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.