Well, I did it!

"Princess Argiope"

I actually turned my precious spider quilt over to the post office on Friday.  She is on her way to Paducah, Ky- to the AQS.  Then they  will take her to be hung  in the show in Lancaster in just a few weeks!  I am still amazed every time I think of it. I felt like I won the lottery when I got the letter saying they had accepted my quilt!









I posted pictures when I finished her, but am not sure I ever did tell the whole story.
I bought Jane Sassaman's book, the Quilted Garden when it was new. (out of print, but available as a download from AQS) I read it cover to cover immediately and set out  to the garden to study the flowers and find one to inspire me to make a quilt.  I took tons of pictures, and in the process I found this spider.

In my youth I was terrified of spiders and would have smashed her with a rock, but now that I'm over that ( I was determined not to teach my sons to be afraid of them when they were very little, so we spent time learning about spiders and studying the ones we found in the gardens), I decided this is a beautiful creature.  I recently learned some people call them "zipper spiders" because of the way they make their webs.
This species is Argiope Aurantia.  I watched her all summer.  Yes, I'm saying her.  You can tell the difference between the males and the females!  The design on her back reminded me of one of those buddhist goddess figurines with the many arms and the wonderful headdresses.  So I started calling her "Princess Argiope".

The following year, I had occasion to take a design class with Jane.  I wanted to use the spider in the class, but the supply list specified flowers, so I used the picture of the flowers I took in class to create this quilt. (This is the one at the top of my blog)



 I then  spent months reading some of the books Jane recommended and studying art books for inspiration.  Finally I created the spider,but couldn't decide what to do with her, until I found a Dover book of art nouveau alphabets and such that also had some designs like paper snowflakes and the lightbulb came on to make the web that way!




It took me three years to make this quilt because I kept stopping when I got stuck on something.  I wanted to make a border but nothing looked right, so I ended up cutting away a section of the background before making the facing.
I want to encourage all my art quilting friends to take the chance to enter a piece into one of these shows.  I know each of them has apiece that would be accepted!!!  It's an amazing feeling.

My green tip for today is to ask that you try and encourage someone you know- your boss, your husband, the other people in your office... to be more aware of what they are and are not recycling.  My boss catches herself when throwing away papers she printed in error now, so it's working!  :-)

I am grateful for:
sunshine
a girls day with Mary
cheesecake
the upcoming retreat
the raffle quilt is almost done!

Feels good to finish!

I was thrilled to be the recipient of an iPad for Christmas in December.  Although it came with the cool magnetic cover (as a separate gift) I wanted to have a case to carry it safely when I decide I need to carry it with me.  I looked at what others had made, patterns available and cases for sale to decide what features I wanted.  This is what I came up with- designed by the seat of my pants as I went.  You can't see it well, but it has hotfix crystals on the front flap, since I just love sparkly stuff.

 The sides of the case have velcro so it can be opened up like a "folio".  It has a pocket for a small pad of paper, and a pen.  At the right end you can see the charger and cord sticking out from their pocket.  Next to that is the pocket for headphones.  The iPad itself (at the left end) fits neatly into its own pocket- padded and reinforced with Timtex. The blue is the magnetic cover.  I really should get the lime green one to match the case, right?   It wouldn't survive being dropped from a bridge, but I won't worry about the rest of the crap I carry in my purse damaging it now!

I also made myself a new bejeweled "port-a pocket".  This is a sort of necklace bag- although I often wear them around my waist. (many skirts and dresses just don't look right with pockets added!)  I keep my brain in there!  I started doing this years ago.  I needed a place for the little reminders to myself I can't live without.  Currently I am using little books made from a single sheet of paper.  (Here's how!)  I have lots of these little pockets, which are also handy for carrying cell phones, tissues, cash and credit cards... whatever small items you don't have pockets for, but want to keep in a handy spot.
The sparkles on this one were added by hand.

I also got another section of my "liberated" project quilted , bound and attached to the previous pieces.  This is a cover for small bookshelves in my guest room/ studio.







 I played with some quilting designs from Modern Quilting Designs
along with some of the same designs I had used on the other sections. 




I haven't figured out if you're supposed to do the feathers first, or make the swirly shapes and then fill them with feathers, but enjoyed doing it enough to try it again.












Unfortunately you can't see the cool feather swag I did in the pale floral print on the front.  It looks pretty good on the back, though.

I'm putting the finishing touches on the spiral quilt today.  I titled it "Never Together Never Apart".
I hope you can see the quilting.  I'm pleased with this piece because it in no way detracted from the beauty of the fabric, but when you look at it, there's a whole different design.  Sort of two pieces of art in a single quilt!



All in all, I had a good week!


