Paper Napkin Poetry

TAST week 7 ~ detached chain stitch

2012-02-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

flora on rose petal

these are the tiny white flowers that came within a bouquet of flowers resting on a single fallen rose petal from the same bouquet. the white flowers where not the usual baby's breath but i don't actually know what they were. if any reader knows please feel free to share this info with me within the comments.

this week (7) the detached chain stitch is the challenge on TAST.

it's a simple stitch that i've been aware of for a very long time but i still learned something in regards to it: i've always called this stitch a lazy daisy and that is not it's actual name.

i decided to do my sampler so that i showed the difference between a chain stitch and a detached chain stitch. the top example is done in a luscious red chenille which probably wouldn't hold up to pulling through the density of a regular fabric but did fine through the open weave of this linen.

the bottom example is done in a single strand light green thread of unknown content. two very different looks for these stitches simply by varying the thread. the stitch uses the same count/spaces in both examples and has been worked with a slightly elongated catch stitch portion.

the christmas stocking features the detached chain stitch done in a single strand of fine white thread (unknown content). i stitched it in groupings of three (once again worked with an elongated catch portion of the stitch). this has been positioned onto the top of an already stitched portion that you may remember from an earlier post.

and this is one of my fabric covered buttons.
here are the details in the order that i worked them:

a buttonhole stitch in a single strand of green thread was worked directly on the seam seam line.
a detached chain stitch in two strands (one of orange and one of a variegated yellow to orange color) using regular cotton floss applied to the purple side of the buttonhole stitch at regular intervals determined by the buttonhole stitch's spacing.
wrapped the extended part of the buttonhole stitch (once) with the same two threads used to make the detached chain stitch.
fly stitch on the yellow side of the buttonhole stitch between every other space within the buttonhole stitch. i used a purple Gutermann quilting thread.
a colonial stitch was centered above the fly stitch in the same Gutermann quilting thread.
a single running stitch was added above the colonial knot, once again using the same Gutermann quilting thread.

if you think that you may be interested in learning embroidery or practicing the stitches you already know it's well worth a visit to Pin Tangle to join in with this project.

some of the examples this week that have caught my attention from other 'Pin Tangle Players' are the use of it in combination with shisha work here and the lilac's done with this stitch here.

recent gifts include:

a treasured long distance friendship renewed with a visit.
food choices that rivaled gourmet cuisine
thoughtfully exchanged gifts

15 minute challenge ~ feb. 14th

2012-02-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

~!!~happy valentines day~!!~

cyclamen love . . . or maybe i should say passion~!
;- )

here is my valentines day report card:

tuesday, feb. 7th: pineapple trial block
wednesday, feb. 8th: practice with TAST (chevron stitch) ~ chevron stitch onto stocking
thursday, feb. 9th: quilting on the pink lemonade doll quilt
friday, feb. 10th: quilting on the pink lemonade doll quilt
saturday, feb. 11th: quilting on the pink lemonade doll quilt
sunday, feb. 12th: made 3 fabric covered buttons
monday, feb. 13th: quilting on the pink lemonade doll quilt

if you would like to see what others are doing with their 15 minutes or you're interested in joining in, you should visit Kate at Life in Pieces. she is currently doing some fun give-aways for those participating in the 15 minute challenge.
i have found it to be an excellent way to continue making my own sewing/creative time a priority.

how about some button love~!?!~

since the beginning of the new year i've been in the process of figuring out what i should do next with my scrap basket and it's exuberant contents. the pineapple block has always been a favorite of mine so when i spotted a tutorial on one of my favorite blogs for making this block pattern based on Gyleen Fitzgerald's book: "Trash to Treasure Pineapple Quilts" i was immediately intrigued with trying it out. the problem was i would need yet another special ruler and since i'm making an effort to simplify my life and another ruler just doesn't seem like a good idea i decided i should at least try to do it without one. i'm not a math wizard and it took some time and help from my daughter but i was finally able to convert one of my regular square rulers into a make-do pineapple ruler using some masking tape to mark where i should cut as i sew up the block. i also have a couple of pages of copious notes and strange diagrams which anyone else might think were just plain scary as well as completely confusing.

i did do a little bit of un-sewing, re-figuring and then some re-sewing and a few more (pages) scribbled notes but with a lot of luck and a pinch of pixie dust maybe i'll be able to duplicate this whole process to make more . . . it turns out there really is a good reason why these handy dandy rulers (and accompanying books) are so popular~!

my scrap basket is now a tall laundry basket that's about three quarters full. at one time it was the same laundry basket (but totally overflowing) plus a very large, very deep drawer stuffed full so i do know that i am making progress towards my ultimate goal of keeping my scraps in a much smaller basket sometime before i pass on to the great quilt teacher in the sky. btw: this great teacher's first note of instruction is going to be to use the right ruler for the project . . .

recent gifts include:

the feeling of being loved
the feeling of loving someone else
romantic dinners for two

TAST week 6 ~ the chevron stitch

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

a little more romance . . .

and week 6 of Sharon B's TAST ~ chevron stitch

the first row on the sampler above has the chevron stitch worked in a purple single strand cotton thread. simple. no frills.
i liked the idea of the chevron stitch providing a sort of 'platform' on the top for secondary stitches, beads, charms, etc. as well as a place from which to possibly dangle the same from the bottom of the stitch so i played around with that a little bit. first i worked the chevron stitch (quite a bit smaller than the first example) in two strands of a medium green cotton floss. i then used a single strand of heavier cotton red thread to place a single ~~lazy daisy~~ detached chain stitch with every other one having a slightly longer catch stitch. under each of these i simply centered a small running stitch.
i then went on to play a bit with the top of this same bit of chevron by adding a colonial knot in a single gold colored medium weight thread on that top 'platform' bit. then i used a very tiny single strand orange thread to stitch a fly stitch 'under/around' that colonial knot.
i barely scratched the surface of what could be done with this stitch. i wish i had more time to explore all of the possibilities that it presents.

however, while looking around at what other stitchers were doing i found this beautiful idea and these incredible interpretations.

i have decided to bring all three stockings into the action rather than just working on one at a time. this will allow me many more choices of where i can put whatever happens to be the current TAST challenge stitch. previously i've only worked on wonderful daughter's stocking but the chevron stitch has me pulling out wonderful husband's and using the same single strand purple cotton thread that i used in the very first sampler row above. however this time i added a silver filament to it. i also decided to use the upper and lower bar part of the chevron as a spot to add some detached buttonhole stitches, same thread sans filament.

recent gifts include:

the thoughtfulness of friends/neighbors who will willingly/happily do mechanical work for you simply because they can hear that there is a problem and they know how to fix it.
a daughter who graciously helped me figure out the geometry of a quilting issue.
the ability to accept help (with a smile and a thank you) when it is offered.

report card tuesday ~ feb. 7th

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

it's february~!

how's this for a little romance~!? one of my begonias has these clumps of tiny little flowers (about the size of a pencil eraser) on looong stems at this time every year. which leaves me with actual floral valentine confetti for the whole month of february. how cool is that~!

it is time to show what i worked on for at least 15 minutes every day last week.

tuesday, jan. 31st: finished a quilt binding ~ one fabric button
wednesday, feb. 1st: quilting on pink lemonade quilt ~ hexie brainstorming
thursday, feb. 2nd: quilting on pink lemonade quilt ~ practiced the herringbone stitch ~ herringbone stitched onto christmas stocking
friday, feb. 3rd: practiced/experimented with herringbone stitch on fabric covered button
saturday, feb. 4th: NADA
sunday, feb. 5th: quilting on pink lemonade quilt
monday, feb. 6th: quilting on pink lemonade quilt

if you would like to see what others are doing with their 15 minute challenge or you're interested in joining in you should visit Kate at Life in Pieces.

all of that quilting on my pink lemonade quilt-a-long quilt and i'm still not even finished with the straight line quilting that is going over the pieced blocks. i also will quilt something special into the (yellow) alternate blocks but i'm still figuring that out.
btw: i know that the double pink used in my pieced blocks is looking a bit purple/lavendar . . . i'm not exactly sure why i have (so far) been unsuccesful photographing it but i'll keep trying.

this is the fabric that i chose for the backing of the pink lemonade quilt. i adore this fabric and so wish that i had bought more of it~!! what's not to love. big fat bumblebees, sweet soft looking bunnies, lace, postal bits, hand written letter bits, alphabets, and more. i should have bought a whole bolt~!~instead i bought one yard. what was i thinking~!

i'm quilting the pink lemonade with a size 12 perle cotton and an embroidery needle. i'm also using a slightly larger stitch . . . making it not too fussy but still looking good.

and here are a few more of those fabric covered buttons that i just cannot seem to stop making.

recent gifts include:

having several of my houseplants flowering which makes it slightly easier to wait for spring to get here
having just enough time in my life to get a few more photos taken
the availability of clean drinking water. right out of the tap. whenever i feel thirsty.

TAST week five's herringbone stitch

2012-02-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

this week i've been practicing the herringbone stitch. it's one i like and yet don't often use. that may change as i've found it to be quite versatile and interesting both while i practiced with it and in looking at other's work within the TAST group. there are a lot of extremely talented stitchers involved with the project~!!~ if you have a moment and are interested in embroidery take a minute to see some of the other work. there are many links within the comment section of the herringbone stitch post~!

in the top example i used a heavy hand dyed variegated thread and worked a simple herringbone stitch. that seemed pretty boring and so i continued to experiment by adding an additional herringbone right over the top of the first using three strands of regular cotton floss in a contrasting light turquoise/aqua color. i think this would have looked nicer had i woven the top aqua herringbone into the bottom variegated one . . . anyway i was still bored with it so i decided to try adding a stitch previously presented (an additional challenge raised by sharon for this week) to the sample: a fly stitch worked in two strands of regular cotton floss in yet another contrasting color (orange). the fly stitch was placed so that it's open area sat directly over/under the open area of the larger herringbone stitch. finally i was becoming a little less bored with this sample . . . but felt that there could be more so the straight stitch (worked in a single strand of the same orange floss used for the fly stitch) was placed directly over the crossed parts of the aqua herringbone.
had i woven the herringbones rather than laying one on top of the other i think it would have been very nice. so this sample definitely taught me something.

in the lower example of the first photo i used a heavier hand dyed thread and worked the elements of the stitch quite closely together to create a tiny 'braid'. loved this and see some possibilities.

i also tried working the herringbone stitch around in a 'circle' using a regular grey cotton floss (two strands). i think this has some possibilities but didn't pursue it.

and the last bit of sample shown on the lower right of the second photo was done in a red twisted silk perle thread. once again i worked the stitch smaller but didn't work it as tightly as the second 'braided' sample shown in the first photo.
i really liked working with this thread . . .

and so i continued using it when i added the stitch to the stocking that i'm working on. i added the small(ish) herringbone to the top of a fly stitched area that was previously worked onto the stocking. i used the fly stitch as a sort of guide in stitch spacing on the herringbone and this resulted in yet another combination of the herringbone and fly stitch.

last but not least i managed to work two tiny different herringbones onto one of the fabric covered buttons that i've been making. this created a sort of striped effect. the stitch was worked in a pale pink size 12 perle cotton which incidentally is the same thread that i'm using to quilt my pink lemonade quilt.

