Pat Winter Gatherings

Tease

2012-01-26T18:28:00.002-06:00

I created something for the Spring issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine this afternoon and thought I would tease you a bit.

What could this be?

On a roll............

2012-01-26T11:55:00.004-06:00

Wow look at me, two posts in one morning! I am finishing the project from a week ago, just have to audition some lace trim for the top and decide on a strap.

I broke out the fringe trim from France. It is the softest most femine trim I have ever seen...hence it being from France, Oooooh La La! I don't usually trim these purses out but the color of the CQ and the trim was right on so.......................I did.

Alright, back to play...........
Forgot to mention I bought the French trims from Liz here.

A little more stitching and self discovery

2012-01-26T06:39:00.000-06:00

I stitched a bit yesterday and again, thoughts of spring inspired this piece....perhaps because I'm trapped indoors???

I've never liked to be "mothered" when I had an injury or illness and always thought I wanted to be left alone if I ever had any kind of accident where I would have to stay home for a long period of time but I now know having friends visit is the best medicine.

Ellen's visit last week and Laney's visit on Sunday then Jilly's visit on Tuesday and all the phone calls,emails, blog comments and treats in the mail have made me realize you do need a little help from your friends. Although I have been living in jammies (not the same ones) for almost two weeks now, I have happily sat, listened and laughed through each visit and didn't want the time to end.

These women have each gone through similar down time and know how important it is to drop by just to say hi and exchange some news. Now I believe I too will be one of these women who make a visit to a friend who's life has been altered, even temporarily. All this time just because I thought I wanted to be left alone, I assumed others did too. Funny what you learn as time passes. Thank you my friends.
Even when I finally got to get online, your comments were like little visits too, you stopped by and took some time to send well wishes that made me smile. I appreciate each of you and I think I have a new appreciation for being "Mothered."
Now enough about that, I'm doing great. Mom and my brother are stopping by this afternoon so I better get cleaned up and stitch a little before their arrival. Angell is doing fine and not missing a meal, LOL. Have a wonderful day!

Good morning!

2012-01-25T07:05:00.001-06:00

I have been creating!

I finished an eyeglass case yesterday morning. I'm thinking of spring and the sound of birds singing, warm sunshine and little green sprouts popping up in my garden as I'm on my knees turning the earth, relocating a few earthworms as I plant seeds and wait for the spring showers to do their job.

We have had a great winter so far, a few snowstorms but no biggie. Although these days if there is any ground covering snow everyone goes into panic mode. It is funny to catch the news when it snows. You would swear the earth was about to be engulfed. Anyway, as my thoughts turn to spring, my hands turn to stitching...now my knee, that is another story. I will find out about it on the 30th, I'm expecting good news because the pain wasn't bad during the week and I haven't had any meds in two days. Yeah!

While I was bed ridden I kept a notebook beside me because I don't know if it was the pain pills or anesthesia left in my body but I had so many ideas pop into my head. I hope to share them with you soon.

Last week I met a lady named Cindy Adkins. We became friends pretty fast while exchanging emails. If you haven't heard of her and you are a woman blogger you should check out the best seller ebooks and her blog. Can you say "Inspirational?" There is a little surprise coming up that I am excited about.....coming soon :-) Her creations have a Parisian flair and are just lovely and she is a breath of fresh spring air and as sweet as can be. She is a very busy lady who still finds time to create from various mediums. You will enjoy her blog I'm sure of it.

Gotta go elevate the leg...just wanted to say hi and thanks for the continued encouraging letters, cards and emails! Hugs to all.

ORT labels for you to print

2012-01-24T08:36:00.002-06:00

I thought I would make some labels for ORT jars for you to print onto sticker sheets or just plain paper and tape onto your ORT jar. After all, ORTs are special stash too!

Just sharing my Orts and an easy project for scrap bits.

2012-01-23T08:17:00.001-06:00

Last month I saw a few jars of Orts throughout the blogs and was excited to find I was not insane for saving my Orts. (Old Raggedy or in my case "Raggety" Thread) I've saved my thread, silk ribbon and lace bits in one jar which are the small hard to use pieces left over from my stitching projects and I saved my fabric bits in a bin for years. My Ort jar is right by my sewing machine on the work table for convenient stash and dash moments. When they fill up I make fabric with them. How do I do that you ask? Well, let me share my method with you.

