YES I'M STILL ALIVE!

Life has kept me occupied with issues other than crafting at the moment.  I do a little, but it's just not a priority at the moment.  Maybe if I could figure out how to remake it a priority life would be better.  But I did take time out to go on a wonderful trip related to quilting.  I wish the week didn't have to end, but alas it did and I'm now back to what seems to once again be mere emotional survival.  This too will end in time and I will move on to another chapter in my life.  I did want to share with you a short peak at my wonderful week.  For those who might read both my blogs please pardon the duplication.

I'M BACK....I HOPE!

No I have not fallen off the face of the earth, though there have been days when I've wished I had.  I can't believe that it has been since April that I posted here!  In that time a lot has happened in my life and the life of family and friends around me.  There have been laughter and tears, lots of long hours working, weddings of family members and friends, funerals, even a few days off for vacation.  Through it all I have managed to get some crafting done, though never quite got here to post about the projects completed and those in progress.  I hope to do some catching up over the next few days showing some of these projects so I have a written record of them and my crafty friends don't begin to think I've become a crafting slacker...

Today I am sharing a photo of my completed quilt for my local guilds April quilt show here in Gaithersburg.  I took the picture of the quilt last week as it hung in the American Quilt Society show in Knoxville, TN.  I treated myself and my mom to a two day visit to the show.  We had a wonderful time.  I admit to having a bit of an ego.  I was amazed at the thrill I felt when I came around the corner and saw not only my quilt hanging, but also saw several women seemingly enjoying looking at it. It was a wonderful feeling of affirmation.

I feel very honored to have a quilt in this show and I feel humbled as well.  The quilts here were amazing.  I don't think even in my dreams I could ever approach the talent and skill I saw in many of them.  They were absolutely amazing and I could have looked at them for hours.  I wish I could show some of them to you.  Unfortunately I can't. Though viewers were allowed to take photos of the quilts we are not allowed to post them anywhere.  I guess due to copyright issues.  Personally, I would be thrilled to have someone want to show off my quilt, but I understand others wanting to not have that done with theirs and so I will honor this rule of the show.  So you are stuck with just seeing mine. 

I have one final photo I would like to share it is a close up of the top box on my quilt.  The name of the quilt is "Good Things Come in Boxes".  So of course I had to put something in one of my boxes.  It's hard to see this when looking straight on at the quilt, but this last picture was taken looking from the side.  The top box has a tassel hanging from the lid.  It you lift up the lid under it in the box are diamonds.  Well really crystals that are adhered to the quilt top.  You get an idea how this works in this last picture.

So there you have it. I am back to posting.  Tomorrow I will try and be back with a card or two I have made in my absence.  Though I have been mostly sewing I have done a bit of stamping and need to do more, maybe this week....we'll see.  This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I am in charge of crafts for over 100 children.  I do have many able helpers though so hopefully even with work in the afternoon following VBS I won;t be too tired to post or to craft on my own......
So till tomorrow.......

FINISHED CHALLENGE

It's been quite a while since I had attempted a quilt top with this many small pieces and this complicated. I guess that is what being snowed in does to you. There are only two different blocks in this top. They are 12 inch blocks and this quilt will be either a wall hanging or a baby quilt. I don't really think the materials or the design lend it to being a baby quilt unless there are some parents who are very willing to think outside the box. It could be a lap quilt for someone is a wheel chair though is it probably a little wide for that.

The interesting challenge I had in putting this quilt together was keeping track of where each fabric when and also coming up with easier and more current piecing techniques than the book offered. I wasted a lot of fabric using a method given in the book for one of the blocks.

The book I used was a old one and it was interesting to see how far we have come in making quilt making easier and more stream lined.

Now I have two quilt tops to quilt and bind before March 1. Hopefully the snow will stop falling and begin to melt soon so it is easier to get out and about. I have the batting for each, but a needing to get the backing for each. For those who are not familiar with Washington DC and metro area weather at the moment....we are currently drowning in snow. 30 inches here in Germantown last weekend and another 15 inches today and it is still snowing........I guess this is why I had time to complete several complicated quilt tops......

