Daily drawings in January

This month, I've been participating in Lisa Congdon's Daily Drawing class through Creative Bug.  It has been fun and enlightening.  I can draw some objects so easily and struggle with others - but the wonky look is "in", so I'm good!  Below are a few of my favorites from the month.

day 9/31   Bird

As I was deciding if it was still bright enough to take a nice photo of my bird drawings, I spied my little chicken pincushion (a purchase from this year's International Quilt Festival) and plopped it ontop of my sketch pad as a prop.  Too bad I didn't spy it before I filled my page -- I could have sketched my stuffed birdie!

day 14/31   Fern

The day I drew the Ferns, the Houston Chronicle had a front page story on Ferns (front page of Section E).  I had to include this front page in my photo shoot -- wouldn't you?  (Again - I spied the page after I had filled my page!  must work on my timing!)

day 16/31 Apple

By now, I'm loving the posing of each sketchpad photograph but on day 16, Apple, I had only bananas in the house.  But there are apples in the quilt underneath my sketch pad - so that counts, right?

day 20/31 Fork

Drawing the forks was a challenge.  I did try to draw handles of my own forks, but need to practice with forks a bit longer. 

day 22/31 Paint Brush

This might be my favorite -- the colorful (& dirty) watercolors add a pop of color to my black-n-white sketchpad.

day 24/31  House Plant

I tried drawing my African Violets -- not sure that I succeeded, but I did try!  I also learned that my house plants were in need of some attention (tossing water on them is not enough!).

day 27/31 Lamp

Lamps were fun to sketch, but I forgot to sketch my favorite lamp -- a funky curvy wood base lamp actually we have a table lamp and matching floor lamp, inherited from my in-laws home.  I should at least get a photo of them to share here, right?

day 28/31 Salt & Pepper

I don't really collect Salt & Pepper shakers, but when I see a pair that tickles me (the bluebirds) or that remind me of my grandmothers, I tend to purchase them!  Maybe I am collecting Salt-n-Pepper shakers after all!

day 29/31  Sunshine

Drawing the Sunshine (well, really we were drawing the sun!) was very easy -- a throwback to elementary school days where the sun was always included at the top of the page, next to the stripe of blue for the sky.  The quilt behind this drawing is one that I received through Another Little Quilt Swap hosted by Kate North that happened in 2014.   Click here for more quilts that were traded in that swap or here to see what I traded when I received this quilt.

day 31/31   Telephone

The last lesson of the class was to draw a telephone.  I wish I had more of the old-timie telephones to sketch.  Instead I drew some old-timey wireless phones and the latest of iPhones at the moment (iPhone 6 is on loan from my husband).

 Ta-dah!

I have completed all 31 drawing lessons!

I plan to continue drawing too.  Of course it helps that there will be a February Daily Drawing class on Creative Bug (but not by Lisa Congdon - so I will get to sample other instructors).  I'm looking foward to this and am quite tickled that I kept it up all month (playing catch-up when I missed a day or two ...

Blue dog and red kitties

I love testing new patterns and basically I love to sew and I truthfully accomplish more when I have a set deadline to finish by (especially when someone else sets the deadline, so I cannot push it back).

Here is the latest.... I was asked to test a new paper piecing pattern for Kristy of Quiet Play, and share the results by January 20.  This is my progress photo:

 

This shows the madcap scramble of the pieces to the puzzle that will soon morph into a completed 12 1/2" quilt block.  Can you guess what it will be?  (confession: I may have cropped out a few of the sections -- can you spy the dog's nose?)

Here is the finished block which I have titled: My Blue Doxie

Cute.  

Don't you agree?

This is called Geometric Doxie Paper Pieced Pattern and is one of the newest patterns released by Kristy @ Quiet Play.  Click here to see her website or here to see her patterns.   Kristy also has her patterns on Craftsy (click here).

I have tested a few other Quiet Play patterns as well.  My first (and still favorite) is this sitting kitty, which I've mentioned in a previous post, but here is a little more of the behind-the-scenes story.

