Threads~n~Fiber

Juried into Denver National Quilt Show

2011-04-14T08:46:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my friend Heidi "nudging" me along these two quilts were juried into Denver National Quilt Show at the end of this month.

It will be fun to see them hanging with the big dogs! There is a lot of work in these two quilts. Hours of painting the" Feathers & Flowers" quilt and hours of custom quilting in both of them. The Mariner's Compass quilt I named "Finding My Way" because it helped me find my footing in the custom quilting world which by the way I am loving!!! Would rather custom quilt than do patterns any ol' day!!!

Mariner's Compass

2011-01-20T08:08:00.004-07:00

It's almost done! Spent 5 days custom quilting it now I need to put the binding on it. The neat thing is the back is a whole cloth quilt because I used the 108 wide material!!! So I will have reversible/two in one.

Memory Quilt Done

2011-01-18T05:59:00.002-07:00

Finished my memory quilt of my Mom. Put her HS graduation picture on it along with lots of her jewelry, a watch, old buttons, tatted flowers and lace she had done, etc. etc.

I tea dyed all the fabric. I quilted a feather boarder around it.

I like it turned out really nice.

Found Them

2010-09-15T07:55:00.006-06:00

Ok Heidi here they are!!! The pictures that so mysteriously disappeared from my computer!!!! Turns out they were never ON MY PUTER, they were in my phone!!!!!

This is a Mariner's Compass quilt that I made, still have to get it put on backing fabric, the smaller pieces will be the corners.

Also pictures of my Crazy Quilt blocks that I have been working on for two years now. Still have some beading and a little stitching to do on them then I can assemble them and quilt it!!!!

My own things

2010-09-05T07:42:00.004-06:00

This is my diligent little shadow who waits patiently for his morning walk or sleeps soundly while I am quilting!!

I am making a crazy quilt this is the last of the nine blocks that I have done. Now I must get it together and quilted!!!!

I'm taking a feather bootcamp class online with Suzanne Early on MQResources. It's a different twist to making them but as you can see I'm having a little trouble keeping them consistent on the edges. Sheesh who would think feathers could be so technical????

Lets see..................I have finished all the stars on my embroidery machine and have fused them to background blocks............hmmmmm well I got sidetracked one day after watching a video online of Mattie Rhoades QuiltSmart technique and I just had to try it!!!!

Well I've looked and looked and I can't seem to find any pictures of the Mariner's Compass that I got side tracked with or any of my embroidered stars..........hmmmmmmmm where have I lost them at on my puter!!!!????? I'm thinking maybe just maybe I never took any????? Sorry maybe next month ( and I will try to post monthly from now on) I can get them posted!!!!!

I'm off to read the Sunday ads then to Joann's for my 50% off coupon, there's a quilting pattern book I want there and then on to Big Lot's for more fleece blankets!!!!!

September and I am caught up!!!

2010-09-05T07:33:00.002-06:00

This quilt was a beautiful batik star in Tuscany colors so I used a Tuscany design for it. My customer loved it. It's for her brother and she was excited to get to take it to him the following week.

Lover Boy here was lots of fun. I custom quilted him and I just had to put feathers all the way around his tail!!!!!!

I got a California King southwestern quilt from a new customer. She came with her friend as a referral from one of their friends who I have quilted for. We had so much fun that afternoon, they were so excited about all the things I do, as in Ohhhh you have an embroidery machine?? Oh I see you do alot of custom quilting from the hangings on your walls and you do ART QUILTS!!!!

Moving on to my own things now!!!!!!

August has arrived

2010-09-05T07:24:00.005-06:00

This is a beautiful Carpenter's Star quilt that I quilted for a benefit. I loved the colors so much!!!

Then I did this JOY wall hanging for a customer for our quilt guilds craft show coming up October 9 & 10.

This colorful queen quilt that was done by one of my customers using all her left over scraps!!! You can't see it but I used a varigated thread same color as the front on the back. She loved it!!!!

Moving on to July

2010-09-05T06:50:00.003-06:00

Let's see what I can dig up from my picture files for July!!!

I took two fleece blankets and quilted them together using/practicing the Lisa Calle feather technique. I made this blanket for my next door neighbor who was going into the hospital for cancer surgery. I put her name in the middle with flowers around it using my embroidery machine. She loved it so much she took it with her to the hospital.

Then I did a beautiful flag quilt for a customer!!! WOW it was stunning. She made it for her son.

After that comes another Wounded Warrior Quilt that I custom quilted with feathers in the negative spaces.

Moving right along we have two Christmas carpenter star quilts. This is the third one I have done. My customer brought me red/green thread which was so beautiful, her backings were white/white so the stitching showed so well. On the last row of the first quilt the thread started breaking before starting the second quilt I changed my needle, oiled my machine, loosened my tension a little bit, but when I started the second quilt that darn thread kept breaking!!!! So I had to switch to solid red thread. We decided it was the thread because I used half the spool before it started breaking and it consistently broke in the same color range each time!!!! White!!!

Way behind

2010-09-05T06:30:00.008-06:00

Gosh I didn't realize I have been neglecting my blog for so long!!! Time flies when you're having fun and I have been having lots of fun!!!!!

I did this oversized queen wolf quilt. I put pine trees on it.

Did these freehand feathers on placemats for a friend. The feathers are a Lisa Calle technique which I am still learning but I love the lay out of them.

Our Tuesday night quilt group has started making Quilts for wounded warriors. We will be donating to the retreat in Westcliff.

This is a whole cloth quilt that I did for a customer. It was so fun!!! There were only two designs she wanted on it then she told me to do whatever I wanted on it. FUN FUN!!! She was so happy when she came to pick it up!!