I really need to get back up to my paper crafting studio....I have at least another two days being basically snowed in so guess I can head there in the next few days.

I also will show you the little min I made today...the pinwheel blocks here are 1 1/2 inches square. I put the tape measure here so there was a reference point as to the side of the little quilt. I really like making these little guys. however people outside of the quilting world have no idea what they are. Simply they are little quilts. Most are used as a picture hung on the wall. A few may be used for quilts on the top of doll baby beds. They are wonderfully easy and quick little projects that use up scraps left over form other projects. What fun....

Now I am working on making several sets of coasters for the upcoming quilt show. I have till April 23 st make items that will be available for sale in the guild boutique...a great place to find gift items.

So much for a projects from several days being snowed in....I will have at least two more so we'll see what comes out of them.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

There hasn't been much time for sewing or crafting the past week or so, but there are deadlines looming so sleep has been dispensed with. The quilt show is coming up in April and there are challenges to be tackled and boutique items to be made. This is my work in progress for the guild challenge which it titled "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". The rules were all sides needed to be between 35 and 45 inches. The background needed to be black and there must be at least 10 diamond shape in the quilt.

The top is almost completed I have some tumbling blocks to applique on the top but haven't decided whether I am going to quilt first of after the applique. Probably after.....so I have a bit more to do before I begin the quilting. I have until March 1 to have it ready to turn in.

I do need to make time to get into the stamp room. I sold so many cards at Christmas that I hardly have any in stock. Oh...so much to do and so little time to do it. Good thing I rarely cook any more.

CURRENTLY KWILTIN'

The end of November found me working back at a quilt shop. I think I mentioned in my previous post that I will be teaching classes. This means I need class samples. The first was the placemat in the post before this. My second class, assuming people sign up will be a Double Irish Chain Quilt. The making of the model for this class took me the week following Christmas. It has been quite a while since I have made a quilt of this size. Most of what I have done the past few years have been baby quilt size or smaller. Here it is.


I am very happy with how it turned out and I couldn't have finished it in the time I did without my mothers help. I now remember the main reason I do baby quilts or smaller is there is so much less bulk to manipulate while doing the quilting. This quilt was from a book written years ago by Eleanor Burns. She labeled it a lap quilt. I think she must know people with very large laps. In my estimation it is a twin quilt.

No that this quilt is complete and hanging on the wall at Capital Quilts in Gaithersburg, MD I will look for my next quilting project, but I also do want to get back to some stamping. Now that the holidays are behind us hopefully I will find some free time to get back up to the stamp room.

TIME PASSES BY SO QUICKLY

Time does pass by so quickly.....I can hardly believe it has been almost a month since I posted here. There is a lot going on in my life but that is not for this BLOG. I have been getting some crafting done and even some baking which is so fun and tasty as well.

After being laid off from my Lay Director job at our church I was given the opportunity to go back to one of my employment loves; working in a quilt shop. What is not to love about working with people as they choose beautiful fabrics for their next quilting project? It had been so long since I had allowed myself to handle good quality fabric that I had almost forgotten how wonderful it feels and how beautiful it looks. What fun it even makes standing on your feet for four hours straight a joy! A tiring one but a joy non the less. I have also been asked to teach a couple of classes in the first quarter of 2010. That is another thing I haven't done in a while but have always loved doing. TEACHING QUILTING! My first class in January will be Pineapple Placemats. I've taught this before and love doing so and love this pattern for placemats. It is a quilt as you go pattern which means when you are done with the placemat block you are also done with the quilting. All that is left to be done is the binding. This is my class sample. Even I had forgotten how easy these are to make. So if you live in the Gaithersburg, MD area and you would like to learn a new technique for making placemats....why not get a true head start on next years Christmas gift list....check out Capital Quilts for their January - March class list and come join me.

Now as the weather outside turns frightful my kitchen is so delightful! I have finally gotten around to making bread following the directions from a book I have had for some time....Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Yummy and oh so easy. I was skeptical of a no-knead bread that sits in your fridge for up to 14 days till you want to bake it, but I am sold! It is wonderful in both looks and taste, and oh so easy! Most importantly for my life right now the loaf size is just right for one! This is a white flour loaf, but there is a new book out that shows you how to use the same technique using whole grains. This book is on my wish list. But for know I Am very happy with my white bread! It is very quick and very easy and even more tasty! YUM!

