Liar, Liar...Pants on Fire!

I know...I said that I was not going to sign up for any more swaps...but my MUSE is insane! Seriously, she needs medication....and my doctor refuses to give her any...just looks at me and makes little notes on my chart when I talk about her.Here are six 6-inch blocks ready to embellish...in an HGTV CQ Swap that Nickilee has organized...hush, stop laughing...seriously...I'm concerned about my muse!

HGTV BOM - April Complete

Here is one of my monthly Block of the Month items...completed for April. We are on Block #4; and this will be a large quilt once completed as each block has been about 22 inches square.

Inspiration

If you don't follow Susan Elliott's blog..."Plays with Needles"...then seriously, you should. Her work is an inspiration!Want to see?Check out this recent POST,I promise that you will be inspired!

Wine RR - Beryls Block

This morning, I finished up my stitching on Beryl's round robin block, "Wine". Thought you might like to see the end result before I mail it out.Here are the closeups...two simple seams... 

 two bottles of wine...

 

and some embellishment of the fabric that Beryl used in her block.

Easter Egg

Here's a free cross-stitch pattern for you. It is posted as a PHOTO, so you can print it as large as you need. Just save on your computer; open a blank word document and insert or paste the image. Drag the corner to make it as large as you need...to see the little color squares. The chart also works for beading.
If you like this design...click on the link in the toolbar above for CROSS-STITCH, there are links to three more charts there.

Easter Tree - Saalfeld, Germany

 The Kraft family in Saalfeld, Germany has been decorating an easter tree in Volker Kraft's back yard for decades. It started as a sapling with just a few dozen eggs...and as the tree...and the family grew it became hundreds then thousands of eggs. 

 Each egg is prepared by a family member, most are real (blown) eggs that have been painted, some are crochet, others have glued pearls and sequins. Each is a work of art.

This year, 2012, the Easter Tree will have 10,000 eggs on it! Amazing!Check out their website. (Click on egg #11 to watch the video of the tree being decorated in 2009.)

 All of these photos are borrowed from their website. There are many more there for your viewing. It's a little early still for Easter eggs...but, never too early for inspiration!

 Their decorating starts four weeks prior to Easter Day, and the tree is cleared of eggs one week after Easter.The beauty is not only in the eggs, or their decorating of the tree...but in the family itself.

HGTV BOM-March

Got the March block finished yesterday...just under the wire! Also, wanted to thank ya'll for such a warm reception to thepost yesterday about the Sketch Books. From the number of ordersreceived last night...seems that I'm not the only personwho needs to get their Design Ideas and Project IdeasOrganized! Ha!

 Hugs!!

Design Ideas

Do you have ideas for silk ribbon designs, or seam treatments?

 ...Or just general project that you want to accomplish? Thanks to my muse...my head just overflows with them at times.Usually, when I'm no where near my computer or sewing room! And, sometimes...after I have written them down...I can't locate the paper I wrote them on when I need it!So, I decided that all the odd scraps of paper, steno pads, and note cards just had to go. I needed to get more organized!But what would keep everything I wanted to remember in one place? It needed to be large enough to be usable...but small enough to put in my BOHO bag. Then it would need be "at ready" when sitting and waiting for an appointment (or on the bus/train commute? baseball game? ballet class?)AND, since I can't draw a straight line without a ruler...the pages jut had to be "graph paper" style; BUT not printed so dark that I could not see what I did draw...just barely showing,  a guide to help me draw my "artistic" ideas neatly.

 Plus, an area for notes would be needed! To remind me of what project my sketch goes with; or where I saw this cool seam treatment (so I can give credit for the inspiration, if I ever used the seam)...

 "Could others use this type of sketch book too?" my muse asks.Well, could they? I think so... So, viola! The "My Crazy Ideas Sketch Book" was born.

 It is over 120 pages of grid paper w/note sections...and has some pages at the front with instruction on how to start sketching your own ideas.

