Heritage CQ - Ireland

the Irish are a maddening people contradictory 
 very into horses
Very musical and very religious

also superstitious and imaginative other wise we wouldn't have faeries and leprechauns in the same breath as st.Bridged and angels
 my g'ma on my Fathers side was 1/2 irish she was a tiny woman who raised 5 chldren 4 of them boys.
 I remember she would dress me up in "shirly temple cloths" and curl my hair in the portable blow drier.
she couldn't understand why I would prefer to read when there was a "perfectly good" TV on most of the time.

well with the itchy plastic hood and the dryer blowing hot air through it, it sounded like a jet engine landing on my head I couldn't hear the TV and books were more interesting to me, than whatever was on the toob.

She took me to church whenever I was in Lacrosse and tried to see to my religious "education" I liked playing dress up with Grandma but religion didn't stick.

Heritage CQ - Scotland

castle ruins

 I never knew a whole lot a bout Scotland before researching it for this block and
boy what a hard scrabble horrible life it must have been

fought over and persecuted like a dog toy by just about everyone it seems

warrior men

thistle and the lion

and they are still fighting (albeit legally now) for their independence

they are a hearty lot

go here to learn why
the blue ribbon 

not much more to tell, though the history is interesting, bloody and convoluted thanks to the French and the English who have fought over the general region since they could cross the channel

the scots are a simple people who like things to be simple so I didn't muck about to much with embellishments on this one

Heritage CQ - Norway

 I thought I would show you one of the was I transfer images onto my blocks.


first I trace what I want onto dress makers paper.
I use leftovers from patterns I have used in the past. I outline the motif first then I start to embroider over it.

I am doing this motif in beaux stitch to make it look "Vikingy"
I'm going to weave ribbons to make the wing but before I do that I pad it with a little felt

reindeer

and then the tail

 this method works well for most motifs and the paper rips and pulls out easily
Isn't she a cutie!

I added the pine boughs and now I'm looking at it
maybe I should have added more?



this seems to be a ubiquitous motif in norway, finland and sweden. the bundled greenery with red ribbon

 I did some very good seamwork on this block

and the antique buttons are from my g'ma's button box


 they remind me of the shields the vikings would put on the sides of their ships


I know you all have been asking what the significance of all these nationalities are, they are all me. this is where my family have come from.

as I have researched my heritage over the years I learn more of where my family has come from and they are all a part of who I am.

some of it has been a bit like learning I had great-great grandparents in the civil war on both sides (i did, on dad's side) and how so you reconcile that??

Or finding out your great-Aunts sang Opera (don't know which one) for the archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand in Vienna before he was shot in 1914 (mom's side)

as you can see it's a mixed bag. and not being this or that has been confusing
but useful.

.

Heritage CQ - France

coffee anyone?

this whole thing is going to be a big wall hanging about 38"square

naked block

it's the biggest cq I have ever attempted and has been a challenge not only in scale but in research and patience.

there are 9 blocks total each of a different part of my heritage + a boarder and binding (not yet gotten to)

Eiffel tower of course!

lovers al fresco

all in all it has taken up 2 years of stitching and planning.

there has to be a frog!

I have tried to make it cohesive by using the same fabric, lace, floss, colors and beads I think Its good so far,




but I will have to finish putting it together to determine how well I did.

for now it's 1 block at a time! and this block is France

Heritage CQ-austria

Lots of birds on this one! 

herons are everywhere along the streams and rivers of austria.
here I have put a mating pair at the top of a tree

swans are a popular sight on the Danube, such elegant birds sailing across the water

you will find art deco everywhere in the artwork and frescoes of  the twenties and wild peacocks on the park lawns


chickens and roosters are portrayed everywhere on furniture and textiles

there is also an abundance of redwork on blouses and jackets





I couldn't resist putting this  little village on the lace this way so it looked like it was perched on a mountain side. I wanted to put a goat in there too but space foiled me!

 and this lovely girl in the center wearing a traditional goldwork vest





and the whole thing.  though I still have a little work to do on it, it is mostly done

I am trying to remember if I have posted any of the other blocks I have 1 to go and with this one have finished 8 so there are 9 total.
I still have the seams between blocks to do.
then I plan to surround it with more cq depicting seattle, where I am now, as a binding.

I will post the others if I haven't already but that will be in a day or so.

Happy mothers day!

Enjoy your day

Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too! - 2013 Show

Thearica Burrows over at Pigtails and  Quilts is hosting the "Crazy Quilts are Quilts too!" show.
So hop on over and take a look at all the wonderful work the ladies (including me) have put out there for the show! Her site is here

There is voting and prizes at the end so it is a real contest too!

I already took a look and have some stiff competition!
go take a look and see for yourself!

some gardening and a block

looking from the garage

 we get a few sunny days up here and everything pops into bloom.

looking from the porch

including the tree pollen which is coating everything!
It's so thick you can see it in the air.







the tulips and daffies are looking happy

Peonies

In a few years I will have a ton of peonies!

they take a few years to dig themselves into a spot and they don't like being moved, so don't give up on them if they don't bloom in the first year or two the third year is always the charm!

Vinca

and vinca blooms! who knew?



I'm surprised every year what survives winter around here.

Wysteria

I bought glads again the second year I was here thinking, the ones from last year would be mush  and I have LOTS of glads now !


coming from Chicago, like I do, if you want these you have to buy them new every year


Look who is still around! she looks cozy sunning on a  leaf

 We're going to have lots of daisies too

I put in 4 new rose bushes, along the back wall, to replace the ones that didn't over winter the first year.

I moved the veggi garden over by the fence to a bigger newer box closer to the back porch where the sun isn't occluded for half the day by tree shadow.

 
I might even try to grow corn again, in the box next to it but I would have to get on that this week or next if I want to eat it by September

I hope to have more than enough tomatoes this year due to the sunnier spot

Sandie's block

 I finished Sandie's block for the poetry and verses RR.





I chose the block called Bliss and nothing says bliss like a steaming hot bubble bath! I gave her candlelight music a rubber duckie and lots of bubbly bubbles!

doesn't she look happy?

good day from under the tree!