Window on Spring

Finished Front of Window on Spring
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Well, I talked G into holding the pieced front of this project so I could get a picture. I still have to prep the backing, hanging sleeve and binding tomorrow, but the front is done. I'm very happy with it. The backing is a printed cotton with the same shade of beige as the borders on the front. It is printed to look like crackled paint.

I'm thinking I may stitch "in the ditch" around each window pane before I bind this quilted wallhanging. I also have prepped a personalized silk label for the back.

Heck, I'm so proud of this, I feel like putting the label on the front! LOL!

I'll be taking more pictures with my GOOD camera tomorrow including some closeups too. If I'm going to send this off into the world and never see it again, I want lots of pictures to remember it by.

I sure hope my "challenge partner" likes what I've made. I know it's something that I would like to receive. And, isn't that the whole idea of these challenges? Aren't we supposed to make something WE would like to have?

Final Pane in the Window Project

lower right pane for window project
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

This is the final pane, all done, for the window project. How do you spell R-E-L-I-E-F? Now to get it all together and get it mailed out on Monday!

If you click on the picture you can see a larger version. Some details on the lower right block:

Hand dyed motifs -the flowers and the butterfly up top, iron-on dragonfly and those green leaves down in right corner that the spider loves so much are a fairly new trim from Ribbonsmyth. I did the pink buds with some wider gauzie see-through ribbon that was in the swap bag. It was the same kind of ribbon as the green that I put on with beads on the lower left pane. It makes GREAT flower buds!

I CHEATED!

lowerleftpane
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

I got going on the lower left pane for the window project and skipped over the lower right. I can't believe I finished 2 of the panes today. Tomorrow I'll finish the other and begin assembling the project.

Some details:
I found the tiny little bird in my redwork bird binder. It's a copy of a vintage pattern.

I cut the Easter egg from an Easter print cotton fabric and tried to do a neat needleturn applique. I still need more practice on needleturn. It was easier to do the kite on the top left pane because I could iron back the edges for a crisp shape. That didn't work too well with the egg shape.

The pink & green trim came to me in the "baggie" but was white. I handdyed it with Ozcraft dyes and it was in the picture I posted the other day - a couple entries back.

The green gauze ribbon was in the baggie too. I have never before done anything like what I did with it, but it just seemed to be needed to soften that long curve through the block. I anchored it with the larger beads and then snuggled up a cluster of 3 seed beads on each side of the larger ones. There's lots of beads on this one, but that's pretty normal for my work I think. That and stitch combos!

The feather stitching on the lower right is done with YLI's Pearl Crown Rayon thread in the Baby Pastel color. I was not sure the colors were working but now that it's all done I think it was the right choice.

I have to say that pink has never been a favorite color of mine and I NEVER have worked with so many pastels before. I think it's going to be a good piece when it's all done, but I don't think I'll be able to look at another piece of pink fabric for awhile!

Upper Right Window Pane DONE!

Upper Right Window Pane
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Even the Beading is done! Had to take a break from the work on #3 and #4 blocks to give myself the satisfaction of actually having #2 totally done.

And now, would you believe, I have noticed that I missed a seam in the blue sky at the top. Imagine if you will 3 fly stitches done vertically with chain stitch anchors. That's what I intended to do and WILL do as soon as I log off this computer!

My dh is making fun of my "barely blooming" tree, but time is awasting and I told him it's just a hint of what the beginning of Spring would look like. HEY! It's my work and I'll do it however *I* want!, Right?

The blossoms and tiny leaves on the tree are done with pearl cotton because I'm having problems right now with my hands and cannot manage to pull silk ribbon through this block. I started with SRE, but had to give up before doing much at all.

I added the two faux seams in the large expanse of green silk noil hillside and I'm glad now that I did. I think it balances the block.

And stay tuned for Pane #3 where you'll see the hillside continued

Been Busy!

Playing with Ozcraft Dyes
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Today I let my hair down & had some fun playing with my Ozcraft Dyes. I had some basic white motifs here that came in this challenge packet and they didn't fit on the project anymore. The 2 pieces at the bottom were left natural colours but the rest of the pieces I antiqued. That rose in the upper left area is a crocheted motif made, I think, from Knit-Crosheen. I wasn't sure it would take the dye very well, but it turned out lovely.

