CARD MAKING

These are the cards I made at Cardmaking at the Clubhouse in our neighborhood for May.  The Graduation one is going to DGS for his pre-school graduation.  The vest is for Father's day.  Too fun!  It's a great way to get to know the neighbors better too.

NEW BOW ON WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

Barbara Brackman, who did the CW quilt BOW last year, will start on new one in the fall all about Women't Suffrage.  In the USA woman gained the right to vote in 1920. 

I recall asking my Grandmother about the events at that time.  She was a very modern Grandma, owned and ran a farm, worked other jobs all her life, from school bus driver to working at the winery.  This thoroughly modern lady, who always voted, said she thought the women doing the sit ins, starvation diets, etc., at that time were a bit 'kooky'.  I was so surprised!  I would have thought she'd have been cheering them on.  Of course she was still young, a teenager at that time.

I've only studied American Women's Suffrage.  But Barbara will be doing other countries as well, especially other English-speaking countries.  Did you know the women in New Zealand gained the right to vote more than 20 years ahead of those in the US? 

This BOW journey will start in the fall.  Click here to read more.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VETERANS!

QUILT BLOGGERS

I belong to Quilting Bloggers.  Do you?  Quilting bloggers is a web ring, where quilters with blogs (or not) can easily find other quilt blogs.  Recently they updated added add this cute new button.  Their old one is nice too, and is farther down on my blog.  They sadly deleted over 1,000 inactive blogs!  But, good news, they are looking to add active blogs.  So if you have an active blog, join the web ring and see your traffic increase, as well as link to other great blogs.  Just click here or on the icon above for more info.

DOLL SIGGIE SWAP

I've been working on signature blocks for a doll siggy swap.  On the left is the size I swap on Dear Jane list and the International Siggie swap. On the right is what I'm making for the dolls to swap. You can see the 'big' ones are 5" to finish 4.5". The dolls are trading 2" finished size blocks, 2.5" unfinished.  In the center is the doll's name, the girl's name, where they live (city, state, country) and the year. I'm pretty sure the hardest part is going to be writing so small.  I have entered a doll in the swap for each of my three granddaughters, so lots of tiny stitching is in my future.

RASPBERRY RIPPLE

Yesterday I made this Raspberry Ripple bag, using fabric from Judy Hanson's Radiance collection (Paintbrush Studio).  I just love her designs, her shop (The Quilt Shop of Deland in Florida), and her person.  She is always smiling and full of energy!

The Raspberry Ripple pattern is from Australian designer Melanie Decker, of Melly and Me,  and came with a few challenges for me.  The front ripple part was actually the easiest part.  It's the way they insert the zipper, what they call fusible fleece, etc., that were cause for more consternation.  The interior is half open and half is a zippered pocket --  handy.  The very top closes with a magnet.  I love the size -- 16.5" by 18", including the handle.

For sure I'll be making up more of these handy handbags.  They will go much faster now that I have been through the pattern once!

Making this bag gives me a new appreciation for my Vera Bradley bags and why they cost what they do!

WONKY TREES

The wonky tree swap arrived this week.

 This is my favorite!  So much detail, and great wonk going on here.

Here's my forrest.  They will play nicely with my wonky houses.  I think I'll add some wonky stars too.  But that's later.  Too much going right now to play with them for long.

BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON?

I do!  I made these unique buttons yesterday at Clermont Quilters.  One of the gals was demonstrating, and for $5 you could play too.  Well, of course!  Who wouldn't want to play with clay?

This was my first one, a fish.  She's about 1.5" long. Her body and lower fins are cut from leaf shapes.  Her dorsal fin is a heart folded in half, so she can flap it.  And the tail is a small flower shape folded.   I think she'll go on a fish quilt. 

Then I made these.  Much easier.  Just cut with a cookie cutter, and poke holes.

Next we rolled some beads.  I think I over-kneaded the clay, as I lost most of the marble effect.

Then I cut these.  This was actually very easy, as you just slice off from a tube.  The colors were already there.  The shell will have a hole drilled for a pendant, and the others for earrings.

I brought my creations home to bake, and will take the three needing drilling back next week.

This was very fun, and it's always nice to try something new.  It's easy when the supplies are right there, the guide is right there, and all the tools are right there.  Don't think I'll be taking this up as a new hobby, but it was interesting to play with yesterday morning.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Whether you're a Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, we are all nurturers in one way or another.  Enjoy your day.

CLERMONT QUILTERS

This morning I investigated the Clermont Quilters.  They are not a guild.  I was told it's just a group of people who gather to stitch.  But they are much more organized than that. 

