Roses on the Water

Embellished Block for Sendai

2011-04-11T17:53:00.011-05:00

It was such a joy to work on this block and I did some of my favorite motifs and seam treatments. I cannot make a block without roses - that's just a given.

I've added a tiny Swarovski butterfly necklace on the lower right side of the block.

I enjoy the French knot roses and have made these out of 4mm silk ribbon. The fly stitch fans are made with Kreinik fine braid.

The pyramids are stitched with Kreinik thread and Carole Samples Dream-A-Seam Templates. When you want to have a seam treatment evenly placed and uniform, these templates are a wonderful tool.

Tiny clusters of grapes are also a favorite seam treatment and I've used a grouping of these. I took a beading class in Omaha, Nebraska quite a few years ago and learned how to made the tiny inchworm. He's a definite favorite.

The little yellow bee is a vintage bead and I've used Kreinik Easter Grass for the wings. I love the iridescent look it gives.

I've added a beaded dragonfly as well along with a tiny branch of leaves and lucite flowers.

I loved making this block and with it I extend my prayers for the people of Japan.

BLOCK FOR SENDAI

2011-04-06T12:16:00.007-05:00

I've finishing piecing my block and started some of the embellishing. Let me begin by saying I hope it's acceptable. I have a very hard time working with jewel tones and I'm hoping my yellow, topaz and greens will fit in.

I had a gorgeous antique kimono piece that was given to me years ago and I wanted to use it for the center focal point. I remembered a block my dear friend Julie had done for an issue of CQMagOnline and decided to use that for my inspiration in piecing the block.

It's a simple matter of drawing a puzzle. First determine the size of your center focal piece. Whether it's a piece of fabric or a silk print as Julie has used, make sure you allow at least 1/4" around the motif for your seam allowance.

I knew Leslie had asked for a 9" block so I cut my drawing paper that size and centered my motif. Using my ruler I drew various size pieces starting at the motif and ending at the edge of my block.

The next step is numbering your pieces - that's really important. I marked the outside edges of the pieces and then cut them out. You will need to allow a seam allowance for all sides except those you marked as outer edges.

Using a 9" square piece of flannel I stitched the motif down with a basting stitch and then started putting my fabric puzzle together using the sew and flip method. I always iron each piece as it's added. I attached the first and last piece together by turning under the seam allowance and appliqueing it in place.

All that's left is turning under the seam allowance circling your motif and appliqueing in place. When you've pressed it really well your block is ready to embellish. I've used a piece of tatting followed by a beaded Mokuba trim around the center piece.

Now all that's left is the fun part of embellishing. I don't have a lot of area to work with since we are only embellishing the inner 8" but that's no problem.

I find such pleasure in doing special projects like this and encourage all of you to join in. Read my post below and visit Leslie's blog to find all the details.

Note: I am a dedicated user and true lover of Kreinik threads. I was so honored when Dena asked that I write a guest article for their blog. I invite you to log on and read my article. Be sure to bookmark and read the Kreinik Thread Blog routinely - you will find some wonderful tips and also be the first to find out about new products. I love the Easter Grass!

Giving from the Heart

2011-03-30T16:21:00.003-05:00

I have always found the blessings are abundant when you give of your time and talent for others in need. Leslie of Pinyon Creek Stitchin'! is coordinating "Hearts and Hands for Sendai." Please log onto her blog and read all about this wonderful project and the requirements. Be sure to arrow down and read the March 14th. post for all the details. Please consider joining in and contributing a block.

Here is a portion of Leslie's post that tells a little about the project:

"This project will be dedicated to helping those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster in Japan. Per Hideko Ishida's request, all quilts will become a part of an exhibit in Japan where money will be raised by viewing the quilts. Ultimately, these quilts may be auctioned and the proceeds given to a charity designated by Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister! We will keep everyone informed as time progresses. This project is open to the quilting community at large!"

Crazy Quilting in the Texas Hill Country

2011-03-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

Myself along with several of my crazy quilt "sisters" were invited to spend Spring Break in the Hill Country of Texas. Julie of Creative Blessings of Joy planned a fabulous stitching retreat at her brother & sister-in-law's gorgeous home. Built on the top of one of the hills, it overlooks the lake and the scenery is breathtaking.

We have these retreats down to a fine art and there is only one thing we can do better... create a mess! On the right is Jan showing one of the blocks she is currently working on. As you can see, we come prepared with our stitching paraphernalia. Julie, seated, and Linda, standing, are both taking a break in this photo.

The photo on the left shows Gumbo giving Julie a "high five." I could fill this post with pictures of this sweet dog. You can probably tell I love animals and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with Gumbo, the family's beautiful Australian Labradoodle.

We spent the day shopping in Kerrville and Fredericksburg and Julie,
Lynnis and Jan needed a nice dip in the hot tub to soothe their tired muscles. Gumbo, is waiting patiently to be splashed in the face.

Their Mountain Laurel was in full bloom and absolutely beautiful. The antique roses were just beginning to bud out and I found one partially opened bud. Spring is coming to Texas!

A special "thank you" to Julie's wonderful family for their gracious hospitality. We had a wonderful time stitching in their lovely home and enjoying all the beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

2011-03-23T11:33:00.005-05:00

I wanted to express my sincere thanks for the wonderful gifts I received from this year's One World One Heart event. If you have not heard of this yearly event please check Lisa's blog, The Whimsical Bohemian, for more information. On the top right sidebar you will see a place to sign in.

I've participated for the last two years and have met so many wonderful and talented bloggers. It's fun to both give and receive. Thank you, Lisa, for creating this event and for the wonderful opportunity it provides.

Can you believe I was the lucky recipient of four gifts? Each one is a treasure and I feel so very fortunate. The beautiful smoky quartz bracelet and handmade bag on the left is a gift from Diane of Lavender Dreams Thank you once again, Diane.

Pictured on the right are a number of lovely hand-crafted beads by Jennifer of Jewelry by Jennifer Pride I will enjoy using them, Jennifer - many thanks!

I was amazed at the bead work on this beautiful doll. This was a gift from Dot of Speediebeadie . She loves her new home and has her very own place of importance. Thank you Dot!

And last, but certainly not least, is this gorgeous hand-crafted journal by Jen of Jenxo. This is great for drawing my designs and I will use it often. Thank you again Jen for your generosity.

Saying Goodbye to our Mary

2011-02-23T11:59:00.004-06:00

Our crazy quilt group has lost a dear and talented "sister." Mary was a gifted artist and her talent unequaled. She was able to create in any form of needle art and loved to recreate the beauty around her onto fabric. She was a gifted artist in oils as well and her paintings are magnificient.

Her last crazy quilt was "The Mighty Oak." Her inspiration was taken from one of the Piecemaker Calendars and she added her very own touch of Texas in each of the blocks. She entered our local Quilt Show the year it was completed and won every ribbon. It was a true work of art!

We are planning an article for CQMagOnline.com in memory of Mary and have permission to include photos of "The Mighty Oak." You will want to log on in April - you will truly be inspired as we have been. We will miss Mary but her presence lives on through all the many treasures she has created.

CQMagOnline is a quarterly publication and absolutely free to anyone who would like to look through the articles. Just click on the live link and then "current issue." I would be remiss if I didn't thank Rissa, our editor, for her dedication. It has been a wonderful resource for crazy quilting for many years

And The Winners Are..........

2011-02-17T15:13:00.002-06:00

What fun it has been participating again this year in the One World One Heart event. It's with a great deal of pleasure that I announce my winners:

Maggie R. with Magpie's Collectibles is the winner of my silk ribbon embroidered and beaded necklace.

Laura with Ragamuffin Primitives has won the beaded bracelet and earrings.

A special thank you to Lisa for organizing and hosting this event. Although this is the last year for the OWOH, I am really excited to read about the Our World Our Art. To receive a piece of art created by the artist is truly special. I look forward to 2012.

Thanks to everyone who visited my blog and left such wonderful comments. I hope you will visit often.

One World One Heart - 2011

2011-02-03T22:40:00.006-06:00

Welcome to my blog! I've been very negligent with my posting but Lisa's OWOH event has motivated me and I hope to do better.

My name is Barbara and I live on the Texas Gulf Coast. I am an avid crazy quilter with a special love for creating with silk. I write for CQMagOnline.com, a quarterly publication for crazy quilters. I invite you to sit down with a nice cup of coffee and read the current issue. There are some wonderful projects and tutorials included in the January issue.

I would like to offer two prizes this year. The first one is a silk ribbon embroidered necklace stitched on black velvet. I've used a beaded peyote stitch for the bezel and bail. The necklace is made with vintage beads and Swarovski crystals. (I will edit and include a photo of the necklace when I take another photo.)

My second prize is a heart bracelet and earrings that I've beaded. (earrings not shown)

I invite you to leave a comment in order to enter my drawing. Please make sure I have a way to contact you by email should you be one of my winners. The event is open to active bloggers. The drawings will be held on February 17th. and I will notify the two winners by email and also post your names on my blog.

I encourage all of you to visit Lisa Swifka's website and participate in this year's event. It's a wonderful way to meet new friends and renew old acquaintances.

A Calmer Time

2010-11-11T10:11:00.007-06:00

It has certainly been a long time since I've posted to my blog. Occasionally the necessities of life get in the way and it's difficult to resume the old practices. In April I had knee replacement surgery on the right knee. Although God truly blessed me with a quick recovery and an easy rehabilitation, the initial surgery was difficult on this "old body."

Last month I had my final cataract removed from the left eye. That's a quick and easy surgery and it's great to have improved vision. Enough about me, however, and more regarding the fun things.

November 3 -7 was the Houston International Quilt Festival and we were honored to have our WTWW ArtBras and wall hangings on exhibit. Quilts, Inc. did a remarkable job setting up the exhibit and their work was amazing. Our gratitude and heartfelt thanks for showcasing our art in such a wonderful manner.

It's always great seeing old friends and making new ones. I always look forward to representing CQMagOnline at the Festival and finding new tools and techniques for our art. I have some great articles for the upcoming issues and hope you will log on and take a look.

This is our 2010 Fan wall hanging assembled by Stephanie Novatski.
What an amazing job she did - it's an exquisite piece. Photos do not do justice to the beauty of this beautiful crazy quilt.

On the right is our 2009 Rose wall hanging. Each of our wall hangings are donated to a breast cancer center. This one will be donated to Methodist Hospital Breast Cancer Center in honor of Jan Campbell. You can see her ArtBra on the cover of our 2011 Calendar. Calendars can be ordered through the ArtBra website and we encourage you to support this very worthwhile cause.

WTWW 2011 ArtBra Calendar - A Work in Progress

2010-03-27T20:33:00.013-05:00

Wow it's been a long time since I've posted. But I do have a good excuse and thought I would share. First let me tell you about Victoria Adams Brown, a dear friend and mentor. A number of years ago she started the WTWW Foundation and invited me to design an ArtBra for exhibition. I believe that was in 2004 and we are still going strong.

I've blogged a lot about my past designs but thought I would share with you my newest bra which I call " Chrysalis." It is inspired by three wonderful women who have experienced the ravages of breast cancer and turned it into a positive experience.

With each one I was reminded of the monarch butterfly and its life cycle. From the darkness of the cocoon (which can be likened to the months of surgery, rehabilitation and often times chemotherapy) emerges the beautiful butterfly. These women have emerged from their cocoon with a new beauty and grace both inside and out.

Brenda Wilson, Vic's sister, designed a beautiful butterfly which she kindly gave me permission to use in my designs. Brenda is a breast cancer survivor, spokesperson and advocate. The magnificent wings of the butterfly sit atop a body shaped like a pink ribbon bow - the well-known symbol for breast cancer. I have taken her beautiful design and re-created it with beads. I hope you will enjoy the photos of my progress.

Brooke Exley Long, owner of Hanah/Artemis Silks donated the beautiful shibori fabric that covers the bra. I've used Hanah silk ribbon to make the zinnias and burnished silk leaves.

The branch the cocoon hangs on is made with the Diva Custom Cordmaker designed and sold by Connie James, owner of Fibergoddess.

We are excited about introducing the 2011 ArtBra Calendar and hope that everyone will purchase a calendar to support this very worth while cause. The ArtBras and wall hangings will be on exhibit at the Houston International Quilt Festival this Fall.

I can't close without telling you about the two other women who have so inspired me. Jan Campbell was diagnosed with breast cancer almost a year ago. She was my first crazy quilt instructor, another wonderful mentor, and one of my dearest friends. She has designed her first ArtBra this year named "Are They Real?" You can see it on Vic's blog.

And last but certainly not least; Linda Cauble. I met Linda at the Houston Quilt Festival last year. Her story is amazing! She required a bone marrow transplant and her recovery was complicated by these issues. But what a beautiful lady she is. She is the owner of A Beaded Road and sells the most beautiful shawls.

Thanks for stopping by my blog - please visit often. I've linked all the websites so just move your cursor over the names and businesses. Don't forget to order your 2011 ArtBra Calendar. They make wonderful gifts.

Many Thanks

2010-02-25T08:34:00.007-06:00

I had a wonderful time participating in the One World One Heart event hosted my Lisa Swifka of the Whimsical Bohemian. Thank you Lisa and to all who visited my blog and left comments. I hope you will visit often.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I received four emails saying I had won. It's hard to imagine actually being chosen four times but I am so thrilled. I want to thank the following bloggers:

Louise Little Tete A Tete Thank you Louise for the beautiful lampwork bead. I have received it and it is gorgeous.

Piece Alex emailed saying I had won this beautiful rose necklace. This will be another treasure since I love anything with roses. Thank you Alex!

Javableue & Cie Isn't this cabochon ring fabulous? I can't believe I won this beautiful gift as well.

Mana Moon Studios

This is a gorgeous beaded key chain and I am thrilled to have won this as well. This was indeed a good year for me and I cannot thank these wonderful bloggers enough.

I hope Lisa will repeat this event next year. I will definitely participate and offer more than one giveaway. It's fun to give and equally fun to receive. It definitely brightens the day to receive a beautiful surprise in the mail. My sister once told me when you receive surprises it's God's way of saying He loves you. This adds a special meaning to these special gifts.

Once again - thank you Lisa and many thanks to these four special bloggers.

The Winner Is.....................

2010-02-15T09:21:00.005-06:00

I am so pleased to announce the winner of my OWOH giveaway: Marie from Art From My Heart. I have contacted Marie by email and will be mailing her gift as soon as I hear from her. Congratulations, Marie, I hope you will enjoy your gift.

I've had a great time riding the magic carpet and visiting bloggers from all over the world. What a wonderful vision Lisa had. Without this event I would never had the opportunity to meet so many talented and creative artists.

A special thanks to Lisa and to all who visited my blog and signed in. I hope you will visit often and keep in touch.

One World One Heart

2010-01-25T16:47:00.001-06:00

Welcome old friends and new...I'm glad you've taken time out of your busy day to visit my blog and I hope you will return often. Last year I came across this wonderful blogging adventure called One World One Heart. It was so much fun visiting new blogs and signing up for fabulous gifts. I decided I just had to participate in 2010...so here I am.

The Concept of OWOH: Lisa Swifka, owner and host, explains this concept much better than I ever could so I will quote her: "This is an International Event that transcends geographical location, socio economics, political affiliations, religious beliefs...it's a coming together like the giant community we are on this planet. If only it took a simple giveaway to create Peace everywhere. In the meantime, hear we give from our hearts. We are not solving the world's problems nor are we curing anything, nor or we changing the world. We are merely generating a closer community between humans through our blogging."

How to participate:

All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog ...nothing more. Your comment must have a way to link back to you or you must include your email address. I need to be able to contact you if you win. Only one comment per person will be included in the drawing.

The deadline for adding your comment is Sunday, February 14th. at 6pm CST. The winner will be posted on Monday, February 15.

