Antique Floral Progress - Week 3

Work continues to get in the way of my artistic endeavors, so I haven't made a tremendous amount of progress on anything lately.  With the quilt show looming less than two months away, I think it is safe to assume I will not have anything to enter.  I haven't had time to work on the one little quilt I thought I might be able to complete due to other commitments.  I am currently spending my applique time working on a block for a friend, and as soon as that is finished I need to knock out another cake basket for the AQOMV quilt.  I am wondering why I got myself into that one!

I have spent some time on my Antique Floral rug.  Not a huge amount, but I can at least see a little progress since the photo two weeks ago.  I have a horrible tendency to pack when I use monk's cloth, though - it's tough to get it to lay flat enough for a picture!

I finally remembered to take a picture of the building across the street from my office in New York.  I have been fascinated by the facade ever since I first saw it.  It is barely noticeable from the street level, but we have a very good view from our third floor windows.  I would love to make this design into a brightly-colored rug:

Time to get back to that applique - I don't want to be the last one finished!

Time Sure Flies...

...when you are traveling almost every week!  Between vacation and work travel I have been on the road for five of the last six weeks.  I even took two trips one week!



I attended the Applique Academy for the first time in February.  It was wonderful!  I took classes with Kathy Dunigan, Bobbie Ashley and Georgeann Wrinkle. I purchased way too many patterns - enough applique to last me a lifetime!

Somewhere between the Academy and a trip to Austin, TX (work-related) I managed to finish my first swap block for the AQOMV exchange.  I really, really hate having to sign the blocks.  I ended up having to replace the piece I signed on this block and wasn't at all impressed with the one I did this month. There has to be some way I can do better!

I haven't had a chance to work on any other blocks for myself.  I am doing well just to get my one basket made and in the mail every month!

Last week was one of my favorite events of the year - Toddhall Rug Camp!  This year's teacher was Wendy Miller.  I decided to work on an old Emma Lou Lais pattern I had in my collection.  Wendy's wools are gorgeous!  I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped, but I did get a good start and can't wait to get this one done.  I have to work hard to make a significant dent in it before Susan Quicksall's class next month.  Here it is at the end of week one:

I have completely given up on finishing that big applique quilt in time for this year's show, so I have gone back to working on my Lisa's Garden blocks.  There's a slight chance I could get that one done by June, particularly since I could do the quilting myself.  Too bad it's not a rug show - I have actually finished a couple of those in the past two years!

AQOMV Eagle Block

I finally finished my eagle block for my AQOMV project!  I was just a little behind - he was supposed to be finished in January.  I did manage to finish one of my signature blocks so I am ready for the February swap.  I haven't signed it yet... I really hate writing on blocks!  I am completely terrified of messing them up.  No matter what technique and pen I try, it never looks good to me. 

I need to prep another applique block for this project.  All of the signature blocks we are swapping will be pieced, so I plan to focus on applique first and then fill in with additional pieced blocks later.

Bedspring Challenge

I finally finished my bedspring!  It didn't turn out exactly as planned, but I am pretty happy with him.  Making a snowman seemed particularly appropriate this weekend given the surprise 5" of snow we received Saturday morning!

I learned a few things in the process of making my little snow guy.  First, you can't felt into styrofoam - it just doesn't stick!  Second, you can't cover styrofoam with wool and attempt to felt additional wool onto it.  Why it wouldn't work I don't know, but I totally destroyed my Clover felting tool (one broken needle and four bent ones)!  Third, Clover makes replacement needles for the felting tool - I had tossed it into the trash with the intention of buying a replacement, but found that you can get refills at JoAnn's for less than half the cost of the tool.  Luckily it was still near the top so it received a quick bath and is happily back to 'normal' now.

Last, but not least, I learned that they make a textured paint that looks like snow that does stick to styrofoam.  I was walking through JoAnn's with a bottle of glitter in hand when I spotted it.  I was thrilled - I absolutely HATE glitter!  The snow stuff went on easily with a brush and really turned out cute! 

