Wil is celebrating the 333rd posting on her blog. She is giving away a piece of her snow dyed fabric. She has some wonderful quilts on her blog using some fabrics she dyed and designed. Visit her at http://wilopiooguta.blogspot.com to register to win some of that beautiful snow dyed fabric she made recently.
Lila is celebrating on her blog too! Her prize is a fantastic quilt she has made in lavender and yellow. Even if you don't enter (how could you not?) don't miss the opportunity to view this quilt, it is a doozy! Here is the link to enter and see the quilt: http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 1, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
My Rainbow & Color Theory
Your rainbow is shaded green and brown.
What is says about you: You are a deep thinking person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. You feel closer to people when you understand their imperfections. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
What is says about you: You are a deep thinking person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. You feel closer to people when you understand their imperfections. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
Over on StitchMap we have begun our Color Theory Course and one of our newer members, Georgia Seitz, who is going to be a tatting mentor for us when the tatting class begins, shared the site for having our own color analysis done as a rainbow. It is a little multiple choice test you take and then you get your personal rainbow printed out with the analyis. I think mine is pretty on target, today. I am one who changes with the seasons, LOL. OH! It says that, doesn't it, LOLOLOL!
It is exciting to see what the ladies of MAP are doing with making their color collections for the class. I am anxious to watch this class proceed. We are also just a couple of lessons away from finishing the Crazy Quilting Course. Imagine my surprise when we had a new member join from Denmark this week in response to having seen one of our MAP apprentice's Hardanger Class piece in progress. It took awhile to translate her application but it was worth it in the end.
I am going to try to be more faithful about posting this year. Honest, I am!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Where Has 2009 Gone
My goodness! It has been 6 months since my last post and I am trying to remember all the things that kept me so busy that I couldn't keep in touch.
We did take a vacation with the family to Las Vegas. And when we got home there was news that my father-in-law had been diagnosed with cancer and needed immediate surgery. My husband and I packed up the grandkids and headed off for Michigan to help DFIL. We left our adult kids home to fend for themselves. Gone two weeks.
I did manage to work on writing some lesson plans for the StitchMap Beginner's Hardanger Class while I sat around but computer time was limited to the library only because my in-laws are not a part of the computer age.
Everything went well and we returned home just in time for school to start. Grace began kindergarten, Axel the 3rd grade and Baby Belle is going twice a week to pre-school because she is a "Terrific Tot", LOL. I have to admit that they do keep me busy and on my toes! Here are their school photos.
My husband did have to return to Michigan for his father to have further surgery and to help him set up his house for his aftercare. DH was gone 6 weeks. I had all the chauffeuring duties that he would normally do to attend to in addition to my regular chores. I managed to come through in pretty good condition considering the hour I had to rise and shine each morning to get my son and daughter off to work and then the kids to school. I gained a new appreciation for my husband's contribution of providing our daily transportation.
I spent many happy hours working with my apprentices at StitchMap on CQ and Hardanger classes. I also presented a One Stitch Challenge to the members and we had fun with the painting of fabric and the embellishment of it using just one stitch which was kept secret until after the fabric painting had been done. One of the members of MAP has a family member who lost a precious Wedding Quilt Wallhanging in a house fire. I worked on a block for the Wedding Quilt Replacement that the ladies of MAP are contributing their efforts to. The blocks will be finished and sent to the family soon.
I began my duties as the Program Chairperson for the Pikes Peak Chapter of EGA in September. We had a successful fundraising auction in October despite the fact that we were inundated with snow and ice the night before. In November I helped teach a workshop in Aztec Stitch. We made bookmarks in bright colors using 18 ct. canvas and #8 perle cotton. Our December holiday meeting was a delight. Julie Sprinkle came and spoke to us about tatting. She brought a wedding dress that had tatted lace on it, many examples of her tatted jewelry and her shuttle collection. My friends Erica and Connie and I spent a day experimenting with Kool Aid dyeing and will use the resulting fabrics in an EGA workshop this coming spring. Can't wait to show you what we are making.......but I must! Check back in April, LOL.