My Giveaway:

The winner will received this felted wool needle case with hand-dyed silk ribbon embellishments. The necklace is hand-beaded with Swarovski bicones. Please note: The scissors are not included.

I hope you will visit all the wonderful bloggers who are participating this year. You will find the complete list here: OWOH Have fun everyone!

What I LIke to Do

2010-01-22T07:19:00.002-06:00

Thought I would post several photos of "what I like to do." The first two photos are my blocks for our 2010 wall hanging for breast cancer awareness. See the sidebar Flickr link for all the blocks.

This is one of the motifs on my "Opposites Attract" ArtBra design.

Here is one of the silk ribbon flowers I use on one of my needlecase designs.

And my billfold design:

Also the very first purse I made about eight years ago.

This is a large covered button with silk ribbon embroidery and a beaded picot stitch.

Tell Me What You Think

2010-01-15T17:10:00.006-06:00

I've been playing with my blog layout and I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied. I will let it stay this way for the time being and perhaps change it later.

On the right side I've added the Flickr site for our yearly ArtBra Ladies Wallhanging. We are beginning our fan blocks for this year and the color theme is jewel tones. I hope you will take a few minutes to log on and see what we have done so far.

We are a closed group and not accepting new members at this time. We do, however, enjoy sharing our work. This is our fifth annual wall hanging. Each year the wall hanging is donated to a cancer center.

If you are interested in creating an ArtBra for 2011 please log onto the Way to Women's Wellness Website (WTWW) for all the information regarding submitting your design. Pictured here is the 2010 ArtBra Calendar.

Read about all the designers for the 2010 calendar and while you're there order a copy. They would make great Valentine's gifts.

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One World One Heart: I invite you to log onto this site and read all about this yearly event. There are many bloggers who will participate and give away some wonderful prizes. Watch for my post later this month announcing my prize. I hope you will join in the fun and in the process meet some wonderful bloggers.

Just Checking In.....

2009-12-13T10:20:00.003-06:00

Thanks to those who have asked if I'm okay. I'm fine - just busy with Thanksgiving and then Christmas preparations. I decided to take a break from stitching and teaching during November and December. I have to admit to sneaking a few moments, however, for working on my ArtBra for 2011 and also our yearly wall hanging.

I'll be back the first of January prepared to share a few photos. In the meantime let me wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. May God bless each one of you during this wonderful season of the year.

Our Bee's Charm Exchange

2009-10-23T08:03:00.025-05:00

Last year we came across the blog entitled "A Charming Exchange." I would invite you to log on and read about this special exchange. A book by the same name has been published and is available through many outlets. I'm posting the Amazon listing here.

Note: While you are logged on "A Charming Exchange," please check the items being auctioned for breast cancer awareness. Hurry, there's only one day left.

Inspired by this blog, our group decided to do something similar.We gave ourselves ample time to research and decide what we wanted to do. After one year we're almost finished. I wanted to share my charm necklace. I will receive another six charms before the project is completed but I just had to share the progress so far.

This charm is made by our Bee founder, Jan. You can see the reverse side and the spider web if you enlarge the above necklace photo. Isn't this charm wonderful? It's even signed and dated.

Dolores has done a beautiful grouping of charms. It includes an angel, a heart and an oval hanging from this pretty stone.

This one has the beaded cabochon on one side and dainty Brazilian Embroidery on the reverse side. It has been made by Claudette.

This one has a mini crazy quilt block pieced in my favorite peach colors. It was created by Karen

The next three charms were made by Lynnis. The circular ones are beaded with beautiful peach Swarovski crystals. The other charm is a pretty bronze dichroic glass heart. I must admit to asking for that mini Swarovski piece. It's beautiful!

This charm is done by Stephanie in New Jersey. She creates the most beautiful dolls and teaches both online and in classes. She has done this beautiful face with a half moon on the back.

The final two charms are ones that I made. The basket has a small velvet emery insert with a tiny pair of scissors attached. The second one is a tiny cluster of grapes with a sterling silver leaf attached.

Busy Month

2009-10-18T16:23:00.015-05:00

October has flown by at an unbelievable speed. October 1 -4 Julie and I were in Pennsylvania for the 2010 ArtBra Exhibit and gala event at Byer's Choice. It was fabulous and we sold out of our 2010 ArtBra Calendars during the weekend events. The second printing has arrived and you can order your copy by logging on to the WTWW website.

Victoria Adams Brown, founder of WTWW and the ArtBras was a wonderful hostess and we enjoyed our short time in Pennsylvania.

October 8 - 11 Julie and I represented CQMagOnline at the Houston Quilt Market. We would invite you to check out each quarterly issue of the magazine for articles on our favorite techniques and tools.

Last Friday I visited the Quilt Festival for one day only. It's impossible to see everything in one day but it's fun trying. They have a wonderful embellishment area catering to the wants & needs of the crazy quilter.

I had the opportunity to meet "The Shibori Girl" at her booth and see her beautiful work up close. If you haven't been introduced to shibori silk you will want to read Julie's article in the upcoming issue of CQMag available around the first of November.

I ordered some of the shibori silk last month and played with it a short time. Pictured here is my first flower. The silk is bias cut and approximately 4" in width. It is pleated in very tiny 1/8" pleats resulting in a width of about 1".

After spending time at The Shibori Girl booth I was inspired to get the ribbon out and do some more playing. Here is my experiment from this weekend.

I felt compelled to pull out a hand-dyed motif along with some beads. Note the beautiful green shibori silk leaves.

I have lots of other projects and photos to share. I'll try to get my photos downloaded and organized. Check back often.

Website for 2010 ArtBra Calendars

2009-09-13T17:23:00.003-05:00

The WTWW (Way to Women's Wellness) website is now set up to pre-order your 2010 ArtBra Calendars. We invite you to log on and browse through the Gallery where you will be able to see the new ArtBra creations and three of the crazy quilted wall hangings. We encourage you to Shop for a Cure and join with us in promoting breast cancer awareness.

You will find information about each artist under 2010 ArtBra Designers. A special thanks to Victoria Adams Brown for her artistic vision of the ArtBra as a vehicle for raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research. What a special honor it is to have played a small part in this amazing endeavor.

Announcing the 2010 ArtBra Calendar

2009-08-30T21:22:00.007-05:00

The 2010 WTWW ArtBras and three of our wall hangings have been professionally photographed and the process has begun for creating the 2010 calendars. Vic has a Flick r site where you can view the latest creations and I would encourage you to log on and spend some time browsing through the photos.

Pictured here is my design called "The Days of Wine and Roses." The base of the bra is done with a free form crochet using hand-dyed strips of silk. I've hand-dyed the roses in my favorite peach color. I decided to do white grapes this year since my 2006 ArtBra, "Grape Expectations," featured the purple ones.

It's so exciting to see all the news releases and read the flyers announcing the ArtBra exhibits scheduled for October. Calendars will be on sale at each of the events and autographed by the artists attending.

Victoria Adams Brown of Ribbonsmyth is the founder of the WTWW foundation and the original creator of the ArtBras. I continue to be inspired by her dedication, creativity and talent in creating these wonderful calendars. They will begin to ship the last week in September. The cost is $14 plus postage and proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Please consider purchasing these calendars for special gifts. So many of our friends and family have been affected by some form of cancer. Your purchase will provide funding for all the needs associated with finding a cure for this dreaded disease. We appreciate your support.

Please check back for the website for purchasing these calendars. I will post it as soon as I have this information.

Another Great Retreat

2009-08-21T09:34:00.006-05:00

My local crazy quilt group just returned from our quarterly retreat in Wallis, Texas. Ten of us spent 4 days and 3 nights at Premiere Estates - a beautifully restored manor house "deep in the heart of Texas."

Our thanks to Sharon & Belinda for their wonderful hospitality. They have established the perfect setting for a retreat. One large room is fully equipped to meet the needs of quilters, scrap booking enthusiasts and any other craft-oriented group. Ten people can comfortably sit and stitch, share ideas and "play" for untold hours.

There are two homes available on adjoining properties and each one affords all the amenities needed. On the weekends they cater meals for their guests. We always go during the week and provide our own meals. I can guarantee you a wonderful time in Wallis at Premiere Estates!

Our group kindly agreed to test my scalloped needle case design. I have classes scheduled for September 4th. and 5th. at Quiltworks in Cypress, Texas. It provided a wonderful opportunity for me to see the problem areas and re-vamp my directions and pattern pieces.

Ruching the flower was definitely not their favorite part of the process but each produced a masterpiece. I absolutely loved seeing the various color combinations the girls chose as well as the differing techniques they used. It was a great experience.

Update on ArtBra Exhibit

2009-08-05T15:37:00.002-05:00

Those of us affiliated with Victoria Adams Brown's original ARTBRA EXHIBIT are so excited with the upcoming events. I wanted to share the Byers' Choice website which will host a fundraiser in the month of October. Log onto their website for additional information. I was so pleased and honored to see my bra, "Grape Expectations," appear in their article.

There will be a 2010 ArtBra calendar as well. I'll post updates as they are available. We hope many will lend their support for breast cancer research by purchasing these calendars. If you are in Pennsylvania in October we hope you will make plans to attend the Byers' Choice Gala.

Busy times

2009-08-03T08:02:00.005-05:00

Almost another month has past since my last blog - it's hard to believe how quickly time passes. I've been busy stitching various projects during the month. First I put together our beautiful blocks for the 2009 wall hanging for breast cancer research. You can see the individual blocks on my Flickr site.

Many exciting things have been happening during the month. Victoria Adams Brown's original ArtBras will be on display at Byers' Choice during the month of October for breast cancer awareness. Another calendar is in the works for 2010 and we are all so excited to see these ArtBras continue to inspire as well as earn money for breast cancer research.

You can read about Byers' Choice and the ArtBra Exhibit in one of my articles in CQMagO nline. Log on to the website and click on current issue - then browse through the table of contents. There are other great articles in this issue as well. Be sure to take a peak at Vic's article on curved piecing.

I taught my second class at Quiltworks last Saturday and have another two scheduled for September. The upcoming classes will be one of my newest designs. Pictured here is my "flower pot needlecase." The outside is a teal dupioni and the inside is a beautiful floral batik. Quiltworks has been busy making kits with some fabulous fabrics.

I hope to do better with my blogging in the future and promise to share additional photos.

QuiltWorks - the ultimate "candy store"

2009-07-12T16:48:00.005-05:00

We have a new "mega" quilt store in our area opened by three very special and extremely talented sisters. Pictured here is Connie on the left and Linda. The beautiful crazy quilt is being raffled by their local Guild and it is gorgeous!

I met Connie at the Tomball retreat several years ago and you may remember me posting some of her beautiful work. She, Linda and Henrietta "Henri" have opened this fabulous store in Cypress, Texas located on the West side of Houston.

The grand opening for QuiltWorks was held Friday and Saturday. Jan and I attended and demonstrated our work for those attending. Jan is responsible for my addiction - I attended her crazy quilt class ten years ago. Here she is busy at work with her crazy quilting. She will be teaching a beautiful crazy quilted needle case and an embellishment class.

I will be teaching my Hanah silk rose design and a new "flower pot" needle case design I recently created. We both have four classes on the calendar and are so excited.

The fabulous creativity of the sisters can be seen in the decor of the shop. In this photo I am sitting on a vintage Victorian sofa. On the wall facing the sofa is a flat screen television to entertain the children and/or husbands.

The walls of the shop are covered with the creativity of these three talented sisters. After meeting their Mom and seeing some of her beautiful work I know where the talent comes from. It's just not fair that one family has so much creativity. Among their many talents are Brazilian embroidery, stump work, fabric dyeing, tradition quilting, beading, heirloom embroidery, crazy quilting, silk screening, garment creations, plus many, many more needlework skills.

QuiltWorks is indeed the "ultimate candy store" and without a doubt has it all! They hope to offer online shopping in the near future and I'm trying to convince Connie to hold a weekend retreat at some point. I'll keep you informed on both.

Australian Flower-Making Tools

2009-05-30T08:41:00.003-05:00

I want to thank Allie for introducing me to these wonderful flower-making tools. Those of you who read CQMagOnline probably read her article in the latest issue. Just in case you didn't, here is the link.

After seeing the article I just had to have a set. They are pricey but my sweet husband insisted I order a set knowing how well I loved re-creating nature's beauty in silk.

I wish the photo showed the beautiful peach shades and the three different pieces of silk used in this flower. Vic dyed one of the fabrics and sent it home with me. I dyed the other two. I used her Ribbonsmyth dyes. We experimented with her set of tools but needed more time than what we had.

I set aside several hours yesterday to play with my yet unopened tools. I was a little uncomfortable lighting the alcohol burner the first time but I soon became comfortable with it. It will take a lot more experimenting on my part to come up with "the perfect rose." One of the tools is for curling the silk petals and that will take a little more practice.

I love my first flower and wanted to share the results. I look forward to working with the Hanah Silk as well. I have some prepared with the stiffening and just need another play day. Dyeing your silks, stiffening the fabric, cutting the petals and then using the flower tools to shape them is time-consuming. It's not for someone who wants instant gratification. I love to see the flowers come to life so I don't mind spending the hours it takes to reach this point.

Amazing East Coast Trip

2009-05-24T07:06:00.010-05:00

Our trip to the East Coast was amazing!!! It was a dream come true...doing only those things crazy quilters and SRE lovers enjoy doing. We shopped during the day and created and experimented in the remaining hours.

We arrived at the Philadelphia airport with Stephanie there to greet us. We spent the first part of our vacation with her and her wonderful family, including Diamond, her beautiful Maltese. Stephanie is an amazing artist and her studio is the perfect place to create. Her love is doll making and her creations are the most amazing I've ever seen.

Stephanie's husband, Eddie, has a wonderful hobby as well. One of the high points of our visit was taking a ride in this beauty!

Vic, Stephanie, Lynnis and I went to New York City on Saturday and spent the day in the garment district shopping for fabrics, ribbons, trims, beads, etc. etc. etc. We took the train into the city which was a new experience for me.

I'm planning several articles for CQMagOnline and don't want to share too much information on my blog. I will definitely post links to my articles as they appear in CQMag.

The second part of our adventure was spent in Pennsylvania with Vic and her husband, Mike, along with her wonderful extended family of animals. Sadie the papillion and Pearl the kitten needed to come home with me but I couldn't figure out a way to smuggle them out.

Many of you know Victoria Adams Brown and her online business Ribbonsmyth. I met Vic about 8 years ago at the Omaha CQ Convention and became an instant follower. She instilled the love
of silk ribbon embroidery and became a wonderful friend and mentor.

Vic and Mike own a beautiful farm in the countryside of Pennsylvania. What an amazing place to live and create! She is surrounded by such beauty and rich history. The home was built in the 1800's and they have remodeled and added on, retaining the old and historical beauty of the home.

I have memories to last a lifetime from this wonderful trip. I hope to share more photos and tales of our adventures as time permits.

Texas Girls Fly to East Coast

2009-05-07T01:10:00.005-05:00

I'm up in the wee hours of the morning too excited to sleep. Lynnis and I are flying to the East Coast this morning to visit dear friends Stephanie and Vic. They have a wonderful itinerary planned with some fabulous shopping in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York City. I can't believe I'm going on this great adventure doing only those things we crazy quilters enjoy doing.

I plan to take lots of pictures and I know I will have many adventures to share with you when I return. I'll look forward to blogging and doing some articles in CQMagOnline regarding this fabulous trip.

Jules had originally planned to make the trip with us but a broken foot and family illness prevent her from going. We will miss you sweet friend.

My Singer Featherweight

2009-04-24T12:16:00.004-05:00

Before putting my sewing machine away I wanted to take a picture. I love my little featherweight and it sews beautifully. According to the serial number it was made in 1943.

I placed some of my favorite pincushions and needle cases around it. I made the green wool heart necklace at our retreat last year. The old wooden spool is covered in a beaded peyote with a stuffed pincushion circling it. The one with the handle is made with a bottle cap filled with emery. I have little beaded grape clusters hanging from the handle.