The pattern is called "Geometric Little Cat Paper Pieced Pattern" and is only available on her payhip site (click here).   I pieced this in red as my Houston Modern Quilt Guild was having a red-and-white block exchange with the London Modern Quilt Guild.  The blocks were meant to be 12" finished and this measured a smidgeon too small so I added this border.

The upper portion was simple -- just cut more of the Kona white with my rotary cutter.  The lower portion was trickier due to the stripes.  Cut one lengthwise and then two crosswise.  But I do like how it turned out.  I have named this one My London Kitty and hope it finds happiness in its new London home.

In fact, I loved my London kitty so much that I decided I must make another one for myself to keep.  Here is My Houston Kitty.

When I was piecing this kitty, I totally forgot to use a different color for the floor that the kitty is sitting on, and originally pieced the entire kitty with an all white background.  I didn't like it and didn't know what to do to fix it.  I didn't relish the idea of restitching the entire tail section .... so ... I carefully removed the tail from the background white and the appliqued the entire tail onto the new floor section.  If you compare this Kitty to the London Kitty, you can see that the section with the tail does not have the same seams .....  I love this little kitty and am thrilled with how it turned out.  Perhaps I will make another ....

These are just two of the patterns by Kristy @ Quiet Play that I have made.  Her patterns are a fabulous introduction into paper-piecing -- although if you are a beginner, select a pattern without as many teeny-tiny pieces!  If you run into difficulties with her directions, Kristy is just a short email away -- or message her through InstaGram (@quietplay).  She lives across an ocean from me, but through the marvels of our digital age, she is much closer!

My newest gadget

Look what I found while helping my sisters clean out as they prepare for their massive tear-down and remodel.

It looks to be a loom for weaving/knitting/looping a new scarf.  Fortunately a project is already in progress so I am using that to figure out how to use this neat tool.  Oh, and there is extra yarn in the bag, so I am hopeful the scarf will end up at a nice length. 

I'm learning a new craft! -- totally self-taught (or taught by deciphering the sample on it ...).  Love this new skill and the challenge of doing it correctly!  Any one interested in a pink scarf?

Do you know anything more about this gadget?  I'd love any information you can share....

My official list of UFOs

Here it is.

(drum roll please) 

My Official List of UFOs

(with photographs to support the current state of each project).

My goal is to work on finishing UFOs all year long, while I will also be starting new projects (because I just cannot help it!).

1)  The first project that I hope to finish in 2016 is my version of the Drunkard Wife's QAL.

I have six blocks completed (minus the embroidery on the top one) and must finish six more.  I'm thinking I may even add a few additional blocks of my own variation before finishing this quilt.  This is a fun quilt-along project that my friend Felice Regina came up with.  Feel free to make one of your own -- all the directions for each block can be found here.  Be sure to wander through her website Sew Scatterbrained or follow her on InstaGram where she goes by iamlunasol.  She is also a designer for Windham Fabrics, with her first line debuting at the Spring Market this year.


2) These blocks made of Marcia Derse fabrics need to be finished into a quilt as my second UFO. 

The blocks are from mystery quilt-workshop by Jamie Meuller offered by my Houston Modern Quilt Guild at our October 2015 meeting.  I love the simplicity of the blocks which use Marcia Derse fabrics and Kona Cotton solids.  I am especially excited that I finally cut into my prized Marcia Derse collection!  I haven't finished this quilt yet as I am thinking of making more blocks to end up with a larger quilt, but have not decided what size I wish the finished quilt to be ... yet.


3)  I don't know if a needed repair will count as a finish .... but I'm listing it here anyway as I really really want to use my owl pillow again!

My pillow was mauled by a sweet puppy who is now older and wiser and hopefully will not chew up the repaired pillow.  I made the first owl pillow for an international swap and liked it so much that I made a second one for myself. Click here to see the two pillows.  The whites of the owl's eyes and the beak were made of wool felt - perhaps that's what was appealing to my puppy?  I must decide if I will replace the damaged pieces with new wool felt, or if I will use cotton fabric instead.  What do you recommend?  I need to patch the lower chewed corner somehow too ... wonder if I can find scraps of the original fabric that I used for the background (which is from a hand-painted and over-dyed printed sheet by my friend Liz B).


