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 ...

Another Little Quilt Swap #9

 

Hip, hip, hurray!  Another Little Quilt Swap #9 has been officially announced.  (Actually, Kate announced this latest swap a month ago but it is not too late to join in).

Click here to see my earlier posts about previous swaps with ALQS.  I have participated many times, sometimes even swapping two very different quilts.  Kate North runs an excellent swap.  It is an easy-signup with no-guilt-attached if you fall down and are unable to complete your quilt by the deadline.  Read my previous posts or better, read the rules for Kate's ALQS #9 by clicking here.

Hope you will join this fun and easy little swap.  Or at least check back and admire all the little quilts that are being traded around the world.....

Aloha - finished!

I have finished my little quilt and it is ready to swap in the eighth round of Kate North's 'Another Little Quilt Swap (ALQS).  Here it is ...

Aloha friend

I learned how design and cut my original Hawaiian appliqué patterns and how to machine appliqué the  block in a class at the 2013 International Quilt Festival.  The class, "Meet me in Hawaii," was taught by Kathy Kansier and was quite fun.  This is the first block that I have finished completely into a little quilt. It measures 19" by 19.5" (I was trying to make a square block, but missed by 1/2 an inch!)

It is quilted in the Hawaiian fashion of echo-quilting around the applique design. 

The back is solid white, so the quilting stands out (yikes!  I think I did a pretty good job ... didn't I?)

Kindness Multiplies

Small acts of kindness (both intentional ones and random ones) beget more acts of kindness, and the friendliness of these actions continues to multiply the positive energy in a delightful way.

detail of Kindness Multiplies

This little quilt is called "Kindness Multiplies" as its little hearts are expanding and growing on their own - much like little acts of kindness that multiply into more similar kind acts, slowly spreading good feelings steadily across the world.

Kindness Multiplies

This quilt is an original design that I created.  I started with the simple checkerboard background and added hearts in a variety of sizes, overlapping and stacked ontop of larger hearts.
It is pieced, appliquéd and free-motion quilted.

Size:  approximately 15" x 15"

  

A view of the quilt back

This quilt is entered into ALQS8, Another Little Quilt Swap hosted by Kate North.  Soon I will find out to whom I am sending "Kindness Multiplies" while at the same time waiting to see which quilt in  I will be receiving!   It is a fun way to meet other quilters as well as to collect their work.

Aloha friend

I am trying out the Blogger ap on my cell -- and I want to upload a w.i.p. of my 'Aloha friend' quilt...How do I add a photo here? .....hmmm.... Oh - I did it!

Here it is!  'Aloha friend' is shown being quilted in the photo above. This little quilt will be offered up as a swap in Kate North's ALQS8, which is short for 'Another Little Quilt Swap 8'

This is indeed the eighth round of hosting this fun swap.  I do wish that I had swapped in all eight swaps, but this is only the fourth time (I think) that I've made the deadline. ALQS is a fun way to meet fellow quilters scattered around the world while also collecting their little quilts!

Soon I will learn to whom I will be sending 'Aloha friend'...... Maybe it will be you?

Or should I say that I have a few more Hawaiian blocks very similar to this one -- perhaps I will finish one of them for you (be sure to leave a comment here so I know that you'd love one!).

A second Snow Day

We had the rare occurrence of a second Snow-Day this year.  Even the city government closed down offices (and libraries and more).  What would you do with a bonus day off from work, and a winter storm approaching ....?

Well, I'm a quilter, so I making these two little quilts!

All the hearts are machine applique'd onto the pieced backgrounds.  Free-motion quilting finishes the work.  I'm glad they're finished as the larger one is for ALQS, Another Little Quilt Swap #8, whose deadline is less than a week away.

Another Little Quilt Swap, ALQS, is one entertaining way to collect new quilts made by quilters located around the world.  I've swapped several times in this group lead by Kate North.   If you are interested in joining, all you need is a finished quilt within the size of 12"x12" or  20"x20".  Click here for more details and then send your digital images to Kate by the posted deadline!

