Aren't they yummy? YLI silk - I just can't wait to use them! So, I think this little project is all mapped out, maybe I'll get it done really quickly!

Labels: drawing, embroidery, fiber art, illustration friday

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I am SO close to finished with the pillow:

I think it looks great! (and I don't often say that about my stuff) but the lace I'm using for the edge is TOO SHORT! ARRRRGH!
So, I guess I'll run up and get a length and piece it in. It's WAY too expensive of lace to replace it all with a new strand....and I think I can seam it together so it's not TOO obvious. Wish me luck.
However, it will be a day or so before I get up to Joanne's to buy new. Sigh.
Always something, eh?

Labels: beading, Crazy quilt, embroidery, lace, silk ribbon embroidery

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The big news this Monday morning is my house is clean! :) If any of you have kids, you know the feeling of NEVER seeming to stay on top of the mess. We cleaned the house yesterday and except for a short tidy this morning I can say that the house looks great!
On top of this, I had a fabulous weekend! It actually started Friday with my being allowed to stitch on this:

If you want to read more about the fabric, I've written about it on my Houseblog, because it is fabulous vintage 1950's fabric! Be sure to check it out if you're in the Colorado area, because it's going to be included in an exhibit down in Colorado Springs. I helped a gal in our neighborhood, who is a textile conservationist do the stitching and it was very educational! It took some time to catch onto how to do the stitches, but hopefully she won't have to take out too many of them. I'm hoping to work on another post soon about her suggestions on preservation, mounting textiles and much more helpful neat stuff!

Then, speaking of the Denver Art Museum, a good friend asked me to tag along with her to see these:

This is an exhibit of Mennonite and Amish quilts. Great stuff! Even better yet, the Denver Art Museum is keeping this as a permanent textiles exhibition area! Yeah DAM!

So, after all of that, I had to get home and get to work on my own stuff. This is going to be a pillow for a really good friends daughter who is going to be baptized in the Mormon church. Her outfit has to be all white, so I figured an all white pillow would be a nice memory of the occasion.

LOVING the lace and I even found a handkerchief with an "M" on it (upside down in the photo) but it's a really huge challenge working in all one color. Obviously it's really variations of creme and white, but it makes an interesting study in textures.

It's been a busy stitching weekend and my next post will be a tutorial on my FAVORITE easy-peasy silk ribbon flower! So, watch for that (hopefully today!)

Labels: art, art show, Crazy quilt, Denver, embroidery, fiber art, inspiration

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I've talked about the International Quilt Study Center's quilt of the month, but this month I gasped when I opened this one by M. Joan Lintault - gorgeous! (there's a close up on the site by the way)

This is what really got me:

"In her pieces Lintault employs an innovative construction technique. Beginning with white cotton, Lintault dyes the bases for the individual forms. These she later embellishes extensively using applique, quilting, and embroidery. Finally the forms are affixed to a lace under layer, which creates the illusion that the objects are floating in space. "

So feel free to oooh, ahh and enjoy!

Labels: embroidery, fiber art, inspiration, quilting

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With the kids home this week, we've been busily trying to work and keep them happy (entertained?) so I haven't had a lot of time for blogging.
However, we had a fantastic trip out to a suburban mall:

My daughter cracked me up by asking "Mommy, why do all the houses out here look the same and how do you tell where you live?" - I explained that houses had numbers so they could tell which one is which and she said "Yes, but how do you tell which one is YOURS!". Chalk one up for individuality!

I got a couple of Round Robin Blocks finished - the theme of this one is "flower garden" - the beads are kind of a mosaic wall and then there's flowers! Obviously! heee hee!
Not as thrilled with this one, but there's some pretty fiber under some neat stars. The stars came out of a package with the original "The Denver" sticker (department store - LONG gone in Denver) on it.
Then there were the Easter crafts, we made these last Saturday. My daughter made the very furry bunny and we christened it "psycho bunny"!
Well, quick post, but we're off to the Butterfly Pavilion to pet Rosie! Woo hoo!

Labels: beading, crafts, embroidery, family life, kid art

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The end of this month marks the launch of our first few classes at Helping Handmade. If you haven't read about it here on my blog, it's my pet project (totally labor of love right now) to get people crafting so they will reuse and recycle rather than buying new! :)

The first of the three classes is a wonderful class (with a great kit) from SlyMagpie where you will learn basic jewelry making techniques. Now you might ask....how will this help me recycle? Well, don't you have a necklace that you love the beads on, but don't like the style and length? So restring it? Pick up cheap jewelry at garage sales and make them into something wonderful!

Second, we have a wonderful basic Brazilian embroidery class. Learn some basic (but wow worthy) stitches that would really spruce up a little girl's basic white top! Or take some of your old baby gifts (maybe unused blankets) and add a little embellishment to it and re gift it! (Re gifting is NOT a bad word anymore!)


