Bits and Pieces

Several people have asked me about the workhsop that I took last weekend.  It was taught by Candace Kenyon and was called Fabric Collage.  I haven't had time to do any more work on the piece I started, but after I finish "quilting" it (don't know if you can really call it quilting because it has no batting) then it will be washed to remove the Sulky Solvy.  Then I'll stretch it over an artist's canvas and have it framed.  Hope that answers some of the questions.

Yesterday, I met my sister in Sprinfield, MO for her to pick up the quilt/comforter she had left with Kat LeFevre to quilt.  She bought the fabric for it when I was with her in St. Louis last summer.  She asked my opinion and I told her I was glad she was the one making it and not me.  The fabric was slick, ravelly, synthetic--you name it--everything that THIS quilter doesn't use.  But Greta loved the fabric and wanted to make it into a comforter for her bed.

Time passes...Greta visits me after Chritmas.  Greta brings fabric with her.  Teresa and Greta make comforter together.  One of my machines hated the fabric as much as I did and refused to sew it.  Thankfully, I had another machine which was quite "comfort"-able with it.  So we got it put together.  We bought cotton backing and Kat agreed to quilt it. 

It turned out really nice and we've both had a new experience!  And we're still sisters.
I think it will look beautiful on her bed when she finishes the binding (I got 2 sides and all 4 corners done for her)

The printed fabric tends to change colors in different lights.  It also appears shiney in some lights.  But it really is gorgeous.  It was so good to see Greta and her husband yesterday.  We met in the middle at Tim's dad and stepmom's house.  Thanks Linda for all the great food!

Baby Wesley's International Blanket

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of this beautiful afghan that my daugter Calista's friends made for her baby Wesley.
The squares came from knitters all over the world and sent to Oklahoma where our friend (and long arm quilter extraordinair) Kat LeFevre put them together.  We think it's amazing.

(But probably not more amazing than this precious baby! --I'm just sayin'!)

New stuff

Saturday, Leslie and I took a workshop.  We cut up our beautiful fabric into little pieces and put it back together into beautiful pictures.

I wasn't crazy about mine until I added the petals.  And then....OH MY GOSH!  I loved it!

Here I am pinning it after the Sulky Solvy is put on top of all the little pieces.  Then, I started "quilting" it--just scribbling all over.  I got it about 1/6 of the way scribbled.

Here's Leslie's.  Don't you just love the red bird!

This one was done by Linda.  She copied a painting that was done for her by our ladies in our sister quilt  guild in Costa Rica.  She just got back from a mission trip there.

I thought this one was stunning!



I finished another of my hand applique blocks last night.
(Sorry, this picture got out of order and I can't fix it)




This is one that's finished.  After the quilting is done and the Sulky is disolved, the picture is stretched onto a canvas and framed.

  Karen made this one at another workshop, but started another one just like it at this one.



I've been having some painting done in my house--bathroom/master bedroom, utility room and kitchen.
I love the way my little Amish quilt looks in the bathroom.

Happy Birthday to me, again

My BFF, Leslie gave me this lovely table topper for my birthday back in October. It wasn't quilted yet.  I may have shown it then.  But now it's so much more beautiful witht the quilting done and the binding done.  Leslie's the best!  I love her AND the table topper.

Reminders

On Tuesday we were hit with "the storm of the century".   Here in Oklahoma, we set several records this week--one for the most snow in a 24 hour period, one for the lowest temperature on this date (-6) and one for having a true blizzard.
By the end of this week, we may break another record of the most snow in any winter.  This all reminds me that spring may be a ways off.

This reminded me of the fact that we couldn't get out our front door that day.  In fact, we couldn't get out at all.  Aaron tried getting out the back door, but when he got to the gate, he was trapped in by snowdrifts.  A good reminder to us all that we should be prepared for things like this...

....and prepared I WAS!  I had all the essential ingredients to make this quilt top.

I machine appliqued the flowers and circles...

Oh the joy of having a great stash of fabric....and ric rac...and thread.  I sewed and sewed...

...then I was reminded that someday we might NEED to get out of this house.  Thankfully, Tim was reminded before I was.

He was remimded that he might like to find his car.  Thankfully, my trusty Nitro in the garage has 4 wheel drive.

We were all reminded that if we were to move that Nitro out of the garage, we would first have to move some snow.  At this point, I'm reminded of how happy I am that Aaron is living with us right now.

I'm reminded after all this work, that we all need to eat.

My guys' favorite thing to eat in this kind of weather is chilli...

...and chocolate chip cookies...

...some with nuts and some without (the guys don't eat nuts--so guess who ate this whole plate of "nutted" cookies?--over a few days, of course)

Eating cookies reminds me that I MUST sew some more...so...

...I made these.....

...and I finished this...(hand applique)

...which goes with this.

Yesterday, it all started melting a little bit.  So I was reminded that spring COULD be on it's way one of these days.  And it reminded me that only one short week ago our temperature was 77 degrees and we celebrated Aaron's birthday....

He's a sweet...



sentimental...



CRAZY!!!...

....MAN who loves his family and his country...

Yes, I said MAN.  How can my baby be a grown man of 26?

I'm reminded that in 2 months he'll be going to Marine boot camp...

Yes, I'm reminded of a lot of things...
Spring is coming....too fast.

Blizzard

See this picture:








It's a White OUT!  haha  I'm having too much fun being snowed in to blog.