and completely off of the herringbone stitch subject of this post i've included a recent shot of River having a lovely nap in the afternoon sun on the leather sofa. this dog is not spoiled in the least~! LOL

recent gifts include:

the sensation of drifting off to sleep within flannel sheets that have been warmed by the heated mattress pad. de. lish.ous.
stitching in the sunshine while in the same sofa that you see River in. yes, i enjoyed a warm nap afterwards too. (-:
the interesting and thoughtful mood that the act of sketching puts me into

report card tuesday ~ jan. 31st

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

it's report card tuesday once again already.

tuesday, jan. 24th: cretan stitch practice ~ made a fabric covered button using the cretan stitch

wednesday, jan. 25th: basted my pink lemonade quilt ~ hexie work

thursday, jan. 26th: made three fabric covered buttons

friday, jan. 27th: cretan stitch work on stocking (with some of those fabric buttons)

saturday, jan. 28th: began quilting on pink lemonade ~ worked on hand stitching the binding on gift quilt

sunday, jan. 29th: worked on hand stitching the binding on gift quilt

monday, jan. 30th: worked on hand stitching the binding on gift quilt

if you would like to see what others are doing with their 15 minute challenge or you're interested in joining in you can visit Kate at Life in Pieces.

my only photo for this post is a bit on the dark side. that's because i was using the bright afternoon sunshine to work by and really got into the stitching 'zone'. before i knew it the sun had dipped down below the mountain. i could still see (just barely) to stitch so i kept right on going . . . then i realized that i hadn't gotten any shots yet for this post and i'd better get to it. after all, there has to be at least one photo doesn't there~!?! as you can see i haven't completely gotten that binding on yet but i'm really close. this is a quilt that i've shown bits of before. a friend and i have collaborated on a gift. this quilt is a really BIG king size and i'd like to show it in it's entirety but am not quite sure where i'm going to hang it to get a full shot . . . if anyone has ideas please feel free to share them with me in the comments. i don't have a wall big enough inside that will work . . . i have a wooden six foot fence but that's not big enough . . . i'm seriously pondering ways that i can hang it on the side of the house . . .

as you can probably tell this binding has sort of eclipsed everything else. i did get a few fabric covered buttons done this week. one of them i sewed onto the stocking and there is a detailed shot of it within a previous post (feel free to look back if you missed it) but the other three will be photographed later on when i have more time and better light . . .

my pink lemonade has taken a very temporary back seat to this binding work. Lori at Humble Quilts is planning a linky party on wednesday so you may want to check out all of those delightful little quilts when that happens. i'm probably not going to have mine finished completely for that event but i'll add a shot of it anyway.

my new stitch for TAST (week 5) practice is the herringbone stitch. there is also an additional challenge to combine the herringbone with one of the stitches already presented this year (weeks 1-4). i'm enjoying the practice and i'm very excited to see the stocking coming along so nicely too.

recent gifts include:

the excitement of being close to a big (quilt) finish
MORE completed fabric covered buttons
the use of my hands. sometimes they ache a bit but they still work well enough and i know my life would not be happy in the same way without the use of them.

TAST week four's cretan stitch

2012-01-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

it's once again time for me to share my practice for Sharon B's Take A Stitch Tuesday (TAST).

week four: cretan stitch

because this is a stitch that i didn't feel as comfortable with i took some time to 'doodle' a bit with my needle, various threads and some aida cloth before i felt brave enough to stitch into the stocking.
i varied the stitch length and width and generally got a fairly good feel for it.

then i used a hand dyed embroidery ribbon to work a variation of the cretan stitch over a slightly downward curving seam. the top of the stitch is quite small while the bottom 'legs' of it were elongated. and the spacing within the stitch elements enabled me to place three of my fabric covered buttons into every other of those spaces created between those 'legs'. feel free to enlarge the photo for a better look at the details.
i think that this area seems unfinished and i may come back to it at some point . . .

i did manage to get a button created with a cretan stitch feature. this time i worked the stitch in a uniform way in red thread across narrow white grosgrain ribbon. there is a tiny accent stitch worked onto the ends of the stitches (on both the top and the bottom) in a copper colored metallic thread. i actually used the cretan stitch to couch the ribbon to the red fabric prior to wrapping around the button.

if you are interested in seeing more loveliness within the world of embroidery you might want to take a look at CQ Mag Online's newest issue: January 2012 . this online publication always has lots of stitchy eye candy and is a great source of fancy stitching/crazy quilting information. one can browse through an extensive archive of past issues as well. a new issue is presented every four months and best of all: it doesn't cost a dime~!

recent gifts include:

homemade cream cheese and butter (~!!~yummy~!!~)
newly baked bread warm from the oven served with dinner
my ritual afternoon cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon sprinkled in

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

i have been wanting to participate with the sketchbook challenge for quite a while. i haven't followed through because i felt like i had to be committed enough to sketch on a daily basis and i knew that was unlikely. recently i re-read their guidelines and realized that i could join in on a far less regular basis and still grow creatively. my goal (for now) is to sketch at least once a week and to post a minimum of two examples within their flickr group each month.
the prompt/challenge for january 2012 has been "doodles". i have managed to get my sketchbook out as planned and although my doodles aren't impressive in any way i am pleased to have finally jumped in.

you can tell that i've been heavily influenced by the zen doodling practice that i've done . . . and i see a bit of quilt-like mark making . . . i guess it's a start.

Lyric Kinard recently posted (within the sketchbook challenge blog) on the topic of turning doodles into art. she explained as well as stepped out exactly how she uses the thermofax process to print unique fabrics from her own sketches. she then pieces these prints into beautiful abstract fiber art.
her question at the end of the post "What ways can you think of to make use of your doodling?" got me to thinking . . .

i've become very interested in combining traditional art techniques such as drawing/doodling, stitching, photography, painting, etc with the more contemporary field of digital art. and so i played with that as a jumping off point for how i could use my own doodling . . .

and so i isolated one element off of my doodling pages . . .

combined it with photographs that i have taken of some of my paper/mixed media hexagon work, subtly layered in my own textures and within a reasonably short period of time came up with a digital image that i could live with.

and best of all: i had fun.

i'll get my chosen images into flickr tomorrow and have met my goals for the month of january.

:-D

recent gifts include:

celebrating 31 years of life together with my wonderful husband
making a start with the sketchbook challenge
a faster internet speed (~!!!!~)

report card ~ jan. 24

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

i have another successful week to report for the 15 minute challenge:

tuesday, jan. 17th ~ fabric button using the feather stitch from TAST

wednesday, jan. 18th ~ cutting for pink lemonade (alternate) blocks ~ fabric covered button using the feather stitch from TAST

thursday, jan. 19th ~ sewed the pink lemonade top together ~ embroidered christmas stocking using TAST stitches ~ fabric button using the feather stitch from TAST ~ applique on secret birthday blocks

friday, jan. 20th ~ two fabric covered buttons using the feather stitch from TAST

saturday, jan. 21st ~ applique on secret birthday blocks ~ fabric covered button using the feather stitch from TAST

sunday, jan. 22nd ~ two fabric covered buttons with various embroidery

monday, jan. 23rd ~ applique on secret birthday blocks

a busy week with some accomplishments that i am pleased with.
if you would like to find out more about the 15 minute challenge visit Kate at Life In Pieces.
i am finding it a great way to keep myself moving forward.

next week's TAST challenge is the cretan stitch. in the past i have found this stitch to be difficult. hopefully with the upcoming week's practice it will become less so. i may not work it into fabric covered buttons but it will be within the christmas stocking for sure.

i do LOVE making these buttons

Lori over at Humble Quilts has been hosting a darling doll quilt (pink lemonade) quilt-a-long. this is my pink lemonade top/flimsy. i am now considering fabrics for the backing and how i will quilt it . . .

recent gifts have included:

receiving an unexpected but totally wonderful surprise within the mail
seeing my houseplants early response to the slightly longer daylight exposure
discovering and creating my own fabric covered buttons

TAST week three's feather stitch

2012-01-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

this post probably looks a bit out of season. i'm ashamed to say that our family's christmas stockings are badly in need of replacement. the reason i'm ashamed to say it is because i make and embellish stockings every single year . . . just not for my own closest family members. shame on me~!
this year i decided that the time had come to get down to business with the family's new stockings and even still i only got the fronts/bases cut late on christmas eve. i had to hang them by a safety pin for christmas morning display. how very sad is that~!

so slowly but surely the "light" went from pretty damn dim to about as bright as it gets (really not very) and i decided i should use Take A Stitch Tuesday as a working format for getting these stockings embellished. what you see above is feather stitching which is this weeks (3) stitch. i decided to let a white thread and a burgundy thread P L A Y together and this is what happened.

you can also see that i have couched down a tatted snowflake using tiny fly stitches (from week 1) around the edge. i carefully picked a thread of similar weight and kept them relatively regular as they went around which resulted in some tiny (additional) snowflake symmetry. it worked very well.

this is part of the toe of the stocking. i worked a fly stitch (week 1) along a seam and added a pearly white bead to the tail part of the stitch.
the wandery stitching in the variegated thread that you see below that is a buttonhole stitch (week 2) that morphs into a feather stitch (week 3) and then back again.
i think the buttonhole stitch got a bit cheated here so i'll probably be thinking of other places within the stocking that i can work it in.
there will be a total of 3 stockings in this project. i won't show the whole stocking/s until i have each of them stitched, lined and finished. i think this should keep me nicely involved with TAST as well as fulfilling a project that (finally) deserves it's turn. i anticipate being able to hang these lovely finished pieces next christmas season. and i won't be waiting until late on christmas eve to do it~! i hope.

this last photo is some covered fabric buttons that i've made. i wanted to see how stitching on them might work . . . and added feather stitch (in one form or another) to each one of them. they are the same size as a nickel. they are a bit fiddly but great fun to make and i anticipate using them within the stockings as well as on other pieces that i work up.

today's gifts include:

a warm fire and stitching time in front of it
a friendly dog at my feet
needles and thread aplenty

report card ~ jan. 17

2012-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

i have committed to 15 minutes of sewing a day. today i'm giving my first "report card". if you want more information on this there is a button on my sidebar that you can check out or you can visit Life in Pieces.

tuesday, jan. 10 ~ CPS mixed media postcard

wednesday, jan. 11 ~ hexie project and cutting half blocks for the pink lemonade quilt-a-long

thursday, jan. 12 ~ sewing half blocks for pink lemonade

friday, jan. 13 ~ applique on secret birthday blocks

saturday, jan. 14 ~ applique on secret birthday blocks

sunday, jan. 15 ~ applique on secret birthday blocks

monday, jan 16 ~ made the four corner blocks for pink lemonade and embroidery on a christmas stocking

i know one thing. i'm going to have to start writing it down on the day i do it because i cannot seem to remember just exactly what i did on what days . . . what i do know for sure is that i did get some sewing done and i generally spend quite a bit more time in the studio than 15 minutes once i get started.

the blanket stitch was the challenge for last week on Take a Stitch Tuesday.

i've used it here to attach the stem of the pear on my current AAQI project. very tiny stitches. very tiny thread. love the results~!

this week the stitch to use/explore will be the feather stitch. one of my favorites.

today's gifts have included:

not having to do the dishes this morning
a bright sun on snow creating millions of sparkles everywhere i look
a visit from the resident wild bunny "nibbles"

Cloth Paper Scissors (Post) Challenge

2012-01-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

in a recent previous post i showed a bit of this postcard that i have been working on. i only showed a tiny bit of it (the embroidery w/beads) and now i'm revealing it in full.

this first shot is of the card midway through which is why you can see some basting stitches holding various parts of it in place. the hexagons used are a variety of fabrics and papers. the one with the flower on it is my own artwork in watercolor pencils onto a loose vintage book page and then over-stamped with sheet music (in red).