THE FINAL RESULT

The mystery has been solved. I am somewhat amazed that I finished it. It has been a very, very long time since I have finished a quilt project. Well, it's not totally finished since I haven't quilted it yet, but the top is done.

There were 5 steps to this mystery and 64 four inch blocks to be made. Its was quite fun and I continue to be amazed at Carol Doak's talent for design. I think this pattern is stunning! Here are all the blocks for the quilt top in various states of being put together in units following
directions of the 5 steps. I finished all the blocks just before lunch today. I thought they were pretty impressive just piled together.


After a quick lunch (quilters don't take long lunches when a project is near completion; in fact they usually don't eat at all, but I was hungry and needed to move my joints so I took a break) I sat back down at my machine and began the final assembly. In my haste I did make a mistake or to and so needed to do a bit of "unsewing". Not fun when you are putting together a top made of 64 paper pieced blocks because you use little stitches.

One of my favorite parts of quilting is watching the final top emerge out of the pile of blocks. So without final ado here is the solved Anniversary Mystery quilt top in all its glory..................

It's coming

Be patient!

TaDa....................

Here it is!

I have no idea what design I will use to quilt it. That decision will wait for another week or so. I've loved getting back to my quilting, but now I am really itching to get back to my stamp room. It's been a long time since I have been there as well. Life must be easier when a person only has one passion, but then that would be boring............

SO WHAT IS SUZANNE UP TO?????

It has been so long since I havedone any posting here or any stamping or sewing I am surprised I finally got back to doing anything. For the past month I have been both traveling and working on some health issues that have kept me feeling pretty blue. Its time to get out of my funk and back to living. For the moment I have gone back to my first love, quilting.

I have been part of an online quilting group with Carol Doak the "Queen of Paper Piecing" for several years, but have not been active with them for at least two years. That's where I went to begin again. Carol was in the process of offering a mystery quilt project and though I was several weeks behind I decided to jump in.

Now you might ask what is a mystery quilt??? Well it's a quilt you make that is just what its name says....a mystery. There are clues (construction steps) given along the way. The first clue pertains to the fabric you need and the amount of each one. It is stated simply as things like 1 yard of dark for background, 1/2 yard multicolor small print, 1 yard light cool fabric etc...... You don't know what pattern you will be using just what the colors and values will be. Here is what I choose from the Step one instructions. (Note: the second fabric from the left didn't phoograph well it is actally a medium range rosey pink) Also givien qith step 1 was a cutting chart so you can cut our fabrics and have everything ready to sew as the other steps are revealed.


Step two was intructions for 16--4 inch blocks. Since this mystery is authord by Carol Doak it is a paper piecing project. So for this step there was a paper piecing pattern which is numbered in the order that you sew the fabrics on. I was instructed to make 8 each of two different color placements for this block. Here is the beginnings of my mystery. Things begin to get really intersting at this point.



Since I was a late comer to this mystery I actually already had printed out step 3 and was ready to go as soon as I finished step 2. Step 3 used the same block as step 2 in a different color pattern. We were to make 16 blocks and then sew them together into 4 sets of 4 blocks. Here that step is completed.

So now I have 8 single 4 inch blocks, 4 units of two blocks sewn side by side and 4 units of four blocks. I however still have no idea how the quilt will look when all is done. The mystery is still safe!

SIMPLE NOTE CARDS

This weekend I finished up another projects of cards. This will be a set of 8 note cards. Once again I used my Lockhart quilt block. (I really need to find out if they have any other quilt block stamps besides this one.)

As far as stamping goes these cards were very very simple. Memento Tuxedo Black ink and two rubber stamps; one the quilt block the other from Stampin' Ups set Elegant Notes (a retired set). The coloring of the blocks didn't take a long time. I did it with my Copic markers. The thing that took the longest was choosing the color combos to use for each block. I guess that is appropriate though since when making a quilt often it is the choosing of the fabrics to use that takes the longest.

