The New and Improved is Not Always

This new laptop continues to be an uncomfortable transition. I have trouble loading pages for some reason...they time out in seconds. Pics load slowly. I don't even know where to start...is is my Internet provider? My router? My laptop?
I miss my old one.
I have kept very busy stitching on Colleens book pages ( I will work diligently to get pics of them loaded this weekend)
I am finishing up my Homemade Holiday Swap gift and will mail off to its recipient Tuesday.
I have Melissa and Cameron on a mission this weekend to procure paint chips from various hardware stores in town! for my current online art quilt challenge. I have a cool idea and am anxious to get started so I can finish by the due date, December 5th.

I want to share this piece. Junamea made this gorgeous quilt. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it hanging at our quilt show. She had seen a picture similar to it in an Australian magazine and decided she could do it. I love how she only colored some of the lace pieces. I know my crazy quilting friends would like this.

I have learned:

1. The audio of Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt is worth seeking out.
2. Down 9 lbs! Melissa down 23 lbs!
3. Zumba is fun and works.
4. New Bruce CD? The Promise. Need it.
5. Atonement.....at-one-ment.

my Symbol Project~~Winged Heart

My online group's recent challenge was to create an art quilt using a symbol that has meaning to you. I knew right away I would use the winged heart. It is 26" x 14" ish. The close up of the heart shows all the Kantha style stitching I did on the hand dyed fabrics from Judy Robertson. I truly loved the process and outcome...the stitches undulate and form peaks and valleys that give it great texture.
The design is original...I drew it large on freezer paper, cut each feather out and fussy cut them on another hand dyed fabric to give them more visual interest. I thread painted them, then fused everything to canvas. To make sure it was secure I zig zagged all around the entire piece. I loved every step of this project from the design to hand stitching to machine work. I am not sure if it is actually finished though....the background seems stark. We'll see!
The new laptop has proven to be a little challenging for me. Jody got me going with pic downloading and posting with Windows Essentials Photo Gallery. All my favorites are gone. My bookmarks are also gone. Cory did get all my stuff off the old laptop in my documents, so at least I have those! Just have to get used to it.
Tonight my little art quilt group meets after a couple month hiatus. I am looking forward to that.
Tomorrow the annual mammo appointment. I am actually 6 months overdue. Not my favorite day of the year~
I must get moving...off to work. Longjohns on since it will barely make it out of the 50's.

I have learned:

1. I need a maid. And a cook.
2. The New Yorkers, by Catherine Schine promises to be a good read.

New Laptop....ugh.

As you can see it has been weeks since I posted. The day I spent hours downloading the quilt show pics my old laptop died! So I got a great deal on this HP at BJ's. $513 original, I paid $318 in the end. BUT now the real trouble....I can't post pics because nothing looks the same! I tried the program that came with my camera....not good.

SO my friend Jody to my rescue!
She will be walking me through a download tonight and I hope I am not too technologically inept that I can't manage that.

I have been busy though. I am half way into the Homemade Holiday Swap, Christmas gift. It was much hand stitching so I was happy!

I finished my guild's holiday gift already too....another hand stitched item. I love it!

I also pulled out an ongoing CQ project....the flower...separate petals and center, and did some seams on them. I really would love this to be done for the next quilt show in 2012.

Today I made the ties for the 7 foley bag covers I made for my friend Terry's daughter to use at the VA where she works. Easy and satisfying project.

Colleen's pages have been calling me too! I love her aesthetic, much like mine. Very collage-y, very reflective of  appreciation for old, vintage and quirky items. I started to put some things on my first page. Fun!

Michael is finally feeling better after the bout of mono. His blood work showed things were back to normal. Last weekend was Senior Recognition. We all made the last walk on a football field.  There is a pic on facebook of all of us.

I have learned:

1. I usually love change, but this new laptop thing is too challenging.
2. Final episode of Mad Men.....didn't see that coming.
3. Gretchen was the winner on Project Runway. Not my favorite.
4. Loving a deep, hot bath in the evening. Half hour, a good book.....relaxing.

