December Swap

Oh, my Swap Partner Shelly sent me the most beautiful and wonderful piece of all!  Beaded and triangulated it is so beautiful.

The picture really does not show the work with the beads and all the crystals.  Each triangle is totally beaded all the way around!  And the whole thing shimmers when you move it! 

Thank you, and to answer your question:  YES!  I love it!

glen:  Definitely!

January challenge

I have not forgotten I am January. Now that Dutch has crossed that rainbow bridge to meet his best friend Bonnie Doon, my life is much less complicated. January is a new beginning, a fresh start. It is the first of twelve. The expectation is lots of promise through the next eleven. Think of words and things with which you can express that feeling.

More next week, enjoy the holidays my friends.

Come back excited!

Love, glen and the two lonely little Bassets

Fabulous FIVE!

It looks wonderful from ANY angle!!!!

And is hanging now

proudly on my kitchen wall....

so I can gaze on it ALL day long!!

;)

Thank you BRENDA for all the loving stitches you put into this beauty!

My wonderful tree

Isn't she beautiful!  Look at all those tiny pieces.  Look at the wonderful hand quilting.  The border is to die for.  I love my tree.  Thank you so much Beth.

Fabulous tree!

I got Margaret's fabulous challenge quilt yesterday

and it's already hanging in my front hall.

She had posted little peeks earlier, but it is sooooo great in person

with all those little bits and pieces in it, the rick rack, and the sequins,

and I love the zig zag quilting in the background.

Thanks so much for the great swap, and all the extra goodies.

I finished Beth's quilt last night.

Here's a little taste before it goes off in the mail.

Merry Kaffe-mas!

wahoo!

I didn't have to stalk my PO man, he showed up bright and early today, with a box that maybe should have said, "don't open til xmas!"

What a gift!  Thanks GLEN! Check out the sweet trees around the basket!!
yum!

A few triangles over here

I've seen some great trees growing on this blog already

So yesterday, I planted a few of my own.

Stay tuned.

To and From

My little triangle tree quilt for Margaret was so much fun to make. Have been wanting to quilt with silk for a long time. Never channel quilted in triangles before, so this was new territory for me. Have to say I was a little nervous about joining this very creative group, but I am enjoying the freedom and the challenges so far.

And I am also enjoying V's triangle trees! That little beaded red one is my favorite, of course, but they are all so utterly charming. And the hand embroidered chain stitching is delightful. Love the red checked border, too. Reminds me of my husband's favorite shirt. Oh, I really get so sentimental at Christmas. Thank you, Victoria!!! Your work is now on my front door for all to see....

Helen rcvd her's yesterday!

I gave Helen her SWAP yesterday at our MOD guild meeting... She was showing her fabulous swap for Margaret, so i gave hers then too.. all swap swap, and smiles! ;-)

Dec Challenge

Yesterday Helen brought this simple, elegant 11.5" creation to the NYC Metro Mod Guild Meeting as her Show & Tell.

She then presented it to me for our pass it forward holiday exchange.

Thanks, Helen!

A Sneak Peak

Today, I got a chance to work on my little quilt for Shelly.  I made some fabric in three values.  I wanted to see if I could create a little depth.  I also did some foundation piecing once I got the fabric made.  I am still learning how to make my own foundation designs from my designs.  This one worked pretty well.  Now, I have some borders to add and a little applique to do. 

Last Take on Card Trick

I think I'm finished ... backed, self-binding, quilted ... maybe a little more quilting here & there as I study it from time to time. I took this as one project on a weekend away in PA with some quilting friends. All were quite complimentary on the piece but I found it interesting when someone asked, What are you going to do with it? And my response was, I don't know ... it was just a challenge. Two people voiced their opinion that they would never embark on making a quilt with no purpose in mind. I explained that it was the process, the making of it that intrigued me. I don't think they understood.

triangle tree swap

Got mailed.  But I stood in line at the post office and thought, Wow......I totally forgot to take pictures of the finished product.......duh!

So it will arrive! Unphotographed in its entirety.

Hope you like it! 

glen

finito

I'll be hand delivering mine this weekend... oh, so much fun!