You might recognize the heart and decorated Alto id box. These are both patterns and/or kits available from dear friend Vic at Ribbonsmyth. She also made the teaspoon pincushion as a gift and it sits beside me at all times when I'm stitching at home.

Pictured on the right is the project I was working on. My old hanging makeup bag was so easy to travel with and I've been looking for a new one to replace it. I haven't had any luck finding one so decided to make my own. On several occasions I was tempted to throw it in the garbage but I did manage to finish. The stitching is far from acceptable but it serves it's purpose well. I can have all my makeup and toiletries in one place.

Trying to stitch with plastic as one of the fabrics is difficult. I found it worked easier to lay a piece of paper between the plastic and the sewing machine. Then tear away the paper when finished.

2009-04-15T13:01:00.011-05:00

I want to introduce you to my wonderful Crazy Quilt Bee. From left to right...Jan, Lynn, Maureen, me, Karen, Lynnis, Dolores, Chris (with grandson Will) Julie and Melanie. We are the infamous Lake Jackson Group. Jan established our group in 1999 with her first CQ class. Lynnis took that beginning class followed by me. All the other girls arrived at different times throughout the years that followed.

I am blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends who enjoy doing the same things as I do. All are extremely talented and do beautiful and creative work. I've written a number of articles about our group over the years. You can check these out through the past issues of CQMagOnline.

Chris rented a beach house and invited her wonderful family from different areas of the United States. They celebrated her birthday on April 11 with fun and festivities. We gathered at the beach on Tuesday for our regular weekly meeting.

We were in for a wonderful and totally unexpected treat. Her sisters, Pat and Petra, served us with shrimp cocktail, chicken salad on a diced tomato with avocado and lettuce. We enjoyed fresh, homemade strawberry pie and coffee for dessert. Everything was as delicious as it was beautifully served. We want Chris to have more birthdays. We also want her sweet sisters to cook for us once a week at our Bee.

I think I caught Karen (in red) swallowing her first bite. You never know when I'll snap that picture! To her right is Petra and Chris. Those shrimp are huge even by Texas standards.

Julie (in black & white) arrived a little late so she's having her first and second course together. Seated to her left is Dolores busy at work on her pin-weaving. She's making a purse.

The beach you see in the background is located on the Texas Gulf Coast. On the Gulf of Mexico, Surfside Beach is a popular area for tourists in the summer season. The beach is located about 15 miles from where I live and approximately 70 miles south of Houston, Texas. During hurricane season you will hear Surfside Beach and Freeport, Texas mentioned often.

Jan, our wonderful founder and mentor, is seated in this picture. Standing beside her is Karen, Chris and Will, Julie and Melanie.

I've taken some photos of two beautiful bonsai plants. We have a wonderful friend who is a master with training and growing bonsai. He started this small tree for us last year. It was a gift from dear friends Tim and Debi.

Liem kept it for a year and began it's training program. He's promised to help us nurture it. I've placed a quarter on the right side of the trunk to give you an idea of the size.

For the past several years Liem brings this beautiful jasmine bonsai for us to enjoy during the blooming season. The aroma is wonderful! I don't remember the exact age of this tree but it's around 50 years old. Jasmine is a vine that sends out long runners. You see it in our area hanging from fences and trellis. It's absolutely amazing to think of the love and patience, not to mention the talent, that went into training this vine to be a miniature tree.

I have a quarter placed in the middle of the trunk to give you an idea of the size of this trunk. Isn't it gorgeous?

My Button Necklace

2009-04-10T12:13:00.005-05:00

I'm almost finished with my button necklace. I have several additional charms I would like to attach. I'm really pleased with how it turned out but very glad to be finished. Crocheting the necklace band is not difficult but attaching the buttons is very time consuming. The buttons want to twist and turn and it can become very frustrating at times.

I've added a number of gold charms and my favorite in the tiny ArtBra charm purchased from Ribbonsmyth. As a designer of five of those ArtBras this is a very special charm and keepsake. If you enlarge the photo you can see the tiny ArtBra on the right side.

Breakfast at Karen's

2009-04-06T18:12:00.009-05:00

Jan, Linda and I went to visit Karen today for a fun day of stitching and visiting. Karen is a member of our Lake Jackson Crazy Quilt Bee but lives about 80 miles north. She comes to Lake Jackson twice a month and we try to visit and stitch in her home once a month.

She is a wonderful hostess and had a warm pecan pie waiting for us today. Jan asked if we might have a piece for breakfast - thus the title: "Breakfast at Karen's" Let me assure you it was an outstanding breakfast!

Karen wanted to make one of my silk roses so we worked on that project today. Pictured here is Karen holding her almost finished rose. She did a beautiful job and I was extremely proud. Another of our friends is opening a new quilt shop and I'll be teaching the Hanah silk rose. This was an excellent opportunity to practice.

Jan worked on her beautiful block for the 2009 ArtBra Ladies wall hanging. Be sure and check the Flickr site on my sidebar where you can see the blocks that are completed so far. This will be another wonderful work of art.

Linda worked on a wool project today. My photography skills were lacking today. I was too busy having fun to worry about my photos. Linda's beautiful project is not visible in this photo and I've cropped the top of Karen's head. I'll try to do better.

Lacking Focus

2009-03-26T06:25:00.007-05:00

Staying focused is very hard for me. It's difficult to see something beautiful and not want to create it. Dear friend and fellow Bee member brought her beautiful crocheted button necklace to the meeting several weeks ago. Of course, I just had to have one.

Pictured here is the necklace that Karen made. Isn't it gorgeous! She has attached a variety of buttons and gold sewing charms. The crocheted band is made of triple crochets and forms a beautiful lace pattern.

I've finished the crocheted band and have started adding my buttons. Karen has approximately 50 buttons in addition to the gold charms on her necklace. As you can see from the attached photo, I have a number of buttons to add before mine is complete.

I'm using Finca size 16 black thread and a #10 crochet hook. You create the band first and then add the buttons and charms.

And speaking of focus.....Cathy posted some gorgeous photos of a vintage lingerie bag with the most beautiful roses. What a wonderful treasure this is. Please take some time to go to her blog and look at these photos.

After you check our Cathy's blog you will know what my next project will be. Thanks, Cathy, for the inspiration.

My Pin-Weaving Experience

2009-03-12T12:49:00.008-05:00

Although I've been tardy with my blogging I have been busy stitching and playing. Dear friend and fellow Bee member introduced the group to pin-weaving. Karen has done some beautiful things including a wall hanging using this technique.

I was not able to attend the meeting where they got started but I copied from their work....shame on me! I took pictures and studied those very carefully and felt competent enough to do my frame. With board, T-pins and heavy thread I built my frame and created the warp.

At their meeting they had all these wonderful fibers and yarn to weave with but I did not have many of those so I made do with what I did have. I cut thin strips of silk and other lightweight fancy fabrics. In addition to those I used narrow trims and cords. I know you will recognize some of these in the photos attached.

Pin-weaving is fun and addicting! I quickly finished my piece and decided to make a purse. It's a little on the wild side but I like it. It needs a closure and a strap and it will be finished.

I used Misty Fuse to secure the weaving and also to attach the lining. It was an experiment that turned our really great. The only stitching on the entire purse was hand stitching the sides together and attaching the tab. I've used a stripe dupioni fabric for the lining.

If any of you are interested in pin-weaving be sure to check out the next issue of CQMagOnline. Julie is planning an article with lots of pictures to show you.

I Won a Fabulous Gift

2009-02-16T17:41:00.003-06:00

I wanted to share my exciting news and show you a picture of my wonderful surprise. My name was drawn by Szarka Designs in the "One World - One Heart" annual event organized by Lisa Swifka.

I discovered this wonderful event while browsing the internet and began checking out the various blogs. It didn't take me long to realize I wanted to participate next year. What a wonderful way to meet new people and enjoy their creative art.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Szarka Designs for drawing my name and also to Lisa for organizing this great event. I will certainly enjoy wearing this beautiful creations!

Working on my Peach Quilt Blocks

2009-02-06T08:04:00.007-06:00

I thought I would post some of the progress I've made on my peach quilt. I have four of the twelve blocks nearing completion with only eight remaining blocks to embellish.

I love my color theme but they do not photograph as well as I would like. The velvets are luscious and the peach dupioni has a beautiful sheen.

I am guilty of finding projects I would like to do and setting my quilt blocks aside. Perhaps all of us are guilty of that. There are so many things to experiment with and I find myself easily distracted.

The picture on the right is a ruched ribbon rose made with 1 1/2" wide silk habotai ribbon. I purchased the ribbon from Vic with Ribbonsmyth and hand-dyed it in the variegated peach colors.

For those who haven't ruched I've include an example of how it is done. Using a matching thread do a running stitch in a "V" shape.

There is one important point to remember: when you come to the edge of the ribbon circle the thread over the edge and begin stitching on the reverse side. I hope you will be able to see this in the photo.

After making about 4 or 5 of the "V's" I gather the ribbon and begin again. I wish I could give you the yardage it takes to make the rose but I haven't stopped to do that. To make the rose you will circle the ruching and tack it down to your fabric. Continue to circle by placing the remaining length under the first layer. Do this until you like the size and shape of the flower.

Another design is my tiny table setting with the sterling silver flatware and napkin sitting beside a mother of pearl button. I wish I could take credit for this beautiful motif but I can't. With the permission of my dear friend and mentor, Jan, I have copied one she did on a recent quilt. I want to add some leaves and silk ribbon embroidery so I'm not quite finished but I just had to show you. I've used a small vintage motif for my place mat.

I showed her what I had done Tuesday at our quilting bee. I asked her if she had done the napkin with the silk ribbon. Her answer was no but she planned on adding one. It's great to have such a wonderful group of ladies who love to create and love to share their creations. What one doesn't think of the other one will.

Queen Anne's lace is a simple yet elegant flower and I've tried to reproduce it in ecru pearl cotton. Another one of those creative friends I was discussing earlier had a picture of this and I liked it so much I just had to see how it looked in thread. Linda is always sharing something beautiful with the group.

And my last photo is my initial B. The satin stitch is not one of my favorites but I decided my quilt needed my initial.

Yesterday I spent my day making a pair of dichroic earrings with a beaded bezel. Occasionally I get in the mood to bead and set my crazy quilting aside. With that project finished I'm ready to begin working on my quilt blocks once again.

Premier Estates Retreat

2009-01-25T16:06:00.003-06:00

Our Lake Jackson group just returned from a great retreat in Wallis, Texas called Premier Estates. Over the years we've found this place to be our favorite. It's located in a small town and the setting is wonderful. There are two restored manor houses fully equipped to meet every need. We love it there and try to go at least twice each year.

Lynnis organized a wonderful project for the group to work on and most of us came home with a lovely brooch. I did mine in vintage pearls along with various other beads and crystals. You can see the tiny Swarovski butterfly in this picture.

I've used one of my crazy quilt blocks as the background for this photo. I will take pictures and show some of my progress soon.

CQMagOnline went live today so set aside some time to look through this issue. We've dedicated this first issue of 2009 in memory of Nora Creeach, our former editor. The magazine was important to her and she devoted much of her time to insure it's success. We are indeed grateful.

A Kodak Moment

2009-01-14T13:15:00.003-06:00

I would like to introduce you to one of my dearest friends... her name is Lynnis. She is one of our infamous Lake Jackson Crazy Quilt Bee known as "Bee Crazy." Without doubt most of us fulfill the crazy part without even picking up our needle & thread. Some of us are also a little vindictive.

On a recent retreat we found out Lynnis has extremely sensitive eyes. She woke me up in the wee hours of the morning asking me to close the curtain - the light was bothering her. She said I was talking so she thought I was awake. It would seem I talk in my sleep.

Linda, another dear friend, shared the same room and encountered a similar problem. Lynnis and I were going to bed early and Linda wanted to read. She asked Lynnis if it would be okay. Lynnis had no problem with the reading but told Linda she could if she didn't turn on the light.

We thrive on these situations and use them to our fullest advantage. I have repeated this story countless times and will continue to do so. At our Tuesday Bee I presented Lynnis with this velvet eye mask. It's my original design and actually works so we have this problem solved.

I have enough of these funny stories about members in our Bee to write a book. Jan organized our group approximately ten years ago and Lynnis is a charter member. In addition to Lynnis, Jan, and myself we have 9 other crazy quilters: Julie, Linda, Dolores, Melanie, Maureen, Mary, Claudette, Chris, and Karen. Lynn is a charter member of our group who we have been unable to convert to crazy quilting but she does beautiful beading.

God has truly blessed my life with these wonderful friends. Each one is extremely talented and full of life. In many places our reputation precedes us. We definitely know how to have a great time together.

Lacking Motivation...

2009-01-09T16:58:00.009-06:00

Where has all my motivation gone? I feel like it's lying dormant during this winter season and I'm not accomplishing much. I've spent the last several days trying to decide what I could post - something new and exciting! In the absence of exciting I thought I would show you the latest work on my peach quilt block.

In this motif I've repeated the rose pattern in the fabric with silk ribbon embroidery. I've used 7mm silk ribbon that I've hand-dyed using a combination of Ranger and Ribbonsmyth dyes.

This second picture is one of the twelve blocks I've been working on. I'm disappointed with the color quality of the photos. The fabrics are much more vibrant and beautiful than they appear in the photos. I love how the blocks are coming together and think I'll be really pleased with the finished quilt.

I would love to complete it this year but I'm not sure I will meet that deadline.

I wanted to post one additional picture. It's a gift I received from my dear friend Debi. She is a natural when it comes to beading and comes up with some of the most beautiful designs. She has given me this lovely necklace pictured here.

Our local Lake Jackson Bee has another quilting retreat beginning on the 19th. of this month. Perhaps I will come back with lots of new things to share.

Tree of Life

2008-12-24T08:29:00.003-06:00

I love one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts and this is my favorite. I commissioned a dear friend to make it for my mother-in-law's Christmas gift.

As I understand wire-wrapping is an ancient art form that has been around for hundreds of years. Dolores does gorgeous work and I love this piece she made for me.

The large Swarovski stone is my mother-in-law's birthstone and the four surrounding smaller stones are her children's birthstone.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with health and happiness. May God richly bless you and your family.

My Rose Block

2008-12-17T17:59:00.004-06:00

Each year I look forward to creating a block for our yearly breast cancer awareness wall hanging. We evolved from Victoria Adams Brown's Way to Women's Wellness Foundation and the infamous ArtBras. This will mark our fourth year and I'm so pleased to be a part of this small group of very talented and equally dedicated ladies.

At present we are a closed group since we can only accommodate a certain number of blocks. We do love to share our work, however, and you can see all the past and future blocks on our Flickr site.

Each year someone suggests a theme and a color choice. This year Jan suggested shades of pink and Victorian rose with our theme being roses. Of course I was thrilled with the flower choice - I do love to make roses!

Several days ago a design popped into my head and I couldn't rest until I gave it a try. I'm attaching several pictures. I've appliqued five base petals in different shades of pink onto the Victorian rose dupioni. These are embellished with silk ribbon embroidered roses. One petal has bullion roses done with Edmar threads.

The three top petals are embellished in the same way and attached to the base petals. It is my intention for those to remain upright and give dimension to the block. I've placed some trim in the center for this picture but will replace that with rolled roses along with some silk leaves.

Fan Block Completed

2008-12-11T15:39:00.004-06:00

In my last post I included a picture of my pieced fan block. Today I wanted to share pictures of the finished block. I used Carole Samples' new workbook entitled:
"MOMMY'S TIES"
Fancy FANS Blocks
The WORKBOOK.

I've always loved her "needlework lace" and the workbook has more detailed instructions on how to accomplish this. The stitching is done with #12 Perle cotton in ecru. Miss Carole says it was her intention to mimic real lace trim when she designed her original fan quilt which is her trademark. She has definitely accomplished this with her beautiful stitching.