4) My next UFO that I wish to finish into a quilt is this small piece, a Hamsa with a Texas appliqued in it's center.

 Click here to see how I began the first of my Hamsa series and click here to see the finished trio that were gifted to friends who all married in 2015.  I also made two with Texas on them, like the one above, which were gifted to friends who were heading out of state to begin their college studies in Massachusetts.    When I was making the college gifts, I appliqued a few extra ones -- and I've thought of who I wish to gift this one too, which is why it is now on my "must finish" list of UFOs.


5)  Next, I wish to complete one or more pillows made from silk ties and dress shirts.

I was asked to make these by a friend of a friend and for some reason the little two-letter word (no) did not come out of my mouth!  Instead, I agreed to make the pillows for her, and I have had the ties and shirts since last May ..... time to get these done!


6)   The next collection of blocks waiting to be in a completed piece are these Polaroids.

I have made several Polaroids for myself, and even more to swap and trade with others (both members of the Houston Modern Quilt Guild and through a "Lovely Little Polaroid Swap" held this past Fall on InstaGram).  I am thinking they will be made into zippered pouches and possibly a tote bag or two to carry projects to and from classes.  Or perhaps I will keep the tote to keep my scrapbooking projects inside (the non-digital scrapbook, that is).


7) I have so many projects to finish!  This one should probably be listed as number 2 because I am already envisioning how I wish it to be completed.

These are mostly 12" blocks, though some are larger and the leaves on top are smaller.  I was inspired to make a red-n-white quilt after seeing the wonderful exhibit of red-n-white quilts called the Ruby Jubilee in the 2014 International Quilt Festival, their 40th year.  Click here to see my post with photos from the exhibit.  The blocks in the photo above include many that I made and six that I received in a trade which my local Houston Modern Quilt Guild had with the London Modern Quilt Guild (yes, London, England!)  For every block I made to trade with the London quilters, I made a duplicate one for myself.  I kept making additional blocks (such as the leaves which were a pattern-test that I did for Quiet Play, click here to order your paper-pieced leaf pattern) so that the quilt would be larger .... but recently I've redrafted (mentally) how I will piece this quilt and end up with a quilt the size I desire without needing too many more 12" blocks.


8)  This is the first red-n-white quilt that I began ... with hopes that I would have it quilted and finished in time to enter into the 2014 Ruby Jubilee exhibit.

I made several of these blocks for a swap with my traditional bee, the Block Builders Bee in February of 2014 (click here).  I did make many and traded them and even pieced them into a top at a quilt retreat I attended with my Modern guild last June BUT I have since decided that I want to add a few more rows so that the quilt can fit my bed.  However, I have not pieced the extra blocks (about 16 or 20 I believe -- these are small 8" blocks) .... it will be a race to see which of these two red-n-white quilt UFOs that I will finish first.


9)   This would be an easy one to finish (at least I think it is ...)

These batik split four-patches were made and swapped with my traditional bee, the Block Builders Bee (also mentioned above).  The blocks were pieced into this top at the June Modern Quilt Retreat that I attended (sound familiar?  just like the blocks and top in #8 above).  I need to get this top quilted, labeled and bound for the completion -- I think I can do this one by the deadline!  (I hope!)


10)  This will be my last one to list for this quarter (in part because the deadline to link is approaching fast (within the hour!))

These batik blocks are from the most recent block trade with my Block Builders Bee.  The trade was held last month, December 2015.  I hope to get them pieced and quilted .... but may need to make more blocks first.  I wonder if I am finally making a little dent in my batik collection?  I am dedicated to Sewing My Stash this year!  I have fabric for at least a gazillion quilts, and even more fabric for garments too.  Perhaps in the next quarter I will list clothes that I wish to finish.

I also have mini-quilts to make for swaps on IG, but I won't count them here ... they're not really begun other than the thoughts and plans that are still brewing in my head.