A few more

2010-06-20T08:02:00.002-06:00

Here's a couple of quilts I did before I left for Wyoming. The butterflies were custom quilted because each block was hand cross stitched and needed a specific design.

Bonding with my Gammill

2010-05-14T18:11:00.006-06:00

The round part of this quilt will go over the pillows. These first two pictures go together. This is a beautiful quilt. The sides are just beautiful dark blue material with skaters on it.

This is the back of the Sunbonnet girls quilt. I used varigated pastel thread.

These are all customer quilts I've finished on my Gammill.

IT'S HERE!!!

2010-04-26T08:49:00.003-06:00

It's finally here!!! AND I LOVE IT!!!!
It was love at first touch!!!! LOL My Gammill Vision 18.8 has so many awesome features they thought of everything!!! The computer on front does automatic tie offs, horizontal and Vertical channel locks, low bobbin alert and bobbin gauge (just like your car's gas tank) just watch the gauge to tell when you are low on bobbin, an alarm will go off to let me know I am low as well. It has a radio and MP3 player in the computer!!! Has regulated speed, coast speed, and non regulated speeds for any type of quilting.

I got mine from Tomorrow's Heirlooms in Denver, CO and Steve is so awesome to work with!!!! He came down and set it up and did all the installation . He spent 8 hrs here getting it fine tuned and training me.

I got an A+ on threading it for the first time and I was a little nervous about that but it was super simple after I watched him do it once! He pulled the thread out and said " okay you thread it now"!

I quilted my first quilt on it yesterday and it was awesome!!! So I'm off to get another quilt on the frame now.

2010-04-26T08:40:00.007-06:00

This is a wall hanging quilt that has arrived for custom quilting.

This is a vintage table cloth that I made into a freehand feathered whole cloth quilt. Yes I'm really, really into whole cloth quilts!!! I used the colored pencil technique on it too.

This is a quilt I will be custom quilting with feathers. It's next on my list just as soon as I get totally comfortable with my new Gammill which should help my quilting abilities by 100% I love my new machine!!!!

This is a customer's carpenter's star Christmas quilt. She wanted the chantilly lace pantograph on it and it turned out really nice. Her backing was red so I used dark green thread and she loves it!!!!

Vintage Heirloom

2010-04-14T07:14:00.003-06:00

This is a Vintage quilt a customer commissioned me to square up all the blocks (40 in all) sew them together and then quilt it. All of the blocks were hand pieced to feedsacks as backing and all the material was feed sacks. This was a labor of love because I so love VINTAGE!!!!! These blocks were her Grandmother's and this lady is 79!!!! I decided since it was an Heirloom quilt it needed freehand heirloom feathers. She was thrilled with it and will be taking it to Oklahoma for her 98 yr old Mother to see.

I am BEHIND!!!

2010-03-21T15:42:00.007-06:00

Okay I've been so busy I haven't posted for a while but you can see why I haven't!!! These are quilts I've done for customers.

The first is a row quilt that I did all freehand work on which is a birthday gift. A batik quilt which is also a birthday gift. Another

birthday quilt black back and greens and browns on front. A queen sized sunbonnet wedding quilt. Another row quilt which I did all freehand work on it's a birthday gift too. A flannel house quilt well sorta house quilt.

My friend Heidi is getting a Nolting SOON and I am sooooooooo excited for her!!!! I helped talk her into it!!! hee hee She has wanted the Fun Quilter for a long time and has been looking at it a long time!!!!

This morning I dyed an antique table cloth that I am going to make into a whole cloth quilt. Of course I tea dyed it!!! My favorite colors!!!! Right now I have a 45 x 45 whole cloth on the frame, it's white, but I am not a fan of white so it might end up tea dyed too, not sure, have to try the white at least!!!! So watch for the whole cloth quilts to show up here. It will be a while possibly a long long while. I sold my HQ and am delivering it April 2 then I will be without a machine for 3 long weeks!!! But ................I will get all my quilt tops done.........or not?????

Annnnnnnnnd a few more

2010-02-26T13:43:00.004-07:00

This is a california king I just finished this morning!!! It's a wedding quilt made by another of my good friends Vicki. I used hot pink thread and it made such a nice contrast on the teal backing fabric it's awesome!!!!

A few more quilts

2010-02-26T13:33:00.003-07:00

The first quilt here is a Christmas quilt with houses and lots of star fabric so I used my new panto I bought from Sue Schmieden at the Denver Expo. Sue is such a nice lady I talked with her for quite sometime about machines and quilting.

I also bought one of her whole cloth designs which I can't wait to get started on!!!!

Okay the black and pink quilt is paper pieced, made by my best friend Crystal !!!! I helped with a few of these paper pieced blocks!!! It's a most beautiful quilt!!!

The red and lime strips is a cute little lap quilt with bees and flowers on it so I put cute little flowers all over it.

More Quilts

2010-02-26T13:27:00.002-07:00

I did this horse quilt freehand putting feathers in the brown blocks and rope stippling elsewhere.

The blue and yellow quilt is so cute!!! She matched the umbrella fabric perfectly. My customer wanted waves on it so I quilted it in blue thread.

This one is a Christmas quilt, the black and holly is awesome fabric!!! Heidi matched all her greens and red scraps for this quilt really well!!!!

More Quilting & one is mine!!!

2010-01-30T11:49:00.005-07:00

This is a baby quilt I made for my niece.

This was a customers quilt she is going to use it for a reversible table cloth. I matched the quilting design as close as I could to the flower pattern on the top. I used the quilting design by Patricia Ritter entitled Whoopsie daisy.

I fell in love with this material when my customer brought this quilt top to me!!! I love the impressionists artists. She made this for her friend's birthday who is an artists!!! What a perfect gift.

More Quilts!

