A Short Video of some Motifs/Techniques Learned in the Free Courses!
All of the buttons and beads are now sewn on Mary's block...the first of a Round of Robins I'll be working on over the next couple of months. Mary wanted a nautical type theme...so the cluster of buttons, beads, and charms were something I knew that I wanted to do. To balance all of that "stuff" the seam opposite the cluster has large glass flower beads added...except, these beads are up-side-down. Why? Because they look a bit like starfish when they are turned over, and fit the theme pretty well...and were the perfect color. The applique sailboat and dolphin were done first...then I added a second smaller little applique sailboat to look like a distant image...and it filled in a little blank space very nicely.
The little seaturtle charm makes a transition for the eye to travel from all those buttons/beads over to the seam treatment...and hopefully around the block once the other ladies have had a chance to stitch more seams and motifs as the block travels around.
Here are some closeups for you...as I know how important it is for us to really be able to see the work done on these crazy quilt projects.
I hope a little something will help or inspire you in your work as well. And, if you don't like something...that's okay...we all have different tastes and ideas. Hugs!
A little tiny sailboat was also added to the mix of applique & embroidery sailboat and dolphin. The seams are almost done and the mermaid cabochon added. Next, I'm adding shells, buttons, and beads clustered and trailed long the bottom of the block. I'm thinking "sea floor" so there might be a little anchor in the mix as well! It might take a couple of days to get all those beads stitched down, but...here is where I am right now.
I like the applique with embroidery accents more and more when I look at this block, and think that I'll be doing some other blocks with this technique too!
You can click the photo to enlarge it so you can see the stitching around the dolphin and boat. Now, doesn't that add some more interest to the monochromatic type theme? I'm thinking so.....
Hi all, just checking in. I have not posted this week because some how I managed to injure myself. And what's weird...is that I did it in my sleep. When I tryed to roll out of bed on Thursday morning, my right leg/hip gave me a heck of a pain. I have no idea what I did during the night, but my body did not appreciate getting up. As far as I know...I do not sleep walk. Aidan came over Friday, and was here for a visit this weekend, and she helped me pick up things and get around. Today, I went to the chiropractor for xrays and everything seems to be in place with the possibility of an ever-so-slight turning inwards of my right leg. So, seems that I could have simply slept in a strained position and pulled some muscles in my leg. I'll be fine in a few days hopefully, but have been eating over-the counter pain meds and now my stomach doesn't like me either! Plus, they have not really helped me much. So, I'll just have to try being a little slower for a couple of days...and will post when I get my lazy butt in gear and get something else finished.
I did manage to work a little more last night on the CQ Round Robin, but not enough to even see much difference.
I have determined that either my muse is beating me up at night while I sleep...or that getting older is just full of body parts that break down for no apparent reason!
Geez!
Okay, my muse went just a little too far this time. I spent two hours last night taping this together. The design is about 45 inches across and 55 inches tall. Too large to deal with all the printing issues...but, wouldn't this be a wonderful quilt! I might just try to attempt it in this size anyway.
But, for marketability...I'll have to get it on fewer sheets. The largest I can get printed sheets for is 17 x 22 easily (and cheaply). That size is a good wall hanging or medallion for a lap quilt. If I print in across four pages, it would be large enough for a bed size medallion...right?
Think I'll have to try printing out a smaller size (more taping pages together) and see if that would be a scale that I like enough to proceed. Here is the design in color markup...isn't it pretty? Can you imagine how that would be in applique...perhaps with some hand embroidery to accent...and some additional bits of lace butterflies, dragonflies, or embroidery fairies?
This is a long-term project...and has to go to a back burner because I have to get back to my CQ Round Robin block and my upcoming CQ Class and my Merry Merry Snowman Quilt top and...the list goes on!
I need a keeper...and a helper too!
Because I'm pretty sure that I'm burning some brain cells! I'm still working on designs, and have so many ideas that I can't even get them down fast enough. I'm going to have to just stop and rest my eyes from this laptop...pick up my trusty little journal...and write down some thoughts before they flee my head!
