fishing for compliments

not that I am really! I just wanted to share the progress so far on mays BJP
if you haven't guessed yet ...it's a fish

I haven't quite figured out the tail yet
but it will come to me.

have found that i seem to get my best idea's in dreams.

over successive days I work out the details and then gather things.

I puzzle out the details as i'm working.

oh and check out the fin on this baby, i'm rather proud of that! it's the first time i've ever worked in 3d.

Hearts and Hands For Sendai block is finished!

well here's my contribution for better or worse to the hearts and hands for sendai quilt project. the cherry blossom tree is my favorite part.

i love the serenity of the girl brushing her hair i thought sendai could use a little about now.
The butterflies are symbols of the soul and hope for the future.

What can I do?

"What can I do?"

As a quilter and a stitcher

I have found a project that,

"I can do to help".

Here is an excerpt from the blog

http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com/.

This project will be dedicated to helping those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster in Japan. Per Hideko Ishida's request, all quilts will become a part of an exhibit in Japan where money will be raised by viewing the quilts. Ultimately, these quilts may be auctioned and the proceeds given to a charity designated by Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister! We will keep everyone informed as time progresses. This project is open to the quilting community at large! You may track details on the Crazy Quilting International blog, http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com or the ICQA Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/4h3x28a .

Theme: Friendship and re-building of a country

Finished block size: 8 inches
 

Colors: Jewel Tones

Style: traditional or crazy quilt blocks will be accepted

For traditional quilt blocks, there are no pattern restrictions. The only requirements are the size and the colors. Finished size is to be 8 inches (20.32 cm). Please allow a half inch seam allowance. Colors are jewel tones. No restrictions to the type of fabric used.
 

For more information please,

click on this link

http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com/2011/03/hearts-and-hands-for-sendai.html

for the full details.

 

BJP-update may project

i'm starting on May's project now so hopefully I will finish befor the end of the month.

I'm still looking for the blog with the paisleys in the header so if you know who please let me know there was something there that tickled my braincells and If you've ever had tickled braincells you know it's makin' me a little more bats than usual 0.o!  I really want to find it again!

anywhoo, I started may's in hopes of finishing it by may the progress so far is satisfying. I'm not terribly pleased with the purple triangle paisly but it had to hide partially under the bit of lace so it was going to be a bit on the odd side anyway.

i have two more paisleys to finish and some seamwork to do  it's the other two paisles that are giving me agita I can't seem to find the right balance of beads

Finished a pink and blue box

I tried out a couple of new techniques here one was the gathered ric-rac in Alli Aller's  crazy quilting book and folded ribbon roses.  

i have always been a little intimidated by folded ribbon roses and I still am a little. there must be a trick to making them so you don't get that square look.

i lined this one simple with the same pink cotton I used on the outside as the white box looked too stark to leave plain.
so now I have three boxes and two purses to sell in my ETSY store when I get it up and running hopefully by the end of the month. I want to do a little more research on it an get a better banner together.
But I think it's gonna happen.

i'm going to try not to panic or obsess or any of the other silly worry-wort things I usually do when I jump in feet first.

I figure I'll give it 6 months to see how it goes and if it doesn't work out it doesn't work out.

Hearts and Hands For Sendai

I am participating in a project to raise funds for the recovery of Japan. The quilting community as a whole is welcome to participate!  Traditional and crazy quilt blocks will be accepted!  I am posting the guidelines below for those that are interested in joining in.  Please contact her with any questions you may have. I look forward to working with everyone!  I know this will be a fabulous project upon completion!  Stay tuned here or at the CQI blog for updates on blocks as they come in!!


Hearts and Hands For Sendai


This project will be dedicated to helping those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster in Japan. Per Hideko Ishida's request, all quilts will become a part of an exhibit in Japan where money will be raised by viewing the quilts. Ultimately, these quilts may be auctioned and the proceeds given to a charity designated by Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister! We will keep everyone informed as time progresses. This project is open to the quilting community at large! You may track details on the Crazy Quilting International blog, http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com or the ICQA Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/4h3x28a .

Guidelines are as follows:

Theme: Friendship and re-building of a country

Finished block size: 8 inches

Colors: Jewel Tones

Style: traditional or crazy quilt blocks will be accepted

For traditional quilt blocks, there are no pattern restrictions. The only requirements are the size and the colors. Finished size is to be 8 inches (20.32 cm). Please allow a half inch seam allowance. Colors are jewel tones. No restrictions to the type of fabric used.


