Reindeer Portrait

Here is an oldie that was finished in 1989! It is machine pieced, hand appliqued, and machine quilted; 100% cotton; size is 30 x 36.

The tan/brown for the reindeer was gradation dyed. The original color is on Rudolf. The inner ears and the eyes are painted. The eyes were then stitched on with just a bit more stuffing to make them stand out with each reindeer having a different expression. All the noses were also stuffed a bit fuller. Echo quilting defines each reindeer while a continuous-line quilted holly leaf edges the border. Each reindeer's name is quilted just on the inside edge of the green border.

This quilted wallhanging was entered into Creative Quilting Magazine's Winter/Holiday Quilt Contest December 1990 and was one of 25 semifinalists in America. It went to the Houston Quilt Show in a special exhibit in October 1990 and at Christmas was displayed in a book store on 5th Avenue in New York City.

Every year, this little quilt gets hung up on my wall as part of my Christmas decorations.

I am entering this quilt in the 2011 Christmas Quilt Show. Please visit SewCalGal to view more quilts.

Design Wall Monday 11-28-11

Small changes are on the wall this week.

• The blue batik on the right is there to remind me to fix a nasty on one of my winter coats.
• Next to it is a scarf made with some very slippery nylon ribbon yarn that refused to knit up nicely. I sandwiched it between two sheets of water-soluble Solvy and made a ribbon scarf.
• To the left of the scarf are two applique blocks that I prepped on Sunday. I am testing different applique techniques so I can make a decision on which to use for the Baltimore Christmas. Have I mentioned this upcoming quilt? The top block (in red) was prepped using a glue stick and the bottom block was prepped using starch. My stress level on the starched block was so much lower than when I did the top block that it really is a no-brainer what technique I am going to use.

To you and yours

Wordless Wednesday - Oops!

Design Wall Monday

Yes, I know. This is not a very exciting photo. No Photoshopping has occurred on this other than to make it web-friendly. I thought I'd play along on the Design Wall Monday. It is a good exercise to keep track of progress or lack of progress.

What do you see here? Starting from lower left:

• A section of fabric that I've had for 20+ years. I am contemplating how to use it.
• Shortly after Auntie died in July, MagicLady was in the Yukon and this hand batiked piece talked to her as Auntie, telling her everything was all right. She HAD to bring it back to me. Auntie is in the wind.
• The circle piece is a screen print I did in 1985!!, and is an inspiration piece for a future AAQI Priority Quilt.
• Some graphics I printed out, also as inspirations.
• The Ultrasuede eagle will make it's way into an Quilt of Valor.
• I am prepping for another applique quilt so you see the freezer paper templates and the central block overlay.
• The WOW square is the background for a different applique block that is not part of the other quilt.

Savor the Flavor of Red

Another barter quilt has been started and finished. The recipient is an ardent (rabid?) University of Alabama alumni. Using EQ7, I worked up the design using information from Mary's post on some quilts she and her Mom have been making. Most of the information I was able to gather on the University of Alabama showed red & white. But occasionally, I saw an elephant, so the gray represents that elephant.






The words are machine appliqued using the back basting method; as much as I would have liked to do liberated letters, I know the recipient would not like them so I have chosen to do a nice clean font. The quilt size is roughly 55x75.






The center 'A' is quilted in a cross hatch and the rest of the quilting is loopy meandering. There is a little bit of the gray used in a flange in the center block.

Drive The Cold Winter Away

This quilt top is the result of participation in the LQS October Mystery Quilt class. Not too bad, eh? The fabrics are all from stash and feature a lot of snowflakes, hence the name of this post. I plan on donating this quilt somewhere, but haven't decided where yet. Over the weekend, I not only finished the top but pieced a heavyweight flannel that been in the stash for years into the backing and also made the binding. It is ready to sandwich and quilt.

This Old Tree

Recent storms have caused major tree damage locally. It was too early for those heavy wet snows as the trees were still in leaf. This old tree is on a street near my workplace. You can see all the woodpecker holes plus there are lots of squirrels who like to nest in this old tree.Do you know what that means? The heart of the tree is weak or destroyed.