2010-01-30T11:44:00.003-07:00

The yellow quilt is another new quilter and this was her first quilt as well. It's on the frame right now being quilted.

This is a turquoise and brown polka dot quilt that I quilted last week for a New quilter. This is her first ever quilt top and it turned out beautiful!!!! She was so happy to see it finished.

HQ For Sale

2010-01-28T08:03:00.008-07:00

SOLD IT!!

Here is my lovely HQ for Sale I want a bigger machine, a Gammill all the "extras" that I have added to it. Ruler base ($100 ) Micro handles ($250.) Lights @ 9.95 each I have all of them no slot left vacant.

24 bobbins @ 3.00 each with bobbin winder.Laser light & Stylus ( $100) and four groovy boards. 3 sets of leaders in different sizes.

I wanted a Gammill from the beginning so should have just went that route. I love the machine and it does sew very good. As you can tell from my blog I've quilted many quilts with it. The nice sturdy 12' studio frame goes with it!! :-) This machine is only six months old because it was a replacement for my original that I got back in March that had a power pod malfunction so they were so nice as to just replace it for me!!! I've actually had an HQ for almost a year now and I do love it but like I said, it's not what I wanted from the beginning!!!! HQ's customer service is wonderful!!!!

Will deliver within a 400 mile radius and set up for you. I live in Pueblo West, Colorado

Christmas for my daughter

2010-01-01T08:32:00.005-07:00

I started this on Dec 9th and finally finished it (between quilting for customers) on Dec 17th. WHEW!!!! Wasn't sure I was going to get it finished before we left for Phoenix for Christmas with the kids.

I have had this Lonni Rossi panel for TWO YEARS, one of those "I'll get started on it this year" type project. My daughter asked me in November if she was ever going to get it????? Ha ha, someday was my reply. So I decided to surprise her with it this Christmas. A few years ago I was into making all sorts of textured fabrics. So I decided to use some of it on the robe. This was made by fusing crinkled up tin foil to muslin then painted, it was amazingly pliable.My daughter loved it so I thought I'd use it as part of the robe. This Geisha is by Lonni Rossi entitled "Winter Snow Geisha". My daughter loved it and was totally surprised I had it done!!!!

A Bargello

2010-01-01T08:26:00.003-07:00

This is a beautiful bargello in mostly lavanders and purples with some turquoise. This was the thrid quilt Twyla has ever done!!!! GREAT JOB isn't it???? It turned out beautiful. I used my favorite panto by Patricia Ritter, "Starburst" chosen by Twyla!!!! This quilt was also Queen sized. Of course Rudy insisted on having his picture taken beside this most beautiful quilt!!!!! Looks like the ironing board insisted too!!!! LOL

QUILTS, QUILTS & more quilts!!!

2010-01-01T08:12:00.005-07:00

This is a bright cheery quilt done by a friend in memory of her grand-daughter. I custom quilted this one for her using my heart rulers on the borders and a heart panto in the center. Finished this Queen sized on Dec 14. Started another on Dec 15.

I've been busy!!!! Getting quilts done for Christmas!!!! Isn't this a cute one??

A few more quilts

2009-10-25T07:37:00.007-06:00

I just finished four Halloween quilts for a friend of a friend. One of these was Queen sized the other three were twins. They were really fun to do!!! I put pumpkins on the pumpkin, lime green spider webs on the green/black and ghosts on the pumpkin/ghost. Purple spiderwebs on the Queen sized.

Here's an Americana red/white/blue that I just finished. I quilted the top and bottom in red, she loved it!!!

I quilted this bird panel for Charlotte.

Silhouette Demo piece

2009-10-03T11:16:00.002-06:00

This is a wall hanging I did as a demonstration at our quilt guild. It is silhouettes of my kids back in 1991

Challenge quilts

2009-10-03T08:29:00.009-06:00

Okay I've been busy quilting and have neglected my blog. That's why I joined blogging without obligation!!!! LOL
Here is my challenge piece quilted. Freehand quilted this one using different techniques, even blanket stitched around the moon with my longarm.
I also finished a challenge piece for a lady in our quilt guild. This is it and it's is absolutely beautiful!!!! In my last post I explained our guild had to blind draw two crayons out of a bag. Her's happened to be purple and red. Mine were orange and yellow.

I've just finished Mary R's friendship quilt and her snowball quilt. They were both really fun to do.

A couple more Christmas gifts for Charlotte's family. I need to find & load a couple more of her quilt pictures soon as I find them.

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Quilts I've been quilting

2009-09-10T07:10:00.004-06:00

I am still practicing on friends quilts. I've learned so much!!! What a learning curve there is in quilting. There are so many variables for thread tension and so many threads!!!!! My machine will take any kind of thread so far. I love the freehand quilting but don't feel I am good enough to put it on someone else's quilt!!!

Quilting away

2009-09-10T07:04:00.003-06:00

Our club recently started a challenge. Pick two crayons out of a paper bag add black & or white and make something!!! My colors were yellow and orange!!!! Yippee I love those colors and here is what I made!!!!! I still have to quilt it. But I think it turned out well.

Baby Quilt

2009-07-24T07:20:00.002-06:00

Made this baby quilt for a friend of ours. I love these fairies! This quilt was all free motion, mainly with feathers, got lots of practice on them.

College Grad Quilt

2009-07-17T10:49:00.005-06:00

Remember the college grad fishing quilt I made for my son??? Well he brought it back when he came to visit so I could show it at my quilting guild, he had to leave before the meeting so while it was at my house waiting for his return I entered it in the Pueblo County fair and it won a blue ribbon!!!!! I was pleased!!!!

Both of my other entries also won blue ribbons and one also won Champion (purple ribbon) in it's division.