Seriously, do you smell smoke?
Last night, I started working on an applique design. I have always wanted to do an applique medallion quilt and design my own flowers. So, yesterday I spend hours creating roses, irises, daisies, tulips, ...well you get the idea...and today I started playing around with layouts. The top photo is of my first sketch with just roses. It's okay...but could be better.
This second photo is my next attempt. The background oval is now a circle...which fits the design much better I think because I had the paper size set to 32 x 32 (duh, a SQUARE). I also like the addition of more leaves and rosebuds. The four quadrants are the same...just flipped and rotated differently than the first photo. Can you see the difference?
These will take a few more days to "perfect". Then the hard work of actually creating independent little patterns for each separate piece of applique. THEN, creating an actual pattern than can be loaded as a complete pdf file to PatternSpot. Sharing is sometimes hard work..but, it is also a great reward! I just wish I was faster so that I could get more done!
Okay, I'm off to go find the fire extinguisher...cause I am definitely on fire here! My muse is working overtime...and I love it. When I crash, I'll have to sleep for a week! (No, I'm not on any meds...and no, I have not been drinking or anything! But, I'd consider it if it kept my brain working this good and gave me energy! Okay, just kidding again...geez, you can take a joke...right?)
Here's the third design finished and uploaded to Pattern Spot. Aren't they just too cute! I love them, and want to do more designs with owls.
Here's a little freebee which I think would make a cute little applique or embroidery design for a mugrug...or quilt block. Hope you enjoy it! Send me photos when you finish your project, I'd love to see how you are using this.
Do you like to work on white work embroidery? Do you enjoy creating whole cloth mini-quilts? Have you tried the latest crayola or colored pencil work using solid quilted blocks of fabric? Well, you might want to consider these ideas for the two new quilting design patterns I just loaded to PatternSpot.
The first is titled Circles and Swirls.
The second is titled the Sun, Moon & Stars.
Here is the back story: "I love Sharon Schambers." There, I've said it...and I'm not afraid! Sharon is of course a master quilter...and far from my own talent or aspirations. I don't even do machine quilting. However, that doesn't stop me from admiring her masterpieces. So, when I saw on QuiltShow blog that she had a video tutorial on how she creates her quilting designs (available until 30 Jun 2013), I just HAD to watch. As a matter of fact...I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning...watching all three episodes...back to back. SO inspiring!! The next day, I had to try my hand at it too...but, with my Illustrator software instead of gridpaper and pencil. These are the first two ideas I came up with. But, I am still excited...and still working at my third design! Tomorrow, I'll have a freebie design for you...simpler than these two...but, I think you'll like it...especially if you like owls! Hint, hint! Hugs for now...got to get back to work!
In the previous post, this block has embroidery work and lace only. Today, I finished the silkribbon...
and then the beads as well. So, it's ready to be finished into a small pillow or the class.
I'm always surprised at how the beads make such an impact on crazy quilt blocks. And today, I decided that given the choice...I'd pick beads over chocolate. That's real love!
Of late, I've been working on a crazy quilt class and lecture for the Madison Quilt Guild, near Huntsville, Alabama in mid July. The lecture has a slide presentation, and I'm cutting down my normal about 3-4 hours of things to one hour to accommodate their normal meeting times. It's hard to reduce! And, even though that has taken some time, it's not something easily shared here...so, I've been absent a little.
On the Saturday after their meeting, we're having a "normal" crazy quilt class. I thought a new block was in order...so, I'm working on a neutral cotton block that measures about 8 x 11.
Above, the embroidery portion is complete. Below, the lace and charms have been added.
Next, I'm working on the silk ribbon...then comes the beads/sequins. So, I'll be back when more is accomplished to share photos.
