Ellie at Santa House

Since Sean's swimming lesson conflicted with the preschool Santa craft day, I got to take Ellie. We made angels, spiders, and tree ornaments. When Ellie sat on Santa's lap, she said she wanted princesses for Christmas. She's a princess herself.

crayon challenge

Our art quilt group is up and running. the first challenge--the crayon challenge. Our leader Wendy had a paper bag filled with crayons. The one I chose was pink--ugh! We were to use one other color. I made 2, since I wasn't happy with the first one, made on a woven background with a green tree and monster, bug on limb. the second one paired pink with blue.

fast friday challenge 60

The challenge required me to use color to create an atmosphere. I had a tiny scrap of the light fabric, and left over remnants of my favorite blue. I wove the roof, following directions by Jude Hill, and raw edge appliqued the flowers and the fish. I don't know if I was successful in creating a mood, but I like the piece.

using up the stash

I got in a mood to try and reduce and recycle my stash.  I made 2 comforter quilts, using mostly blue fabrics.  One included fabric photos of my 2 granddaughters. They helped me tie the comforter.  When my husbands saw it, he wanted one, so I made a second one, and got my friend Jeri to quilt it.

This summer I decided to try and make a quilt using a pattern from Kaffe Fassett.  He used muted colors and no sashing.  I bought the striped material to use as sashing, and I made mine very colorful.  I only bought 2 yards of the stripe, and a twin bed measures 75 inches, so I added the green piece at the top.  The animals were mostly left over from the backing for my grandson's quilt.  Jeri suggested that I make a backing, but when I finished it, I thought heck, I have twin beds in that room, so I decided that the erstwhile backing would become the new top.  I used up other material for the backs of both, which I am not picturing here.  Alas, or hooray, I still have a stash.

American Gothic: Pigpen cleans up

I finished another beast.  She reminded me of the Schultz character Pigpen.  I was aiming for an American Gothic ripoff.

finished first beast

I finished the beast.  She now has some medusa style hair, and a sun shining down on her.

first patchwork beast

I am in the process of quilting my first patchwork beast.  Everything was flat when I sewed the parts together, but now the plaid middle section has developed waves.  This is possibly because I used an old shirt of my son-in-law's, which probably had a lot of poly in it.  I am figuring out how to work with the distortion, maybe by gathering it.

Ellie's art and craft day

Ellie came over for her weekly art and craft day.  We read some books.  She worked with scissors, glue, googly eyes and pompoms.  She also made Tutor Treats, what I call Maids of Honor, as they date from the time of Henry VIII.

some new quilts

Wild one

Wendy and her girls

I finally figures out how to post pictures on face3book.  It wasn't hard--don't know why I didn't do it before. Here are some pictures from the post:

Aggie and her car

I have 2 pictures of my in laws posing Bonnie and Clyde style, in a 1928 Model A.  I am making art quilts based on the photos.  I have finished the top that I call Aggie with her car (my Mother-in-law's name was Mary Agnes, but her friends all called her Aggie).  I haven't stitched them down yet, and the male portrait only exists in my mind.  I am posting the 2 photos that gave me inspiration.

Southwest quilt part 2

Snake

These are the blocks that I designed. The corn Maiden was adapted from a sweatshirt.  Finally, I have a picture of the quilt, or at least some of it!

Dragonfly

Coyote

Roadrunner

Jack Rabbit

Cactus

Hummingbird

Corn Maiden

Wendy's Southwestern quilt

Kachina

Sun

Antelope

Lizard

I have finally finished hand quilting my second Southwestern quilt.  I had the first one machine quilted, but Wendy, my daughter, wanted hers hand quilted.  I bought the pattern, Ancient Spirits of the Mesa.  I had only 12 blocks,and I wanted a queen size quilt, so I made up 8 more blocks.  I also did not like the kachina pattern.  I had a friend who was an art teacher.  She said she had a kachina, and she could draw it for me.  I used her kachina, and used the block border from the purchased pattern.
The first 12 blocks are from the pattern I purchased.

Turtle

Pheasant

Bear

Scorpion

The directions called for using machine satin stitch, which i don't care for, so I hand appliqued the designs.  There is some machine pieced on the borders of the blocks.

Kokopelli

Desert bird

Shaman

Mountain Lion

The next 8 blocks are the ones that I designed. I will put them on the next post. 

things from Pamela Allen's class

Sailboat: a 2 color challenge

Day and Night: A cityscape.  I am going to remove the sun--I think the piece looks better without it. 

This is a great class.  I have learned a lot, and met some nice people in cyberland.  Here are some of the things I have done so far in her class.

cabin in the woods

Jude Hill things

a fishy business, even though the underwater plants look like cacti. Oh, well.

Monster in the garden.  maybe need to fix his saddle.  It kind of gets lost.  

I'n not much of a heart person, but hey, it was February

I have been doing some more weaving in Jude Hill's class.  After the weaving part is finished, there is a lot of hand sewing.  Jude is showing how to put pieces together, but I don't know if I will do that.  Maybe later...