My "green" tip this time is one I hadn't thought of until I saw it in a list of tips I read!  Do you go to the car wash often?  Do they recycle their water?  If you don't know- ASK!  If they don't, find one that does!  In the summer months you can help your lawn and wash your car by doing it at home with a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and your hose!

I am grateful for:
Jake wasn't seriously hurt in his fairly serious accident!
Pretty flowers from my boss for Valentine's day.
Audiobooks (how did I ever sew before I tried them?!?)
Salad!
It wasn't an actual emergency.

New to me

I got this book late last year. The authors suggest you do a technique a week, which sounded good, so I've been trying to make time to do it.  (they also suggest making each technique into a tiny art quilt which goes into a  book.  Wish I had the time and inclination for that, but...)  The fabrics are out of my scrap basket, which explains why some are weird or not quite appropriate for the technique.

The first section is sort of background - or "foundation" techniques.








So far, I have tried a fused weaving technique, which I loved!

The tuck techniques are easy, but I'm not sure I'll have a place for them in my work any time soon

Inserting bits and pieces into the tucks could come in handy.

Making bubbles and wrinkles was LOTS of fun.(even if I'm not sure how I'd use it )

I kind of like the "deconstructed" crazy quilting.  Anytime I can use sparkly threads and fun stitches is fine with me.

I finally got to work on the quilting on that gorgeous spiral fabric. I'm having fun with this, too.   This will hang in my office when it's done.  The sun and moon is kind of what the program director had chosen as a trademark for the "sleep" program.







The Green Tip this week is one that will not help our economy, but it will save you money and help preserve our resources.  The media tries to convince us everyday that we "need" the newest of everything. We do NOT.  So before you toss a perfectly good (insert item here) , ask yourself if you really NEED a new one.  If you answer yes, remember someone else may think your old one is the newest and best!!  Pass it on!

I am grateful for:
A nice call from Guy!
Sunshine.
It was a pretty good game even if the wrong team won.
The luxury of play time.
Being a friend.

Trying to keep up

I made myself a promise to be more timely with my blog posts this year.  I lost track of it last year after switching jobs and the posts were less than sporadic.  So I was hoping to make a new time in my "schedule" for it.  I'm still hoping, actually.  :-)  I have a really high level of respect for the people who do a post every day!

I got the February quilt in my calendar quilts series finished this morning.  The pattern called for tan and pink, but tan is not a color I care to use much of.  I had fun quilting this one.  Just flipped open a book of designs and off I went!

Poor Kitty hasn't been feeling well.  Look where I found her yesterday morning!  Hopefully cuddling with a quilt and a bunny will help her get better.










Last week was the big reveal for the quilts in the Museum Quilt Guild's challenge.  This year's theme was "Carnival".  My entry was not the best expression of the theme.  It was a piece I began last summer as a way to get to know my new sewing machine. I grabbed some scraps and started sewing and cutting and resewing. You can see that part in this post.   At some point I thought one part of it looked like a roller coaster, and if I did the right stitching, it could be a carnival!  I decided to play with threads and stitches, doing some embroidery, then loads of quilting.  Then came the beads and glitter and..

this is how it turned out.
I call it "Lime Green had fun at the Fair" 

I had a blast making this piece!






And here's a better look at some of the "attractions"

I quilted the funhouse tents ( or maybe the beer tent?) into this section.

This is my "Tilt-a-Whirl" (or teacups?) ride

The far left has wavy quilting like one of those slides.  The embroidery on the black section was meant to look like a merry go round

I quilted and beaded the ferris wheel.  The lower part here reminded me of a funhouse maze.  The beads are people lost inside.

See, you have to use your imagination.
The rest of the quilts can be seen both at the Guild's and  Kathi's blog

My green tip this time has to do with the pile of outdated fliers I saw in the trash at a local "Family Dollar" store last week.  They were tossing them! The store had no recycling plan for anything other than their cardboard.  I made sure to mention it to the employees and then contacted the company at their website to complain.  You can speak with your voice and your dollars, to stores and businesses that are not environmentally conscious.  Make sure they know why you are shopping elsewhere.

I am grateful for:
A beautiful winter day with sunshine sparkling on fresh snow.  (a rare occurrence this winter)
My hubby who goes out and cleans off my car when it snows
Caring people who do the right thing
The creativity of others, which inspires and challenges me!
Family time, when I can get it.

Just because!

So I have begun working on some of the projects I wanted to do "just because". Because it sounded like fun, or because it's a UFO I want to finish, projects just for me!

Last weekend, I decided to finish quilting the front panel from my "liberated" project.  It was begun in a class with Janet Root at Guild nearly TWO years ago!  Not only did I stretch myself with the piecing of this project, but I have been using the quilting as practice and a way to stretch my abilities.









