Project Quilting Theme: Stars Over America

Well, as you can see, I also took the theme quite literally. I thought of this idea as soon as I saw the challenge. All the fabric came from my scrap bag...which is really getting workout with these PQ challenges!

I started out by finding a template of the US on line and then printed it out in poster size I cut it out to make a pattern. I then sewed a bunch of scraps together to emulate the flag.( I didn't have a lot of royal blue fabric, so I used what was in the scrap bag instead of cutting into a new peice.) Once I had all the strips sewn together, I quilted it with a large stipple. I then traced my US pattern onto the peice.

 Before I cut it out, tho, I taught myself a new technique called 'couching'. I took skinny black ribbon (which is the other color I used for this quilt) and zigzagged (twice around) over it to make a nice outlined border. It 's a fun technique and I'll definitly be using it a lot!. I also used this technique with the stars. After outlining the US and the stars, I then cut them out.

My nephew, Jack, who is 6, was over yesterday and saw the almost finished wall hanging and said, "Oh Auntie, I love it, can I have it?" I said, "Maybe...." ....knowing for sure now where this piece was going to hang (in his room, of course!)

After I finished it the next day, I snuck over to my sister's house while they were at the pool and hung it up in his room. He was thrilled to have it, and I think I was even more thrilled to give it to him!

The US measures aprox. 30x19 and the stars are aprox. 8x8. All supplies came from my stash. I spent 0 dollars. I love that!!!

Final Score from the judges: 7.13

My Husbands' Theme song.

....oh, alright it's mine too......

Mini Art Quilts

I started with a piece of my hand dyed fabric and sketched then acrylic painted the sunflower onto it. I then thread painted with several different colors. The binding is a new technique I taught myself this week, called 'couching'. I used a skinny ribbon and then zigzagged over it. I left the blue fabric unquilted because I liked how it puffed up.

For this one, I sketched the flower with colored pencils and then thread painted over the drawing. I then quilted it and added the couched binding.

I'm thinking I'll do a series of these using flowers I have photographed for inspiration. I'll  then bind them in a book somehow.

How to dye fabric in your backyard or dying fabric hillbilly-style.

So, I've wanted to try dying my own fabric ever since I met the lady down the street who showed me her process for dying. It was really complicated and time-consuming. You had to wash the fabric with this stuff mix it with that stuff then cut your fabric a certain size then do this then do that blah blah blah blah...ick.....that's way to much this and that and blah blah blah to do. There had to be an easier way. So, I found one. I'm sure its not as good as doing it the 'professional' way, but I sure had fun....and that really is the point , right? Here it is.

First, go to Walmart and buy the the Tulip tie-dye kit.

 Second, gather all your supplies and bring them in the back yard. You'll need big cups, gloves, your fabric cut into manageable or fat 1/4 pieces and then dampened with water, plastic sandwich bags, a laundry basket (yes, a laundry basket) and a hose with a strong sprayer on the end ...oh, and wine or preferred beverage(optional).

Next, I dumped most of the dry dye into sandwich bags to save it because I knew I wouldn't want to use it all up at once. I left a small amount of dye in each bottle and added water. For a darker color, I used less water for lighter colors more water. It wasn't very scientific, but it worked just fine for my first try.

Here's where your laundry basket comes into play. Squirt a bit of dye in the bottom of the basket and swirl your fabric around in it. Cool! It's like a science project!

Once you get a nice color on the fabric, put the pieces in separate cups...

....and then (and this step is very important) take a break to go get a nice glass of wine. 

Cover all the cups with sandwich bags securing them with the rubber bands that were included in the dye kit.

Sit down, enjoy wine, admire work.

Let the covered cups sit overnite to soak up their pretty colors.

Early the next morning.......

Clear a spot on the sidewalk and spray the crap out of your colored pieces. Spray until the water runs clear then wring extra water out.

Next, wash and dry your fabric (separate loads for different colors) and fold it into pleasing little stacks.

Nice!

I like cake.

The Dolphin Whisperer

My sister Mary's friend ,Gretchen. She has the coolest job!

Project Quilting - Challenge 4 - Bulletin Board

The directions were:

For Challenge 4, we're going back to something a little more traditional.

1. The inspiration for this week is the Log Cabin block.

2. Use as many fabrics as you like, but use both the front and reverse sides of at least one of them.

3. Maximum size is 36" x 36".

Here's what I came up with:

I started this project not knowing what it was going to turn into. I started be making 4 12" log cabin blocks from 3 inch strips of vintage linens. I ended up using only 2 of the blocks which I then cut in half. I still didn't know what it was going to be so just started fooling around with placement, adding the white to the triangles and a frame came to mind. Added large orange ric rac to peek out. Somewhere along the way I was thinking...maybe a big photo in the middle......then I thought ...bulletin board! The back is four 12" pieces of cork held together with heavy duty tape. I then quilted the top leaving the middle unquilted so that it would 'pop' and added some yellow ricrac (I heart ric-rac). I then stretched it over the cork and secured the piece to the back side. More ric-rac for hanging and it was done. I think it turned out great! Oh, I almost forgot....the fabric in the very middle and on the sides are the backside of that fabric.