And last (but not least) the crazy and creative Susan Sorrell will teach basic embroidery! Wish you could make cool and funky stuff? Embroider cute new throw pillows to spruce up that old ugly couch! (you've seen my post on cats...we don't get rid of anything) - or put up a cool hanging to spruce up your house.

The greatest thing about the classes at Helping Handmade is that all the classes are taken and completed on your own time, but you have access to the teacher (and other students) for questions and input. Some of the teachers will also be posting videos to supplement their down-loadable lessons!

All of the classes are basic and beginner level because we can all learn new skills and there are other advanced online class sites out there. However, very few help out those of us who drool over things we find on the Internet, but can't quite work out how to do them!

So, please, go try us out and be the first group to play with us at Helping Handmade!

(Yikes! that sounded like a commercial, but I really really can't help it!)

Labels: beading, embroidery, helping handmade

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Yesterday was our monthly Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilters meeting (http://www.rmcq.org/) and we had some fun!

We swapped our Round Robin blocks. Here are mine! I only added a few embellishments to this, but I had to put the whole block up...aren't the colors gorgeous? The embellishments and fabrics all go so beautifully!
This one is called "circle of friends" and was a big circular block. I added this little piece (the picture Pat Winter might recognize!) and the little flowers. I sort of left the edge haphazard...I felt it was "fun" and sort of left some "imagination space" for the next embellisher.

THEN! We got to learn how to do a peyote stitch in beading. I'm still working on this, and will get back to you when it's closer to done. Not sure if it's headed for a pin or a necklace, but Martha put some fabulous kits together with some gorgeous stones! LOVE mine!
Anyway, I just ADORE beading. It's so so so relaxing and fun!


Meanwhile, there's an update over at Helping Handmade! After some delays and some issues with the forum (where the classes will be taught) we're all set up for classes to start the end of this month!

Starting with a basic wire wrapping class! Then we have a basic Brazilian embroidery course (and it's really NOT hard!). Then Susan Sorrell is going to teach basic embroidery! They're all fabulous, reasonably priced and good for mother earth! Again, we donate a portion of all the proceeds to an environmental cause and also help you to develop the skills to reuse and recycle stuff you're tired of and might otherwise throw out!

Labels: beading, Crazy quilt, embroidery, helping handmade

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A friend of mine passed on these potentially scrumptious knitting books but I've vowed to never EVER knit, so I'm passing them onto you. I seem to get a few comments here on my blog, but never enough for my self involved personality, so I'm giving them to the 25th poster (postage included unless you live in Australia and then we'll have to chat! :-) ) - so comment away and I can't wait to see who gets them!


I can't wait to pass them along and see how many of you knitters regularly lurk on my blog! :-) And just so you know I do like to do "something" this is what I was busy working on last night:

**And Katrin is the winner - hooray! Nothing like 25 posts, but I was probably being too ambitious!

Labels: Blogging, embroidery, giveaway

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Woo hoo! (extra hoo). I was totally productive this weekend. In anticipation of the Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilters meeting I did two round robins. This one is for a gal who's making a quilt for her daughter out of her Dad's flannel shirts. This one is a butterfly:
I tried to soften the bottom by adding the flowers and little feather stitch. We're actually running out of room on a lot of these blocks! The one below is gorgeous. I did the fleurette (sp?) at the bottom. It's hand dyed on one of our crazy quilt retreats. However, note the beaded flowers above my addition....aren't they great?
We're going to learn how to make those over the next two RMCQ meetings...I can't wait! :-)


Then! I got something off my UFO list (see my sidebar). Woo Hoo! It's nothing major. it's pre-quilting reversible fabric I bought a LONG time ago. Anyway, because it was reversible I had to do french seams down the middle and a rolled seam around the edge. It needs to soften with washing and I'm not thrilled with the shape, but keep in mind I HATE my sewing machine and have no real sewing sense at all, so I'm excited about the french seam!

I also started and finished another one of Sandra Dallas's books. It was fabulous: New Mercies . Has a crazy quilt on the cover so I had to read it first (I borrowed another one too) . Great story, talks about crazy quilting and Denver history. All in all a good read.


So, more stitching tonight and probably going to watch "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". I love a fun and productive weekend! :-)

My poor inlaws (and various other rellies - have to be an Aussie to get that one) haven't seen any good family pics in a while so here's a particularly good one of "the boys":

Labels: beading, Crazy quilt, embroidery, family life, sewing

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I've updated my sidebar with my projects for 2008 - the one that's almost done and been sitting there for years is my Australian Landscape...featuring a gum tree and a million individually stitched leaves. I have done a few hundered of them! Many many more to go:
I'm planning on stitching on this while watching TV....and hopefully get it done. The background is lovely fabrics including the bottom - which is a wonderful black antique silk velvet. Too bad blogs don't have "feel-a-vision". Imagine how lovely it would be to fondle everyone's lovely fabrics?

