Another CQd RR Block Completed!

WOW I must be on a roll!!!  Tonight I finished off the Butterfly seam patch and since there are only a few patches open on this block I decided to just do the one and send it on it's way tomorrow!  It was so much fun working on it and I just wanted to keep going but had to put the brakes on!!!  LOL!

Closeup of Butterfly Seam Treatment
and embellished fabric design

OK I blogged the other day in regards to the Butterfly seam treatment so won't go on again.  But the maroon patch is basically a tone on tone design that I used YLI silk floss and basically followed with appropriate stitches - you can see at the seam allowance the fabric design unadorned.  And thank you very much Carol for the deep purple as I didn't have a dark enough colour for the stamens.


Rose Anne's work

Carol M's block after Rose Anne's work


And here is the whole block which was one of Carol's UFOs so hopefully will be finished off in this RR and a finished product made with it???

Another CQ Block - in progress

Well I have SewBuds' Carol M's crazy patched block to work on and ship off this week and I like what I've done so much that I have to blog it even though the patch is not complete.  LOL!  See I was inspired a few weeks ago by Vivienne's "Butterfly Seam" that I could not resist and had to finally give it a try.  Now it definitely is not as uniformly stitched as her's and obviously I used too thick of thread and it's not as delicate looking but I LOVE IT!!!  Now hope Carol does too!

So here's what I did:
1.  Japanese Buttonhole Twist for the blue butterflies made with the Fly, even the side closures and Bullion knot bodies and French knot eyes
2.  Silk thread (really hard to stitch with as I have rough skin) and added the Blanket stitch edged wings and French knots within the wings
3.  DMC 1-strand metallic black for the Fly stitched antenna


Most of the seam

Here's a closeup of the butterflies - ain't they just adorable???


Closeup of the butterflies

Yeppers I've totally enjoyed stitching these and THANK YOU Vivienne for stitching them and posting the tutorial!  I sure have been learning a lot from the Crazy Quilters International group through their various Round Robins and checking out the photos various members post of their stitchery!!!  Yes, even the other CQing groups I'm in they too provide the platform that is quickly advancing my portfolio of accomplished stitches - even I'm seeing improvement in my details which is good!!! 

We all learn as we grow - if we don't then what's the point???

More Postcards!

FINALLY my March 15th FunFriendly Mixed Media postcards are finished and will be mailed off tomorrow - just too much happened this first quarter of 2011.  Hopefully things will now settle down and my life will also settle down some.

Now my idea of mixed media is not as expanded as some may think this topic could be, but I've sort of incorporated more than just fabric items:

1.  background is a rubbery feel upholstery fabric
2.  parts of a doily added
3.  seed beads stitched and crystal like disks glued in place
3.  some scrapbooking metal flower for decor along with a metal bird stitched down
4.  paper butterfly in two layers - once received the top layer can be lifted and folded for a 3-D effect


Swapped postcards #447, 448, 449



#446 - extra one



Mine #450 - notice the 3-D butterfly

I wanted to add some yarn somewhere but liked the looks as is, so I stopped and finished off the postcard assembly.

Hearts for Hideko finished!

Well I've not been doing too much in "finished" projects but have been working on an order for some of my folded needlecases and should finish them off this weekend. 


Old picture but you get the idea


Then I started working on various UFOs that are in desparate need to be finished off soon. 

Well one is finished, my Heart for Hideko, a fellow CQer, of the Crazy Quilters International group I'm in who is from Sendai and who's home and family are OK but she's devastated with the loss around her.  She is coping by helping her students with a sewing project and has made school bags for all her students beside other rebuilding projects locally.  Within our group various members have stitched "mourning hearts" and these are being sent to Hideko for her to finish and use as she chooses.  An easy and loving way of saying "we care" to a fellow stitcher!  So here is my block which I'll be sending off tomorrow: 


naked heart

This was pieced with newly received group silk fabrics buy - centre of black print silk tie remnant, silk Duponi of light and dark grey which is hidden by a piece of embossed sheer on either side top edges of heart.

tatted beaded trim

 

Kiko flowers, stems in stem stitch. blanket stitched leaves and cretan rayon ribbon seam treatment

This is an awesome stitch from PinTangle and then I Googled Kiko's flower images and VOILA various examples came up.

close-up of Kiko flower patch

Sorry I forgot to take a closeup pic of the flower patch before appliqueing on the black cotton (silver sheen within) for the block background.

appliqed onto black fabric - has silver sheen to it

Now onto my FunFriendly Mixed Media postcards then onto Carol's SewBuds crazy patched block which both should be posted this weekend.  And then a much involved raw edged, bobbin embellished wall hanging for a retirement gift!!!

Farewell to "Mobird"

Ohhhh yes our mischievious, funny, kind hearted and generous to a fault Maureen S is leaving Manitoba for the bonnie shores of Nova Scotia end of this month.  We, the Aurora Online Quilters, have bid her a warm and touching farewell on Saturday during our monthly quilt group gathering!  Yes she'll be missed by many from Manitoba, the Prairies, but I'm sure welcomed with open arms by those in the East, especially their family members!

