Back to Crazyquilting!

Peach CQ#1
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

So, here's the "before" of the 2nd piece I did and managed to keep it lighter or paler in comparison to my first attempt. Yes, I made the crocheted fan and also the trim. I hand dyed the flower motif with Ozcraft Dyes. This pillow will be a gift for my 2 daughter's & my friend, Sylvia.

In the winter I usually keep a ball of crochet cotton, a hook and my crochet books close by my chair when I watch television. I generally make the edgings only about 6" in length. I find that length very usable on cq work.

The image is on silk and I don't recall where it came from. I found it in my peach embellishment drawer. I plan to attach ruched silk ribbon over the oval after I baste it in place.

The green vine trim came from Vicki at Ribbonsmyth. I think it also comes in other colors. I need to find some pale gauzey ribbon so I can embellish it with sre buds like I did the same vine I used in my Window On Spring piece for Willa's Baggie challenge. If you've never seen that piece, click on the previous months links on the side of this blog. I'm not sure which month it was but it might be August. I wish I knew how to internally put a link to that day's post, but I'm such a beginner at this blogging stuff!

Stitch On!

Enough Redwork Already!

Peach CQ#2
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

This is the BEFORE picture of one of the 2 pillow top pieces I'm working on right now. This is the darker toned one of the two and was my first attempt at a pale peach & green piece. It got a little dark, but I like it and decided to not trash it. Yes I crocheted the little basket and I also dyed the two motifs using Ozcraft Dyes which I LOVE!

I still need to get them tacked down and the basket needs some finish work, but I think these basics are pretty permanent in their location. I love the lady and have wanted to use her for sometime. I think she fits perfectly on this piece.

Stitch on!

BOM for October

BOM for October
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Last night I finished the October BOM block for the online group RedworkStitchers at yahoogroups.com.

We began this BOM challenge in April, so soon I will have to work on the January design which I already have traced onto the fabric. Then February & March! But first I need to decide what to do for November, but it will probably involve a turkey somehow since here in the states we are looking at Thanksgiving on the 23rd.

This design for October came from an old magazine. I can't recall which one but I copied it when I was going through all my quilting magazines & getting rid of them. It was actually an applique pattern but applique patterns often make great embroidery patterns.

Looking back over this past year I find that I have produced a record (for me) amount of outline embroidery. I enjoy it so much and it's so portable. Soon I'm going to have to start focusing on Christmas gifts! One of my grands has a birthday the day after Christmas so there's that to think about too! I don't think she or her Mum read my blog, so it's probably safe to say that she will get a pillow that will be a prelude to her 1930's print scotty dog quilt that is in the works.

Meanwhile at our local CQ group's meeting last Saturday I worked on 2 more pillows that will be Christmas gifts. I won't say who one is for, but the other one is for my 2 daughters' mother-in-law. (2 of my girls are married to brothers!) Her name is Sylvia and she recently did G and I a huge favor, so I have pieced another travel pillow top in the colors of her bedroom. It's very pastel and definitely outside my comfort zone, although lately I'm more comfortable with the muted tones than I have been in the past.

Maybe later I'll post some "before" pictures of the two pieces. Sometimes it's helpful to see them up on the computer screen before I start embellishing. I'm almost done tacking on the basics.

Time for more coffee!

Stitch on!

"Guess How Much I Love You" blocks DONE!

Guess How Much I Love You block #10
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

I have finally finished the last 3 blocks for the Guess How Much I Love You baby quilt. If you click on the photo, you can see the other two blocks I stitched in my flickr photos. I did these designs on a yellow Kona Cotton and used DMC#793 for the stitching. If you would like to see blocks 1 through 7, they are in my Redwork album at my webshots site which is:

http://community.webshots.com/user/lasassone

I began this project a few years ago when my daughter decorated her first expected child's nursery with a cute crib set in this theme. She had the very popular book and sent me some of the pictures (7) because I thought they'd be cute to embroidery. Meanwhile a couple years ago JoAnn Fabrics brought in a line of fabrics with this theme and I will use that for the sashing & border.

After the first 7 blocks I couldn't figure how to make a quilt top from them, so I borrowed the book from the library and found 3 more images to embroider.

That baby (Jack) is now 5 and has a 2 yrs old sister, so I'm a bit slow. Guess this quilt will go into the Posterity drawer for a great grandchild because it looks like 7 grands is going to be our final total. The eldest is almost 18, so who knows when the "greats" will start arriving. I hope to live to see this quilt warm a new family babe!

Stitch on!

Josh's Pillow-Back

Josh's Pillow-Back
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Here's the back!

Josh's Pillow Finished!

Josh's Pillow-Front
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

It seems I'm always working down to the wire on things, doesn't it?

This morning I finished my grandson's pillow and now I must dash off to the post office in hopes that this gift will arrive by Wednesday which is his 4th birthday.

Made to cover a travel pillow form that came from JoAnn Fabrics, this pillow is for Josh's room which has a fireman/dog theme. I have a quilt in the works, but to hold him over, I used one of the blocks for this pillow. I made a 2 inch flange all around because I thought a ruffle would be too girlie!

For the back I used the fabric from the sashing on the quilt that's not quite done yet. I used Publisher to print off the label on a Jacquard ink jet cotton fabric sheet and added a leftover small image from the quilt top.

The front fabrics are all Kona cottons and I can't remember where I got the image for this block. I seem to remember it was a fire dept. coloring book some place on the internet.

Now to finish that quilt!

Stitch on!

All the Snowmen done!

December Snowman
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Well, now - here's the December block and all 12 blocks are done. Now the hard part for me = putting it together into a wallhanging! I always have problems with this final step because I am not a good decision maker. Ever since menopause my decision process has been flawed.

All along I have been showing a strip of the fabric I plan to use for sashing or maybe a border, but now I have to decide if I'm going to make this a simple project or, as my dh puts it, "get fancy".

Anyone have any suggestions?

Stitch on!

November Snowman

November Snowman
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

11 down, 1 to go!.......LOL....it's done & picture follows!

September BOM done!

Back to School
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

This is my September block for that redwork list's challenge. Such detail I don't want to do again anytime soon. Click on the picture to see the reason I did this block and a larger picture to boot!

Now I need to find something for October! But first ... I finished my SW Snowmen blocks and so I need to figure outo how I'm going to set them into a wallhanging for my sister-in-law. And then there's Josh's Fireman Dalmation Dog quilt top still not done.

Need more hours in the day, but I have to say since I started this blog I SEEM to be getting more things done. I also have a webshots album site. My user name is lasassone at webshots.com and I have an album with all the things I've done in 2006. Today I think it said I had 44 pictures in there. I know I've never had 44 pictures in any of my yearly albums before, so I must be doing something right this year!

Stitch on!