Schools out for summer

As happens most summers I won't be getting much quilting done. 

My two youngest are going on a pioneer re-enactment in June so for the next couple of weeks I will be busy trying to put their outfits together. After that there is an assortment of camps and then ........ a big family vacation. (This will involve passports.)

So expect postings to this blog to be intermittent till the beginning of September. I will be doing some occasional postings at my cross stitch blog because I have some gifts to finish up before we head out on our family vacation and we will keep you posted on events at our family blog.

Quilting Arts Magazine

This is what I am slowly reading my way through. 

My favorite article in the magazine is Perspectives on Art & Quilting with Inge Mardal & Steen Hougs.

A close second - Painting with Fabric by Ruth Powers. "Spring Encounter" is featured. I remember reading along on her blog as she was creating it and thinking what a lovely piece of art work it was (and is). 

An interesting way to make a quilt and win

A fun way to follow along or participate. Takes 6 weeks to follow the directions. Currently on week 1 - gathering the supplies.

The link is in my sidebar. Prizes along the way and the chance to win a Janome 6600P. Dana is excited and planning lots of fun :)

The Thread Society - self portrait results

Diane and Beth came up with some fun titles for the sections so here are the winners for each. Everyone from the group had the opportunity to vote.

I would like to know the person shown - 3 way tie - Beth W., Candy CB., Ann M.

Portrait I wish I had done - Linda W.

Most original - Linda W.

Best use of everything but the kitchen sink - Catherine E.

Most realistic - Carol H.

Best use of color - Cheri S.

Best use of thread - Carol H. ( to say I am shocked would be an understatement)

Made me think the most - Ann M.

Most likely to hang in an art gallery - Linda W.

Makes me laugh - Linda W.

Green with envy - Killpike

Happy birthday month to Diane and Beth :) Diane (and her DH) have been sick with the flu and Beth has spent a good chunk of the time at the hospital with her mother. 

"Pulsing" - Kathy Angel Lee

This is the piece I bid on at Collage Mania. I like it a lot. Reminds me of Amish type quilts. It is 5"x7" but matted up to 8"x10". The hunt is on for a pretty frame :)

You can find out more about Kathy and her art work at www.kathyangellee.com

Spring Blooms - mini quilt swap

I'm working on the back of the mini quilt. It looks like some butterflies are appearing. The white fabric is sparkly so I'm picking out some of the colors from that :)

Spring Blooms - mini quilt swap

Part of the front.

Juliet is most disappointed that this one is leaving our home. I may have to make another variation of it :)

Postcard Pizzazz - Tertiary Colors

I did an experiment with the background.

The hearts are exactly the same. The greens are from different sections of the wheel but still tertiary.

(The pictures loaded sideways.)

Sleeping mommy

Got sick with something on Thursday and slept through most of Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday. Still feel a bit cruddy but at least I'm up and around and functioning somewhat :)

Belated Mother's Day to those of you who celebrated it. I asked for, and got ........ a new iron :) along with a large cutting mat, a game called "In a Pickle" which is quite amusing and some heat pads and hot water bottle to "boil my brain" when I have my migraines.

Needless to say there has been next to zero sewing or quilting happening over the past few days. Hopefully I'll be able to get some of my fabric postcards, spring quiltie and cross stitch exchanges completed before school is out for the summer at the end of next week !!!!!

From my drawer - Checkerboard

This is the current project "from my drawer". I made the top section last year then came to a grinding halt because I could not find a backing fabric that I really liked.

This wall hanging is for Elisabeth. She picked it out from my pile of tops at Christmas and said "remember that I am linear" :)

This week I machine quilted it and decided that it was not what I wanted so ripped it all out and I am now hand quilting it. I'm using a bamboo batting which is sewing together really well.

I've stitched the checkerboard section and have left lengths of floss to do an experiment. Y'all are just going to have to wait and see what that is going to be :)

It took me about a year to find the fabric for the back. Instant love on my part :) It's dragonflies and I think it gives a nice rounded contrast to the linear effect on the front.

I'm going to try a fancy border since I enjoyed doing the prairie points so much.

Collage Mania 2009

The fundraiser is currently underway. 

There are a number of lovely pieces of art still available. 

I am in the middle of trying to acquire one of them :)

Click on the link on my side bar to visit Virginia's site.

Tertiary colors

I love the color breakdowns at www.colorwheelartist.com

This is their tertiary wheel.

So now that I have been for my Spanish lesson I'm going to think about colors for a while and then resume my mommy-taxi service for today. But first ...... lunch.... homemade chicken noodle soup. Yum.

I have a piece of fabric that will cover the yellow-green for my postcards. Looks watery (kind of like our local weather) :0

Stashbusters Spring Postcard Swap

These are the fabric postcards I sent out recently.

I was contemplating lily pads at the time and ended up with these !!!!!!

The group is getting ready for it's summer swap but I think I'll skip it and stick with the color wheel year long that is happening with Postcard Pizzazz. Which reminds me - I have two cards to make for that one. Tertiary, mmmmmm, what can I come up with for that.

From my drawer - "Spring Flower" wall hanging

A few years ago the quilt group I belonged to did some themed block exchanges. The flower in this wall hanging was one of the ones I received for our spring exchange. At the moment I do not remember who made it. We had the choice of flowers and/or butterflies.

I made the block smaller then added the three borders. This weekend I decided to get it finished but did not want to do a straight border. This is my first attempt at doing prairie points in a project.

The finished size is approx. 19"x20".