You will need your Orts, sewing machine with drop feed, various metallic or fun threads, sheer silk organza or any sheer you can see through in white or cream. If you want an overall color you can use a colored sheer as well.

I take my fabric bits and cut them using a rotary cutter. I lay them on a cutting mat and just go in every direction until I have a fabric salad. If I don't have enough "glam" I add a bit of lame', ironed Angelina fibers chopped to pieces. For more romance add bits of vintage lace scattered about.

Next you lay down a piece of organza or sheer the size of fabric you desire. Sprinkle the fabric salad filling the area then sprinkle your ORTs on top. Since I use a lot of Kreink metallic threads, my mixture has a nice sparkle every time.

Next cover this salad mixture with another layer of sheer. Pin every 2 inches to keep goodies between the sheers.

Begin free motion stitching from the center spiraling outward to baste everything down. Change threads often for more pizazz and interest. Just go crazy with your stitching until you have secured all the salad.

If you feel adventurous or plain crazy (like moi) sew on some seed beads, sequins, add an image, doily,charms, found items, etc.
Now use your newly created fabric for projects such as this purse. It is also nice for jewelry, bookmarks, box covers, fabric books, etc.

Learn more about ORTs here. Gotta go elevate my leg, see you soon!

Next Blog to Hop!

2012-01-22T00:18:00.001-06:00

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2012 Online Art Retreat, 

Open for Registration!



Blog Hop your way for chance to win!


Our Next Artist is Up for the Artful Gathering Blog Hop!

From June to August 2012, ArtfulGathering.com will be presenting TWO exciting semesters of premiere online video workshops offered by fabulous artists who are known nationally and internationally. We are all very excited to share out knowledge, skill, and creativity with you, and we hope that you will join us for this AMAZING annual online event.

Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a prizes from Jerry's Artarama!

Each week the faculty of Artful Gathering will be announcing a featured blog to visit.

You can hop along with us until the final destination blog is reached, and where ONE Grand Prize winner will be chosen at Random for a chance to win a $200.00 e-gift card from Jerry's Artarama!!!

Two Runner Up winners will also be chosen at random for a chance to win a $25.00 e-gift card from Jerrys.

Each week I will announce the next featured blog for you to visit, and there you will find a new secret word or words that you will need to collect along your way from blog to blog. Once you have collected all the words from each blog you visit, they will work out to say a very artsy phrase. Here are the rules:

For your chance to win, you must collect all the secret code words and submit them upon the final destination blog in May. A random drawing will be conducted from those contestants who have submitted the complete collection of secret words!
Three winners will be randomly drawn. One for the $200.00 e-card to Jerry's, and two runner's up for the 25.00 e-card to Jerrys.

Week by week we'll go from one blog to the next!

Remember to collect all the secret words. These words will work out to say a very artful phrase, and you'll need all the pieces to be eligible for the final prize drawings!

Please HOP over and visit the Amazing Animal Portrait Artist...
Elizabeth G. Johnson
http://windandhoney.blogspot.com/http://windandhoney.blogspot.com/
(Pick Up the Next Secret Word)

Sale on magazines and all publications

2012-01-21T20:01:00.003-06:00

All of my publications are on sale at 25% off at Magcloud until Feb 14th!!!!!!

Link to savings....http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/301030

Includes:

Crazy Quilt Gatherings #1/#2/#3/#4

Boho Bag book

2011 crazy quilt calendar

Thank goodness for trash bags

2012-01-21T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hi peeps! Just checking in for a minute to make sure you are behaving :-) It has been a quiet week for me but poor DH took the week off and has been holding down the fort and I know when Monday comes around he will be running out the door to go to work. LOL. Cooking,answering phones, caring for Angell who has been a real pickle, waiting on me who was cranky and anxious to get on my feet again, poor guy is exhausted. I must say he is an excellent caregiver. Being served meals was new for me but now, after day five days of it I'm kinda liking it. Just when I'm starting to move about on my own again. All I can say is thank goodness for cozy beds, wheatable crackers, lip balm, humidifiers and trash bags that fit over a leg for bathing.

Ellen stopped by to visit and gave me a copy of her new book which I've been drooling over since. Beautiful color photos break down each flower and I really want to be using a sewing machine right now. Thanks Ellen!

The only stitching I accomplished was this...poor picture, sorry.

