Finally finished and in the mail!
This is the very first CQ block that I've done that doesn't include beading, patch motifs or a spider and web! Following the guidelines for this project was really hard.
I still don't feel like the block is done!
If you would like to see more, click on the picture and you will be taken to my Flickr site where you can see 4 closeups of the block.
Showing posts with label crazyquilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crazyquilt. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Block 11 & some seams
Well, I finished block #11 last evening while watching tv. Here we have the farm dog - a collie I would guess. I managed to get 6 more designs transfered yesterday, so I have 5 left now, which should keep me busy for a few evenings.
This morning I put some finishing touches on the Making Memories crazy quilt block. Here below are 3 of the seams - just a little preview of the block whick I should be able to share tomorrow.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Memories of Linda Stimson
Today while continuing to re-organize and try to eliminate some of the boxes still sitting around my fabric room and studio, I was able to consolidate everything in 1 portable drawers and one box into a better storage container. That left me with a portable drawer that I could use for something else.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to put in it; actually there were many choices I was considering. That is until I uncovered a box behind my cutting station in the fabric room that I had totally forgotten.
I met Linda Stimson first in Omaha at the Crazy Quilt Conference and we quickly found out that we lived quite near to each other. We followed that with another Omaha Conference and 2 local gatherings of crazyquilters held in the east bay area where we had tons of fun learning together and getting to know everyone. The group consisted of many crazyquilters from No. California and at least 2 who flew in from So. California as well. The attraction? Well, we all shared in the expense of flying Betty Pillsbury to the West Coast for 2 and a half days of valuable "Betty knowledge"! Those 2 weekends were some of the best times I have had since beginning my Crazy Journey. We would also meet up at various quilt shows around the Bay Area - sometimes accidently and sometimes on purpose.
For those wonderful weekend gatherings, Linda lived nearby and was able to go home for the night every time. She didn't have to sleep in my friend's motorhome (1st weekend) or arrange patio cushions on the living room floor under her sleeping bag like I did for the 2nd weekend!
At one of those 2 retreats I took the picture below of Linda and posted it to the web as "the mystery crazyquilter". I had a contest to see who could guess who it was. She and I got a kick out of the guesses!
I believe it was in 2003 when Linda was diagnosed with cancer and her friends thought for sure she could beat it. It was a long journey for her and she passed away on December 28, 2005. She spend 2005 doing things she loved. She even traveled to the Orient late in that last year. Before she left she sent our local CQ group a box of her stash. She had been dividing up her stash that last year and we were lucky to be included in her sharing. I remember volunteering to go to her place to pick it up, but she wanted to mail it because she was leaving on her trip the next day.
When the box arrived I was blown away at the size of it and the wonderfulness it contained! At the next meeting of our local group I took it to share with our members. Looking back I recall they didn't make much of a dent in the volume of goodies. I brought the box home and stuck it in my sewing room closet.
When we cleared out the house in order to try to sell it, that box went to storage along with all the rest of my fabrics. Never unpacked, it was stacked behind the cutting center that G built for me in the fabric storage room - formerly his den.
The above is a picture of what's in the box and now will move to the extra portable drawer. The box is full of amazing and gorgeous fabrics which I treasure and they bring back such wonderful memories of Linda. If you did not know Linda, you can see some of her work at this link:
http://www.vintagevogue.com/html/linda_stimson.html -
I'm so glad that Vintage Vogue hasn't removed those picture. I have many other pictures on my computer and will try to get them posted with notes perhaps. Meanwhile I'm lost in happy memories of wonderful times.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
2008 Take It Further Challenge - August Block
I have finally gotten back to stitching on my Take it Further Color challenge blocks from last year. Because of many things I had gotten stalled on the August block but I finished it today!. I actually have all the rest of the months' blocks pieced and just need to do the embellishing on the last 
4 months. The 12 blocks will then be put into a wall hanging which will hang somewhere in our home.
***
August was the month of the Olympics in China, so I have applied a copy of the olympic flag on the upper left patch.
***
On the lower left is a depiction of the Chinese character for "Harmony" which was the theme of the 2008 Olympics.
***
In the upper right, again because August is a summer month with much warmth here in Northern California, I applied a bright gold sun with a rhinestone center.
***
In the lower right corner, in addition to the badly embroidered name of the month, is a silver ring which I found at Michael's in the bead department. On it is incised the work "harmony" twice.
***
In the center I have again done a web and spider on the pansy print. This time I used a small round piece of jet for it's body.
***
All the stitches I used on this block are copies from my workbook of stitches I have observed on antique crazyquilts.
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If you scroll down and click on the link to my flickr photos on the right of this blog, it will take you to my photostream and you can see 4 closeups I have posted there.
***
Now it's on to my September block!
Stitch On!
4 months. The 12 blocks will then be put into a wall hanging which will hang somewhere in our home.***
August was the month of the Olympics in China, so I have applied a copy of the olympic flag on the upper left patch.
***
On the lower left is a depiction of the Chinese character for "Harmony" which was the theme of the 2008 Olympics.
***
In the upper right, again because August is a summer month with much warmth here in Northern California, I applied a bright gold sun with a rhinestone center.
***
In the lower right corner, in addition to the badly embroidered name of the month, is a silver ring which I found at Michael's in the bead department. On it is incised the work "harmony" twice.
***
In the center I have again done a web and spider on the pansy print. This time I used a small round piece of jet for it's body.
***
All the stitches I used on this block are copies from my workbook of stitches I have observed on antique crazyquilts.
***
If you scroll down and click on the link to my flickr photos on the right of this blog, it will take you to my photostream and you can see 4 closeups I have posted there.