They have show-and-tell, demos, other fun stuff.  I brought my Dresden Plates to work on.  Many gals had hand work with them, be it stitching, knitting, whatever.  There was a demo on using those needle punch machines (very nice embellishments), lots of chatter, the nicest comraderie and friendliest group of women.  I'll go back for sure!  Many seemed interested in how I'm doing my Dresdens, so I'll bring my KK Buckley Perfect Circles, and demo those next week. 

They meet every Monday unless it's a major holiday (like Labor day) or if the church is using the space.  They charge just $1 per meeting to cover coffee, photos, etc.  Odd expenses.

One of the sweet members took this picture on her smart phone, and emailed it to me.  It looks empty behind me, but really there were quite a few women there (30?).  They said they pack the place in the winter when the snow birds are here.

What a fun way to start the week!  I'm so enjoying meeting and stitching with real-life quilters, although I love my on-line friends too!

I'M NOT AMISH

That's what I'm thinking of naming this quilt when it's done.  It's not an Amish quilt unless the quilter is Amish.  These blocks are from a swap in 2010.  I decided to center them with a larger Amish Basket block.  I'll use black for corner triangles on that block.

But then, to sash or not sash?  I'm thinking maybe this gray.  I had one extra block, so the red one (mine) will be used on the back as a label.  I'm thinking of big-stitch quilting it with black thread on the brights -- definitely not Amish.

It will be simmering on the design wall for a while, as I have other things taking priority.  But I am excited to at least get the blocks out of their bag, make the large basket, etc.

IT'S CHARMING

Here are my 20 sets of 5 charm squares for the floral charms swap.  They didn't have to be 'floral packed' so it was easy to pull fabrics with flowers.  I'm picturing a charming floral quilt in the future.

I CAUGHT A BUG

It's this cute Dresden Bug, and she is very contagous!  Click here to see what can happen when she takes over!  It started last week, when Carol was here.  Now it's a full-blown case of the bug!

I have all twelve plates finished for my quilt.

My background blocks are cut, and sew so are the centers.  Stitching these down by hand will be nice evening work.

I already have dreams of my next dresden project dancing in my head -- watch out for the bug!  It will be more modern, and not in 30's fabs. hmm.................

RETREAT WRAP UP

Carol left last Sunday, and life is back to more normal, but with new energy.  Here's an account of our last day.

Carol demonstrated an Upper Case Living event at my clubhouse Sat. morning.  We both forgot to get pictures!  Then we came back to my house, and she helped me hang my Upper Case order from before.  What a trooper.  Here she is, up on the ladder, measuring and showing me how to do this, while I play helper.

This was my job.  This and handing Carol things.

Here's the end result.

Next we Carol did my second one.  While she was up there, I had her hang my button window 'valance'.

She also gave me a couple hearts that are wipe off boards.  Well, I made a mess of that.  Carol suggested I save the labels from my wall appliques so I'd know what color they were in case I want to order more in the same colors.  I carelessly cut a hole in one the the hearts!  Yikes!

However, I managed to save it, and if you didn't know, you wouldn't see it.

Here's the design wall near the end of our time together.  Actually a few more blocks and plates were added, but I evidently didn't get a picture of it then.

Hope we can do it again soon!

CONFUSED RETREAT, DAY 2

Carol woke up with a head ache this morning.  We think she may have had a touch of flu!

But after a while she felt better, and we did some sewing.  I worked on more dresden plates.

And played with them, all in nice chains.

Then we had lunch and headed out shopping.  We went to Bealls, JoAnn's, then to Maitland to The Sewing Studio where Carol picked up her repaired machine, and I picked up supplies for my smocking class. 

She saw a display of diaper cover supplies, and I mentioned they had the very same stuff at JoAnn's.  So back to Winter Garden we headed.  By that time we needed more nourishment -- shopping is hard work!  So after coffee/tea and pastry at Pannera, back to JoAnn's we went.  While there, not only did she find diaper cover supplies, but also a sweet chair for sewing.  Check her blog for pics.

Back home, Carol napped.  Yes she did.  She said she was just resting her eyes, but..............  I put together salads for dinner, and then we got our second wind..  Carol finished another block, and I trimmed, turned, and pressed all those plates I sewed in the moring.

My design wall is really filling up, mainly thanks to Carol.  Hey, I have to cook, clean and do drudge work -- yeah, that's why, and I'm sticking with that!.  I'll post design wall pics tomorrow.  Retreats are so fun, even if just two friends getting together.

PS

BTW, to leave a comment, just click on '0 comments' or whatever number there are.  Anyone can leave a comment on my blog.

CONFUSED RETREAT 2012 - PART 1

This is the other Nana quilts posting for Pat as a guest blogger. Boy I could have fun doing this especially after another glass of wine.  Sorry, I forgot tell you my name is Carol Cox.

