Sharing more talent

  I have mentioned my daughter and her genuine artistic talent......from pencil drawings to fabric and designing.  She has amazed us since she was young  playing with Barbie dolls and hand stitching clothes for her.  It was natural that she go into designing.  So, it is a little brag book time to show some of her new art........

  A couple of years ago, she took a jewelry making class to see what it was all about.  Of course, she excelled and discovered a new vista for her artistic talent.  This a form of fun and therapy for her, but I stole a couple of photos to share what she is doing.  To date, she only makes items for friends and herself.

Lots of earrings.....I am not sure what type of bead or stone these are, but I love the color and how she turned them into a pair.

  This is one of her latest designs.  It is a pendant made from antler horn button.  We picked up a variety of these "buttons" when we were in Alaska a several years ago.   She used copper rivets and hammered copper on it.









  The copper loops over to the back and finishes with more of the free form design.   She uses a jewelers saw to cut out the free form design that reminds me of the coast line in Alaska.

 Her latest and absolute favorite she says.  Wonder Woman is 2'' high!!!!  Believe me, my jaw dropped when I looked at the detail on this.  I have no idea how she accomplished this, but I think it is so her!
I think she did grow up to be Wonder Woman :)  Read that as Mom and Dad beaming at her talent.


As for me, I am finishing up the small watercolor.....off to sew.  Happy stitching:)

500th Post

  Last night I  realized  that I was at my 500th post.   Milestone, don't you think?   I never really thought I would still be at this.  But I am, I love it, and I thank you all for reading and blogging along with me.  So, for all my followers,  here's a giveaway to celebrate.
    I am sending off  2 fat quarters--fall tones, one stiletto, an assortment of gift/care tags from PodBeLu, and Deana's adding a lavender sachet and discount for any purchase at PodBeLu on Etsy.  
    You must be a follower and be sure your email is linked so I can contact you.  Comment to enter....I will leave this open until Monday night, August 13, and announce the winner on Tuesday.

   I finally got the 3 quilts pinned....it took my 2 days to accomplish.  Still working on my stamina.  I hope to try quilting one with the walking foot and doing wavy lines this week.  I realize I am not up to FMQ a large one yet.  Soon.....I hope.

  Today I am playing with squares from Exuberant Color.   I purchased one of Wanda's bright colorwash packs---bottom squares in the photo, and I am adding to it from my stash.  Amazingly, I only had 3 of the fabrics that she had in the pack.  So I have lots of squares to cut for this one.  And then the fun play time can begin when I get to the design wall.
  Enjoy the weekend and happy stitching.

Quilter's Pie

High heat calls for a cool, creamy dessert.....
Mocha Cheese Pie, I'm calling this one  Quilter's Pie.
    1 graham cracker crumb crust---ready made makes it easy
    8 ounces of cream cheese---softened
    3/4 C powdered sugar
    1 Tablespoon instant coffee plus 1 1/2  Tablespoon of hot water
    1/2 jar of chocolate sauce (or ice cream topping, I used Hot Fudge Sauce)---calls for 1 C in recipe
    2 Cups of Cool Whip---whipped cream is better, but more calories
Cream  the cream cheese in bowl with mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and mix till blended.
Combine the instant coffee and hot water. Leave it out if you don't like coffee and use vanilla instead.  Add to the chocolate sauce.  Mix till smooth.
 Add 1/2 of  chocolate mixture to the cream cheese and blend.
Add Cool whip and blend.
Place about one half of mixture into the crust.
 Pour the remaining chocolate mixture over the bottom layer of cream cheese mixture.  Then top with the remaining portion of the cream cheese mixture.
 I added some shaved Hersey's candy bar to the top.  Refrigerate till set.    Excellent!

Tip:   Another type of Quilter's Pie----the math kind, the confusing kind, the don't mess with my brain kind.  I should have learned this in high school, or college, but it never made sense until a few years ago.  I think that's because I had a reason to apply the principle when quilting and remember it.  So, here's a quick tip to help when you are planning a quilt layout with blocks set on point.  I thought it was good enough to share.
 From an article by Robin Strobel that I received from Martingale Publishing.  

".......there are a couple numbers of which I am fond.   My favorite number is 1.414.

That’s because 1.414 is the number they never told me about in that long-ago and best-forgotten geometry class. ...... I’ve since discovered that 1.414 is a quilter’s magic number.   It is how you know the width of a block if you set it on point.   It is how you know the size to cut setting triangles for on-point quilt patterns.   It is how much longer the diagonal of a square is than the sides.