Part 3 of the workbook is entitled "Designing the Needlework Lace" and it gives you instructions on how to design your own lace. I am really pleased with my first attempt. Carole is an excellent instructor. I hope many of you will have the opportunity to take her class in the future.

If you would like a copy of the Workbook you might contact Valerie Bothell with the Pink Bunny.

Just one more on the Pink Bunny Retreat - Promise

2008-11-22T01:47:00.011-06:00

Months ago when we first signed up for the three-day class with Miss Carole we remembered this wonderful pattern designed for her templates. It was one of those patterns you just have to have but put off making...well, we all got busy piecing and embellishing - all of us trying to finish by the deadline.

For those who were somewhat slower than the others we would intimidate them by asking that they please not embarrass us by taking their wonderful templates in a zip-lock bag. All six of us made a valiant effort to finish but only three finished in time.

I would brag by saying I finished first but I won't! The others benefited by my mistakes and their cases are gorgeous. Mine sits a little haphazard but I love it all the same. Mine is done in the brown and rust tones.

The finished case consists of two parts. One holds the templates and stands upright due to plastic inserts. This case folds and is stored in the matching box. The lime green and yellow tones belong to Lynnis.

This last one pieced in burgundy and olive tones was done by Jan. I've included a picture of the end of her template box so you will have a better idea of how the finished project looks.

I will look for my pattern later today and post who designed it. My mind fails me at the moment. It's a fabulous design - both decorative and functional.

Victorian Stitchery Retreat - Part II

2008-11-16T13:33:00.005-06:00

I received a letter from Val Bothell with the Pink Bunny regarding next year's retreat in Wichita. It will be November 12, 13, & 14, 2009. Betty Pillsbury and Judith Baker Montano have agreed to return. She said Carole Samples wants to be a student next year but I vote for her teaching once again. She has so much to share with all the crazy quilt enthusiasts

Pictured on the right is Lake Jackson Crazy Quilt Bee member, Linda, along with Judith. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to shop and purchase some of the beautiful supplies.

Judith Baker Montano has a new book as well as a new CD on the market. I was excited when she drew my business card at the Houston International Quilt Market and I won a copy. It is a great addition to my stitching library and most of my Lake Jackson Bee bought a copy after seeing mine. The book is entitled: EMBROIDERY & CRAZY QUILT STITCH TOOL.

Jules bought a CD at the Wichita retreat and we decided to watch it one evening after class. It's a 3-hour tape and we sat spellbound during the entire CD. The next morning we went to Judith's class and the remainder of our group bought the CD. I've been crazy quilting for nine years and learned lots of new things. It's great! The CD is entitled JUDITH BAKER MONTANO TEACHES YOU CRAZY QUILTING.

I plan to do a review in CQMagOnline on both the book and the CD. The next issue will be in January. Be sure to check this issue for additional information.

Pictured above is one of Judith's projects she had on display in Wichita. She very kindly allowed me to photograph it.

Pink Bunny Retreat - Part 1

2008-11-10T18:53:00.006-06:00

Val Bothell's Victorian Stitchery Retreat was fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Wichita. It's great to be home but I always miss the fun times with all our wonderful crazy quilt friends.

I want to share a few pictures of our Saturday class with Carole Samples. It was such a pleasure to meet Carole - she is a lovely and gracious lady. She is pictured on the right holding her gorgeous fan quilt.

If you have worked with Carole's templates you know what a brilliant mind she has. We decided she must be an engineer to have worked out such a complex and intricate tool for making these perfect stitches.

On the left is a close-up photo of one of the fan blocks. Isn't the lace effect wonderful on the top of the fan blades? In class I completed the piecing of my fan and I'm ready to start working on the stitches I learned.

On the right is my pieced block. I decided to do it in the same peach fabrics as my quilt blocks. I knew I would want to include it in my final quilt assembly.

If you have thought about precision stitching I would recommend these wonderful templates, Carole's book (A Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches) and the laminated sheets available for doing a number of embroidery stitches. Contact The Pink Bunny to order.

Pink Bunny Victorian Stitchery Retreat

2008-11-06T21:01:00.003-06:00

I am currectly posting from the wonderful city of Wichita, Kansas. Six of our Lake Jackson CQ Bee are attending Val Bothell's Victorian Stitchery Retreat. Val has organized a fabulous retreat with Carole Samples, Judith Baker Montano and Betty Pillsbury teaching their individual areas of expertise.

Carole is challenging her class members to use her templates to create perfect stacked stitches. The templates are a great aid in creating the wonderful stitches featured in her book: Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches. We are having such a great time - wish all of you could join us!

Pictured here are six of our infamous Lake Jackson Crazy Quilt Bee. From left to right: Lynnis, Jan, Linda, Karen, myself and Jules. Perhaps you recognize the Piecemaker's Quilt we are holding - it is beyond beautiful!

Houston International Quilt Market & Festival

2008-11-03T02:35:00.005-06:00

I always look forward to the month of October and the opportunity to represent CQMagOnline at the Quilt Market and Festival. Julie, who is a fellow staff writer and dear friend, attended as well and we spent four days taking classes and being introduced to all the latest tools and techniques in the quilting world.

When the Quilt Festival ends I always come away thinking it was the best year ever. This year was no exception! I look forward to sharing some of the things I learned through CQMagOnline as well as my blog.

In this post I want to share a product that Clover Needlecraft has. I was fascinated with this little tool and anxious to experiment. The instructions were written in Japanese but that was no deterrent when the end result would be a rose.

This rose maker comes in several sizes and I've used the large and small one. The pink rose is made with Hanah silk satin and the large one is made with a kimono silk I purchased at Festival last year. I'm a tool junkie so I thoroughly enjoyed making both of these roses.

This month is a busy one for me as well as exciting! Tomorrow I'm leaving for Wichita, Kansas with five other friends from my local crazy quilt bee. We will be taking classes from Carole Samples and learning all her wonderful techniques for embroidery. Her book: Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches is one of my favorite books and I look forward to taking this class.

I will share some of the things I learn in upcoming posts to my blog. I always enjoy meeting new friends and renewing old acquaintances so I'm excited about this trip. Being with four of my dearest friends is an added blessing.

The Butterfly Project

2008-10-17T13:22:00.006-05:00

I received this link from a friend and after reading it I knew I had to participate. The Butterfly Project is sponsored by the Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas. In an effort to remember the 1,500,000 innocent children who died due to the Holocaust, the museum is collecting handmade butterflies.

When the museum opens in the Spring of 2012 it would like to have a handmade butterfly to represent every child who lost their life in this horrific event.

I plan to make a butterfly similar to the one I created for the 2007 ArtBra Ladies wall hanging. All the specifics regarding size and materials are listed on the website. I would invite you to join me in helping the museum reach its goal.

Another Handbag Creation

2008-10-11T17:32:00.010-05:00

I always enjoy creating a new handbag and wanted to share one that I just completed. This pattern appealed to me because it was unique. It is from one of Komiko Sudo's books entitled: Folded Flowers: Fabric Origami With a Twist of Silk Ribbon. In her book it is not crazy quilted but a friend decided to crazy quilt one she made. It was gorgeous and I had to have one as well.

I've taken the pattern and enlarged it somewhat. Instead of carrying it as a wrist purse I wanted a shoulder bag. I've added extra length to the strap to achieve that purpose.

I searched the internet today for someone else who might have made this beautiful purse and found the following site. She has a picture of the original purse pattern and the purse she has completed. She has done a fantastic job.

I've used dupioni silk for the lining and added a pocket on each side. Only the bottom section is machine stitched. The upper portion including the straps are stitched by hand.

My son gave me a copy of Kumiko Sudo's book: Omiyage as a gift several years ago. She is a renowned fiber artist and has written numerous books. Her books offer many wonderful projects perfect for gift-giving. In fact, omiyage is the Japanese word for "gift."

Life on the Gulf Coast of Texas

2008-10-03T07:30:00.006-05:00

Although I've lived in this area of Texas all my life I never look forward to hurricane season. Hurricane Carla hit 47 years ago doing major damage in our area. Since that time we've had the occasional tropical storm but nothing catastrophic.

It seems only yesterday that we were preparing for Hurricane Ike. It's been over three weeks and we are still dealing with some of the issues resulting from the storm and unpacking boxes we evacuated along with us.

Compared with many people in this area we were truly blessed. Our boat road out the storm amazingly well with absolutely no damage. We thank God for His blessings and pray for those less fortunate.

Here is a picture of one of the boats in the marina about 500 feet from ours. Tornadoes are responsible for much of the damage at the marina.

************
On a better note.. the staff of CQMagOnline is preparing articles for the October issue. I have a final article on the Ideas and Inspiration Challenge including many photos. This article is based on the fabulous work done by my local crazy quilt bee.

With the Christmas season fast approaching I've written an article on how to make a mother of pearl brooch. Start collecting your small buttons now.

The BOI (Block of the Issue) will be a block that I designed for the 2007 ArtBra Ladies wall hanging.

And last, but certainly not least, an article on Ginny Eckley and her silk screening process. Ginny is an extremely gifted artist and I thoroughly enjoyed her two-day class.

Some of the best and most talented are contributing articles for this upcoming issue. Mark your calendars for the end of October and be ready to be inspired.

Sharing my Work and Wonderful Awards

2008-09-06T14:12:00.014-05:00

I have several ongoing projects with deadlines fast approaching so I feel as though I succeeded in getting some necessary stitching accomplished this week. I took a few pictures that I'll share in this post.

Julie and I had an idea last year and began in earnest several months ago. One aspect included silk screening and we felt ready to tackle that part when we completed Ginny Eckley's wonderful class.

Another part included crazy quilting and embellishing a panel approximately 2 1/2 yards in length. Not a small task for sure but I'm all but finished with this crazy quilted part. The project, when completed, will be a wearable art and for that reason I haven't incorporated much silk ribbon embroidery.

I especially love silk ribbon embroidery in my crazy quilted projects so the panel looks a little bare in spots. I will probably add motifs done on buckram which can easily be removed for dry cleaning. I'll save that for the final step, however.

When all is finished and the final touches are added Julie and I will post our creations. Hopefully all will work according to our plans.

Awards......

I would like to include in this post several wonderful awards given to me by some really talented fellow crazy quilters. I am always humbled by the compliments I receive and equally touched when I'm given this wonderful recognition in the form of these awards.

I'm going to mention two I've received along with links to the talented women who passed them on to me. I am touched by your thoughtfulness and thrilled by the fact that you considered my blog as worthy. Many thanks!

Cathy with Crazy by Design has honored me with this Kreative Blogger Award. I know you are familiar with Cathy's beautiful work and therefore understand how much this means to me. Thanks Cathy for your support and for taking the time to read my blog.

Another wonderful stitcher is Jerry with Sewing Southpaw It's such a thrill to have her recognition as well along with the Brillante Weblog Premio - 2008. Thanks Jerry!

WOW! I feel really blessed to be the recipient of these two special awards.

I will follow through with the terms associated with these awards and pass them on in a later post. Thanks again to Cathy and Jerry!

Looking Back

2008-09-01T07:01:00.020-05:00

It's been said that time stands still for no one and that's definitely the case with me. My 10-year love affair with crazy quilting has taken me into many interesting and exciting venues. In 2004 I received an email from my dear friend Vic asking if I would consider creating a bra using any form of fiber art.

Vic had created a foundation known as WTWW or Way to Women's Wellness...a means to bring awareness to the issues of breast cancer. Her wonderful mom and sister were both struggling with the ravages of this disease and Vic was determined to bring the issue to the forefront.

A 2005 calendar was in the works but Vic needed more bras to create a display in various quilt venues. The first crazy quilted one was so much fun I decided to do a second one using a Texas theme.

Did I mention we had to create a story to go with these bras? WELL...I am definitely not a storyteller but I managed to follow through with this requirement.
Pictured here is the Texas themed bra done in denim and yellow roses. I used Angelina fibers for the state flag and Texas shape.

The straps just HAD to be made with rope in the form of a hangman's noose.

With these two bras completed my mind started to conjure up ideas for the following year. And so "Grape Expectations" was created. This was my favorite. I hand-dyed all the silk with the exception of the dupioni covering the bra. Each grape was individually created and strung with beads to hang in clusters. It was definitely a labor of love. Special thanks to my dear friend Stephanie for coming to my rescue by writing my story.

And finally "Opposites Attract" was born. The story just created itself as the bra came to life. The love story of Oscar the ostracized ostrich and Francesca the flamboyant flamingo. One of my dear friends and beader extraordinaire did the beading. From only a drawing I did she created these beautiful birds. I covered the bra in a free-form crochet. The rolled roses are made with Hanah silk ribbon as well as the blades of grass.

I would like to say "thank you" to Vic for including me in this wonderful creative vision she had. Her talent and creativity have touched many lives and the funds raised through calendar sales have been donated to various breast cancer research centers. How rewarding it has been to have played a small part in this gigantic endeavor.

The 2007 calendar was the last one created but WTWW lives on through our yearly wall hangings. I would invite you to visit our Flickr site and see the fabulous blocks that have been created over the past several years. Vic donates the wall hangings to various cancer centers throughout the United States.

Note: If you are interested in having the three calendars I believe they are still available through Ribbonsmyth as a gift set.

Silk Screening Class with Ginny Eckley

2008-08-28T15:53:00.007-05:00

I had such a great time in my weekend class with Ginny Eckley. She is an excellent instructor and makes the two-day class a wonderful learning experience. Ginny is truly a gifted artist!

We all had the opportunity to make our own screens and I did my rose, of course. On the second day we transferred our design onto a beautiful silk scarf. My finished project is pictured on the right.

The only difficult part of silk screening is getting the correct registration when you're working with a second screen. I haven't mastered that but I intend to do lots of practicing until I do get it right.

Weekend Class with Ginny Eckley

2008-08-22T08:23:00.008-05:00

Julie, Melanie and I are leaving later today to spend the weekend in Kingwood. Ginny Eckley, renown fiber artist, author, instructor, and silk screening expert, is holding a class at her studio and we are really excited with this opportunity to learn a new technique.

Julie and I became interested in silk screening when we attended the Tomball retreat and met Connie. I've posted her beautiful work earlier but have attached one of the photos I took. Connie graciously invited us to her home to experiment. Needless to say, we were so impressed and knew signing up for Ginny's class was a must.

Three of our Tomball friends, including Connie, are taking the class and we look forward to a fun weekend.

Julie and I are currently working on a special project which will include the silk screening along with our crazy quilting. We will keep you posted on our progress.

SPECIAL THANKS to all of you who have commented on my work. Your kind words mean so very much to me. I've always been fascinated with roses. In the 70's I had to take cake decorating to learn how to make them in frosting. I painted with oils and acrylics during that period as well. Now that I've found silk ribbon embroidery and Hanah silks I think I am finally satisfied.

A Special Surprise...

2008-08-18T01:36:00.008-05:00

It's definitely time to sit down and take a few minutes to post some of the happenings in my small world of stitching and creating. I'll begin by sharing a very special day with you. Last week I received an unexpected surprise in the mail from Leonie - a dear online friend. I opened the package with a great deal of excitement - I could not imagine what she would be sending me.

Inside was a fabulous book on roses...every species and color that you can imagine and many that I had never seen. Leonie said she had seen the book while shopping and thought about me and my love of roses. What a wonderful act of kindness and how special it made me feel! I will always cherish this wonderful book.

Of course, I had to sit down immediately and go through each page. Not only was I inspired by the beauty of each rose but also the glorious colors. I plan to set aside a day and attempt to recreate some with my dyes.

One rose stood out among the many contained in the book and over the weekend I attempted to recreate it in silk. Although it does not do justice to the absolute beauty of the rose, I was pleased with my first attempt. It's called a da Vince rose and has a four bud center. I've created the center with 34 individually cut petals using Hanah silk ribbon.

