Amanda's Crazy Quilt Heart

 Amanda wanted to make something special for a gift and wanted to make something Crazy Quilted and loved the idea of a heart.  It was also near Valentine's Day so it was perfect.  The giftee loves purple so she chose all purple fabrics!

 Next came embellishments she sewed all the things that could be by machine first like the lace, fabric flower, bow, crochet heart, etc.  Then we put it in a hoop and she hand sewed on the little bits that couldn't be done by machine like the buttons and sequins.

 After the embellishments were done we cut out the heart and then took bits of lace to sew by machine around the edges to make it a nice finished heart!

 This is the heart finished after sewing the lace around the outer edge!

After that I gave her the suggestion of maybe adding feathers and she LOVED that idea so here is the final result with a bit of feathers peeking out from behind one corner!

And it just goes to show how you can create a wonderful crazy quilt project without using ANY embroidery!  Yup it's all embellishments of lace, buttons, sequins, feathers, eyelash yarn, and some fabric bits to create the flower in the upper right!

Elizabeth's Christmas Ornaments!

This was all created Oct.1 but I haven't had the chance to blog it until now!!!
This is Elizabeth!

She LOVES to create stuff!

She wanted to learn to sew so we started with a small CQ heart to turn into an ornament, but she almost despaired when she saw how her heart was turning out. When I looked at it I didn't see it as "messed up" I saw the start of the style of fiber art I see online all the time so I suggested that she sew bits of lace on random fashion like Lilla LeVine does! She loved that idea and here is the result! I told her this was the perfect example of what my Art Teacher would always say "Art is making order out of chaos!".

Isn't it amazing!!! I loved it so much that she let me have it for my own Christmas tree! How special it's truly a treasure to me! I suggested adding some embellishments to make it extra pretty and she didn't feel like doing that but said I could go ahead and do that part! LOL She's not into fine detail work yet, but I remember being that way myself! LOL
Here is the finished Ornament after I added a few finishing embellishments. I think our collaboration turned out to be a wonderful memory that I will cherish every year as I place it on my tree!

Here's three other ornaments she made and this time she sewed on some embellishments! Aren't they so creative and cute!?! Every year our church does a Ladies Ornament Exchange and she says she's going to use these as her Ornaments as a set.

She also whipped together a couple of blocks to stick in her school binder.

Next post I'll show you the ornaments I made while she was making hers!!!

Teaching Crazy Quilting!

Jessica wanted to learn Crazy Quilting and she had bought a little sewing machine and brought it over to learn to use! So I taught her how to piece a block! She is so excited about it! She started embellishing it too! She added a piece of vintage lace and started a seam treatment!
We used a wavy line and doubled it one wave will be light purple and the other wave will be pink! I taught her the chain stitch to work the waves in!

Teaching Embroidery & Tatting

Jessica loves to do creative things and she wanted to learn embroidery! Well who can resist teaching someone who wants to learn? And who doesn't LOVE to teach something they love to do? So of course I got her started! LOL

She also wants to learn crazy quilting so this embroidered piece will be a center of a CQ pillow. It's purple flannel and we used an iron on for Sweet Dreams and the birds. I just showed her the back stitch and she was off!!! I got the idea for her to fill it in with seed stitch just to give it more substance but still be easy, she loved that idea too!
As she progresses with her project I'll keep you all updated!

Jessica also wanted to learn tatting! So I taught her! It's so rewarding to teach someone who is so determined to learn! I had sent her home with the homework of just practicing stitches in rings and leaving spaces between rings and then when she came over again she had them down and was ready to then learn picots so I have her practicing that now and next will be joining!

Amanda also wanted to learn tatting so I taught her as well! She also is determined to learn and she's a dancer so she's used to having to be coordinated so for her she learned a lot faster! I was able to send her home with the homework of practicing a simple one shuttle pattern 3+3-3-3 and WOW has she been practicing! She's improved her control so much just look at that edging hanging down her hand!!!
So she's going to stop by today and I'm going to teach her a double sided one shuttle pattern for her to practice and after that I'll move onto a Hen & Chicks pattern. I couldn't find a double sided pattern I really liked when tatting up a sample for her so I fiddled around with stitch counts and picot placement and came up with one that I liked it's 4+2-2-2-2-4 RW leave a 1/4 inch space of thread and continue. Of course I wrote out the pattern way more clear for her being a beginner! What I do for the girls is I draw a diagram, write out the pattern clearly, and attach a sample I tatted of the pattern. This pattern will teach her how to reverse her work and practice getting the spaces between rings even, as well as continuing to practice stitches, picots, and joining!