Datebook - Phi Theta Kappa

I'm feeling ... proud

I'm seeing ... house full of love

I'm hearing ... Tickle (DH is watching that program, Moonshiners-ugh!  )
I'm thinking ... please turn off that TV
I'm cooking ... nothing, done for the day
I'm planning ... breakfast, PGS#3 spending his first night here without his sister.

I'm reading ...  Icebound by Dr. Jerri Nielson

I'm wearing ... black slacks, burgandy sweater
I'm creating ... counted cross stitch of Scaredy Sheep scissor fob designed by Shepherds Bush
I'm enjoying ... life's moments

I'm sharing ... Photo of my daughter with her family when inducted to Phi Theta Kappa tonight.    (I'm so proud!   She acknowledged me as her mentor.  Way to go Honey!!!)

 

 

Veteran's Day and 11/12/13

Have been sick recently with a cold.   This past weekend was a busy and a sad one.  I was out of town for my guild's meeting with a friend on Saturday.  Then on Sunday and Monday we were mourning the loss of two friends with the ceremonies all of that contains.  All because of a tragic accident and lives snuffed out too quickly.   Goodbye Frannie and Barb.  You are taking this last trip together, may you both find peace.

So with all that shared,  I didn't do what I normally like to do and post of honored Holidays, my birthday and unique dates.   I am okay and will beback shortly.    Am gathering my steam .....  Jane

Quilt Show Entry #5

 
Was a Jack in the Pulpit wall hanging.

 

  

The main panel in this was stenciled in 1998 and then it sat.  After getting the borders on a radiant star quilt that shares these fabrics, I was finally able to select which fabric this one called for and am pleased.

This one was finished in about 20 hours worth of time.  Now why did it wait for a decade and a half to get totally done? 

I swear this perfectionism thing is so crippling when it comes to creativity. 

Done is better than perfect any day.

 

For finishing a dark green flange edged between the first maroon border and this batik was the final border. 

For quilting, a meander around the centered stencil's background with an 100 weight ivory silk thread and Superior's Bottom line in the bobbin. For the maroon border, it was just echo quilted 1/4" away from the seam lines with a dual duty thread that matched that color the best. That left the outside border of batik to be quilted with a 100 weight dark green silk in a vine and leaf freehand motif where again a Bottom Line thread was in the bobbin.

All in all this one is pleasing and I am so happy it's done.  It amazed me during the layering process of my hesitation to use "good fabric" for the back and how crippled I became.  Since there really was no time to hesitate in that step I called my Mom after wishy washing for over an hour contemplating which fabrics to use and/or how to do the backing.   Her response was classic.

She said, "On No Janie.  Don't use that fabric.  Wait until you die so your daughter or Wayne can throw it in the trash bin or give it to someone else." 

Obviously I became strong and cut the fabric I wanted.   Will have to frame those words for future projects and reference to stop this paralyzing hesitation.  lol  

Only 2 left to share for entries.  Not sure when, there is more quilting that needs to be done on all three large quilts.  Am currently working on the Tweet Camping, quilting the dark brown sashings and inner borders right now.  Will show all of that when it is totally done.

My list of Four this week is;

1. June's Lil' Miss Shabby embroidery block
2. Brown sashing in Tweet camping quilted
3. Hem work Pants for son's friend
4. Carve a pumpkin

Of course I won't be listing all the other chores needed like chauffeuring, cleaning, cooking and  other hot spots that need action but I'll be making efforts there along with letting my body exercise which it so desires. 

Enjoy your week.  
Jane

 

Quilt Show entry #4 - All because of Trudy

My friend Trudy is a remarkable soul.  Her Birthday is today and I feel privileged to have her as a friend and a mentor.  This quilt otherwise known as Dragonfly Carnival, my fourth submission for our quilt show is the result of this friendship and came to be all because of Trudy.   I will hang it with love for all to see. 

 

To explain, here's a short narrative of this wall hanging.  I think it was in 2010 our circle of friends quilting group gathered at Trudy's house on Lake Champlain to work on a Ricky Timms' style Convergence wall hanging.  Yes, she's very hospitable and gracious that way.  We all brought fabric to work on and Trudy was teaching us since she had made several of these already.  Yes, she's an excellent teacher, so wise and can read people intuitively.   My fabrics wouldn't work well enough and Trudy gave me some of her Ricky Timms fabric to make mine, yes she is that generous and she had just returned from another of Ricky Timms conferences with another friend Cathy.   So we sewed, laughed and shared our day each making most of this.  Now during that time in my life I was still trying to "work with " all the medicines I need to take for the spinal cord injury and my brain was and still can be in a fog at times.  Not too many troubles though with sewing on it this that day and like all other days it came to an end. 