this second photo is of the postcard (front) taken this a.m. right before getting it into the mail. there has been a variety of things added and stitched. you'll notice that the embroidery stitching that i showed on the previous post mentioned has been taken further as well. i had so many commenter's that thought the experimental fly stitch w/beads looked like beetles, bugs, insects, etc that i decided to add a bit more and before i knew it i had created some happy line dancing bees.
i used some paper tape printed with vintage postage as a binding/edging.

and this is the back of the card which shows that i have made it for a challenge put out in a past issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. the deadline was for all cards to be received in their offices by january 20th. i've cut things a bit close and am concerned about it making it on time . . .
they will be putting their favorite cards into a future issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine. i've wanted to involve myself in some of their other past challenges but for various reasons (mainly procrastination and fear) have never actually done it. when i seen this challenge i knew it was time to jump in and participate.
i'll bet they get FLOODS of gorgeous cards~!!~and i can hardly wait to see the issue that includes the cards special enough to be chosen for publication.

today's gifts include:

playing with grand-dog Suki and my own dog River in the back yard.
pumpkin bread (w/choc. chips) for breakfast
finally taking the leap and submitting something to one of my favorite magazines

2012-01-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

i've decided to play along with Lori over at Humble Quilts as she hosts a quilt-a-long for a doll sized quilt. i have quite a few other things that i should be working on but this is just too tempting. and speaking of tempting this quilt-a-long has been titled Pink Lemonade~!~Yummy~!~

this is the basic color palette that i will be using for my version. i'm not sure i'll use that particular yellow fabric but it is a possibility. these blocks are from step 1. i was so pleased to have them done but it turns out i better get right on to step 2 (posted today) or i'm gonna be left in the dust~!

i read a post the other day (i wish i could remember where) in regards to having a word of the year: a word that calls to me . . . something that i may need to learn from or think more about, etc. words can be powerful. what would happen if i chose one and kept it present in my daily life? so i've been sort-of keeping alert to one that 'spoke' to me and hadn't come up with anything. i just figured i wasn't meant to have a word of the year.
. . . until today when i was walking past a small tablescape that i created during december and had myself a "well, DUH" moment. i've found myself stopping here often and rearranging the vintage wooden blocks in various playful ways ever since i put them here. so i am declaring my word of 2012 to be the word "play". sounds like fun doesn't it~!?
if you were to pick a word for your new year what would it be? and why? or does this seem like a silly idea (playful maybe?) and a waste of time to you?

today's gifts included:

kiwi fruit on my lunch plate. so pretty and a burst of freshness in every juicy bite.
catching up on the laundry
time to P L A Y in my studio. in fact, way longer than 15 minutes (- :

take a stitch tuesday

2012-01-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

today is tuesday and i decided to take a stitch.
the seam i embroidered is quite short. i'm working on another postcard using small hexagons in both fabric and paper . . .

fly stitch using one strand of a very thin variegated thread (YL1 cotton machine quilting thread) and seed beads on the 'tail' part of the stitch. the 'tail'/beads have been sewn through twice so as to insure strength.

today's gifts included:

a very sunny day
a long afternoon walk
time to embroider

2011-12-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

today was a great mail day~!!~ full of fun and fabulous surprises.

i recently participated in a give-away from Cathy of Big Lake Quilter and low and behold ~!!!~
i actually won~!
a beautiful collection of moda fabrics as well as an Omnigrid Mini-FoldAway. i work small a lot of the time and expect that the miniature cutting and pressing station will come in quite handy. as for the fabrics . . . they are so yummy that i'm bound to find myself starting a (forbidden) new project . . . i could sure see these fabrics making a sweet little doll quilt or two . . . hhhmmmmm . . . maybe a great way to pay the give-away goodness forward . . . it is about time for me to have another one i think . . . how's that for a tease?
thank you so very much Cathy.

i also received a totally unexpected card from Jay of Creative Crone from studio Q. she is a zentangle artist extraordinaire as well as a fellow quilter. she has challenged herself with creating regular zentangles as well as an accompanying haiku with each one. i LOVE visiting her and seeing her newest creative tangles.
and today, totally out of the blue, i got a card from her that was full of loving kindness as well as one of her beautiful zentangles.
on the back of the zentangle is it's very own haiku written by Jay:

"Giving is Pleasure.

No matter how large or small,

The thought is the gift."

how true and how blessed i felt to be the one thought of in this special way. thank you Jay.
btw: can you guess what proud state Jay is from? there's a clue within today's photo.

in addition to all of that goodness i received the newest issue of the Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine.
i've been so busy admiring my other goodies that i haven't even cracked the cover yet but am looking forward to taking it to bed with me and possibly staying up late soaking up much of what is within it's pages.
a fabulous way to end this abundant day.

today's gifts include:

the generosity (of both spirit and gifts) from friends i've made while blogging
a walk with River and my wonderful husband. the new hip is feeling really GOOD just lately
the lovely feeling of excited anticipation

2011-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

2011-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

some (merry) christmas projects that i've worked on and finished over the last couple of months.

these are small (approximately 3.5 inches) mitten ornaments that i made using some of the tiniest scraps that i found in the scrapbag. hand pieced onto a scrap piece of batting. simple feather stitched embroidery over the seams and a tailor's buttonhole stitch all around.

they are backed with a nice bright red felt. my quilt guild donates a decorated christmas tree to a local fundraiser auction. all ornaments for this tree are handmade by the guild members and these were the ornaments that i made and donated. they are quick to make and turn out pretty cute. there was quite a selection of beautiful work done for this and someone won a very nicely decked out tree this year~!

this was a small (approximately 9 inches tall) stocking that i made using basically the same technique. fully lined and donated to the guild's annual christmas bazaar fundraiser.

i decided to use a simple feather stitch for the embroidery on the above pieces but there are many choices when embroidering a crazy quilt seam. an excellent resource for learning more about crazy quilting is CQMagOnline.

i also enjoy going to Pin Tangle for seam embroidery details and instruction.

this stocking was a bit bigger (approximately 13 inches tall). machine pieced with the trims being added by hand. also fully lined. my wonderful daughter decided that she would like to have this one to use as a gift for a friend.

this last stocking is quite large (approximately 20 inches tall). it was made using a vintage block that i was given (one of a set of about a dozen star blocks) that didn't lie flat. it was easy to see why the maker hadn't put them together into a quilt but of course i couldn't waste them and have begun to use them in this way. fully lined and also claimed by my wonderful daughter for gifting purposes.

today's gifts included:

gingerbread cookies made and decorated by my daughter ~ these were so charming to look at that i almost didn't want to eat them
a much needed afternoon nap
hearing my daughter's laughter

2011-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

just a quick post featuring a couple of postcards that i managed to work on and finish during the last few weeks.

this first one was a birthday card. i used a bit of an old tattered hand embroidered towel (both the embroidery and the lace edge) and a piece of my own hand dyed orange fabric. the sun has been reverse appliqued by me and i did add a few more embroidered stems and flowers.
last year i did a similar card for the same person using old linen bits (an embroidered handkerchief) and a hand dyed fabric. i think i'll make this theme a tradition for her birthday cards as she seems to really love them.

this second card was made for a friend who has been going through cancer treatments. she will be finding out very soon the results of all of that . . . keep her in your thoughts and prayers please.
i found that skep and bee fabric years ago and because it was on sale (and i loved it) i bought a few yards. now i wish i'd bought the whole bolt~!!~

i want to thank every visitor who has returned to my blog and especially those that have left a comment. i feel such joy being back within this friendly blog world.

this morning i discovered that Somerset Studio's has a new blog. i'm a huge fan of many of their publications (and secretly dream of someday being within those pages).
are there other Somerset Studio's fans out there?

it's early yet, but today's gifts already include:

the joy felt when i see that other bloggers out there haven't forgotten me and the sweetness of their recent thoughts and prayers

my morning mug of hot chai tea (with it's overtones of coconut) with milk and honey added

waking up to a newly mucked out pantry ~ organized and tidy

2011-12-09T14:25:00.001-08:00

i've had this post partially prepared since mid september and am happy to finally get to share it.

this is a small quilt that i made for a very good friend in celebration of her birthday.
she seemed to really love it and i enjoyed making it for her.

i used a pattern called "Crow on the Pumpkin" designed by Lisa Bongean of (Primitive Gatherings) that was featured in the fall issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. it measures approximately 16" x 20". my version used a homespun fabric background as instructed but i also used cotton fabrics (rather than wool) for everything except the stem on the pumpkin. the fabrics were all within my stash and/or scrapbasket so i was pleased with myself for not needing to purchase anything for this project. i just didn't have quite the right fabrics in wool . . . btw: that wool stem was snipped out of a particularly hideous tie. it made a much better pumpkin stem than it did fashionable(?) menswear~! you should know though, that Lisa sells kits of the suggested fabrics within her shop for those wanting to duplicate it exactly. i also did not use fusible web as instructed. i needleturn appliqued it and made the necessary adjustments to the pattern provided in order to do so. i hand quilted it using a cotton variegated quilting thread in fall colors.

this is the fall issue of Primitive Quilts but their winter issue has arrived at my house and i'm inspired to try many of those projects out too. i'm a big fan of this publication and have resubscribed for another two years. if you enjoy primitive you should give it a look. i like that there are a variety of needlework projects within it's pages such as quilting, cross stitch, rug hooking,wool mats and, pillows, stuffed bears, etc.

the pattern was actually for a two piece finished project with a 'background' quilt that left a space for overlapping the smaller piece onto it. the magazine promises "more little quilts for your seasonal banner in future issues".
what a great idea and i may re-visit that idea and the upcoming patterns that are shared within this great magazine at some point in the future . . .

i LOVED the way that it was displayed and photographed in this shot~! one of my favorite things about the primitive look is that it's always warm and comfortable looking.

today's gifts included:

a short walk with River
a slice of my daughter's homemade persimmon bread (still a bit warm from the oven)
time to hand quilt
finally being able to post on my blog :-)

2011-11-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

click on digital 'page' to enlarge

2011-09-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

"If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees."

Khalil Gibran

"Alone with myself

The trees bend

to caress me

The shade hugs

my heart."

Candy Polgar

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

fall seems to be making it's presence (presents?!?) known more every day. a chill in the morning air and afternoons beckoning with wonderfully mellow sunshine in a sky that is somehow bluer than at any other time of the year.

the hollyhocks thrive during this time of the year. while photographing them i was intent on noticing the glorious light and the deep red color of these particular stalks. it was only after i uploaded the shots onto the computer that i also seen the hollyhocks had another visitor at the time . . . a surprise that made me smile.

you may have noticed that i haven't been posting much and have been pretty slow to answer most comments. this is due to most of my extra time going towards preparing myself and my household for my upcoming hip surgery. the date has been set and during the second week in october i will go in and have it done. i'll be blogging quite a bit less for approximately the next six weeks. it may be a shorter amount of time but there is no way for me to really know and amazingly at the six week mark the holidays will be upon us all and so that may slow me down as well.

in an effort to be more prepared i've been trying to get some of my holiday creating done early . . . i do hope to be able to share that here in my blog in bits and pieces as i can as well as do some blog-hopping to see what everyone else is up to. i may be a bit of a lurker, checking it all out when i can . . . hang in there with me. i'll do my best.

today's gifts included:

time with the trees
the autumn afternoon warmth
freshly picked corn from the garden for dinner
that blue BLUE sky

2011-08-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

i've been tucked behind the computer for most of the day playing in photoshop.
i'm proud to say that i made the background image myself from one of my painted journal pages and my own macro photo of the surface of a rock. i used the image of the triple frame from a scrapbooking suite (It's My Hx) and i used the lady, the compass and the clock face with a dragonfly from Deviant Scrap/Colorsplash.
in addition to the background, i used my own photos of a clock face(the larger background image) and stained glass hearts (within the triple frame) as well as my own layer of text.

