Brilliant Weblog Award

Rengin, a MARVELOUS stitcher from Turkey has awarded me the Brilliant Weblog Award. Coming from a needleworker of her caliber I feel very honored! Thank you so much, Rengin!

My Favorite Things RR

I am in a new CQ RR through a Yahoo group. This one is My Favorite Things. The dilemma was....I like Everything. Flowers, animals, music, food, etc. One minute one thing is top of the list and the next minute something else is. I finally settled on Everything. I've always admired landscape quilts and I Love the out of doors so that's my favorite thing. Everything in the world! My block is about 15x17 and is all satins. I think they're mostly polyester but they're pretty...and shiny. I like shiny. I made them more or less like a landscape. There is sort of the idea of a sunrise (or sunset) and maybe mountains in the distance and foothills in the foreground. I'm planning a wallhanging when it comes home!

Wendy's Purple Color Study RR block

This is my most recent RR block for the Groovy Grapes. Wendy had asked that we try to make peacocks and she had already put a lovely peacock in the center and one of the others in the group had made a beautiful beaded peacock feather. I was wondering what sort of a peacock I could add. I had my 6 year old g-daughter with me and was looking through the buttons and beads at Joann's. She said she'd found a peacock and she handed me a package with this heart bead in it. I told her the color was right (hard to see in this picture but it is an iridiscent purple) but that it wasn't a peacock but a heart. She shrugged and said "Looks like a peacock to me." Then I studied it some more and decided that it looked like a peacock to me too. I added bugle and seed beads around it for feathers and did a woven picot for the body. IF...IF...IF...you're already thinking "peacock" you can kind of see it. I also did the seams below and to the left of the peacock. They are sort of "peacocky" looking also. I can't remember for sure but I think the bottom one straight stitch (or maybe backstitch) wheels, surrounded with chain stitch and then bead accents. The one on the left was bullion stitch feathers with bead accents and then fly stitch feet. It was a beautiful block and fun to work on. Sure hope Wendy can see that peacock!

Purple Round Robin - Lindy's block

Believe it or not, I had two blocks belonging to Lindy at the same time. Another RR going on on CQForNewbies is a Purple Color Study. Same rules as the green one...Everything Purple. I wanted to do a motif with 3 pansies but of course, it was harder done than imagined. To have enough shades of purple, that looked right with the fabric was tricky. I wound up doing different stitches to simulate the different shades and textures in the pansy. Of course, I had to forego the little "cheese" colored part in the center, but I think they're still recognizable.

Here's the other closeup of Lindy's block. For some reason, I couldn't make it NOT be at the very top of the post...so it got it's own :)

Catching up with Round Robins

I have fallen a bit behind on several things while trying to keep up with "real" life. But now, the garden is planted (I'll be weeding this afternoon), Mom is done with doctor's appointments for a couple of weeks so now I can get some of these things caught up. Even though I haven't posted lately, I've still had time to sew. I'm an elder companion so I while my charge naps I sew. I really do have the best job in the world!




This is the block I just finished. It belongs to Lindy in Australia. This is part of a Green Garden Round Robin on Yahoo CqForNewbies.

Our group of 7 was called the Avocadoes. I say "was" because this is the last month and now the blocks are returning to their owners. They have been to 2 places in Australia, Kansas, Virginia, California and of course, Indiana. This was my first Round Robin so I was pretty nervous but I think it's done wonders for me. First of all, until this, I had NEVER touched a piece of CQ that wasn't made by me. I had seen them in books and on the internet but never in real life. I've been fascinated to see the way others do things and I've certainly picked up some great ideas. Aside from all that, I think the other great thing about a Round Robin is that it forces you to truly do your best. Things that I may have been satisfied with, had it been my own block, were not good enough for a RR. I couldn't have "B-" work going around the globe with my name on it. Not that what I did send was necessarily "A+" but I do think it deserves "E+" for Effort! LOL The other challenge has been to stay with Green. EVERYTHING had to be green. I love green so I thought this would be easy. NOT! One of the things I love most about CQ is the color contrasts. Black fabric with bright pinks, blues, etc. Cream fabric with browns and greens. But green fabric with green thread? Oh well, we did it!

Here are some closeups of the parts I did. I made the riboon heart that's on the left side. Also the vine and rose on the upper right. For seam treatments I did the dark green seam running "Northwest" of the ribbon heart and then added a few things to seams that were already embellished. I ran some green variegated perle cotton through the dark green lace and added some french knots to a row of blanket stitch on the very top patch. I hope Lindy likes it!

Pam's Avocado Block

This is a picture of Pam's block for our Round Robin. I did the bright green ruffle on the upper left and the vines on the lower left. Pam gave us a great block to work on. There were so many seams to choose from and such nice fabrics!

That green ruffle is some new trim that I found that I really liked. It's Wright's Elastic Metallic Ruffle. It is elastic down the middle with this wispy ruffle of what might be mylar. What I liked best was that I could pull it through to the other side. I alternated, pulling first from one side and then the other to make scallops and then layered two strips of it. I stitched it on with seed beads and was pleased with the results. I hope Pam is also!