I was also really excited to find the button I used for the nose.  I can't remember what it is called, but it is perfect!  Now I just have to hope that all the hot glue holds until Wool Club!

Sincerely Jane Challenge

I haven't been able to spare much time to work on any of my projects lately, but I did manage to get my journal cover finished and started filling it with ideas.

One of the project ideas I have added to my journal concerns the "Sincerely Jane" challenge that I am planning to start with other members of the Yahoo Rug Hookers group.  I really don't have time for yet another challenge, and already have way too many projects slated for 2011, but this one is really calling to me!  I pulled out the old pattern I drew 8 or 9 years ago and found that I don't really care for it all that much.  I designed a couple of alternatives with my Dear Jane (TM) software:

The blocks and triangles in the above layout are subject to change - I just threw things in to get the basic idea.  I had to make the center pretty large to balance the traingles on the border - the size is 39" x 49".

This one is similar to my original.  I am not sure that I like the plain borders.  It ends up being much more reasonable in size (29.5" x 39.5"), but it doesn't speak to me like the first design. I think the triangles and kites really tie it to the original.  Now I just need to decide if I am up for starting yet another huge rug!



First Finish of 2011!

I finally finished my 2010 Wool Club rug!  My project for this week will be to decide on a name.  I stink at naming projects!  "Flowers" just doesn't cut it.

I had a fairly productive holiday weekend.  In addition to putting the finishing touches on the rug, I made a cover for my journal (I've been trying to decide what to do ever since Wool Club!) and started on my first new quilting project for the year.  Although I shouldn't have, I committed to a group project through the Primitive Folk Art Yahoo group.  We are doing a quilt inspired by this book:





















There are eleven quilters participating in the project.  We are each supposed to start the project by making an eagle this month.  We will then make a swap block for another member of the group each month.  I selected the cake basket block as my swap pattern.  Each month I will make and sign a cake basket block and send it to one of the other participants.  We can make as many other blocks as we want to complete our quilt.  This is not a pattern book - we are designing our own projects in the tradition of the Miami Valley qlbums.  I started my eagle this weekend and made fairly decent progress.  I am using the new "Piecrust" primitive muslin designed by Lisa Bongean as my background.  I love the color!  I wish I could say the same about the rest of the fabric I am using... it's all quality stuff, but the repro cottons just don't work as well as batiks when needleturning tiny eagle toes and beaks!

Can You Say "Out of Control"?!?

I know that it's pretty common to want something even more when you are told you can't have it, but how crazy is it to react that way when you are the one who said "no"?!?  That's why I don't make resolutions - I not only can't stick with them, but I become completely obsessed with doing whatever it takes to thwart my efforts!  Shortly after I told myself that I would not sign up for any new BOMs for 2011, I saw "My Renaissance" on the Common Threads Quilting website.

  

I had to sign up for this one.  Just one BOM isn't too bad, right?  Of course, when the first package came and I realized they were sending four blocks at a time it seemed a little more intimidating...  Then Homestead Hearth sent out their newsletter and I was intrigued by their "Fundamentals Weekly Block" program.  Why, I don't know - $3 for fabric for one block isn't all that economical, and I don't really like piecing, but for some reason it sounded like fun.  I signed up for the batik option. 

I also noticed that they are planning to do Sue Garmin's new "Friends of Baltimore" as a BOM...fortunately for me they aren't taking sign-ups yet!

And then there's Sue Spargo.  I was able to resist when the info on the 2011 program first came out.  The program filled up, and I was fine with that.  That is, until I saw another picture of the project a couple of nights ago. 

What could it hurt to just call and put my name on the waiting list?  So I called - just to put my name on the list, right? - and found out that someone had just cancelled - what luck!  How could I resist?  It must have been meant to be!  I can almost recite my credit card number from memory...