For crazy quilt blocks:

_ Cut foundation at 9 inches (22.86 cm), piece the entire foundation.

_ Baste a line at 8 inches (20.32 cm) to stop embroidering

_ Do not add beads or charms past 7 ½ inches (19.05 cm)

_ Zig zag edges to prevent edges from fraying.

_ Add your name and address on the back of the block.

_ Mark the block with “UP” to show which side is the top

_ Prefer all fabrics used be “fancies” (ie: silk, satin, taffeta, velvet) but if you have

some kimono fabrics or other oriental themed fabrics in your stash you are

welcome to use them.

_ All beading MUST be double stitched and knotted with BEADING THREAD!!!

NO exceptions!!! These items will be handled a great deal and beads, buttons,

charms are among the first to begin to loosen. Embellishments – may be done

by machine or by hand.

_ Lace and other motifs are acceptable and must be securely attached

_ Trims are acceptable and must be securely attached

_ SRE is acceptable

_ Tatting and crocheted butterflies and dragonflys, etc are acceptable and must

be securely attached

_ Please sign the back of your block

Please refrain from using any reference to the rising sun as this has political connotations in Japan.

If you have any questions, at any time, please just email me or call me; Leslie pinyoncreekq@q.com . All completed projects will be mailed to me no later than June 30, 2011. Please contact me for mailing address information.

We are asking for an entry fee of $10.00 dollars for each block. This fee will be accrued and forwarded to either Hideko or a charity of her choosing. This is to generate funds to help Japan as much as possible.

Funds can be sent vis a vis check, money order (payable to ICQA) or Paypal, icqa4u@yahoo.com. Please check gift for the donation. I appreciate everyone’s participation and look forward to seeing all the fabulous creations!

march BJP done!

well i had a major course change concerning my march project, were the concept changed completely!

this was the original concept

with the bird grasping a key in it's claws, up untill yesterday when the key broke! 

I hate when that happens, except when it happens and I get an even better idea!

so now I'm back to using the dogtag concept with feathers and beaded fringe.   since the phrase this month is "whatever is done by only me is your doing my darling" the fringe represents that which has influence over me and that which i influence.

you will notice that the bee has three fringe elements coming from it and the remaining two don't.

that's because this represents my children. it is for them I "do" have done and will always do.they are the reason i can laugh in the face of adversity and go on. they are represented by the ladybug, the dragonfly and the snail, (i'm the bee BTW) the butterfly represents my DBF, the pyramid with the eye of horus represents wisdom and knowledge and the key represents the mysteries I have yet to discover

Here it is all together. I still don't know whether it will be a barrette, a pin or a necklace, I'll take it one step at a time shall we?

 

Starting March BJP

I'm swiping an idea from Gerry over at Olderose and Susan over at Plays with Needles and showing you how I come up with my own ideas'.
I do this in a variety of ways you see creating for me is sometimes a chancy thing, it doesn't all come to me at once, sometimes I have to go a huntin' but most of the time I get inspiration from books, paintings and other peoples blogs. a snippet of this a smattering of that, then drawing them in my sketchbook, where I try to organize (if you can call it that) the things that come to me or I just come across by chance.

I've finally come up with an idea for my March BJP phrase "Whatever  is done by only me is your doing my darling"  It started out with an Idea for a tattoo I had of a bird in flight over a garland of daisies and roses with a dogtag held in it's beak stamped with "what ever is done by only me" and numbers important to he and I.

It has evolved into this bird holding a key in it's claws, stamped with "whatever is done"

the key is stamped, I have shaped and bound the tail and started the bird body on a felt base, instead of my usual muslin because Gerry recommends it and her birds and bunnies are wonderful!  I've never tried doing it this way, having always thought it would be too bulky but with Gerrys tutorials  I decided i would give it a try the next ime I had a motif like this to do and I need a bit of extra bulk to this birdie.

as you can see I've started on the outline of the body of my bird with a tight chainstitch and have the wing standing in line next. I plan to embellish the wing heavily with beads then attach it to the body separately to give it more stability and a little extra padding, though I haven't quite decided what to do with the wing yet I've gotten this far on inspiration so the rest of it can't be far behind!)