PS  The previous ALQS rounds I traded in were ALQS4, ALQS6 and ALQS7 (where I traded two quilts).

Update:  I've joined a new group, the 2014 NewFO Challenge.  Barbara of Cat Patches is the brainchild and moderator.  She challenges participants to start a new project each month and share that project at the end of the month (there is even a giveaway!).  Click here to see January linky party (I'm #61).  Click here to learn more about this challenge. 

Join the fun!

Go Hawaiian

I've always wanted to do a large Hawaiian applique' quilt, so this year at the International Quilt Festival, I took a class from Kathy Kansier called "Meet Me in Hawaii" (isn't that a nice invitation?).  In three hours, students cut an original Hawaiian design and applique'd it onto a background fabric (via machine applique).  I've been busy making more blocks that will grow into quilts, rather than lingering in my w.i.p (works in progress) pile.  Click here for more about the class.

Here is a peek at one of my original designs which I am currently shadow quilting, much in the style of Hawaiian quilts.   My goal is to finish this for the ALQS8 swap that is fast approaching.  I am also pondering if I should teach this as a class/workshop at one of my local quilt shops, such as Quilt 'N Sew.

Click here to be inspired by more Hawaiian quilts (as found on Pinterest).  There are also many websites with Hawaiian quilts for sale (I will let you explore those on your own ....).

Meanwhile, maybe I will stitch a few more rows before calling it a day....

Another Little Quilt Swap #8

It's official....

Another Little Quilt Swap (ALQS8), hosted by Kate North in the UK, is open and recruiting interested quilters.  I've participated in Kate's swap a few times now -- I haven't always made it to the final deadline, but the times I succeeded in swapping, I have LOVED my new quilts!

For more information, check out the website: http://anotherlittlequiltswap.blogspot.com/

If you are interested, send Kate a note (her contact info is on the blogsite listed above).  Be sure to read through the rules first.  It is a no-obligation swap.  If you miss the deadline - you're out of the swap, but not penalized nor does it hurt the swap (other than we don't get to see your quilt or trade for it either!)

Come join the fun ... If you have any questions, ask me as I'm happy to recruit a few new ALQS#8 swappers.



Click here to see posts about this swap that took place earlier.

Owls

I love participating in Kate North's "Another Little Quilt Swap" so much so that this year, for the first time, I made TWO quilts to swap.  Well, in truthfulness, I made three quilts to swap, but the first second one I made, my husband claimed to hang in his office.  That was "Waves" (seen here).  The next second quilt I made to trade was "Tumbling" (which is featured here).  But what about the first quilt that I made for this quilt trade?

The very first quilt that I made for this Seventh "Another Little Quilt Swap" hosted by Kate North is featured in this post and appears below.  I used a tapestry owl which I had made a year ago (to decorate my Preschool Toddler class bulletin board) and stitched it to a fun background that my friend Liz Broussard had given me after she had over-dyed and painted the original fabric which came with the printed design.  (Did she tell me it had been a curtain or a pillowcase?  I can't recall now.)  Basically my cute little owl is made entirely of materials I had on hand - an eco-friendly owl!

Here she is, my little "Owlie".  While I was stitching Owlie together, I read on the ALQS7 website that another participant had turned her 12" square quilt into a pillow (click here to see quilt #12).  I thought that was a great idea, so I did the same.  My little owl quilt became a plump little owl pillow.

During all this planning and sewing of my little plump owl, a funny thing happened - I grew attached to my wide-eyed little bird.  I couldn't give it away!  Fortunately, I happen to have a few more of these little owls (formerly on my Toddler Bulletin board), and another piece of over-dyed and painted fabric from Liz, so I made a second owl.

This second owl quilt is named "Who, whoo ..." and it is also finished as a little pillow.  She was featured here on ALQS#7, and was listed as the anonymous "Quilt No. 33"

Two little Owls quilt/pillows -- one to trade and the other one to keep ...

