Thursday, January 31, 2008

Quilted Table is ta-doneQ

TJay finished the table this morning and it was all set up in the living room. It is truly a work of art!



Makes the rest of the furniture look bad...I may have to quilt the couch!


Over 4oo pieces, just in the top.


In other news , I finally set up a design wall using 2 inch pink insulation foamboard, 4 foot x 8 foot. Duct tape hinges and stapled on an old flannel sheet. There's enough sheet behind it to add another 4 feet of wall.

Crammed it in front of the china hutch...

And slapped a WIP up on it!

Friday, January 25, 2008

Two Tops Done!

Yay! TJay and I both had a very productive day yesterday. I found a lovely batik to use for the borders and finished the top of the French Braid quilt - finally! Now comes the fun part of basting and quilting this behemoth... I'm afraid this baby is gonna require mass quantities of chocolate.
And...ta-da! TJay finished the sanding, staining and lacquering of the new coffee table top. OMG, it's so silky smooth, like a baby's bottom! The base will be done next week -- he's just making the doors now -- can't wait!


Looks pretty lumpy on the bed...there are 6 blankets/comforters underneath. Hey, it's been COLD here! LOL!



Poplar, Oak and Black Walnut. I think we'll need to have a lone star quilt on the wall behind the couch.. Oh Yeah!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

I'm going to lose my mind...

...when I start quilting this king-sized monster on my machine with a five inch throat! Ackkk! Wonder if I can talk Hubby into that Juki 98Q or Janome 1600P DB for Valentines Day?? Wonder if he reads this blog? (SewVac direct has the Juki for $550 and the Janome for $700...) (in case you do read this) (love you) (really!) : )
It's in three section now. I'm trying to decide on whether or not I want to add divider strips between the sections. Last night I did up the design in EQ6 to play with it a little and I think the strips would look okay, to match the border. I love EQ6, but wish there was a way to make blocks that aren't square. I had to do the strips as sections of 11 blocks. It would be nice to be able to do the strip pattern, without breaking it into squares.
I want to get this top done this weekend and get it basted. I found a great way to baste by Sharon Schamber on you-tube. Since Sharon just won the 2007 $100,000 Quilt Challenge with her quilt 'Scarlet Serenade,' I think I'm going to try her method. Well that, and I'd have to rent a hall to spread this monster out on the floor for basting. And, if i was on my knees that long, I don't think I could get back up!!! Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA


The technique is from Jane Hardy Miller's book, French Braid Quilts. Today I hunt for a batik to match the small squares and also for backing fabric. I don't like the look of the original border fabric anymore.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Ta-Da...

Moving right along... I've got my anti-chlor all set. This is the stuff I use when I add water to the Koi outside in out pseudo-pond. A half capful for 50 gallons. Don't think I need too much for this quart of water!
For happy healthy fish

And happy healthy fabric

Rinsed again, washed and dried. Oh, this is way too much fun. I just love this beautiful golden color!

This piece totally knocks my socks off. Well it would if it wasn't so cold -- down to 6 degrees now -- the socks are staying on!

Will definately play some more tomorrow, but now I'm heading for a huge pile of quilts and crawling under them! Oops, forgot one piece! When I read Liz Berg's tutorial, she suggested using a piece of fabric for clean-up. Here's my lovely clean -up strip...

Yeah!

I refuse to give up -- even at 3 am.

WTF is that dumb fabric made of?? Heck with it, I found about 5 yards of a black batik that I got on sale to use 'someday.' Someday is here! I'm not going to go nuts cutting it all up, just a couple of pieces to see. Besides -- it's late.

This is more like it! I got an almost immediate reaction.

Oh yeah!!

Stars and hearts on the other piece.

Detail -- kind of drizzled some more SS over the pattern.

What to do when it's 7 degrees out...

Ok, I'm so stoked! I've cut up the old sheets into fat quarterish pieces. Got my gloves. Lined the kitchen counter with hefty bags. Here goes nothin'!

