Some "Green" Holiday Projects

Our kids in Minneapolis use only cloth napkins and I sewed a set of 6 colorful patchwork napkins for them. I lined them and used a pillowcase finish.  I didn't think the fabric had enough body to just give them a rolled hem.

 Aren't they pretty?

I love the look of beautifully wrapped gifts but it always gives me a twinge when I see those gorgeous wrappings ripped off and thrown in the garbage.  So I decided to make some reusable gift bags.  I made a few little triangular shaped pouches and several larger drawstring bags.  I expect that the bags will be put to good use - even if it's just to pass along with a gift to someone else.  I did some with holiday themed fabric and some that weren't.  Then they can be used year round.

I saw the pattern for this online a few months back and haven't been able to find it again. If I do I'll be sure to give proper attribution.

I hope that my little great niece will like this bag as much as the gift inside

I have no particular pattern for these - pretty much custom made them to size considering the gift that was to go inside.

What's Been Keeping Me Busy

Happy Holidays everybody!  I hope you all are having a good relaxing day - We've been on the go most of the month and it's great to be able to kick back today.
We spent some time visiting our son and his family in Minneapolis.  As usual it was wonderful - especially getting to spend some time with our granddaughters.  We even had a couple of bonus days because of the BIG SNOW!  It was such a heavy snow that they even closed the Mall of America - on a Saturday afternoon 2 weeks before Christmas!  And they closed the Minneapolis public schools for a couple of days - unheard of!

Well I got SOME of my special projects finished in time for the holidays-

 A while back I may have mentioned that I was knitting fingerless gloves for my daughter-in-law.  Well, I've been knitting for many years and have done some complicated patterns but have never done gloves before .  All those fingers!   She wanted them to come up to her elbows - (remember - they live in Minnesota)


Well, they're not works of art but they're snugly and they're DONE! 

Busy Week -

I didn't make much progress with my Art Quilting projects this week but nevertheless it was a good week. 

• I did make progress on a quilt that I'm making for my youngest granddaughter. Kind of a cute story - we were talking on the phone a few weeks ago and I was trying to explain the project that I was working on for a class.  It is a seascape and has all kinds of embellishments including cellophane. (It was an online class with Linda Schmidt - "creating the elements". Great class!)  Granddaughter first asked me who the quilt is for - then commented that it wouldn't be a very "softy" quilt. She proceeded to give me a detailed explanation as to how I could get all the special ocean effects that I wanted just by using fabric and thread. Thus ending up with a quilt that would still be "softy."  So I'm making her a special "softy sea" quilt as a special surprise.
• My "day job" is real estate and it's getting more important than ever to get a special designation to list and sell so-called "distressed" properties - such as foreclosures and short sales.  So I've been busy taking a class that will culminate with the CDPE designation: Certified Distressed Property Expert. It's actually quite interesting and I will be finishing up this weekend.
• I am participating in an online group that was formed to bring Haiku and Fiber Art together.  The group was established this past week by A. Carole Grant, a Canadian Mixed Media/Fiber Artist that I "met" on the Quilt Art list.  I am very excited to be a part of this and am looking forward to some "stretching" and growth as an artist.
• We had our Book Club meeting this week and a good discussion on "The House at Riverton".  This was a very good read!  Kind of Upstairs Downstairs meets The Thirteenth Tale - with a little Remains of the Day thrown in for good measure!

It's supposed to rain here all day tomorrow and I plan to sew, sew, sew!!!

Spring Has Sprung

Spring Has Sprung?

I know – Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks – so why I am titling this entry Spring Has Sprung?  

A little while back I made a little quilt with that title.  Do you remember the little ditty….

Spring has sprung,

The grass has riz.

I wonder where the birdies is…?

So, naturally I had to make a “The Grass Has Riz” piece.  I just finished the beading  last week and got it done!

Spring Has Sprung

The center background is randomly pieced and the design elements are fused.  The technique is very improvisational and FUN! I was first introduced to it a couple of years ago at a class taught by Deana Hartman.  (http://chameleonquilts.com)   One of the best classes I've taken.

I hurried through all the basic construction so that I
could get to the BEADING!
The writing on the quilt is done with a free motion
zigzag stitch.