Antique quilt

2009-07-17T10:42:00.002-06:00

This is an antique quilt top that has been in my Mother's attic for at least 20 years. I brought it home and finished free hand quilting it this week. I learned a lot from this quilt. It is king sized so had lots and lots of practice with feathers, flowers and swirls. I used the rip away paper technique for the large roses in the blocks. This is an Irish chain design, possibly double Irish chain?? Not sure everyone who looks at it isn't sure either.

Finished Eight point star

2009-07-17T10:39:00.002-06:00

Here is the finished quilt. It turned out really nice!!

Another Quilt to Do

2009-07-02T20:07:00.004-06:00

This is a quilt Vicki made, it is a birthday present for a co-worker of hers to give his wife!!! I am so in love with this quilt!!!! He wants it quilted with stars..............hmmmmmmmmm still trying to decide WHAT kind of stars and yada yada yada!!!! I'm thinking Starburst by Patricia Ritter on this one. It needs something large and flowing. All the other stars are just too small. This quilt is so beautiful!!! I may end up making my own design for this quilt.

Quilts, Quilts & more quilts

2009-07-02T06:18:00.007-06:00

This is a Christmas quilt I made and just finished quilting. Our quilting guild is having a Christmas in July sew night and we are making Old World Snowball quilts. The board members (me included) needed to have ours done for the July meeting. Christmas in July will be our theme for our sew night.
This quilt was also freehand quilted.

Three stooges and fairies

2009-07-02T06:10:00.004-06:00

Here is Crystal's Three Stooges Quilt, I quilted this one using a pantograph called Top Hats. It turned out really well and she was really happy with it.

This is a baby quilt I made for my neighbor. I freehanded feathers all over the borders of it. It was my first time quilting feathers freehand the picture is a bit fuzzy. Actually this entire quilt was freehand quilted.

More Quilts

2009-07-02T06:08:00.003-06:00

This is a paper pieced wall hanging Charlotte made. The picture does not do it justice, it has very vibrant colors!! I used the chantilly lace pano pattern on it. She does such beautiful paper piecing!!! She just taught me how to do it this spring and I love it, now to get TIME!

Quilts

2009-07-02T06:01:00.003-06:00

I've been busy quilting for my friends!! This is a wedding quilt Vicki made and I quilted for her. It turned out awesome!!!

Finished

2009-05-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

Binding is on, label is on the back it's ready to wrap!!

College grad quilt

2009-05-13T06:00:00.003-06:00

My son graduates from college Friday morning. He is a Learning disabilities teacher, also "Student Teacher of the Year" from Arizona State University. Graduating with honors. We are so proud of him. He loves to fish so I made him a quilt with silhouette pictures of him and fish he has caught over the years. All the designs on this quilt were freehand quilted which was another learning experience for me. Very fun.

More quilting

2009-05-13T05:56:00.010-06:00

These are all Charlotte's quilts that I have quilted.
She does paper piecing only and they are all beautiful.
Here are a couple more quilts I have done for Charlotte.
Here is Charlotte and me holding up her Hunter's
Star paper pieced quilt at our quilt guild.

Quilts

2009-04-28T06:50:00.004-06:00

Here are a few quilts I've been working on. Just got the flag quilt off the frame yesterday. The peach/ green was a friends paper pieced quilt. Of course Khloe our Maine Coon Cat, is making sure all is done correctly!!! My friend and mentor taught me how to paper piece and I'm addicted!!! The two black/colored batik blocks were my first two paper pieced.

I GOT IT!!

2009-03-26T21:33:00.004-06:00

I finally caved in and got me the HQ Sixteen. There is a real learning curve with it but as with everything these days. The first picture is of a pantograph I've been practicing on.

Storm of the year

2009-03-26T21:21:00.002-06:00

Wow we are having the storm of the year!! Here it is almost April and this has to be the worst storm we have had all winter!! A snow drift in our backyard is unheard of but the wind blew while snowing today and wow!! It is now ZERO out there!!! Think I'll go crawl under my electric blanket!!!

Miscellaneous

2009-03-26T21:16:00.004-06:00

Mile a Minute table runner I made at Sew Saturday with our quilting club.

40th anniversary quilt I made for my friend in England. The bargello was a class I took but
I didn't have a good enough contrast in values and one of the greens had orange and yellow flowers in it and when finished it looked like paint blotches so another UFO laying around.

Misty's quilt

2009-03-26T20:59:00.003-06:00

This was a quilt I made for my daughter called Turning Twenty. I should have renamed it turning 30 because she got it on her 30th birthday/Christmas December 23. I made her pillows and pillowcases to match.

Paperless paper piecing

2009-03-26T20:52:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to get some of my UFO's FINISHED!!
Paperless paper piecing was an online class I took. I made all my blocks but never sewed them together because I didn't care for the purple and orange. I did finish it but it's still too bright for my liking. The technique was really fun. I used my embroidery machine to make the center design.

UPDATES

2009-03-26T20:16:00.003-06:00

Everyone keeps telling me I need to update my blog, it has been a long time!!! But I've been busy..........see....................Learning to weave. It's so relaxing and I love doing it.

Bowls

2009-01-07T07:49:00.004-07:00

I've become addicted to bowls!!!! These are sooooooooooo fun to make, they make nice presents too. As you can see from pictures on my blog I've made a few lately!!!

And here's Santa!!! I made him for my Mom for Christmas. My friend Charlotte made all the yo yo's for me.

Wall hanging

2009-01-07T07:22:00.003-07:00

Here is a wall hanging quilt I made for my friend in England, it's her birthday present. I hope she likes it!!!! I also made the wall scone hanging beside the quilt. It's made from rovings, lace, odds n ends of fabrics.

