Workin' On "Stuff"

I know it looks like I follow a LOT of people...

Okay. One hundred IS a lot of people.
But I'm kinda goin' through something over here.
I'm looking at a lot of quilts, handmade journals, and etcetera.
I'm searching through loads of fiber-related blogs.
I'm exploring some things in my head.

I... think I'm going into a phase... An Art phase.
An "exploring in myself" phase.

First I did the Values quilt. I wanted to try that 'cause it looked like a bit of a challenge for me... I didn't know anything about "color values".
I've never had ANY art classes.
...
Sometimes I feel like I NEED art classes.
Sometimes I feel like I have no creativity... That it's *gone*... from lack of using, trying, exploring.
I never really knew how to express myself in "Art". I thought I needed "formal" training to experiment, really.
But now...?

Now I'm starting to think that *I* can try.
I can explore.
I can think for myself.
I can try different "things"... fabric, thread, buttons, beads, etc

Looking at all of these blogs, I have discovered that there are some people who have "it". Lots of people *want* "it", but they don't all have "it".

But I'm discovering
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I HAVE "IT" OR NOT!!!
I can explore to my heart's content and
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I HAVE "IT"!

I'm gonna try!
I am going to attempt to listen... to myself... to the fabric (even though I think that sounds "hokey" as HELL!)... to nature... to other artists... to EVERYTHING and anything!



I'm currently working on two projects. [GAAASP!!!]
I know! I don't usually do that. I used to try doing that, and never really completed anything.
But I've grown since then.

Anyway...
I'm working on two projects right now... The WaveRunner quilt, and something that's

just
for
me.

I have loved a song since I first heard it as a child in the 'Sixties.
Anyway, I'm working on a small-ish applique piece that's sort-of based on that song. It's coming along nicely, and I'm satisfied with it so far...
Pictures won't be here until I get it finished.
As usual. ;-)


Hope you're having a GREAT day!!!


A post with no pictures.
Boring, huh.
I apologize. But nothing seemed to "fit".

"Values Quilt" finished! (Thanks V!)

V of Bumble Beans posted what she calls a "Values Quilt" a few months back, and I was intrigued.

I also thought it might be a good way to use up some of that fabric I have upstairs that I may never use. (Where did all that stuff come from, anyway?)

I also was looking for something to make for the Cuddle Quilt project the Guild does that I'll be joining this month...

I also thought it would be a good challenge.

It measures 45" x 45", is made from various fabrics on the front (all cotton),
the backing is simply muslin,
the binding is something that's not "just cotton", and
the quilting is my first true attempt at Free-Motion Quilting! (What do you think, Leah?!)

Sorry. The pictures could be better, but it's too friggin' cold out, the sun isn't out anyway, and Bunny isn't here. (First day of classes for her new semester!)

Anyway... here it is:








Yay!!!
Isn't it pretty?!
I'm always excited when I get a new quilt finished! =-)


This one is called a "values quilt" because of the "value" of the color, not the color itself. Yeah. I had a bit of a hard time understanding that one myself. I have NO formal art training what-so-ever, so this was new to me...


But then, after I got the front all pieced, I had the top laying out on the living room floor, and when I saw it in the near-darkness? THEN I finally understood "color value"! (It was too late then, though, 'cause I wasn't about to rip it apart and start over!)


Here, let me show you.
I've adjusted the color so it's only shades of grey, so this way you can see only the "value" of the colors. (One blog I looked at with a Values Quilt said she copies the fabric on her printer in black & white to help her determine the color value... but I didn't want to waste all that paper... But I've learned a lot for "next time"!) =-)

Anyway, when you convert it to shades of grey, you can then tell which fabrics are dark and which ones are light.

Cool, huh? =-)

Since I was originally having a difficult time with it, I sort of cheated and used lots of whites for my light values... Oh well.

Anyway, here's the back with my attempt at FMQ:

Kinda difficult to see. I know. Sorry. "Hey Bunny! I need your help!" ::crickets::

Closer:

And closer:

So now the "fun" part will be seeing if I hang it up on the wall somewhere, or go ahead and give it up for the Cuddle Quilt Project. But Kitty says I say that everytime I finish a quilt: ::whining::"I don't know if I can give it away."

Well, that's about it for today.

I hope you're having a great week! Mine's going well so far. I just need to learn to focus better on things, and keep track of time better.