Life goes on... you know the drill.  Anyway, fast forward to the next year and while at a quilting retreat in Odgensburg I brought my wall hanging to work on since it languished as a UFO. Thankfully, I was sitting next to Trudy.   I assembled the center top and knew something was wrong with it but truly couldn't figure it out.  I pondered for about half an hour and  finally mentioned that I knew something was wrong it but with the Rx's and health issues I was just going to let it be and continue on with it having it represent the struggles I was dealing with.    She also noticed something amiss but didn't say anything and asked if she could look at it to figure it out.  Yep, she's that kind of person that knows yet doesn't force herself on you until asked.  Well she found the err in the construction and kindly offered her insight.  Being receptive to it, we ripped out the problem and I continued on sewing it together and being much happier now it proceeded.  Another weekend of sharing wonderful times with close friends.  That brings it to the next year when I finally made the time to lay out the fabrics to align colors best so it could be finished with the borders.  I know, I'm a slow stitcher and finisher but that truly is okay with me.  It was sewed all together and there it sat again while I  dreamt on about it.  There it was as a top, now what to quilt on it? 

 

 

 

 

Ahhh, finally inspiration came, dragonflies! A spirited symbol that  she and I both admire. Off again on my merry way until the time to quilt the borders and there it sat. So I registered this wall hanging in June for the October quilt show to push me to get 'er done and stop this dalliance.

 

 

The above photo shows a dragonfly head that I wasn't super happy with and was working on.  It looked like a derriere(or breasts) with eyeballs stuck on it!   What's that phrase I use lately?  oh yea,  "perfectionism is a very crippling agent to creativity".  Anyway I progressed along with the deadline looming ever closer.  The next photo  shows a couple of the dragonflies and you can click on any of the images to get a better glimpse of the details if you wish.

 

Next came the finishing touches, piping and binding on it.  Here's where I shared a peek about it in a September post.   

 

 

The label was made when I was feeling silly I guess, it really stretched out my artist's skills, lol.

 

So here she is- the fourth quilt show entry and it's all because of Trudy- the Dragonfly Carnival.

. 

 

Thanks my dear friend and Happy Birthday!  I Love you loads!

Jane

October's New FO

While catching my breath after the warp speed of getting my projects done for the quilt show there came a time to create some New FO's that I've been wanting and needing to tackle.   First we were able to harvest 65 pounds of Concord Grapes fom our two vines.  While the youngest grand was at preschool, we cut almost all of our grapes off, but left a few clusters for him to cut when he got home.  You have to teach the young ones early about helping in the harvest right?  He had fun.

 

So I got about 30 quarts of grape juice and about 20 pints of Grape Jelly put up for the winter. 

That counts as a New Fo Barb, right?  lol  

A new to us recipe was tried with  a lower sugared version on half of the jelly,

hopefully it will be fine,  crossing my fingers. 

 

 

Next came some New FO's of a different version.  A couple of  arts and crafts projects to do with both grandchildren. 

The idea came from Martha Stewart and I printed out her pumpkin faces on card stock to have ready when the time came.   I tried to share the link with the exact same spot I got these from. but can't find it quickly, sorry.  
Coming back to edit since it was just found here.

 

 

Pretty cute right? 

 

Then my grand daughter taught me how to create a pumpkin with a craft she learned at Girl Scouts.  Her's is on the right and  mine is on the left.  She thought I did okay and she continued to make the centered pumpkin with an idea she had. 

 

 

I do love that she is so creative!

 

 

That brings us to the morning of Halloween, super woman (not sure if I am taking about her or me) here.                                                       Arriving 30 minutes before the AM school bus at my house, she has a broken superwoman boot and the homemade super girl cape I made her earlier this year or last can't be worn with her costumes' velcro parts.  The cape was made to velcro around her neck to close, not hang off a costume and the other type of hook or loop part was needed in one area of it to make it work.                                                                                    Anyways, she asked if I could fix it?  In 25 minutes?    Okay. I'll try, you eat your breakfast and I went to work.  One boot fixed, the velcro changed on the cape, great!  Perfect, got it done.  Then I heard from her, "Thanks Meme you're the best,  but could you fix my other boot like you did this one?"  10 minutes before the bus now....... I got busy, ripped the offending part off the other boot and sewed on new elastic.                                     Finished them all with 3 minutes to spare,  Phew! !!!                           Okay now I'll have my cup of tea.                                                            She caught the bus with a broad smile on her face. 

