Gray Blocks – Sunny Day

I’m up before the chickens this morning.  A fire is blazing in the fireplace gradually running the chill out of the house.  My hot tea is on the table next to me cooling enough for me to sip.  Bella is roaming the house making sure no boogers are hiding in the shadows.  My sweetheart and Emma are still asleep.  It’s a perfect time to share the Crazy Quilting for Newbies gray study round robin blocks I’ve worked on the past two months.

Barbara’s block…Barbara’s block arrived with beautiful stitching already begun.  I’m amazed by her meticulous, tiny stitches.

Check out her work…the next two views.

All the stitching in this picture was done by me.  Barbara is truly a tough act to follow!

The next rotation of the Gray Study belonged to Lori.  I also followed Barbara on this block.  This is an overview shot of the

work I did on Lori’s block.

Close up of spider and web…The spider is made of a tiny silk fabric yo-yo.  I stuffed the yo-yo with a bit of cotton before gathering it closed.  It’s the first I’ve made this way…and the first spider I’ve seen anywhere online made this way.  Is it possible I came up with something original?

This shot shows the beaded dragonfly and ric-rac seam treatment.

I also added a paisley motif, the seam treatment below it and the pretty Venice lace fan.  I added velour thread fly stitch, detached daisy stitch, and bullion stitch texture to the bottom right patch.

My CQJP 2013 July block was also done in gray monotones.  By the time I completed it I wondered what on earth I was thinking choosing gray for a personal project when I’m in a gray monotone color study rr.  (I’m running a bit behind on my CQJP…)

Whole block…

Left upper corner…paisley motif filled with colonial knots, vine with bullion roses.

Right upper corner…

Left Lower Corner…

Right Lower…

Lower center…

Spider web and spider…I liked the yo-yo spider I made on Lori’s block so much I made one on mine.

I finally decided what to do with the All Things Pretty Do Your Block that came home naked.  I used pretty Venice lace motifs painted by Nicki Lee for the focal point of the block and surrounded them with pretty bits of lace and stitching.  I used the buttonhole stitch, feather stitch, stem stitch, bullion stitch, fly stitch, chain stitch and herringbone stitch on this wee block.  Finishing this block completed a set of six, six inch blocks constructed in coordinating fabrics.  I’m not sure I shared the other five so I really need to do an All Things Pretty post.

My final share for the morning is a snowball I received from Kristie.  I love it…her butterfly is Kristie made and so fine.  I love each element.  The anchor fabric has the sweetest little yellow bird.  Kristie overstitched it making it really stand out.  I can almost hear it sing.  Her stitches are even and fine.  I love the way Kristie brought all the colors together in harmony.  In short…I love my new snowball!

Until next time…

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

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Study In Gray Round Robin Block

Soon a study in gray round robin will begin in one of the crazy quilting groups I belong to.  Today I pulled out the gray fabrics I’ve collected (with a little help from my friends) and put my block together.  I used cottons, dupioni, and few fancy fabrics of unknown fibers.  The block went together smoothly…no stress.  I love it when that happens.  All in all, I am pleased with it.  I hope the ladies who embellish will feel the same way.

I’m sharing several pictures to show the fabric patterns and textures.

Left upper corner:

Right upper:

Left Lower:

Right Lower:

Center (anchor):

I look forward to seeing what the ladies in my group will do with my block…and finding out who they will be.  The next time you see my block it will be all decked out with beautiful stitching.

If you have not thrown your name into the Creative Stitchery Success Strip Giveaway I am hosting, you are welcome to.

Until next time…

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.  (Nehemiah 8:8)

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My TAT RR Block Came Home!

Yesterday the TAT RR block I mailed out in February arrived back home.  I love it!  Four ladies from around the United States worked on it…I appreciate the work each one did.  Here are some pictures of my beautiful block.

When it left home in February it was completely unembellished…

Sue U. (Kentucky) started out adding lace, beads and stitching to the right lower corner…She also stitched the lovely seam treatment to the left of the laces and added a lace butterfly and another piece of lace that is not pictured in this view.

Lower right:

My block’s next stop was with Sue S. in Missouri.  She added the three-flower grouping and beads to the dark triangular patch and the seam treatment to the left of and above the patch.  Sue also stitched the vine and button motif on the lighter patch in the left of this picture.  It can be seen in full in another shot.

After Sue S. my block went on to Montana where Cris R. did angel work on my block.  (Angel work is really special, because the stitcher does not have a block in the RR.)  Cris and I have a love of stitching spider webs and making friendly fantasy spiders in common.  She gifted me with a fine spider web and biteless spider on the anchor patch of the block.  Cris did a lot of work on my block, because two dear ladies were unable to complete the RR due to circumstances beyond their control.  More of her work is “scattered” throughout my block.