Catching up to do

2009-01-07T07:13:00.003-07:00

Gee I didn't realize it has been so long since I posted to my blog!!! Well............I do have excuses!! I was sick with the creeping crud all the month of September, busy in Oct trying to get my daughter's quilt done for Christmas, November was spent in Phoenix with my daughter who got laid off her job the end of October. We packed her and moved her home to Colorado, she now resides in Denver, Co and has a new and exciting job!!! And December........well it came and went in a flash!!

Here is a wall hanging I made using fabric, hot glue, puzzle pieces, dichroic glass, rubber stamps and paint!! I sold this at our Quilter's Guild silent auction.

Tin foil cloth

2008-09-20T16:00:00.009-06:00

I used kitchen tin foil crumpled and then ironed onto muslin using stitch witchery. Took it out in the garage and painted it with metallic paints and spray painted a couple of these. It is amazing how SOFT and supple it is. I can see it can easily be sewn like cloth. Not sure how well the tin foil will stand up but looks good and stuck to the muslin at this point.

Then I got the bright idea to try pages from books. I tea dyed them let them dry, crumpled them up, ironed them to muslin using stitch witchery, misty fuse, or whatever fusible interfacing you have. They are AWESOME!!!

By then I was on a roll so I decided I needed more metallics on black so WA LA!!!!! Bubble wrap and metallic fabric paints. The flowers were a foam stencil stamp I had and they are really "silver" not white.

These are just painted onto black fabric no fusing involved.

I liked the book pages so much I thought why not use brown wrapping paper??? So I crumpled it up ironed it to muslin took it out in the garage and painted it with metallics!!! It almost looks like leather I think it has the makings of a journal cover written all over it!!!

And of course one thing leads to another....I had left over coffee in a cup from dying the book pages so I crumpled up two pieces of muslin and packed them down into the cup and let the coffee soak up. End results.............

Projects

2008-09-14T07:15:00.002-06:00

These are fabric bowls I've been making for our Quilter's Guild Silent Auction in November.

They have become rather addictive for me!!! I wrap the cording in the evening while watching TV and then sew them the next day.

As you can see from the picture above I also finished my fall Sudoku quilt. Now I'm working on a fall table runner.

Crazy Quilting

2008-07-14T07:12:00.005-06:00

I've finally gotten around to making a crazy quilt block!!! This one is going on a six month trip around the world to other crazy quilters who will embellish it. I will eventually get it back. A new block!!! I had to make a new CQ block to send in the round robin seems one person has stalled the rotation.
Think Pink. I made the bookmark for my daughter's friend whose Mother died of breast cancer . A friend of mine made the wallet and I swapped for it at our Tue night quilting group.

Tote bags

2008-07-14T07:09:00.002-06:00

This week I made tote bags for myself and my daughter. They were fun to make. Mine is the brown/tan and her's is the oriental. These were super simple to make. I made the handles out of cording wrapped and sewn together.

Sudoko Quilt top

2008-07-14T07:04:00.003-06:00

Our quilting guild had a work night at the last meeting and we all made Sudoko quilt tops. Here is mine. I chose fall colors because I love fall and pumpkins and the leaves turning colors. I decorate my house for fall with lots of pumpkins and fall leaves. I need to get it quilted sometime this week.

Quilties

2008-06-30T16:38:00.008-06:00

This face quiltie is a quiltie I made for ME! I was going to swap it but decided I liked it so much I'd keep it.

The Happy Birthday is for a friend it is machine felted and machine embroidered. The mottled looking flowers are felted into the background using the lint in the lint catcher of my felting machine. When I went to clean it out I realized I had quite an array of bright colors so thought of "flowers" and thus this quiltie was born!!

The blue and orange is also machine felted and will probably be hand embroidered. Not sure about it yet. I used orange wool roving on blue flannel with a dyed yellow fabric softener sheet punched into it.

The last set of pictures are of arches I've made and embellished for a year long arch swap on a yahoo group. As you can see only six more months to go!!!

Fiber fusion

2008-06-30T16:31:00.002-06:00

Been playing around with the fiber fusion again. This time I used corn, soy and one I'm not sure what it was but it worked the best!!! Another easy technique pull your rovings apart and layer them, mix textile medium half to half with water and spray on then embed fibers into it or sprinkle with glitter.

Perfect paper Experiments

2008-06-30T16:27:00.002-06:00

I got several jars of Decoart's perfect paper on sale and have been experimenting using them. Pretty easy technique.....smear it on clear notebook sleeves let dry and peel off. You can embed threads, fibers, glitter about anything you want.

Mono printing

2008-05-25T18:43:00.002-06:00

Mono printing is a really easy technique. Here are a few of the many experiments I've done lately. The flowers are now FME and quilted waiting for binding.

I used a piece of waxed freezer paper taped to a table. Lightly spread on a background color and then stamped into it. Lay a piece of material over it roll it with a rolling pin or brayer, pull off and let dry!!!! I heat set mine. Interesting technique!!!

A ribbon

2008-04-06T08:44:00.004-06:00

I entered the Pueblo Expo quilting challenge which was a hard thing to do because it was outside my comfort zone. For one.. It was fabrics that were totally NOT me. For two it was to be judged on workmanship and color coordination and three...... my imagination and creativity become "blocked" when restrictions are placed on what I can do.

But......................I won second place and I was totally SHOCKED!!!! So I am a very happy camper!!!! One of the ladies on the Expo board told me that the judges had said I had the best use of color out of all the entries so that made me feel good!!!

Thread and fiber sandwich with straw fiber beads

2008-03-29T11:48:00.004-06:00

Here is one of the thread sandwiches I made a couple of weeks ago. I then made some fiber beads and glued them on.

