on that. But other than that problem, it is ok. Here it is after pinning a new piece in place...not sure if it works or not. It seems to be a softer incline...not sure though.

Self Satisfied!

This has been a very productive week. I ripped out the mistakes on my pink quilt top and repaired it. Went to the quilt store today and bought border and backing for it. Will post a pic of the flimsy after the borders go on. Finished the quilt top pictured below...and dropped it off today at my long arm quilter. Finished up the bindings on 2 embroidered baby quilts my mother had done and even gave one to Rheaya. The other one is in the cupboard awaiting my first greatgrandchild (this will be many, many years yet). Hand sewed the binding down on a quilt that has my first swap blocks in it (dated 1999). Today I shopped my stash and found backing for the table runner I pieced at retreat last month. It is now sandwiched and awaits machine quilting. Melissa saw the top and loved the colors (will post a pic when it is done), so the runner will go to her. It is her colors.

Went to a Navy retirement ceremony on Thursday. LCDR Mike Cherry retired after 31 years of honorable duty. Mike and his wife Deana are dear friends and our friendship spans the last 12 years. We used to play cards on Friday nights and have a great time...this tradition will start again now that Mike is back home. At the retirement there were many people we worked with at Subase Bangor PSA, including one Commanding Officer and one genuine American hero (he is a recipient of the Bronze AND Silver Star Medals). I was really, really nervous about going and seeing all these people. When they knew me I was much younger (how can that be? it was just 12 years ago), and pretty, and much, much thinner. But they were all so very wonderful and we all had a tear in our eyes at being together again. My grandchildren, Caleb 13, Emily 11, and Abigail 7 went with us. Their Dad (a minister) was the Chaplain in the ceremony. They found it astounding that their Grandma was so very well known. All of the officers told them they had worked for me and that they checked in every am to get their orders for the day! My grandkids were amazed. Mike seated Russ (DH) and I in the front row along side his family...and he said such wonderful things about us...it made me cry. A wonderful time was had by all!