Center…

After Cris worked on my block she sent it on to Angie C. in New Hampshire.  Angie added lots of pretties. She centered on the upper part of the  block.  Angie couched a piece of rick rack in place using straight stitches and French knots.  She stitched the paisley motif with a silk ribbon and beaded sequin “tail”  and added a seam treatment of lazy daisy stitches.  She added a lovely feather stitch vine embellished with silk ribbon, seed beads, and woven leaves.  (Feather stitch is one of my favorites.)  Angie also added the cool button in the top right corner.  She said if I don’t like it to feel free to removed it.  Not a chance!

Upper left…

Upper right…This view shows Angie’s paisley motif, feather stitch vine and the button I referred to above.  It also shows the lace butterfly Sue U. added.

Lower Left…this view has the feather stitch, butterfly stitched on waste canvas, butterfly seam treatment, chevron and sequin seam treatment, a really  cool “stem and lazy daisy wave, and a beautiful shell button embellished with seed beads.  (She really is an angel!)

Full block…

Again, thank you to the ladies who worked on my block.  I really like it and appreciate every stitch you made.

Until next time…

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  1 Corinthians 15:51-52

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Still Playing Catch-Up

We know where good intentions are said to lead, but I really had hoped to have a follow-up to my last post written much sooner.  Time has a way of getting away from me…it stands still for no man or woman.  (Historically it did stand still one time.  Does anyone know when?)  April swept past without a single post, and May is half over with only one.  It was my good intention to post pictures of the crazy quilting things of interest from April and pictures of the beautiful blessings of spring around our home very soon after my last post.  I’m crossing my fingers the fruition of this post comes to be quickly.

One thing I wanted to share is the beautiful hearts I received in the past Crazy Quilting for Newbies heart swap.  To say I love them is an understatement.  The first one pictured was created by Beryl.  I adore butterflies and bumblebees.  Beryl’s stitching is lovely.  Her heart won a spot in mine, and I am so glad it’s mine.

The next heart I’m showcasing was created by Stephanie.   I had the pleasure of seeing it in stages as it was created.  It was my heart’s desire for it to be mine, but there was no was I was going to ask Lesa to make it so.  I did ask God.  He even cares about little things like heart swaps.  Yes, He does!  What a wonderful surprise it was when I opened the envelope the day my hearts arrived to find one of the two hearts Stephanie created.  I felt blessed beyond words.  Because Stephanie does not have a blog I want to share the other heart she made.  (I’m sharing without permission with hopes she won’t mind.  Sometimes forgiveness is easier to get than permission…so I will take a chance.  I don’t remember who received  Stephanie’s second, but I know they were as wowed as I was with mine.

Stephanie’s butterfly heart…it’s mine, mine, mine.  🙂  Is it not beyond gorgeous?

Stephanie’s fan heart…Wow!  I understand the fan was constructed of very vintage silk.  Exquisite is the word that comes to mind.

Snowballs in Southeast Mississippi are rare any time of the year, but I made two in April.  These were crazy quilt snowballs from the snowball fight at Crazy Quilting International.  I exchanged snowballs with Kristie and Nicki Lee.  Snowballs are a bit of a challenge for me, because the palette is so small.  Still I take the challenge when it is issued.

I shared the snowball Nicki Lee sent to me in a past post.  It was, as is with all of Nicki’s work, gorgeous.  She requested an under the sea theme (UTS).  What I did turned out okay, but I didn’t feel like it was anything spectacular.  My stash is not very UTS heavy, but I plan on working on that just a bit.

Kristie requested a snowball made from oranges, pinks, turquoise, golds and/or browns.  She left the theme up to the stitcher.  I guess it goes without saying, I went with pinks and a dragonfly.

The April TAT RR I worked on belonged to Linda.  Linda requested a “religious” theme.

Full block with all stitcher’s work to date…

I added a row of sheaf stitch representing wheat, a row of abstract angels, JOY (which should be in every Christian’s heart) and a row of little church houses.

I also added a pretty floral Venice lace motif and stitching.

Last but not least, I worked on Thearica’s block in the ALL THINGS PRETTY RR at World Wide Crazy Quilting.  After four block rotations I am finally getting into the swing of working on six-inch blocks.  Initially they were a challenge because of the smaller size and the fact that each stitcher in the round robin did one block alone.  Thearica’s blocks are all really sweet.