For the curious, here is the back of one.  The multiple owls on this fabric make me smile. 

Soon I will post the photos of the two quilts that I have received in this fun "Another Little Quilt Swap #7."  I am already getting excited for Kate North's next little quilt swap!  She says it may happen later this spring.  One need only watch her ALQS blog for the sign-up announcement.  Chances are I will announce it here, too, just as soon as I learn of it.

Tumbling

I love participating in Kate North's "Another Little Quilt Swap" as it challenges me to finish a cute quilt to send away and in return I get to treasure someone else's lovely work.  Yes, it really is a little quilt swap.  This year's swap, the seventh one, has a required size of 12" x 12".  Anyone can join in -- no pressure other than to finish your quilt and send digital photos to Kate by the announced deadline.  Everyone who gets their digital photos sent by the deadline is then eligible to make a "wish list" from the posted quilts.  Kate has the fun task - first of posting all of our photos and descriptions, then of sorting out all the wish-lists and figuring out who will get which quilt.  Of course she also must send us each the name and address of who our quilt is going to (we like to make it a surprise reveal!).  She monitors that all quilts are mailed and received (a few have taken very circuitous routes to their new homes - perhaps traveling around the world on a slow mail-boat), then posts the "grand reveal" on the ALQS blog.  That post won't be up for sometime as we are all busy wrapping and packing our little quilts to send off now.

Without further ado, here is "Tumbling" - my little quilt made specially for the ALQS7 swap this year.

Tumbling was made in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.  Think Pink campaigns are everywhere (in the USA) and I hope to encourage everyone to have annual mammograms as well as to do monthly self-breast exams.  Early detection (gulp) leads to a tumbling of emotions but also has a higher cure rate!  This piece began as a design exercise, inspired by directions given in Color and Composition for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini Masopust.  The addition of borders helped the piece grow to the required 12" x 12" size.

In the detail view, you can see that the quilting is very geometric and linear in the background, but gets funky and twisty in the tumbling blocks.  Additional twisting and turning ribbon-thread embellishment is couched on top, adding to the tumbling sensation of the entire piece.  Rather than binding it off in traditional quilt fashion, a slip-cover pocket was sewn to the back which converts the quilt into a pillow.

I am packaging up my little Tumbling quilt/pillow and will soon be mailing it to its new home .... to be revealed later!  Hopefully someone will be very pleased to discover this in their mailbox....

Click here to see the original post about Tumbling in the ALQS blog.

Waves ...

This is a small piece, approximately 12" square.

I started this piece years ago, when my Beyond the Borders bee spent time exploring exercises from Color and Composition for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini Masopust and Brett Barker.  My plan was to finish this aging UFO for the upcoming ALQS#7 swap (whose deadline is fast approaching).

This detail shows the echo quilting of the seagulls far off in the distance.

This detail shows the rippling waves both in the applique shapes and the quilted lines.

Upon seeing this finished piece, my husband promptly claimed it for his office.  So this small quilt will not be appearing in ALQS#7 after all.  I must look at the other design studies from that day with BTB to see if there is another one that I might finish for this swap.   I plan to explore more of the exercises described in the book, too.  Masopust and Barker have devised a simple 9-patch system to teach composition.  I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring color and composition found in all quilts, both traditional and art quilts.

For more on this book click here. 

Note:  It is available in digital versions, too.

Happy Summer!

It's official .... Summer is here!  

How do I know?

Is it because my two classes that I love teaching have ended and I have brought all my teaching left-overs home to sort, organize and pack away until I need them again in the fall?

No.

Is it because I have watched my niece cross the stage at her college graduation?

No.

Is it because my own kids have been promoted from 8th grade (another stage-crossing of sorts: walking under a balloon archway)  and are ready to embrace high school?

No.

It it because I've discovered Pinterest (what fun!) or have signed up for "Another Little Quilt Swap #7" or have plans to sew more (clothes, quilt blocks, finishing quilts, etc.)

No, no, and no.