Somewhere in there Grace lost her first tooth and when we first noticed how loose it was I began making her a tooth fairy pillow out of selvages that had been sent to me by friends from various on-line stitching groups I belong to. I took advantage of the sewing machine time to piece one for Belle to use down the road, too. I embellished the pillows with CQ seam treatments of the most simple type so that there were no beads to scratch the girls' faces or catch Grace's beautiful long hair as it lies under her pillow. I am happy to report I finished Grace's just 10 minutes before the tooth was pulled! It was used a second time just 2 days before Christmas.
I also went to Albuquerque, New Mexico one weekend this fall with my husband. While he attended a seminar for Flight Instructors I caught up on reading my new stitching books, watching a tatting DVD, and editing the next lesson of the StitchMap Basic CQ Course. Well, that was the first day. The next day I went shopping and checked out some local needlework shops, quilt shops and a bead shop. OOoops! That bead shop was the best experience of the weekend. I brought home 21# of beads that were all on sale at 40% or more off the regular price. Of course I had to share with DD Moon when I got home. I also saw some crafts in the store next door to the bead shop that gave me some ideas for future projects and at the needlework shop they had some really cool finishing techniques that they shared with me.
The week of Christmas the whole family came down with varying degrees of the flu bug. I think mine has taken on the disguise of a head cold and queasy stomach. The children were sick over Christmas and we just took it easy on Christmas Day. The kids opened their gifts, we had small meals and enjoyed each other's love and companionship. On the following Monday my oldest daughter came down from Denver and we brought my mother home from the nursing facility. We had their Christmas and our holiday meal.
I want to thank everyone who sent me such great gifties this year from their blog give-aways and PIFs. I did manage to pay forward my obligatory gifts this month. Great big warm hugs to all my friends who sent me the selvages to make the little tooth pillows and some gifts for my stitching buddies (can't say what 'cuz I am still working on those, lol). Thanks to all the ladies on the needlework groups I belong to for all the sharing they do and for the constant supply of eye candy they inspired me with and to everyone who reads this blog and bothers to comment. You all mean so much to me.
My last thank you is to the ladies of my Yahoo Group StitchMap. The road was bumpy at first but to those who stuck it out....you are all like family to me. To those who have joined recently and are taking such an active part in the group.....you are the reason the group is growing and your eagerness to learn and share means the world to me. To each Moderator, Mentor, Stash Angel, and member........you are the BEST! I couldn't have done it without your support. If it weren't for your patience and understanding I am sure we wouldn't have progressed as quickly as we have. I am honored to know each and every one of you, so proud to call you my friends and I am in awe of your talents! Thanks for being there, without you........well there just wouldn't be a MAP, would there?
I hope the New Year brings you unlimited stitching time, prosperity and happiness!
Hugs,
We did take a vacation with the family to Las Vegas. And when we got home there was news that my father-in-law had been diagnosed with cancer and needed immediate surgery. My husband and I packed up the grandkids and headed off for Michigan to help DFIL. We left our adult kids home to fend for themselves. Gone two weeks.
I did manage to work on writing some lesson plans for the StitchMap Beginner's Hardanger Class while I sat around but computer time was limited to the library only because my in-laws are not a part of the computer age.
Everything went well and we returned home just in time for school to start. Grace began kindergarten, Axel the 3rd grade and Baby Belle is going twice a week to pre-school because she is a "Terrific Tot", LOL. I have to admit that they do keep me busy and on my toes! Here are their school photos.
My husband did have to return to Michigan for his father to have further surgery and to help him set up his house for his aftercare. DH was gone 6 weeks. I had all the chauffeuring duties that he would normally do to attend to in addition to my regular chores. I managed to come through in pretty good condition considering the hour I had to rise and shine each morning to get my son and daughter off to work and then the kids to school. I gained a new appreciation for my husband's contribution of providing our daily transportation.
