Steampunk CQ

I have finished my work on Cathy's Steampunk CQ block. She wanted a "travel" theme which at first made me feel too limited. I have had these typewriter alphabet beads for a while. I love them. I find it hard to part with them! I stitched the sheer, wire edged ribbon down first, then added PARIS. That's a destination...fits the theme!

My old style hot air balloon with wicker basket made from felted wool sweater, yarn and ribbon.

the gray/silver bugle beads was a bracelet I found at Sally Ann's for .69 cents! I added the key dangling from silk ribbon...the crystal was already there.

The rusty ring was added by my friend Colleen. The only part of this I did was adding the rhinestone button and the bronze pull chain beads around the edge.
I love this Steampunk genre. Earlier today, on one of those cake shows, they had a team of bakers that created this awesome Steampunk themed wedding cake. This is so cool!

I am watching Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events  It has a very steampunk vibe. Weird movie. 

Yesterday, Margaret Reek came to talk to us about a program in a small town in Kenya run by CTC International. She joined a  group sponsored by American Sewing Guild that travels there to teach women to sew and quilt. These women have found refuge in a small town after being shunned simply because they have a handicapped child. The aim is to teach them to sew and sell some things to be self sustaining. It was a  fascinating lecture. The pictures of how these women live and what this program does for them was inspiring and a reminder of how fortunate we need to remember we all are. Margaret will be heading back in July to work with the women again.

We also had Margaret give a Textured Landscape class after the meeting. This is her gorgeous landscape quilt. I wish I had gotten close-ups of the mountains and the trees near the bottom. The mountains are all dimensional. She uses hand dyed fabrics and spray starch, scrunches up the bit of fabric and lets it dry. When it is unfolded you have a wonderfully textured piece of fabric that can be stitched to background. The trees are made up of small organic shapes with little holes cut in them, scrunched with the spray starch and sewn to the tree base. Really cool techniques. It was a great day...just what I needed. A day of inspiration.

Progress has been made on Melissa and Cory's wedding quilt. I am officially done with the 50 blocks that make up most of the quilt, but now I need to figure out how to sew the 1/2 pinwheel blocks that go around the outside since this is set on point. I really like how strong those black and white nine patches look.

Dean, my greyhound........is eating and acting normal. Yes, that is a pillow he has his head on! He is a big baby. The cancerous lump is getting larger but his limp seems to be less pronounced. Be-good-to-Dean day every day now!

I have learned:

1. How to texture up fabrics with spray starch and an iron...oh what fun could be had with that!
2. The Head and the Heart......great listening.
3. Mumford and Sons....love these guys. Saw them perform live on the Grammys
4. CQMagOnline out.
5. I want to make this desk...I LOVE it. I need a couple old wooden saw horses and some salvaged wood. (scroll down a bit)
6. Why is there multiples of the pics I just posted?