Fabric Beads

ThThese are fabric beads that I did for a group swap on the lower section, with copper faces. The top photo is the fabric beads that do when I sit and have a cup of tea taking a break. I have a baggie with everything in it so I just have to pick it up and work on it. I learned this from Quilting Art Magazine Issue Nine on page 30 by Gail Ellspermann. Very fun to do. She used gold leafing but made an awful mess with it and I used gold glitter and it did the trick.

Son's Viewpoint's Quilt

This is a quilt I started 3 years ago for his 30th birthday and now he is going to be 33 in May. I thought I would get it of the designing wall and try and finish it. I worked on it about an hour today. If I work on it everyday for a month I will or hope to finish it. I worked on the adding the dragon on the right side and now still have to do another one, It is already on the hoop and ready to go. I will do that tomorrow among other things. This is from the class I took with Susan Brittingham in Viewpoints. it is a sample she gave us to come up with our idea. I have a larger, much larger, design that I did and have not even started to pick fabrics for.

Easter PC

My twin sister's, Mary Adkins, Easter card. I bet you know which one I received..a lot of work and oh so pretty..

Chat

Today is finishing up Easter pc for family and friends and mail them out asap so that they receive them in time for Easter.
Also finish up few charms for my swap in my group. coming out pretty good, but I am having trouble with the eyelet tool I have had for a very long time so tonight we will run to Wal Mart and buy the newer ones I see. I think these might work better as I can probably use a hammer with them. In another group I will be making inches but do not need backs as these are going to use to display the way we would like. I probably will finished the ones I get and put them on a bracelet..I choose lime green as my color!! I love purple first but do not have much in lime green. More later.

Here's what blooming

Here is what is blooming right now in my front yard, except the dogwood in the back yard. My Azaleas, Lilac bush, Narcissus. My Daffodils are gone. I see sprout of my Peonies, 3 colors, rose bushes, 5, are flourishing, and my Dutch Irises and soon they will be blooming. So wonderful,

My hand felted tag-a-long pincushion

These are my hand felted tag-a-long pin cushion I made the other day and finished them yesterday with the blanket stitch that I did for the first time and really enjoyed it. As you can see the left one is kinda messed up. That is why I made two, one to practice with. You can get a free pattern for this tag-a-long from http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/ideas/projects/objectsgarmentsother/tagalongpin_1.html

Have fun with it. I think I will use felt next time..

My pressed flowers/Quilt for Mom started, Dogwood

This my lilac flowers that are no more. it browned a little but now is dry and very pretty in person.

Worked on mom's dogwood quilt this morning. On the left is the fusible on the bottom and top. I used Misty Fuse this time and did not do a good job as my Wonder Wonder taken of the paper backing..it did not even stick to the fabric, I iron 3 times..anyway the photo below is parchment paper over is all and ironed. The photo on the lower left is the process all ironed on. Then photo below is I added fiber around the edges of the tulle and not sure if I like it but when I did it with invisible thread or green thread it did not look as nice as the fiber.. Now I will sandwich it and do some machine stitching around and inside the dogwood ares. I really was not in the mood for this but had to get it done before my dogwoods died on me.so far it is holding up. the cards I made the other is not turning brown so that is good news..Tried to do my lilac but it rain and had to much moisture in them and would not work right for me and then it turn brown really quick..so I have picked more and will wait a bit before trying them. I will post my flowers later on.

These are my pressed flowers I did yesterday and today. What fun. Now I am not sure if they will turn brown, but watching the dogwoods so far so good for two days now..I hope this works as I would love to make a larger quilt for my mom, Joycelyn, not misspelled. She just loves dogwood. We grew one in our backyard for her and named it after her..we have to go get her to show her the blooms. We almost cut it down last year as it did not bloom for 4 years. We did not and one day looked outside and there it was in full bloom, I was so excited..and the day we took photos of my shed, found them in full bloom again. Yesterday I cut some clippings of the dogwood and made mom a card. Me a book marker and card..the other one is for a swap in my pc group. Now those were drying in a phone book and when I found out about fusible and tulle, I went outside and pick my Narcissus, some azaleas, and those purple grown cover..but I ruin them all as I used wonder under with the paper back and it all got stuck and they all pulled apart..so no more Narcissus as I have only one bloom left. So what I did is used the ones drying in my phone book. Came out really pretty. We will do again in few months when more flowers are in bloom. I am hoping this is a way to keep track of what I am growing in my front yard..Now I can not wait for my roses, peonies, hydrangeas, dutch irises, lilies are in bloom..some will be later but I will try them. The holes you see on my book marker is I tried to add some foo foos and it did not look good so took them off, glad it is mine. lol

Challenged Art quilt

I finished my min quilt today, about a half hour ago, the binding, now that takes time.
I added a shovel but on the outside of the trim area. I machine quilted with metallic and invisible thread. The hat is loose on the outside to give it dimension. It took a total of 14-15 hours since the 24th after the sketch of the door was done. It was so fun. What do you all think?


I added the hat today and I feel there is something missing on the lower right side so will add a shovel or rake..than I can add the batting and back and maybe do some machine stitching..was going to give to one of two people that owe a quilt to but my dh has been admiring it so much that I will give it to him for his birthday on April 7th, a day before Easter.

This is what I did yesterday, Monday the 26th. Could not do much with dh being home, he had some test done and was a bit concerned with him being sedated..I added the border and trim.

I have added by painting my ivy vines and limbs onto my old screen door mini quilt. I will add my straw hat, spider web and finished with some borders and binding.