I think that is a wrap.  Currently I am working on the last block I will work on in the TAT RR.  It belongs to Sue S., and my work should be completed in the next few days.  I am trying a technique new to me and am finding it pretty tough on my fingertips.  (No, I don’t use a thimble.  I lost the only thimble I was able to get used to and have never seen another one like it.  All thimbles are not created equally.)  I’ve had to give them a rest in between stitching sessions.  I’ve also got a couple of World Wide Crazy Quilting Encrusted RR blocks to do angel work on.  My May CQJP block is still unconstructed.  I’ve selected the fabrics, but finding the time to sit at the machine to put the block together hasn’t happened.  In addition, I am mentoring the Color Theory Class at Stitchmap for the first time.  Mentoring is a great way to give back what has been given to you.

Speaking of time and it not happening…my time has been consumed with a new puppy.  Because our other dogs are older, mature dogs, I had forgotten what an enormous demander of time and energy a puppy is.  I do crate train her, so I get a break in between the time she is socializing and exercising to rejuvenate.  Meet Bella the newest member of our family…she is an almost ten week old  German Shepherd.  This picture was taken last Thursday shortly before we left the breeder’s house.  Look at the feet on this puppy!  Today her ears are much more erect than they were when the picture was taken…and there is no doubt she is bigger.  The little stinker weighed 17 1/2 pounds yesterday.  Bella is very smart and though she is quite absent of manners, she is learning quickly.  I believe she will make a fine dog/companion when she’s settled down and has a bit of training under her belt.  AND I plan on surviving the puppy stage.  🙂

Okay, that’s a wrap.  The pretty spring flowers will have to wait until next time.  I might even manage another post before May has slipped past.  🙂

Until next time…

And Jesus answering them began to say,  Take heed lest any man deceive you.  Mark 13:5

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April…The Month That Was…Crazy (Quilting That Is)

When I looked in on my blog this morning I could hardly believe over a month had come and gone without a single post.  Looking back on the month of April, it is much easier to believe.  I started April out with my second bout with the flu…Strain B.  Because it was reported to be milder than Strain A, I opted not to go to the doctor in time to take Tamiflu…I pray I never feel the need to take that nasty stuff again!  Strain B may be milder, but it still landed in my lungs, and I ended up with a granddaddy case of bronchitis…if not pneumonia.  It took me a full month to get over it.  BUT thank God I am finally over it!

My Crazy Quilt Journal block for April is completed.  It is monochromatic pink.  Like the three blocks before it, a spider and spider web are part of the embellishment.   This block has more beading than the other three, so the final project may be made into a wall hanging or be displayed over the back of a chair instead of becoming the lap quilt I originally planned.  I’m afraid  a trip through the washing machine would be its doom.

Here are a few pictures of April in the pink…

The full block…

Left upper corner…

Left lower corner…

Right upper corner…

Right lower corner…

Spider close-up…

My friend Hollie suggested it would be nice to see all four completed blocks together…so this is for you, Hollie.  Of course, the blocks will have sashing in between them when they are actually put together.

The TAT RR I am in hit a snag, and I had no block to work on in April.  (That was probably God’s way of taking care of me, because there were very few days in April when I felt well enough to stitch for more than a few minutes at a time.)  I did stitch on one of Janie’s All Things Pretty blocks.  All Things Pretty is a “do your own block” 6″ block round robin.  Each participant embellishes a 6″ block.

Here is a picture of the work I did for Janie…

I have more to share, but I think I’ll save that for another post.  I’ve got spring flower pictures and snowballs thrown and a snowball caught.  The beginning of April brought the close to a heart swap I participated in.  I sent two and received two.  I will share the wonderful hearts I received in my next post…maybe even today.  Who knows.

Until next time…

I will go in the strength of the LORD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.  Psalm 71:16

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Heart Two and March CQJP 2013

This morning I finished embellishing the blue heart I made for the Crazy Quilting for Newbies swap.  One of my daughters saw it, and asked why I put spiders on EVERYTHING?  Which I don’t.  But I told her spider webs were a symbol of good luck on Victorian crazy quilts.  Since these heart-shaped quilt blocks are swapped as a token of friendship, and I wish all my friends nothing but good things, a spider web and fantasy spider seem perfectly at home on my block.

Here’s a closeup of my harmless little spider…He wouldn’t bite anyone.

I’ve also completed my March CQJP 2013 block.

And a few shots of detail…

Right upper corner…

Right Lower Corner…another harmless spider.

Left Upper Corner…

Left Lower Corner..

Inner…

Another…

And last…beautiful lichens…

Thank you for looking.  Your feedback is welcome. 

Until next time…

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  John 1:36

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Let It Snow and A Purple Heart

There is a snowball fight at Crazy Quilting International, and living in Southeast Mississippi, the only way I’m likely to see a snowball is to join in this friendly swap. 