8:00 AM, That's when the lil' guy asked.  "Can you make a Minion costume for me?"  With the Halloween parade at his sisters' school taking place we had to leave at 8:30 am. 

SEW.....I got busy again

but at least with a cup of tea in hand this time. 

 

First the glasses, thank goodness I had some of my canning stuff not put away yet and  I had an idea......

 

The Ball canning rims for glasses with black elastic super glued in the right areas.   Papa had to search in his clothes for the right yellow tee shirt and Brody went to the mitten and glove box to look and see if we had some black gloves. 

And viola.....

 

  a MINION!   

 

vido, vido, vido......

 

 

He says he's Dave the minion. Too cute! 

 

I told them next year I need more notification though like perhaps several days. 

My daughter laughed with glee when she saw it and heard the story. 

Ahhh, Such is life. 

 

We all had a great time at his sister's school and enjoyed a turkey dinner lunch since Grandparent's Day was also being celebrated. 

When we got home, I had such a yearning for a nap though, I was totally spent!

 Happy Halloween Everyone!!!! 

Jane


Am thinking of making my November New FO one of these.

Spook-tacular Train Ride

 

Youngest grandchildren PGD#1 and PGS#3, ages 8 and 4 enjoyinbg the Hallowen train ride with their disguises.  2013

2013 Quilt show entry #2 & 3

You saw this earlier this year, but I'll share some some snapshots of the "Field of Flowers Quilt" with a coordinating "cheerleader pillow" made for my only granddaughter otherwise known here as PGD#1 that were taken before quilt show take ins. 

A good friend snapped this shot while it hung at the quilt show with how it was displayed, Thanks G!

I should have documented what I used for these two projects that were first shared here, but I didn't.  That was before realizing that this could be a great place to note the particulars used for many of the different projects made for future reference.  I know it was a 100% cotton backing that was purchased at $3.00 a yard and it was perfect colors for the back (you can see that if your interested in the above link, it's in the photo of the label.)   A meandered flower quilting pattern was used throughout the quilt with a hidden message quilted and shown here.  But other than that, not sure which threads were used.  An aqua pipe and the binding edge finished with the same white that's in the quilt.  Never used a white binding before, it'll be interesting to see how this fares with time. 

For the pillow: ric rac, piping, variegated yarn to make the pom poms and a larger pompom trim being tweaked to make her shoes.  The quilting was done as it was made choosing a straight line grid both vertical for behind the doll in the while area then horizontal lines for the other 2 bands of color before appliquing her down leaving the arms and legs loose.  Those items were sewed first then turned  to finish the edges.  She also has a blouse using the Laurel Burch stipe that's in the quilt with a boat neck collar so the T shirt print on the doll panel became her athletic undergarment and then appliqued the whole head, shirt with arms and legs assembly onto the quilted area.  To finish more fabric was added fabric on the sides then a  meander quilt on those sections before adding ric rac and piped trimmings.  The back was simple with a zippered and quilted back.    This was my own design and I found it challenging.  Each step was visualized thoroughly before visually proceeding to the next  continuously making notes and shifting steps along the way.  Am so pleased with the results and the creativity/uniqueness it contains.  8^)

To continue using up the fabrics used in these projects several pillow cases were also made but not placed in the show.   You can see those here.  All in all I enjoyed these projects and how I didn't have to rush with them. 
Enjoy your day,

Jane

Quilt show entries, First one- "Tweet Camping"

Thank goodness our local quilt show isn't a judged show, otherwise most of my entries would have been shown to the door.  And no, I am not kidding!   Our show has many ribbons that people can win and people with all kinds of areas, expertise and backgrounds are asked to pick their favorite.  Of course some picks are spectacularly done quilts, well deserving of their awards while some others are nice quilts, but not as great as some that are just as well deserving IMHO.    The show kept taking my breath away with the many and varietied quilts shown.   I also would be remiss not to  mention that a good friend, Michele won a well deserved ribbon for her New York Beauty Quilt entry (Talk about Gorgeous!!!) and my granddaughter won a ribbon for her first Doll Quilt. 

Well done Michele, McKenna and fellow members of CVQG of NY!

 

I did the bare minimum for quilting because I procrastinated way too long.  

When I registered them in June, I figured they  would be done for the show.   

I had 5, Yep,  I said 5 UFOS that I entered. 

I figured that by committing them to be there, I'd get them done.  ROTFLOL!!!!

 

But I swear

I will never,

EVER!

I mean NEVER EVER!!  do this to myself again!!!