Got two kinds of Soft Scrub. I thought the 'new thicker' gel might be good for manipulating. It is!


This is the piece laying on the gel. I kind of finger-painted it onto the plastic (those are my finger marks) laid on the fabric and gently patted it down. So far, so good. The white is actually the black fabric. Bad flash.
I just laid this piece of fabric on the clean plastic and dipped a cookie cutter into the regular SS and stanped it on. Did one with stars and one with hearts. V.D. is coming soon, after all.
Laid in the tub to ferment. Might as well get a clean tub out of it, right?

And so I wait...and wait...............................and wait. Nothing, nada, nichts, nix, nyet, no way -- nothing happened!!

REALLY early spring cleaning

It's 8 degrees out and I started spring cleaning last week. I don't like to spring clean in the spring. That's when I want to be working in the garden or playing with cement and broken ceramics in my little outside sculpture corner! I promised myself that after New Years, I would get organized and start getting rid of crap that I haven't used in ages (or ever), room by room. I've been pretty good about it so far. I went to Home Depot and bought a bunch of plastic tubs in different sizes. I finished the laundry room and the bathroom. How the hell did I wind up with 20+ kinds of body lotion? I don't think I've EVER bought any... Much to dispose of in there!
I organized my sewing studio (formerly known as a dining room). Oddly, there was nothing to get rid of in there...hmmm.
Then I started in the kitchen -- ugh. Five big bags gone and a bunch of stuff to Freecycle. But now I'm stalled. I found these. I am officially sidetracked!

Cookie cutters

Gift from a friend...6-7 years ago

Never used -- not even once

Over 100 of them...what to do, what to do?

Bake cookies? Nah, I don't think so. I've been wanting to try discharging fabric and I picked up some Soft Scrub, regular and gel type, with bleach a while back. I found some old black sheets when I was working on the laundry room. I think they're cotton. I could cut them into FQs and play with the bleach and cookie cutters... Hey, it's too early for spring cleaning anyway!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Thursday, January 10, 2008

QuiltArt Fractured Challenge 2008

WooHoo!
Todays mail brought me a package, 4 pieces of Art from Tomme Fent, who organized the QA Fractured Challenge. I got pieces from Betsy True (UL), Joan Potter (UR), Elaine Stone-Arthur (LL), and Judy Whitehead (LR). I just love everyone's work. I especially like the woven fabric strips that Betsy used for her background.
Now what to do next? I'm thinking of add more to the bottom, maybe a mixed fabric background with a stem and leaves...

All lovely!!

Here's what I sent in -- I hope people are happy with mine too!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Old Presque Isle Lighthouse

I had some time to work on my felted scene last night. I'm pretty happy with the way it's turning out, although the top of the light is a little crooked... (note to self -- wool yarn is almost impossible to remove from 4 layers of background -- get it right the first time!)

I think it's ready for some machine embroidery.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Janome Xpression from Santa

I must of been good....NOT!
TJay got me a new toy for Xmas -- a Janome Xpression needle-felting machine. This thing is so much fun!
My new baby!

Roving, angelina fibers and cutivated and soy silks -- I totally LOVE Joggles.com!

My first effort. A scarf from 3 kinds of wool roving, organza, angelina and silk. I did some free motion quilting on it too.

It's itchyStarted a wall hanging of the old Presque Isle light in Michigan. Hmmm -- so far it looks like a nuclear plant...

Xmas at Oma's....really late on this one



Brendan and Paulie with their hats from Oma













Buck with his new muscle shirt
















Tess












Bisquit






The gang at home in all their holiday finery. Trouble and Angus wouldn't sit still for a picture...
Coco

Pillows all around...


Made Xmas pillows for Patrick, my Mom amd my MIL. The moms got grandkids on theirs and Patrick got car-racing in a storm-st-sea block.
Hmmmm...NASCAR = Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks...
Look -- they're goin' left! :)