Quilt Show...a Click Away...240 Pics of Quilts!

My Mermaid CQ RR piece won a ribbon at our quilt show for Best Group Quilt!! I  had just gotten this back in the mail  3 days before the show...I sewed a backing to it and sleeved it just in time for drop-off on Wednsday. My friends Jody, Nicki, Thearica, Kathy and Carolyn were my winning team. I thank you girls for all your gorgeous work!

I have spent literally hours today downloading 240 pictures from the show. I always go through and adjust the contrast etc on each pic which is pretty time consuming but worth it for better images. It took a very long time to get them in albums on Snapfish....2 albums. Don't ask. Just enjoy the show!
Album 1
Album 2

George Siciliano, the Mrs and Me!!

Just a quick post during this awesome guild quilt show weekend. This is me, holding the door prize, a 12 pack of fabrics George Siciliano sells to use in his gorgeously intricate mini masterpieces, with lovely Mrs Virginia Siciliano and George himself!! He and Ginny are adorable. Their trunk show is mind bogglingly inspiring, a true pleasure to be in their presence.
George held an all day workshop today, with another tomorrow. I will be taking tomorrow's and will have more on that later.
The quilt show is really going well. The new venue, St Anthony's old elementary school, is working out wonderfully. If you live anywhere near Batavia, NY, come tomorrow, 10-5 PM.
I am too tired to post more, but I have pics of all the great works, as well as George's trunk show, to post this week!

CQ Mermaid~Nicki's

I have been stitching, finishing up Nicki's CQ Mermaid block. This is one area I did. I bought a packet of these transfers from ebay a while ago. I chose this precious one since I could change the concept to underwater. The dyed cheesecloth acts as a frame, tacked down with sparkly crystals, sequins and beads. The "bubbles" are white bunched tulle.

I redressed the little sprite in a pink with brown dots dress!

Further down on the block I used a netting from a vintage hat, tossed in some leafy sequins and a cool button I found at Joann's. I knew Nicki's block was blue!

And this is the last bit I have been working on...kind of a Sharon Bogan sumptuous surface thing. Lots of french knots and texture.

The whole gorgeous block! Nicki will love it.

This mermaid was the work of  Kathy, a truly talented stitcher. Those sequins are tiny, sewn on individually to form the scales on the tail and the hair is split stitch using a variegated thread.

As I have mentioned throughout this year I have participated in a Homemade Holiday Swap. Deb51, from Tennessee made this beautiful fall table runner from shabby chic-ish fabrics. I just love it!

I made this raggedy applique pillow for knotme, in a workshop Chris hosted at guild. I loved this process. It was fun to do and I can see many ways it could be used in various projects. It is stuffed with a cushy down pillow form.

Last weekend I was immersed in Chautauqua, wondering the grounds looking at quilts, and taking in history. This is one adorable cottage....pink. Sweet.

The last 2 weeks have been consumed with Michaels mono and the various side affects (tonsillitis, hepatitis and rash) and doctor's appointments, missed work and light sleep. So I slept til 9 the last two mornings! After Friday's doctor visit and a shot of steroid to the arse, and subsequent meds, the horrible, itchy body rash has subsided and proper sleeping habits restored! Let's hope we are on the up-swing and things get back on track at school and life.

My symbol piece for the online group, Bakers Dozen, is slowly moving along. I have decided to do kantha stitching on a good chunk of fabric. It will entail many, many, many stitches! On the other hand, it looks so cool. The stitches form a secondary design, very textural. I have much to do on this piece.

Museum Quilt Guild, my guild, has our biannual quilt show in less than 3 weeks! Today I sewed the sleeve on "Freedom", which I was thinking I should have renamed "I am Woman". Too late for the show, but not too late for me to do whatever I want.....and that is to rename it! Luckily the small pieces are pinned to a board so no sleeve or hanging apperatice needed. Straps are waiting to be sewn on a bag yet and one piece I entered needs to be located (!) and finished with a backing and a sleeve! HHmmmm. Where oh where did that Crazy Quilted RR piece go too?

