New Buttons

I figure it will take me until the end of the month to have my button inventory built up again but am having fun adding some new ones like the chipmunks and pansies. I can only work for short periods of time because I have to stay so focused to keep my hand steady working that small. These are all 1". If you look closely there is actually a highlight painted in the eye of the hummingbird.

Next week I will start on bugs (bees, dragonflies and ladybugs) and then the following week on cats and kittens...

I have only two special orders to go...one is Marilyn's grandson and I have been looking forward to that one.




I did do some colorful whimsical buttons for another special order that I received before I went to CT... I love the multicolored dog and may do more of it. I can see it doing all the silly things Morris does... Morris may just be black and white but his personality is definitely multicolored...

The root canal was done Tuesday and I am on the road to recovery...and I do think spring is finally here...

Believe me it's perfect!

Every time I post about putting ultra-stiff interfacing on my blocks I get comments and emails on how I can do it better... I must not do a very good job of explaining why I do them like this.....Believe me, it is PERFECT for what I want to do...

First I get the easels at the dollar store by the frame section.. The taller ones work best. I keep a bag of about a dozen packed and ready.. Right behind it is a tote filled with a dozen blocks. They are ready to go at a moments notice...I just have to throw both totes in the car...

I have shown them at churches, craft fairs, meetings, senior centers, etc.

It doesn't matter if there is a table, counter or even a bench... I don't need a wall... I can set up a CQ display in two minutes or less..

People can see them at close range....
I only have 8 here but I have 12 mounted this way... pretty impressive all together...

It's portable, lightweight, compact and easy. Now if you can think of a better way to do it... you do it!!!! ... and I'll just keep on doing this.

For anyone interested in doing this I did a tutorial last fall....

Symbiotic relationship between shape and needlework

Sharon Boggon spent a good deal of time the first day explaining the differences (historically and now) between Australian and American crazy quilting. I am so sorry I didn't take better notes..but it was very evident that it affects her approach to crazy quilting..

She had 3 large pieces there (along with numerous smaller pieces) but I was immediately enamoured with the all-over floral areas which were different in that they defined a shape of an entire patch and in turn, the patch defined the shape of the floral area.. I know this sounds obtuse but there were so many examples that it took me a while to put my finger on why I noticed them... They were definitely not motifs or floral work as we use here. In this first one please note all the contrasts in color and materials.. I especially love the little pinwheel flowers.. they are so unexpected and delightful.

This is another example combining SRE and beads...lots of beads... Notice that it's the little burgundy roses that carry your eye across....

So much of our SRE and floral work here in the states (myself included) is roses, roses , and more roses. Seeing her pieces made me excited about expanding the types of flowers I include and how I use them.. Again this needlework is clearly defined by the shape of the patch and the shape of the patch is enhanced by the texture of the needlework.. This was on her tumbling-block quilt where shapes of the blocks was critical to the overall piece.

This is another example that was on her long sampler and the photo was taken by Susan Elliott.. the same symbiotic relationship between shape and needlework.. There was a lot of cast-on work and bullion stitches in this patch..

I was absolutely AMAZED when I saw Sharon do her bullion rose...her finger moved so fast it was whizzing thread around that needle like an electric mixer. I was in total awe. Notice how it is the little purple centers that carry the eye across.

She brought her unbelievable 75-foot sampler band with her ... Susan Elliott did a whole post on it so I won't repeat it. Sharon is doing sections of it on her site (which is in my side bar) but to see it all laid out in one piece was amazing

This is favorite photo of Sharon as I unintentionally got her bare feet into the picture.. Her shoes went off first thing in the morning... In a few days I'll do a summary post on this workshop and how I think it will affect my work...

Hats off to hats!!!!

Red, black and white definitely were the most popular colors for hats.. There were about 100 people at the party and about 40 ladies wearing hats..

I earned MAJOR "good wife" points for this function... My husband adores huge parties and flits about like a butterfly chatting with one and all.. At the very most I am comfortable in groups of 12 or less so I abhor these functions. We had a little rain and a little sunshine and it was very cold. I was wishing I had brought a blanket..



Lots of blues and turquoise but not a single pink.

The most unique!


DH's favorite hat!

And of course mine... Being the paradigm of indecision I not only changed my choice of horses several times I changed my choice of hat... I wanted to wear the vintage but it needed a hat pin to keep it in place and no way was it going to stay on my short hair...

So this green is another Liz C. I had planned put a bet on Pants On Fire (Susan E. choice) But so many people were betting on POF that even if it won, the payout would be bleak.. So I put my bets on Derby Kitten and Nehro and won $11 for my $4. I asked for a non-alcoholic mint julep only to be told they are all alcohol.. So I opted for a glass of ice water with a sprig of mint in it. The food was fabulous and now I can return to being a happy hermit again for awhile...

And what is it you do? & It's a Winner

Remember this quilt I was working on this winter for the national AAQ contest ??? Well it won an Honorable Mention and is the only CQ in the winner's circle....

I get so tired of people asking "And what is it you do?" and they assume sane the minute they hear the word quilt... Last year Cathy Kizerian was encouraging everyone to get CQ out into the public eye... Well I realized she was so right and I am determined to enter CQ whenever I can so here's my big splash . There were well over 100 quilts entered so I am really happy...

So thanks to Cathy's urging and Allie's encouragement it is out there... and the best part it is touring quilt shows all over the country and will be auctioned on ebay in Nov. to raise funds for AAQ.

What I did learn is when entering something that black is not the best color choice... It does not photograph well. I had the absolute most yummy black velvets, brocades, satins, and textures in this piece and it all photographed flat.. Take a look at the winners here and go to the gallery to see all the entrants..

I want to do something for Kerry's altheimers project and enter the Hoffman this year... I have some of my block on stiff interfacing so I can plop them on stands and display them anywhere. Have blocks...will show!!