Challenge wall hanging

2008-03-29T11:43:00.005-06:00

This is a challenge wall hanging I made for the quilting expo to be held here next weekend. You bought a fabric packet and then made whatever you liked from it. The colors are not my thing but.............It didn't turn out too bad. I don't expect to win a thing, but it was challenging for me just to step outside my comfort zone and create something that hundreds of people are going to view and comment (good & bad) on. It had to have the word memory or memories somewhere on the quilt. I think the idea behind this particular fabric being chosen along with the word memories was something to do with the 60's????

Let me know what you think of my very "colorful" flower garden!!!

Finished at last!!

2008-03-29T11:42:00.001-06:00

I finally got the binding on my portrait quilt.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-22T07:31:00.001-06:00

Egyptian Swaps

2008-03-13T17:06:00.005-06:00

On my Unlimited Textiles group we are swapping Egyptian Quilties and dolls. I love this Quiltie . I wish I had made myself one but then it wouldn't have been a "One of a kind" would it??

And the Egyptian doll. I still need to put hands on her.

March's Textile challenge

2008-03-13T17:03:00.002-06:00

Textile challenges group had a glue gun challenge. I took the fabric sandwiches and used my glue pieces I made way last summer. Glue guns are fun for embellishments. Here is my challenge .

Fiber & Thread Sandwiches

2008-03-08T17:22:00.006-07:00

Yesterday and today I played around with threads~n~Fiber sandwiches. Well that's what I call them anyhow. I took a piece of lightweight fabric for the bottom or backing,laid it on solvy dissolve stabilizer, then cut snips of different fibers, yarns and threads and layered them on. Sprayed it all with quilting spray adhesive put a layer of fine tulle over it, free motion embroidered on top then put it in hot water to shrink it. Not sure what I'll use these for, possibly covers on altered books or more drawing journals.

Memory Scrapbook

2008-02-06T08:20:00.001-07:00

This is my ancestorial fabric scrapbook I've been working on. Along with another Memory Quilt wall hanging of my Paternal grandmother.

Memory quilts/scrapbooks

2008-01-24T09:21:00.002-07:00

Immigrants from Swenden. Notice the swedish dresses/costume??? They are partaking of tea in the garden.

My swedish grandfather Siguard Wilhelm Knut Anderson. The very bottom picture is him as a little baby taken in Sweden. He learned to walk on the ship going to Sweden. His father took my grandfather and his brother Phil to Sweden to meet his parents (my great-great grandparents) and left his wife Anna Jacobsen Anderson in Boston because her parents had immigrated with her and they could not afford passage for her. They traveled as second class passengers and spent six months in Sweden . I loved for him to talk Swedish for me.
I've been working on memory quilts the last couple of weeks. I am giving a demo/talk on how I make them at our next Quilter's Guild meeting. I have been making 8" x 10" pages. I am riding the fence as to what to do with them. Do I want to attach them to a whole cloth quilt or do I want to make them into a cloth scrapbook and write on the backs of the pages with a little ancestoral history as to who's who??? What do yo think???? I have one more 8 x 10 in the making entitled "Time in a bottle".......I also have another Grandmother wall hanging in the making of my Paternal Grandmother.

This bottom quilt is of my Paternal Grandparents Mary and Warren Stocks. I have only vague memories of them. My Grandmother died when I was 4 and my Grandfather when I was 6.

Quiz

2008-01-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

I took this Quiz because I love Jane Austen books!!!

Take the Quiz here!

One Month

2008-01-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since I last posted!! Well I've been busy!!!

Here is a picture of a quilt block I made from my Kaleidoscope software program. It's for our out going Quilter's Guild president. She wanted blocks with any kind of tree design on it.

Christmas cards

2007-12-08T07:27:00.001-07:00

I made several Christmas cards for a swap online. This was my favorite of all so I thought he should greet you as you open my blog!!

His head is made using my felting machine and then I embroidered his facial features with my Singer XL6000 embroidery machine. The blue background is encaustic wax art.

Elements class

2007-11-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

I've quilted three out of the four quilts I made at QU class. I still need to put the bindings on them. This class taught me a lot of using different threads and materials to make a picture/quilt.

Pay It Forward

2007-11-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

I happened to be reading Judy's blog the other morning and realized I was one of three reading and or commenting for the PIF on her blog. So here I am posting about the Pay if Forward.

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but I promise you will receive it within 365 days! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Anyhow the first three people who comment, will receive something in the mail from me - not to sure when or what. All I ask is that you continue with the PIF exchange on your own blogs. Keep this random act of kindness moving on.

Espresso

2007-11-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Espresso piece that has been laying on my cutting table for a few months. I had some antique spoons my Mom had given me so decided to tie them on the piece. I free motion quilted the top and put a tiny binding around the edge of the border. It turned out well now to keep it out of my daughter's hands!!!

She loves all things Coffee related.

Also finished my Fall wall hanging and it is hanging on my wall.

QU Elements class

2007-10-24T06:12:00.000-06:00

I am now on lesson four of this class entitled Earth. Haven't started it yet but I'm close!! Here are pictures of my first three weeks worth. Water, Fire and Wind. I have added machine embroidery to each of them. I haven't sewn the mermaid down because I need to quilt that piece first then sew her into the picture. The fire dragon doesn't show up too good in this picture but you definitely know what he is. And the white doves in the clouds was Linda's (teacher of the class) idea!! My clouds looked okay but lacked a focal point so she suggested I put some birds in the picture.

Embellished Beads

2007-10-11T17:54:00.000-06:00

These are hand made beads I received in swaps. I embellished them today using wire, ribbons and small beads. These will look good on small journal pages & art quilts.