 

So this post will share the parts about

 

"Tweet Camping"

 

This quilt came to be  because I found this Bird fabric at my LQS and fell in Love with it.   The pattern design was inspired by a connecting threads kit I saw in their catolog but the dimensions wouldn't work because it was a baby quilt and the much smaller blocks wouldn't play well with this fabric so  I played with lots of math to make my own.  With the pattern, I really like the fact that all of those rectangles were being stacked and packed so to speak (a much needed choir when it comes to camping) so it seemed a perfect fit especially with the wobbliness of those stacks tottering.  Shopping my stash first,  then shopping for  a few more batiks to throw in for good measure gives this quilt a bit of color and punch.  I find projects made from different fabric lines is very appealing.  Quickly,  I even envisioned having shipping peanuts (circular shaped packing protectors) quilted in the white background areas with much more quilting done for the boxes, sashings and borders. So off it went.

 

 

 

What I was able to get done was quilt a "linking squares" meander  in the outside blue borders 

with the "peanut packing" for the white areas. 

Running out of time, I had to leave the rest of the quilting for when I have more time after the show. 

Thankfully it hung well enough at the show not to be too huge of an embarrassment.   A vanilla cream, minkee dot was used for this back which makes it a very cuddly and drapable quilt.  

 

 

Close up shots of the quilting in the border, white spacings while I was auditioning bindings.  

Quilting was done with a Universal needle without any problems

using the minkee dot backing, as for the threads, many were used. 

 

In the borders a Superior Lava Thread called KuKui Nut (soft browns) was used for the top and bobbin.

In the white background a Superior's Kimono white silk(color 373) for the top and

 Superior's White Bottom Line in the bobbin.

I'm thinking of dong a back and forth motion in the sashings and perhaps cross haches in the stacked boxes but am unsure what to do in the bird focal fabric.  Any and all ideas or suggestions are welcome.  What would you do? 

 

 

 

 

I love having piping or flanges on many of my projects, but elected not to on this one and just finished it simply by using the striped fabric that went with this fabric line called  "Love Lives Here" by P. Carter Carpin by P&B textiles.    I love this bird print and it fit the bill nicely for the For the Birds hop I participated in earlier this year.  Another tidbit to share is how a different label was made for it.  I folded 2 blocks with some sashing from that row I took off the quilt since it was really too long before borders and turned them into a label.  If there is any damage in the years to come, that label can help with many of the fabrics contained within.  Also a strip of the selvage from that fabric line was used too as to document more of the information and who wouldn't like the motto "love lives here".

Here's how it looks:

 

 

 

To the left of those stacked blocks is the date, quilt name, place done and maker's name documented centered with more brown and blue fabrics.
 This is the largest label I've ever made, it's huge 14"x 12".

 

 Finally I'll share a shot of "Herman" the weeping cedar bush near the pool deck, showing Tweet Camping in the backyard where love lives here.

Tweet Camping
88" x 88"
 

I'll share more of the quilts that were entered by me bit by bit. Sorry this was photo heavy but I wanted documentation for  future reference.  First item on my agenda this week will be to quilt the sashings on this quilt and read the book The Saving Graces which our club meets on Wednesday to discuss.  I totally slid on my reading while focusing on getting ready for the show.  Enjoy your Holiday. 

Jane    8^)

Humming along

 






Close up of the quilt pattern in the radiant star.........

 

Petal to the metal ...........

 

Will be getting this done by Thursday!!!! 

 

Jane

 

 

I think I can, I think I can...

All of the items that were listed this past last Monday are checked off my to do list and have been moved onto the to DONES list!  LOL 

Batik Reprieve aka: 40 Diamonds - DONE!
Tweet Camping otherwise known here as stacked and packed - DONE!

Next on my radar will be:

1. Quilt the Jack in the Pulpit wall hanging- getting to this next! 
2. Bind  the Jack in the Pulpit (I may stitch the binding by machine on the back and then turn and topstitch the edge down by the machine as well.  Will ponder my timeline for this while quilting it though I do want to hand stitch the binding on the upcoming Radiant Star project that's next though it's 102" x102" square so it'll be time consuming and that clock seems to be ticking faster!
3. Quilt Adirondack Radiant Star- Tonight hopefully I can start that after getting practice on the Jack and the Pulpit.  I did get this  ironed and layered on Friday yippee skippee!
4. Make 3 sleeves that will be pinned on the larger quilts in time for turn in on Friday evening.  Ican only hope I don't have to finish stitching it in the parking lot!

That leaves these 1-2 projects to get done this week by Thursday.  I think I can......

 

I'll be back to share some photos of these beauties.  Sorry the weather is so drab to grab a shot of them now not to mention the mist in the air.   

 

Jane       8~)