"Barn" Quilt

This is my "Barn" quilt! It's a huge thing in Western NY to make these painted wood quilt blocks to hang on a barn, or garage or house. My house is small. So my Barn quilt is small. 22" x 22". (it is snowing as you can see in the pic)
My friend Tracy J and I have been talking about these for awhile. Her family owns a company and her son, Jamison, was able to program our quilt blocks of choice into a machine that routed out the design onto a pre-primed sign board. I think it's 1" thick. Awesome, right? No measuring. No taping. That is the hard part for me. The detail stuff. So a few weeks ago Tracy and I set up to paint. We had to prime the routed lines and the edges. Then onto painting! I chose a crimson red, a cream and an almost black. My block is called Winged Square II. We used an old 70's book of block patterns. I love wings. I love this block!

Here it is naked. A 22" x 22" routed, ready to paint board, your choice of block, would be $50.00 plus shipping. Tracy is making one that is 2 4' x 8' boards for her garage. That, of course would be more. Jamison is willing to make them for anyone that is interested. You can contact me and I will put you in touch with him.

This is Tracy's 2 board Star block. I cannot wait to get a picture of it installed!
Mine will be on my front porch, next to my red door.
I just may need another one!

My sweet Fiona. What a face.

Tomorrow I meet with one of my art quilt groups. We are changing our name from RiffRaff to a more appropriate fiber-y name. We will spend time making a group blog tomorrow. I will be getting some pointers from my friend Thearica in a bit. We are starting our Whisper Quilt RR tomorrow. The participants made an 8.5" x 11" quilt to pass to each person to serve as inspiration for them to make a piece based on it. In the end there will be multiple quilts that will be inspired by each quilt done by each member. It will be interesting to "read" them at the end. Looking forward to it.

My friend Janet Root, one of the most talented women I know, as well as a very gracious and giving woman, is featured on page 62 of the current issue (#60 Dec/Jan 2013) of Quilting Arts magazine! She could be a featured artist in QA. She has quite a body of work from traditional to art. Her quilt Jam & Jelly was the reason I made my Jam & Jelly.

Brought Melissa's favorite pizza joint's delights to her and Dave's last night for dinner. Their little apartment is really cute. Brought her 3 Christmas tree's. One for them and one for Sophia's mom and a friend. More cleaning out! I left with all four wheels still on my Trailblazer!

I have learned:

1. Michael was awarded a 1-Star Coin from a General that was visiting his COP. He was recognized, along with two other soldiers, for their leadership so far in AFG. The big deal is that a General actually gave it to them. Anyone that knows Micheal is not surprised by the award.
2. How to use Photoshop Elements to resize a pic to a specified requirement for submission of a quilt to QuiltCon. Yes, I am taking a shot at getting into the first QuiltCon show. All they can say is yes, or no!
3. I am devouring a jar of homemade Camponata. So good.
4. A new junk store is opening in Batavia. I was alerted by my little favorite, Ted, that I would love it. I stopped in today (not even open yet, but we can look around and buy!) and purchased a treasure. It is an 1800's small dresser with a small mirror...all layers of paint distressed. It will be placed in my bathroom. When I get it in (need help) I will get a pic. I saw so many cool things there. Ted has a train lantern and an old tube radio waiting for pickup. Junk heaven!
5. BRUCE, by Peter Ames Carlin. Great read for any Springsteen fan.
6. Argo. Excellent movie
7. My 15 year old nephew made this video for Michael. It is awesome. 

Just a Leaf

A pretty picture, taken a few weeks ago, before the snow covered them this weekend. Not a lot of snow. 

Had a great time with family in Cincinnati. Thanks to my cousin, Tracey and her husband, Tommy, for the delicious dinner! Aunt Terry and Uncle Sam came up from Florida and Jenn drove up from Fort Campbell. We sat out on the patio, a perfect day.

Jenn called yesterday to tell me Michael fell off a Max Pro military truck. He told her he bruised his hip and cut up his hand. Those trucks are over 6' high. I haven't heard from him, so I don't know how it happened or how serious the injuries are. I am sure I am over thinking this. I do that. 

Hoping tomorrow is a more productive day. 

I have learned:

1. My foot fibroma's are not shrinking yet. Keep applying the Verapamil as directed.
2. How to kill a zombie, thanks to my 15 year old nephew, Ian. Apparently going through the cerebral cortex is involved. This is unofficial I might add.
3. Using YLI silk thread to quilt on my ice crystals piece. Like the thin line. 
4. IKEA. Love that store.
5. "Luther", another BBC detective show, is cinematic. Excellent show.
6. My friend, Emmy, has posted a few youtube videos showing some chipboard books she has made. Take a look. Nice work. 

Ice Crystals & Empty Nest

After playing around in Photoshop Elements, this pic taken with a Blackberry two years ago while walking cross country lines at work, turned into a work of art! Apparently I didn't save the original, but it looked very similar to this one...

I didn't know why I needed to own Mary Lee's ice dyed fabric so badly at the time of our silent auction at the quilt show last month, but I realized how perfect the colors are for working with this piece. I had Julie Brandon, of Red-Dog Enterprises print in 30" x 40" for me on cotton. Under $20.00! Such a deal. (Look at her site to order your own manipulated or not photos!)(Julie was wearing a vest yesterday made from her printed fabric. New idea's!)

So I started working 1/2" hexi's up from the dyed fabric. I have 400 now. I started to see what they would look like on the piece.

See the little bunch I have set out at top edge? Looks so good! Of course I have no idea where or how I am going to get them onto the piece. I need to do some quilting first, then figure that out, but I am excited about it. It will be called Ice Crystals for a show with RAFA group; theme Winter's End.

I realized I never posted a pic of "Empty Nest". It was the quilt that was to have been for a challenge that involved using a picture of a falling down old small home. I thread sketched the house and found a poem online by Stephen Spender, called the Empty House. The poem is really about the empty nest, very pertinent at this time. I didn't make the deadline for the challenge because stamping the poem took hours. I used acrylic paint and I could only kneel so long, let it dry, then back for some more. I used invisible thread to quilt lines across horizontally. This is one of my favorite pieces I have done. It will hang in my living room.

I am almost finished with a small piece for a Nature Behind Bars show. I will get pictures and post soon.
Working on my literature challenge from guild. It's the annual challenge due in January. Even though it is announced in March, we all put it off until now, or later! I know what I am doing.....almost.

I have learned:

1. After my heal release surgery in June, I developed a large lump in my arch. After the MRI, I now have Plantar Fibromatosis. Now I have two lumps. Got the special Verapamil cream to apply 3 times daily. It, in theory, will penetrate to break down the matter. Still troublesome walking and standing. 
2. Getting a good amount of contact from Michael via FB messaging and phone calls. Makes for a more sane mother.
3. My sister has a 13 yr old girl and 15 yr old boy, who are in the throes of teenage attitude and inconsideration. Noni has to work 3 jobs (nurse) to pay for their private education. (not great public school system). Her phone call this morning brought back memories of Melissa! I got it all with her. I yelled, grounded, physically altercated and cried through those years. But it all comes around many years later. I am so glad I am over that. Was oh so hard.
4. My little art quilt group has a show at GoART! this month. Free.Nice. Go. See. 
5. I am in love with my newly reupholstered, old, heavy, solid wood, French Provincial couch and chair. Upholstery Unlimited did a truly wonderful job.
6. Blood tests show I am menopausal. Right on schedule. Yay:(
7. Bruce Springsteen is 63 years, 1 month and 17 days old. He still rocks.