All Things Fiber

In homage to the title of this blog I'm posting a picture of one of my favorite things -
Aren't these luscious???  A couple of years ago I bought this hank of fibers at a quilt show.  I've used a few of them along the way but mostly I use them as decoration and inspiration..... YUM!

Along the way all knitters collect oddballs.  Now that I'm involved in making Art Quilts I have another way to use them.  THAT was very exciting to realize.

Do you love coffee?  I do - especially that first sip in the morning.  So what did I do?  I made a little art quilt in honour of that    AHHHHsome moment:  the first sip.

I pieced the background to loosely approximate my kitchen - yellow tile counters  - got the grid effect with a paintstick rubbed over a plastic utensil that I found in the kitchen drawer.

When I posted here several months ago I mentioned that I was working on a piece that needed some hand embroidery to be added.  This was a fun project - something different and incorporating several different techniques.

Here is a photo of  my Fish Out Of Water

I collaged several fabrics onto a mottled yellow background.  I made a stencil from a fish drawing and when I cut it out I was careful to keep the remaining stencil material intact so that I could use it too.
Then I painted the fish image onto the quilt using the stencil and acrylic paint.  When it was dry I thought that more contrast was needed around the fish so I used the "fish" part of the stencil and painted around the outline.

I outlined the collage pieces with perle cotton and added embroidery to the fish.  Then I added some beads and a button eye to accent the fish.

      

Finally I stitched and beaded a spray of coral.

                                                                                                  
I used a pillowcase type of backing and accented the edges with a perle cotton running stitch.

I've been doing this blogging thing all wrong - waiting until I have enough time to catch up.  Yikes - at the rate it's going that'll be a long wait.
So - here we go - SHORT POSTS!!

I'm itching to get into the other room and sew but first............here are the 2 photos that were accepted into the Eye of the Quilter exhibit in Houston.

Title:	Putting It All Into Perspective
Statement:	Travelling east in late Summer 2009, I found myself not only enthralled by the scenery but somehow comforted. No matter what else fate may have in store, there will be sights to delight and inspire.

Title:	Still Glenwood, Still October
Statement:	I love Autumn and its glorious color but there is also a tinge of sadness at the edge of all the beauty.

And here are the Haiku that will be in the Eye of the Quilter exhibit:

My 92 year old mother-in-law who has severe dementia was recently moved into a board and care from her beloved home of 40 years. 

 

 

 

Betty’s Empty House

 

Her house sits empty

A fog of forgetfulness

Pushes out despair 

I wrote this Haiku while I was recovering from foot surgery a couple of months ago.  I had very strict instructions to keep the surgical area dry in order to avoid a horrible  infection.  Taped on plastic bags were useless so that meant SPONGE BATHS! 

 

 

Post Op Lament

 

 

 

 

Sloppy sponge baths suck

I long for streams of water

Splashing on my head

My good intentions (last post in April 2009) went awry last year as life (and death) intervened. Upon reflection I realize that it wasn't just the time spent travelling - it was more the accompanying state of mind that dampened any energy or enthusiasm I had to create art or talk about it here.
Not that things have returned to "normal" - or appear to any time soon. but I'm not waiting for that to happen. Too many ideas and too much to do! Fun stuff.

At the moment I'm in Minnesota helping out while my daughter in law recovers from knee surgery. When I was packing I wanted to make sure that I packed some work to do in my down time. And, as you all know, you feel like doing different kinds of quilting, art or needlework according to the mood you're in.
Here's what I packed (for a 2 wks plus 1 day stay)
knitting - a scarf in progress (easy for the plane)
fingerless gloves (in progress on the needles)
yarn to start a sweater for my oldest granddaughter
assorted fabric to cut out for a lap quilt
an art quilt in progress and needing the hand embroidery to be done
a little kit containing beading tools and beads (to make earrings for youngest granddaughter who just got her ears pierced)

My husband just shook his head when he saw it all go into the suitcase but I know you all understand. Today I actually cut out the fabric for the lap quilt. The scarf grew a little while flying out here; granddaughter's sweater is on the needles; younger granddaughter has 2 new pairs of earrings. The art quilt has a little of the stitching done - the fingerless gloves haven't budged.

Well, it's almost time to take my granddaughter to circus school. The knitting goes with me.

Thanks for letting me ramble on here. Next post will include pics of some new work.