It IS because our Air-Conditioning has decided to stop working effectively this morning!
It is summer in Texas, and fortunately I think the thermostat is not rising too far into the 90's today .... hopefully the AC Repairman is not swamped with calls and can pop over tomorrow!


Until then, please send cool thoughts this way!  Meanwhile, I think we will head to the movie theater tonight ... have you seen Men In Black 3?




By the way .... click here to learn more about Another Little Quilt Swap #7, hosted by the fabulous Kate North.

This will be my fourth time to sign-up, though only my third time to participate.

Click here to see "Early Evening", my ALQS#6 entry or here to see "Big Foot - Framed", my ALQS#4 entry.

Of course you probably wish to see the two quilts I received also, right?
Here's the link to see "Zinnia", the quilt made by Nickels in Germany that I own from ALQS#6, and click here to see "Blue Vase" by Sue McBratney in Australia for ALQS#4 that lives with me.

(I missed the all-important deadline for ALQS#5, so did not swap in that one, though I had intended too!  Sometimes life just intercedes with different plans ...)

Blue Vase

I realized that I have never posted photos of the first delightful quilt that I received through Kate North's Another Little Quilt Swap #4 (ALQS).  Click here to learn more about the ALQS swaps and click here to see my post about my quilt Big Foot, framed!, that I offered up for trade.  But enough about these details as this blog post is featuring the quilt I received!  Tell me what you think of this little detail view ....

This sweet quilt originally  came to life  in Victoria, Australia.  Sue McBratney is the quilter who pieced, stitched, embellished and quilted this little quilt which I adore.  Here is the full view:

Blue Vase

Thank you Sue, for swapping such a lovely quilt!  

I love the pieced neutral background as it adds such texture and interest without distracting from the focal point of the blue vase filled with flowers.  I love the embroidery details that enhance each flower's center (and how you covered the threads on the backside of the quilt with little circle appliques).

Sue, I am thrilled to be the owner of your art!

Zinnia

 I love love love my new quilt! 

I received this lovely blossom through the Another Little Quilt Swap #6 (ALQS6), hosted by my internet friend, Kate North.  My quilt, Zinnia, was created by Nickels Pickles (aka Nicole), who lives across the ocean from me (in Germany).

 

Click here to read Nicole's blog posting about making Zinnia which measures approximately 19" square.

(perhaps you recognize the border print - it's a Kaffe Fassett fabric)

 Here is a view of the back --the dark triangles are the hanging loops, in lieu of a sleeve.

Don't you enjoy getting to see the quilting from the back too?  Zinnia smiles on either side, front or back.

This is a great swap, Another Little Quilt Swap, too.   Anyone can sign up with no fear of failing to finish their swap quilt .... because Kate North, our fabulous hostess, will only swap the quilts that have been finished with two digital photos sent to her via email.  You can sign up, then life interrupts your progress on your quilt-to-swap, and that's OK, no one is let down (but you won't be eligible to swap).
If intrigued, join me when I sign up for ALQS #7 later in 2012 (or email me with questions).

Early Evening

This is my little quilt that I've made for Kate North's Sixth "Another Little Quilt Swap" (ALQS) which is taking place now (dare I admit that it is the size of a placemat?).  About my little quilt ... a few years ago, at the International Quilt Festival (IQF), I took a class with Jackie Robinson called "24 Batiks".   I love the colors of the batiks I used, so it was an easy decision to put the left-over cuts and blocks together, making a quilt for Kate's little quilt swap.  I call my little quilt "Early Evening" as the colors remind me of the slowly darkening sky at dusk.  Here it is:

"Early Evening"

Note:  I will be re-working the binding as I am not pleased with it's appearance in this photo (or in the actual quilt).

I had fun piecing this little top as I did not follow the original pattern layout of the "24 Batiks" pattern, but rotated my equilateral triangles in a variety of ways.  Quilting this was also a great exercise.  I did free motion quilting on my trusty old Bernina, changing the stitch for the different batik pieces.  Take a look at the following detail views.

And here is a second close-up view.