To introduce myself, I am Pat's best friend [sorry to those who thought they were] but its true.  I have known Pat since 1982 when we met in Dhahran through our daughters. Melissa was a new student and my daughter, Tracey, was assigned to show her around the school.  Melissa was sure Tracey was a boy and was shocked when she took her into the rest room.   But they became good friends and so did their mothers.

However, I digress. Pat and I have sewn together for many years now, go on retreats and room together, vacation together, and 'wine' together. Fortunately our husbands like each other and tolerate these obsessions.  Our kids are friends and visit each other also. Since we both have had health issues and family issues the past few years we don't attend many formal retreats again.  But getting together at each others homes helps us keep up with this tradition.

This week we are supposed to be here sewing on our Patchwork quilts we purchased in 2007 and I actually have three blocks done.  Pat is working on a 'twist and stitch' quilt.  We both are doing scrappy Dresden plates.  We don't actually get much done since we are laughing to much.  Taking care of the dogs, making meals, walking, and shopping does get in the way too much.

Here are some pictures of Pat working laughing on her quilt.

This is Pat's design wall where I have my Calli lily block, two Dresden's, one of the Patchwork and her twist and stitch.  A fun technique I will have to try some day. She does like to get me into new projects.

Here is my blog address if you want to go and see what Pat said on my blog as the guest blogger.  Stay tuned for more retreat news from the confused.

www.snippetsofcarol.blogspot.com

APRIL CARDS

This month we made this fun card.  Here's the front.

And here's the rear, tatoo and all, LOL!  I couldn't decide what to stamp on the inside.  'Best wishes for your plastic surgery.' 'Don't forget the sun screen.'  'Those were the days.'  ????  Like we had those stamps!  In the end I stamped it with, 'Time passes, friendship stays right where it's put.'  Pun intended!

We also made this sweet little apron.  The yellow tab pulls out of the pocket to write your message.  It is likely to be used for a Mother's Day card for my DDIL.

It's always fun to go to the clubhouse, catch up on the latest chatter, do a little laughing, and have a fun time making cards.

PROGRESS

I'm nor ready to share the whole room, just yet, but as you can see, there's been a lot of progress!  Now the garage is in shambles as I go through things out there, LOL!  But I'm finding treasures, some long forgotten, too!

CHAOS

No a tornado didn't hit (as my mother used to ask).  It's just time to redo.  Redo?  Didn't I just move in last Nov.?  Well, yes.  And some things are staying the same, but some are changing. 

After using the room a while, I have a better feel for it.  Things are getting organized slightly differently.  And for sure I NEED a permanent design wall.

Stash will be going on these shelves below the design wall.  They used to be one on top of the other on the opposite wall.  Now I've moved a different bookcase there.  Now that the furniture is where I want it, I've started hanging things on the walls.  Stay tuned for more pictures later this week.  Neater, hopefully!



SCRAPPY PLATES CLUB

My friend Carol is visiting for a few days next week to sew together.  We've decided to sew Scrappy Dresden Plate blocks.  Here's a link to the Bunny Hill Scrappy Plates Club.  They have a super tutorial, and I'll probably be using their guidelines for my quilt.  They have posted all parts of the tutorial now and I have a super tub of 30's fabrics that I could use.

But, I also have this book.

Lots of cool, new ideas there.  Hmmm....................  Wonder where my collection of polka dots is........................

50 SIGGIES

50 siggies stamped and drying overnite.  They will be heat-set and packaged tomorrow. 

A close-up of one. 

 pack

SIGGY TUTORIAL UPDATED

I've been  sewing my DJ Siggy Swap blocks for the 2012 swap, and realized I don't make them exactly like my former tutorial on my blog.  I've found a quicker/easier way.  So here it is.  This way is now in my tutorial link too.

 Cut one 3.5" light square for the center.  Cut two 4" squares for the triangle sides and slice them in half on the diagonal.

 For triangles one and two, line up your ruler with the opposite diagonal line points, on 1.75" (square is turned in this pic).

 Slice off the tips.

 And again on the other side.

Now the first two triangles will line up exactly with your 3.5" center square.  No need to fold and finger press the center.  No need to guess how much to cut off the tips.  It fits perfectly.  This is the new improved part.  Way faster!

 Sew the first triangle on, and then repeat with the opposite side, triangle two.

 Press to set seams.

 Then press open -- seams to the outside.

 It's easy to eyeball the third and fourth triangles, centered, so there's no need to trim the tips off those.

 Stitch, and press to set seams.

 Open out and press the third and fourth triangles..

 Voila!  Here's the siggy.  Not not trimmed to 5" yet.  For the International Siggy Swap trim it up.  However, for the DJ Siggy Swap send it in as is.  We all trim our own.

It's way faster this way.  I made 50 today in no time.  Of course I still have to sign/stamp/embellish the siggy, but the construction was a snap!

Hope this helps get these done quickly for you.