I'm Thinking......

Have picked out some silks and some Aurofil thread. Now I am thinking "triangle trees"......

Mama's quiltlet

tiny triangle morsels...
will this be it?
or will I play out a few more ideas?
I'm in a very Christmas-y spirit... Since I will be giving away all the lovely quilts that were sent in for BASICS on Thursday!  The perfect thing to get me in the Holiday mood! ;-)

Yeah!  Feels good to get back to sewing stuff again.  I was beginning to seriously pine for my sewing machine and that messy room.  I did spend a couple of hours in here cleaning up some stuff, but you would never know it.  I don't think anything LOOKS different, it is just a bit cleared and organized.  Notice I said "a bit", that is all - a tiny tiny tiny bit.

See my helper?  See how beautifully her ears fan out?  Why couldn't she do that when she sat with Santa CAAWS for the picture that goes on my Christmas Card?  Why?  Aughhhhh!  #%$*& Bassets!

I can't show you the entire thing I am working on because this is a December Challenge from the Modern Group.  So here are some peeks. 

I am in South Louisiana and I used to think those Christmas cards with all the snow and the trees, and the horse drawn sleighs were all make believe fakes.  Our Christmases are very, very green around here!  (You would think I could match the seams on the flying geese after all these years of quilting, wouldn't cha?  I guess not.)

I am liking the way this is turning out.  I am lusting after it for myself.  Will I have the willpower to mail it off in two weeks.....stay tuned and see. 

PS.  I could make another one but I don't have anymore of that footprint fabric.  And those footprints go so perfectly with the entire thing.  Aughhhhh!

glen

Two More Peeks

Making this for Brenda

really put me in a

holiday mood!

Hoping to mail tomorrow.

:-)

Just to let you know I am still here........

I have the most marvelous idea that I am sketching out for the December Challenge.  I am hoping it will work because this will be a unique and wonderful thing.

No peeks just yet.  Maybe tomorrow........

It was a bleak and dreary day, warm with no sight of cool yet.  A day for sewing. 

glen:  This, unfortunately is not my back yard, we went to False River (a bend in the Mississippi River that got cut off from the river where it went straight) for Santa Photos for the Bassets

Just One Peek

Having fun with this!

triangle trouble.

This fun tree was made with LOTS of little traingles I've been saving

as I trim off the edges of the bindings.

PLUS....other little bits and pieces!

I got so excited with this project that it ended up

BIGGER than the rules.

Ah well....

Rules....shmoolss!!!!

:0

Hoping to add a bit of handquilting today

as I let my FOOD digest.

December challenge

For our challenge this month, I have two guidelines: triangle trees and 50 inches.

I'd like you to make a seasonal quilt (Christmas or winter, whatever you prefer)

with evergreen/Christmas/triangle trees.

I think triangles have a modern esthetic.

You can use one colour or many, made fabric or not,

but try to reflect the season in some way.

Where I live that means snow and cold and dark.

This is a quilt I made for an earlier online winter challenge

As for the 50, please make the entire project (pieced, quilted, and bound)

 no larger than 50 inches in circumference

eg, 12 by 12 inches is 48 inches around.

I'll leave the shape to you, but I'm asking you to make it 50 inches or less

so that it can fit into a mailing envelope easily (maybe by folding)

and because all of you said you're up for a small  challenge.

So to recap:

1. triangle trees, seasonal colours

2. 50 inches or less around

3. mail it to the person underneath you on our sidebar list by Dec. 31

(eg. Beth to Miki, Miki to Shelly....and I mail to Beth.)

4. Post about the process/and or finished quilt.



Are you up for the next challenge?

I'm on for the December challenge and I was thinking I should get to posting it soon. I was planning a small swap, but I realize this is a busy time of year, especially for the Americans as you gear up for T'hanksgiving and Christmas. What's the thinking out there for a swap with a mid-December deadline?

waves

I'm making waves over here....

Using this palette.

Looks like it needs a little green.

I found out it's hard to choose fabric

walking back and forth between

the computer screen with the colors

and

the closet

IN THE OTHER ROOM

with the fabric!