Later this month, Kate will send me the name and address of the lucky new owner of my quilt and I will mail it promptly to her.  At the same time, a new quilt will be on its way to my home.  I can hardly wait to see whose quilt I will soon own!

I swapped once before, in the Fourth ALQS, trading a remake of my "Big Foot, the Foot" quilt.  Follow the swaps made in ALQS4 to see more wonderful quilts.  The great thing about Kate's swaps is that they are "guilt-free" -- if you sign up, but are unable to finish your quilt by the deadline, no problem!  The swaps are all traded based on who ever does finish by the deadline, and no hard feelings if this doesn't include you.  I like this as I once signed up for ALQS #5, but was unable to finish.  I'm already percolating a few new ideas for the next trade ..... join the fun!

Kate has mentioned that she will host another swap, Another Little Quilt Swap #7.  So if you like sharing your quilt art with others and have no objections to mailing internationally, watch her blog, "Another Little Quilt Swap"at http://anotherlittlequiltswap.blogspot.com/  for the sign-up window and for other details.  The rules are really quite minimal and the joy is tremendous!

Another Little Quilt Swap 6

It's official...

I've signed up for Another Little Quilt Swap #6 and hope to finish one (or maybe two) quilts to trade.

This is a fun, no guilt, swapping group run by the gracious hostess, Kate North.  If you are interested in learning more about this swap, click here.  There is not a deadline for showing interest in the swap, but there is a deadline to get your digital photos sent to Kate (Oct. 3rd, 2011).  The swappers are scattered across the world, so before reading further, please be aware that you must be willing to ship internationally!

It is great fun and I hope you will join me in this swap ....

Big Foot, framed!

Here it is ... my quilt to trade in Another Little Quilt Swap #4  hosted by a friend in the United Kingdom, Kate North.

My original quilt to trade turned out to be too small as per the guidelines posted for this fun swap, so I got creative and built a frame around it ... using slices from another project.  May I present to you ....

Big Foot - Framed

The center of this quilt is "Big Foot, the Foot" from my "Big Foot" journal quilt series which began in April 2007.  Click here to read more about those beginnings.  The frame is made from pieces of "Sitting on Top of the World", whose story is here.  Both quilts are favorites of mine, but I am excited to be swapping this quilt, "Big Foot - Framed", for a new treasure!   This quilt measures just under 15" x 20".

a close-up shot

This detail photo shows the thread stitching and creative fabric piecing and overlays to create the tree and the background landscape.  The flower stalk is a three-dimensional embellishment of flower petals and leaves attached with Sulky threads.

Kate's ATC

I won!  I won!  I won one of Kate North's lovely ATCs!

Butterfly Pink

She offered five in a drawing open to all who signed up for her ALQS #4 (Another Little Quilt Swap, round 4).  Click here to learn more about it, though basically you sign up, make a quilt, send her digital images of it -- then select your top 10 favorites of the others posted -- and she arranges the swaps from everyone's top 10 wish lists.  For the specific guidelines, click here.

Thank you Kate for a lovely ATC and for hosting this swap again.  It is my first time to join ALQS and I look forward to this fun swap .... must go finish my quilt .... so I can possibly finish two to swap.

Another Little Quilt Swap #4

A new swap is getting started by one of my U.K. friends, Kate North.  Kate is an experienced hostess and has hosted Another Little Quilt Swap three times already.

If you are interested in more information, please look at the blog dedicated to the ALQS-4 swap:

http://anotherlittlequiltswap.blogspot.com/

On the blog you will find:
        a)  the rules and guidelines set forth clearly;
        b)  a list of International quilters interested in the 4th swap;
        c)  all the quilts from previous ALQS swaps, too. 

Intrigued?  If yes, simply send Kate an email (links on her blog and the ALQS blog).  Then create a special quilt (or two!) for this swap.
If life intercedes in an unexpected way, never fear, as only those that finish their quilts and send proof (ie digital photos of said quilt) to Kate by the deadline will be eligible to swap.