Saturday, January 30, 2010

Raffle Quilt Top!

The raffle quilt top is done! Melanie & I spent all day at Tracy's sewing the final border blocks and getting them on the quilt. We love it! My friend Penny is custom machine quilting it so when it comes back I will get a better picture. We have grown rather attached to it!

Tomorrow I plan to finish up my Book RR and package it up for mailing to Nicki Monday. I should be getting one to work on by midweek.

I need to start stitching a the silk CQ bag front I pieced. It will hopefully be ready for a competition by April. I am trying to decide if I should free form stitch on it or follow the seams which in this case are straight lines since I made all the pieces squares and rectangles. I sketched out both and am leaning towards free.

That IAQ piece is still waiting for me too! I did find a neat image that I may use on it, add some thread painting and beading. Crystals too maybe.

I have learned:

  1. South of Broad was not a favorite read. I was hopeful. I did finish it though.
  2. Project Runway could use some interesting characters...with that said, it is still my favorite show.
  3. SPORCLE is a cool site Michael showed me this last night...we did Bruce Springsteen songs and albums and 2-letter Scrabble words. Look around, you will find something of interest to divert your mind!
  4. It was below 0 degrees this morning. Dean's paws are bleeding.
  5. George Siciliano. We are thinking of getting him to come to our guild. Awesome mini quilts by a man sounds very entertaining.
  6. Beadlust is a good site to peruse for inspiration to use more beads. Scroll down to see many examples.
  7. BREAKAWAY by Art Garfunkel came across my radar (actually our local AM radio station that plays many old favorites) recently. I received the original album in 1975 as a Christmas gift and played it over and over and loud (when my parents weren't home). I have had, and lost or ruined 2 CD's over the years. I must seek one out again. Very nostalgic audio therapy!
  8. Kindness matters. Thanks Elaine.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Check it Out! I am "published"!

The new issue of CQMagOnline is out and I am "published"! Well.... online published...in Reader Showcase, but to me it's awesome! Scroll down to the Dorsett Button. Yep, that's mine! I posted a pic here a bit ago.

My friend Nicki is also featured in the showcase...the Memory Pillow is hers. She is very a talented and committed CQer.

While your there look around, read a few articles, check out the archives. It is a great resource for any stitcher.

Friday, January 22, 2010

T.G.I.F.

Friday...love me a weekend!
Ian & Darcy are here til tomorrow afternoon. Michael & Karyssa coming home tomorrow, so it will be busy in my little house!
Quilt show committee meeting in the morning. We will show our progress on the raffle quilt......speaking of the raffle quilt....I had a scare this week! I am storing it in a trash bag to protect it from soilage. Well I took trash bags to the dumpster and the next day I looked for the quilt and FLASH.....I thought I had tossed it in with all the white trash bags. OMG. I had panic running in all extremities!
BUT I really know myself...I had put it on back seat thinking I would do just such a thing! PHEW.


I will be working on my Book for the RR since it has to be mailed next week. I also have to mail the gift I still haven't made to OJM for the Holiday swap. I have changed my mind and will be making something other than what I started.



Our library had a wonderful display of artwork from a local elementary school. I took some pictures and want to share some. There is nothing as pure as a child's piece of art. I can see these being an inspiration for a project.


I have learned:

  1. Justin Bieber is all the Tiger Beat rage for 11 year olds!
  2. If I could stay up to watch late night, I wouldn't. Jay Leno is not the man.
  3. New Norah Jones....how did I not know this came out in November? I love all her music.
  4. Habib, Cory's outdoor cat, is MIA. Trackers were on his property looking for an 80 lb coyote.
  5. Blower motor for a 50 year old furnace = $355.00. Gotta stay warm so..
  6. Art Nouveau book. Love this style. Good book.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Cover for Mixed Media RR

Yesterday I spent all day working on this front and back covers for a mixed media book that will be travelling to 4 states in a Round Robin. Each person will do a couple of pages in the chosen theme interpreted in their own way. I don't really have a theme, but more a technique. Collage. Anything goes!
I painted canvas after tearing it to size, with acrylic paints. Then I pilfered some bits from stash...fabrics from a few Home Dec sampler books my friend Anne gave me provided alot of the fabrics. A zipper I found was sewn to the front because it looks interesting. Painted dryer sheets (green behind the vintage button and the stamped face); verbiage from selvage; a bead. The metal piece under the button is from an old sewing machine drawer..a decorative bit that would back a knob. The reddish bit under that is cut from a little needle felted pear I made as demo for some friends.
This will be the back cover. It dawned on my this morning that I had put my long side for the binding on the wrong side! NO problem though since it is collage-y..I will add one to the other side and all set to add grommets which will be how I gather my pages together.
Yes, that is a photo of me that I copied to fabric on the printer. I added black fabric corners and layered scrapbooking vellum sayings. The long black & white bar up top is a bead I bought at Michaels for 98 cents.
Inside the back cover I used a yellow shimmery sheer bag I got from the dollar store to make a pocket. It held pretty note cards.
It was so fun using "stuff".. That thrill of the hunt thing.
I will be preparing this for mailing by next week and expect I will be getting my first book then too. I can't wait to see what these girls come up with....really looking forward to this one.

