Rug Camp (Catching Up)

I never got around to posting pictures from rug camp, so it's time to play a little "catch up". Our camp teacher this year was Wendy Miller of The Red Saltbox.  The class was wonderful!  Wendy's colors were awesome. Here's a small sampling of what she brought (and this was taken after the table had been heavily picked over by all of us!):

I didn't get a lot of pics of people working on their rugs this year, but did manage to take a few at show & tell.  Here are a few of the finished rugs, beginning with Imogene's Christmas Sleigh:

Angie did an incredible job creating dimension with lights and darks - she did this rug using only overdyed worms:

Barb H. did a beautiful job on her rug:

And I absolutely love Barb A's chickens:

Rachel's rugs are always beautiful and always original designs.  I love her color pallete!

Now back to the present...I did manage to finish one thing on my "to do" list this weekend.  This block is part of a special top-secret project, so I can't say too much about it now...  I found the pattern in a book of blocks published by Quiltmania.

I was a little too ambitious with the embroidery - thankfully it doesn't show up all that well in the photo. I absolutely HATE writing on quilt blocks, so I thought I would give embroidery a shot. While I have gotten better at the fancy stitches from my crazy quilt classes, I am definitely a novice when it comes to stitchng letters!

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!