I've shown my book to everyone I've seen including my sister, Dorothy. She shared what her pastor had spoken about in one of her recent sermons. When unexpected acts of kindness occur in your life it's God's way of saying He loves you. Thank you, Leonie, for your thoughtfulness and for thinking about me in such a special way. You will never know the joy it has brought me.

Pictured here is the rose I created this weekend - I will always think of it as Leonie's rose. I look forward to working with the design and perfecting this beautiful rose in silk.

My New Crazy Quilt in Progress

2008-07-28T10:46:00.010-05:00

I thought I would share a few photos of my new crazy quilt. I gave lots of consideration to the color scheme and decided that peach, olive green, with shades of ecru and gold would be perfect for me.

I also wanted to do everything by hand which included piecing the blocks. It took me about a week to piece all 12 blocks but I'm pleased with the results.

I also want to include hand-dyed lace, motifs, ribbons and thread on each block and I've completed a few. I've pictured some of these here. I love the peach color in the Ranger dyes and all my flowers have this color included. In addition I've used Ribbonsmyth and OzeCraft dyes.

I've been collecting vintage motifs, tatting, lace, etc. for years so I've pulled some of my favorite ones to include on this quilt.

In one picture you can see some dark peach silk thread that I've hand-dyed. This is a 6 ply thread that our local group purchased from Treenway Silks.

I had some old tatting and didn't like the color so I've over-dyed that piece. It took the dye beautifully so I plan to dye others that I have.

I keep trying to finish some projects I have promised before starting on my quilt embellishments. I hope to get started soon and will share the journey with all you you.

My favorite part is the silk ribbon embroidery and embellishments so I look forward to beginning.

Houston International Quilt Festival

2008-07-26T10:01:00.006-05:00

'Dancing Lilies' by Caryl Schuetz, from the special exhibit "In Full Bloom V: Floral Quilts in Memory of Helen Pearce O'Bryant."

"Dancing Lilies" is one of the many beautiful quilts that will be on display at this year's Festival.

Each year I look forward to attending the Houston International Quilt Festival held in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Although it's months away, it's time to begin making your plans to attend.

The dates for this year's Festival is October 30 - November 2. Preview Night is October 29 and classes begin on October 27.

The classes offered this year look wonderful and appeal to every level from beginner to advanced quilter and mixed media enthusiast. Take a few minutes to view their website and see what is being offered.

This festival is reported to be the largest of its kind in the world. Everything is under one roof but the square footage is massive. You won't be able to see everything in one day. If you can attend this year I will guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Time Flies - It's Not Fair!

2008-07-24T07:42:00.008-05:00

I can't believe an entire month has slipped by without any posting on my part. I will definitely try to do better in the future. This post will be a short one but I will share a few things I've been working on.

Last Saturday our local CQ group held a mini-retreat from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. The time flew by but what fun we had. Three of us worked on our little Victorian tuffet kit, one of Vic's wonderful creations. You can purchase the kit from her website: Ribbonsmyth.

I posted one that a friend had made several posts back. Pictured here is the one I made last Saturday. I used small spools for the feet and added matching thread. I also had an old piece of jewelry that I used for the faux closure.

I recently attended a Stampin' Up party with my sister Dorothy and had the pleasure of meeting some of her wonderful friends from work. As I was glancing through the catalog I have to admit that my mind was on crazy quilting and embellishing fabric and not cards. I was thrilled with all the ideas in that book and just had to have it.

Pictured here is one of the designs from the book that I recreated in fabric and silk ribbon embroidery. In case you don't recognize it; it's a wheelbarrow full of fargo roses! I would recommend one of these books as a great source of inspiration.

Once again I apologize for the lack of posts in the past month. I definitely plan to do better and hope you will not give up on me.

More Vintage CQ Photos

2008-06-28T21:34:00.013-05:00

The last several weeks have been busy ones and I've been concentrating on getting my articles written for CQMagOnline. I've continued my Ideas and Inspiration challenge with favorite seam treatments and motif designs. I think you will get some great ideas so be sure and check the upcoming issue posted at the end of July.

I would love to continue the challenge through the end of 2008 and even into next year. In order to do that I need submissions from our readers. I welcome any ideas and input.

Currently I am working on finishing five pair of flip flops I designed for Artemis/Hanah Silks. Normally I don't enjoy repeating a project but sometimes it's necessary when there are so many color choices available. I love working with this beautiful velvet and silk and always enjoy experimenting with new combinations. I'll share pictures of the designs at a later date.

I promised more pictures of Diana's beautiful vintage crazy quilt so I've included a number in this post. It is fascinating to look at the old quilts and imagine the hours that went into creating them.

I hope you have enjoyed browsing through the pictures of this beautiful quilt.

Fun Day at Crazy Quilt Bee

2008-06-18T12:55:00.013-05:00

As I've mentioned many times, Tuesday is a day I really look forward to each week. Our CQ Bee meets every week from 10 am until 4 pm and this week we were so pleased to have friends from our recent Tomball retreat join us.

Show and Tell is a necessary part of any get together and I took lots of pictures to share. Jan, created this wonderful needle case tuffet. This is a beautiful creation of Victoria Adams Brown and can be purchased on her website: Ribbonsmyth.

After seeing Jan's up close and in person I'm going to definitely order one to make. These would make beautiful gifts as well. I've included four pictures so you can see inside and out.

With the lid open you can see the pin cushion and the sheets for your needles.

The edges are beautifully trimmed with the hand-dyed rococo ribbons that Vic sells. As I understand this is all included in the kit.

Everyone was totally impressed with Jan's beautiful creation and I definitely one to make one.

Donna, from the Tomball group, had emailed me prior to the meeting and asked me to bring a piece of fabric and she would show me how to fold this origami kimono. On the right is the results. Isn't that the cutest thing?

I've included the ruler so you will be able to note the size. I was 1/2" short on the width but it still is so pretty.

I've never done origami before and was fascinated with the results. I've used a piece of gold dupioni.

Diana had just purchased the most beautiful vintage crazy quilt and I took many pictures of it. What an absolute treasure she found! As you can see by the ribbon attached it dates back into the late 1800's.

The silk is shattered in some places but it is still a masterpiece!

I will continue to post different pictures I took. I think we are all inspired by the vintage crazy quilts and I know I get so many wonderful ideas for stitches.

Note the flowers on the right. They are done with short lengths of thread and stitched onto a tiny rectangular base. I wish all of you could see them in person.

Retreat Withdrawal

2008-06-05T15:00:00.013-05:00

Our Wallis retreat was wonderful as usual! Premier Estates is the perfect place to sit and stitch. The peace and quiet of this small town along with the beauty of the house and grounds is so inspiring. Combined with the talent of all my Lake Jackson friends, one can't help being productive.

We were excited to have Melanie's sister, Wendy, join us...what a talented lady. She and Melanie do wonderful ribbon and fabric dyeing in addition to many forms of needle art including crazy quilting.

There was a beautiful gardenia bush blooming profusely. Wendy brought one in and asked me to make one with silk. I made some sketches while enjoying the wonderful fragrance of this flower. Monday I sat down and made my first attempt at recreating it. We talked about naming it The Premier Gardenia so here it is - just for Wendy!

I really don't like the burned edges since the gardenia is such a pure white. I'm going to continue experimenting and check other ways of doing the petals.

I promised pictures so I'm going to share a few of the projects I completed on retreat. I signed up for the pinkeeper swap on one of my yahoo groups, Silk Ribbon Heirlooms, so that was my first project. I altered one of the rose patterns I created for Artemis/Hanah silks and added it to the top.

Instead of using the regular CD I used a 3" mini CD. Two of the CDs are covered with green velvet and sandwiched together. You can slide pins between these two layers and it makes a great place to store pins.

I formed the center bud using a light rose velvet and filled it with emery...a little something extra to sharpen pins or place your needle. The rose is made with 1" wide Hanah silk satin in the Victorian Rose color. I absolutely love working with these beautiful ribbons and feel so fortunate to be able to design for them.

Another friend and I had seen several CQ bags for your clipping and such. I hesitate to call it a trash bag but that's exactly what it is. We talked about making one so I drew a pattern for a really simple box-style with a lid. I was experimenting to see if my pattern really worked so I used a floral fabric and lined it with dupioni.

It would be beautiful crazy pieced and embellished and I plan to do one for one of the upcoming issues of CQMagOnline. Pictured here is my first attempt. The green velvet on the inside lid is an emery pincushion. The weight of the emery keeps the box in place on the edge of the table. It's amazing how convenient it is and I find I'm using it every time I sit down to stitch.

In a previous post I showed you my large CD pincushion. It was an idea I got from the ladies at the Tomball retreat. Several of our group just had to have a small one when we discovered the mini CDs. Pictured here is my mini creation. Of course, all I need is another pincushion but that isn't really the point, is it? I'll have to substitute pincushion in that old saying: "He who dies with the most pincushions wins!" I may not have the most but I'm sure I'm running a close second.

By the way, isn't the box under the pincushion beautiful? Linda always brings door prizes and I was the lucky winner of this beautiful prize. She is always so generous and we always look forward to seeing what she has.

The Subtle Signs of Aging

2008-05-25T16:15:00.007-05:00

Well, I have written proof that I'm old and forgetful! I kept having this feeling that I had posted the ruffle ribbon rose in a prior post, so today I went back and checked. There it was in the month of February - same little rose. It's so cute and deserves the extra attention but I certainly hate to admit my memory is lacking.

I'm hoping my trip to Wallis with our local CQ Bee will help to rejuvenate me. I've been packing for the last two days trying to include everything I will need in the least possible space. I have about five projects to work on and hopefully will come back with pictures to share. We will leave early in the morning and return on Thursday... four days and three nights on fun, stitching, and lots of laughing.

In the meantime I will share some photos that I hope I've not posted before. This is a teaspoon pincushion that Vic made for me. It is something I use often and totally enjoy. Not only is it beautiful but also functional.

A number of years ago I signed up for a half doll swap. I had never made one and thoroughly enjoyed creating "Frances." I used a beige dupioni silk and stitched a diamond pattern in matching thread. I placed the tiny French knot roses at the points.

I made a petticoat as well. At that time I was interested in weaving laces and ribbons onto a fusible interfacing. This made a really lovely piece of fabric. On the right is the petticoat I made for Frances.

I also made a fan with a small piece of this fabric. The weaving is tedious but I love the results.

By now I hope you have forgotten all about that memory lapse.

Ribbon Ruffle Roses

2008-05-24T02:59:00.014-05:00

The ribbon ruffle comes in so many vibrant colors and I think it adds so much to an embellished seam. I thought I would share my directions for making a small rose using this beautiful ribbon.

The picture on the right is an example of the roses used for a seam embellishment. I've used a Mokuba trim for the base and added the tiny flowers. This particular ribbon is a variegated purple and blue. Check out RibbonSmyth for many color choices.

The first part in done in your hands and definitely "fiddly." Fold ribbon at a 45 degree angle. The first two steps are the same instructions for making a folded rose.

Begin rolling the ribbon into a tight bud. You want a well-defined bud so roll past the fold an additional roll or two. With a needle and matching thread take a small tacking stitch to hold the bud in place.

With the same needle and thread secure the bud in the proper place on your seam. Make sure the bud stands erect.

Twist the ribbon as shown in the picture on the left. Begin wrapping at the base of the ribbon.

Wrap this loosely around the bud tacking in several places. Continue to twist the ribbon and loosely wrap around the base until you have the size flower you want.

Tuck the end of the ribbon under the flower and tack down with needle and thread.

The picture below shows you the size of the rose in relationship to a penny.

Another Retreat....Premier Estates

2008-05-09T15:56:00.024-05:00

Wow... it seems I'm getting lazy with my blogging and need to make some improvements. I can't believe it's been ten days since I posted. My last project was the CD pincushion and I really enjoyed making it. Some of you have asked for directions and Jules will be writing an article for CQMagOnline. Be sure and check the July issue for details.

May 26 our local CQ group will leave for Premier Estat es in Wallis, TX. It's a wonderful restored manor house built in the late 1800's. The outhouse, potting shed and stables are still standing and add to the beauty of the surroundings.

Last year we were so excited to have dear friend Victoria Adams Brown of Ri bbonsmyth join us. When it comes to my love of silk ribbon embroidery, Vic is my mentor.

I took several classes from her the year I went to Omaha and in later years attended other classes in Dallas. She is such a talented artist and a real blessing in my life. I owe so much to Vic and Jan for teaching me this wonderful art of crazy quilting.

Pictured on the left is Jules and Vic sitting at their workstations.. See how wonderful the room is equipped. Those large floor to ceiling windows are wonderful as well.

On the right is Jan busy at work on her project. We always laugh at the things we pack and take to retreat. What one doesn't have the other one will.

Melanie, Lynnis and Vic are dyeing silk velvet and ribbons on the outside veranda. As you can see from the picture on the left it's already dark outside. We never let the time of day interfere with our fun. That overhead light was a blessing.

With an outhouse on the property who could resist the following pictures. Jules, Vic, and I were the only ones willing to do these wonderful poses. We are well-equipped with toilet tissue and excellent reading material...Vic's wonderful books: The Complete Guide to Silk Ribbon Embroidery and The New Ribbon Embroidery.

I've gained lots of experience through Vic. Pictured here are the four ArtBras I created for her WTWW foundation. What a creative idea she had for bringing awareness to the issues of breast cancer. The funds generated from calendar sales were donated to various breast cancer centers. I've had many laughs about showing people my work. Let me just say this small town in Texas is not ready for ArtBras.

The beading on "Opposites Attract" was done by my dear friend Debi. She worked with only a freehand drawing I gave her and created these wonderful birds.
The Arrington Breast Cancer Center in Lubbock hosted the ArtBras at their symposium in 2006. Julie and I were in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all these wonderful creations in person. Lubbock is Vic's hometown and she was honored for all the untold hours she spent in organizing and creating these wonderful ArtBras and the calendars. Pictured on the left is Vic as she speaks to the group and presents a check to this wonderful cancer center.

Well enough reminiscing....it's time to get busy and accomplish something.

Something Old and Something New

2008-04-30T18:09:00.011-05:00

Most crazy quilters love old linens, hankies, tatting, embroidery and such. I have a great friend who is fortunate enough to have some treasures her grandmother made. One was especially beautiful and I want to share a photo with you. Debi says it's somewhere around 70 years old.

Although she has never done any crazy quilting I think I've convinced her that she needs to piece a block and see if she likes it. With all these wonderful heirlooms she has a head start on collecting stash.

A solid base of triple crochets forms the skirt. The ruffles are made individually and attached to the skirt. Her grandmother has used a really fine thread. It's a beautiful piece of heirloom crochet.

Now for the new......the ladies in Tomball had made a wonderful pincushion with old CDs. They kindly shared how they did it and I pieced one at the retreat. I put it together last week and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Although beautiful, pink is not a color I would normally use to piece a block. Pat and Diana had brought some samples to share with the group and I picked out these fabrics to use. I'm really glad I did!

Jan shared some hand-dyed silk and the pattern for the grape leaf pictured on the left.

We all signed our names on a muslin heart at the retreat. I've put that heart on the bottom of my pincushion sandwiched between wool and a piece of tulle. I lightly burned the edges of the muslin to prevent fraying and it also gives it an aged appearance.

It's a fun and easy project and will be a wonderful keepsake from the Quilter's Cabin Retreat. I learned so many great things from this talented group of ladies and will share more in later posts.

Connie's Silk Screen Fabric Art

2008-04-25T11:40:00.015-05:00

I am still excited with all I learned at our Quilter's Cabin Retreat last week. Today I want to share some photos of Connie's seascape wall hanging. It is definitely a work of art and I know you will enjoy seeing the photos I took. Thanks to Connie and Deborah for allowing me to post photos and tell you about this wonderful project. I zoomed in too close and didn't get the border...it's a navy fabric and a perfect color choice.