The pieces that look more peach than pink are for my next project which is a pillow for a friend who did G and I a huge favor. I hope she likes it.

Back to Stitching and Beading on the window panes!

Tree on the Hill

Naked Tree
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

I had never done any broderie perse before and that is how I this tree is applied to the upper right "pane" of the window project. I used Heat & Bond Light to apply the tree but that doesn't hold permanently - especially I would think on the fancy fabrics that are in this block.

I started out using a hoop, but ended up doing the last half of the tree without a hoop. A lot of the tips of the branches had come loose but they are secure now!

I used 1 strand of silk floss for this technique, which, if I understand it correctly, involves doing teeny tiny buttonhole stitch on all edges. At least that is what I did and I'm mostly happy with the results.

Now on to dressing the tree in it's Spring blossoms!

A Day Late & a Dollar Short

MaySnowman
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

That's what my Mum used to say .... frequently to me because I've ALWAYS been a procrastinator.

Here's my May block for the challenge on thebluerose-redwork list at yahoo. I'm doing these in Southwestern colors, as I've mentioned before. They are fairly easy designs to stitch. The only hard part has been deciding what color to put where. All except the snowman him or herself - they will always be this pretty blue!

Now back to my challenge piece! Only 9 days to go! It has to be mailed on the 10th of June, but I'm sure I'll be up late the night of the 9th.....

May Block of the Month

May Block of the Month
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Finished for the BOM Challenge on the Redwork Stitchers group at Yahoo. I've always loved this design and have had it in my "library" for some time. The image reminds me of so many lovely quiet moments when my 3 daughters were small babies.

The printed fabric shown is what I will border this block with when I have all 12 monthly images done. I think I'll make a small lap or wall quilt with them.

Now back to working on my baggie challenge piece. I finally worked out how to get the tree on the hillside and have loads of hand stitching and SRE ahead of me today.

Memory for Stash Sunday

Memory of Mum
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Going through some drawers today I found a small stack of embroidered pillowcases and I think this is one of the last sets my Mum embroidered, crocheted and gave to me. They are yellowed from storage as I have not wanted to use them. Even if I did we have king sized pillows now and these wouldn't fit as they are standard size.

The Stash Sunday group wanted a memory for today's posting. Right away I thought I MUST still have a set of her pillowcases somewhere, so I went on a hunt. Her crocheted edgings were usually her own unique design and very delicate.

I have some pairs of pillowcases to make for all 7 of my grandchildren when the time is right and they have a need. Unfortunately they are poly/cotton blend cases and not the nice 100% cotton ones Mum used to buy at the dimestore. I will soon have to start the first set as our eldest grand will be 18 next April.

I guess the grands will appreciate the poly/cotton blend since they don't have these for comparison. They may not have to iron theirs. However, I will try to remember to show them how to press the back of the embroidery over a terry towel to make it stand out! That was my first household chore Mum taught me when I was about 6 or so. The iron scared me a lot at first, but over the years I and my iron have bonded well!

Bag Challenge Piece #1

upperleftpane
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

First, let me apologize for the quality of this picture. I am still using my old Sony (.7 pixels!) camera to post pictures. I love the camera and it's so easy to use since it takes pictures on floppy disks and it's way easier to just pop a disk in the drive and upload pictures. Soon I think I will have to start using my better Kodak camera for uploading but the need for connecting it to the computer via a USB cord just is one more thing for me to learn. I'm sure I'll become at ease with it, but it's that old dog-new tricks thing!

Well, this is the first of 4 window panes for a project I'm undertaking for the Baggie Challenge that Willa runs. It's got me wishing that I had undertaken a less ambitious project, but all 4 panes are pieced with the other gal's fabric, so I'm committed. Called "View to Spring", the window frame will be pieced with fabric - brown or beige moire maybe. If I was to do this for myself, I'd use a real window frame and just put the blocks in the frame - twould be a whole lot easier.

Some explanation=When i pieced the sun area I didn't make the seams curved, so the fly stitch lacework bit is supposed to give the illusion of a curve. I think it will when the whole piece is assembled.

So it's on now to the top right pane with more sky and a hilltop with a blooming tree. I hope I gain some momentum here because the deadline to mail this "thang" is 6/10 for me!

That's all for today.......Gotta get stitching!

Caffeine Deprivation?