I spent many happy hours working with my apprentices at StitchMap on CQ and Hardanger classes. I also presented a One Stitch Challenge to the members and we had fun with the painting of fabric and the embellishment of it using just one stitch which was kept secret until after the fabric painting had been done. One of the members of MAP has a family member who lost a precious Wedding Quilt Wallhanging in a house fire. I worked on a block for the Wedding Quilt Replacement that the ladies of MAP are contributing their efforts to. The blocks will be finished and sent to the family soon.
I began my duties as the Program Chairperson for the Pikes Peak Chapter of EGA in September. We had a successful fundraising auction in October despite the fact that we were inundated with snow and ice the night before. In November I helped teach a workshop in Aztec Stitch. We made bookmarks in bright colors using 18 ct. canvas and #8 perle cotton. Our December holiday meeting was a delight. Julie Sprinkle came and spoke to us about tatting. She brought a wedding dress that had tatted lace on it, many examples of her tatted jewelry and her shuttle collection. My friends Erica and Connie and I spent a day experimenting with Kool Aid dyeing and will use the resulting fabrics in an EGA workshop this coming spring. Can't wait to show you what we are making.......but I must! Check back in April, LOL.
Somewhere in there Grace lost her first tooth and when we first noticed how loose it was I began making her a tooth fairy pillow out of selvages that had been sent to me by friends from various on-line stitching groups I belong to. I took advantage of the sewing machine time to piece one for Belle to use down the road, too. I embellished the pillows with CQ seam treatments of the most simple type so that there were no beads to scratch the girls' faces or catch Grace's beautiful long hair as it lies under her pillow. I am happy to report I finished Grace's just 10 minutes before the tooth was pulled! It was used a second time just 2 days before Christmas.
I also went to Albuquerque, New Mexico one weekend this fall with my husband. While he attended a seminar for Flight Instructors I caught up on reading my new stitching books, watching a tatting DVD, and editing the next lesson of the StitchMap Basic CQ Course. Well, that was the first day. The next day I went shopping and checked out some local needlework shops, quilt shops and a bead shop. OOoops! That bead shop was the best experience of the weekend. I brought home 21# of beads that were all on sale at 40% or more off the regular price. Of course I had to share with DD Moon when I got home. I also saw some crafts in the store next door to the bead shop that gave me some ideas for future projects and at the needlework shop they had some really cool finishing techniques that they shared with me.
The week of Christmas the whole family came down with varying degrees of the flu bug. I think mine has taken on the disguise of a head cold and queasy stomach. The children were sick over Christmas and we just took it easy on Christmas Day. The kids opened their gifts, we had small meals and enjoyed each other's love and companionship. On the following Monday my oldest daughter came down from Denver and we brought my mother home from the nursing facility. We had their Christmas and our holiday meal.
I want to thank everyone who sent me such great gifties this year from their blog give-aways and PIFs. I did manage to pay forward my obligatory gifts this month. Great big warm hugs to all my friends who sent me the selvages to make the little tooth pillows and some gifts for my stitching buddies (can't say what 'cuz I am still working on those, lol). Thanks to all the ladies on the needlework groups I belong to for all the sharing they do and for the constant supply of eye candy they inspired me with and to everyone who reads this blog and bothers to comment. You all mean so much to me.
My last thank you is to the ladies of my Yahoo Group StitchMap. The road was bumpy at first but to those who stuck it out....you are all like family to me. To those who have joined recently and are taking such an active part in the group.....you are the reason the group is growing and your eagerness to learn and share means the world to me. To each Moderator, Mentor, Stash Angel, and member........you are the BEST! I couldn't have done it without your support. If it weren't for your patience and understanding I am sure we wouldn't have progressed as quickly as we have. I am honored to know each and every one of you, so proud to call you my friends and I am in awe of your talents! Thanks for being there, without you........well there just wouldn't be a MAP, would there?
I hope the New Year brings you unlimited stitching time, prosperity and happiness!
Hugs,
Friday, July 10, 2009
Altoid Tin Swaps
I recently participated in the Decorated Tin Swap at CQI. I embellished 2 tins and received 2 tins. It was really a lot of fun to do. In return I received 2 decorated tins of approximately the same size.