This beautiful work was created by Connie and presented to Deborah for a birthday gift. I tried to change my name to Deborah but it didn't work...they wouldn't let me bring this fabulous wall hanging home with me.

Connie says the sea dragon was created by using four silk screens: one for the leafy parts, the second for the branches, the third for the body and the fourth for the body parts; eyes, ears, horns, and spikes.

Connie took classes from Ginny Eckley, a well known artist from Kingwood, Texas. You will want to go online and check out her website. She offers workshops along with all the supplies you will need to do this beautiful art form.

The jelly fish (photo of left) was created by painting in colors and then hand quilting the shape. Isn't it unique?

Although Ginny has a large assortment of ready to use silk screens on her website, she also teaches how to create your own stencils from any of your own designs. This is what Connie did with her sea dragons and underwater seascape.

I am amazed at Connie's talent and this beautiful wall hanging she has created. I've added this to my list of things I must do!

Not only is Connie a wonderful fabric artist but also a great cook! Connie (in the red blouse) is standing beside Susie who dearly loved those homemade waffles. They were delicious!

More Retreat Photos

2008-04-23T20:57:00.012-05:00

I want to share some additional photos taken at our recent retreat. I would like to thank all these talented ladies for giving me permission to post pictures of their beautiful work.

Everyone had such a great time and we are planning another retreat in September.

Pictured above (left) is Pat and Diana busy working on their projects.

On the right is a small wall hanging done by Karen. There are 20 blocks, each measuring about 2 1/2" and embellished with delicate lace and beautiful seam treatments.

Karen has also done this fish wall hanging pictured on the right. The body of the fish is crazy quilted in small blocks and cut to shape. Each tail in pieced in a fan shape.

The photo on the left is Karen busy at work in the kitchen. We all helped with cooking and the clean up afterward. Thank goodness for dishwashers!

Pictured below is Janet, Susie and Deborah. We had a mini dyeing lesson on the front porch. I was sharing the technique my dear friend Lynnis uses in edge dyeing her silk ribbons. The current issue of CQMagOnline went live today. I've written an article featuring Lynnis which includes step by step instructions on this dyeing process.

In another post I will share some photos of Connie's beautiful work. She is in the photo on the right surrounded by all those beautiful crazy quilts.

I also want to share some additional photos of the Quilter's Cabin Retreat in Tomball. It is such a beautiful setting and equipped to handle all our needs.

Pictured on the left is the bedroom Julie, Jan and I shared. Home away from home....and so comfortable!

Been Stitching.....

2008-04-20T09:26:00.023-05:00

My apologies for being so tardy with my blogging. On Thursday, the 17th. Jan, Jules and I left for a four day retreat in Tomball, TX. Quilter's Cabin is a wonderful setting for getting away from the mundane daily chores and relaxing among friends who have the same love of crazy quilting as I do.

There were twelve attending the retreat and the four days and three nights were packed with fun. Deborah did a fabulous job of organizing, stocking food, and planning all the fun events and shopping experiences. It was difficult to pack up and leave. Everyone had such a great time and we plan to continue these retreats.

I've been given permission to share some of the fabulous work done by the ladies attending the retreat and will be blogging about it in the weeks to come. The picture on the left show Jules busy at work.

Before telling you more about the retreat I need to share several pictures of how I made my yoyo roses. I promised Judith I would do this and I am certainly behind on that promise.

I use the small Clover yoyo maker and Hanah silk to make each circle. In the pictures below Jan has hand-dyed a silk satin . With the yoyo maker you will form six loosely gathered petals. This photo show how loose you should leave the yoyo. You will need to make six of these.

I make a small box pleat on one side of each petal and stitch it to the fabric. This will be the inner part of the flower.

The outside gathered area of each petal will be tucked under slightly and stitched in several places. I forgot to take a picture of the box pleat will be glad to do that and add it to this article if anyone would like that photo.

Leave a small circle in the middle of the petals to add French knots and some matching beads for sparkle. Here is a picture of the ones I made.

The previous article on my blog was the inspiration for these yoyo flowers. The vintage quilt owned by my friend Chris had these flowers in the center. I was determined to make something similar. Judith told me they might be made from the yoyo. With that in mind I started experimenting and came up with these flowers.

If you like the flowers and have problems please email me with any questions and I'll try to help.

A Glimpse of the Old

2008-04-09T03:46:00.020-05:00

I've mentioned my local CQ Bee and the wonderful ladies who make up this group. They are all so talented and just to attend the meetings each week is an inspiration. Yesterday Chris brought two crazy quilts that she had recently purchased. I took a number of pictures and she graciously agreed for me to share the photos on my blog.

This first one is more of a wall hanging size. The blocks are small and the stitches are simple as most of the old ones are. The fabrics are beautiful and it's in great shape.

The second one is absolutely beautiful. The stitching is still simple but the talented artist had mastered the long and short stitch and fabric painting.

The following four photos show some of the long and short stitch motif.

In the center of the block is a gorgeous motif of handmade roses. I have absolutely no knowledge when it comes to dating a quilt but it would be interesting to know. The leaves in this motif are made with a really fine chenille thread.

Of course, I loves roses so I took quite a few photos. The following are close-ups of the same motif.

In this one you can see the fine chenille thread that has been used.

Aren't these flowers simply beautiful! I would love to be able to reproduce them.

Both quilts are definitely treasures. I just can't imagine anyone selling these family heirlooms but it's wonderful for them to find a great home where someone appreciates and loves the work.

Stash Building...

2008-04-01T15:12:00.005-05:00

Today was my CQ Bee meeting and I was able to accomplish several things I've been wanting to do. I finished a needle case I've been working on for several weeks. In an earlier post I listed a few steps in making this cabbage rose.

Silk Ribbon Heirlooms, a yahoo group hosted by Willa Fuller and Victoria Adams Brown, is having an exchange. Jan, a dear friend and fellow CQer, made a similar one for the exchange and I just had to have one for myself. Isn't is horrible when you want everything you see? Definitely one of my shortcomings!

I need to buy a pair of the stork scissors for the beaded scissor fob and it will be ready to use. I probably have a needle case for every day of the week but they are so much fun to make.

Linda, Lynnis and I went to Fredericksburg, TX for the long weekend and had a fabulous time shopping. It's a little German town located about 300 miles to the west and a popular tourist attraction known for their antiques and gift shops.

They have several really nice bead shops and I found some beads for my cabochon Vic made. When the shops closed for the day we went back to our motel and stitched until bedtime. I've taken a picture of the progress so far. I want to add some fringe at the bottom of the cab.

I wish my camera would capture the beauty and sparkle of this cab. Vic did a wonderful job molding this and painting it. The beads are a great match and I plan to wear it as a pin for now. I think it would be a beautiful addition to a purse so that's another project for later.

I carried my needlepoint bag this weekend and received many compliments in Fredericksburg. It's huge but wonderful for shopping and carrying everything I need. I've included four pockets on the inside so I can keep up with those things I need to get to......like credit cards, checkbook, etc.

I made my purse several years ago and have really enjoyed it. I had the piece of needlepoint and made up the pattern as I went to accommodate the size of the canvas.

I want to make another smaller one when I find that "just perfect" needlepoint canvas. The back of the purse is a gold velvet and it's lined with an ecru moire with velvet-edged pockets.

A Little of This and a Little of That

2008-03-26T13:43:00.005-05:00

I have to share a picture with you of my dear friend, Julie (Jules) Notice the beautiful pin she is pointing to. It is a wonderful likeness of Julie painted by another dear friend, Stephanie.

I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends and the majority of them are also fabulous artists. I didn't get a close-up of the pin but Julie posted it to her blog. Be sure and check it out.

I've been busy writing articles for CQMagOnline. The April issue should be posted online the last part of the month. This is a busy time for all of us who write for the magazine and especially busy for Rissa, our editor.

I've written an article on another dear friend's edge-dyeing technique. Lynnis has outlined step-by-step instructions that are very easy and I think you will enjoy experimenting with her technique.

I've done a follow-up article on Valerie Hearder's newest book, POINTS OF VIEW. I completed my project, "Autumn Oak" and have written some of the highlights of my experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and learned so many new techniques that I can carry over into my crazy quilting.

I have two new products to share with everyone and have written a review on both. Bohin has a wonderful mechanical chalk pencil that is a must. Several in our local CQ Bee have signed up for classes in November with Carole Samples. I've been experimenting with her templates and using this pencil to mark my lines. It work fantastic and can even be erased if the need arises.

Another of my very favorite vendors is Kreinik Threads. They have introduced three new metallic colors to their line and also a 3/8" trim.

My last article will be the Ideas and Inspiration Challenge I issued in January. I have some fabulous work to show you with lots of examples, instructions, and eye candy. You will not want to miss this article - it has lots of inspiring work.

It Must BeTime to Bead

2008-03-21T12:38:00.010-05:00

I just received this gorgeous cabochon from Vic. Of course I was instantly in the mood to pick up my beads and start beading. Before I get totally involved, however, I thought I would share some cabs I have done over the years.

In this picture one is a cab and the other two are buttons with the shank removed. The red and gold ones are the buttons.

Several years ago I posted in one of my Yahoo groups some steps in beading a cab so thought I would share that with all of you.

1. Using Fabri-Tac or E6000, glue a cabochon or button with a flat back (you can cut shanks off) to a piece of felt about an inch larger than the button. Only glue the center of the button and not around the edges. This will prevent you getting a needle through. Let this dry overnight.

2. Add a row of beads around the outside of the button. I thread on 5 beads, going back down through the felt angling toward the center of the button. Come back up at the 3rd. bead, putting thread through the 3, 4, & 5 bead and adding 5 more. Continue this step until you have circled the button. I used one color of bead on this row but that is optional.

3. Add a second row of beads around the outside of row 1 of bead following the same technique. You will cut the felt even with row 2 when that is complete so make sure your thread goes in at an angle toward the center of the button. Otherwise you will cut threads as you trim the felt away. On this row I alternated two colors.

4. Working with about 18" of beading thread, a color matching the beads if possible, bury your knot. The smaller the bead you use now, the more delicate the frill.

5. Put 3 beads on the needle, go down through the felt about one bead width away from where you came up with the needle. Turn the button over and put your needle up and through the last bead that you threaded on. Turn the button over and add 2 beads and follow the step above: put your needle down through the felt about one bead width away from where you came up, turn the button over and put your needle up and through the last bead. Turn the button over and add 2 more beads and repeat this process until you have circled the button. End with 2 beads, come up through the second bead and add one and go down through the very first bead where you started. Stabilize with a knot.

6. Bring your needle and thread up through the last bead. Notice how the beads form a step row: one up, one down, one up line around the button. On this row you will be going through the one up bead in each sequence. Add 3 beads then thread through the top bead of the step row. Repeat this around the entire circle.

7. If you choose you can knot off with the row or add one additional row for a fuller frill. If you add an additional row you will bring your needle and thread up through the last bead, add 3 beads then thread through the top bead of the previous step row. Repeat around the entire circle.

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The cab on the right is a large metal button covered with fabric and them embellished with silk ribbon embroidery. I did the button but the beading was done by dear friend, Lynnis.

I was slowly drawn into trying more complicated patterns. The black velvet one below is one of those. It is also a large metal button covered with velvet and embellished with silk ribbon. I totally encased this one with a beaded picot stitch. Fairly easy to do but it certainly takes a long time.

I just had to have necklaces to match when I finished these cabochons so that called for more beading.

I love to collect old jewelry and take it apart saving some of the more beautiful stones to use in my beading.

My real love is crazy quilting and silk ribbon embroidery but beading is also very rewarding.

A Great Find.....

2008-03-18T09:19:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share with you a wonderful book I just purchased online. It's an EBook that you can download in either a .jpg or .pdf format. In her book, ELEGANT CRAZY QUILT SEAM TREATMENTS, Pam Kellogg shares her technique of using waste canvas to produce a perfect seam treatment. Included in this 42-page book are 12 pages filled with beautiful patterns.

I feel I need to make a confession at this point. Pam suggests in her book that you start with the larger size canvas. I had high expectations of myself so disregarded this valuable bit of advice and started with the 14 count. I strongly recommend beginning with the 8.5 count canvas.

If you have ever dreamed of creating beautifully spaced and precise seam treatments this book is a must. It is well-written and the instructions are easy to follow in both written and diagram form.

Our Annual Wall Hanging

2008-03-15T08:00:00.029-05:00

Each year a group of friends get together and create blocks for a wall hanging to be donated to a hospital breast cancer center. Our group evolved from Victoria Adams Brown's Way to Women's Wellness Foundation and her ArtBra creations. We receive so much personal satisfaction and joy by sharing our love of crazy quilting and fiber art.

Everyone loves "eye candy" so today I will share pictures of the blocks that have been completed. Each year we pick a theme and color choices. This year Stephanie suggested butterflies and the colors of Springtime. Her beautiful block is pictured on the right.

Below is Mary's block. You will want to click on each block and see a larger version of the wonderful stitches and embellishments.

The next photo is of Julie's (Jules) block. I love seeing how each one carries out the butterfly theme. (photo below)

Allie's block (photo below) has butterflies in flight similar to Julie's.

Linda has done the next block. The photo I received is smaller but I think you will be able to see all the wonderful stitching.

I have included my two blocks in earlier posts but will add them again.

Vic has received six of the blocks that are pictured here and taken a photo of them together. They blend so beautifully.

I have photos of four blocks that are nearing completion so I will post those as well.

I always look forward to seeing Rengin's work. She uses the oyas on her block which are an ancient needle art of her country, Turkey.

Below is Judith's block.

The last two are made by Jan and Lynnis.

These ladies have done some amazing work and I know you will enjoy browsing through each photo. Should you have any comments or questions on the blocks please leave a comment. We love sharing our work and welcome your input.

My Billfold Creation

2008-03-13T19:35:00.008-05:00

I've always enjoyed creating patterns for purses and even billfolds. On the right side of my blog you will find a link to my webshots if you would like to see some of the purses I've made over the years. Today I thought I would share some pictures of my billfold.

Knowing that it would be handled quite a bit, I was limited with my use of embellishments. My favorite motif is this spray of lilacs. They are done with the bullion stitch.

I chose a beautiful cotton fabric with gold highlights for the lining. The outside pieces are crazy quilted in coordinating colors.

I decided I needed a small change purse for coins and made a little pouch to insert into the wallet. It has ended up being my business card holder.

I really enjoyed making this billfold and even created a pattern just in case I decided to do another one.

Just When I Think I've Seen it All.....

2008-03-11T19:01:00.010-05:00

Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week. This is the day our crazy quilt group meets and we always have such a wonderful time. We share ideas and techniques and spend the entire day stitching and visiting.

We love to discover some new gadget or invention that the others have not thought of. This is not an easy task since our group has been stitching together for so long... but it doesn't prevent us from trying. Today Maureen came up with one of those new techniques and I just have to share with all of you.

She has taken her husbands electric drill and instead of a drill bit she's inserted one of her large plastic hairpins. In this picture she is demonstrating how she winds silk ribbon into wonderful little spools. With a little practice you can wind a perfect spool.

She also discovered that she can edge-dye the ribbon by brushing the dye onto the rolled spool. By not wetting the ribbon she can get a more defined edge. With the edge dyed you can then dampen the ribbon and over dye it.

In this picture you can see some of the neat little rolls of 2mm, 4mm and 7mm ribbon. She has even wound some on a bobbin.

Maureen has proven to me that I really haven't seen everything yet.

The Silk Ribbon Heirloom Yahoo group is having a needle case exchange and I've finished mine. Several years ago I bought a pattern from Gooseberry Hill. I decided to use this design for my needle case.

I used a beautiful piece of blue and green brocade lined with a blue/gray silk satin.