Seeking Direction

today's gifts included:

the ease of leftover homemade pizza
clouds and a small afternoon rain to ease the heat of the day (90's)
time to create today's post

2011-08-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

busy as a bee . . .

these shots really must be clicked on and seen large to be fully appreciated. i hope you enjoy them as much as i enjoyed taking them.
today's gifts included:

watching the bees and other pollinators within the mint blossoms
productive 'nesty' feelings
a cool evening on the back deck with my family

Morning Glory Memories

2011-08-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

this morning i went for a visit to see what Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art was up to. i like her artistic style and today she was offering two of her beautiful textures as a freebie to play/test out. they were irresistible and this evening i've given them a little workout.

this first photo is one that was taken while i was in Honduras this past Christmas. i didn't think it was a great shot for a variety of reasons but i wasn't ready to totally give up on it either. so i tucked it away for possible future photoshop play and today while i was looking through my photos it popped out at me as a possibility for using with Bonnie's textures.

so this is what i did:

cropped it square
duplicated it
added the Silent Memory texture at 40% opacity - hard light
added the Fleeting Memory texture at 30% opacity - overlay
flattened it

i'm very happy with the results. thank you Bonnie. i hope to play with these textures again very soon.

Morning Glory Memories

it's interesting how seeing and experimenting with this shot brought back so many different memories from this special trip. it was the first time i had seen my daughter in over a year and a half. not only was i happy to see her again (all whole and happy and oh so freckled) i was also pleased to be able to experience the country and people that she had been involved with during that time. while there with her i realized that she was a young lady with extraordinary discipline. she's tough as nails on the outside and amazingly resilient but inside she has a heart/spirit that aches to make the world a better place. what a winning combination (!!) and such a blessing in my life.

today's gifts included:

a visit from a close friend
trying out the newest kitchen gadget: a handy dandy cherry pitter.
smelling the fresh lemon that i sliced for iced tea ~ lemons smell really good~!!~

2011-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

a finished mixed media postcard. i made this one using a chunk of the hexagon pieced paper i was experimenting with. i've included a bit of vintage embroidered pillowcase edge, a fussy cut butterfly, a piece of vintage book page that i have sketched (watercoler pencils) a california poppy onto and some of my own embroidery work. this one is on it's way to my mom in celebration of her birthday.

and here's a sneak peek/teaser shot of the progress on the AAQI pear quilt that i am working on.

today's gifts included:

spending some time with my daughter
brainstorming and gathering materials for an upcoming birthday quilt that i want to make
the arrival of my new needle felting machine (!!)

Texture Tuesday/ 8-9-2011

2011-08-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

it's all about the small stuff over at Kim Klassen's Cafe today. i used her free 'Not too Shabby' texture with one of my photos (square crop). Thank you Kim~!~

today's gifts included:

playing tug and fetch with River (she's not 'lost' anymore)

watching the hummingbirds chase each other around the feeder

participating in the texture tuesday challenge this week

2011-08-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

today i mailed off all three small AAQI quilts. the process really is quite simple and i will be watching for when they've been posted for sale. i imagine it will be a while but having never done this before i'm really not sure.

yesterday i was out of town seeing the orthopedist. it seems i'm in need of a 'hip replacement'. the up side is that once it's done i won't be in pain anymore. the down side is it scares me. for now there are lots of insurance details to figure out as well as dates to clear on calendars and what-not. i may be less regular than ever with my posts as well as hopping around to all of the other blogs that i like to visit, but will get them in when i can. this is why i did not post my texture tuesday image. i hope to find time later in the week to work on that.

i promised to show progress of the latest AAQI quilt that i am working on so below you will see that the body of the piece now has the two 'border' pieces attached. i've cropped the photo so that the other two (raw woven edges) don't show much. i'll decide what i'm going to do with them later on.
next i will be cutting a pear shape (from the hand dyed fabric that i posted shots of recently) and then i am looking forward to beginning the embellishment and appliqueing of it. i have no plan and will just stitch what feels 'right' as i go along.

toady's gifts have included:

getting my AAQI package mailed
taking some time to think
being able to relax (a little) about some of the goals i haven't met

Texture Tuesday/7-26-11

2011-07-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

good morning. the texture tuesday challenge this week is 'Dream'.

Free To Fly

i've used a recent shot, a layer of 'not too shabby' and a quote that i like.
the layer is a freebie from the very generous and talented kim klassen.

today's gifts have included:

a few extra minutes of sleep
the beloved ritual of watering/tending the houseplants
frozen grapes on a hot summer morning ~ yummy ~!!~

2011-07-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

some progress.
i noticed that i accidentally turned one of my fabrics to the 'wrong' side while working. also a couple of the strips are a woven check and these really don't have a right or wrong side.
which got me to thinking that i had choices as to which side to use as my 'right' side. one of them is simply more subtle than the other . . . what are your thoughts here?

i chose to back stitch at the beginning and ending of thread lengths so there are no knots on either side.

i decided that i would work this piece to whatever size my skinny strips dictated and go from there. after cutting a thin batting to 9 X 12 inches and laying the sewn piece on top of the batting i could see that i wanted a bit more added to two of the sides. i trimmed those two sides so that all fabrics were creating a straight edge being careful not to cut into the seam areas.

i found a small piece of fabric that i could cut in half and use for both of those ends. i am going to sew them on by hand but have decided to do that with hidden seams so there will be no raw edge where they join the original piece. i think this will give it a more definite bordered look.

i've sifted through my hand dyed fabrics. the photographs of the piece that i chose are quite blurry but it doesn't matter because that's sort of how the fabric reads anyway.
can you see the pears hidden in the motley coloration?
i can.

today's gifts have included:

homemade blueberry pancakes for breakfast
the discovery of a dyed fabric that will work well as an appliqued pear
the rhythm felt while enjoying 'process'

2011-07-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

i've been steadily working on some AAQI quilts and now have two ready to label and one more ready to quilt. next step is looking into the shipping process/instructions and getting them mailed out.

for these star quilts i went through my orphan blocks and came up with three that i thought would possibly work. after measuring them it was just a matter of applying simple outer borders to bring them up to the 9 x 12 inch size (the maximum that they will accept) that i wanted. i think they turned out okay and was happy to be working towards the goal of furthering the research into Alzheimer's Disease.

the newest project in the works is also related to the AAQI project.
i did receive a couple of comments that suggested i try using my zentangle pears as a jumping off point for one and then some serious brainstorming began.

i decided that i would try appliqueing a pear and stitch/quilt/embroider (?) some 'zentangled' type of designs within it. but what to applique it onto . . . ? . . .

as i thought about it i remembered having seen (in various places) some cloth work that was hand stitched and free-form and sort of had that 'doodled' look . . . as if created spontaneously right off of the top of one's head. this lead me to some googling and after lots of research i've finally found a resource that i'm thrilled with. Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth has a blog that sums things up rather nicely for me. if you are interested in this type of work i highly recommend a visit.

after all of this reading/research i still didn't have any real instructions per se. maybe this work somehow defies instruction . . . after all it's a whole lot about intuitively 'listening' to the materials at hand and the project being created as it comes along.
so i decided to just jump in and see if i could create a background from some skinny/selvedge edge strips that i had originally set aside for rug making. i deliberately chose pale and mostly neutral colors. i ironed them and trimmed them to approximate lengths of 12 - 13 inches and then began weaving them together securing them with a running stitch as i went. no seam allowances as they are stitched rough edge to rough edge with some having fringey edges (which i love). i carefully trimmed off any fringe/threads that i felt were too long as i stitched them together. this piece has no backing (yet). it was a little slow at first but as the piece grew it became more and more it's own self/cloth and not so much small strips that needed taming.

i've used quilting threads that were still on the needle to sew the strips together. it seems that there is always some left in my needles after completing a piece and i generally leave it on the needle and then tuck it into the spooled thread for future use in that color. well, i've gone through my quilting threads and am using up those various threads. quite randomly, just using what is closest at hand as i go. in future i anticipate using various threads from my embroidery tin . . . etc. there are lots of possibilities here.

so this is what it's looking like so far. i'm only putting in enough stitches to hold everything together nicely but i will be going back over this and adding more. when i feel happy with the way it looks and behaves i will begin the process of appliqueing the pear onto it.

in the above photo you can see one of the edges and how that looks as it's 'growing'.

and here a very close macro of the stitches and the 'woven' unions.

this is a wonderfully soothing way to work with fabric. it actually moves along more quickly than i anticipated it would but certainly is not as fast as sewing by machine. the cloth being created has a beautiful soft hand/feel to it due to being hand sewn and working in this way feels meditative and calming. i don't want to put it down once i've begun and i very much look forward to picking it back up again: a lot like when i hand quilt, embroider, crochet, hook a rug, etc.

so this is my newest stitching adventure. it will be fun to see where it takes me.

this is my 'poster' picture of a dog that strayed into the yard right after the fourth of July and was in need of some TLC. fresh water and food have been provided as well as some comfort in the shade should she choose to stay (and she has). she was in pretty rough shape and seemed to need lots of rest as well as wounds that needed tending. at first she wouldn't even let me touch her and acted as though quite traumatized. she now won't let me out of her sight when i'm outside and lays by whichever outer door she thinks i'm closest to when i'm inside the house. i come home from going somewhere and she's there waiting on the steps for me. on the poster i've stated that she will be taken to the pound on the 20th if no claim has been made. we've had a couple of calls but none that panned out. the nearest pound is an hour away as we are so rural. today i realized as i sat down to blog that it's the 20th and some decisions are going to have to be made . . .

today's gifts include:

the house to myself ~ so nice and quiet
time to blog
time to think
time to stitch
time
lovely. quiet. time.

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

here we are at another tuesday. the challenge at Kim's this week was to use at least one layer of her (free) texture 'aurora'.
my columbine have mostly finished their bloom time and now present their funny little jester style seed pod heads.

Sweet Surrender

i used the (challenge) texture of 'aurora' as well as 'pour vous' on these two images. the second image is different only in that i've added a border.

do you prefer one more than the other?

Sweet Surrender (with border)

today's gifts have so far included:

waking up in my own bed (i've been out of town for a few days)
cinnamon rolls for breakfast
the ability to 'lose' myself while playing in photoshop

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

it's Texture Tuesday again over at Kim's Cafe. the challenge this week was "pink".
i had fun with two different images but failed to write down which textures i used and now i've forgotten.
so . . . my challenge to all those who participate in this weekly event is to give me your guesses within your comment. i do remember that i only used one on Linen Love but there were several used on HollyHock Daze. Have Fun.

Linen Love

HollyHock Daze

Today's gifts have included:

deep satisfaction with the weekend garden projects

cool morning air as i admire the blue summer sky (and the weekend's garden projects)

ibuprofin as i recover (from the weekend's garden projects (!)

2011-07-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are the sunshine, food and medicine to the soul."

Luther Burbank

wishing you a weekend full of sunshine and flowers.

toady's gifts included:

a few moments to quietly stitch in the cool morning air of the front porch
feeding a stray dog
cool breezes

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

it's actually late monday for me but tomorrow promises quite a bit of work in the garden and i didn't want to take the chance of not getting a chance to post.