I embellished one Altoid tin with a photo transfer of a lady's face. I used Golden's Gel Medium to make the transfer onto the fabric. I surrounded the lady with silk ribbon flowers and sparkly jewel decorations. I added a black cord to hide the rough edge where the fabric and the tin came together. Then I used a clear silver glittered nail polish to paint the fabric, touch the flowers and cord with it, too. Next, I used some buttons to finish the piece off. The tin was lined with felt so she can carry any number of items in it. This tin and the goodies I stuffed it with were sent to Mary Lear.
The second tin I decorated was a 4" square one that was about 3" deep. I made a CQ top for it with fabrics in colors listed as being amongst the recipient's favorites. I embroidered a metallic thread heart, her initial and some seam treatments on it. I added some flower and butterfly sequins, a satin ribbon rose, a festive metallic braid along one seam, and I used gimp to edge it with. I also used gimp along the edge of the tin's lid. I covered the sides of the tin in a metallic ribbon and lined it with felt. I finished the inside with a cording around the felt pieces. Once again, I stuffed it full of fabrics and other goodies then sent it to its new home...with Lyn Gaskill.
Here is a picture of the tin that Mary sent to me. It is embellished with pearls, an organza ribbon rose and some glass leaf beads. There is a cute lace with a metallic thread running thru it on the side of the tin and a pink rose trim around the lid edge. She also included a few fabric pieces.
The other tin I received was from Ann Flowers. She found a way to make a small purse out of an Altoid Tin! It is so sweet and in the perfect earthtone colors to fit into my house. She created a mini-CQ for the top and bottom sides of the tin, added gimp around the edges and a ribbon handle. Inside she created a pad to lay my scissors on and a mini pincushion to match! She also filled it with ceramic buttons, vintage lace and other goodies. My granddaughter, Grace (age 4) loved this one! She tried to take it away saying it was "perfect for a small princess"!
This was a challenging and fun swap to participate in. There were over 70 very creative and inspirational tins swapped in all. No two alike, imagine that!
I embellished one Altoid tin with a photo transfer of a lady's face. I used Golden's Gel Medium to make the transfer onto the fabric. I surrounded the lady with silk ribbon flowers and sparkly jewel decorations. I added a black cord to hide the rough edge where the fabric and the tin came together. Then I used a clear silver glittered nail polish to paint the fabric, touch the flowers and cord with it, too. Next, I used some buttons to finish the piece off. The tin was lined with felt so she can carry any number of items in it. This tin and the goodies I stuffed it with were sent to Mary Lear.
The second tin I decorated was a 4" square one that was about 3" deep. I made a CQ top for it with fabrics in colors listed as being amongst the recipient's favorites. I embroidered a metallic thread heart, her initial and some seam treatments on it. I added some flower and butterfly sequins, a satin ribbon rose, a festive metallic braid along one seam, and I used gimp to edge it with. I also used gimp along the edge of the tin's lid. I covered the sides of the tin in a metallic ribbon and lined it with felt. I finished the inside with a cording around the felt pieces. Once again, I stuffed it full of fabrics and other goodies then sent it to its new home...with Lyn Gaskill.
Here is a picture of the tin that Mary sent to me. It is embellished with pearls, an organza ribbon rose and some glass leaf beads. There is a cute lace with a metallic thread running thru it on the side of the tin and a pink rose trim around the lid edge. She also included a few fabric pieces.
The other tin I received was from Ann Flowers. She found a way to make a small purse out of an Altoid Tin! It is so sweet and in the perfect earthtone colors to fit into my house. She created a mini-CQ for the top and bottom sides of the tin, added gimp around the edges and a ribbon handle. Inside she created a pad to lay my scissors on and a mini pincushion to match! She also filled it with ceramic buttons, vintage lace and other goodies. My granddaughter, Grace (age 4) loved this one! She tried to take it away saying it was "perfect for a small princess"!
This was a challenging and fun swap to participate in. There were over 70 very creative and inspirational tins swapped in all. No two alike, imagine that!