...Hmmm... Maybe I need to set alarms for various times and tasks throughout the day...

=-)

Today...

I've done some chores around the house, and then I started pin-basting the Values quilt...

but I chickened-out on free-motion quilting it today, so I got a big square of fabric/batting/fabric and did some practicing.

It's not bad, but I'm not sure it's what I'm wanting for this quilt.

(Sorry. That's not the Values quilt above. It's a close-up of Bunny's quilt!)

Anyway, I like what I quilted, but...

I still need practice.

I'll have to dig around upstairs to see if I can find some fabric and more batting to do more practicing.

This morning in my blog-browsing, I ran across this site. It seems neat and I'd like to explore it more 'cause I think it has Quilting Potential!

Yes, I'm becoming obsessed and seeing quilts/quilting in lots of things. =-)

I'm thinking that can't be a bad thing... right?!

=-)

My New Year Wish for You...

Have Fun, but be Safe.
Be Merry, but be Smart (Designated Drivers!!!).
Remember those you Love, and Love the Ones you're with!

May this night end just the way you'd hoped,
and may this New Year begin just as it should.
The past is done;
The future is still fluid;
But the present is meant to be lived to the fullest!


Thanks for reading.
We're going out tonight with friends to the wine bar we frequent (too frequently!).
Back soon!
=-)

More Good News!!!

My husband, that dear, sweet man who I DON'T DESERVE, has given me the

A B S O L U T E B E S T

present I could ever ask for!!!

::drum roll::

I have only two more days of torture...

I have only two more days of listening to disrespectful children...

I have only two more days of biting my tongue and being ever-so-patient...

I can stop driving the school bus when the Winter break begins!!!

Yay yay yippee yay!

::happy dance::

::happy song::

I am thrilled beyond...

Well, I *was* going to say "beyond words", but I obviously haven't stopped talking yet. =-)

><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

In other news, I *really* need to

GET BACK TO QUILTING!!!

It's supposed to start snowing some time this afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to quilt once I'm off the bus. They're letting school out *early* because it *might* snow. ::rolling eyes:: Whatever. That should give me extra time this evening...

I hope you are having a great day as well!

=-)

Drink Me!

Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!

Did you know?!?

I *just* found out!

Tim Burton has done 'Alice in Wonderland'!!!

And Johnny Depp is in it!

(And lots of other people, of course...

Helena Bonham Carter,

Alan Rickman, Mia Wosikowska [who I don't know, but I'm sure I'll love once I get acquainted with her in this movie that's sure to delight me!], Crispin Glover, Ann Hathaway [who has me wondering if she can ever shake her Good Girl type-casting and become a Bad Girl soon...?], and many others... Go have a look for yourself!)

Pictures:

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1141147648/tt1014759

And a trailer for your enjoyment!

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4240966169/

I am so tickled and excited about this (if you couldn't tell)!

Bunny just told me about it. We'll have to go see it as soon as it's out.

...Well... Actually, I don't like to go to a movie on THE day it comes out... or the weekend of its premiere, for that matter. Too crowded!

But I *may* make an exception for this one! =-)

Would you like to go with us?!?

You're welcome to, you know.

=-)

Yesterday

I finished the top for the Blue WaveRunner quilt yesterday!
I'm so happy with it!
Yay!

(When I get it put together, I'll post pix.)
=-)

Happy Birthday Bunny!

I am Finally Finally Finally able to post pictures of Bunny's quilt.

Yay!!!


First I must say:

This quilt is NOTHING like what it originally looked like in my imagination!

That, however, must be followed up with this:

I

LOVE

IT!!!

=-)

It measures 83" x 75". (Yes, it's h-u-g-e! But it's just more to love. =-) )

The fabric is various stuff I already had, various fat quarters I bought for parts, the main fabrics I bought specifically for the front & the back (but I didn't write down that information, so I don't remember...), and the binding is

"Fizz" by P&B Textiles.

I had NO idea how to quilt it, and it was such a HUGE job that I took it to a lady in town who has a Long Arm business. (That's a sewing machine with a "long arm" where the material can all fit while you quilt.)

She quilted it with Superior Threads' clear (monofilament, maybe?) thread in an all-over swirl pattern. She has a computer hooked up to her sewing machine and puts the quilt on a huge "fabric holder" thingy, and the computer & sewing machine do all the work!

(I'm sure it's not quite that simple, but... it works for me!) =-)

Without further ado...