One more week and I get the bandages off. I peeked at the photos of the process and it freaked me out so I won't be sharing those. You're welcome. I had better get back to bed before swelling begins. Everything in moderation! Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

2012-01-15T06:54:00.001-06:00

Our Next Artist is Up for the Artful Gathering Blog Hop!

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2012 Online Art Retreat,
Open for Registration!

Blog Hop your way for chance to win!

Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a prizes from Jerry's Artarama!

Each week the faculty of Artful Gathering will be announcing a featured blog to visit.

You can hop along with us until the final destination blog is reached, and where ONE Grand Prize winner will be chosen at Random for a chance to win a $200.00 e-gift card from Jerry's Artarama!!!

For your chance to win, you must collect all the secret code words and submit them upon the final destination blog in May. A random drawing will be conducted from those contestants who have submitted the complete collection of secret words!
Three winners will be randomly drawn. One for the $200.00 e-card to Jerry's, and two runner's up for the 25.00 e-card to Jerrys.

Week by week we'll go from one blog to the next!

Remember to collect all the secret words. These words will work out to say a very artful phrase, and you'll need all the pieces to be eligible for the final prize drawings!

Please HOP over and visit the Amazing

Laura K. Aiken

(Pick Up the Next Secret Word)

http://www.laurakaiken.blogspot.com/

;

Artful Gathering Blog Hop has begun!

2012-01-12T17:58:00.002-06:00

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2012 Online Art Retreat, Open for Registration!Blog Hop your way for a chance to win!From June to August 2012, ArtfulGathering.com will be presenting TWO exciting semesters of premiere online video workshops offered by fabulous artists who are known nationally and internationally. We are all very excited to share out knowledge, skill, and creativity with you, and we hope that you will join us for this AMAZING annual online event.Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a prizes from Jerry's Artarama!Each week the faculty of Artful Gathering will be announcing a featured blog to visit. You can hop along with us until the final destination blog is reached, and where ONE Grand Prize winner will be chosen at Random for a chance to win a $200.00 e-gift card from Jerry's Artarama!!! Two Runner Up winners will also be chosen at random for a chance to win a $25.00 e-gift card from Jerrys.Each week I will announce the next featured blog for you to visit, and there you will find a new secret word or words that you will need to collect along your way from blog to blog. Once you have collected all the words from each blog you visit, they will work out to say a very artsy phrase. Here are the rules: All Blog Hop participants with the secret puzzle words collected from each instructors blog are eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing, Runner up prizes will be randomly selected from all participants. Registration to Artful Gathering is not required, but blog hoppers will need to have all the secret puzzle words to be eligible to win.Please HOP over and visit the Amazing Jodi Ohl sweetrepeats.blogspot.com

Taking some down time

2012-01-12T12:13:00.002-06:00

I am so touched that you noticed I wasn't around lately and missed me enough to jot off an email. I missed you too.Thank you, I am sorry I abandoned my blog, I have been dealing with a medical issue and many doctor visits. It seems the MRI shows a 2cm dead bone on the left side of my knee and I will be having surgery on Monday...yes, I'm a bit scared since my last and only surgery was a C-section 26 yrs ago.

However I'm told if I don't have it drilled to hopefully rejuvenate the bone, I will have to have full knee replacement and I would rather try the drilling first, which was recommended as well.

So, as you can imagine my mind has been whirling wondering how this happened, when and why did it start, why didn't it hurt until two months ago....so many questions but my mind isn't ready to take it all in just yet. All I hear from the doctors mouth is blah blah blah. I know everything will be just fine, I just don't want to do this,LOL. I am trying to piece some projects so I can embellish and Jilly is lending me some great magazines and Ellen Eddy is dropping off her exciting new book (I will review it for you but know it is fantastic) and I bought a few extra pair of PJ's because that is what I will be living in for a while.

