Strength CQ Block: a ton of work done

I've gotten a ton of work done on this project! First I started by getting the roots hand sewn on, and then I moved to hand appliqueing the tree trunk. Which was so easy since watching that hand applique vid on YouTube! I just can't believe how simple it really was I had some idea in my head that applique was hard! LOL Then I adjusted the top added another velvet piece and pinned it.

I feather stitched around the sun and I'm going to add little seed beads to it too.

I also added a "carved" initials for me and my hubby in a heart! I also added some beautiful oya flowers to the special spot.

Strength CQ Block: figuring out the tree

Well here is my fiddling idea for the tree. My plan is to applique the trunk, I've never done applique before so that's something new! LOL I found a hand applique video on YouTube that made it seem easy, only difference for me is I can't iron on freezer paper to crushed velvet! HA But still it's needle turning so I need to figure out what shape I want the finished trunk to be.
The leaves area is going to be large puffy silk velvet that I plan on wrinkling up and getting it really textured maybe using some beads so it's not going to look like it does in this photo. LOL
The roots are a textured yarn that I looped and twisted, I still have a few more roots I need to add and I think I need to get those sewn on before I applique the trunk.
Anyway the applique has me intrigued there is some really pretty stuff out there not just folk art type which is what I associated it with before. Here is a blog that got me interested in applique she's got some really pretty stuff and I love how it's mixed with embroidery too.
I love how with crazy quilting you get to mix the types of needlework there are! So fun!

Strength CQ Block: the idea and piecing

Well I was challenged to create a piece of art to represent strength in my life so I thought about it for a bit and drew out my idea. My dear friend Christina says that I'm like one of those trees that has really deep roots and can't be blown over easy. That is how I feel no matter what happens in my life my faith is unshaken even when it feels like a hurricane!!! That strength only comes from God and is only possible though a relationship with the One who loves us more than we can imagine!

"The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." - Psalm 28:7

"The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace." - Psalm 29:11

"O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." - Psalm 59:17

Then I pieced 3 blocks one green 3x11, a brown 3x11 and a sky 8x11 so when sewn together they are 11x14 a typical size for framing.

Here is more of my idea for the tree. I have no idea how it will actually be done! I want to make the trunk out of crushed velvet and that's all I know right now.

White on White CQ Block: Finally Framed

I had the idea to use fabric as matting instead of the real stuff so me and Hubby worked on it and finally got this block framed and it's hanging in our bedroom! Woo Hoo!!!

What we did was take foam board and cut it out to the right matting size then we took acid free permanent glue stick and rubbed it covering one side of the cut board and placed the fabric on it and wrapped it around. Then the center was cut in a large X and wrapped/glued to create the finished Dupioni Silk Matting. After all that it was simply putting it all together in the frame! I had gotten a set of 3 of these frames from Big Lots which had icky art in them and was deep enough to be a little shadow boxed. Perfect for framing CQ! I still plan on creating 2 more blocks to hang them all together instead of a wall hanging.
Here is more info and closer photos of the block!

Roses'n'Lace Block: a sneaky peek

So far I'm almost done with this seam/motif! It seems like I never have time to work on it! Well I just need to finish adding in some beads and I think it will be finished! Anyway just thought I'd let y'all see a little peek! LOL

Roses'n'Lace Block: a tiny bit of work

I've been so busy lately that all I've gotten to complete on this block was to hand sew the doilies down and start on a seam! I'm going to do a swag of roses inspired by antique china patterns, so far I just got the stem stitching base down and my silk ribbon picked out!

Crazy Quilts and Puzzles: Is there a connection?