Here is what happened to the other branch of this tree. This old tree is/was about 100 years old and below this shot, the trunk is about 5 feet across. It is sad, but the whole tree will probably have to come down.

Wordless Wednesday - Sit Down

Here's another giveaway

Karen of KaHolly is having a giveaway, and a wonderful giveaway it is! The pattern for the quilt above is included. I hate to mention it here because I am being selfish and want it all for myself, but I am doing the right thing by telling you all. Go. Now. And comment.

My Memories

Did you know that Saturday, November 5 (tomorrow!!) is International Digital Scrapbooking Day? In honor of that I am having a giveaway of My Memories Suite software. You all know that I like to take photographs (especially of my quilts) and who doesn't like to take them. But then what do you do with them? I have actually done paper scrapbooking in the past but that is very messy and time consuming. The perfect solution is digital scrapbooking!

Everything about this digital scrapbooking software was created to help you create albums and individual pages.  You simply start by placing a background on your page, then move to the photos tab and move to the embellishments tab.  They are all lined up on the right.  For each thing you add, there are quick and easy to understand options like mats, shadows and shapes.  Just remember, this is not photo editing software.

Here are a couple of pages that I made using the elements available in the software (except for that reedy looking flourish on the first page). Click for bigger.

Remember these quilts? Both of these were traded to the same person. The applique quilt was traded for a bronze dragon and the other one was traded for five cords of firewood.

I started my album by choosing a ready made page template and then chose a textured background of burlap. I then added a bit of color and my own personal embellishment. From there it was easy to just pop in the photos and add a bit of text.

This page uses the same background but different embellishments. I used some supplied elements of stitching and a button, perfect for a quilter.

Now I can hear you asking "But then what do I do with it?" Well you could do nothing at all with it or print it out at home or, this is my favorite, send it to a book publisher like shutterfly or blurb and have a real honest to goodness book printed. Or how about a greeting card?

So I have one easy rule for entering this giveaway:
Go to the My Memories site, browse around and then come back and leave me a comment on which kit you like. The giveaway ends on Sunday, November 6. The winner will be given a code to use in downloading the software. Good luck!

Update: The drawing is closed and keryn is the winner!

Alycia Needs Quilts!

I recently went to a Mystery Quilt class at my local quilt shop. The quilt is currently on the design wall and just needs to be sewn together and then quilted. I was not sure what to do with this quilt once it was done but then I read Alycia's call for help. This quilt, which will finish at 55x82, falls within the guidelines of the Quilts of Valor requirements. It is a win-win solution for both my Mystery Quilt, which I will show when it is done, and for Alycia.

You know about the Quilts of Valor program, right? Do you read Alycia's blog? Alycia supports the Warriors in Transition Battalion at Fort Carson Mountain Post in Colorado. This unit houses 775 wounded soldiers and there are always soldiers in transition. Alycia's quilt pantry is OUT OF QUILTS! Say it ain't so!

So here is my request; please go to Alycia's blog and learn about the program and consider making a quilt. Alycia has a quilt pattern that she has designed and Mary Johnson has several on her site that work well for QOV quilts. If you do make and send a quilt to Alycia before December 31, go to JudyL's blog and leave a comment to be included in the drawing for the incentives. Judy will be giving away one of her quilts plus a $50.00 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop. Vicki Welsh has also generously donated 2 yards of her fabulous hand dyed fabric.

There are certain guidelines and requirements for a Quilt of Valor:

1. Minimum size of 55x65 and a Maximum size of 72x90
2. 100% cotton materials and flannel is okay to use
3. Must be long arm quilted or domestic machine quilted; no tied quilts
4. Must have a pillowcase/presentation case (Alycia currently has a lot of these but check with her)
5. Quilt should be washed in cold water with unscented detergents and unscented dryer sheets.

Wordless Wednesday - Snow Day