Friday, July 3, 2009
New Yahoo Group Growing Fast
As some of you may know I recently started a new Yahoo Group with some other ladies. It is called StitchMAP(MAP). You can see a promote button for it and its sister group Stash Angels and Mentors (SAM) on my sidebar. One reason it has taken me over a month to post this new blog entry is because we have been very busy at MAP. In June we launched our new Basic CQ Course with 16 people taking the course - for free! We don't charge. We also have mentors teaching Hardanger classes right now. There are plans to have a Color Theory Group Class this fall, a Beginner's Hardanger Course in the fall and a Beginner's Tatting course written by the first of the year. We have waiting lists for all of these classes and for Blackwork, Basic Embroidery, Brazilian Embroidery and Silk Ribbon Embroidery.
One of the exciting things we did was start our own Group Blog - K.N.A.S.S. (Keeping Needlearts Alive by Sharing Stitches). It is really worth looking at to see what we have been up to, the contests, the prizes, etc. In fact, we are having a give-away contest for the public there right now. Check it out at the link above and try your hand at the Teaser quiz. There is a sweet little prize for the winner.
One of the exciting things we did was start our own Group Blog - K.N.A.S.S. (Keeping Needlearts Alive by Sharing Stitches). It is really worth looking at to see what we have been up to, the contests, the prizes, etc. In fact, we are having a give-away contest for the public there right now. Check it out at the link above and try your hand at the Teaser quiz. There is a sweet little prize for the winner.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Some Bargains Come Around Only Once
For some reason I have a little time tonight so I thought I would share with you what I picked up on a recent trip to the Dollar Tree Store. I enjoy this store because everything is still just a $1. My daughter, Moon, and I made a pact to go into the store and find some items that could possibly be used on a CQ and not spend more than $10 for the trip. We were to go in and out in just 15 minutes. One of the great things about the dollar stores is that their inventory changes all the time and you can always find something different. The drawback is that if you like it you had better buy it because it might not be there next time!
Because we had just passed the Easter holiday the store was still full of spring type merchandise. I picked up 2 rolls of good quality 1/2" wide satin ribbon to use for ruching, bows and folded flowers. I also found some narrow gold braid which will be great for laying on a seam and couching down with beads. One thing I have always had trouble finding at the dollar stores is beads. But, this time I hit the jackpot. The beads I found were already strung into something else. Eyeglass holders! They have some very uniform sized beads in great colors and some super little novelty beads on them. I just had to have them! I bought the 4 packages below for myself and then one of each for a friend. Of course, this put me over the $10 limit I had imposed but really, some of it was for my friend and my portion was below $10, LOL.
Aren't the little butterflies and flowers cute? They came in a variety of colors too! The metallic hearts are really great and I wish they had more of those! You have to think outside the box when you are looking in there for this stuff, that's for sure.
I'd also like to share a little blue bear that lives in my bedroom. I think I have mentioned my dear friend Nelle Stafford before. She was my CQ mentor and she was so creative! She could sew like nobodie's business too! She spent several years perfecting a teddy bear pattern that she could use for CQ purposes. It had to set up, not fall over, be large enough to show off her seams and embroidery. As she grew older she quit doing her CQ and started to give it away for the benefit of others. She would donate bears, of all sizes, that she had made to our EGA chapter's annual auction. Everyone wanted to have a Stafford Bear. If you didn't have one that she had made for you out of love or that you had paid her to make for you then this could be your last chance to get one of the few left in her personal collection. I am happy to say I have 3 Stafford bears! One that she made for me out of love and one small jointed one that I bought at the auction (paid a pretty penny for it too - everyone wanted it).
The third bear I own that Nelle did the work on is actually a TY bear that she made a vest and beret for. I named him Neil (as close as I could get to Nelle). Here he is in his finery.