I hot-glued large beads to the plain tacks to jazz them up a bit. Everything came from my stash except the cork. This piece and is now hanging in our kitchen. It measure 24" X 24".

Update: July 5, 2010
Score from the judges: 6.83 (out of 10). Not so great. Oh well......;)

AWE-SOME!

I've been blessed to help at least three of these beauties into the world. The last one, Obadiah, didn't want to wait for me or the doc to get there, so daddy caught him! He was born on Father's Day after a 90 minute labor for mom. Yep, you counted right....he's #10 for this family.

Auntie says......

Top Ten Reasons To Try "PROJECT QUILTING"

10. You'll challenge yourself

9. There's a prize for public vote winner

8. Judges will critique your project and you'll get compliments

7. Each entry goes in a random drawing for a prize

6. You'll get a finished project in just one week

5. You'll push yourself out of your comfort zone and learn new things

4. There's a prize for Judges' winner

3. Judges will critique your project and you'll get advice for making improvements

2. There's an awesome prize package at the end of the season for the overall winner

And the number one reason to try "project QUILTING"....

It's FUN!

Are you convinced yet? Join us this week! Challenge rules will be announced Sunday at noon at

Kim's Crafty Apple.

Mr Fix-It

"HMMMM...looks like we'll need to take this tire off."

Gruuunnttttt..."Up you go....mommy, could you help me?"

"Yep, as I suspected....they both need to come off."

Jessica's (Danny's girl) little guy ,Kyle, working hard. So stinkin' cute!

Jerry's tats......I am so telling on you.....moooooooommmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First tat Jerry got (that I know of) was a grid and a dot....get it? I didn't.... I needed expanation....but now I forgot what the expanation was....

I guess the first one wasn't enough....here's the next one.....fish, flowers....I bet its feeling good this morn...ouch!

Oh , Jerome........

Random South Heaven pics - 2010

Project Quilting - Season One - Challenge Three

Wow! This project was right up my crafty alley! 

This challenge, the directions were: 1. The front, back, borders, binding and embellishments should all be made from materials that have had a previous life as something else.

2. You may use new thread and batting.

3. Your project should include at least 3 different materials used as embellishments.

 I started with two pillow cases..one white and a flowered one. I then quilted the white case starting at the top with blue threads and then fading down to the bottom with green threads. I then used an old green button down shirt for all the greenery and the binding on the peice.I then cut up the flowered pillow case and thread painted them to the quilt. The embellishments I added were the buttons from the shirt, flower beads from a kids necklace, barrettes that my neices were too old to wear and flowers from an artifcial flower arrangement.(btw...you can't really see the shirt buttons as they are under the flower beads. I just used them to make the flower beads 'pop') The butterfly trail of beads are from a big bag of sparklies I got from the thrift store a while back. Everything I used was from stashes I already had which had been purshased from the thrift store..... Including the thread! So that means I recycled stuff that had already been recycled!

Aprox. cost for all supplies was about $2.00.

Quilt measures 24" x 18".

Oh, and one more thing. I know some people might turn up their noses at my thrifted supplies, but I love using recycled items in my crafts...it makes me feel so very green!

Head over to Kim's Crafty Apple and give me a vote. Thanks!


Update: June 19

Avg score from judges: 8.2...which was good enough for 3rd place...woohoo!

The BIG 5-0!!!!!!

A BIG Happy Birthday to Auntie Col! 50? No worries...its the new 30! Have a great day!

God is so good!

This is a shot of a mom and her mom from a birth I attended last week. It was such a sweet and awesome moment. Grandma has been blind since last year after struggling with liver disease and a subsequent transplant. As her daughter greeted her that morning, there was such joy and excitement in the room as we awaited the birth of her 5th baby. Grandma held her daughter and prayed and praised God for all the blessings He has bestowed on them. It was quite moving as this family has struggled with a lot in the past several years including their 3 year struggling with leukemia (who is fully recovered and 7 years old now). It was so great to see folks who have been thru so much adversity and yet stay so completely faithful to God. They were a true inspiration to me. Oh, BTW, she had a beautiful 8 lb 14 oz baby boy. I think they named him Christian.

Thread Painting

I thought I'd try my hand at some thread painting and I really enjoyed it. I love the end product and am looking forward to trying some more. Here's the photo I started with:

This was a pic I took a few years ago in South Haven, MI.

       I first prepared my fabric to print on by ironing a piece of 8 by 10 white cotton. I used plenty of starch to make it nice and flat. I then taped the edges of the fabric to a piece of card stock and ran it thru my printer. The picture turned out just 'ok' on the fabric but that didn't really matter since I was going to 'paint' all over it.

 I then pulled all the thread colors I thought I would need.

 I used my quilting/embroidery foot, lowered my feed dogs and went to town painting. I changed only the top thread color and left the bobbin thread white which made things a bit easier when switching colors.

Here's how it turned out:

I think it looks pretty good. It was really fun, too.

Beautiful Boy

Jack