***
Now it's on to my September block!
Stitch On!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Finished Block for Dee's Memorial Quilt
I have finally finished my block for Dee's Memorial Quilt Project that Kate is coordinating. The block will be winging it's way to Illinois this afternoon. I you click on the picture, not only will it get larger, you will also be able to see the detail pictures I took of each of the 4 corners and the middle.
I wish I was going to be able to be in Omaha to see the project or projects that Kate will make from the donated blocks. I bet they will be great!
Now I must get busy and finish up my Take It Further blocks from last year. August is almost done and September through December's blocks are pieced and waiting for embellishment.
Stitch On!
I wish I was going to be able to be in Omaha to see the project or projects that Kate will make from the donated blocks. I bet they will be great!
Now I must get busy and finish up my Take It Further blocks from last year. August is almost done and September through December's blocks are pieced and waiting for embellishment.
Stitch On!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sneak Peek!
Well, despite the problems I'm been having with my hands I have managed to almost finish my block for the quilts being made to honor Dee from Holland that Kate is gathering. She will be making the many beautiful blocks she has gotten into at least a couple wall hangings I think. You can see the blocks sent to her at www.fairykate.eboard.com
As I struggled with my painful handsd I saw a note from someone else on the CQI list that is having the same problem with her hands. She has decided to divest herself of much of her stash in anticipation that she will have to eventually discontinue her cq work. I truly hope I am not ever faced with having to make that choice. Since becoming immersed in the art of Crazy Quilting, I have found the work so challenging, pleasurable and satisfying. My life would be incomplete without crazyquilting.
My Mum had the same problems with osteo-arthritis in her hands. Hers was aggravated in her 50's by an accident with a wringer washer and she eventually did less and less embroidery. When asked to make a set of pillowcases for someone like my daughter the first year she was married, she produced them, but she was no longer as prolific as she had been when she was younger. She gave away so many wonderfully embroidered gifts that I sometimes wonder when I see when others score beautiful things at thrift shops, etc. if some of them were done by her. I have the last pair of pillowcases she made for me and I have never used them. I also have many thread bare pillowcases with perfectly good embroidery work on them from her that I hope someday to make into a little wallhanging.
The picture shown here is just one corner of a block I have made for the memorial project for Dee of Holland that Kate Hollifield is coordinating. I hope to finish the block and get more pictures posted over the weekend as I plan to post this to Kate on Monday. If you click on the picture after Sunday, it should take you to my Flickr pictures where you can see more closeups.
Some good news here is that I am going to be a Great-Aunt in October. My brother's only granddaughter is expecting her first baby and now all of you who have been laughing at me for making all those baby things, can stop laughing! I'm ahead of the game now!
Stitch On!
As I struggled with my painful handsd I saw a note from someone else on the CQI list that is having the same problem with her hands. She has decided to divest herself of much of her stash in anticipation that she will have to eventually discontinue her cq work. I truly hope I am not ever faced with having to make that choice. Since becoming immersed in the art of Crazy Quilting, I have found the work so challenging, pleasurable and satisfying. My life would be incomplete without crazyquilting.
My Mum had the same problems with osteo-arthritis in her hands. Hers was aggravated in her 50's by an accident with a wringer washer and she eventually did less and less embroidery. When asked to make a set of pillowcases for someone like my daughter the first year she was married, she produced them, but she was no longer as prolific as she had been when she was younger. She gave away so many wonderfully embroidered gifts that I sometimes wonder when I see when others score beautiful things at thrift shops, etc. if some of them were done by her. I have the last pair of pillowcases she made for me and I have never used them. I also have many thread bare pillowcases with perfectly good embroidery work on them from her that I hope someday to make into a little wallhanging.
The picture shown here is just one corner of a block I have made for the memorial project for Dee of Holland that Kate Hollifield is coordinating. I hope to finish the block and get more pictures posted over the weekend as I plan to post this to Kate on Monday. If you click on the picture after Sunday, it should take you to my Flickr pictures where you can see more closeups.
Some good news here is that I am going to be a Great-Aunt in October. My brother's only granddaughter is expecting her first baby and now all of you who have been laughing at me for making all those baby things, can stop laughing! I'm ahead of the game now!
Stitch On!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Round Robin work on Laura's Block
This is the 2nd of the two blocks I worked on for our local group's recent round robin. I was last to work on this block also. This picture is on a double run of cretan stitching I did with a varigated pearl cotton thread. Embellishment was done with seed beads and gold flower sequins I recently purchased from Cartright's.
Laura will be turning this block into a pillow for the couch in her newly decorated "Old World" style family room. It's really going to be a lovely pillow!
Below are 2 more picture of the work I did on Laura's block. The first is a row of hearts and alternate designs I did in the center are of her block. The hearts are made of fly stitches. The 2nd is a seam with herringbone stitchinig decorated with straight, fly and detached chain stitches.
Round Robin work on Sandy's Block
Today I finished my work on two blocks in our local group's latest round robin. I was the last one to work on these two blocks. This post is about the first block which belongs to Sandy.
I did this spider and web on the back of Sandy's block which she will be making up into a small album cover. I don't usually use a bead when I embroider spiders, but I tried it with this one. Not sure I like it, but it's different from what I usually do and I was trying to make it unique.
Below I have added 3 more pictures of what I did on Sandy's block. The first is a row of a cretan/Chevron stitching embellished with beads and copper flower sequins. The 2nd picture is of a row of Wheatear stitch I did on what will be the front of Sany's album cover. the 3rd picture is a double run of cretan stitch done with the same varigated cotton pearl thread and embellished with beads.
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