I have learned:

1. I am down 5.4 lbs and Melissa is down 12 lbs!!!! We have a little over a year to the wedding!
2. Project Runway.....still like April, like Mondo lately....Gretchen, not so much. Attitude not cool.
3. Blue Bloods...good show. Great group of characters. And it's on-demand.
4. I will be able to add photographers assistant to my skills after next Sunday. Sandy's brother is coming in to photograph Carol's wedding sans help, thus me!
5. I was stuck in the waiting room at doc's office Friday....with daytime shenanigans blasting in the foreground....a woman humming as anger management in Divorce Court...people yelling and cursing, well bleeping, as Jerry Springer tests men for proof of paternity. If I were to have had my blood pressure taken after that it would undoubtedly be high. I cannot imagine who would be entertained by that day after day. Apparently millions must. Ugh.
6. I can retire in 5 1/2 years.

What did they say to do? Quilting Arts TV UFO

Remember this? IAQ (instant art quilt from Ellen Lindner's online class) has been anything but that for me! I have cut it up twice, over dyed it, even tried to add a little whimsy with the faerie patch. When Quilting Arts TV made a call for unfinished art quilts for consideration for this season's show, I submitted a pic of this. I just got it back with a note to watch for advice from an artist on an upcoming episode!
I don't record on my TV so I may not get to see it. If anyone sees it though, can you pass on the advice?

Last Friday I took a class from Janet Root with my friend Tracy. We both loved this quilt when Janet did a trunk show for us last spring. She teaches it with permission from the designer and the pattern was published years ago in a quilt magazine.

I really love the strong 9 patch design. I am making this for Melissa and Cory.

Here are my first 2 blocks. (the lighting in this shop was not conducive to true fabric color) It will be gorgeous.
Here are Tracy's. Love the striped fabrics she is using.

 

Some members of my quilt guild took a short bus trip to Chautauqua for a wonderful quilt show Saturday. I have never been there before, so being on the grounds of this unique old community of 250 acres and seeing all the old houses was special enough. Saw many beautiful quilts and shopped many a vendor.  Too many!

Michael is still home from college with mono. The tonsillitis seems to be gone but now he has an all over rash which apparently is another possible side effect of mono. 

Our quilt show is in 3 weeks! Of course I have quite a bit of finishing to do on the pieces I already registered. We have George Siciliano doing 2 workshops....this one on Friday I believe and this one on Saturday..

They are paper pieced on his foundation fabrics. I want to gather my own fabrics rather than buying the kit for quite a bit of money. Some of the fabrics I had to buy for Nancy Crow will work. There will also be a lecture Friday night and anyone is welcome. There is still room in both classes, $55.00, 9-4 each day. 

If you live in western NY, come to a great show...Friday and Saturday, October 15 and 16 in Batavia.

A fellow Nancy Crow/QBL student has joined by guild. Karen worked diligently all week long, right near me, and it was the last hour on the last day that we realized we lived near-ish each other! She showed her Crow creation this month and it is stunning. She actually started over and this is what she made...

These quilts were referred to by Nancy as Ribbon Quilts. I had not heard of that term before, but they are just that.....ribbons of color and value. Karen had already shown us a few really great quilts and we are happy she has become a member.

I was rummaging through my fabrics that we spent hours sewing up in that class and there is enough to make more ribbon quilts. It is on my ever growing list.

Yesterday was spent messing around with my online art quilt groups current challenge....symbol. I used freezer paper to make my pattern, cutting it up and ironing to my fabric. I did get it layed out and can  see where it's going. May need to do some Esterita Austin-class painting on it if the thread work doesn't give me the expected results. I need to decide that background fabric now. HHmmmmm.

CQing on Nicki's mermaid still. I am almost done with my bits. Pics in a bit.

I have learned:

1. my "live well be happy" table runner went for $65 at the benefit my sister held for a close friend. She assured me the owner loves it.
2. Blackberry + gravel = yep, cracked screen. It does resemble a stick figure though, so at least it's  creative damage!
3. My cholesterol is not a good 251.