It is a rainy (still) day and Aidan just left to go back home. School is out in two weeks, and I'm so looking forward to her return for a few days. I managed to get a little stitching done yesterday on Mary's block...so now, you can at least see the dolphin amongst the other fabrics. I decided to go with traditional applique...then outlined the dolphin in stem stitch...and added some swirls on the inside in back stitch. The embroidery work helps to add more contrast and interest since the fabric color has to match the background block...for the monochromatic theme.
Here's the design if you's like to download and keep for your possible future use.
And, here's the same idea in the form of a cat. Just for fun!
I think these would be good worked in beads too. Of course, you know I'd think that!
Apparently, for me...it is some number LESS than 100! Why? Because I needed exactly 100 blocks for the center of my brother's king size Double Layer Cake quilt...and I counted these blocks more than once. Then, I took them to retreat so that I could finish the quilt top...ONLY to find that I only had 98!
Geez! I'm telling you...I Need A Keeper!
Today, I took off the lace/bead trim that Mary has placed on the block (with her approval), so I would have more room to put my sailboat...lace water waves...and dolphin. All of these will get some embroidery accents to help increase the texture and contrast.
The little dolphin is almost invisible right now, but...he won't be when I'm done.
Hugs....the fun is beginning!
This is the last block to be appliqued while I was gone last week. The riders have some goofy smiles on their faces...guess they are having fun! One more block to go...and I can start to assemble the quilt. Then the long tedious job of quilting it begins. I've decided to hand quilt it...instead of sending it off to the long-arm quilter for machine stitching.
I have also decided to do a second version...in pastels. I know, that sounds strange...BUT...one of the ladies in my group is using pastels and it is just gorgeous. I'll leave off the "JOY" and "NOEL" or change that to read SNoW or something...so it can be used all winter if I want.
Edited to Add: the BIG eyes drove me crazy...so I took them off and went back to the little style instead.
My friend Colleen, is hostess for a monochromatic round robin over at the HGTV Message Board group. I'm in a group with three other lovely ladies...and Mary's block is the first one I have received to work on. It's an interesting blank block...which doesn't exactly fit the monochromatic style perfectly since some of the blue/green fabrics have some very obvious yellow in them.
My first step on working a robin is to gather ideas and supplies. Mary has requested a beachy type of block...so I hunted the internet for simple ideas that could be good inspirations for embroidery work. I found a starfish, sand dollar, sail boat, and surf board/palm tree. These are not the correct scale or the final idea...but are enough to get my muse a thinking!
So, stay tuned and see what my muse and I finally decide to do...because right now, I'm not sure at all what that will be. The block and the supplies need to sit and mingle and see what the final combination brings.
Edited to Add: Here's an updated photo with beads added to the design "pile of stuff". And...pay no attention to the cream/pink strawberry pincushion...it was in my hand with I started pulling beads and charms. I laid it down and forgot about it...until I saw it in my photo! Geez...where is THAT Keeper!!
We are expecting rain showers this afternoon...and for the next five days! Now dreary will that be. So, this morning I enjoyed the flowers in the yard...which will most likely be drowned this week!
Block Seven is a simple enough little block. I'm really liking the skinny snowman. The extra snow-people heads that are poking "around the corner" throughout the quilt are as the pattern requires. But, I'm thinking of going back and adding ear muffs, scarfs, and/or hats to these as well. What do you think of that idea? Will it make them too busy?
Last week, I worked on my Merry Merry Snowmen quilt blocks a lot. Yesterday, the arms were embroidered and the buttons sewn on. So, now...I have 3 more blocks to share with you this week.
This Number Six block still needs a bow for the stack of packages. And, I'm not entirely happy with the ribbon being the same color...so that might change too I'm thinking. It is finished as far as the pattern calls for...but, I'm still thinking.
Also, these last few blocks all have the snow-people with coal mouths...which are done in perle cotton French Knots. However, the first few snow-people did not have these smiles...and I might go back and add them to those blocks..just to make the blocks a bit more consistent.
