Getting Back on My Feet

I am finally doing better and will be back to work full time tomorrow.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that I am still coughing and the result of a CT scan indicated that I have a very tiny "non-specified nodule in the lower right lobe" of my lung.  The radiologist recommended just a re-scan in six months, but my doctor feels that I should see a lung doctor because I am still coughing.  So, I am off to a pulmonologist at the end of the month.  I am not really worried and am certainly not panicking.  I think I will start really feeling better when the heat and humidity break. Oh, well.  One day at a time is my mantra!  Right now I am just happy that daily life is getting back to normal.

Feeling better means that I have been back to some stitching.  I have finished piecing the last three points for my star quilt.  Drum roll, please!!  

I took the pictures in the front hall of my house to take advantage of the light coming in. Please take note of the pins still in the pieces.  I think they add an extra dash of pizazz, LOL!

Last night I was catching up with the blogs I follow.  Diane Gaudynski had an excellent post about a quilt show she recently attended.  Her comments addressed some of the frustrations I feel about a lot of the work I saw at a quilt show I attended early last spring.  

The show is a large one in Western New York.  Many, if not most, of the quilts were lovely reproductions of someone else's patterns.  The author/designer of the pattern was always credited, as was the individual or shop that did the quilting.  End result?  Very little original work, little that tapped or stretched anyone's true creativity, and lots of quilting that was done to ensure that the quilt was quilted, but displayed little artistry. 

I found this to be very discouraging.  The exhibitors had certainly put a great deal of effort into their quilting and the majority of the quilts were large, bed-sized quilts.  Could it be that people are so insecure about their own talent that they feel they have to reproduce someone else's work to be successful?  Or, could it be that the industry in the US, including the independent quilt shops, really encourages this? Is it a combination of the two, or is there something else that I haven't considered?   I am open to any reader comments on the subject.  I feel that this is a dialogue that needs to take place.  If you can, please read Diane's post.  It is extremely well written and thought-provoking.

Keep quilting and stitching in peace and happiness.  

Still Under the Weather

I am still under the weather with a bad case of bronchitis.  There hasn't been much stitching going on, or much of anything else for that matter.  I have had difficulty with bronchitis for most of my life.  The only reason I can subscribe this to is the fact that I have allergies.  Of course, I lived with heavy smokers for the first thirty years of my life, and that probably plays a role, as well.

This is a little block that I wanted to post.  It later became a small quilt, or quilt-lette, if you prefer.  The fabrics that make up the block were all painted with oil-based paintsticks applied directly to solid black fabric.  I remember that I really had a ball painting that fabric and making that block.  

There are many reasons to quilt.  Many writers have probably expressed why they quilt better than I can, at least right now when I am so under the weather.  But, I do remember very well making this block and the sheer joy I felt when making it from fabrics that i had painted myself.

My wish for you today is that you experience great joy in your quilting and other creative endeavors.  Creating is truly a joy!

Under the Weather

This is my Louis.  He's just hanging out in this picture, keeping me company.  I have been sick for awhile now with a really bad sinus and upper respiratory infection.  These infections are pretty much the bane of my existence and this one is pretty persistent.  I have finished one course of heavy duty antibiotics, plus a short course of steroids, and am getting worse again.  Right now, I'm waiting to hear back from the doctor's office.

I am pretty sure that the high heat and humidity levels are at the root of this bout of sickness, and that's with being in the air conditioning most of the time.  I know that the entire country is suffering in this heat, so my 

wish for all is that you stay cool and healthy during this very hot summer.

Painting Fabric

This is a quilt I finished last year.  It is based on a small sketch from my sketchbook I made several years before that.  The lighter colored fabrics are fabrics that I painted with setacolor paints.  If you have never worked with fabric paints before, these are great fun to use.  It is easy to get great marbled effects with them, as well as salt prints.  They are very easy to use, water based, and very color fast.  You can also use them  to make solar prints.  If you've never tried painting fabric, it's really great fun.  I love doing it.


Speaking of painting fabrics, I also used paint sticks on this piece and had a really good time with them.  Paint sticks, too, are very easy to use, but they are not water based.  They are actually oil paints in a stick form.  There is a film on them that acts as a sealer of sorts.  You must peal that sealer off to use them.   I have viewed several demonstrations of using them.  In the demonstrations, the paint is put on a palette and applied to fabric with a stencil brush.  I have used this technique, but, on this quilt, have applied the paint sticks directly to the quilt.  They blend beautifully and are are dream to use.  I have not used them recently, but hope to again, soon.


This quilt also included the use of a commercial stamp and has beaded embellishments.


I have not made anything from my sketchbook in a long time.  Do you keep a sketch book?  If you do, I would be very interested in hearing about it.  Thanks for reading.


Keep stitching in peace and tranquility.

Getting Backk

Hello!  Although I haven't posted in awhile, I have been busy.  I entered the contest for the Alliance for American Quilt.  The theme was based on new favorites from old and this is my entry.  The contest is over, so I am thinking it is ok to post my entry on my blog now.  You can see all of the entries, which are absolutely amazing, on their website www.allianceforamericanquits.coml  This quilt kept me really busy because it is so heavily stitched, mostly by hand.  The buttons were pretty time consuming to add, as well.