Kim's challenge this week was the number 3 and the use of at least one of her textures. since my favorite number is 3 i decided to do three Texture Tuesday exercises this week.

this first one used one of my shots of last summer's moss rose. i cropped it square and used one layer of kim klassen's (free) texture "not too shabby". i kept it pretty light handed on this one.

this second one used my own shot from spring 2009 when some of the willows in the area were doing their thing. i also cropped this one but used a 5 x 7 format and once again used the "not too shabby" texture. this one is even more subtle. i don't think one would know that there was a texture there if i didn't reveal it. it did add depth to the shot though . . .

the third one is much more involved and dramatic. the original still life was taken in 2008. i added three of kim's textures: mayzee, portrait and pourvous.

today's gifts included:

celebrating the blessing of being an American
the deep cool shade on a hot day
the happiness of 'family'

2011-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

recently i visited Pom Pom and read about her love of drawing and seen some of her whimsical sweet work. it got me to thinking that i too love to draw and have, at various times of my life, done quite a bit of it but in my (ahem) 'later years' (mid-life later not later later mind you) i've sort of wandered further and further away from it.
i've done some sketching and a bit of zen doodling over the past year or so but only a very little bit. when i visit Jay (the Creative Crone from Studio Q) i frequently see some of her fabulous zendoodling and am once again reminded that i should get back to it. like really try harder. make some sort of commitment. or something. i've had the Blog Zentangle listed on my sidebar for quite some time and i pop over there once in a while for a peek at what they have going on but still nothing. it turns out one has to actually set aside time and materials to achieve a goal~!!~ so approximately a month ago i decided to try to zendoodle right before i turn out the light. that would be after actually tucking into bed, after the reading time and after the sudoku puzzle time but before the shutting of the eyelids bit . . . sheeeesh there's just not enough minutes in the day~! anyway, i put an inexpensive sketchbook on the nightstand along with a couple of pens that i like to use and i have actually followed through (on those nights when my eyelids cooperated with me that long). it's very relaxing. very pointless. very . . . well, zen.

as you can see i like to zendoodle within an actual recognizable form. usually it's done quite a lot more randomly but the control freak inside of me doesn't like to do it that way. i'll probably get kicked out of the zendoodling clan now that they know . . .

yep, i like pears. pears are beautiful, which is why every great artist has at least one (equally great) pear work somewhere in their portfolio (right?).

look~! i didn't create any particular form for this session~! progress? maybe. i'm not making any promises. i did manage to sneak in some words . . . thought that was pretty cool and might do some more of it. i also tried using pencil for part of it. that's probably strike two and three with the zendoodle police . . .
imagine those uniforms~!

this one is still in progress. i started with the leaf and then carried on outside of it a bit . . . not sure where this one is going but i guess that's the thing with zendoodling; you just begin. make some marks. don't worry. be happy. before you know it you find yourself all zenned out.

this is my helper, Gracie. She's all zenned out too.

next: The Sketchbook Challenge ~!!~
:-D

today's gifts have included:

a yogurt/banana smoothie for breakfast: homemade yogurt, frozen banana, dash of Vietnamese cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
some time to spend on my AAQI goals
a piece of watermelon cold from the refrigerator and perfectly sweet

Texture Tuesdays

2011-06-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

this week on TT the challenge was to use the layer (free) "golden" by kim klassen.

this is the original image i shot. we had some blackberries in the house so i used a handful of them and some mint sprigs to create a quick still life. i used a small white shell shaped dish and the contrast was so great between the blackberries and the dish that i felt the shot was harsh . . . i shot a lot of images, using a variety of settings/adjustments within camera, but just couldn't really overcome the problem. so . . . it was textures to the rescue . . .

Blackberries A La Mint

this was the result. i think it has a much softer look now. i would be interested to know: which do you like better? what suggestions do you have regarding the original problem of contrasts and harshness? do you like blackberries?

today's gifts include:

homemade blackberry syrup
the discovery of rosebuds within the garden
a recount on the goldfish: there are 15 rather than 14

Texture Tuesdays

2011-06-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

it's Texture Tuesday again and this week the challenge was to work with at least one of kim klassen's textures and a photo of a person or people.
i chose to work with a photo of a photo and the texture warm sun.

Becoming a Ghost

this is a photo that i took of an antique photo that i won in a give-away from Eileen of Keeping it Rural in Wisconsin quite some time ago.
i know that normally this sort of thing is scanned into the computer but my scanner and i are not on as good of terms as my camera and i so i just took a photo of it.
anyway i find these photos fascinating. who are these people that somehow end up in an antique store and eventually are "adopted" by a buyer who finds them interesting in some way? they have faded out of family memory and into the realm of ghosts . . . who were they? what did they live through? photos attempt to tell a story but what was hers? do you have any ideas? go ahead, leave me a comment that helps build her some sort of history. what is she telling you?

today's gifts include

having my hands in the warm dirt planting some flowers
being surprised by the discovery of a clematis vine full of beautiful mostly white flowers. this vine has struggled every year since we moved in (nearly eight~!) and i've never seen it bloom before. and not just one or two blooms but MANY.
seeing that the climbing rose that i planted last year really has pulled through the winter and is just now beginning it's "climb" through the summer months. no flowers (yet) but a small green branch just beginning to thicken and flourish

2011-06-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

i recently participated in the AAQI (Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative's) ongoing sale. if you are not aware of this organization i would encourage you to link over and take a look. in addition to the ongoing sale of small (no larger than 9 x 12 inches) quilts there is also a monthly small quilt auction that they do. in fact there are 33 ways in which you can help with this cause, from the very easy to the more challenging. one of the very easy ways is to post the link (that they provide) onto your blog's sidebar. that is exactly how i became familiar with them and as you can see i now have one on my sidebar. easy peasy~!!~

last week i was thrilled to find this small treasure in my mailbox. isn't it amazing~!?!~

i purchased it, with the money from the sale going directly to the search for a cure/treatments for this heartbreaking diagnosis. the quilt was made by Cathy at Big Lake Quilter. she generously created and donated this wee (app. 7.5 x 9.5 inches) piece. she has actually made and donated several and they are all wonderful~! really~!~ go and see, she has them pictured in her blog.

i know that this issue hits very close to home with many people, including myself and it's the kind of illness that makes those closest to those suffering feel helpless and extremely frustrated. if you are one of the people who would like to do something to help than please visit this site and view the options because there is indeed (33) somethings that can be done. if enough people make a small difference in some way it becomes a very large difference in no time at all. it's a big problem that needs all of the support it can get so don't count yourself out. shed that helpless feeling that this disease creates and do only what you can. i bet you'll find it's more than you thought.

i would like to make one of these tiny quilts myself but am having trouble deciding just what i should do. so if you leave a comment please feel free to share any idea that you have with me. consider it yet another way that you can help.

:-)

Today's gifts include:

a new little quilt to hang on the wall
columbine blooming in the garden
15 surviving goldfish happily swimming in the pond

Texture Tuesdays

2011-06-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

it's Texture Tuesday's over at kim klassens again. this week we were encouraged to do our own thing using at least one of her textures. i used three: warm sun, not to shabby and sweet tart.

Not to be Forgotten

this is the original sepia image that i used; one of my own still lifes from the archives.

i've been out of town for a couple of days and much of life has gotten ahead of me so it's short and sweet today.

toady's gifts include:

a bright blue sky

hot chai tea as i wake up

a good nights sleep

Texture Tuesdays

2011-06-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

this Texture Tuesdays challenge was to use text within our image as well as at least one of kim klassens textures. i used two textures: not to shabby and stained linen.
i was pretty light handed with them and did some erasing on the textures from the parts where i wanted the flowers to really remain light and bright. so they are subtle this week. i was also careful with the text as i wanted it to just be a "whisper".

Beginnings

this is the original photo taken from my garden a few days ago.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

and then being the overachiever that i sometimes can be (or maybe i'm just having a really good time) i had to do another one. this one much more dramatic. this time i used only one of kim's textures: warm sun.

Widening Towards Enlightenment

i even was inspired to write a cinquain (a five line poem) to go with it:

moon snail

radiant symmetry

an inner mystery

widening towards enlightenment

growth glows

the black and white snail shell is one of my own photos taken from my archives. i don't think it's a very good photo as a stand alone shot but i didn't want to dump it either . . . i think it worked well here.

this is a photo that i took of a fallen rose petal several summers ago. i loved it's color and luminosity as well as the subtle details. i hoped i might be able to use it as a texture layer someday. it was fun to work with and i'll use it again i'm sure.

today's gifts include:

time to work/play in photoshop
some joyful giving
a friend's shared happiness

2011-06-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

i am having a beautiful weekend
and wishing you the same.

today's gifts include:

the fragrance of blossoming fruit trees

a walk with Suki (the granddog)

solitude

2011-06-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

i've been concentrating a lot on my photoshop work (play~!) within my blog and decided this evening to wander down a different path (or two) with you . . .

i really enjoy reading many of the Somerset magazines and was looking at a back issue the other day and was inspired to lovely up this small frosted glass container.
the glass container was actually a scented candle. once the candle was burned down i set the jar in the freezer for a bit so that i could easily chip out the extra wax that was left in the bottom. i then washed it out completely with hot soapy water and toweled it dry.
i glued a torn strip of distressed sheet music all the way around and then added some vintage hand crocheted lace, a bit of pretty paper, a button and some text that i liked . . .
and voila: a charming little vase.

i have been continuing my experiment with paper and stitch and now have a postcard almost completed. i'm a bit unsure of how i'm going to edge or bind it but other than that this one is done.
i also have some atc's that i'm still working on.
it's been interesting and fun to see how the various papers hold up to the stitching and i like the way that it looks. very make-do but pretty too.

went for a walk around the garden this morning and discovered that my fern is starting to unfurl itself into the new spring (early summer) season. they are so pretty and delicate looking. it's always good to see that it's made it through the bitter cold of our winters.

one of the flowers that isn't too fussy about our cold mountain climate is the johnny jump ups. i've planted them thickly underneath one of the trees and despite the fact that we have a cottontail come and regularly consume them there is still a blanket of purple. these sweet little flowers are constants once you plant them and happily self seed themselves in all sorts of unexpected nooks and crannies. it's definitely one of my favorites.
btw: we've named the rabbit nibbles and whenever i'm out in the garden i look for it. just when i think it's gone on to greener pastures out it pops to surprise me once again. i don't suppose it will be good for the vegetable garden but it's too fun to have around to care too much. i hope to get a shot of it one of these days but so far it's quite camera shy (as well as fast).

the fruit tree has been waiting for a warm day to begin popping it's buds wide open to whatever pollinators might be interested. we've had such strong winds this afternoon that i half expect to find them mostly blown off by morning . . .

and the allium that i planted last fall are just beginning to explode with their own form of fireworks signalling a warmer season to come~!

today's gifts include:

waking up to sunshine and blue sky
the magical unfurling of fern fronds
my ability to hear the symphony of birdsong that fills the garden

Texture Tuesday

2011-05-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

it's Texture Tuesday and here i am right on time~!
:-)

using two of kim klassens (free~!)wonderful textures this time: Not to Shabby and Portrait

if you haven't already discovered this great site and you're interested in photography and what you can do with your own shots you should really click on the Texture Tuesdays button on my sidebar and check it out. i've been dancing around this activity for years and finally feel like a have a wonderful community of support in which to actively learn and use these skills. i do have a lot to learn and a long way to go to get as good as many of the participants but their talent and sharing spirit is totally inspiring.

this week it's a "garden party" going on over there~it's okay to be fashionably late but do at least come and partake a little~!!~

Anticipation

this is my original photo which is part of a series of shots recently taken in my garden. i shared another of these shots in a recent post but felt this one was a bit "washed out" looking. i do love what the textures did for it.

today's gifts include:

starting a new novel and being totally drawn in (The Help)
seeing many different (and beautiful) birds at the feeder as they make a pit stop on their migratory paths
water warmed and at the ready whenever i should want or need it (that shower felt good this morning)

Texture Tuesdays with Kim Klassen

2011-05-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

yep, i know it's not tuesday but i'm a bit slow with the texture challenge this week. i'll keep practicing and and eventually i'll get faster (i hope).
once again the texture comes from kim klassen. this one is called "yesteryear" so i did something yesteryear-ish with it.

