Things I've Forgotten

I've been a bit distracted and absent minded lately.  OK, that's pretty normal for me - but this has been more than usual!  What with working on challenges and planning for the holidays and the "project from hell" (more on that below), I have not posted pictures of some of the other things I've been doing. 

Two Creative Studios BOM

You might have noticed the badge for this.  Over there on the right side of my blog.  I joined the 2 Creative Studios ning group that Sue Bleiweiss and Terri Stegmiller host.  We are in the third month of Terri's Block of the Month.  Here is a picture of my first two blocks ... third block to come soon.

I'm a Winner!

Part of the fun over at Two Creative Studios is that they are giving away prizes - and I won!  HOW could I forget to post about that? Here's my loot:

Think of the fun I can have with that fabric!  And Sue makes these amazing notebooks with lovely paper inside.  This is almost too pretty to make marks in.  But I bet I will get over that!

Bookmark Swap

This swap was over quite awhile ago and I teased you with WOW pictures, but never showed off the finished products.  Arrgh!  Well, here they are.  The theme was Art Deco meets Art Nouveau.  These are the ones I sent out:

And here is my set from swap partners Jannice, Edwina, and Peggy:

Postcard Swap

I've been trying to get into a postcard swap about every month.  November's theme was open, so I did a Fall scene.  We have enjoyed watching the squirrels dash around scooping up walnuts this year.

And this is the one I received from my partner Doreen.  She used an embellisher and some stitching to make this lovely card.

Traveling Pages

Another new thing you may have noticed on my blog is the badge for Story of the Traveling Pages.  I joined a group who will be making and swapping pages for a fabric book.  There are fourteen members, so this will be a yearlong project beginning in January.  My theme is "Doors" and I can't wait to see what the talented ladies in this group do for me.  If you click on the badge, it will take you to the blog we have set up.

Why Is This So Hard?

"This" is a very nice pattern from a well-known designer who has a reputation for easy, well-written patterns.  It is definitely NOT the designer's fault I am having a horrible time with it. 

I started the project as a gift for someone for Christmas.  It may still get there, but I'm doubtful.  I had to scrimp and patch to have enough batting and interfacing for this and then nothing fused like it's supposed to.  I have ripped and re-stitched just about every seam.  I've walked away several times.  I think the only reason it hasn't gone to the UFO closet is because that is full already!  My original idea was to make several of these this year.  Since I had to cut out 53 total pieces for just one, THAT IS SO NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!

So, there you go.  With this rambling, picture-heavy post, I should be all caught up.  I wonder what I've forgotten?

Wednesday WOW - November 25

I have been busy, but mostly on Christmas projects.  I can't show very much of those just yet.  I don't want to spoil any surprises! 

Folded Fabric Pillow

I made this pillow for a challenge in the local quilt guild.  At the beginning of the year, we swapped a fat quarter and were challenged to use it to make a pillow or pillowcase.  The fabric I received is the center orange.

When I brought my fabric home, I immediately pulled several coordinating fabrics from my stash.  I was amazed at how well things went together!

Several months later I took a class on folding fabric - and I knew what my pillow was going to look like!

I used a folding method from Fantastic Fabric Folding by Rebecca Wat as the center square and at each of the four corners.  Around the center, I stitched a form of log cabin along with folded squares.  The center edge of each square was curled back and blind stitched into place.  Similar to the cathedral window block.

Around the edges, a long strip was folded and curled back in the same fashion.  I then added a simple flange and backing.  These last two techniques were from Tucks & Textures Two by Jennie Rayment.

This project was pretty easy to do.  I was amazed at how neatly the little pinwheel shape formed . . . just the way the book said!  There is an awful lot of hand stitching though.  Not good for a last minute project!

Wednesday WOW - November 18

One quilt bound and the second ready for the handwork part of binding.  These two are going to Quilts of Valor this week.  You have seen the tops before - here.

A Peek at Our Batiks

My doll club had a challenge this year.  We exchanged 1/8 yard pieces of batik fabric and challenged each other to make a doll using all twelve fabrics!

Here is what my doll looks like:

Meet Yolanda . . . or Yoyolanda, as I like to call her!  As I pondered how to use 12 different fabrics, I thought of using yo-yos.  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.  I took a head from my "basket of heads" and re-worked the eyes a bit and then started looking for a body pattern.  I found one by Sherry Goshon in Soft Dolls & Animals magazine (Heather in Aug/Sep 2003 issue) and it suited that head perfectly!

From there Yolanda pretty much built herself!  She did not want a lot of bling, and she told me exactly how to make her "real" yo-yo (two shank buttons wired together with perle cotton wound around the center). 

As happy as I am with Yolanda, I was blown away by the dolls made by my fellow club members!  People, we have to have the most talented doll makers in the country right here!  In my humble 0pinion, of course.

These are just some of the finished dolls.  They are all wonderful!  I think we did an outstanding job of choosing batik fabrics, too.  The colors really complemented each other and make for an outstanding collection!

Good job, ladies!  What's next?

Wednesday WOW - November 11

Today I actually started on Christmas projects!  It's not even December yet! 

Before we start celebrating, though, I must emphasize - it's just a START!  But, oh my.  It does feel good!

What is it with Me and Finishes?

I have a terrible time with getting projects finished.  I really don't know what the problem is.  My cupboards are full of projects that are almost done . . . and quite a few that are not even close!

I know that I am easily distracted (can you say short attention span?), but I wonder if something else is at work here.  So, I am going to start studying why projects are left undone.  As well as try to finish some of them!

Creative Box Making from March 2009

  I took this class from Sue Bleiweiss last spring and did pretty well for the first four (out of five) lessons.  As I look back at the calendar and this blog, I noticed I was involved in several swaps in April.  Then I took a quilting class in May, we had water come into the basement, . . . and it appears that life began to get in the way.  

I'm thinking, too, that the Lesson 4 box was not exactly my style (see above and right).  It is a game box and I can't think of a reason to make another one.  We are just not big gamers at our house.

Which is a shame, because I really love the boxes in Lesson 5!  And this week I finally completed that lesson.  A seven month recess - not bad!

The first container was a teapot - for holding tea, of course!  No, not the liquid stuff - tea bags!  Deviating somewhat from Sue's directions, I dribbled fabric paint onto a plate and then scrunched used Shout Color Catchers around in it to come up with a background for motifs cut from a tea box.   I am already using it to store the collection of tea bags near my worktable.

 

For the last box, I made a pyramid container.  I needed to make a collage piece for postcard backgrounds and just increased the size to include this.  The box is about 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide at the bottom.

 

 

When you look on the bottom, you can see that I used a "reject" doll arm in the collage.  Interesting idea.  I will have to do that again sometime!

 

And the box is just right to hold thumbtacks or paperclips or perhaps coins. 

So how come I waited so long to make these?  And why wasn't I working on the challenge due next month?

Wednesday WOW - November 4

What a mess!  This is what creativity looks like!  Yes, that is a doll over there on the left.  I think you are going to like her!