Here is the screen door added. Boy, I sure had a hard time trying to figure out how to get this done correctly or shall I say my way. I could have my silver metallic tulle and burn holes and such on it but that is not what I wanted to do..so I made a template of just the inside the screen door and painted it with silver metallic ceramic paint and Terra Cotta..to give it the rustic look on the screen. I made the screen door larger than the shed doors as this is suppose come from an old house..and also the focus point. Now to some thread painting and fussing cutting of ivy growing all over the screen..Add some dust bunnies, a spider web and it should be OK, keep on checking up to see what it will end up looking like. What do you all think?

Found my building, right in my back yard!! I will use this for my background for the screen door. It is blurred for my purpose. This metal shed has been in my back yard for 20 years, lucky me! Just waiting for dh to remove it. one day..lol

This is a rough draft of my "Retired Old White Screen Door" I see it against an old building, a brick wall. I see more on the screen than what I have put on it. Right now I have some vines growing on it and old gardening hat, some holes. I see a spider web, which I can do in embroidery stitching. Now to execute it..I asked dh for a piece of screen, as I knew he bought some to replace a window..he brought out this plastic screen..well, that is not what I wanted..what happen to to the metal screens..I used to used metal screens to level of my pottery and ceramic pieces..so he will go an old hardware store today to see if he can me a small piece..lol..I want to paint it and put it on fabric..or I guess I could use right on the piece but that is not what I want...he asked me if I wanted some balsa wood for the frame, give me a break, lol..Men!!
Well, what do you know, dh just went and bought me an aluminium screen so now I will go and play with it..lol Now this looks more like the screen I am talking about..much a dew about nothing. lol I will take a photo of both and you will see why I wanted the "real screen". The plastic screen is thicker and I would end up with a lot of smudges, I would think whereas the regular screen it will give me the realistic look I am trying to achieve.

Hand Felting my first try

My first try at hand felting. My Pear.. I love it but need a larger foam to work on so I can work on larger pieces..I only stab myself twice..once right the nail..that one hurt too. ouch..lol
This is wool roving is called Coreopis and love it. perfect for a pear..I went outside and got a twig for the stem, worked for me..this is for a swap in another pc group I am in.
Next project is to make a pin cushion with my wool..and see what I can get out of it..

ATCs I received today

I received these today in the mail. They are from an exchange we did in Playways. From left to right on top: Dianne Page-Sydney, Caryn Phillips-Au, on the bottom left to right: is Jan Lovell-UK, Caroll Pichelmann-Mawson...thank you ladies and love them all.. The ones on the top is what I had sent in. Silk Fusion abstract.

One of my oil paintings

Oil Painting
One of my oil paintings that I did keep. I will post the other one later when I find the photo or take another one of it.

The quilt on the left is from my Poppin' Poppies class with Ruth Blanchet.

I did follow her pattern in this class. wonderful class. I love it and also started another one but not finished, yes another ufo..have plenty of these laying around.. The other photo is from To Bead or Not to Bead with Susan Brittingham class. I could find the my sampler photo to put up here..lots of beads..since then I have added beads to anything and everything. very relaxing. Great class if you want to know the basic of beading and more.

I have about 5 quilts from QU that are not finished and some just the designs are done, but do plan to do all of them..have some that are not related to QU and are now hanging on my designing walls.

My Element Class Photos

These 3 photos is from the class called The Elements with Linda Schmidt. This is one class that I have learned so much as far as using textiles and any thing I can get my hands on and put it on my quilts. I still have my earth with some of the textiles pinned on it than I have to finish. It was a class that kept me busy from week to week..but so much fun. I also did the back of these quilts with chalking so it could look a lot better than machine stitching on the back. The "water" element is pretty stiff as it is stitch pretty heavily.. All of the borders are with ribbons with beading and also continues the pattern of the quilt.

Links

I have added links but they did not go where I wanted them to. I tried moving them on the Dashboard but when I preview them they are still under the blogs info and photos that I have added.
I am trying to put all my older stuff in here as I will start taking photos for my girls to come here to see the photo and learn some of the things that I do. This way they can see photos..you know the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words"..or something like that, I am always getting them wrong, lol..
I do need to correct a piece of my dyeing photos, one with the woman's face is not my design but Marjie's, in the class she gave me permission to do this..also another piece but have not finished it...she did a piece with her friends where I am doing it with my sisters and I..one day it will be done..the waxed is on there and like Marjie says it will last for a long time..lol..if you haven't taken a dyeing class from Marjie boy are missing out on one of the most knowledgeable teacher and most fun.. you can hear her laugh through her classes..see you in April,Marjie.

Guitar Quilt

I made this Guitar quilt for my brother in law after he had his heart attack. I had received this pattern when I ordered a calendar from Quilting Arts of 2004 I believe. This pattern is from Robbi Joy Eklow. All my hand dyed fabric but the background fabric. it was fun and very easy to do make. I have been meaning to make one for my oldest son but haven't got around to it. This was the last pattern quilt I made as after this quilt I started to design my own even when taking more classes.

Hand Dyed Fabrics

Some of my hand dyed fabrics taken with Marjie McWilliams.
Both of these are from Gutta Resist classes..are scarves that I have given to both of my sisters..Mary and Patti.
These are some batiks I did and notice I have repeated the butterfly so I made one of them smaller.

Post Cards for Fr. Rick

Hanging post cards I made for Fr. Rick while he was at John Hopkins hospital so he could look at them while laying in bed. These were made where you had to put them in envelopes and had batting in the middle..they range from 5-7 to 8-10. Now I would call them mini quilts. I had made two more but could not find them.

Waterlily Quilt

Waterlily quilt I made for my little sister, Patti Johnstone, who was very sick at this time. I did this in Helen Marshall's Waterlilies class at QU. I made the lady bug and dragonfly with all threads doing it with a hoop with water solubles. It was a lot of fun.