And just a last picture of the center of the "Sleepy Head" antique quilt

I missed this picture of the center fan in the quilt, so have added it here. Make sure to check out the two last posts for the rest of the pictures of this wonderful old quilt. I will post pictures of another one tomorrow.

Broke my ankle.....just checking in with some eye candy for you....

Hi, Everyone....

Just a quick post to let you know that I haven't forgotten you or my blog. I broke my ankle on April 22nd....would you believe by looking on the edge of the rough for a $2.00 golf ball, of all things! This was the first time breaking a bone for me and I must say.....I HATE crutches! I've been able to find ways of getting most things done, between using the crutches and using one my rolling desk chairs in the kitchen....but it really is the pits not being able to carry things from place to place. It certainly makes you appreciate the mobility that you have with two working legs. I have a sincere empathy for those that don't have the use of their legs....I had never really had a true understanding of what they go through.

Now, to some eye candy. I am doing some sewing and embroidery, but it's been pillowcases ...with themes like football or Star Wars for my 14 grandchildren with their names embroidered on them for to give them with their birthday $10 cash. So, I thought you might like to see some of the vintage crazy quilts that I have bought for "from me to me" gifts. I will post pictures of a different one each day for the next few days. This first one is one that I call my "Sleepy Head" quilt. It has "To bed, to bed, you sleep head" embroidered on one side of the center fan. I have posted the picture of the entire quilt and some of the detail closeups. I'll post a few more in another post today, as I can only post 5 pictures with each posting. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do. The embroidery is wonderful!

Current Projects . . .so many and so little time!

I'm currently working on about 6 projects. I'll tell you about each of them in the next few days. The first one is a new bed cover for our upstairs guest room that our visiting friends and relatives call the "Pink Room". I had decorated this room for my mother-in-law to use when she stayed with us while battling breast cancer. I wanted a bright, feminine room that would be cheery for her when she didn't feel well enough to get out of bed. We carpeted it with dusty rose pink plush carpeting, I wallpapered it with a tiny pink and blue floral wallpaper, and added an accent wall with a framed dusty rose wall with pictures of victorian ladies in it. I haven't wanted to change the room too much, because it brings back some of the good feelings and memories of the bond that she and I developed during that difficult time together before she lost her life. We've replaced the twin bed with a double one, but have changed very little otherwise. Since the old coverlet barely fits the newer bed and and I don't want to replace the curtains, I've decided to use some of the old coverlet's fabric and the matching cotton sheets as a focal fabric, I'm adding an assortment of other fabrics to make a crazy quilted coverlet to replace the old one. Thinking of the pictures in the room, I decided to make the theme of the coverlet be Crinoline ladies and flowers or other items that might have been used by crinoline ladies......high button shoes, fans, etc. I love embellishing my crazy quilting with beads, buttons, silk ribbon, and other baubles, but since this will be actually used on a bed; I'm going to only use embroidery, applique, and painting techniques for embellishing. I will use fancy fabrics; though; like silks, satins, velvets,etc., as well, as a few cottons. I'm going to make larger blocks....16". I've finished the first section in the first block. It's a crinoline lady. This tiny lady is only 3 inches tall, but I sure enjoyed using Brazillian Dimensional Embroidery and painting techniques to make this section. I painted the background of the sky, grass, and dress using acrylic paint that I'd added textile medium to. I'll post other sections as I add them and embellish the seams. I'll also share a picture of the room once I take a picture of it.

Quilt Club Challenge Gift

Each year, one of the quilt clubs that I belong to has a Christmas gift exchange challenge. Everyone that wants to participate in the gift exchange puts 1/2 yard of a fabric of their choice in a paper bag with our name in it. The club president adds a number to the outside of the bag, takes the person's name out of the bag and documents the names with the number so that no one else knows whose is whose. Bags are then picked at random by the participants who can then add any fabrics that coordinate and come up with a gift using at least a 6" piece of the "owners" fabric. I thought that I'd show you what I did with the fabric that I received in the bag I picked. The fabric was a cotton floral in shades of blue and yellow....no other colors. I decided to make a hussif...a needlecase that also has places for other sewing items like scissors, thread, needlethreader, etc. I added other blue and yellow cotton fabrics, blue felt, and then crazy quilted it using various threads, beads, and buttons and embellished it with embroidery stitches. I used a light batting and to keep the "book" in shape, I added plastic mesh to two of the center sections and the "spine". This was my own design.....I used no pattern. Feel free to make one of your own, they are very handy. I'm working up another design that will specifically be used for on an armchair. When I have that done, I'll share it, too.