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.

Live Well and Be Happy.......

Words to live by, right? I just finished hand sewing the great orange velvet binding down. It measures approximately 44" x 10", a perfect table runner. The green/gold/black/gray base is all recycled wool clothing. blanket and ends. "live well and be happy" is from a very nice book called Applique Outside the Lines with Piece O' cake Designs by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins. A fun book. it was shown as part of a wall hanging but I was immediately drawn to it as a single element.
I had it enlarged at Office Depot, traced onto freezer paper, cut out, ironed onto stitched background and used my embellishing machine (!!!!) to attach all verbiage. Machine stitched for permanence. The cotton velvet is the backing and binding.
Fun to make. This will be donated to a benefit my sister is having Saturday, for a good friend of hers' family. I hope it finds an appreciative home.

Quilt guild was really interesting yesterday. Wenda Coburn runs a program called "Just.....sew", teaching inmates in the Onondaga County jail to quilt and sew. It was truly fascinating to heat her story, from the inception of the program to all the security measures it takes to get through each class to what she has learned about women, jails and herself.

What a beautiful day today was. I took some time to sit outside since I know very soon it won't be an option. I took some stitching with me and....ahhhh, relaxed!

Now that the BBB challenge is finished I have been thinking about the current challenge.....symbol. My friend Tracy mentioned last year, when we were discussing signage for a dream quilt shop in my retirement future (emphasis on dream) that it has to have a winged heart in it....it's your thing. Hmmmm. It is. I am repeatedly inspired to work with this symbol, so it was a no brainer. Well not entirely. I did think I should so something else....had an idea...but it didn't feel right. So now how do I execute? I have a pretty cool idea right now. Can I make it work? I am going to try! Now I can't show you til the reveal in 5 weeks.

I have learned:

1. smokeassist.com. What a strange commercial. People look so strange smoking. 
2. Will I ever finish "Under the Dome"? pg. 844, 230 more to go. I need to find out what this dang dome is.
3. Project Runway. I like April. 
4. How many vials of blood do they need to run a few tests.....4 apparently. Wonder what they will say about me?
5. Mary Ann Scarborough's Salon at Medina's Shirt Factory Cafe was a very nice night out with friends. All her work is hand stitched and embroidered in silk. It was luscious. 
6. Debbie awarded my blog a Sunshine award! Thank you! I need to pass it on....it will take time.

"Cascade of Roses" Art Quilt

So I made the deadline! My online art quilt group's challenge was Beads, Baubles & Bangles. Well, not being an overtly blingy person and one who has limited time amongst all my obligations etc, I knew my piece had to be light bling. I sketched out a cascade of roses onto which i would sew reclaimed (from a Sally Ann sweater) pearls and desirous and now depleted delica beads that look like tiny rhinestones. Each rose is a ripped strip of sheer fabric, twisted and tacked to a felt background. All roses arranged and sewn to a felt backing, then all those beads and pearls sewn on by hand.

I rust dyed the background, then over dyed it with chartreuse Dynaflow dye. Love that color! I machine quilted that with shiny rayon, rust colored thread.
After sewing the rose cascade to the rusty fabric, I used the rust and a deep red thread to randomly stitch a bit.
While this piece has definite design flaws (from any distance, the roses disappear and it looks like a big red formation....ahh well.) I tried some things I have wanted to do and met the deadline.
It has been good practice to make those flowers since I will be doing something along those lines for Melissa's wedding flowers next October for the Wedding!
The next challenge is "symbol". Presumably, a personal symbol. I have an idea.....or two! Of course I look forward to doing a new technique. I have six weeks. They fly by.

Nicki's CQ mermaid block has gotten some good attention from me already. I have a few area's on that to finish up and hope to get it to her soon as I know she is anxious to see it again.

Th gift for the current Homemade Holiday Swap is still in its 1/2 way done state. I really love it. I hope to make another one for the quilt shows silent auction in October and another for a hostess gift. It will be ready to mail by the 26th.

Made the Weight Watchers vegetable soup today, this semi-chilly Sunday....0 points! Now my sister is on board with all 4 of us. And I am tracking...the hardest part for me.

Watching "Fallen" on AMC right now. Good movie.Denzel Washington, 1998.

Thanksgiving may find me in Cincinnati, OH. My sister and I, along with our kids, are all that remain here in western NY. Relatives scattered across states, disconnected by previous relationship disasters and busy lives, will hopefully rekindle and stay relevant. I will be thankful.

Took Michael back to Fisher this morning. He asked about his jersey quilt....! I have a deadline now. His 22nd birthday, October 23rd. I work so much better within a parameter of time! So I will add this to the list!


I have learned:

1. M & M's commercial for the new pretzel version of the candy is funny.
2. The Bills 10 vs. Miami 15. Bills fans are ALWAYS so hopeful. oh well.
3. oneprettything.com is a great site with links to alot of creativity
4. Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges was worthy.

Rusty Fabric Beautified!

My rusty fabric overdyed with Dynaflow's chartreuse. I love that color. I have used this gorgeous fabric, cut up and resown of course...why do anything simple. I did have some issues with the needle/thread/rusty fabric however. It seems some metallic residue remains in the fibers so when I had more than two layers of it to sew through my thread broke. I had the best luck with a topstitching needle.

My friend Terry's daughter works for the VA. They have a great need for Foley bag covers for the patients to use on their wheelchairs. I spent some time sewing six together this week. Perfect mindless sewing and the gratification is wonderful. I will definitely stitch up more of these for veterans.

Weight Watchers...again. Goal is two dress sizes down by the Melissa's wedding next October. She is also on board, along with Cory's parents. Melissa wants this dress!

I have learned:

1. My Dunkin Donuts is closed til the 22nd for a remodel and I want my familiarly delicious coffee, bad. It will be the longest time without it in 15 years!
2. In 2009 WW nationwide....people lost a total of 4 million pounds.
3. Chester, my old codger cat, loves white wine!