Of course, Leah is my inspiration!  I don't know the names she gave these designs, but they were fun to do.

 

This week, I started doing the quilting/ thread sketching on this wondrous piece of ice dyed fabric Mary Lee gave me last summer.  I work in a program that teaches people to become sleep technologists.  So I am quilting a sun and moon design into it.

Here is the progress so far.  Not bad if I say so myself.  :-)  I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's finished.
















I have to rant for a minute about the increasing number of public places that feel the need to "freshen" the air by spraying chemicals into it that we are all forced to breathe. I have allergies and/or a chemical sensitivity to scents.  I can't even walk into some public places, especially restrooms!!!  Try holding your breath for the entire time it takes you to relieve yourself sometime and you may get a glimpse into why I am ranting.  I cannot imagine why even people who are not sensitive to it would want to breathe dangerous chemicals! 
I guess, then, that I will make this also my green tip of the week:  THINK about the chemical pollutants you are putting into the air, the water and the garbage.

I am grateful for:
The nights I can sleep.
Being able to help a friend when she needed it.
Snuggling under quilts when the weather outside is frightful.
Having enough.
Letting my inner 6 year old out to play .

Round robin begins!!

      So far, 2012 is going well.  I finished my blocks for a swap at "The Quilt Pocket"- a yahoo group of quilters who I spend part of most days with!    There are 25 swappers, but I made five extra blocks so I can have a rectangular quilt.  I have never cared for square ones.  I don't know why.

The "Art C Girlz", met last night to begin an exciting new project.  We're doing a round robin.  This one is an embellishing project. Each of us turned in a piece that the rest of the group can play with, adding any kind of surface design or embellishment we think the piece needs.  I get to work on Lori's first.  I won't be able to show the work I do since it's meant to be a secret until the owner gets it back.
I didn't take a picture of mine.  I decided to use a small whole cloth quilt I did years ago as a way to practice my quilting stitch.  It no longer appeals to me, so I thought I'd let the girls play with it.  It should be fun!
I'm calling 2012 the year of being selfish, since I'm hoping to get some of MY projects finished.  But I'm looking forward to playing with each of the pieces in this project, and look forward to seeing what they do with mine.  (I forgot to take a before picture of it)
My green tip this time is to ask that you try to support "green" businesses. When you need something, take a few extra minutes in your research to discern how"earth friendly" the company you want to deal with is. Go to their website.  Check in with websites like http://www.ecofirms.org/ for recommendations.

I am grateful for:
Being in a position to help a friend
A glass of wine!
The back massager
A good sewing day.
Soft quilts made with love to keep me warm in the evening!

A fresh start!

The new year makes us all see the potential of a fresh start! For myself, I think of all the projects I may be able to finish in the new year.
First, a look back at the projects. I record them all in my journal every year along with taking a picture of each item before it goes out the door.
So what did I do in 2011?
Quilts: 6
Wall quilts:17 ( that includes the 12 little calendar quilts)
Art quilts: 6
Finished UFO's: 2 ( a number I hope to improve on this year!!!)
Quilted gifts: 9
Garments: 9
Quilted accessories: 18
knitted wearables: 6 (includes 3 pairs of socks)
Knitted gifts: 40 (love those little mochimochiland patterns!)
I couldn't categorize the 100 or so Kanzashi flowers I made, the 16 woven star ornaments, or the projects I only did part of, like binding a community service quilt from guild, or teaching samples.
It felt good to see all of these projects listed like this. Sometimes I feel like I don't get much done. Especially this year when I gave so many of the things I made away!

So what is in the works for the NEW year? Well for one thing, I'm doing another series of calendar quilts. This year by Kim Schaefer. I got the first one done on Jan 1. So far, so good.

I also plan to be a little selfish. For the past several years I have been teaching classes, so I had to make samples both for display in the shop and for demo samples during the class. Now I can finally do things that have been on my wish list!  I have a few UFO's to  finish up.  Unfinished projects make me sad.  I feel like I failed somehow.  But thanks to my friend Elaine, who shared this on facebook, I will no longer feel guilty if a project just doesn't interest me and I don't finish it.  I may even give some away if anyone wants them.

My new year's green tip is to remind you to do one small thing this year to reduce the amount of trash you make, or resources you use unnecessarily.  Buy a reusable water bottle, make a real effort to use those shopping bags you've collected, print fewer emails, turn off a light or turn down the thermostat.  Small changes can make a BIG difference if enough people do them!!

I am grateful for:

Two days of being surrounded by my family!
The stomach bug that prevented me from gaining 5 lbs over the holidays
The potential of a new year
Wonderful circles of friends (the ones nearby and the ones I only get to see in my computer!) who give me laughter, support and the gift of their friendship.
The pure joy of a few extra minutes in a warm bed on a cold morning.