Now, what, you may be asking yourself, does this quilt have to do with the theme of the contest?  Well, the theme could also represent things other than a specific quilt block or pattern.  My idea was based on how my thinking regarding art has changed over the years.  As an eager high school student, I thought there was no better painter than Andrew Wyeth; however, Time has taught me many lessons and I can now appreciate much more abstract work.  So, I drew and painted the flowers from a photo I took (my love of realism) and then attempted to make the surrounding area much more abstract.  I titled the piece "Evolution" to represent my change of thought.  I hope you enjoy seeing it.

I really have to share that this was very difficult for me to do.  I have no trouble making things for myself or my family; however, sharing with others is much more difficult for me.  And to enter something into a contest nearly put me over the edge!  I think that's why I haven't posted in such a while.  But I have been busy working on my crazy quilt star.  So, here are some photos of how that work is going.

These ae some of the points of the star I have been working on.  The one on the right in the picture above is not quite done, but I am out of ribbon and have to order some more.  Here is a picture of how the finished points look when placed next to the main block of the star.

I hope you enjoy seeing this.  Keep quilting!  It's the cure for what ails you!

Back To My Project

Here is a picture of a finished point for my 8-pointed star project that I wanted to share with you.  I have been piecing the points and have five of them done so far, but thought it was time to start embellishing one of the points.  It was great fun to do, and I came up with a new stitch combination.

Of course, I could not wait to see how it would look against the center block, so here is a picture for you to see, as well:

I still have a long way to go, but it is so exciting to see progress.  Now my thoughts are beginning to turn to a background color.  My son was home this week end for my birthday (the big 60!).  We had a great time together, although it was only one day.  Because he is a professional visual artist working in advertising, I told him what I was thinking and asked for his suggestions.  I'm afraid he was not too sure. Hmmmmmm! I think I will have to go it alone on this one.  I am considering a dark purple or a shade of green.  Of course, I am also considering picking up the black accents and using a black background with a variegated thread for the quilting.  Hmmmmm, again.  Definitely something of earth-shattering importance to keep me awake at night, LOL.

Yesterday  dove into the new issue of Quilters Newsletter.  I saw that the Alliance for American Quilts has announced it's new contest, so I checked it out.  The theme is "Something new from something old", which is giving me many ideas to consider.

I love the holidays, but, oh, how good it feels to be back to routine and into the quilting rhythms of my day/night!  Keep quilting in peace and happiness.

Deb's Stitch in Time: Little Purse for a Special Gift

Deb's Stitch in Time: Little Purse for a Special Gift

Little Purse for a Special Gift

I received a special gift from my son this Christmas- an IPod Touch.  This wonderful little gizmo is actually a small, hand-held computer, for those of you who are not into all things Technical or Apple related.  It is wonderful and I have been learning to use many of the functions for school, such as the calendar and the notepad.  I was nervous about keeping it in my pocket, however, so decided to make myself a small purse that could be worn around my neck to keep it in.

The purse is made of two small rectangles of felt.  I first embroidered the front of the purse.  The larger flowers are made of stem stitch worked into a spiral using perl cotton.  The centers are french knots.  I again used stem stitch for the actual stems and some detached chain stitches for the little leaves worked with two strands of floss.  Lazy daisy stitch makes the other flowers, again using french knot centers worked in perl cotton.  Fly stitch is used for stems in two strands of floss.  The background is filled in with fly stitches worked in one strand of floss.  Some straight stitches worked as crossed stitches also help fill in the background and some beads are added for sparkle.  The rectangles are then stitched together using two strands of floss and the blanket stitch.

This was a fun little project.  It didn't take long to complete, and I now have a more secure place to keep my wonderful Christmas gift!  Keep stitching in peace and happiness.

Now That the Holidays are Over

It is good to be back at the computer and posting again.  The holiday season became so busy that I was unable to post anything.  But the holidays are over ( well, not if you celebrate 12th night) and I am back at my post.  It seems every year I say to myself that I am not going to make any gifts, and yet every year, I wind up making them despite my resolution.  This year I made some crazy patched hearts for some of my friends at school.  Here are some photos of them before I added the hangers to them:

These were fun to make, but I stitched furiously to get them done to give my friends before Christmas and the break at school.  It was actually a great experience, apart from making them as gifts.  Working on a small project under a deadline is a great way to practice your skills in a new way.  I loved working on them and am hoping to try some more of them in the future.

I have also finished my block in progress.  This square block is the center of what will be an eight pointed star.  Here is a picture of the block and a picture of the flower spray I incorporated into the block:

I have started piecing the points of the star and will post them soon.  In the meantime, I want to start a small project that will be a lot of fun.  For Christmas, my son, who has a very good job in the advertising field, bought me an IPod touch.  It is a wonderful little gizmo that is actually a small hand-held computer.  I have started using it for school and have entered many meetings, etc. on the calendar function.  One of the best features is that it is a voice recorder.  I can now record those thoughts/ideas/ things I need to remember that occur to me when riding in the car and are quickly forgotten due to a faulty memory.  So, my plan is to make a little purse to wear around my neck to keep it handy and safe at school.  I will post a picture when it is done.

I hope that everyone had a blessed and happy Christmas and my wish is that everyone have a safe, happy, and very healthy new year.  Keep quilting in peace and happiness.