There.

Ten UFOs to try to finish by the end of March, 2016.

The Finish-Along group has gone global and is open to everyone everywhere.  To win the prizes they have, you must follow the guidelines (found here and other places too) and post your linkys to join and to show your finishes as stated in the rules. BUT if you missed the sign-up deadline for this first quarter, sign up for the next quarter (links open the first week of April). OR just keep plugging away and finish your projects and share on IG or FB or on your blog or with your friends and family.  The idea is to focus on finishing projects -- good-bye UFOs and hello quilts!

Joining the Finish-Along 2016

I love joining groups, especially ones that encourage me in my sewing and quilting adventures.

This 2016 Finish-Along group splits the year into quarters, then members post a list of projects they plan to finish at the start of each quarter (with a photo showing where they are) then post again at the quarter's end, showing their finishes. I've no idea how many UFOs I will finish this year, or even in this first quarter ... mostly because I've no idea how many actual UFOs I have at the moment (lots and lots!). Stay tuned .... By the way, the deadline to sign up for this quarter is fast approaching:

Saturday, January 16th, 2016 specifically by 11:00 pm EST.

Here is the list of hostesses (there are nine) of this fun Finish-ALong (FAL) group for 2016.  Check in with any and all of them to learn more details and to follow all the fun finishes.

 Debbie – A Quilter’s Table – USA [aquilterstable]

 Jess – Elven Garden Quilts – Australia [elvengardenquilts]

 Stacey – SLO Studio – Canada [slostudio]

 Jennie – Clover & Violet – USA [cloverandviolet] 

 Helen – Archie the Wonder Dog – UK

 Nicky – Mrs. Sew and Sow – UK [nickyeglinton]

 Rhonda – Rhonda’s Ramblings – USA [rhondatherambler] 

 Leanne – She Can Quilt – Canada [shecanquilt]

 Cindy – Fluffy Sheep Quilting [fluffysheepquilting]

There will be shared link-ups.  You may sign up with any one of the nine above and then your link will magically appear on all the hosting sites.  Join me!   The Finish-A-Long Q1 Proposed Finishes Linky closes Saturday, January 16th at 11 pm (EST) ~ (hint:  Q1 = first quarter).

Please excuse me now as I must go and figure out which of my UFO's to focus on finishing in this first quarter of the 2016 Finish-Along.

On Instagram and other social media, for 2016, please use the hashtag #2016FAL and follow the FAL IG account @finishalong. You can also join the new community at the Finish-A-Long Facebook Page.

  

Progress report on my Drunkard's Wife

I have three more blocks pieced and ready to share.  

The very first block, the Happy Hour Star, is an oops version based on the traditional pattern known as the Sawtooth Star.  It is currently lacking the embroidery in the center square at the moment, which will personalize the block and the entire quilt.  

block #1 -  Happy Hour Star

I love the two fabrics in this block.  One is a lovely background of a line-drawn floral from Emma's Garden by Patty Sloniger (with Michael Miller Fabrics).  The other is a hand-dyed pink by my friend Laurel Cull.  Click here for directions to make an 8" finished version the Sawtooth Star or click here for Felice's directions for the 12" Happy Hour Star block.  Or use your own method, like I did.  I used 3" Thangles to piece the eight half-square triangle blocks which make the star points.

block #5 -  Mimosa

Since I am racing to catch up, I am not stitching the blocks in the order that Felice released them.  I stitched this one, Mimosa, next as it has a similar format to the first block.  Both blocks are a basic a four-patch made with 6" square units.  The dark burgundy print is from the Emma's Garden line, the pink is a recent calico print while the light background fabric is a more ancient calico print that has been aging in my stash for many years, possibly since the last century.  You will see more of it in this quilt, as I am working hard to Sew My Stash during 2016.  Click here for Felice's directions to make this 12" block.  While I almost opted out of her method thinking to use my trusty Thangles again, I decided to try this new fabric-saving method to piece the Flying Geese units 'discovered' by Patti R. Anderson of Patch Pieces.  Click here for directions on this original "No Waste Method for Making Flying Geese".  I do enjoy trying out new techniques such as this one.

block #8 -  Amaretto Sour

This is Amaretto Sour, the eighth block in the series and another four-patch. It is one of my favorites.  It uses the same Emma's Garden light print as seen in the first block above and a remnant from Brother Sister Design Studio that I found in my bag of pink scraps.  Click here for Felice's directions, use your own method, or try using 3" Thangles (which is what I did).