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Ok, obviously I'm procrastinating again. But I found this coffee thing on another blog - Eva's - and just HAD to see what kind of coffee I was!

LOL big time here because I LOVE FRAPPACINOS! Too early in the day for one though - I try to limit my Starbucks visits to the afternoon, relying on my home brew for my morning apres-walk caffeine fix.

I have a friend in Minnesota that I visit and last time I discovered a coffee blend at a coffee place next to their local quilt shop. It's called Drunken Uncle and I was SO hooked that I brought some home and my friend has even sent me some since. I eek it out and save it for only my Sunday cuppa. I love flavored coffee - daily I drink a Hazelnut blend.

Well, back to reading my bloglines and then I hope to finish up the first of 4 blocks for a project I'm working on for Willa's Baggie Challenge. Hopefully I can post a finished block picture later today!

April Snowman BOM

April Snowman BOM
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

This is the block that I made for the snowman quilt which is the BOM for another redwork list that I belong to. The fabric on the left will be the sashing for the quilt. I'm doing the designs on this blue, peach & gold marble-like fabric and in Southwestern thread colors because I intend to gift this quilt to my sister-in-law who loves & collects snowmen.

The thread color for the snowmen is DMC #807 and then I'm using a couple shades of peachy beige & a light rust for each snowman's monthly accessories. The designs are all about 6" tall. I sort of wish I'd done his ears in the two peach tones, but I don't think, at this point, I want to take it all out and re-embroider the ears.

The fabrics are from my stash and were originally bought, along with a couple others at a lovely quilt shop in Sedona, Arizona.

Isn't it amazing when that happens? I had the designs all printed off for this group's project and remembered my Miriam loves snowmen. Then the fabrics just sort of leaped off my shelf & begged to be included!

Miriam doesn't do handwork at all but seems to really appreciate what I do. In fact she and my brother have the Southwestern CQ pillow I made them propped up on a pedestal in their home - rather like a work of art! I think perhaps though where they have it displayed has more to do with protecting it from their 2 resident cats than how much they revere the pillow!

I don't have that Southwestern CQ pillow posted at Flickr, but it's probably in my cq albums at webshots.com. My user name there is lasassone if you want to browse more pictures.

April Theme BOM block - colored!

April Theme BOM block
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Ok.........I was advised that I could add the color after the stitching so I started with applying pink crayon to the ribbon and bow. I stood back and decided I like just that touch of color a whole lot. I don't think I'm going to do any more. What do YOU think?

I'm Back! Well....sort of!

Block of the Month
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Did you miss me? I apologize profusely to my subscribers at bloglines.com for being absent more than not this past month. I guess blogging just isn't firmly ingrained yet in my routine.

I have been SO immersed in Redwork projects, had some health issues and was gone to warm, sunny Arizona for a time to visit my brother who is recovering from a recent heart attack.

This is a 6" square design I finished last evening for a Block of the Month challenge on one of my yahoo redwork lists. It's a monthly themed one and I plan, after the fact, to do some crayon work on this and the next 11 blocks. I thought of doing that AFTER I had started stitching this. I think I'll have to practice a bit on some fabric first though to see how it looks. If I decide to do it, I'll have to post another picture!

I'm also half done with the LAST Children of the World design! I did a lot of stitching during a recent illness (don't ask-ick!) and on our vacation from the rain too. I can't believe I have almost finished all 20 designs!

I'm doing my friend Willa's Baggie CrazyQuilt Challenge too and just yesterday firmed up what I'm going to make and get sent by the 5/31 deadline. So, that's next on the agenda.

Blogging Random Act of Kindness

Blogging Random Act of Kindness
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Recently I was looking at pictures in the Flickr group called Corners of My Home and I made a comment about a picture of a cabinet that had been posted. The cabinet was the focus of the picture, but atop the cabinet were some cute miniature chairs that attracted me since I collect them. Another member also had mentioned in a comment that she was a collector of miniature chairs as well and I followed the links to her pictures. Her name is Kim and her blog is Little Somethings.

We eventually ended up emailing each other and compared collections. I had made a comment about a little chair she had in her picture that was like the little "modern" in this picture. She mentioned she had a duplicate she would like to send me.

My intention was to do a trade with her but when she sent me this HUGE box of other duplicates she found when she went looking, her address wasn't on the outside of the box!

