Sharing my Work and Wonderful Awards

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

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.