You cans see an up close picture of one of the cards and then get an idea of all eight. Each card has a different coloring scheme. This makes each card look different even though the stamp is the same on each. That's one thing I really like about quilting. Even if you use the same block and even the same colors you can make the blocks look totally different just by placing the colors in different places on the individual blocks.

I have some neat plastic boxes I purchased from Papertrey a year ago or so. They hold 8 cards and envelopes and have a silver elastic cord that goes around them. That is what the cards will be packaged in.

Another quilt boutique item completed. What will be next? One of these days I really really should sew.

ALTERED JOURNALS WITH A TWIST

Another couple of projects made in preparation for the boutique at our Quilt Show in April. On the outside these look like quilt jjournals I have made before by altering composition books. But inside these are different. They are actually comp books with quarter inch graph paper rather than regular lined paper.

Why is this important you might ask.....well for quilters this is the type of book that can be easily used to sketch out quilt blocks or quilts. The usual scale would be 1/4 inch equals 1 inch when sketching a block. Using this scale you can sketch a 12 inch block using only 3 inches on the page.

Altering the first comp book went well. The second book not so well. I had a problem with this one that I often have....small sliver size gaps that let some of the comp book show through. I can't reposition the paper since I use either sticky strip or adhesive from my xyron to adhere the paper and those adhesives are not forgiving.....one they are down they are down for good! Can you see my solution???? Ribbon! Though I used it in four places it actually only covers up two oops spots. I just thought it would less like a oops cover up if I made it into a design element.

Other than the alphabet set which is of an undetermined origin all the stamps I used for both of these books are from Papertrey Ink. They are part of the Quilter's Sampler series with the exception of the images embossed in white on the Brilliant Blue. It is from the new set Background Basics: Retro.

I think composition books of all types are one of my favorite alterable items. Do you have a favorite thing you like to alter??? Do you even like to alter items?

BACK TO QUILT RELATED PROJECTS!

Its now the time of year when I am picking up speed in order to get ready for our annual Friendship Star Quilters quilt show.

Sadly I have not done any actually quilting, well at least haven't finished any quilting projects to display in the show this year. Happily that's because I have been focusing on my papercrafting this year and learning and perfecting new techniques and skills. I will get back to quilting, I promise, I enjoy it too much to totally give it up, but fabric has gotten so expensive papercrafting is just more affordable at the moment.

Even though I haven't made any actually quilts to hang in the show and don't have time to do so at this point (registration for items to be hung was Monday night) I do have time to get things together to display and sell in the boutique. Those items don't need to be completed till the show itself which is April 24-26. (Hint: if you live in the Gaithersburg are come and visit I'd love to meet you and I am pretty much there the entire show! We are at the Montgomery County Fair Grounds.)

I am working on quilt related craft items; some fabric some not. Here is a sample of my current creations. Post- it-Note memo holders with a matching pen. I received this idea from a FLYBaby Stamper on Splitcoaststampers and love mine she gave me. I've made a variation before using 4x6 acrylic picture frames, but didn't like them as well because the frame is thicker and the pen doesn't fit on as well, but this Christmas I found the metal 4x6 frames at AC Moore and purchased a whole bunch of them so I am ready to go!

I love how the Papertrey Inks Quilter's Sampler set blocks can be used for these holders. Just another use for them other than cards. Here is a picture of all three designs I have made so far. On the green and the blue ones I also used Papertrey's 2008 Bitty Dots Basics patterned paper. I love it! Its such a wonderful weight paper. The pink is a patterned paper from a set I purchased at Costco. Lots of lovely paper for a ridiculously cheap price. It is a double sided paper but a much lighter weight. Still the price was right and the colors and designs are beautiful.

I used my Copics to color the quilt blocks. They give such nice vibrant colors.

I also get my Post-it-Notes at Costco as they are much less expensive in bulk quantities than at the office supply stores. Right now my main problem is finding the RSVP Pens that I usually use for these.......

That's it for now. I will also make some of these in non-quilt related designs, but those are for another day.... Today is Wednesday and that means its 'Belli challenge day so I am off to see what today's challenge is about. Then off to work and hopefully back in time this afternoon to do the 'Belli Challenge.

