Sunday, November 20, 2011

Improv Pieced Mini blocks

Some improvisational pieced mini blocks. No measuring, just sewing and satisfaction! These fabrics were what made up the pom-pom on the fabric prize I won at George Sciciliano's lecture last fall. Just couldn't throw them out.
That is Virginia, George's wife with me and the cool fabric pom pom.

St John Fisher beat an undefeated team Saturday to move on to the second round of playoffs! They will travel to Doylestown, PA next week. Michael is lovin' life!

Melissa is happy. She is dating a guy from back in the day..middle school days. I re-met him today and I like him. Things are good!

Guild was wonderful yesterday! Busy. Val Schultz was our speaker. Her work is as inspiring as she is gracious. Good day with good friends.


I have now received 12 of the 16 blocks in the F8 swap. This will be a pretty cool quilt. Thank you friends!

I am on track with all the upcoming due dates on various projects.
My stocking for SSSS is ready to be sewn together...gift bag using duct tape and t-shirt under way to go with the stocking. Want to make a make-do pincushion if I have time with some of the wool my friends have been supplying me with! Yummy wool.
Bag Challenge is put together, just need to add a couple of things and quilt it.
My Carnival Challenge took a turn today....came across some cool blocks in my UFO pile, pieced it up and yes, looks like carnival to me!
I do need to work on my charity quilt for Thearica's raffle. Have some circle blocks to make and trying to figure out the easiest, quickest way to do them.
Feel good about my progress. I will be taking some handwork with me to Cincinnati. My sister will be driving, so I can stitch!

I have learned:

  1. Paging through a past issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, I found these wonderments! I want to find some wire and have at it. Love these. A lot. 
  2. "Beautiful Boy". Good movie. 
  3. "Hunger Games" is a good read. I am troubled by the subject matter. It is young adult. 
  4. Annual mammogram tomorrow....ouch already.
  5. Martha and her committee have completed the raffle quilt for our show next October. It is bright and beautiful! (I just can't get it to post below...so that is it above!)

    Monday, November 14, 2011

    Postcard for CPS Magazine


    Cloth Paper Scissors magazine has issued a call for postcards in their current issue. I haven't made one in a while, but all you need to know is keep your composition within a 4" x 6" rectangle. I started with a game card from an old Adverteasing game. "Your world should know no boundaries". I didn't even look on the back for the answer! Anyone know what company used that in their ad?
    The truth/dare is from a Country Living. Still recycling the 30 winged hearts I made a few years ago for a guild challenge, our 30 year anniversary as a guild. I love banners. Reminds me of when I was a kid, collecting banners from all the places we went. Remember those old felt things? Wish I had those now. The blue is dyed wool squares I cut up last year for a mosaic art quilt. The red felt is backed by old book page paper.
    The only thing I haven't committed to on this piece, is the "soar" letters. I don't love them. The red part is too small to machine stitch a letter. Tried rub ons and they don't stick to the felt. I will have to go to Michaels to see if anything else works for me.
    I had fun making this PC. It will be hand stamped soon.

    Melissa's altered book is ready to go to Jody! So is Nicki's book! ( Jody, they will be there waiting for you when you return from Spain! )
    Melissa's theme is Lost and Found.
    She began her book by using a cool bit of metal she found on a walk. Melissa is masterful at the aging/distressing thing! I love her style. Her color sense is good too. Love these pages.
    Pockets were created with torn pages, then old ephemera stamped and tucked inside.
    I settled on a Found and Lost idea. Some of you know we had a large greyhound for almost 7 years. Dean was a docile dog. A sweetheart that would cause me and my vacuum grief at times! Dean had a fast growing tumor at the top of his front leg. We "lost" him this past March.
    I found old 35mm negatives of Dean. How quaint, 35mm film. I stitched them to white paper so you can see them better. In the envelope is Dean's official paperwork from the track in Iowa, his home for the first 4 years of his life. There is even a letter from the caretaker telling us what he liked and how he had a pin in his leg. Obviously, he was loved.
    On the "lost" page I made a booklet from a trimmed manila folder. Thanks to Sportos Jen, I know how to do that!
    The rub on sofa's are from Michaels also. It refers to the four couch's I went through in those years. He was a   loafer!
    It was nice to work on these pages and remember what a great pet Dean was. I feel like we have a place for his memory now.
    Next up is Jody's book. A purple, word., quote or women writers theme, since her old book is titled Editing Women. I have an idea. Need to find some papers and begin!

    Working steadily on my SSSS stocking and gift for HGTV swap. I was going to start something new, but decided to work with the original project. Not enough time. I bought a t-shirt on ebay to make a special something gift that I hope she will love. I have til mid December to get this done. No problem!

    Finally made some black binding to finish the edges of the jacket I worked on in the spring in Martha's class. Will be stitching that down later. I just could not make the same jacket again to sew as a lining. This will work!

    Well Fisher Cardinals are in the playoffs! I am glad for Michael. Nice way to end the 16 year football career! Of course this prolongs the regular season.

    Fiona spent the day snoozing on this quilt. She held her own there, even as Chester, the old coot cat, thought he would try a sneak attack on her. Fiona won!

    These three day weekends are nice. I had enough vacation to take them off, with one exception in December, for the rest of the year. I have two weeks off too....Thanksgiving and Christmas. I need it. These last few weeks have taken a toll. Depression is not usually associated with me. I can shake most things with my little bag of coping skills, but I think I have been struggling for a long time to keep up with the overload. It hit the fan two weeks ago and a new attitude has taken its place. Retirement can't come soon enough.

    I have learned:


    1. Catholic schools in the area are regrouping. Again. Both Melissa and Michael's girlfriend work as teachers at Catholic schools.
    2. Jimmy Kimmel had parents play a Halloween prank on their kids. Funny!
    3. I am reading The Hunger Games at the strong recommendation of Melissa and the entire Bachwitz clan. I like it so far. Written well. Movie comes out next year.
    4. I must be getting old....I have mammogram, colonoscopy, podiatrist and dermatologist appointments in the next few weeks. That doesn't even cover the cholesterol issues I need to deal with!
    5. You have to see what my friend Charlyn did in Colleen's altered book. Wow. I can't wait to see this when I get her book.