  You can also use the magic of 1.414 to find out how to calculate setting triangles for your on-point blocks.   (Yes, there is a setting-triangles formula!)   Quilters usually make corner-setting triangles from half-square triangles, and side-setting triangles from quarter-square triangles. (This keeps the fabric’s straight of grain on the outside edges of the quilt and makes it less likely the edges will stretch and ripple.)   As always, make all your calculations using the finished measurements and then go back and add the seam allowances.   This is because the amount you add for seam allowances depends on the shape you are cutting.   Add 1/2″ for squares and rectangles, 7/8″ for a square from which you cut two half-square triangles,  and 1 1/4″ for a square from which you cut four quarter-square triangles."

    Deana  came up with a very neat knitting  project bag design.  I think it would be a great quilter accessory bag too.   I love the way she put the zipper on the outside for the pocket.  Too cute.  


  More mystery game hints or clues tomorrow.
Happy stitching.

Love these gift tags!

    I love these gift / care tags that Deana has in her PodBeLu Etsy shop .  My colors and pattern......swirls and paisleys.  I hope she saves a few of these for me.....big hint!
   They are heavy card stock that she die cuts.  The backs are plain so you can write on the to/from.  Or  even better......for care instructions.  I like that idea for when I give quilted gifts.  A lot of people think you can't wash the mug rugs, or wall hangings that we create!  I want to include washing  instructions and a note to always use a color grabber or dye catcher with the quilt.

 
      Just a few more of the fun mix of patterns she has put together.  Please stop by and visit her soon at PodBeLu .
  Oh....and I am very pleased to report on Day 86 of the shoulder event that I drove myself to church today....all by myself for the first time in 3 months!    Sir Old Man was on Production Team today and working camera 2, so if I was going, I had to drive.  OK, so I went to the early service and there was very little traffic, but I felt so free!    
  A few more triangle units are done....I hope to get to sew more tomorrow.  Happy stitching.  

Happy Day 75

   Yes, Day 75 for me....I woke up for the first time in 75 days with no pain.  When I said a cheerful  "Good Morning" to Sir Old Man, he was  a little stunned and it took a few seconds to register the tone of my voice. Very appropriate  that it lands on Independence Day--our mid-summer 4th of July--for me.  I do believe I will regain some of that independence  for myself soon.  To celebrate, I sewed this morning.
      I finished off a couple of string pieced mug rugs. Just using lots of bits and pieces of floral fabrics sewn to a muslin base. No plan to them, I used what was next in the pile of strings.
     Next I went to the design wall and tackled the last 2 braid runs of floral fabrics.   Then I put together 3 of them to see what would happen.

     Once I got them stitched together, I realized how reminiscent this one is to "Comings and Goings"  journal quilt project.  The journal quilt was done with squares, and this is done with the braid strips, but visually very much alike.  I seem to have a one track mind with this design.
   Technique hint:    Each braid is cut 2 3/4" from the center point to the edge.....be sure to spray starch before cutting to help stabilize the bias edges that will be created.  Sew immediately....cut, sew, then cut the next one.  Only cut the side you will be sewing.

    I added a link in the side bar for my daughter's new etsy shop, PodBelu.  She is back to making her PodBeLu bags for small knitting projects.  Some bags are quilted and others are up-cycled wool sweaters that she felts and sews.   And she is adding lavender sachets for tucking into your woolen items....now you know why I harvested so much lavender.  Pop over and check it out, please, for Mom's sake.

   Now that I have had fun sewing, it is time to exercise with the beach ball and stick.  What a way to celebrate the 4th.  Hope yours is happy.
Happy stitching.  

Quilting for PodBeLu bags

What are PodBeLu bags?  Knitting project bags that my daughter designs and makes.  Deana started knitting about 3 years ago and it took off from there.  She is a natural at almost anything she touches.  She has a funky design sense and loves retro prints and also very graphic prints.  So when she wanted to make a couple small bags for socks she was knitting, I opened my big mouth and and said I would quilt the fabric for her.  So here are a couple of photos of the bags.  She sells them through her favorite knitting shop, Baskets of Yarn in Charlotte.  They will be at the large Southern Christmas Show beginning this weekend. 

Quilting the fabric for the bags has been a great way to improve my machine quilting and gave me a chance to develop a couple of motifs that I use a lot in my quilts.  The stacked teardrops that fan out and create a feather effect has become a favorite of mine.  It is what I used on the quilt "The World is a Garden" and won Best Machine Quilted in our guild show.  I discovered 365 days of free motion quilting blog a few weeks ago.  Leah has created amazing designs and I can't wait to try a few out on the next batch of fabric for the PodBeLu bags. 

The one fabric quilt is up on the design wall, and I am ready to begin the piecing.  I am afraid it will be tedious and take forever.  So to keep me motivated to get the piecing done, I started auditioning fabrics for a french braid quilt!  Piece on one and plan for another....will see how it goes.