I've used Hanah silk satin ribbon for the tie and the colors blend beautifully with the brocade fabric.

Forty have signed up for the exchange and I can't wait to see all the beautiful needle cases made by the talented women in this group.

Grapes continued...

2008-03-06T16:22:00.010-06:00

Many thanks for the comments on my beaded grapes. I was asked where to find the drop beads and I've included one website under favorite artists and websites on the right side of my blog. These beads come in several sizes and I find the smaller ones work best for crazy quilt motifs.

Since grapes make wonderful embellishments for crazy quilting I thought I would share other motifs I have made. The first is a large grape leaf cut from hand-dyed silk. I've made templates in several sizes, traced the outline onto silk with a pencil, and then burned the edges.

The grapes in this motif are French knots made with 7mm variegated silk ribbon. A few #11 purple beads are attached to the leaf along with the veins using either a stem stitch or feather stitch.

I enjoy adding the tiny tendrils made from a single-ply flower thread. Wet a length of the thread with Aleene's Stiffen Quik (Quick Drying Fabric Stiffening Spray). Wrap the thread tightly on a pin and allow to dry thoroughly. I leave a long tail on the tendril to use in attaching it to the fabric. I purchased the Stiffen Quik from Hobby Lobby but I'm sure it's available through other fabric and craft stores.

The tendrils can be seen more clearly in the picture to the left. These grapes are made with the cast-on stitch. Sharon Boggon offers a great tutorial for doing the cast-on on her blog.

My most rewarding experience with creating grapes developed from my 2006 WTWW calendar creation; "Grape Expectations." Many of you are familiar with the wonderful work done by Victoria Adams Brown in bringing awareness to the issues of breast cancer.

I dyed all my fabrics with the exception of the silk dupioni that covered the bra. I had 3 sizes of grape leaves, hand-dyed and then painted with highlights. I used the product mentioned above, Alleene's Stiffen Quik, to make the leaves hold their shape.

The grapes were formed with small circles of hand-dyed silk filled with fiberfill. I found if I used beads I could dangle them in clusters.

The vines were made with floral wire wrapped in 7mm silk ribbon. I cannot tell you what a joy it was to make this bra. It is so rewarding to start with a piece of white silk and an idea and watch it develop.

Beaded Grapes

2008-02-28T14:11:00.018-06:00

Dear friend Judith mentioned my beaded grapes on her website recently and I'm so glad she is enjoying them as much as I have. It's one of my favorite embellishments. The above picture is one I included in an article in CQMagOnline. I am forever changing how I make something so I will share my latest method of making the grapes.

You can use any number of the tiny drop beads as long as it's an odd number. In the description below I've used 1 seed bead and 7 drop beads.

I use nymo thread to match the drop beads I'm using. Begin by coming up through your fabric at the appropriate place. String the one seed bead and 5 of the tiny drop beads. (See picture at right.)

Skip the 5th. bead and run your needle back up through the 4th. one. (See the picture on the left.)

Holding on to the 5th. bead, pull the thread taunt.

Add two additional drop beads. (Picture below)

Place your needle through the beginning seed bead and then down through the fabric. Pull taunt and attach securely, knotting thread.

The picture below shows the finished grape. I always stitch my vine before adding the grapes followed by leaves and sometimes a few tiny tendrils.

I've included several pictures below showing different ways I've used the grapes.

I've used the five drop beads on these pale green grapes and bullion stitch leaves.

These are made with 7 drop beads and attached to a gold braid.

In this final picture I've used 3 drop beads.

Sharing My Love of SRE

2008-02-24T20:02:00.015-06:00

Another flower I enjoy making is a tiny rose using RibbonRuffle or 7mm silk ribbon. The ones in the picture above are placed on a Mokuba trim. Making the tiny rosebud is a little tedious but very easy when you get the bud stitched into place. I hope you find the following directions easy to follow.

Cut a 3” piece of RibbonRuffle. Fold right end at 45 degree angle.

Pick up and tightly roll 3 times to form a bud. With a needle and thread, take several stitches to secure bud in place.

Snip off tail.

Stitch to fabric with bud standing upright. Bring needle up from bottom to top of fabric directly beside the bud.

Begin twisting the ribbon at the base.

Loop the twisted ribbon around the bud and stitch in several places to secure.

Twist at base a second time, circling the bud and tack into place.

Twist the remaining ribbon and tuck underneath the flower. Stitch this end securely in place.
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The New Rose from Wallis

2008-02-22T07:10:00.010-06:00

In an earlier post I mentioned the new rose I made at our retreat in Wallis. I thought I might share some basic instructions for creating these.

Begin by making 6 or 7 leaf stitches leaving a small circle in the middle. This one is made with 13mm silk ribbon.

Using the same 13mm silk ribbon, make a partial rolled rose. You will want a well-defined bud then gradually loosen the outside petals. Stitch the petals in place as you roll using a matching thread.

Attach this rolled rose onto the center of the leaf stitches. Place the rose at an angle, either pointing up or down. I didn't get the angle I wanted but some of the pictures below will show you what I'm referring to. Don't you just hate it when your example doesn't do what you want it to? So.....do as I say; not as I do!

The last step is to fill in around the rolled rose with two different stitches. One is a loop stitch and the other a variation of the loop stitch. On this second stitch loosely twist the ribbon several times and stitch down as you would the leaf stitch.
On the left is my "not so good" example but it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. To the right is my Wallis rose. Notice the slant in the rolled rose center and fewer petals.

I've done three bullion-tipped lazy daisy stitches in 7mm green silk ribbon.

Below are several pictures I took at our stitching Bee on Tuesday. Some of the ladies wanted to do one of the roses and I've taken pictures of their results. It's a beautiful rose and worth the time it takes to master it.

The rose on the left was made by Linda. She has done some buds to the side and the bullion-tipped lazy daisy leaves.

The rose to the right was made by Lynnis. In nature, no two roses are alike... the same is true with silk ribbon embroidery but they are all beautiful.

I thought I had taken pictures of 3 other roses but they are not recorded on my camera. I'm really disappointed because all the roses were gorgeous!

I will end this post by adding a picture of dear friend and fellow crazy quilter and blogger, Julie (Jules) . She started her blog first and began to haunt us with her camera. Several months later I decided to join the blogging world. We now have dueling cameras and no one is safe. Caught in our line of fire is Chris on the left and Jan on the right. Jan is showing some of her beautifully hand-dyed ribbons.

You Make My Day Award

2008-02-21T17:08:00.004-06:00

I want to take the opportunity to thank those who have awarded me the "You Make My Day Award." Rengin and Jocelyn...thank you for this wonderful honor! I apologize for being so late in responding on my blog.

The Rules: Give the award to those whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on.

Jules (I call her Julie) is a dear friend and fellow crazy quilter. Her blog is filled with words of inspiration as well as her beautiful projects. Her stitching is beyond beautiful - she is a talented and creative artist! We live in the same area and attend our weekly CQ bee. I'm very blessed to have her as one of my dearest friends.

Judith has been a cyber friend for many years. We have worked on several projects together and her work is gorgeous. We've shared the good and bad times and it's a privilege to call her my friend.

Jocelyn is another cyber friend. I love to check her blog and see all her wonderful creations. She is another great friend.

Rengin is a great cyber friend as well. She has always been so generous in sharing her time and creativity in many group projects. She introduced me to the wonderful Turkish needleart flowers known as oyas.

I met Allie for the first time at the Houston Quilt Market. She is so active in the blogging world and one reason I decided to join in. She does some remarkable work and her blog is always filled with tips and great information.

Stephanie is another wonderful friend and extremely talented artist. Her dolls are beyond beautiful and her crazy quilting is wonderful. I have the distinct honor of having one of her dolls. She is so beautiful and I named her Dona Elizabeth after my grandmother. I'll have to post of picture of her. Stephanie gave me this beautiful doll when she joined us for the 2006 Quilt Market.

Thanks again for this special honor. It's my pleasure to pass it on to these wonderful and talented friends.

Bittersweet Times

2008-02-18T16:24:00.004-06:00

Last week was a combination of fun and sadness. Monday we began our four days of stitching at our retreat in Wallis. Eight of our members attended and it was a fabulous time.

We came home Thursday and I did laundry and packed for a weekend trip to Dallas. My brother was released from the hospital under Hospice Care on Friday and we spent the weekend visiting and reliving past times. It was bittersweet mixed with a lot of sadness. I do hate cancer and what it does to our loved ones.

Today I feel a little like my niece in this picture. It's one of our favorite pictures of my son strongly encouraging her to smile. There are definitely those times when smiling is a little more difficult.

I know that God has a plan for each one of us and our faith will see us through this difficult period.

Jason and his two cousins in this picture are grown now. The toddler on his lap has a beautiful daughter of her own.

Tomorrow I hope to take pictures and post some of the work I did at our retreat. I tried a new rose design and really loved how it looked. You know me and my roses!

2008 Wall Hanging Blocks...almost finished

2008-02-07T16:07:00.000-06:00

I've put the finishing touches to my first block by adding some seam embellishments. Since the right side of the butterfly is so busy, I've done some stacked embroidery stitches combined with some beads on the left side. This was a fun block and came together easily.

Many of my ideas come to me in the middle of the night. Sometimes I get up and jot the idea down or draw a quick sketch. One of those ideas came to me last week and I pieced another block based on my thoughts. It hasn't turned out exactly as I pictured it but I know what I need to do to change it.

In any case, I went ahead and embellished the block. It is based on curves like so many of my talented friends have done on their blocks. The entire block would have made a flower with the curved pieces being the petals. The second row of petals didn't turn out as I wanted them to but the block as a whole was okay. It's back to the drawing table to work out the petal arrangement on this flower block.

The beaded area in the center would have been the center of the large flower. My dear friend Julie suggested I put silk petals around it and that worked great. I still have a few things I would like to add but I'm almost finished.

Several friends found some antique trim that I fell in love with. I searched the internet and haunted the antique stores and only saw it one time. It was at the Houston Quilt Festival about 2 years ago. She had about 16 inches and it cost around $40 as I remember. I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for trim but decided I would try and make my own. It's the blue "buds and bows" type trim on the above block.

Here is a picture of the antique trim and a closeup of my attempt to reproduce it.

I'm looking forward to our upcoming stitching retreat beginning on Monday. Trying to decide what to take is the hardest part. We couldn't care less about the clothes, food and toiletries; in fact, I forgot all my clothes one time. We do worry about packing the things we will need to stitch with. I'm hoping to work on several projects including a needlecase for an upcoming exchange. I'll take lots of pictures to share.

Celebrating Springtime in February

2008-02-01T08:50:00.000-06:00

What a joy it's been working on our 2008 wall hanging for breast cancer awareness. I love working with the wonderful colors Stephanie suggested and the butterfly theme. With the beading almost complete on my butterfly I decided to make silk roses.

I had to dye ribbon to the color I wanted and thought about some Hanah Shibori silk Rippins in my stash. It should be a crime to over-dye this beautiful silk but I have to confess to doing just that.

Another experiment was to try the Ranger dyes I used in my landscape project. Being a synthetic dye for use with man-made fibers, I wasn't sure how they would work on silk.

I diluted the dye in several strengths and brushed it onto the ribbon. Then I microwaved the ribbon until it was partially dry. I ironed it until the creases were out and then burned the edges to prevent fraying. I am really pleased with the results. Don't you just love it when you experiment with something new and it actually works!

The Hanah silk rippins have a beautiful sheen the picture doesn't convey. Although the shibori silk is very lightweight, it holds it's shape beautifully when the edges are burned.

I used a white silk satin and dyed my leaves seen in the photo to the right. They are cut out, burned and stitched on with a gold metallic feather stitch.

We have a Flickr site where we log the progress made on the twenty blocks which will make up our 2008 project. There are also several blogs where you can see some of the blocks in progress: Stephanie, Julie, Allie, Rengin , Linda & Judith

I will add other blogs as I'm aware of them. Check often and follow our wall hanging as it takes shape. What a rewarding experience to see my small block joined with others to make one beautiful creation. Little is much when we work together.
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An Enjoyable Week of Stitching

2008-01-28T06:24:00.000-06:00

This past week has been a productive one. I feel as though I've made progress and thoroughly enjoyed myself in the process.

I put the finishing touches on Connie's purse and mailed it to her. She has a show coming up soon in Tucson, Arizona and I hope she enjoys her neck purse. She has created a great product and I've found so many wonderful uses for it. McCalls Quilting Magazine has an article on Connie's cordmaker in the March/April issue due out soon.

My landscape is complete except for the backing and binding which can wait until a later date. What fun I've had with this project! "Points of View" by Valerie Hearder is an excellent book with many new and fascinating concepts. Her instructions and explanations are thorough and concise and definitely a "must read."

My final addition to the landscape was my fence and I really looked forward to trying the "vanishing muslin." I drew my fence layout with a pencil onto the fabric and then began my free motion stitching. This was my first project using the muslin and I put more stitching than necessary but I'm pleased with the results.

With a hot iron I pressed the fence and was totally impressed when the fabric began to turn a dark gray and disintegrate. My mind began to swirl with other ideas for using this neat product. If you would like to experiment you can purchase a product called Heat Away by Sulky.My next landscape will be a Texas one complete with a field of Indian paintbrush, bluebonnets and buttercups. The trees will definitely have moss hanging from them and I know I can make that authentic by using the vanishing muslin.

The picture below is taken in the yard of my dear friend, Lynnis. I love the way the moss hangs from the trees. On the right is a field bluebonnets

And now to my current project....two blocks for our 2008 wall hanging for cancer awareness. We currently have ten blocks in progress and another ten will be created. Be sure and check out the Flickr site to watch the "works in progress." It's fun to see the pieced blocks begin to evolve into mini works of art as embellishments are added. How very creative these wonderful ladies are! While you are at the Flickr site be sure and check out the 2007 wall hanging.

I wanted to applique a large butterfly to this first block and used a fabric given to me by my dear friend, Melanie. A friend had recently returned from India and brought a number of beautiful fabrics and embellishments back and Melanie shared this wonderful piece. It's really close to the color of my background fabric but I was determined to use this beautiful piece.

I put a layer of high loft batting behind it and then used a gold feather stitch to tack it down. I didn't like the flat body and remembered a class I had taken at the Houston Quilt Market. Diane Ricks with Artemis silks had taught a butterfly pattern and the body was a separate piece. I drew one out the size of my butterfly and added it last night. I'm pleased with how it looks so now it's time for the embellishments.

I don't know exactly what I will do but plan to use beads and Kreinik metallics threads to embellish the wings. I will definitely do a beaded picot edging around the entire butterfly. I think this will help in setting it apart from the background.

On the left is a picture of my second block. It's pieced and ready for embellishments.

There are several in our group who are blogging the progress of their blocks. I will try and post some of their sites later.

Meet my Wonderful Friends

2008-01-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

I always look forward to Tuesday because that's the day our CQ group meets and stitches all day. We have eleven members in our Bee and everyone is an accomplished stitcher. For years we met from 10 am until 12 noon. Last year we decided to extend our day so we stitch until 4 pm. There are times we aren't ready to leave then. I'm very blessed to have such a special group of CQ sisters.

These pictures were taken yesterday at our meeting. Sitting around the table from left to right
are Dolores, Lynn, Julie, Chris, Jan, Melanie, Linda and Lynnis. Jan is responsible for creating the CQ addicts that we all are. Each one of us, except Lynn, took her class in crazy quilting and followed up by joining the Bee. We met Lynn in a local beading group and adopted her. She does beautiful beaded jewelry and scarves on the knitting looms.

Lynnis is making a book cover to give to her granddaughter (picture on the left.) The book is one she received as a child. I know this will be a special treasure and heirloom. Lynnis is known for her hollyhocks, roses, and chrysanthemums. She refers to herself as "bigfoot" since her motifs are sometimes large. They may be large but they are also stunning!