Faded Memories

this is the original photo. again one of my own still life shots from my archives.

today's gifts include:

waking up wrapped in flannel sheets on a chilly spring morning

happy memories of my grandparents

a cup of hot chocolate made with warmed milk

2011-05-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

today has been a rainy day. i've enjoyed the soft silvery light and the way that the steady fall of moisture has deepened the greens in the grass almost as i watch. that almost sounds as if i've been just sitting around and watching the grass grow doesn't it!?!
;-)
in truth i suppose that i did do some of that today . . .

the tulips and other spring flowers have been graced with an array of moist silvery pearls.

inside the house i have my seed/sprouts. the night time temps are still a bit too iffy to risk planting them so i faithfully carry them outside during the day and bring them back in at night. they really can't be called sprouts anymore though. the above photo is a part of one of those pumpkins that i planted. sometimes i feel like Jack and his beanstalk when i look at them in the morning. they have large buds and blooms on them that i really should be trimming off but i can't always do it . . .

i know the photo here is not a good one but the yellow summer squash that i started have begun to bear fruit~!!~ the smallest one in the above shot is about the size of my thumb and some are bigger and some smaller but these plants are already prolific. we may be eating squash off of the plants before i can even put them in the outside garden if they continue as they are doing . . . now that i think about it we should be picking those off too and eating them as baby squash so that the plant can continue to work on roots and leaves.

we have managed to put the tomato plants in the ground with the cold frame erected around them. they should be okay unless we get a hard frost. i'm hoping to have a large yield this year so that we can preserve them for winter eating. i believe i have about eight plants in there so we should be kept quite busy when the time comes.

my hands/needle have been working on these small bird applique blocks. i'm not sure how many i will ultimately make but i thought they might eventually get combined with the vine i recently finished . . .

i think they're pretty cute.
they are part of a bigger pattern called "Homespun Nest"within the magazine shown below.
btw i did not completely follow their instructions so have a slightly different result than them. it seems i almost always have to change things at least a little bit and i won't sew them up as part of that particular quilt although i found it quite cute. i have another idea brewing around in my head . . .

i actually found a lot of cute ideas and patterns within the Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine and am pleased to have a subscription for the next year's worth of issues.

todays gifts included:

the pleasure of hearing the rain and enjoying the soft cloud covered sunlight
the realization of just how many creative blogs/friends i have on the internet (due to my accidentally having deleted the WHOLE list in one fell swoop)
a settle on the sofa to watch the first hummingbirds find the feeder which led to a very nice nap

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

so as i said i did have a bit of an accident with my sidebar list of blogs. i'll just have to add them back as i can. i hope everyone understands and if you were on there before and i've overlooked you feel free to let me know and i'll get you back up there.

2011-05-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

oh !@#$@#$%$%#@^@#
and $#&^*@$%%

i've just accidentally removed my whole list of blogs that i like to visit off of my sidebar~!~
how in the . . .

bear with me as i begin the process of building it back up again.

For You / Pour Vous

2011-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

it's so good to be back. i've been experiencing a great deal of problems with my internet connection for the past several weeks and for the past week have had no internet at all so i'm feeling totally disconnected from all my blog friends. the connection is now working although with intermittent lapses . . . not sure what is going on or when it will be totally straightened out but thought i would jump on this evening real quick and show you what i've been up to. i hope to get back on tomorrow and catch up with you too.

For You

this is a textured image that i put together using a photo of mine:

(that i pulled from my archives) and a texture (Pour Vous) given to me by kim klassen.

i'm very happy with it and if you have a second or two you can hop over to my flickr page and see the image on black by clicking on the little magnifying glass that says "view in lightbox".

it's quite stunning if i don't say so myself~!~

;-)

i hope to be doing photoshop work on a regular basis so hopefully there will be more to see as time goes on . . .

today's gifts included:

the pleasure i feel while creating
walking in the sun with my grandog
enjoying a pasta dinner (lovingly prepared by my daughter) with my family

2011-05-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

the weather today is a bit grey but so far we've only gotten rain . . . the weatherman says it could turn to snow but the temps are currently in the mid 40's so i've got my fingers crossed that it won't. the leaves are beginning to bud out and the trees are wearing that misty light green veil that they get before their buds all go completely into leaf . . . very pretty and very promising~!

this first one is one of the ornamental fruit trees that we have in the yard. there will not only be leaves soon but also blossoms (if the frost doesn't get them).

last summer i planted false spirea in one of the gardens. i like it's feathery leaves and it's supposed to be a fast growing shrubby/ground cover. so the second shot is the leaves just beginning to form for it's new year. it's always good when a plant makes it through it's first winter here and i have hopes that it's going to be happy and healthy. i really like the way the new leaves have a rosey red blush to them. the plant that i planted last year had only green leaves so this was a surprise. possibly the color will only be a spring thing . . . ?

the columbine has been growing leaves for a few weeks now and i'm also pleased at their robust sturdiness. i love the way that the leaves look like a blossoming rose at first.

i have quite a lot of artemesia in various places throughout the yard and it does very well here. this year it began to show some growth way back in late february/early march which is VERY early here. i'll be making this a staple. i like it's sagey green color and it's feathery soft growth. it makes for a lovely small shrub-like plant along walkways and around the pond and i have a feeling i'm going to come up with a lot of other places to plant it as well.

so all of these spring leaves have gotten me in the mood to applique some vines and leaves of my own. and if there's a vine with leaves . . . there has to be berries, right?!?
i always keep my leftover vines and leaves from past projects. i tuck them away in a box and draw out of it before i cut more for new projects if i can. i have used this design element in so many quilts that i have quite a few little bits and pieces to choose from.
i happen to really like the look of a pieced quilt with some appliqued accents or features; sometimes within the border, sometimes an oddball applique strip or block tossed in among the pieced ones, sometimes a surprise bird or blossom randomly placed onto an otherwise pieced top, etc.
i think the possibilities are probably endless.
one day recently i felt the urge to applique but didn't really have a project in mind so i went through the box and chose a length of prepared vine and started sewing it down to a 5 inch wide piece of muslin cut from selvedge to selvedge (approximately 40 inches long). what you see here is a portion of that strip which i have now completely filled with applique. it was so satisfying i think i'll start another. (-:
i have no idea what exactly i'll do with them but i do know that they will find a "home" within something eventually, after all, is there any quilt that can't somehow benefit from a bit of "greenery" within it~!?!
feel free to share your ideas on how you have added applique to piecework projects.

i mentioned in a recent post that i was playing around with using paper, fabric and stitch. i'm still playing but this is what i have so far. the hexagon pieces are a variety of papers that i had on hand. i've added a piece of an old embroidery linen to one corner and a fabric fussy cut butterfly as well as some random embroidery stitches. i've used a thin scrap of muslin batting for the base. i think i may be cutting a postcard and some atc's from it and then finishing them up according to what each small piece "tells me" it needs . . . still experimenting and having a great time with this and as you can see my "green garden fever" has infected this piece as well.
i hope to show more as i get further along.

today's gifts included:

the soft light of a foggy morning
the shimmery veil of green leafy buds that trees wear in the early spring
bearing witness to my daughter's blossoming into womanhood.

2011-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

it was a wonderfully sunny warm day with temps in the 60's today.
i decided to take advantage of it and experiment with a different lens.

the grape hyacinths are happily standing in the garden spotlight today. it's interesting how these particular ones are a darker purple at the bottom than they are at the top.

our calico kitty Cricket joined me for a while. she was quite interested in watching the bird feeder which got me to thinking that i should try and get some shots of the birds . . . but i had to wait for her to move on before they felt comfortable enough to begin feeding again.

there was quite an assortment of hungry birds and this one was charming and quite unafraid once the kitty went on her way.

the yellow headed blackbirds are a lot more assertive than most of the other birds. they push and shove and gobble up as much as they can as fast as they can.

i like the small wren-like birds with the cherry heads and rosey breasts.

after i became too sore to sit on the ground shooting birds i decided to snap a few of my grand-dog Suki. she is very playful and energetic and doesn't she have the sweetest face~!?!~

today's gifts included:

continuous birdsong
my daughter's company (and Suki's too)
the sight with which to see so much spring beauty

2011-05-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

it has to be all about flowers today, doesn't it~!?!~

i had a little bit of time to play in my photoshop program so made a quick Happy May Day piece. the blossoms are from a jasmine plant that i have. in the summer it gets wheeled outside but during the rest of the year it holds court in a sizable corner of my dining room and blesses me with sweet smelling blossoms every spring.

i'm not sure what this tiny purple flower is. it came up just after the crocus and the stems are no longer than three inches. the flowers themselves are about the size of my thumbnail and hang like bells off of the stems. maybe someone reading can identify them for me. they are quite tricky to photograph due to the downward direction that they face and their close proximity to the ground. i'm sure that my gymnastics once again impressed anyone who happened to notice me out with my camera . . . O-:

this is sooc and is a macro of the lily that recently bore me two huge glorious blossoms this year.

daffodils dancing in the sun today, skirts blowing in the wind.

this last bit is something i'm currently working on. . .
this particular photo is a section from a vintage linen towel embroidered by someones long ago busy hands. i'll try to get more shots of the rest of it soon but to tell the truth i don't know where i'm going with this piece yet. it started out with me experimenting with the stitching of paper but of course a bit of cloth has worked it's way in as well.

today's gifts included:

sunshine warming the time spent out in the yard
the joy i feel while behind the lens of my camera
hands capable of doing the stitching that i so love to do

i hope every one's May Day was full of flowers and maybe even a little sunshine.

2011-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

i'm reading a book by Ann Voskamp called "one thousand gifts".

it has been an interesting look at the power of gratitude. i'm not finished with it but i am far enough along to know that it has come into my life at just the right time with just the right message. and i am listening.

today's gifts included:

homemade brownies
April showers (both rain and snow)
the mind numbing awe that i feel while observing those vigorous pumpkin sprouts

do you feel it too?

2011-04-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

i've been so busy that i forgot to post a finished photo of the baby quilt that my daughter and i made.
the blocks were put together while she was in Honduras and sewn by hand as she had no electricity. she used thrifted fabrics: the large middle squares were salvaged from a cotton man's shirt and the strips were salvaged from a set of flannel receiving blankets. upon returning from a Christmas visit i was able to bring them home and set about finishing the quilt. i squared up the blocks, set them together and added borders. then quilted using a heavier thread and a utility stitch.
i used the same fabric on the back as i did for the borders.
the binding is a double fold chambray.
i have forgotten the measurements of this one.

i happened to find a small bear that fit nicely into the pocket from the man's shirt that she used. it looks pretty cosy in there~!

the patch that she sewed onto the pocket was salvaged off of a thrifted baby garment.

this is the quilt top that i recently finished for an upcoming community fundraiser/auction. it measures approximately 40" square and i used only scrap fabrics to complete it.
i've pieced a flannel back for it and it's going to the machine quilter very soon.