QU Elements class

2007-10-07T15:38:00.000-06:00

I started a Quilt University online art quilt class with Linda Schmidt called "Elements" So far we have made a water scene (my ocean) and a fire scene. Much harder than I had anticipated but I've learned sooooo much from this class. We have a weeks break and then begin the final two elements, clouds and mother earth. We will then quilt our four pieces and finish them either in a quilt or as individual pieces. What fun this has been so far but I have to admit I was totally stuck at the beginning. I just couldn't get the water to flow as it should. It took me a few days to get the feel of what I should and should not be doing!!

COFFEE

2007-09-22T14:37:00.000-06:00

This is a piece I have been working on. It's coffee dyed paper towels & brown tissue paper. Paper with old advertisements of coffee and a machine embroidered picture of coffee. I still have work to do on it but it's coming along. I want to rip the edges and burn them a darker color then quilt it onto some coffee bean fabric I have. I'm not sure where this piece will take me but the journey will be fun!!!!

Altered sweatshirt

2007-09-22T14:14:00.000-06:00

I took this pullover sweatshirt and made it into a "raggedy" jacket by sewing patches all over it, then free motion embroidering onto them, put a zipper up the front and knit a scarf out of yarn ribbon for the collar. I love it, it's totally me!!!

Box trades & Beads

2007-09-13T07:11:00.001-06:00

Here you see all the beads I have received from a Bead Swap so far. These will come in handy for embellishing fiber arts. The top 12 are from Dottie Cullen, next 22 are from Karen Stiehl Osborn , ten are from Joan Lane and the bottom 12 are mine.

Here are three very colorful boxes I received from a Box Trade on Surface Design.

The left black/green box is from Carol Clasper. The bright green/red is from Sue Miller and the pink bottom box is from Lorri Chambers. They are made from Fabrics and embellished with beads. Beautiful work ladies and Thank You!!!

Purple Poppy PC

2007-09-07T08:53:00.000-06:00

I would appreciate it if you would go to the link above (Purple Poppy PC) and vote for my purple poppy postcard #102. I would love for it to make the 2008 Art Card Idea calendar deck. Only one vote per person so tell all your friends too!!! And thanks a bunch for voting!!!

SUNFLOWERS ??

2007-08-19T07:06:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I dyed fabrics. One piece jumped out at me. It was a 2 yd piece that I had tied all one direction and dip dyed it. When I took the rubber bands off and laid it out the design looked like a huge flower!! Well to me anyhow........ your eye might see it as something different!!!

I set to work using one of the flowers as a trial run to see if it could be worked into a huge sunflower and yes it can!! This piece still needs lots of work but now I know it is "workable." I sent a piece to three of the people I know are very creative to see what they will do with it!! I think we need a vote though........Do you think the blue should be at the top so it gives an indication of "sky" or at the bottom as in this picture with the yellow at the top giving the indication of sun??? I think "maybe" the blue should be at the top with the yellow sun shining lower on the stem of the flower?????? Hmmmmmmm give me your thoughts please!!

Fabric Dying

2007-08-13T07:50:00.000-06:00

Today I finished my dying for a swap on Surface Design. I was especially pleased with the white wool felt in the top picture. I scrunched up a 1 yd piece and put it into a 1 gallon jar, then started pouring colors in. I started with gold let it run to the bottom and soak in, then turquoise, hot pink and purple. I love how this piece turned out!!!! As you can see from the photos I dyed a lot of fabric today. Hubby even moved the old washer from the garage outside and hooked it to the garden hose so I could do a cold water rinse to set the Rit dyes. He's a keeper that's for sure!!!!!

Art Card Deck Ideas

2007-08-12T07:37:00.000-06:00

I entered the above six fiber art post cards in the Art Card Deck Ideas contest. 52 winners will be chosen for a calendar page in the deck along with one grand prize winner!!!

Please go to this website and view all the wonderful entries!! There are some beautiful Art Cards!!! It will be interesting to see whose card makes the Art Card Deck!! http://www.artcardideas.com/2007/artcardgallery/index.asp

Use your back button to return to this blog.

Quiltie and ATC's

2007-08-12T07:29:00.000-06:00

I made these for a swap on Unlimited Textiles group. 5" x 5" quiltie and 3 ATC's. The quiltie is entirely felted/punched on my Xpressions machine. The pink colored ATC is Fiber Fusion. The yarns & glitter were added to the wet Fibers and left to dry. The copper glue globs were added last. The turquoise cards are silk fusion, punched rovings and machine embroidered dragonflys.

Journal pages & PC's

2007-08-09T07:43:00.000-06:00

I have just finished the Spring, Fall & Winter journal pages for swaps. I did the Fall and Winter on my Xpressions felting machine and then added some pumpkins and snowflakes from my scrapbooking stash. ( I am not a scrap booker).

The spring journal page was made using a paper towel for the background thus the tiny little flowers you see. I then added sticky backed quilled flowers and butterflies and punched a sheer netting over the top to hold the flowers on.

I recently finished these Postcards for a swap on Surface Design "Embellished Layers". These will go to Phyllis in MI, Carol in NC, Mags in Wales & Dale in Australia. I used many different embellished layers and fibers for these.

Coin Purse & Old lace

2007-06-09T19:22:00.000-06:00

Today I used the piece of old lace and silk I punched to make a small coin purse. It's very antique looking and I like it!!! The pattern was made by Anne Pyle and Ellen who do digitizing. It was a breeze to make. You can see all the steps in these pictures.

Old Lace & Chiffons

2007-06-09T07:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I played with my Xpressions machine. I took old ecru and tea dyed lace and punched them into a piece of wool felt. I also used tea dyed silks and chiffons. I think I will take this piece and make it into a small purse.