The other day I saw that Pat Winter was working on a Puzzle and it got me to thinking...
How many of us Crazy Quilters also share a love of doing puzzles? I know that most of the time we also share a love for flowers and a lot of the time gardening too, a love of old pretty things, lace, buttons, and the list could go on and on! LOL I know that my dear friend Wendy also loves to do puzzles and so do I, is it just a coincidence? One time when me and my hubby were working on a puzzle I told him that when I'm doing a puzzle it's a lot of the same feelings I have as when I'm working on a crazy quilt block...the feeling of accomplishment when you get just the right piece in just the right place, and the need to keep going...just one more piece...LOL!
So if you are reading this I'd love to hear from you, just leave a comment! I'm curious to know how many who love CQ also love puzzles or if you love one but hate the other? And why?
It will be so fun to hear your answers!

Was Harvest Challenge UFO will now be Roses'n'Lace

After starting this block as the Harvest Challenge Block , I ended up letting it become a UFO (UnFinished Object) for a long list of reasons. Since the challenge is now over, you can see the results HERE, I'm now going to resurrect this block as the Roses'n'Lace Block. I'm now excited to work on it again and I'm taking it in a new direction. I think one of the reasons I couldn't work on it any more was it just wasn't feeling "right" to me, it's hard to explain it, kind of like it wasn't being true to me in a way. As I've been browsing antique stores and enjoying rose tea cups and beautiful lace and linens it's given me a desire to put that down in "art" form. I've been thinking about it a lot so I got it out and some of my new doilies and love the effect so that is the direction I'm going to take now. I wish it was easier to explain but instead of trying to do what I think I should do with this block, instead I want to be true to myself and do what I want to do. Part of what makes my work unique to me is putting what I love on my blocks, and everyone's likes/dislikes is what makes each ladies work unique and special to them too. I enjoy pushing myself to try new things at times but sometimes it's best to stick with what you love and that's okay.
I guess in a way I had forgotten that, I think everyone does from time to time. So the lesson for myself is to just do what I love to do, this is my art expression, not anyone elses. God has given me a wonderful gift that I enjoy and so I want to do just that and give praise back to the One who made me who I am through my work.

Vintage Embroidered Pillowcases

Here are some vintage embroidered pillowcases I picked up also while on vacation!

I've never inherited any linens so it's fun to adopt some! They are so pretty too!

Pretty Hankies

Here are some other hankies I found while on vacation!

This is one of my favorites, it looks like it was handmade.

This one is another fave, very delicate and thin also looks handmade.

Isn't this poppy hanky adorable? The flowers are raised too, and it also looks handmade.
Click on the photos to see closer.

Glass Buttons

Another find while on vacation! Aren't these glass buttons dreamy! I especially love the flower shaped ones! Oh and they are all a medium size just perfect for most crazy quilt blocks!

Crazy Quilters DREAM!!!

While on vacation I found a Dream Shop for Crazy Quilters or really any needleworker who love, love, loves vintage and antique sewing related things! I have to say if you are ever in the area it is a must stop little store. It's small and kind of hidden but worth finding! Click on the photo above to get the info on the shop "Stitches In Time Antiques".

Here is what I bought but I held myself back really! I was drooling over everything...drawers and drawers of LACE!!!!!! And buttons!!! And there was even some crazyquilting there too! Tons of antique buttons! Even tatting shuttles! Needless to say I wanted the whole shop! LOL
Isn't that lace bundle at the top interesting? The shape of it I thought lends itself to crazy quilt seams! And the little Irish crochet doilies!!!! Adorable, and I have plans to put some of them on my old Harvest Challenge block that got UFO'd it will now become my Roses'n'Lace block!

Here is a close up of four antique buttons I got. I just love the strawberry ones!

Here are other buttons I bought too.

I couldn't resist this wedding hanky, I love to collect them and this one is 3D!

Crafter's Shop Find

On our way back home we made a road trip of our time and stopped at Antique Stores along the way. At one of our stops in Stockton there was a little shop called "Creative Crafters Vintage Nook". We stopped in and found that it is a gem, so if anyone is driving by Stockton you'll want to take a pit stop to this sweet shop! Click on the photo above to see all the info for the shop.

I found 2 tea cups I couldn't live without, some pretty buttons and an apron. The buttons were a scoop for a dollar!