First off Maureen showed the completed Advent Calendar made from the "extra" 4" Christmas block swap held years ago!  I'll never forget this one - it's etched into my memory for prosperity that is for sure.  See I was plugging my iron into a dusty powerbar and POOF flames and smoke singed my hand and long hair as I was leaning over some item reaching for the plug!!!  Yeppers scarey and had me shaking for a few days!!!


CdnQuiltSwappers Advent Calendar

Here are a few of the pics taken:


I presented the goodies in a specific order as per Tami

 

She's checking out the label I made



This is the back - YES - awesome ain't it



And here is the front - TWO quilts in one!



Checking out things close up!


FAREWELL Maureen and Charles and Sadie, may you have a safe and uneventful journey to your new home!!!  LOVE & HUGS!!!!

My DYOB is Finished!!!

Within the Chain of Hearts group we had an activity called DYOB where you crazy patched your block(s) and embellished with various embroidery stitches posted weekly - your own variation of that stitch.  Then we had a couple of weeks to finish off the block with our own imagination and these blocks should have a heart somewhere on it. 

Well Monday, April 18th, it started it long journey downunder to Rosemary W of Lower Wilmot, Tasmania, Australia!  Hope it arrives safe and sound.

So here are the first, second and third posts on this project and now the finishing pics.


Swap Block - Feather St & Kiko's Flower St

Swap Block - spider filler patch & flowing Chain St patch



My Heart Block - spider filler patch & Feather St patch



My Heart Block - Kiko's Flower St & yarn seam treatment



My Heart block - Straight/Chain filler patch & yarn seam treatment



Swap Block - Tatted heart filler



Both Blocks - doily filler with pearl beads

 

Swap Block - yarn seam treatment - Colonial Knot and seed beads fillers



My Own Heart Block - finished



My Swap Block - finished

If you are interested in see others' works on this DYOB project click here!

I'm Finally Home!

Yes it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks since Sylvia got the call for her hip replacement surgery March 28th (was told later in the summer maybe) and arranging for help once she was home.  So needless to say for me to get myself in order at work and home so I could help out too along with her daughters.  Yes she was lucky we could all juggle things and take a week at a time to look after the house so to speak and assist her where needed.  She's hoping that by month end she'll be able to get back in the saddle again!

All I can say is when I saw her last Sunday, I was at a loss of what to say and prayed that she'd pick up once she realized family was there to help her out so she could concentrate on getting better and not hindering her progress.  It took a few days but by Friday I noticed a huge difference in her and even the occassional letting go of the walker and taking a few steps then the leg lets her know what do you think you're doing so to speak and she quickly asks for her trusty walker again.  LOL!  And both the physio therapist and the nurse(?) to change the bandage say that she's a model patient in healing and recovery so far, so I hope that continues with this week's check too!

We had a few chuckles when I'd have to take a break from whatever I was doing - seemed I just finished lunch, started laundry and by the time items were folded, had to start supper!!!  I was beat a few days and told her so - she chuckled and said she wasn't making me work hard yet either - HUH!!!  Then I gave them both laughs when I said if I did this at home I'd have one heck of a clean apartment instead of this mess!!!  Hmmmm maybe I'll just have to get into this type of routine???  MMMM maybe not that intensive though!!!  I need my time for my stitching!!!

I also told her when I was leaving that I want her to take care of herself and not do anything to create problems as I truly want her to join me in the fall at our usual quilt retreat!  BOY would that be a change from the last two she attended while coping with the pain!!!  Not exactly the way she envisioned them celebrating their 50th anniversay this week!!!

A Note from Sylvia

Thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers concerning my complete hip surgery.

I'm slowly recovering; a bulging hip, leg shape returning to normal, lots of black and blue marks turning yellow and green. Still need a bit of help dressing the surgery leg as I'm not supposed to bend less than 90o yet (RAB thinks Sylvia means no more than sitting position). But a lifter does wonders. Using a walker, staples will be removed on the 11th, shower will be next.

Thanks to Rose Anne for being nursemaid, cook and housekeeper, my husband and I are living like King and Queen except when pain reminds us we have a few more weeks of recuperation to go.

Thanks again for your prayers, emails (via Rose Anne) and many cards.

More Purging

OK I just spent three hours (in between two loads of laundry) on moving kitchen and living room furniture to do some intensive and much needed housecleaning.  Along the process I took out a large bag of various items no longer of use to me and at least a half dozen coffee cans I was saving!!!  If I really do need them there will be more in the future from the office.  So half my apartment (including the bathroom again) is nice and Mr. Clean!!!  I even vacuumed the window tracks getting ready for the window washer hopefully before the AC gets installed for this summer of decent temperature/humidity control in this too hot south facing apartment.  Too bad I don't have the energy to do more, as it would have been very very nice to have finished the bedroom today too.  Oh well that'll be tomorrow mornings job then hopefully I can relax for a while before starting all over again!  LOL!

Yeppers, just some major tidying up of my computer and sewing items and this place will be ship shape again and ready for some entertaining like I used to!!!  WAHOOIE!!!  My friend said baby steps and to think positively.  Well it is working, just maybe not as fast as some would like my transformation to be!