So, you see, this wasn't QUITE a random act of kindness but we treated it as such.

Very shortly after receiving the little chairs I was reading another blog that I love called My house is cuter than yours and I discovered that the owner of that blog, Mary, collects salt & pepper shakers.

A lightbulb moment! I remembered I had the remains of my Mum's collection of Salt & Pepper shakers around here in a box somewhere. So, I took pictures of the many pairs left in the box and offered them up to Mary to pass the kindness on.

She received them last Saturday and today she blogged about it and posted a picture of her new treasures.

Fat Quarters going Bye-Bye

Fat Quarters going Bye-Bye
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

Surprise! I'm still here and I haven't finished another Redwork piece yet.

This is a picture of the results of the past couple weeks of cutting, pressing and folding.

In my major cotton stash reduction, I'm cutting and keeping only 1/2 yard of most of my cotton yardage. So far I've filled these 13 boxes with fat quarters sorted by color. I'm not quite half way through the shelves yet!

I'm down to cutting the novelties and these color boxes don't really work for novelties. I need more boxes so I can sort the novelties into catagories like tea, coffee, sweets, golf, sewing, etc. Alas, I have no more of these wonderful boxes and don't want to go buy anymore.

All of this has really brought it home to me how much I have indulged my fascination for novelty fabrics over the years. I'm a bit embarrassed.

So now I've resorted to making stacks in a laundry basket. I just have to remember to put something over the top of the basket at night because I think Katie (our feline boss) thinks I'm doing all this work for so she will have a well-padded bed to nap in!

Ah well, back to cutting & pressing. At least moving around like this is keeping me warm. After a lovely period of Spring-like warmth, it's raining again and they are forecasting snow for tonight. It's been many many years since we've had snow in this area; they are probably wrong!

Children of the World - Scotland!

Scotland
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

I must confess! During periods on UNinspiration while I was working on the Crazy Quilt block, I completed another block in the Children of the World vintage set.

I think this one is number 8 - 12 more to go! Now in the evenings I can get moving on these blocks again!

I've been spending days for the past couple weeks cutting up my extra fabrics into fat quarters to sell on eBay. My user name is lasassone if anyone is interested.

I'm only keeping 1/2 yard of any fabric except those which obviously need to be kept for quilt backings. I have to admit I have had rough patches where letting go of some fabrics has been really hard.

Of course if I didn't really love them, I wouldn't have bought them in the first place.....

RIGHT?

CQ Block done!

TXcancercenter
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

FINALLY! Today I finished my embellishment work on the 7" block for the Texas cancer center quilt. I just returned from the post office where I sent it out & away.

I actually really like this block. I generally don't work in this particular color palette so it was a growing experience for me.

The fabric with the seagull on it just about jumped into my hands when I began piecing and it was the inspiration for me to add the word "Soar". The colors seem a little distorted in my photo. Everywhere you may see a wierd gray color, it's actually a muted green and goes lovely with the other fabrics which are peach and rust.

The leaves were dyed with Ozcraft dyes last summer. The web was done with Coats & Clark metallic sewing thread and for the spider I used 1 strand of Splendor silk floss. I painted the face button with glass & china paints that are cured in the oven. The dainty flower trim on the curved seam is a purchased trim.

NOW BACK TO THE REDWORK!

Hall Corner

Hall Corner
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

I joined a group on Flicker called Corners of my Home and have been enjoying seeing pictures of how others use the corners of their homes for storage & display.

This is one of the corners of our home that makes me very happy. More explanation is available if you click on the photo and be sure to drag your mouse over the photo to see the notes!

We call this Katie's cupboard; don't you want to know why? Well, click on it already!

Redwork Children of the World Block #7

Redwork Children of the World Block #7
Originally uploaded by lasassone.

OK! I confess! I can't HELP myself. I'm enjoying doing these blocks SO much and I already HAD this one started when I pieced the CQ block.

There are 13 more to go! I'll be doing Scotland next! Did I ever tell you my Dad's family is from Scotland and we actually have a family castle in Stirling? I've never been, but my cousin went and snitched some pebbles from the fireplace & from the garden for me! Shhhh! Don't tell!

I really AM going to take a Redwork pause now and embellish the crazy quilted block for the TX cancer hospital wallhanging.