The front:

(The sun finally came out!)

(Note how my helper wants to be in the picture! She's so funny!)

(My helper is *still* there, posing for the camera like Tyra's around...

She stayed there the whole time Bunny was taking the pictures. lol!)

Close-up of the Robin & nest (the right wing is 1 piece of fabric, the left wing is 1 piece of fabric, the tail is 1 piece of fabric, all very carefully folded...) :

Close-up of the Flutter-by (which was VERY difficult! It's 2 pieces of fabric; the polka dot "base" and the orange on top that's zig-zagged onto the polka dot):

Close-up of the Bee & Sunflower (the bee isn't what I envisioned either, but... at least it's *there*! lol ) :

Close-up of the Dragonfly:

Close-up of the little Pink Flowers and of the Binding (Kitty helped me pick out that binding, and it's just perfect! Thanks Kitty!!) :

I wanted to put a lizard and a lady bug and a frog and some other stuff on there, but maybe I'll get to all that "one of these days"... when I have "nothing to do"...!

And the back...

Again, it is nothing like I first envisioned, but...

again,

I love it!!!

(See? Even though we made her move so we could turn it around, there's my Helper once again, posing for Tyra Banks! haha!)

The Luna moth was really difficult to do, but *TOTALLY* worth it!

I think she's *Perfect*! (I've always loved Luna moths, ever since my older brother found a cocoon for a Luna moth and put it between his window & screen and let it "hatch"! That was the first time I remember seeing a Luna moth [they only come out at night, you know], and I've loved them ever since!)

Her body is made of fleece and the wings are batik fabric. The antennae are painted on... I couldn't make them look right with thread, embroidery floss or yarn, so I just painted 'em! The rest of her is machine-sewn thread. Lots of work, but totally worth it (*I* think!).

Various scattered leaves (Again, this was different in my head; I wanted it to look like you were laying down under the tree, looking up at the night sky through a branch, but... I couldn't make it look right, so I just "scattered" the leaves... It looks okay, right...? Does it...? Whatever.) :



And the "Impressionistic flower garden" (which is smaller than I made it, but it had to get chopped off at the Long-Arm Lady's. She didn't have enough to work with, so in the doing, it had to go.) :

So there's Bunny's quilt

just like I've been promising you for a month or MORE! =-)

She loves it! She did NOT want to wait until her birthday to get it, and it had been so looooong since she had last seen it that she forgot what it looked like before, when it only had a tree and a few flowers.

I hope you like it too! =-)

Feel free to comment to let me know what you think!

=-)

Thankful

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope it is filled with all the people you love,
as much food as you need,
and the good health to enjoy it all.
=-)


Also, I thought I'd finally post pictures of the latest Baby Quilt I made. (I believe I finished this one in October...?)

It measures 50" x 55".

It's made with a Jelly Roll of "Fresh" by Deb Strain for Moda, with various strips (leftover from the jelly roll) for the binding, and a yard or so from the Fresh line for the backing.

It's just straight-line quilted all around with orange thread. And though I'd like to do some "fancy" free-motion quilting in the sashing around the border, my family has talked me out of it.

(I may still do it one of these days... IF I get bored and adventurous!)

Also, I did the binding totally by machine on this one!

It's so cheery!

I originally made it with the intentions of giving it to my local Quilting Guild (when I join in January) for their Cuddle Quilt project...

But now...

I've spent over $60 on this! I think Boyfriend wouldn't like it too much if I gave it away and couldn't even get a receipt to take it off on taxes!

...so I'll just keep it for awhile...

I'm sure I'll know someone (one of these days) who's having a baby...

And I'll be able to just "whip it out"! (Kitty has hinted that she'd like it for her future baby... We'll see!)

=-)

Be well Friends!

p.s. This quilt makes SIX total finished quilts for *this* year!!! WooHoo!!!

I had a goal, and I actually REACHED IT!!!

Plus I have one quilt *top* (the Values quilt) that I'm pondering on what to do for the back, and I'm working on the Blue WaveRunner, which is coming together nicely, thank you very much! So I *might* have more than six for the year.

I'm so tickled!!!

Blue

Well, I finished all the blocks for the Blue WaveRunner quilt tonight!

I am sooo tickled!!!
And I am in LOVE with it! =-)

Now I need to put sashing on and do something for the back, and of course make the binding...

But I love it!!!

(I wonder if I can bare to give it away... ?)

=-)