 So, if you are looking for a great little sketch book..that YOU are the author of...and you don't want to spend a lot of money on it...I hope you will consider ordering a Sketch Book from ShawklDesigns. These also make great little gifts...and can be used by folks who don't even do Crazy Quilts...any notes can be included...crazy or not! At $8.40 they are priced well enough to get more than one. I have one that is only for CQ Seams...and another for Project Ideas and Motifs.And, if my muse doesn't slow down and take a few naps...I might have an entire "library" of these filled up before long!
 

Another To-Do Added to My List!! Yikes!

Okay, admittedly...I don't need another TO-DO thing on my list! But, my muse woke me up with an idea...and she would not let me go back to sleep until I got up and wrote it down! What AM I going to do with her! She wants to do a padded journal, with samples of SRE, stitching, and cabochons. You know, to just have as a "coffee table book" of sorts. Well, it would be HUGE! But, she is not deterred...so, she says "do more than one!". Ha! This will be a long term committment I cry...but, "so what' is her reply! So, I'm off on another journey...creating a padded journel. Apparently, more than one!Why padded you might ask?...well, to raise up an area around the silk ribbon work, so it doesn't get "smushed" when the journal pages are closed.Might work this into a class..."Be quiet muse!". That would mean charting designs, writing lessons, taking step-by-step photos. Geez...she never sleeps!Here is the first SRE work...a long-stem rose...like the ones in my back yard.

 

Lace and Pearls - Rita

This Round Robin has been fun from the very beginning. So much so, that I almost forgot to take photos this round to share with you...oops! So, these are partially stitched at various stages.

 First off, I added a couple of pieces of lace trim. Then decided to work around the Silkie area...with cross-hatched quilting (running stitch). The stitches cover the left, right, and bottom patch surrounding the photo...although it's hard to see in the photos.

Then, some feather stitching in ecru, light tan, and gold created the backdrop.

Next silk ribbon roses done in spider-web style; various shades of ecru, champagne, bisque, and tan...with glass leaves added.

Lastly, a Czech Glass Button Cabochon and a bit of lace on the seam.

Free Butterfly Pattern

If you need one, here ya go!

Ding, ding, ding!--Emergency!

My muse is beating me over the head! Just found out that my friend Shari (you know of StitchMAP) had an emergency at her house this week. Little Belle (her 5 year old granddaughter) broke her arm! OUCH! Major OUCH!So, I thought that a card and a little "lifting of her spirits" was in order.So, I fused this butterfly...and now, I'm going to make it SPARKLE with tons of bling! I'll get a photo to add when complete.If you want to help me lift Belle's spirits...just send me your butterfly and I'll gather them up (any type, style...but remember it's for a FIVE YEAR OLD) and send them on. Or, if you know Shari's address...you can mail them yourself...with a little "get well" card for Belle.Hugs to you all.BTW, the butterfly above is from a stained glass pattern. Search the internet for butterfly patterns...and you will see hundreds of ideas. This one is just fused pieces, which I shall blanket stitch on the machine...and add beads and sequins too. It will be "sandwiched" to another sparkly fabric for the back side...and one bent wire for the antenna sewn on...viola...a beautiful butterfly will be born.Off to sew....back in a little while with another photo.Okay, I'm back. Here is Belle's little finished butterfly (well not so "little", it measures about 6 x 6 inches).

Beaded Bookmark and Ball

I love Spring...I hate Spring...I love Spring...I hate Spring...my head is so full of crud that I can't keep a straight thought in it for long it seams. It has taken me days to finish up a Round Robin Block...that should have only taken me a few hours. 

 And, when I can't think straight...I really let my mind wander...and THAT gets me into trouble! Like procrastinating!So, I've been playing around with beads lately...in my medicated state of mind!

 This is a bookmark I finished up.The beaded part could also be a stand-a-lone item...a bit longer...and it could be a bracelet...just needs a clasp.And, I did a tassel with a beaded ball on the top (photos below/above)! 

Then, my muse says...why can't the ball surround the top of the tassel...instead of sitting up there like that? Well, I'm back to the drawing board...and will show you what I come up with...perhaps by this weekend. When I get it all worked out...I'll do a tute or a mini-class...if I can remember to take photos of the "how" part that is! Geez!