Another Sunday

What a fun week, spent 3 days at Inwood Iowa at the retreat center. Hancock fabrics had their spring retreat. We had a wonderful time. I finished 100 spool blocks and have them arranged into rows, now just need to sit down and put the rows together. Will put up a picture when I get the top done.

We also did a candle mat, or it could be used as a center piece on a table. Will take a photo of that in the next day or so and put it up so all can see.

If anyone gets a chance to go to one of the retreats, do take advantage of it. We had a wonderful time meeting new people, eating chocolate, sewing, eating chocolate, show and tell, eating chocolate. grin. Guess which activity got top priority?

Didn't get to unload the car until this morning as when I got home it was raining. Our garage is not attached to the house, so just put it in and forgot about it until this morning. Of course my pillow was out there when I wanted to go to bed, so just took one of my spares and made do.

Promise to post pictures as soon as I can.

Lazy Sunday

Its a lazy Sunday around here today. I've been doing a lot of "mind work". Trying to figure out some more celtic designs. Wish my hand would allow me to work them right now, but hopefully soon.

These are some step by step combination stitches from my book. They show the progression from the base stitch plus the embellishers to make a finished stitch combination.

I think everyone can follow the sequence of the stitches by the pictures. Enjoy

spring

Spring was in the air yesterday. It was 80 degrees. Unbelievable!! Today is more like normal, around 45 with clouds. May even snow a bit tomorrow, but hey, spring can't be to far away.


This is a paper cut block I did last fall. Its done by folding tracing paper, like we did when we cut paper snowflakes. Then transfered the design to fusible web, cutting out, fusing to fabric and stitched around with tiny zig zag stitches. Fun technique to do and who knows, maybe someday will actually get something done with the block. Mostly just tried the technique.

Daylight Savings Time

OH- HOW I HATE TIME CHANGE!!!!!!!! I know I am shouting. However I do really hate this time change thing. Ruins at least a week or two of my life every spring. Not so bad in the fall, but getting up an hour early in the spring is the pits.

This is a small quilt that I experimented with crayon work. First I dyed the background fabric, then traced the design with a pigma pen, colored it with crayons, heat set, then used inks on fantasticks, to shade over the the crayon. I think I really like the way this turned out and plan to use it again sometime.

top is done

Yea, the top from Tuesdays workday is finished. All the squares and triangles etc are of folded fabric. Of course I couldn't do the top like the directions said, I omitted the sashing between the blocks as I wanted the pinwheel in the center to really spin. Now to get it layered and quilted before next club meeting. (yeah right!!!)

At least accomplished something.

Good News

Our retreat registration transfered to the next retreat which will be at Inspiration Hills at Inwood, Iowa. Will be the same projects as last weekend and about the same travel distance. So the 22-24 with get to play. Whew. Just hope we aren't jinxing them and that we will NOT have another snow storm then.

The first card (apologize the photo isn't really sharp) was done by grating crayon, then covering with a teflon sheet and pressing to melt the colors together. Kind of line the way it turned out.

The second was for a "fortune cookie" theme. Took 2 circles of fabric and stitched around, made a slit in the one on the inside and turned, then stitched around with satin stitch. Folded like a fortune cookie and took an actual fortune from a fortune cookie and put it inside the "cookie" Then took clear glue and brushed the paper fortune so it was "stuck" to the background fabric and couldn't tear off.

snowstorm

Well scratch one retreat. ---the snowstorm kept us from getting there. The highways we would have had to drive were closed because of the drifting snow. Oh well, guess it wasn't meant to be.

These are a couple postcards I made. The pumpkin was thread painted over a pumpkin picture on fabric, then cut out and appliqued on the background fabric. The leaves are a sheer fabric, overlay with dashes of glitter paint on top of them for added glitz. What fun doing these small pieces of art.

Retreat

Supposed to be at the Hancock Fabric retreat today, BUT a rip roaring snow storm took over the eastern part of the state and it was cancelled. We may be able to go tomorrow, if the weather lets up and the roads are cleared. Keep your fingers crossed we get to go. If not, oh well. hopefully they will refund all our $$$$. Forgot to ask that when I signed up.

Went to a workshop on Tuesday and completed the blocks for a folded fabric wall piece. Do not have a photo yet as it is still not sashed. Plan on that next week.