You might notice I have a new ad network on my sidebar too....I'm going to be contributing to a wonderful site called "Divine Caroline". It's a really nice site and I hope to be writing some fun articles for them...both for this blog and for my houseblog! So, keep an eye out and I'll try to let you know when something new pops up over there.

Labels: Crazy quilt, embroidery, UFO's

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Then as a complete juxtaposition ("big fancy word of the day"...can you tell I have elementary school age kids!) is this LOVELY historical piece from Raciare's Embroidery and Needlework:

I have to say, I've seen things like this in museums, but the concept of CREATING it is amazing. Wow, can't really say much more. Humbling. Check out her website...even the most amazing embroiderer will be humbled.

So, I'm back to dig out my ever so humble stitching.

Labels: Blogging, embroidery, inspiration, knitting, quilting

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The last post may have been a hint, but I've been artistically blocked. I look at my pile of projects and say "BLECK". I don't want to touch anything or do anything. I've been frustrated by 90% of them...caught up in the technical when I want to express myself....whatever expressing myself is.

I posted this on the Fiber arts Mixed Media list and got some great suggestions for unblocking. One was to work on altered books...but I have to say, years and years of being taught never to deface a book is making that one tough!

So, I went to stitch night and dug out a few old projects that caught my eye. I have a thread journal....I've been working on it for a while, but a bit of inspiration hit. Even hand coloring some things I printed out on fabric.

Then I have a piece I copied onto fabric (it's a flower I scanned) and so am pondering beading it.

And finally a purse - no idea why I never finished it...but I love the fabrics and direction it was taking.

I'm feeling better. Still sort of unmotivated, but I suspect that's a whole other problem! :-) More creativity later...I'm in the studio today! :-)

Labels: Crazy quilt, embroidery, fiber art, inspiration, sewing

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Productive day in the studio, but not much creativity to it! I'm sorting the kids artwork - about once a year I put up a new picture in their room that's a montage of the art work they did the year before...ahem...it's been 2 years! So, time to update! Meanwhile I'm sorting and organizing. Geez, how did we get to have such creative kids! ;-)
Then I've been hemming those pants! Yep! done! Hooray! and Matey Moo has 8 new pairs of pants that don't bunch around his ankles. I'm sewing a button on the last pair now - whew! I'm also darning a pair of socks....using a darner (I think that's what it's called)! It's my grandmother's and frankly I'm usually used to throwing out socks with holes, but this pair cost quite a bit and Rex loves them!
With the sock on - pull it tight and stitch and you're done. Not sure what stitch you're supposed to use, but they look better to me! we'll see, when he tries them on!
At last...I can see the bottom of my table - I found my needlebook (which has been missing for 3 weeks) and my projects that I'd like to work on.
I think I'm taking a brazillian embroidery project with me to Vail...not because of desire, but because it's so gosh darn portable. Be nice to get some more stuff done! But I think a clean table is a start.

Labels: embroidery, motherhood, sewing

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If you've been following my friend's "Trading Spaces" adventure, I'm putting up the last of the pictures today on my other blog!

However, for Crazy quilt stitching people, I wanted to share one of our member's homes...Mary Jo...she hosted the last meeting at her home up in the mountains (a GORGEOUS drive in the convertible)...and wow, what scenery. THEN we discovered all the lovely work she does and her doll collection (oooh, ahhh!)! All the work on the walls are her brazilian pieces and get a LOAD of that tree!


All of the stitching is hers....there were two full rooms like this and then more pieces scattered throughout the house. The quilt below was completely amazing tho...hand dyed lace with the dolls throughout the piece 3-D with dresses done beautifully. Amazing! Then there was the scenery (I would be inspire to stitch all the time out there!) This is where we had to sit and eat lunch...poor us, eh?
It was lovely and like a mini vacation! So quiet! You don't realize how noisy the city is until you get way up into the mountains! Anyway, thanks Mary Jo for a ton of inspiration and fun!

Labels: applique, Crazy quilt, embroidery, inspiration

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This is a hideous photo of this (as in fuzzy), but I've adjusted the light a bit to try to give you some idea of the colors and textures! I'm on a big tear to get this finished. I got the borders put on and now I can really "see" where I'm going with it.

The column will be filled with flowers which spill over onto the border to the left of it. I have a little spider web at the bottom of the column and of course all of the crazy quilting on the sides will be embellished. We'll see what it looks like from there to see how much more I add. I enjoyed adding some flowers to it last night at our RMCQ group casual stitch night. I have so much more to do tho!

This pattern is from the Fairy Goddess Mothers Group and is their first pattern (which I happen to like the best). Obviously still no where close to ready, but I'm still enjoying it!

Labels: Crazy quilt, embroidery, UFO's

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