Saturday, July 30, 2011

Rusted Fabric...

My daddy thinks I'm crazy!  He collected a bunch of rusted parts that were scattered around my grandfather's workshop.  I told him I wanted to rust fabric.  His reply..."On purpose?"

Yes on purpose, and it turned out great!  This was just a sample to see if it would work.  It was so easy.  I have the presentation for the next night guild meeting.  The topic will be surface design for beginners!


You can even make out the little nuts and bolts.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday, July 29, 2011

Exciting news

During the last Quilt Show, a handful of quilts were chosen for the Shared Experiences exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art.  Shockingly, my little quilt "Games we Play" was chosen to be displayed.  I am so excited.  I took the kids and met Sweetie Pie and my parents last night to view the show.  It was beautiful.  There were ceramics, glass, wood, Photography, and paintings.  And of course quilts.  It was a great show.
The picture is not great.  I got distracted.  Little Britches was being scaled by the security guard for running through the exhibit.  Yes, we did discuss proper behavior before we left.  (Strong willed and bored!)
It was a great 20 minutes!
In other news.....
The weather has cooled off quite a bit here.  Of course it is raining most days!  I have gotten a few things started.  This one is called "Cookies for Santa".  The title will be written around the cookies, repeatedly, like it's the rim of a plate.  The cookies are sugar cookies.  I know some of them will have beads and fused Angelina fibers.  One or two may have puff paint for details.  I'm not totally sure...still working out the kinks.

Only 2 weeks until School Starts...yea!  Only 2 weeks until I start another year without a job...boo!  Oh! well I guess I'll quilt!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday, July 22, 2011

Beat the Heat

It is HOT.....
This summer has been miserable!  Up until last week we have been in a terrible heat wave and drought.  Everything in the yard has withered and died.  My daylillies briefly bloomed and my elephant ears were wilted.
Thankfully, last week the temps dropped slightly and it rained for about 3 days.  The rest of the country is in a heat wave now.  Our heat is not as bad.  Today the high will be 90*F, of course humidity is 93%.  So going outside is stepping into a sauna!  And unlike the rest of the country....we have air conditioning!

How to beat the heat:

1)  Read a book

I have already read the book, but since I just saw the movie I wanted to reread the story.
2)  Put a puzzle together
This is a small 500 piece puzzle daughter #1 is working on.  She won't let anyone help!

3)  Earn a badge

Girl Scouts is turning 100 next year!  Great way to occupy the kids!
4)  Watch a movie

I'm not happy about the new price increase....but I'm not giving up my movies.
5)  Sew (early in the day or late at night!)
This is a new Alz. quilt.  It still needs some work.  Sewing during the middle of the day is too hot!  So it takes a long time to finish anything in the summer.  Speaking of sewing.  I have almost finished my fabric doll.  I still need to finish her hair and add some more details.
She's not named yet.  I think she looks pretty good.  The girls love her.  They were disappointed to find the clothes don't come off.  They are sewn on!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Busy busy busy....

It has been very busy at my house.  The girls are finnishing up the Swim year with City Meet this week.  They are doing great so far.  Daughter #2 has had her best times yet.  She finally decided NOT to look around at everyone else as she swims!  Daughter #1 has also had her best times.  We are so proud of both of them.

In other news.....
The August AAQI online auction is set to be huge!  This auction will offer quilts from the "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece" exhibit .  Check them out here.  The quilts are awsome.  These are larger than the Priority quilts.  Auction starts August 1 and ends August 10.  Shop early for Christmas gifts!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

WIPS and a finish...or 2

I haven't had a lot of time to sew over the last week.  I did get a few small quilts started.  I don't know when I will get them finished, my sewing machine is acting up.  It is time for it's annual tune up.
"The Road Home"  this is dedicated to my grandmother.  The scene is similar to all the mountains we saw on vacation.  Grandma never lived in the mountains, but she did live on a hill!

 "Our Dream House" was made a few months ago for a QA reader challenge.  The topic was "Tag your it."   This was a lot of fun to make.  I tried to make a crooked house, but it only leans a little!  Most of the fabric was either painted or dyed.  The chicken in the door is from fabric I made matching quilts for Sweetie Pie and daughter #1.

 "Rocks in a Stream" was also inspired by my trip to the mountains.  This is for a QA forum challenge.  The topic is the 4 elements.  The rocks are trapunto, my first attempt.  I wanted the quilting to reflect ripples and waves.  I'm not happy with how it ended up.  There are too many swirls.  I think I will add some thread work to look like moss on the rocks....maybe.
"Boo-tiful Night"  was meant to be a fun fall piece.  That's when my sewing machine decided to go haywire.  All of the eyes are quilted with glow in the dark thread.  The pumpkin arms are silk ribbon and there are beads all over the sky for stars. 

I'm trying to get a few tops fused, then when my sewing machine comes back I will have plenty to sew.
Thanks for stopping by.

Happy quilting
Caren
PS.  I have my "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" part 2 tickets.  Do you?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

What a week

It has been a rough week.    MOnday my Grandmother died.  She had  Alzheimer's.  She also taught me how to quilt.  Which is why I got involved with AAQI.  She was 82 years old.  I didn't expect her passing to be as upsetting to me as it was.  I know that sounds awful.  But we have been saying goodbye for over 2 years.  Each day would take another little piece of my grandmother's memory and life.  She was a "ghost" of the person she once was.  She had not been able to recognize any of her children or her spouse for several years.  Her passing was bittersweet.  She is now in no pain, and she is with her husband again...and she knows him.  Yet, we mourn her again, now that her body has followed.  God's grace is unfailing.

During this week my parents' friends have shown up with enough food to feed a small army and sweets to open a bakery.  It's amazing how food is a blessing in difficult times.  We never had to think about cooking the whole week.

The wake and service were wonderful and reflected my grandmother's life.  It was wonderful seeing and talking to people who knew her before.  Amazing fact:  She was on the basketball team in high school.  That has always been my favorite photo of her.  All dressed up in her uniform.  I could not imagine my granny as a teenager...much less as a basketball player.  (In case you are wondering, I am short). 

After the service the entire family was blessed with a wonderful meal from my aunts church.  I don't know how things are done in other parts of the world. Nothing happens in the life of a Southerner ( esp. a Baptist), without food.  And it has helped me greatly this week.

Call your mama and your grandma and tell them that you love them.  Then go to your children and bore them with stories of when you were younger.  They will treasure it later.

Thank you for listening
Caren