Heart Block

The Heart that Grew!!

This is one of many heart blocks  that will be put together for a dear friend battling cancer.
I started out with the heart and the yo yo flowers just seamed to grow. Of course you need leaves and a butterfly. The finished lap quilt will be gorgeous!!

Angelina Fibers

Today I played with Angelina Fibers.  It is a fun project and quick!! These luscious colors are called Moonbeams. One picks them apart and then mix up the fibers to blend them.  Then lay them on a Teflon pressing sheet and fold it over. You need a pressing sheet of some kind or it will stick to your iron...UGHHHH     Press lightly and quickly or it will burn. You end up with a stiff piece of mixed fibers.
I am making a dragonfly and needed wings that sparkle. Angelina Fibers can be found in craft stores and online. I purchased this package from  www.ribbonsmyth.com 

Bead Book

WOW!!! Another prize from the Crazy Quilt Show. This is a beautiful, hands on book. Well documented with colored pictures and signed by Nancy.  Put it on your wish list!!!

The bead kit for the Spider and web has everything including the needles with the Silamide Thread. I have not been happy with the bead thread I am using so will try out this thread soon. The needles are so tiny and I have lots of quilting needles. Never thought of using them. The long beading needles I use have a nice bend on them and they are not firm.

Also included in the prize package are 2 big boxes of beads, a packet of small flower beads and gold leaves. A package of Translucent Vellum Paper for designing your CQ block and also beading designs on fabric. It tears away easily and is a see-through paper.

Many Thanks, Nancy Eha, for this wonderful prize package. Just love the book!!

You can find Nancy's books and beads at ... www.beadcreative.com



Winner of CQ International Competition

I am absolutely thrilled to win first place at the CQ Quilts Are Quilts Too Show World Wide Competition!! I am still awestruck!! Not to mention that my hubby is too!!! I am still reading the post to make sure it is really me.

Wonderful prizes that I could never afford. This is just delicious!!!!!
To win first place by the International Community really makes one feel good about their work.

Birthday Card

Birhtday Card for a Dear Friend

I was a lucky winner  at Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too Show Sponsored by Thearica Burroughs! Awesome.... It is a package of Bali Pops with 40 2 1/2 wide Batiks strips. Very nice prize and Thank You Thearica for the prize and putting on this great CQ Quilt Show. Lots of talented ladies and yummy "eye candy"!!  

Here is the start of my pocket book using the Bali Pops..

Flag Block

The International Crazy Quilting Group are putting together flag blocks from countries around the world. I have chosen the United States and there are over 22 more flag blocks. It will be put together as one big quilt and sent to our  CQ Sister, Hideko. Hideko will enter them in Japan Quilt Shows and will be sold. The funds will help the victims of the Sendai Earthquake. I have lots of crazy quilt stitches, silk ribbon and a tatted eagle. Pattern from Nancy Tracy.

Needle Book

Needle book is completed for my Christmas Exchange. Ms Green loves sheep and her initials are tatted in Lizbeth green thread!!

The inside are wool squares.

Every one needs extra pairs of embroidery scissors.

The last page I made a pocket to add sewing notions. This one is stuffed with hand dyed silk ribbon. Can you believe I found "sheep" fabric and it was not made in China but Japan!! Also found a table topper pattern with sheep applique! (15 x 38). Pattern is easy and adorable. It can be found at     www.briarwoodcottage.net     #62 Calendar Pocket -  March.              

Post Card

CQ and Tatted Post Card

Fish Block

Here is the last of the CQ Round Robin block and it is Pam's Fish Block.


What is a fish block without a frog. Mr Frog was printed on Kona Cotton and sewed to fusible interfacing. Turned right side out and appliqued down with  button hole stitch and outline stitch. Beads were added and a silk ribbon Lily on the pad. Another silk ribbon Lily pad was added to the side. The seam treatments include a piece of tatting, lazy daisy stitch with beads and a fancy button hole stitch by the frog's head.

 The Dragon Fly is fly stitch using Sulky Metallic Threads and beads for the body. To the left is a small dragon fly made with beads and silk ribbon. Beads were added to the seams and Feather Stitch with beads in the corner.

                                                Here is a picture of the block I stitched on.

The whole block. Katy was the first to stitch and she beaded the entire back of the fish, added leaves and the three beautiful flowers with beads. Stunning...
When completed the block is returned to Pam in WA. Pam's first block with two people had their stitching on it was lost in the mail. How sad to lose a beautiful piece of work.. Katy and I make sure the envelope is fully taped with large address labels.
I loved working with this block, it was fun and easy to do.