SEWING NEWS!

It's county fair time and that means it's time to sew up some projects to be entered. I spent Tuesday doing the sewing and made a coordinating set of placemats and potholders. I can't tell you what patterns I used as I just began with an idea and built on that as I went along. This is what I ended up with.

The ideas came from the base fabric which is the print on the off white background. I can't even tell you how long I have had this fabric.....I'm thinking it has been about 10 years. I don't know for sure, but I think I may have purchased it for a project for the celebration of the 50th fair and this year os the celebration of the 60th fair!!!!!! Oh well at least I eventually use what I purchase. At least most of the time I do.

I have more idea about thing I would like to sew. Only time will tell if the get done. I always have more ideas than I have time. At least I have reached the point where when I make items to enter in the fair I do so using materials that I already have in my craft or sewing rooms. At one time fair prep was a very expensive time because I went out and purchased all sorts of stuff. No more...if I don't have the materials on hand the project won't get done. Of course I can do that because I have way too much STUFF already lying around in closets and on shelves.

I have a few other sewing ideas and I have also been stamping and doing some paper crafts. Of course I always have more ideas than I have time. All entries must be complete and ready to turn in by one week from today!!!!!!!

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted here! Life has just three days and taken off at a record speed it seems. After my trip to Kansas City I was home for three days and then we left for an unplanned trip to Michigan for over a week. So........nothing has happened on the stamping or sewing front in quite sometime. However, when I returned home late Monday night I found I had a telephone message that was very exciting. The quilt that I made for our quilt guilds "paint Bucket" challenge was part of the group accepted into the American Quilters Society (AQS) show in Nashville. It will hang there as part of the Ultimate Guild Challenge competition at the end of August.

The quilt is based on a block designed by Carol Doak in celebration of the 3000th member of her group on Yahoo that shares in the love of paper piecing. I had two yellow and two gray paint chips that I had to match to fabric and also had to use the black and white fabric that is in my border. I actually have shown this quilt on this blog when I first made it, but seeing as I haven't created anything new for a while thought I would bring it out again with the good news.

I wish I could go to Nashville and see it hanging there as well as the other wonderful quilts that will be on display, but I don't think that will happen this time around. But it is an honor that it was chosen to be on display in any case!

POST NUMBER 2

Okay I know I just made a post no more than an hour a go, but I just couldn't pass this picture up! Isn't it wonderful? This has to be the best and most unique quilt I have ever seen in my entire life! I love it and I want one. It was made by Anne Fitts of Port Ste Lucie, FL to publicize her local quilt show. I bet it got attendance up! I also thought it was appropriate that the Quilt shop site I found the picture on was names Suzanne's Quilt Shop. For another picture of this wonderful creation you can go to her shop site here. It looks like since she posted these pitures that her shop has moved from Palm Beach, FL to Moultrie, Georgia. This is her new web site. If any of my fellow FSQ quilt show buddies pass by here. Don't get any ideas unless you plan to do it yourself!!!!!!!

Okay that's it for the night! See you tomorrow with more paper craft creations.

PLACEMAT SETS 3 AND 4

The final sets of placemats are complete! The whole process...designed, cut out, sewn, quilted and even labeled. They are now ready to go to the museum gift shop. There is only one slight problem...it's not open tomorrow!

So I guess that means I will get up early on Saturday and make a trip up there before the Strawberry festival begins at 10. There is one good side to delivering them then....I can get some fresh strawberries! I sure hope that the severe storms and very very heavy rains yesterday didn't wash them all away or pulverize them while still in the fields.....

Tomorrow I will return to posting cards. Sewing is done for a while.

DINING IN STYLE?

The placemats are complete. At least these two sets are. I hope to get one more set done before they are due at the gift shop. I have the design for that set done and the fabric picked out but have not done any cutting let alone sewing on them. But I am very happy to have these done and also am very happy with how they turned out. The third set will be a rust red basic fabric with small sunflowers and then accent fabrics that are gold and green.

If the time for sewing is more abundant than I expect it will be I might even try and put together a fourth set which would be in blues. No design in mind for them though and it will only happen if I can manage to schedule and use my time over the next few days very wisely! The chances of this happening is probably very slim to nil, but miracles do happen.


