From Cathy's gift box

I found myself more Cigar boxes to get in good trouble with                                                                                                                                                                                                                      So I mounted a bunch of things from Cathy's giftie box from a few years ago

       

The white work piece I ended up cutting off the bottom third because it was too big to use whole                                                                                                                                                                              This is the top part                                                                                                                                           It's still to big to put on a cigar box,                       so I will have either to find a box to fit it               or make my own. I haven't decided which yet

The bottom third fit on this cohiba box

It was already painted white and fit perfectly!

I'm trying to figure out what to do with it from here

 

Isn't she pretty though!

                                                                                                                                            

I also mounted this Pink one and this pretty blue one with the swifts but have yet to put them on anything.

I am still fiddling with these other bird panels,

They go together buut they kind of don't

I like the way the right side looks but the left side needs help.

I don't know if I like it.

Maybe it's configured wrong?

I tried it this way first

 The problems I see with it ^ are,

 

 1) the tree unbalances the other three panels

    and the only way to fix that is by adding more to          the others.

  2) The harsh lines of the joins are bothering me too

  3) The upper left hand bird panel was too small, so         I had to add some "like" fabric, to make it wider

     now I'm having trouble trying to integrate it                                                                                                 into a whole contiguous piece. 

This happens every time I put panels together like this, the harsh lines of the individual panels takes my eye away from enjoying the piece as a whole and I can't figure out how to integrate them.

The way I have dealt with this in the past is to add sashing between the panels, but that breaks it up farther.  I'd like to try something different. It's just not working very well here right now.

Frustrating! I can sort of see what I want, but I can't make it work. 

I need to separate the blocks, find some more "Like" fabric to maybe add some joins to make the pieces flow better because right now it looks choppy to me. 

Maybe one more time with the seam ripper.

I know I can get this.

Cathy's Block is now a box!

I finished this block and mounted it quite a while ago but then it sat on my table with nothing to do 

but look pretty fabulous for a long time 

until I got my excrement together to finish what I intended to do with it

Even the inside of the box was ready

I just hadn't yet decided on the fabric for the outside of the box

So needing to get SOMETHING done

I finally shifted myself and went through my fabric stash


And there you go

Easy peasy

Bob's your uncle 

2nd CQ block

So here is the second block I have managed to finish 

from Cathy's box of goodies

I started to embroider the arches and didn't like them

they seemed to compete with the trim below it

I wanted something in this corner to brighten up the block

and give it a bit of sparkle

I also felt this needed a spider and web

I had some of those flower beads laying around from something else 

They fit so well, color wise, 

and were just enough to fit 

so on they went

I needed to fill space with something brown 

These buttonhole leaves seem to fill the space nicely

This lace motif fit the color scheme so on it went

but it needed more to it. 

I had to hunt up the right button 

I tried bigger ones but they didn't fit. 

This little glass peach button was broken in the box found both pieces and a little E6000 fixed that .

The round lentil beads were perfect to fit between the lines.

A spider and a few more beads to tack down the flyaways on that trim and it's done!

I might throw on a bird charm or two but I think it's good.

A CQ finish!

 I have finally come up with a CQ finish!

It's been a while.

This was a partially started nekkid block that was in the the gifties box I got from Cathy Kizarian over at Crazy by design bolg.

There were many more nekkid, lightly started and finished RR blocks to play with in the box, This one called to me loudest. 

It is a lovely nekkid block I love its curves! I don't usually do curves cause they are difficult on a machine, but dang if these aren't sweet! I'm going have to try them.

When I found it, it had just the tree with a few leaves and it's egg nest.

First thing I did was to finish giving the tree her leaves, trying to match the original colors is tricky and I found a dark green but not the khaki. still looks ok though. 

Next came the mamma bird, she still needs an eye.

I was, this many( hold up many fingers), when I figured out how to make those sweet pyramid things. 

It turns out they are best formed with feather stitch. o knew?

you just pick your length and fill it in from there. Easy Peasy. Duh! It just goes to show you you can do this for 25 years, teach others and still learn things!

The button cluster was needed, to break up the long line of the red ribbon treatment and mute the white lace I used. The bird and butterfly were used similarly as motifs to keep the eye moving around the block, and not off the edges where the corners meet.

I love chevron stitch, or is that creatan? Nope it's Herringbone. pHa! I get them all mixed up sometimes. Anyway I like them all. 

Is 55 to early to go senile? asking for a friend.........

The lace and beads went to fill in the lonely space by the tree, that side of the block needed a little balance with so much going on the other side of the tree. 

The aqua ceramic buttons were added to give it some pop and fill

the empty spots between the pyramids, the tiny silver dragonflies ditto.

I also thought this bottom corner was a good spot to practice cast on stitch with a double thickness of needles for a more loopy look, It might need some beads though.

The lizard and frog got sick of hiding in my stash and hopped/slithered on for the fun of it.

and there she is!

 How'd I do Cathy?

Gifties! Thank you Cathy!

 I have been trying to formulate a proper way of Thanking Cathy Kizarian of Crazy by Design, for her generosity.

To say I am overwhelmed, by the gift of three boxes of Crazy Quilting supplies is,             insufficient.

and the synonyms are all wrong for the feels I am feeling;

crush          defeat          deluge         destroy         engulf         inundate         overcome
overpower overrun        rout            submerge       swamp        bury               conquer  

drown        drub             massacre    overflow       overthrow    smother         thrash 

 

The synonyms for grateful aren't quite right either 

 

 beholden     indebted     pleased     thankful     gratified     obliged

 

 

 Here we go, Elated, thAt seems more like it;

 

 delighted         ecstatic         enchanted         euphoric         excited         exultant         joyful         jubilant overjoyed                  animated           aroused           cheered        elevated      enraptured  exhilarated      flying     intoxicated        roused            transported   blissful       gleeful    high     joyous

 

 

 

 Also feeling;

in heaven                     in high spirits                                 in seventh heaven 

 

 

 

     

 

 Yes this all seems better suited to how I felt opening three full boxes of goodies, full to the brim each one

of half finished and a few finished projects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

three full boxes of

 

silks, velvets,  tatting,  silk ribbon,  black laces,  embroidery floss 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 and a whole collection of silkies! Woo!

      

 

 

 What treasure!

                         Eye candy!

                                               

Riches beyond measure!

                                        Additions all to my dragon hoard 

                                                

                                                                A prize to be pawed through and snifled!

   

 

or is that just me?

                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

                                        Violet kitty approves this pile

 

 

 

 

 

Though she wishes I would stop dancing around it's putting her off her nap time.

Thank you Cathy!!!!!!!!!