Ruby's CQ Block

Ruby's CQ block is all about Victorian. I tatted a Crinoline Lady from Pam Palmer's book, "Tatting Treats Two", using  size 80,  Lizbeth 615, Yellow LT thread. It was tacked down, sequence added and  silk ribbon roses made with french knot and stem stitched. Also added was a silk ribbon for her hat. A spray of stem stitched roses fills out the area. To the right is Herringbone filled with more silk ribbon roses. To the left is Feather stitch with beads and the bottom are Lazy Daisy butterflies and Chain stitch. 
The black berries and Cretan stitch in upper left corner were stitched by Katy. 

 Ruby's left side corner block, I made a Victorian Shoe using the Buttonhole stitch to sew it down and filled with Lazy Daisy flowers.
The pattern came from the Carr Crazy Quilt, 1888.
The tatting pattern  is  Mary Konior's  Leaf Braid to cover the curved seam. The thread I used was Lizbeth 40, 124 Spring Garden. Four tiny beads were added to the top of the tatting.

This is the completed block so far. Pam is the last person to work on this block and can't wait to see the finished piece. Will post a picture when it is completed. Nice work by all of us!!!

The Heavenly Orb

The Crazy Quilt International Group has a challenge for the Sun and Moon. I decided to enter the challenge right after Jane Eborall's Tat it and see that turned out to be an airplane. 

 Here is the center of the wall hanging. I had "sun and moon" material so I embellished it  with silk ribbon and beads. On the left is a red moon and beads from Guamilito Handcraft Market, Puerto Cortes, Honduras.  My girlfriend travels and this was a gift from her. The Owl and the Moon is a red work from an 1800's quilt.  It is hard to see but on the right of the moon is butterfly material heavily embroidered in gold threads. To balance the butterfly, I cut one from the material and appliqued it on to the left of the moon, also embroidered in gold thread. You will find bits of tatting and buttons surrounding the moon.

 The top right is a red work "Sun and Moon" kissing. You will find the pattern in Patricia Cummings E-book "Redwork Renaissance Revisited". At first it did not show up so I painted it with ink paints and happy with the results. Adding the outline stars, sequins and crystals it makes it stand out. At the top is an outline of the big dipper and  a handcrafted butterfly from Burano, Italy. It is an island off the coast from Venice. Another gift from my friend Jessie. Thanks Jessie, love all those little gifties and finally found a home for them!!!

 On the bottom left is a blue work "Crescent Moon Goddess" from a nineteenth century design. It is in Patricia Cummings book, "Redwork Renaissance". My first Crescent Moon Goddess is on my very first crazy quilt. I am so pleased that Patricia did a write up with a picture of my work for her e-book, "Redwork Renaissance Revisited". Please visit Patricia  at  http://www.quiltersmuse.com/ 

 The center at the bottom are my UFOs... The center one is made with felt and embellished with beads. The bottom UFO is a button that looks like a hat and streamers added. Saturn is made with the long and short stitch and a gold trim for the ring. The little dots are small squares and stars  all hand stitched with Kreinik Metallics.
On the right corner is the tatted airplane from Jane Eborall's TIAS. Thanks Jane for the fun adventure during the dreary month of January!! It is hard to see but above the first wing it is back stitched and reads, "Fly Me To The Moon"!!!! Of course there has to be a jet trail worked in silk ribbon fly stitch.

 On the top left side are two more moon goddess embellished with silk ribbon and beads.  The big butterfly charm was painted with blue ink and dusted with Fairy Dust!

The finished wall hanging with the label. I added a thin batting and hand tied through out the wall hanging. All threads were knoted and sewen back into the quilt so no threads show just a dot where the fabrics were connected.
It was a lot of work but challenging and fun!!

Judy's RR Block

Judy's Round Robin block is ready to move on to WA for more stitching. The flower material is very pretty so I just added sequins and beads to the center and some sequin birds. The red seam treatment is fly stitch using red rayon thread.

  I thought about many different designs and decided it needed a butterfly. The tatted butterfly is a SCMR (self closing mock ring) from the Shuttle Brothers.  I made a giant silk ribbon sunflower filled with french knots. The stem I used a dark rayon green and it did not show up on the dark purple. So I added DMC fluorescent effects green. It brighten it up!! The leaves are the fishbone stitch.

The second seam treatment I used a silver rayon thread and blanket stitch with straight stitches on the side. Rayon gold thread was used for the lazy daisy and a red bead for the center.