I just returned home from yet another doctor appointment this morning to confirm I am on the right dosage of BP meds and I am, so that is a ray of sunshine on this snowy day. A few more sunshine rays came in the form of online friends when I sat down to catch up on my blog I hopped a bit first and found that Bear from Bears Embroidery Den, has made a BOHO bag and it is gorgeous!!!!! I knew I would be blamed for not wanting to stop at one but you were pre warned,LOL.
Then I saw that Pat from My Tattered Elegance made a CQ clutch which is gorgeous too and she is making a Boho bag. When I read about you using the magazine as a tool I am so honored, touched, pleased, excited, and I love it!!! I love discovering this as I blog hop, I guess I will continue providing it,LOL.
That was as far as I got, but will continue blog hopping later today. I'm going to try to get something done around here so I will have some eye candy for you soon! I will check in again before Monday because I don't know how I will feel after that. I'm thinking positive thoughts though and I'm a fast healer :-) Have a wonderful day and thanks for checking in :-)

P.S. Please do the blog hop for Artful Gatherings, you don't have to sign up or even take a class to join in the fun and possibly win $200 gift certificate for art supplies and more! Collect the secret words, that's all!

No stitching but fun creations!

2012-01-07T16:56:00.003-06:00

Just popping in to share a little fast project. It took so long to get my papers together for taxes however I also organized at the same time so now I have a place for all postal receipts, etsy sales, etc. Whew!
I wanted to create something today so I gathered my glue, scissors, cloth wire and some pages from a vintage music book and made a couple of those sweet paper feathers that everyone has made except me. I will be making more of these for sure. I just need to age the edges with a little ink pad and they will be just right.

I also wanted to share this pretty purple dragonfly set my sweet friend Leslie K sent me.I love dragonfly anything and am acquiring quite a collection of jewelry so I can wear dragonflies everyday! Thank you Leslie!!! I love them.

It is dark out already but still early enough to start a crazy quilt project....just don't know what it will be yet. Enjoy your evening!

Beautiful day!

2012-01-06T16:43:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful weather day in December. Sunny and almost 50 degrees. I really wish I could be strolling the beach right now. Our trip to St. Joe was very pleasant. We drive up Red Arrow instead of I94 to enjoy the small towns speckled along that route. We arrived at DS's apartment around 10:00 and I unloaded the goods, chatted a bit and mom got to meet Megan. The place was fixed up so cozy I could have sat and chatted for hours.

I stopped to snap a picture of three black squirrels living in the tree by the creek and they all ran into the hole except this one. Can you spot him on the left side of the center tree?

The other two were jet black. Very neat to see. When I turned to mom I burst out laughing because neither of us knew mom's boots weren't zipped up since we left home. As you can see, mom is doing very well these days. Even I can't believe she is 81, especially since I'm the one who limps now LOL.

Next we ventured on to our favorite brick paved area of town and parked in front of Kilwin's. As mom was getting out of the car she spotted several nails on the pavement and I picked them up but saw many more stuck inside the cracks of the bricks. We reported it to the Kilwin's manager and she came out and swept up what she could. She said they were doing construction earlier in the week and the guys must have lost them. I'm thinking why on earth wouldn't they clean up nails in a parking area???? I kept my fingers crossed that I hadn't parked on one because some were point up in the cracks. Yikes! Anyway, the young gal behind the counter was so sweet and what a great smile ....

Just look at those waffle cones ready for some creamy goodness.

I think mom was trying to bribe Santa for more treats.

I drove down by Silver beach...............had to snap this picture because it reminded me of the day I walked down to the lighthouse with my friend Leslie H after enjoying a fun hop about town popping into the unique shops and having a great lunch.

Then we drove past the carousel which I'm going to ride with my other friend Leslie K next Spring. It was open but with my knee, I thought I'd wait for a better time and with Leslie.

We circled around the edge of town and up the hill to drive along the park area to see this gorgeous fountain. Lights were being taken down around town and there were cute snow-people on the corners. Naturally I didn't get one photo of them..phooey!

I slowly coasted along toward home viewing some pretty places. Love the green paint on this one and the detail of course. The turret would be such a cozy reading and dreaming escape wouldn't it?

The wreaths on the porch of this white home suggested they may have had a warm family Christmas.

Our last house is my favorite home in St. Joe. I've shared photos of this home a few times during the years and even with the privet hedges without its leaves, I think it is so inviting. The back yard is a slow tapering hill to the beach.

I just can't pass it without my heart skipping a beat.

Wouldn't it be crazy if DS ended up buying it and I could actually sit on the porch and drink tea while babysitting? Alright, I'm dreaming too much, back down to earth....it would be pretty neat though ;-)
Well, that was a little bit of our day. We are looking forward to more impromptu trips as weather permits.
I hope you enjoyed your day too. The weekend is here and I'm going to rest my knee. I learn the MRI results on Monday...I'll try to be good till then.