2011-04-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

just a quick share today of the results from my "feathers and fins" inspiration:

it's a mixed media birthday postcard for someone that i love.
:-)

Amish Inspirations Fragment Quilt

2011-04-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

i'm happy to announce that my Amish Inspirations Fragment Quilt is finished~!!~

(except for the label). i WILL get that done within the next few days.

i made this one as part of a collaborative experiment with Lori from Humble Quilts. She discovered a beautiful antique Amish quilt that happened to whisper sweet nothings into both of our ears. she shared a pattern for the center (medallion part) inspired by the blocks within that quilt. i hand dyed some fabrics that were similar and we were off.

be sure to take a look at the photos of Lori's beautiful piece too. she has hand quilted hers beautifully using a black thread which was a traditional choice for many Amish women.

i also used inspiration directly from the book called Amish - Inspired Quilts by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins of Piece O' Cake fame. i've been wanting to make one of the fragment style quilts discussed within that book for quite some time and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

it's final measurements are 22.25 x 26.75 inches. i happened to have a piece of fabric that was a red on orange toile print that i thought worked well for the backing and had just enough of the orange hand dyed to make a binding. this small quilt has taken me a while to finish but i am very happy with it.

i hand quilted mine as well using a variegated thread in rich copper to gold colors. one of my loves is hand quilting. i love to do it. i love to see it. i love the way i feel after i've spent the quiet time it takes putting in the stitches. it's all good~!

if you enjoy hand quilting as much as i do you should visit Janet at Mrs. Sew n' Sew. she has recently posted a white on white piece that is wonderful~!
Barbara from The Sanguine Stitcher has many wonderful skills and hand quilting is definitely among them. see this cute prim heart place mat full of her wonderful stitches.

btw, if you know of some beautiful blogs that feature a love for hand quilting please feel free to share with me.
:-)

2011-04-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

my wonderful daughter has been home for almost two weeks now and it's so good to see her safe and sound and happily re-nesting in the U.S.

the sprouts that i planted a few weeks back are coming up like gangbusters!

i have to show off the pumpkin because it's the biggest by far. i planted four of them and they are supposed to grow into a plant that bears GINOURMOUS 200+ lb monster pumpkins. the thing is we generally don't have the season for a great pumpkin crop so i probably won't have that sort of result but i couldn't resist trying. i have to say that at the sprout stage they certainly haven't been disapointing and bring a smile to my face every time i see them so maybe i can count it as some sort of success already.

i've been able to get back to the string quilted donation quilt that i started quite some time ago. i'm going to tease you with this macro shot for now but hope to show something much more complete soon . . .
remember "soon" is reletive . . .

i've also been able to make progress on my Amish/Fragment piece. the applique addition is done (you can just see it up in the left hand corner there) and has been sewn on and the quilting has commenced. once again i've only shown it in part but it's coming along nicely and i'll continue to tease you with it's progress before i show the whole piece.

this last goodie is a postcard that i made for a friend way back in the late fall. i just realized the other day that i hadn't ever posted it. and guess what? believe it or not, no tease here, it's actually finished.

i am still working on the feathers and fins card so stay tuned for that one soon.

2011-03-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

i've created a banner/bunting in celebration of my wonderful daughter's homecoming. we knew she was coming soon but not the exact dates . . .

we'll be picking up our grand-pup from the airport tomorrow evening and then WD on friday. the poor girls are both going to have need of some winter wear as we're getting our typical mountain spring snowstorms and they're coming from a two year acclimation to a tropical climate.

anyway, i've managed to complete this welcome home gift just in the nick of time. i'll share a few details with you.

i began with a very tattered antique cutter crazy quilt piece that i purchased off of e-bay several years ago. i have managed to create some Christmas stockings with this piece and still had some bits left. enough to cut out some triangles as the base parts for my bunting.

do you recognize the bird? it's one of those fabulous dictionary images that i posted a while back. i did some cropping and printed it out on vellum. then stitched it into place.
both plain and fancy embroidery as well as other mixed media embellishments have been used.
i attempted to stick to a "home" theme while also trying to make it something that she could use decoratively later on if she chose. not too celebration specific but definitely festive and suitable for this occasion.

i may share more photo's of it at a later time. these were all taken in a hurry and, as you can imagine, i'm in fits of excitment so they aren't the best.
but all in all i'm quite pleased with the outcome and can only hope that she will be as well.

if you notice me absent from the blogging world for a few days it's because i'm happily gathering them up and enjoying my little family's reunion~!!~

: D

2011-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

"All the art of living

lies in a fine mingling

of letting go and holding on."

HAVELOCK ELLIS

last week i planted some seeds. they have to be kept in the house for now until we have warmer temps but this morning i noticed one of the edible chrysanthemum's is coming up. actually there are two but the one next to it is just barely peeking out of the ground.

outside my windows there has been a mix of cold winds and light snow flurries but inside it's spring~!!

oh me of little faith . . .
i'm such a doubter when it comes to planting seeds. i much prefer to go to the nursery in the later spring and buy those plants which are sprouting up and already showing promise . . . but this year my daughter encouraged me to start more from seed . . .

btw: if you click on the photo you will be able to actually see it
: D

2011-03-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Bloggers Day of Silence

For Japan With Love has a direct link on the website to the fundraising page for ShelterBox. ShelterBox was one of THE first organizations asked by Japan to help and were on hand on the Saturday after the quake. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Please check it out and whatever you can contribute will be so appreciated.

—

http://www.utterlyengaged.com/category/contest/blog-love/

http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/

my personal goal is to see these all up and down my sidebar as other bloggers join in.
help me out and help Japan.

2011-03-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day~!!~

2011-03-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

remember these? way back before the holidays i dyed this group of fabrics.

i was inspired by a photo that i seen on Lori's beautiful blog. she seems to go to a lot of quilt shows and is very generous in sharing her experiences/photos with all who follow her blog.

this particular quilt was one that she seen and admired at the Old Aurora Colony Quilt Show.

it was made by Matilda Knight Stauffer.

i thought it was pretty awesome too. i've always been a big fan of the antique Amish style of quilts and this one struck me as particularly beautiful.

Lori and i did a little brainstorming, i dyed some fabric, she had a friend who was willing to help out with the pattern making and before you know it Lori and i were both sewing up our own personal interpretations of this beautiful antique quilt.

in addition i had a book (within my obscenely huge personal library) called Amish -Inspired Quilts: Tradition With A Piece O' Cake Twist by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins. i've admired the quilts in this book for quite some time and especially loved the "fragment" style quilts that are depicted within it.

so i decided to combine all of these inspirational sources within the piece that i've been making and these are my results.

starting with a variation of the block within the Matilda Knight Stauffer Quilt and setting it on point within the turqouisey blue fabric. this produced a piece that measured 16.25 inches (finished).

i then added a skinny cheddery yellow border of 1.75 inches (finished) and wider green border of 3.5 inches(finished) to the top and the bottom.

then the holidays were in full swing and i had to set it aside. but i knew that i wanted to take the piece into the "fragment" style at this point and so i cut a 6.5 inch (unfinished) strip of the red fabric. i pinned these pieces up onto my wall and thought about them A LOT.

i drew up sketches and played around with the idea of adding a vine applique as well as some quilting possibilities . . .

and finally i've been able to get back to it and begin stitching that vine. the center "stem" is nicely in place and i will begin to cut and sew leaves tomorrow . . .

meanwhile, Lori has been exhibiting the patience of a saint as she is much faster than i am and has her wonderful piece already quilted.

this has been wonderfully fun and some day soon i hope to show the finished results of my little Amish inspirations fragment quilt. hopefully you'll show as much patience as Lori has.

2011-03-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

research or dictionary mania ~!?!~

consider this an explanation of sorts as to why it takes me so long to complete anything.

sometimes i like to read through dictionaries. especially old dictionaries. i'm not sure why but i find it both fascinating and comforting to sit and quietly peruse the thin crispy pages. i have a small collection of them and am always on the hunt for more. this morning i settled in with a 1946 edition of "The New Century Dictionary"; volume one (A - pocket veto)

i actually had a goal when i started but then the spell was cast and i found myself wandering from definition to picture to definition . . . pages turned . . .

time passed . . .

eventually i felt compelled to get the camera out and collect a few of the images that might be useful in my "feathers and fins" theme. ah yes, back to the goal . . .

this is definitely a fish with a beak . . .

it's interesting how similar feathers and fins are . . .

what a show-off~!~

then i began to notice how similar many leaves are to feathers and/or fins . . .

and even insect wings looked like they belonged somehow . . .

i was absolutely fascinated~!!~

hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm . . .

i did get a little distracted at times . . .

but eventually got back around to the inspiration of "feathers and fins".

my head is full of ideas and directions to go now and my spirit strangely calmed by the act of wandering through old print and hand drawn images.

however, i must get back to the daily stuff of life and set this all aside to simmer a bit within my head . . .

inspiration is like that for me. i'm Alice down the rabbit hole for quite a while before it all perks back up into some usable fodder: (fod' er), n. Food for cattle, horses, etc., esp such food as . . . oops, sorry.

what is the creative process like for you? share with me your process (or one of) that you use to slip into that wandering, wondering, pondering pool that then enables you to swim happily to your own strange island of imagination.

our creative processes are as unique as what is actually created i think.

while you think about it i've got to get to the dishes and laundry.

darn it~!

2011-03-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

there are some "moments worth celebrating" coming up and so i've been working on a few smaller projects.

this is a postcard i have just finished binding. i sometimes benefit from a "theme" when i start a project and with this one i chose "platinum and pink" to sort of give me a guide as i worked. the pink piece in the center and the lavender binding were fabrics that i hand dyed myself. i used some metal embellishments and metallic threads as well as a tiny frame that i found an equally tiny (paper) image to fit within. i think i like the way that this one turned out. i only have the signature postmark and back to do before i send it on to it's recipient.

i think the theme for my next postcard is going to be "feathers and fins" . . . sounds fun, doesn't it!?! i hope to start on that within the next few days.

i've also made a small pincushion using a ceramic egg cup for the base. i thought it might be nice to include the card as a primitive tag . . .

with a two sided message~!~

and (finally) i've put the finishing touches on this ATC. i'm calling this one "Journey Home" and i think i like it so much i'm going to keep it rather than trade it.

2011-02-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

this is a mixed media postcard that i've mailed off to one of the angels that bless my life.

i hope that it brings a smile to her beautiful face.

these two atc's are a couple of my newest acquisitions.

aren't they wonderful~!? the sensitive knight card is digitally made and the fancy lady is a traditional cut and paste. they are both made by Terri Daugherty of Pixels and Paste.

this lovely Vintage Butterfly card came from the Sparkly Fairy in the U.K.

i love it's old fashioned monotone sweetness.

this adorable spring robin card came from Joy Northrop.

i've traded with her before and LOVE her work.

i have yet to see any spring robins in the yard so until i spot one her tiny card is perched prominently where i can see it and dream about warmer days.

hmmmmmmm . . . confetti, fancy plates and "cake" . . .

what could it all mean?

for the last couple of days i've been working on some birthday "cake": a short stack of scrappy 3.5 inch (finished) hour glass blocks.

i can't say too much or i may give away a surprise . . .

but there will definitely be a party happening~!