Lynnis is also an avid beader and has some fabulous pieces of jewelry and cabochons.

Jan is our esteemed leader. She has done some wonderful quilts and won a number of ribbons at our local quilt shows. She organized our Bee and I will be forever grateful to her for introducing me to all these wonderful ladies. I've chosen a block she has made for our silk book project. In 2005 we decided to make 2 pages for each member in our group and then exchange. You can read more about it and see the pages I received in the January issue of CQMagOnline due out by the end of this month. I've called the article "Forever Friends."

Julie, known as Jules to most of you in the blogging world, is a wonderful artist and so creative in what she does. She is also my "partner in crime" at the Houston International Quilt Market and Festival. I've chosen one picture to post but invite you to check her blog, Creative Blessings of Joy" for all her other wonderful projects. Her blog is creative, informative and inspirational.

Chris is our newest member and has completed her piecing on the first project which will be a needlecase. I don't have any pictures but will take one when she has finished.

Linda has been with our group for over a year. Her husband says she is a "collector of inventory" rather than a crazy quilter. This isn't totally true - she does some beautiful work. This is a block she created for a wall hanging we made and presented to Premier Estates. We hold a retreat here several times a year and it is perfect for our needs. We are scheduled for our next one the first of February and we're really looking forward to it.

Linda is also an avid beader. I've seen several of her oil paintings and she is a great artist!

Dolores is a wonderful seamstress, crazy quilter, and beader. I've chosen the page she made for me in our silk book project I mentioned earlier. Notice the antique buds and bows trim(picture on the left.) She used it on my block because I really love that trim. She found it at one of the nearby antique shows. I've looked for this trim for years and have never found it.

The picture I've chosen from Melanie's work is the tree she made for the Texas Wall hanging project. She dyed many yards of 2mm silk ribbon to make all the French knots. Isn't it great! Her husband wanted to keep the block and was a little upset that she donated it for this project. I can only imagine the time it took to make this tree.

Maureen's work is always so delicate and detailed. She has designed several wonderful projects and we are always thrilled when she has a new one to show us. Pictured below is the page she made for me in our silk book project.

Claudette is another member of our group and best known for her Brazilian Embroidery. Julie did an article about her in one of the back issues of CQMagOnline. Her work is so creative and we are always amazed with her beautiful projects. This is a mouse pin cushion she made. I love the embroidery she has done on this. I believe she found the pattern for this project from a magazine article.

I've told our group that we could publish a book with all the crazy quilting we have done. Our group is definitely productive. I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of their beautiful work.

Below is the Texas Wall Hanging we did for Premier Estates. We finished each block and then I tied them together with an authentic hangman's noose. Very Texas!

Sharing our Love of Crazy Quilting & Fabric Art

2008-01-21T19:25:00.001-06:00

I've definitely been in the mood to stitch and thought I would share some of the results. One of my most rewarding projects is working with Victoria Adams Brown and coordinating a yearly wall hanging. This began as an outgrowth of Vic's Way to Women's Wellness Foundation. It is our hope that our art will bring awareness to the issues of breast cancer. The projects are on display for a period of time and then presented to a clinic or research center.

It's such a joy to work with these wonderful crazy quilters and fabric artists from various locations around the world. We've developed a great friendship and love to share our joy of stitching with others.

Three years ago we did a wall hanging which was presented to the Arrington Cancer Center in Lubbock, TX. The above picture is one of the blocks I made for this wall hanging. We always suggest several colors to work with. In doing this we find our blocks always blend beautifully.

Last year we created another beautiful wall hanging. These are two blocks I made for that project. We suggested purples for this wall hanging and our theme was hearts.

We are now in the process of creating our third wall hanging. We've decided to use butterflies as our theme and work with yellows, peach, ecru and some periwinkle. I've pieced two blocks for this project and these are my bare blocks.

This one has the paper pattern for the butterfly I plan to use. I will use silk to cut out the wings and then applique those onto the block and then embellish. My picture is a little dark and doesn't show the true colors of the fabric.

The second one has a machine embroidered butterfly stitched by a friend. I always say the fun part is embellishing so I look forward to working on these two blocks.

If you would like to follow the progress of all the blocks please check our Flickr site. As our blocks are pieced we will post them along with the progress. We always enjoy watching the blocks evolve into a finished piece and ultimately the finished wall hanging.

One last project I've been working on is a neck purse for Connie James with Fibergoddess. I've placed my own name tag to show how it fits inside the plastic cover. I've used her Diva Custom Cordmaker and some of her beautiful fibers to make the strap.

Landscape Quilts

2008-01-17T18:08:00.000-06:00

I had the privilege of meeting Valerie Hearder at the Houston International Quilt Festival. She is the author of "POINTS OF VIEW Landscape Quilts to Stitch and Embellish" published by Martingale & Company. Valerie's work is so inspiring and her book is beautifully done. I immediately began collecting the things I would need to begin my own journey in landscaping.

I invite you to read my artist profile of Valerie in this month's issue of CQMagOnline and learn more about her career in textile arts. She is a gifted artist with the ability to share her knowledge with clear and concise directions.

I've started my landscape and I'm so excited with the potential for embellishing. Being a crazy quilter, I couldn't help adding a piece of dupioni silk and velvet along with the beautiful batiks. You will have to use your imagination to see the large oak tree on the left side. There will have to be a fence on the right side with silk roses hanging from it. Valerie has a wonderful technique in her book for stitching a fence that I plan to use. I can't seem to get a good picture of my landscape - it isn't as dark as it appears here.

Here is a portion of the fabrics I've collected. I also have some African sun prints by Langa Lapu that I plan to use in other landscape projects.

Most of the supplies you see in the picture below are available at Valerie's website. My next step is to paint the sky. I've selected a piece of white moire. I think it will add a nice texture and appearance. It's been years since I've painted so I'm questioning my ability to accomplish this step.

In the April issue of CQMagOnline I hope to have this project finished. I'll share my experiences and pictures of my finished landscape. I started to say "masterpiece" but that might be setting myself up for failure.

In my mind's eye I can see this finished landscape. Now to have my hands do what my mind sees.

Life on the Water

2008-01-13T23:04:00.000-06:00

One of the nice things about living on the water is being able to enjoy the wonders of nature. Being awaken by the sounds of birds rather than the noise of traffic is wonderful. Although we are only a few miles from town, we are able to enjoy a quiet lifestyle.

I thought I would share some pictures of life on the Texas Gulf Coast. We've taken friends out for the day and Kristen is enjoying feeding the seagulls. I'm the one with the white blouse and windblown hair.

When the seagulls realize you have food they can become quite aggressive. They will even come close enough to take food from your hand. The wingspan is amazing on these beautiful birds!

Another interesting bird is the black skimmers. Back in the late 1960's a flock of skimmers decided to nest in one of the Dow Chemical Company parking lots. The company and it's employees roped off the area and allowed the birds to lay their eggs and raise their young.

Every year since then the flock migrates to the area in the Spring. What began as a flock of 38 birds has grown to more than 1500 (official record in 2003.) The company holds tours each year allowing visitors to see the nesting area.

The fascinating thing about the birds is the way they feed. We've been out in the boat late in the evening and been able to watch them as they skim the water for fish. It's my understanding they are the only birds who feed in this manner.

Although I'm not an avid birdwatcher I do enjoy seeing these beautiful creatures that God has created.

One last picture of a pelican standing on the beach. I guess he's waiting for the waves to wash up a tasty morsel at his feet.

Strawberries in all sizes...

2008-01-11T10:16:00.001-06:00

Dear friend and local crazy quilter, Julie Yonge, created a beautiful velvet strawberry and some of us became addicted to making them. I thought I would show you several I've made. This one is made from a pattern published by Crabapple Hill Studio. The large strawberry measures 6" long and includes a small needlecase and the velvet strawberry needle sharpener.

This strawberry measures 3" long and includes a tiny green Hanah silk velvet one. I've found the best way to make a strawberry the size you want is to cut out a pie-shaped wedge from muslin. With right sides together, stitch the two edges together and reverse. When you find the size you like cut your wedge from velvet. I use the muslin one as an insert to hold the emery. You will want to insert the muslin inside the velvet piece before adding the emery. Gather the top of the muslin strawberry and secure with knot. Then repeat for the outside velvet strawberry. Add the leaves, silk ribbon embroidery and DMC cord.

I still wanted to make strawberries but I wanted something a little different. I decided to bead the leaves with #11 & #15 seed beads. Another dear friend and fellow boater, Debi Nielson, beaded the stem that's attached.

Speaking of Debi....I introduced her to beading and she was an instant pro! This is the ArtBra she helped me create for 2007. We called it "Opposites Attract." It was the story of Oscar the Ostracized Ostrich and Francesca the Flamboyant Flamingo. Debi's work was certainly creative and original. She had me draw what I wanted on paper and she recreated it in beads. We received the honor of being February in the 2007 ArtBra Calendar created by Victoria Adams Brown.

I did a free form crochet for the entire surface of the bra and straps. There were rolled roses, of course, and grass made with hand-dyed silk. I love participating in these wonderful projects that raise money for special needs. The proceeds from calendar sales were donated for breast cancer research. I've told Vic a number of times that she will receive many stars in her crown for the wonderful work she does for others.

Ideas and Inspiration

2008-01-09T09:56:00.000-06:00

I am always intrigued with new concepts and ideas for embellishing my crazy quilt projects. With that in mind, I issued an Idea and Inspiration Challenge in the October issue of CQMagOnline. I received some great ideas which will be published in the upcoming issue at the end of this month.

The above picture is one I used to introduce the project. I love to use the tiny drop beads and cluster them like grapes. Used in odd numbers they add that certain sparkle and also dimension to your crazy quilting.

This picture on the right shows a seam using the 3mm cupped sequins available online through Cartwright. It's a very simple seam and the small sequins work great clustered together.

If you are interested in participating in our Idea and Inspiration challenge, I would welcome your input. This will be an ongoing project for as long as our readers submit their work. I ask that you send a picture of your favorite seam treatments and motifs, along with brief instructions on how they was done. If you can include the type ribbon, thread, color number, etc. that would be wonderful. In doing the article I would like to not only introduce our readers to new ideas but also the vast array of beautiful embellishments at our disposal.

By clicking on my name in the October article you will be able to email and send me your ideas. I hope to hear from many of you. The January issue will be available at the end of the month. You will want to log on and take a look at the wonderful work submitted by our readers.

Burning Silk Leaves

2008-01-07T15:49:00.000-06:00

I thought I would answer those who asked how I burn my silk petals and leaves. I have to credit my dear friend and mentor, Victoria Adams Brown, for introducing me to the technique. I took a class on the small Victorian bag pictured here. She hand-dyed the beautiful silk and we cut wings for the butterfly and burned the edges with candles.

The class was in Omaha, quite a few years ago, and I've been experimenting ever since. I've used matches, butane fire starters, textile burning tool and the soldering iron pictured here. All of the above are very hot so please use caution.
You can trace and cut out a leaf design like the grape leaf on the left or freehand a leaf. I've used the soldering iron pictured and burned the outside edges. It gives a stiffness to the leaf that allows it to hold it's shape when stitched down. I like to use a back stitch or tiny feather stitch in green or gold.

If you push up a tiny gather as you're stitching the leaf in place it will give an additional dimension to the leaf.

In the picture below I've used the grape leaf along with 4mm silk ribbon French knots, beads, and tendrils. The second picture is a section of my ArtBra design for 2007. The leaves were hand-dyed and then highlights were added with a paint brush. I really enjoyed making this bra. I hand-dyed the silk for the grapes as well. They were stuffed with fiberfill and then sewn together with beads. This allowed them to hang as clusters. This particular cluster was stitched to the left cup of the bra.

I currently design for Artemis/Hanah Silks and will soon have four designs published using their beautiful silks. Two of these use the burning technique shown here. I had the pleasure of demonstrating my rose design at the Houston International Quilt Market this year.

Gifts from the hands and hearts of others

2008-01-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

I always love receiving gifts that are created by hand. I know how much time and creativity went into making them and they are truly treasures from the heart. I have a wonderful sister, Dorothy, who crochets beautifully. She gave me this wonderful poncho for Christmas and I love it. With our sub-tropical climate we rarely need anything heavier.

Another treasure is my Christmas earrings made by my dear friend, Linda. The Christmas trees are made with Swarovski daisy spacers in 4 sizes. The snowmen are also Swarovski crystals.

Several years ago another dear friend, Barb E., made this bobbin lace angel for me. It's a gift I will always treasure. I can only imagine the time it took to create this wonderful piece of art.

And the last special gift for today is pictured below. The delicate hand-blown glass icicles were a gift from artist and friend, Terry Albright

Today is Beading Day

2008-01-05T09:42:00.001-06:00

Although crazy quilting and silk ribbon embroidery is my first love, I also enjoy beading. Who could resist all those bright and sparkling gems? For the past two years Jason has given me some beautiful cabochons for Christmas. Today I thought I would share some pictures of several.

This year he gave me this gorgeous stromatolite from England said to be 2 billion years old. Stromatolite is colonies of algae that are the earliest known living organisms in fossil record. Sometimes it's referred to as "landscape marble" because the algae colonies look like an outdoor landscape. The back is just as beautiful as the front which I found really unusual.

Last year he gave me a beautiful unakite jasper cabochon. I've made the 2-strand necklace pictured here. I've done a peyote stitch bezel around the stone. The necklace has fresh water pearls, Czech glass leaves and Swarovski crystals.

Many thanks to all of you who have welcomed me to the blogging world. I appreciate your kind words and compliments on my work. Specials thanks to my dear friends Julie, Judith and Allie for spreading the word through their blogs.

I'm enjoying my adventure and look forward to browsing through blogs on a daily basis. I love all the wonderful ideas and inspiration.

The Paris Wall hanging for my son

2008-01-04T12:31:00.001-06:00

In January, 2007 I started the Paris wall hanging for my son, Jason. I knew whatever I did needed to be more masculine than my usual flowers so I was definitely "out of my box." I did have an idea, however, and began by drawing it on paper. A fiber tree would start in the bottom right block and end in the top left. One of twelve scenes from Paris snapshots would be reproduced on silk in sepia tones and placed on each block.

I pieced 12 blocks and drew my tree design. Now it was time to begin making my tree. One of my very favorite tools is the Diva Custom Cord maker. I selected the fibers I wanted to use plus one strand of beads for sparkle. Layout was important and leaving enough cord to continue the tree when the blocks were stitched together had to be taken into consideration.

With the trunk stitched in place it was time to begin attaching leaves. I dyed silk in three shades, cut out the leaves and burned the edges. What a great feeling it was to have all those little leaves stitched down. When the blocks were stitched together I knew I would need additional leaves so those were set aside.

Now for the embellishing...without flowers....almost an impossible task. In September, I put the finishing touches on each block and stitched them together. I attached the mitered borders, backed it in beautiful crushed velvet, and completed it by tying. I gave it to him when we visited in November. A special gift for a very special son.

Why Roses on the Water...

2008-01-03T15:46:00.000-06:00

I've been asked to explain why I chose this particular name for my blog. "Roses" is the easy part - I've always loved this elegant flower and over the years reproduced it in oils, acrylics, frosting, fabrics and silk. I have to admit that silk is the ultimate source and I will never tire of making these beautiful flowers.

"On the water" requires a more lengthy explanation. For the past 7 1/2 years my husband and I have lived on a 40' motorsailer that we call "The Rose." Told you I had a thing with roses! Since childhood he has always dreamed of living on a boat so after his retirement we made the dream a reality.

The choice to move from my home was not an easy one. I moved from a 3 bedroom brick home with 2 baths and a over-sized double car garage to a tiny boat. The choice was made much easier when he promised I could stitch all I wanted. At times I'm sure he regrets that promise.

My ability to collect stash is somewhat hampered. I can always find a "nook or cranny" somewhere to hide those things I can't live without.