I also find myself rethinking the Valentine project I have been working on for the Homemade Holiday swap. Not sure if it is something OJM would like. Hhmmm. I do have to decide asap.

I have learned:

  1. My cats love REAL dried catnip! Martha is their supplier. Thanks!
  2. My 47 yr old sister admits she is getting old after a fall at the hockey rink yesterday rattled her bones! And maybe her rotator cuff.
  3. "Pants on the Ground". You knew that was coming....
  4. No one wants to coach the Buffalo Bills. Really.
  5. Cute etsy site. She sells collage sheets that can be printed on fabric or paper.


Saturday, January 16, 2010

My Challenge entry & Iron Quilter Fun!


Today was GUILD day! Always a great day for me. Our annual challenge was due today and of course you know most of us finished this week, last night and many this morning! The challenge was called "Initially Yours". Martha's directive's were to use colors beginning with our initials up 10 colors. If needed we were to prove our colors with crayons, paint ships, nail polish colors, etc.
My initials are K=KIWI, D=DARK RED, E=EBONY & ECRU.
I used a Jane Sassaman pattern I purchased when I took her class last year. It is a really cool heart silhouette. I had to trace pattern to parchment paper, iron to wool felt & use an X-Acto knife to carefully cut it all out. I fused it all together and spent hours appliqueing the curvy edges on the machine.
The Kiwi is from a vintage 70's prom dress. The center envelope is a copy to fabric from a letter my dad sent my mother in 1957 from Fort Dix in the early days of their courtship. He had emigrated here that year from Ireland. I call it "LOVE LETTER".
Working within the parameters of a challenge is always interesting. I will be posting all the challenge entries on our guild's blog Museum Quilt Guild soon so make sure you click on it in my Favorite Blogs to the left.

A small group of us stayed after to do another little Iron Quilter exercise using Art Quilt Workbook's Innovative Piecing chapter as guide.  Each participant brings a sealed bag of fabrics, threads etc to switch out. We had 2 hours to make a 9" x 12" journal size quilt. Music playing softly in the background adds nice touch!


This(above) is what I was able to complete today with a bag of stuff that seemed to have been packed just for me! Mary Ellen included some funky fabrics! I like where it is going.
Two women actually did finish today!
This is Cathy's finished quilt. WOW! I love it.

Mary Ellen call hers "Wuthering Heights". YES, she did all this in only 2 hours!

Tomorrow I will be working on 2 projects that need to be mailed by Feb. 1st. My HOMEMADE gift for OJM with a Valentine's theme. I can't post a pic of it until she gets it. I am loving it!
I need to get my cover and back stitched up for my book RR. I painted the canvas and just need to gather some things to collage and come up with a title. This promises to be a really interesting RR. 5 women with very different artistic preferences all contributing to each others mixed media books!

I have learned:

  1. I managed to maintain 15 lb weight loss through the yummy holiday's. That was my goal.
  2. Project Runway's new season has begun.
  3. I really love Olive Garden's Chicken con Broccoli! It is worth it!
  4. 93 pts on SQUIRES this week in Scrabble! Used all 7 letters and made 2 words. Cool.

  5. Karyssa x-stitched this stocking for my son for Christmas. Sweet.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Quilt Guild Raffle Quilt Progress....getting there!



I spent hours yesterday at my friend Mary Ellen's wonderful new (older) house on a perfect wooded lot, sewing the outer border on our quilt guild's raffle quilt. We had to prep the CH steps blocks and the corner appliqued blocks in order to sew them to the center. I was so thankful for her assistance and the delicious tortellini soup she made! Time has passed very quickly since Tracy & I first took this project on and we are nearing deadlines. We have the last border to add yet, then it can go to the quilter! YAY! I truly love it! My son declared he would like to cover up with it so I think it will be male friendly! Maybe I will have him sell tickets at school! I have already enlisted Melissa...she teaches 2nd grade and is going to include a flyer in her yellow envelope home with her kids.