I then took a piece of pansy print chiffon and punched it into green velvet (heavy velvet & broke two needles) I like the out come but not the broken needles. I also punched it into a piece of white wool felt along with some coral puckered chiffon. The coral was one of those weird puckered stretchy shirts I got at the Goodwill store and cut it up for punching. Doesn't work as well as I had thought it would.

I'm in a box swap on one of the Yahoo lists. I've made one box using my Xpressions machine. Now I need to get busy and get the other three done.

Materials

2007-05-17T14:52:00.000-06:00

My friend and I went to the quilt shop. I have a weakness for batiks and tye dyes. Can you tell?? I bought these all at the same time except for the top right fabrics. I got most of them at the quilting expo. She was having a sale on some of them.

The froggies were another shopping day. I just couldn't pass up the froggies and then of course I had to have fabrics to go with them!!!

Red Hats and the Felting Machine

2007-05-15T16:39:00.000-06:00

I took a piece of purple acrylic felt punched purple wool roving into it, then added free motion embroidery. Put it on my embroidery machine and stitched out hats and dresses using applique designs I made in Digitize N Stitch.
At some point in time these will be for my Red Hat group . I'm not sure as what yet, either sew on appliques or possible name placements on the table.

Fiber embellishments

2007-04-24T09:36:00.000-06:00

I've been using my Janome Xpressions machine a lot lately. I made post cards for a swap I am in. The last card has copper threads trapped between layers of purple tulle. I really like the result of the tulle, you can't see it but it traps the fibers as it is felted down.

Embellishment machine

2007-04-03T14:56:00.000-06:00

I attended a quilting expo in my home town and came home with a new

Janome

Xpressions embellishment machine. Have I ever been having fun with it!!! It is amazing what it does for me!! I don't really have much to show yet. I've made a couple of postcards and some 1" squares for a swap on the Textiles yahoo list.

Just finished the 3D butterfly postcard at the top of the page, still needs a back on it but at least the front is done. This machine is soooooooo fun!!!! I think I need to move to more colorful fibers???!!!!

Water color Grapevine wreath

2007-04-03T14:46:00.000-06:00

I recently finished this watercolor wall hanging quilt. It was a fun project and I am pleased with the results of it. I even taught myself to free motion quilt and used that technique on this project. The quilt is made up of 2" x 2" squares and each square must be placed to make the heart/wreath design and blend into the black background.

Espresso

2007-03-23T07:58:00.000-06:00

Second picture is the first appliqued quilt I made. It use to hang in my kitchen now it hangs in my daughter's kitchen. So I set to work to make me another one !!To the left is "MY" Espresso wall hanging quilt.

The very top picture is a wedding present for my niece. The designs were done on my embroidery machine and I found the stone tile frame for them quite by accident!!! I still have to make her the Espresso wall hanging quilt to go with them. I guess I better get busy her wedding is June 2nd!!!!

Quiltings

2007-03-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I ventured into quilting about two years ago. It's something I never saw myself doing, until now. ;-) But it is challenging and I am getting better at it!

The first quilt I ever attempted was a rag quilt for my Mom. I made bird blocks on my embroidery machine and then put it all together. It actually turned out fairly well even with me feeling like I had no clue what I was doing!!! There is a lot to be said for the first learning experience. I can look at that quilt now and think of things I should and would do

differently!! The rose quilt is staged on flannel. I am "stumped" as to how I want to put it together. I can't decide what I want to do with it. Should I sew the blocks together or make it into a rag quilt???? The roses on the tea dyed material were all done on my embroidery machine. I love that machine!!! I also made an attic windows Mickey Mouse quilt for my nephew but can't find any pictures of it at the moment.

These are quilt blocks my Mother made by hand when she was 12. I have fused them onto muslin and framed them for my niece who is getting married in July. She loves antiques so I thought this was a good way to preserve them for her!!!

Fiber Post Cards-Journal Pages

2007-03-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

I joined a fiber postcard group about a year ago and have participated in some of the swaps. Making postcards is like making a miniature quilt. In some groups you can use anything, including paper. Other groups are fabric only. Here are some that I sent as swaps. I always make one or two extra for myself. The top orange card was done for a felt melt challenge that I didn't enter. The technique was fun and the melted felt did leave some holes just not enough. The bottom layer is orange glitter felt. I then sandwiched pieces of netting, threads, glittery chiffon, gold tissue papers between the felt and saran on top. I then put a piece of parchment on it and heated with the iron just enough to melt the saran to hold everything. Got out the heat gun and then melted it all together, from the back of course so as not to make the saran wrap run all over the place.

The western PC was done on my embroidery machine. The theme was called "In the Desert".

The blue & white adirondak chairs was also an embroidery machine design. The swap was"Favorite Color" mine being blue.

The two below are done in favorite color combinations. I love things that are old, antiques, yellowed doilies anything tea dyed.

This is a fused landscape scene I have been working on. I need to cut it down to size and remove the smaller of the balloons. This is a journal page for a swap I am in. It still needs lots of work to complete it.

You Are Lavender

You are a sweet person with a very soft personality.
People become easily entranced with you. They seem to glow around you.
You have a quiet energy that can keep you active late into the night.
Even if you aren't the life of the party, you definitely keep the party going.

What Color Purple Are You?

Memory Quilting

2007-03-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

I recently made a small memory quilt for my Mom from pictures of my Grandmother. The center picture is of her at age 8, the year 1918. The other surrounding pictures are of her in different stages of her life. These quilts were made using hankies, doilies, crocheted pillowcase trims, all of which either belonged to her or she had crocheted. The jewelry and gloves also belonged to her. I did the ribbon embroidery roses for the gloves and lavender quilt. Ribbon embroidery is another love of mine!! Since I love all things old and especially yellowed, aged, tea dyed fabrics I decided to incorporate those colors into a memory quilt of my grandmother for myself!