I am very grateful that Nelle was a part of my life. She had the sweetest disposition. She taught me a lot about transferring patterns and interpreting how to do them in various embroidery stitches. Near the end of her stitching life she had trouble making the embroidery meet her own high standards so she quit. "While I am ahead of the CQ Gods" she laughed. I like to think of her now as being in heaven teaching some little angels to stitch those beautiful, perfectly spaced seam treatments and flower petals.
Because we had just passed the Easter holiday the store was still full of spring type merchandise. I picked up 2 rolls of good quality 1/2" wide satin ribbon to use for ruching, bows and folded flowers. I also found some narrow gold braid which will be great for laying on a seam and couching down with beads. One thing I have always had trouble finding at the dollar stores is beads. But, this time I hit the jackpot. The beads I found were already strung into something else. Eyeglass holders! They have some very uniform sized beads in great colors and some super little novelty beads on them. I just had to have them! I bought the 4 packages below for myself and then one of each for a friend. Of course, this put me over the $10 limit I had imposed but really, some of it was for my friend and my portion was below $10, LOL.
Aren't the little butterflies and flowers cute? They came in a variety of colors too! The metallic hearts are really great and I wish they had more of those! You have to think outside the box when you are looking in there for this stuff, that's for sure.
I'd also like to share a little blue bear that lives in my bedroom. I think I have mentioned my dear friend Nelle Stafford before. She was my CQ mentor and she was so creative! She could sew like nobodie's business too! She spent several years perfecting a teddy bear pattern that she could use for CQ purposes. It had to set up, not fall over, be large enough to show off her seams and embroidery. As she grew older she quit doing her CQ and started to give it away for the benefit of others. She would donate bears, of all sizes, that she had made to our EGA chapter's annual auction. Everyone wanted to have a Stafford Bear. If you didn't have one that she had made for you out of love or that you had paid her to make for you then this could be your last chance to get one of the few left in her personal collection. I am happy to say I have 3 Stafford bears! One that she made for me out of love and one small jointed one that I bought at the auction (paid a pretty penny for it too - everyone wanted it).
The third bear I own that Nelle did the work on is actually a TY bear that she made a vest and beret for. I named him Neil (as close as I could get to Nelle). Here he is in his finery.
I am very grateful that Nelle was a part of my life. She had the sweetest disposition. She taught me a lot about transferring patterns and interpreting how to do them in various embroidery stitches. Near the end of her stitching life she had trouble making the embroidery meet her own high standards so she quit. "While I am ahead of the CQ Gods" she laughed. I like to think of her now as being in heaven teaching some little angels to stitch those beautiful, perfectly spaced seam treatments and flower petals.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Chance To Pay It Forward (PIF)
Recently on Beatrice's Stitching With A View blog she had a PIF sign up. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first 5 to sign up and am now obligated to Pay It Forward. Beatrice sent this darling little cross stitched ornament hanger.
Now it's my my turn to Pay It Forward in a similar manner.
This is the way it goes...
The first 5... yes five... people to comment on this post only, within the next 10 days, that they are willing to PIF....Will receive a gift made by me.
There is a CATCH.. PIF
1-You MUST do the same... post this on "Your blog" and pass on to FIVE folks as well.
2-You will receive this gift within the year.
3- I'm getting ready to start stitching my gifts to the 5 people.
4- If you don't want to Pay It Forward please leave the space for someone who would like too.
5- It MUST be something handmade/created by you in your favorite technique. It doesn't have to be a large gift, just heartfelt and it would help if you would be happy to receive it yourself.
Now it's my my turn to Pay It Forward in a similar manner.
This is the way it goes...
The first 5... yes five... people to comment on this post only, within the next 10 days, that they are willing to PIF....Will receive a gift made by me.
There is a CATCH.. PIF
1-You MUST do the same... post this on "Your blog" and pass on to FIVE folks as well.
2-You will receive this gift within the year.
3- I'm getting ready to start stitching my gifts to the 5 people.
4- If you don't want to Pay It Forward please leave the space for someone who would like too.
5- It MUST be something handmade/created by you in your favorite technique. It doesn't have to be a large gift, just heartfelt and it would help if you would be happy to receive it yourself.
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