2011-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

my most recent ATC's:

"Thinking of You On Valentines Day"

this one was made for my daughter.

"Tribe" - traded to Terri Daugherty
(Pixels and Paste)

"One Wired Bead" - available for trade

"Journey" - in my own collection for now

"Diary of A Windy Day" - traded to artchick501/Pixels and Paste

"Rhythm of A Heartbeat" - traded to Terri Daugherti
of Pixels and Paste

"Twinkle" - traded to "The Sparkly Fairy"

2011-02-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

i've realized that i am behind on documenting my ATC's. i completed a couple of trades before Christmas and have created a few new cards of my own as well. today i'll just catch up with the previously traded/received cards.

these two cards (Red Hill and Zombie) were created by "Anselmiina" via the flickr website. they were worked using Copic markers and my photos don't give her art the true justice it deserves. i'm thrilled to have them within my collection~!!~ Anselmiina lives and works in Finland and thanks to her i now have a lust for these interesting (and very expensive) pens.

in return i sent her the Glyph Turtles and MeMa's House/Love cards. she seemed pleased and i'm looking forward to future trades with her.

the next two cards were received from Amy Nieman of Paper & Glustix.

they were also traded via the flickr website but i'm thrilled to have since discovered her blog.

she's a mixed media/collage artist superstar and has even been published.

pretty cute ~ huh!?!

:-)

in return she received my Lost/Fish card and this one that i titled A Square Peg's Wish.

i hope to be able to document some more of the cards that i've made recently within the next few days.

2011-01-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

i have finally taken a photo of my finished Strawberry Fields Forever doll quilt. i finished the top in June and completed the hand quilting/quilt in November. it measures 20.5 inches x 26.5 inches and i'm quite happy with the way that it turned out. this fun little doll quilt was done as a quilt-a-long project with Lori over at http://www.humblequilts.blogspot.com/. i see that she is just finishing up with another really cute one called Midnight Stars. i'll have to add that one to my wish list . . .

meanwhile i'm working on getting a baby quilt finished.

my daughter pieced the four center blocks in a liberated log cabin style using thrifted fabrics that she found in Honduras. she does not have the luxury of electricity where she's living so she pieced them by hand. she did a good job too~! i was able to visit her over the holidays and the blocks came home in my backpack so that i could square them up, set them together (with a border), back and layer the piece and finally quilt it. i decided to use a perle cotton and big/utility stitch. that goes pretty fast and seems appropriate for this cute little gift.

the baby was due in late january but surprised everyone by arriving in early january instead~! so i've really got to hurry up and finish it. i'm happy to be a part of the whole process as the mother has been a very good friend of my daughter since their elementary school days and is practically part of the family. this is the second of two boys in their growing family. the first little guy also received a quilt (jungle theme) that was collaboratively done by my daughter and i.

2011-01-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

the soft light of a dawning day

early morning pleasures

home sweet home

2010-11-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

i have been caught up in the holiday fervor and need to strike a balance so i've made a decision to take some time off from blogging until after the new year.
in the meantime, i hope you will enjoy the digital card that i've left with all my best wishes attached.

2010-11-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

aren't these mums wonderful!?! a very good friend gifted them to me. the growing number of cold and cloudy days combined with the shortening daylight hours has made for a lot more time spent inside but with this flowering plant in the house it feels like the sun is shining all of the time.

i've made these Christmas ornaments for a Christmas tree fundraising event that my guild is currently involved in. we will donate and decorate a tree and then it will be auctioned off at a community event along with other trees that have been donated and decorated.

these ornaments were made using tiny bits of my own hand dyed fabrics in a crazy quilt style. a variety of hand stitches on the seams, some peltex in the center as a stiffener/stabilizer and machine zig zagged edges. a fairly quick project.

i made a simpler felt backing for them so that if they get turned on the tree they will still be fun to look at. reversible is good ~ right?!

i've also been getting a small group of fabrics hand dyed. i hope to be making something Amish-like with them at some point in the future. the colors are showing fairly true except for the yellow one. that piece is actually a bit more gold/cheddar looking than appears in this photo.

i've received several more atc's and am so happy with my growing collection of them. i'm delighted to have these small but fabulous works of art as well as to be making my own.

these two are from Eileen Schwanke. you can visit her blog at: http://www.ruralwisconsin.blogspot.com/

the top one is called Serendipity. gotta love that~!

isn't that glued text background amazing~!?!

the stitched reindeer card came from Sweden. Emily aka flossbox (flickr) really knows how to work that needle~!!~ it's a very cute card and the back is also fabric with beautifully turned in and hand sewn edges.

she has a website called The Floss Box: www.theflossbox.com/

this next card - "Plate 51 - Oiseau" is also absolutely gorgeous~! it is from North Carolina in the USA.
made by Phyllis Terrell aka artchick501 (flickr).

the little teddy bear bed has finally been completely finished and is ready for my quilting guild's Christmas Bazaar. we do a table full of raffle items in which tickets can be purchased for a quarter. there is always a huge variety of items on and around this table from which to choose from. customers can choose to buy and place tickets into the designated containers (one for each item). then at the end of the bazaar a massive drawing is held for each container's winner. often people buy more than one ticket for each item that they would like to win and often they put tickets into several different containers. it's a popular fundraiser every year. i think we might be our own best customers though~! LOL

the proceeds from our "quarter raffle" table go towards an annual scholarship that we offer every year to one of the locally graduating seniors.

i think Ted here is ready for a snuggly nap . . .

btw: Emmitt has already managed to give this whole set up a test drive . . . leave it to the cat to find the newest, freshest, snuggliest bed in the house in which to rest upon. and imagine how delighted he was to find a special snuggle partner as a bonus!

2010-11-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

i have been hard at work on the teddy bear bedding and my dh has been equally hard at work building the cutest little bed. the next step is painting the bed and making some linens to cover the mattress and pillow . . . the artist trading cards continue to be a highlight of my creative life and this is my newest card received. it was made by Joy/autumnsensation of (http://www.joytotheblog.blogspot.com/) it's a paper collaged card and it's slightly three dimensional. i love it~!!~and am happy to have it within my growing collection. in exchange Joy received my stitched MeMa's House/Joy card.

these next cards are ones that i made.

the Glyph Turtles is made using a metal tape on a gessoed background. i embossed the turtles and border design into the metal and then did some dye ink painting onto both the turtles and the background.

this turtle card is no longer available for trade.

the Skating Penguin card was made for a trade with another artist who also does stitched cards. i was pretty excited about the way that it turned out and it was perfectly sized until i got a little carried away with the "fluffy" edging. oooops.

i hope she doesn't mind but if she does i'm giving her the option to send it back to me . . . i might not even mind keeping this one for myself . . .

i'll be sure to post the card she's trading/sending to me (all the way from Sweden) when it arrives.

2010-10-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

~HAPPY HALLOWEEN~

it's been a fairly productive weekend. i got my donation quilt back from the machine quilters a few days ago and so proceeded to get the binding and label on.

oh happy me~!!~ it's done and even a couple of weeks before the deadline~!!~

i worked on and finished another Christmas postcard for my daughter . . .

and i have two more ATC's (artist trading cards) finished. i think these are the last two in this particular series . . . but they sure were fun to make. this one (laugh) has already been requested for in a trade. i've also had a request for the "joy" card that i posted previously. i'm pleased that others like them and want to trade their beautiful cards with me. i can hardly wait to see what comes in the mail over the next week or so . . .

;-)

this second XOXO card is no longer available for trade.

the cauldron of treats (with obligatory faux bone stir stik) awaits, for all of those little ghosts and witches who will be out and about this evening . . .

i hope you have a fun (and chocolate) filled Halloween holiday.

2010-10-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

for a good bit of the afternoon it has been snowing. heavy grey skies, cold wind and winter snow~! not a lot of accumulation (yet) but . . .
outside my window it's all golden confetti with white sprinkles.

what a great day to get out the king size quilt that i'm quilting and resume the stitching. it feels quite cozy to snuggle under it with my needle in hand and watch through the window as the winter blows in upon us from over the mountain.
the progress is slow but oh-so-comforting~!!~

it's a good day for making and eating a warm vegetable soup . . .

but i think the pepper i put in the pot has mixed feelings about the whole idea.

2010-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

our sun has been hiding behind a heavy cloudy sky for the last few days with a bit of rain falling now and then. i'm so glad that i went out and enjoyed last week's sunshine as now i'm quite content to be inside, curled up on the sofa, with needle in hand which has resulted in some finished ATC's (artist trading cards).

i've been working on a series that i'm calling "MeMa's House". these cards use bits that bring back childish memories of just that . . . i'm very happy with them and have decided that i will have to keep the "Bliss" card for myself . . . at least for a while . . .

the "Love" card is no longer for trade.

the "Joy" card is no longer for trade.

and the "Fun" card is no longer for trade.

i am currently working on two more for this series but i'll wait to show them until they are completed.

2010-10-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

welcome to my busy day~!

i've been hard at it working on my next (scrap) donation quilt top. still trying to use up all of my strips and strings. this is a 15 inch block made using Marti Michell's Kaleido-Ruler and instructions. so far it's worked out pretty nifty and i hope to have three more of these blocks put together within a few days. then i'll sew those into a 30 inch square center piece and think about some borders to bring it up a bit more in size to a baby quilt size.

i do have one concern. i have sewn the strips and strings onto low thread count muslin bases because the nature of string piecing can be a bit inaccurate otherwise.
i then felt like those pieces were going to be too "weighty" beside the other pieces so in the interest of consistency i also sewed all of the other pieces to the same low thread count muslin. my original thought was i could leave out the batting and make a lighter weight summer quilt using flannel for the back. after having constructed one of the blocks i am wondering if this will present any challenges to the machine quilter? the bulk only seems to be an issue where several seams come together but i know that if i were hand quilting it i would have to choose quilting that avoided those areas . . .

if there is anyone who can offer me their thoughts, experience and/or advice on this i would appreciate it.

i've been working on ATC's a little bit over the last few days and am in process with these two fabric ones. i've used vintage lace and emboridered bits of pillowcase to begin with and i'll add some stitching and maybe some other embellishment . . . a bit of vintage jewelry, buttons, etc . . .
maybe add an embroidered word or two . . .

btw: i want to mention that Sharon Boggon of www.pintangle.com has a new option for those of us seeking embroidery stitch instruction. she has created a system that will be expandable and allows for creating a personal sample book of embroidery stitches as one follows along. it's pretty cool and i'm excited to be actively making my very own stitch/sample book to use as a reference for not just the stitches offered but also for whatever variations that i may come up with. i highly recommend that you check it out if you are at all interested in embroidery.

i've not made any fabric ATC's before but i'm assuming that i will need to attach a card stock backing to them in order to create some rigidity . . .

once again, any advice would be appreciated.

this last one is a paper and glue collage card. i used a card that i had zen tangled on for the base. i wasn't thrilled with it so covering it with cut outs and paint seemed like a good option. the outer colored frame is made up of paint samples/cards from the hardware store. i cut one edge of them with decorative edging scissors.

i'm calling this one A Fish in the City and may do other cards with this "Lost" theme at some point . . .

the "Lost" card is no longer available for trade.

2010-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

"Each day comes bearing its own gifts.

Untie the ribbons."

Ruth Ann Schabacker

today i found time to sit in the warm afternoon sun and discover a few more of the season's fragile gifts.