Three more blocks are complete. 

Stay tuned for more ....

Learning to draw and doodle

One of the new things I am trying this year is to doodle and draw more, 

possibly even a little bit every day!

Through Insta-Gram I found Lisa Congdon and learned she was leading a daily drawing challenge for the month of January through Creative Bug ..... I did not stop go, I immediately signed up for Lisa's class, The 31-Day Drawing Challenge!

On the first day, Day 1, we learned to draw a Tree.  Just a tree.

I love drawing trees!

Lisa demonstrated four different styles of tree-drawing, but I filled my page before I even watched her instructional video.  I added a few more in her style, too.   I used a pencil for this first day of drawings .... again, I jumped in before I looked at the suggested supplies.  I do have much to learn.

Day 2 is all about drawing Teacups.

I drew using Lisa's style first, after watching her lesson, too.   Then I pulled out some of my grandmother's teacups as well as some of my favorite coffee mugs.  I used my pencil again, but then traced over my favorites using an ink pen which is skipping.  Perhaps it is running dry?

Next is Chairs.

This assignment was the most difficult so far (out of all three lessons, so far).  I persevered and practiced drawing Lisa's versions before adding a few chairs found in my home (rocking chair, recliner, dining room chair).  I ditched my pencil too (but with much trepidation!).  Amazing how much clearer my drawings appear when sketched with ink rather than pencil lead, isn't it?

The morning after I drew my page of chairs, I drove past this painted advertisement featuring chairs!

It is on the route I drive regularly getting my teenagers to and from their high school.  Love that there is a bird on it (ala Portlandia!).

 

Day 4 is Leaf.

I can draw a leaf - but adding that jagged edge was tricky.  Perhaps it's because my pen is running dry so have of the jags didn't have the connected jig.  I love photographing this assignment using my Maple Leaf quilt as a backdrop.

The next day is a lesson drawing a Rose.  I can hardly wait!

I look forward to each lesson, though I am now a day (or two) behind.  I will end here so I can catch up on my drawing lessons.  This is just the beginning of my new year and promise to nourish my own interests.


Learn more about Lisa Congdon through her website http://lisacongdon.com/ or follow her (like I do) on InstaGram (@LisaCongdon).

You may also enjoy looking at all the many classes offered on Creative Bug's website https://www.creativebug.com/.

Or just join me on this 31-Day-Drawing Challenge.  It is fun!

Whiskey Sour

This is the second block in the Drunkard's Wife Quilt-Along, but in actuality, it is the first block that I made in this series.

block #2 -  Whiskey Sour

This Whiskey Sour block is a Twisted Oops on the traditional Churn Dash block which is a variation of a traditional 9-patch quilt block.  The center butterfly is from Emma's Garden, then more of Laurel's hand-dyed pink fabric, with an oldie of mine featuring tiny hearts dangling from strings (but the stripes are sideways here -- so that the butterfly can fly up). Click here for Felice's directions.

I can hardly wait to share it with my traditional quilt bee .... what will they think of making a quilt which has an error, a deliberate mistake, in every single block?

I love this block both in the correct layout and also in this oopsie version.  The error is quite noticeable (even to the non-quilters among us), and yet it is pleasing as well (at least to me).  This block makes me smile.

Felice's quilt-along

It is the new year and a good time to focus on finishing projects ... setting goals ... and starting something new just for the fun of it!

