Feeling my scraps

 I will argue here that Crazy quilts are the ultimate in scrap quilts

I might even go further and argue, Crazy quilts are the ultimate in crumb quilting

No fabric matches in any square 

is also harvested from old thrifted clothing

and is no larger than 2"-4" wide and 2"-6" long

Embroidery on a seam is no longer than half the size of the square.

In my case, I'm most comfortable with 10" squares so no seam is longer than 3" to 6"

Buttons are used with abandon, in blobs, sprays and scatters

As are beads and sequins

Embellishments are usually made from lace motifs 

Jewelry parts that are broken or have lost a mate

Every square uses no more than 3" of lace

The same for Gimp, Ribbon ends, braid and soutache

Lots of silk ribbon embroidery

Not that I'm biased 

I'll make a scrap Quilt out of anything

Applique

English paper piecing

Stuffed animals

Costumes

Quilts  

Even decorating my home with them

When life gives you scraps

Decorate

After a certain point Scrapping becomes a way of life

 relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design or as is the usual all of them at once

CQJP Paris #5 bistro

 so trying to publish from my phone is a disaster as you have probably noticed from the lack of pictures or text since october. sorry about that when stuff doesn't work around here it really goes to the dogs.

This block represents all the wonderful little bistros that litter Paris like candy wrappers behind a careless child.











some do pastries,
            some are cafe' only
                            some only open for the evening
                                                               and some do it all
         



my favorite was a dinky little hole in the wall with one table
and an indolent cat who would beg the cream off your cappuccino in a demanding 3 pack a day meow











the waiter/owner would bring you your order and leave you to your devices to gossip with friends and neighbors inside at the bar





 and his wifes bread was to die for
 brown and crunchy crust soft fleshy inside
fresh from the oven

you could smell it down the block and around the corner

it would call to me in the morning, a sirens song of aroma drifting through my hotel window

CQJP Paris walking the dog

So this is sumething you will see in Paris alOt

a very chique lady walking her dog.

Parisians love their dogs, they take them everywhere










and like their children, these dogs are very well behaved.

You see them everywhere, under tables in cafes,

outside groceries guarding bikes,

or walking thir people through the markets or down the street.

this lady is dressed for work

walking her dog through the champs elise

on her way to her office job, not all though many,

who allow their people to bring their dogs to work.

CQJP 2017 Paris block #3

 this block cellebrates all the open parks in the city and the art neuvo influence that you will see scattered everywhere

first up is the moth, in a vine you will see them in the dusk after the street lights go on banging their heads against the glass

then the duck, she was supposed to be a swan but oh well shes a pretty enough duckriding the waves of a pond

the phrase is from one of my favoriet Edith Piaf songs and is the title as well" Je ne regrette rien" I do not regret anything.

 the little pump in a cistern is a common sight as well usually behind large houses or in country

I did a fair amount of sewing on the flowers in the middle portion mostly because we took a 2 day train trip to see family in CHicago and 2 days on a train is the perfect place for sewing

squares for watering the gardens, horses and the other family animals

 and look what decided to flower this Year! The irises are huge and have may blooms on each stalk. I suppose this is what happens when they hybernate for 8 years!

to be fair i had them in a different location and only mooverd them 2 years ago to where they are now but they didnt bloom last year either.

I also found this fellow sleeping on my allium drumstic this morning.
he must have been caught out when the sun whent down over the trees, it gets cold quite fast around here after dusk.

more is in bloom in the garden and ill have pictures of those too soon.

2017 CQJP 2 Rue Glycene

The story of this panel starts with a picture taken during a meandering walk,

in which I decided to wander the streets, looking for nothing in particular.

After passing the rather disreputable looking door,

 As the door was deeply set into the wall and ajar I entered this unexpected fairyland,

Located down a little covered corridor which opens onto one of Paris' many pocket streets.


In which there is a little courtyard

containing 3 or 4 homes with balconies

overlooking this glorious little fountain tinkling merrily in the sunlight.

Each entrance with their own potted garden and ancient wisteria vine

covering entrance and balcony, in purple and pink splendor.

paris! CQJP 2017

Starting a new project is always always little difficult.

Where do I start?

There's nothing to work off of, no stuff to build on.

The yawning chasm of the blank canvas.

Sometimes design comes easy, sometimes, not so much.

My advise, just start. Roll the dice, pick a few random numbers and pick a book, choose choose a design and go for it.

 I love the sre basket of flowers and the blue bird

The pretty floral bonnet is felt sewn down with floss and sre accordion rose


I wanted something to fill in but not take away from the  lavender fabrics it seemed to not be playing well well with the rest of the block

I did a lot of beading on this piece as well

 Every year I challenge myself with something new or something I need to work on

Year one was stitches and beading

Year 2 was living through the year

This year it's sre. I don't do a lot of  it so this year I've challenged myself to do more, bigger, blousier sre.

Also to do more inn the way of embroidered scene motifs

Like the bird and the bonnet

Then integrate that within my style of over zealous beadwork and intricate seam treatments 

The bjp got dropped on the floor last year

So I will try to pick that up again as well with something over beaded like the pink, blue and green trim in the bottom right hand corner

Though I still need to work on that idea

It's  the best I have so far

CQJP 2017

All with the cats approval of course.

she likes this one the best, this is molly my inspector of all things

nothing may be done in this house without the express approval of the cat.

 believe me things are better this way