I was able to be even more creative today! ALL day. I love it when that happens. I worked on a Valentine's themed gift for a fellow participant in HGTV's message board Homemade Holiday Swap. I can't show a picture of it until she gets it in New Hampshire, but I love love love it! I will be doing another one for sure. I will only say that I used sheer fabrics and it its so cool!

Last night it was -7 F. So frigid. I have been walking cross country lines at work and more to go this week. The snow is deep, the boots are high and heavy. Slow going for sure. One walk had me scaling 2 ravines approximately 50' deep. The woods are pretty though, with the snow and deer are leaping along the way. BUT even on these cold, bundled-up days I would never want to work in an office again. I have been out in the field for over 13 years now,  after 17 years at a desk.

I have learned:

  1. That I am not catching on to this new Blogger version very well. I can't get my cursor to go where I want it to!
  2. The Help was a good read. I will never think of Chocolate Pie the same again.
  3. Picked up Pat Conroy's South of Broad at the library. I liked Beach Music. I like books that have a southern setting.
  4. Pat Conroy's wife is Cassandra King. I read The Same Sweet Girls.
  5. Sade comes out with a new CD Feb. 11th. I have listened to her since Promise in 1985. Lovers Rock is a favorite too.
  6. one pretty thing is a great site that links you to cool things people make. Always something inspiring.

  7. Fiona is a rambunctious brat and I love her!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Crazy Spider .......warning, messy blog post alert!

Here is a close-up of a spider I stitched on a block for Alice in my novice RR for CQI. I like making the webs but really not good at the insect itself. I used Carole Samples CQ stitches book as a reference. A vintage button for the back end and satin stitch combined with tiny french knots for the main body. I had the hardest time getting the legs somewhat symmetrical, ripping leg after leg out! She is trampling on a beautiful floral spray Collen created.                                                                                                                              This is the entire block and a better look at the spray.

WOW, I do not know what is going on in today's post!!???? My pictures are all over the joint! Usually I have to post backwards so the pics load and are click-ably enlarged. They are loading top down today. Oh well. Maybe next time it will be better.

I have quite a few projects I need to get my arse in gear on! Of course most of them I have known about for months.

  • Guild challenge....Initially Yours...colors beginning with your initial. I just have to finish the edges, sleeve and label.
  • Mixed media book RR with a few like minded friends. Anything goes. I have to make the cover and back and signatures for each participant. I am using a collage technique from this cover of  Sew Somerset issue. I have canvas...need to prep background and start stitching everything but the kitchen sink onto it!
  • Homemade Holiday Swap. First holiday is Valentine's day. Anything I want to make for my assigned giftee in theme. Have a couple great idea's.
  • I signed on to the CQI Annual purse contest. I have the front pieced and an idea hatched! It is due by April. No blogging about it though til after.
  • CQ for ME....almost done stitching.
I am excited about the possibilities for all these projects!


So this is a piece that has tried my creative nerves! I took an online class with Ellen Lindner last year. Instant Art Quilt. I recommend it. I started with a hand dyed fabric, completed all the directives in the class and something about it was not right for me. I realized I the (urine) yellow in the fabric needed to go so I over dyed the whole thing in blue. Liked that but still I something? not right. I cut it up and resewed it into a new configuration. Good...for a few days. I know it needs something....a contrasting color? a cool embellishment? What? Help me!



Seriously, my post/blog has a mind of it's own right now. I apologize for the erratic assemblage.

Friday, January 1, 2010

01.01.10

The start of another year. New vacation days to schedule! New projects to commit to and be motivated by and other projects in the works that need immediate attention. I am working on my list now!


I thought I would share with you a favorite CQ piece made by Kathy, a fellow MB member on HGTV.com. I was able to meet her at our retreat this past April in NH. She is a very talented CQer and I am always awed by her work. Check out her blog and be inspired, I promise!
This is a block she made for our annual 1 Block swap (Nicki hosts...we are able to list color and theme preference & each participant gets assigned another to make a block for them using the info provided) I am not sure who received this special block but when I saw it in person I loved it. It is spectacular.






Isn't it precious?

I have learned:

  1. Michael has discovered the awesomeness of SCRABBLE! Very competitive, making him a viable opponent.
  2. BLOKUS board game. Very fun for 2-4 players.
  3. tetris is so obsessively good.
  4. Maggie Grey's blog. A textile artist, author and stitcher. Good stuff. 
  5. Soundtrack from Friday Night Lights. You don't have to like or even know of the movie to appreciate this music. Amazon let's you listen to 28 seconds of each tune. Take a minute.