:/

Nov Challenge

For inspiration I'm using Jessie Pettway's "Housetop" .

My color choices are based on the Urchin Tones seed card below.

I'm frustrated because fabric ordered weeks ago

from two places is backordered & I have been waiting ... & waiting.

And not wanting to wait any longer I am using what I have

even though my colors are off.

Just HAD to start!

I so love this process ... slow & meditative:

choose a fabric ... cut one strip & sew ... cut another & sew ...

using scissors ... & my eyes ... no ruler

(except for the 6" solid)

I have no plan yet for how the blocks will be arranged ...

so many possibilities.

Brenda's three little quilts for November

I quilted my November challenge pieces

and now I have three little quilts for AAQI.

When they're all together, you can see the variations

of the theme of red bars.

Thanks for a fun challenge, Miki.

I'm on for December. Who feels up for a swap?

A Wall Hanging

Right now, it is 40" x 18".  I am liking it as a wall hanging, but will wait a couple of days to finish it until I decide.  So far, I have learned a few things from this project.

1.  It is important to pay attention to your light and dark values and make sure I get some contrast that adds excitement.

2.  Stripes and dots can work very effectively together.

3.  Tearing the fabric instead of cutting it with a roller blade saves time, but gives weak edges in loosely woven fabric.

4.  It is hard for me to stick with just five colors.

5.  I am easily discouraged when I forget that I am doing this for myself.

6.  I really love these colors and these fabrics, but I don't really want a big quilt of them.  A wall hanging is just perfect.

When I finish this, I will be hand quilting it with pearl cotton. 

I'm Known Around These Parts . . .

For my inability to make a decision very quickly. It infuriates My Cowboy that I can never decide where I want to eat, what I want to cook, if I want to go ride my horse or not, what time I want to go to town, what I should wear, or if I want to go with him when he goes somewhere.

I can't explain it, but so much of the time, it's due to the fact that I have too many choices and I like them all. Such was the case with choosing a palette for this challenge! Whew!

I must have looked at every single one of those palettes 2 and 3 times each. I slaved over the decision, and killed SO much time staring at the computer screen, still never coming to a conclusion. I'd think I had it nailed down, walk away, come back, and nope! Start all over again . . .

But I finally just HAD to decide, even if I could still go on looking for many more hours. Just. Had. To. Decide.


I know Miki said to try to choose colors that you don't normally work with, but I have to admit right from the start that I did not do that. I chose reds. Red is my favorite color, and I work with it a lot. But if I had chosen colors I don't normally use, I'd have had to go fabric shopping, most likely. That's bad for me for two reasons:

1) I'm trying to reduce my stash and use up fabric I already have and not bring any more into my studio . . . for now.

2) The nearest quilt shop to me is over an hour away, and I don't have time to go there as often as I'd like.

So . . . I've picked a palette, and while I still haven't pulled any fabrics for the piece yet, I will soon. I'm going to Houston this week, and after that, I can come home and play in the studio again . . . with a fresh dose of inspiration, no doubt!

Spicing it up

I've been slow getting to my challenges with this group, but yesterday I got started on Miki's challenge.

I totally didn't get to the card trick challenge, so I decided to combine the two by using only solids and building one block from the previous one.

Here are my fabrics in the spice palette, with some curries and greys and browns.

I'm using Jean Wells as my inspiration.

I decided to make a quilt  9 by 12 inches so I could finish quickly

and then donate the end result to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

I also work best with scraps rather than yardage, so I made some scraps by

putting together this little Amish Bars quilt in the colour palette:

Then I took my leftovers and made a wavy bars with curved strip piecing (above)

They both measure around 9 by 12 inches.

Then I decided to go Gee's Bend and I took all the neutral bits left on my cutting table

(greys, browns, beige, gold)

and sewed them together to make a canvas like this:

I cut 1 inch bias strips of the maroon and started inserting bars in curved cuts

like this

Here's the completed third attempt

And here's all three together:

I've already quilted the first one with freehand feathers and

I'm contemplating quilting designs on the other two.

Thanks Miki for pushing me out of my comfort zone in colours and in process.