The yellow tea cup is a Shelley! It's probably a newer (I think it's a 1945-1966) one but still, any Shelley is a find so we snatched it up at the affordable price it was! LOL

I also loved this one with the pretty green all over and yellow roses.

Here is the adorable apron I got! It's made by one of the crafters who sells in the shop.
I also saw a tatter's booth, who also was going to do a demonstration for them and maybe lessons if there is an interest. They also loved that I do tatting too, everyone was so sweet and friendly!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here is our Christmas 2008 photo! Don't you love it when your hair does something right! HAHA! We had a Youth Leader's Dinner tonight so we got to dress up and we had fun too!
Tomorrow morning we will be leaving to visit my family so I'll be away for a couple weeks. I can't wait to see my sister and my Dad! We are taking our dogs with us too so it will be a fun road trip, pray for clear roads there and back! LOL Upon seeing the low gas prices last week we spontaneously decided this trip! It's so fun to get to be spontaneous sometimes! LOL
I have a couple projects that will be late Christmas gifts since I know for a fact they won't be done and sent on time. That is okay but I want to get them finished ASAP when I get back home. Okay off I go! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well anytime snow falls in the desert it is monumental! So when we woke up this morning and saw TONS of snow we had to go outside and play! Just yesterday our garden was blooming as normal we've not even had our first frost yet (very odd) so we knew something big would probably happen when it did hit. Still I would never have guessed it would have been this much snow!

We bundled up and went outside to take photos and build a snowman! Then we went for a walk and lucky for us we got to walk in all untrodden snow on our route!

Doesn't he look like the snowman from the movie Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? I love his little chin that just happened to be there.
Then when we got back from our walk in a wonderful winter wonderland we decided to build another snowman for the front yard!

Cute eh? With a pile of snowballs at the ready for him too!

Christmas Tradition with Wendy

This year I made a tatted ornament for our tree so I wanted to make one with tatting for my traditional ornament exchange with my dear friend Wendy!
You can click on any of the photos to see them closer! This first photo is for size reference it is a small red ball ornament that I attached tatting and beading to.

The pattern is #31 in the book Mini Tats in white size 10 DMC Cebelia thread. The beading is not a part of the tatting but separately sewn on. I glued using E6000 on small spots to attach the tatting to the ball and then took beading thread and needle with the tiny size 15 beads going along the picots. I used pearl white, clear, and gold beads along with some Czech crystal drop beads. I just love how it turned out!

Christmas Gifts: Tote Bag

Here is another Christmas Gift finished! This one I made from reclaimed fabric of dresses! One of the dresses I found was a patchwork design and I thought it perfect! I added a reclaimed wedding dress lace applique and a heart charm to the front of the bag.

Here is the back. The handles are just some trim!

Here is a close up of the reclaimed wedding lace applique with the heart charm that I hand sewed on.
I hope the recipient loves it! I wanted it to be simple, pretty, and useful.

YAY Christmas is coming!

I put up my Christmas tree with all my favorite decorations and my precious ones that my friends have made and some that I've made myself too! Click on the photo to see it better!

This year I made a snowflake for our tree! I used plain ol' white glue to stiffen, this one won't be an heirloom...just a for fun one! I'm planning on topping a little ball ornament with tatting for my yearly exchange with Wendy!

2008 Christmas Gifts: Pink Slippers

Well I was looking for ideas for embellished Christmas gifts when I saw these slippers at WalMart! I thought those are prime for anything I'd want so I grabbed 2 pair!

I wanted to do tatting so I looked in my Mini Tats book and worked up this pattern in a variegated Olympus thread.

I sewed on the tatting to the center of the bows and added gold crystal Czech beads.
I'm still finishing up the green pair stay tuned...

Herb Towels: Parsley Finished

I've finally finished the Parsley Towel in the set for my Dad's Christmas gift!
It was worked mostly in stem and straight stitches! I'm glad that this now completes the Herb Set! One gift down...how many more to go? LOL (and I started early this year)