Yes, with all that I have already begun (many of which I have neglected to share here), I have indeed started a new quilt.  This is a Quilt-Along that my friend Felice (aka iamlunasol on InstaGram) has devised, designed and shared one block a week on her blog SewScatterbrained.  Click here to see all the blocks and their names and directions.  She calls her quilt the Drunkard's Wife, spoofing the currently popular Farmer's Wife and paying homage to all the quilters who make Oopsies while stitching up their perfect sampler quilts.  Here is an excerpt in her words from her introductory post ....
The inspiration for a fun Quilt A-long combines two activities I cherish: quilting and drinking. I'm calling it The Drunkard's Wife Quilt-Along.

We've all been there. We've gotten tipsy at quilt retreats or had a little too much with dinner, but hey! We got quilts to make! And then we make oopsies. It's time to celebrate those stupid mistakes. The Drunkard's Wife Quilt-Along is an exercise in f***ing up. 

I have made many blocks intended for a variety of sampler quilts, but this may be my favorite so far.  To stitch up a block with a purposeful mistake is quirky and I am playing catch up since Felice started her quilt-along in November of 2015 while I have only just now decided to join the quirky fun.  I plan to catch up quickly (fingers crossed) and hope to make this my first completion in the new year.

I will be using a variety of pinks, and especially ones from Emma's Garden,  Patty Sloniger's third collection with Michael Miller Fabrics.  Follow Patty on her blog BeckandLundy.  

Updates on my catch-up attempt to come soon (very very soon!).

New year - new focus

The new year has arrived and with it, the desire to make resolutions, to ponder one's past and dream of the future, and make plans to move along the course desired.   Is there anything I wish to do differently this year? What changes shall I strive for?  In what direction do I want to head?

I grew up writing resolutions on many a New Year's Day, promises of new daily tasks or behaviors I wished to emulate.  More recently, instead of compiling lists (such as: I will exercise more often; I will make my bed everyday; etc),  I've narrowed my list of resolutions down to a single word.  One little word to be my word of the year, to encapsulate the new year and all my dreams for the future.  But which word should I select?  (no pressure ....nope, none, at all....).

 

My first thought was to use Nourish as my one word for 2016.  While reading the definition of nourish, and I realized that Nurture would be a better fit for this year. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nurture as ....

      1:  to help (something or someone) to grow, develop, or succeed

• Teachers should nurture their students' creativity.
• a professor who nurtures any student who shows true interest in history

      2:  to take care of (someone or something that is growing or developing) by providing food, protection, a place to live, etc.

• The study looks at the ways parents nurture their children.
• You have to carefully nurture the vines if you want them to produce good grapes.

       3: to hold (something, such as an idea or a strong feeling) in your mind for a long time

• She nurtured a secret ambition to be a singer.
• nurture a dream/grudge

I love all three of these statements.

I am positive that nurture must be my word for 2016.

Why?
  

Because .... this is the year my teenagers graduate from high school and head off to college.

Oh my!  

They are my only children, making this the year that our empty nest begins.  

My dream for 2016 is to continue helping my teenagers enjoy and succeed in their adventure of transitioning from high school to college and providing as much of their basic needs as I can (from prom to college dorms and beyond).  Finally, I want to nurture my own hopes and dreams.  What do I want to be when I grow up?  Do I wish to return to teaching toddlers (two-year-olds turning three) in preschool again? (Note: I'm currently taking one year off - I consider this my sabbatical year, a year to recharge.)   Or should I return to teaching high school?  (Second note: This was my occupation before I became a Mom.)  Or shall I be daring and adventure into a new area entirely-- perhaps pursue job opportunities in quilting or sewing or .... Gosh, suddenly I can think of so many possibilities!  Perhaps I need to take time and nurture my passions, nurture my family, and figure out my dreams for 2017 so I can use my time in 2016 to get started.

N  is for Nurture.

The GeoAlphabet Pattern (above is one letter) will soon be released by Quiet Play.  

I have been fortunate this fall to join the pattern testing team of Kristy's and must confess that this is actually the Z turned on its side, morphing instantly into a fabulous N.

It's been several years since my last selection of 'my word for the year'.  

Click here to read about the year I choose two words, 

and 

click here to learn about my year of focus.