A couple or so weeks ago I received this snowball from Hollie.  I neglected to post a picture of it when it first arrived, so it’s a really good thing these snowballs are stable, and they don’t melt!  🙂  She and I swapped snowballs with an Under The Sea theme.  I love the creative under water creatures and bright colors Hollie used in this seascape.  I’ve got to take the time to learn the drizzle stitch she used.  It creates such a cool 3D effect.  Hollie left a generous margin so I could trim her snowball to the size I collect.  (Her picture was so clear I snagged it and used it…thank you for the use of your picture of my snowball, Hollie.  I hope you don’t mind me using it.)

Hollie received this snowball from me…

Yesterday I received a beautiful, girly-girl snowball created by Nicki Lee.  It’s made in a garden theme and features her hand-dyed lace motifs.  Nicki Lee’s snowball fits me to a “t”.  I love the colors and lovely laces she used.  I have not fulfilled my end of this swap yet…but I will.  🙂

Finally, I am sharing the first of the hearts I made for the heart swap hosted by Crazy Quilting for Newbies.  I decided to embellish it using one color of floss, some beads for a bit of bling and a few buttons.  I kept it simple. 

I’m still working on the green heart I constructed and will share it when it is finished. I’ve enjoyed working on the hearts so much, I might even make another one before the mailing deadline.  I appreciate you looking and hope you will leave a comment to let me know you were here.   I welcome your feedback.

Until next time…

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.  Song of Solomon 4:15

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Stitching For Marianne – TAT RR

Last night I completed my stitching on Marianne’s turquoise and Teal round robin block.  Marianne requested a cheerful block, and hopefully the work I did hit the mark. 

I added a fly stitch and beaded fringe stitch seam treatment along one seam, and a blanket stitch frames the right side of the patch where I placed the lace butterfly motif.  The seam and patch to the left of the butterfly is embellished with a fern stitch vine and sequin flowers.  The seam treatment along the lower portion of the picture is  a combination of the arrow stitch, fly stitch, straight stitch, french knots and bugle beads.  I hope Marianne will be pleased.

Now I need to get moving on my March CQJP 2013 block.  It’s still laying in a pile of wrinkled fabrics waiting to be constructed. 

Until next time…

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  Psalm 1:1

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Brown Study Blocks – Mine and Sue’s

A couple of days ago my brown study round robin block came home. What a thrill! I smiled so much as I looked at it my face hurt. The stitching is lovely, and I am well-pleased with it. I can’t thank Pat H., Sue S., and Cris R. enough for taking time out of their lives to work on my humble block.

Overall block…click for larger view:

Upper Right…Cris added the lovely lace butterfly motif and the curlicue vine with beads.  She also stitched the spiderweb and added the “snooty little copper spider” (her words, not mine). 

Upper Right…Pat stitched the “money tree” on the right  We can all use more money!!!  I’m so glad she gave me one.  She also stitched the chain stitch seam treatment with seed beads centered in each chain and buttons along each peak.

Lower Left…Pat stitched the star seam treatment.  She is from Texas, and the stars will always remind me of that.  I am not certain, but I am pretty sure Cris stitched the button, bead and lazy daisy motif.  Very creative!  She also did the stitching on the gold ribbon Sue added. 

Lower Right…Sue added the brown lace motif embellished with seed beads and a pretty brown button.  The little “hope” ribbon charm is special…Sue is a three-year breast cancer survivor.  Praise the Lord!   The dragonfly was placed by Pat.  I adore dragonflies!

More detailed shot of spiderweb and spider…

And one final…

Isn’t it lovely?!!  Now for Sue’s…Sue’s is the final brown study block to visit me.  By the time it arrived there was very little room to work on it.  Two of the open spaces were perfect for lace motifs which I embellished with seed beads.   The one located near the tree on the right has a pretty metal button center.  It looks a lot like the sun shining down on the tree.   I also stitched on one seam along the top side of the larger lace motif (the one on the right top), and I added stitches and beads to each side of the gold braid trim someone else added.  The silk ribbon and bead dragonfly in the top center was my final touch.  Yesterday I sent Sue’s block back to her…I hope she loves hers as much as I love mine.

Sue’s block…

Lace motif with beadwork, metal butterfly, and stitching on the seam at top of motif….my silk ribbon and bead dragonfly is to the right of the motif. 

This picture shows the “sun” motif with beading and a pretty brown button.

If you would like to try your hand at crazy quilting a great place to get started is Crazy Quilting for Newbies.  You’ll find lots of friendly ladies who will cheer you on every step of the way.

Until next time…

Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.  Psalm 148:5

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