If there is an abundance of sewing time, which means if I can schedule and use the next few day

FROM THE STAMPING ARCHIVES

I didn't do any stamping today. I spent my crafty time sewing today. I'm working on quilted placemats I need to have completed to take to a small museum where I have items on consignment in their gift shop. The first weekend in June is their annual Strawberry festival on the museum grounds and the manager of the gift shop is trying to stock up on merchandise.

The placemats are not ready to be photographed yet and I wanted to post something today. So I went back into my collection of items that a relatively recent creations which have not yet found their way to this BLOG and found some cards that celebrate my love of quilting as well as stamping. All three designs have stamped and colored quilt blocks as their focal point. I love these stamps from Impression Obsession. The images on all three of these cards were stamped on watercolor paper and colored using water color pencils.

Maybe by tomorrow evening at least one of the two sets of placemats I am working on will be completed and ready for the camera.

MEMORIAL WEEKEND AND THE BEACH

It is the Memorial weekend here in the US. Here in MD it is the weekend that traditionally all outdoor pools open and the beach season officially begins. I will neither be going to a pool or heading to the beach, but I do have a quilted beach scene to share with you. This small wall quilt was made from a pattern designed by Carol Doak. It is all paper pieced. I find paper piecing a relatively quick, easy and precise way to piece quilts.

I hope you all have an enjoyable and relaxing Memorial Day weekend and please don't forget to reflect on the reason we celebrate this holiday and remember in thought an prayer those who have given their life on the battlefield while serving our country and also the family and friends they leave behind.

I'M GETTING TO OLD FOR ALL THIS!

This picture is in honor of our guild quilt show this weekend. I have spent all of today gathering things from home to take to it and helping set it up. The show opens tomorrow and will run through 5pm Sunday. I really enjoy working with it and being at it all weekend, but boy I can sure tell that I'm not as young as I used to be. This is at least the 15th show I've been involved with.

The stamp I used to watercolor for this framed picture is another of my ones from Impression Obsession. I have used it to make note cards but Diane suggested it was so pretty it should be a framed picture. I decided I agreed with her and here it is. Thank you for the suggestion Diane I love this picture.

This is probably all I will be posting until Monday unless I perk up one of the other evenings when I get home from the show. So since there probably won't be anything new here if you have never visited Diane's Designs take this opportunity to do so. She does marvelous work!

A BLOOMIN' CHALLENGE IS DONE!

I have been piecing, ironing and quilting for a day and a half straight to get all my projects completed for next weekend's quilt show. With only 4 and a half hours sleep last night I am now more than very tired and think a nap will be in my future today. But staying up half the night was well worth it and all three of my quilts are finished and delivered to the quilt show committee. I even managed to get them there 2 and a half hours before the deadline!

As of yesterday morning I had one quilt done, but missing a label. One top finished but still needing to be basted together with batting and back, machine quilted, bound and labeled. And this quilt that I'm posting a picture of here was only a half pieced together top still needing all the basting, quilting etcetera as well. To say I knew it was going to be a long day and night is a major understatement.

But as I said with only 4 1/2 hours sleep between 6:30 am Friday and 12:30 pm Saturday I did get them all done and delivered.

This quilt was part of our guilds annual "Bloomin' Challenge" in which we are given 3 pieces of very bizarre and challenging fabrics and told to make a quilt or other quilted item out of them. I added the black fabric to the mix and this is what I came up with. I felt the black toned down what were otherwise all very bright bold fabrics. The corner appliqués are made up of flowers I cut out of one of the pieces of the fabric given to us. All in all I am very happy with how this quilt turned out and hope others enjoy viewing it also.

I'm not posting pictures of the other two quilts I am entering in the show since I have already featured them in other posts. If you would like to see them once again you can click on their names and you will be transported back to the original posts. Bucket Inspired Stars and A Bowl Full of Traveling Dreams.

I love quilting and am constantly amazed at the energy I get from it. The marathon quilting session was great fun. I wish live had more time available for such things, and for marathon stamping. Unfortunately there is a reality called work and life which now I must get back to. After my nap that is............