Here is Judy's block with Katy's and Linda's stitching.  The center Iris was machined embroidered by Judy. Judy plans on making a wall hanging for her daughter's new home.



Hearts and Hands for Sendai

My block has been completed for the project, "Hearts and Hands for Sendai. Here are all the blocks submitted so far..   http://www.flickr.com/groups/heartshandsforsendai/pool/
These blocks will be put into wall hangings and when completed it will be mailed to Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister in Sendai. These wall hangings will be exhibited in Japan and will raise money by viewing the quilts and auctioned off. ALL proceeds will be given to a charity designated by Hideko. This is a tiny part Hideko's Quilting Sisters can do for Japan.

Crazy Block for Katy

I am in a round robin with the Crazy Quilting International Group. My round robin group is called the Fab15 or FFT #15 (Fabulous First Timers). One must complete the first timers before they can move on to other round robins. The reason for this is to see if one can follow all the instructions and mail their block out on time!!!  I am the first one to work on Katy's block.  I decided to do the diamond and made her a silk ribbon bouquet and a humming bird.  The silk ribbon is my own hand dyed. The diamond was outlined with beads. The pink fan is outlined with a chain stitch and inside are straight stitches and lazy daisy stitches. For the last seam treatment I added a bit of tatting using Lizbeth 20 Vineyard Harvest and the pattern Hens and Chicks.    This is the pattern I usually empty my shuttles with. 

Crazy Quilt Blocks

Here is my "naked" block for the Crazy Quilting International group project, "Hearts and Hands for Sendai". I have embroidered the center block and will be  tatting hearts for some of the other blocks. All the blocks will be made into wall hangings and sent to Hideko in Japan. They will be on exhibit and then sold off. The money will be helping many people in Sendai, Japan.

The Crazy Quilting International group will be making a quilt with all the Flags in different countries. I chose the USA and the above is my "naked" block. Below is my designing process and took a couple of weeks  for the final block to be completed.

Christmas Cracker

Christmas Crackers is an English Custom. It is a tube filled with goodies and then wrapped. The Crazy Quilting International group has been doing this for the past few years and this is my first time. Oh what fun it is to find threads, needles, material, candy and on and on till it is packed and overflows with gifts wrapped on the side! The wrapper is a crazy quilt patch and it is up to you to add the stitches. I stitched a lot of stitches with silk ribbon embroidery and added 2 pieces of tatting, however, I do not know the person who designed the heart. I usually make a bunch of hearts and put them in a box to send or add to CQ later.

On the left upper corner, the tatting is 1/2 of the pattern "Angels in the Snow" by Miranda. A charm was attached in the center and reads "DREAM BIG"!!

Miranda's blog-- http://tattingfool.blogspot.com had a contest last year to name the pattern she designed and I won. There were over 40 entries and all had good names. For me it just looked like "Angels" we made in the snow when we were children. My prize from Miranda was a beautiful tatting book by Catherine Austin, "A New Twist on Tatting", thread, the pattern and the best of all was a tatted "Angels in the Snow"! Just gorgeous and will treasure it always. Miranda is very generous in giving. The pattern can be found on her website and she is selling it for $3.00. All the proceeds will go to the Brain Injury Assoc of New Mexico. Please go to her website for more information and lots of "Eye Candy"!! I am waiting for my cracker to arrive.

Denim jacket

I purchased a plain denim jacket and sewed on the yolk when the embroidery was completed. The foundation was a loose muslin to sew crazy patches on. The center is Brazilian embroidery. The pattern is by Cate Grundy and can be found here...

www.brazilian-dimensional-embroidery.org/free_designs.htm
There are lots of tatting, beads, and crazy stitches. The whole yolk was placed onto the back and front. Smoothed out and pined well, then top stitched all the way around. At the shoulders I stitched across the seam and stitched most of the seams of the Brazilian Embroidery with invisible thread. That holds it to the jacket so there is no rippling or sagging. Tatting was attached to the collar and cuffs.

Pocket Book

My new pocket book. It has Crazy Quilt Stitches, Tatting and Brazilian Embroidery. There is a green frog with bullion knots and cast on stitches. Nice and roomy inside with side pockets on both sides.

Crazy Quilt Christmas Stocking

Crazy Quilt Christmas Stocking was made for my niece, Debra. It is worked up with a combination of Crazy Quilt stitches, Hand dyed silk ribbon embroidery, bead work and tatting. This is the front side of the stocking