Ideas to replace boring cording

2012-01-04T12:07:00.001-06:00

I usually use cording for the neck pouches but I decided to play around with fibers and a tiny ric rac.

These little pouches can be worn to hold your sewing scissors, cell phone, cash/plastic and lipstick, etc to keep your hands free. They can also become a wall pocket filled with dried flowers or vintage things and you could also use them present a small gift to someone who enjoys crazy quilting, vintage, or fiber art. Just an idea for you to try if you want to wet your toes without committing fully to CQ.
I finished this one up and made it to the mailbox in time to be on its way.

I'm on to another project, see you soon!

Happy New year!

2011-12-31T17:27:00.003-06:00

Be safe if driving tonight and I'll see you next year!

Busy editing...want to contribute and perhaps be a winner?

2011-12-30T14:09:00.000-06:00

DH returns to work on Monday after a month of sleeping in, watching TV and munching on his own time. I guess that is when I will officially return to working on the magazine and begin new projects. I had to take a moment to stare at my beautiful heart from Sweet Inspirations to hold me until I can put my hands to work with thread and needle. If this isn't inspiring, I don't know what is....ahhhhhh!

My heart melts every time I look at it. It has a temporary home hanging under the original plaster framed photo of my grandmother's pink homestead which hung in that house in West Virginia. I have a special arrangement planned for it but can't bear to put it away until then so it hangs in my living room keeping a smile on my face.

Now I have two questions for crazy quilters, fiber artists and embroiderers.
*Question #1 ~ If you could only work with one kind of thread, what would it be? You can name the brand such as Kreinik or YLI, etc, but I am looking for the actual thread type such as Silk Twist, Ribbon Floss, Cotton, etc. Please pick only one and email it to me with your full name and how you enjoy using it. I will pick a name from those who reply and they will win a "squishy" filled with my favorite goodies.

*Question #2~ What is your favorite stash storage? Anything you find the most helpful and convenient in storing any stash item from threads, beads, trims, to fabrics.It can be store bought or hand made or perhaps a vintage item turned useful. Send a photo of how you use the storage item and you will be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of the Spring 2012 issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine. Email photos (high quality unedited photos in jpg or png) please to angell100@comcast.net or pannwinter@gmail.com by Feb 1st. I will draw the two winners on the 2nd and announce on my blog that day. Please note that if you submit a photo you will be granting permission for use in the Spring 2012 publication of CQG along with your name. Thank you!

Rebecca Ersfeld's home in Romantic Country Living...A---Mazing!

2011-12-29T10:18:00.003-06:00

Yesterday after my appointment I stopped and browsed the magazines hoping to find something I could curl up with and dream...Mission accomplished when I walked up as the gal was putting out the new issues. I immediately grabbed Romantic Country Living and Romantic Homes.

I rarely thumb through these two publications because they are always pleasing to browse and rarely disappoint. I decided to only choose one to linger in the bubble bath with and I got quite a surprise! Before the first turn of the pretty cover page I was ready to be taken away to beautiful homes across America and make new discoveries that I might "borrow" for my own home. I made it to page 60 and viewed a dining room that had "Pat Winter" written all over it although it wasn't actually mine.
It was so peaceful, comfortable and had the mismatch beauty that I love. From the patterned rug beneath to the arched windows, I was lost within this home.

I continued on to see quaint vignettes and and bedrooms that would comfort any weary bones. It wasn't until I turned to page 67 that I recognized the little attic room belonging to Rebecca Ersfeld of IL. I had seen it progress on her blog and was itching to be a fly on the window.

As I soaked in the cooling lavender scented bubble bath I knew I was losing all the oil in my skin as I sat reviewing every detail within the 8 pages of the article. It was worth being wrinkled, nothing that an extra dollop of lotion wouldn't take care of right? Yep! Rebecca certainly has a home that I could move right into without changing one thing. If you don't know Rebecca you should check out her blog and visit it often.
I had the privileged to meet Rebecca when she had her shop in IL and she is as genuine and sweet as the day is long. I still cherish a fabric posy pin she had gifted me with upon my departure. Her shop was amazing and her home reflects that. Her talent to bring a room, a shop, a home together to make you feel like you have been personally invited to visit is beyond any I have seen. I've viewed many home decorating publications in my life and this 8 page display really revved up my decorating muse. Rebecca, you left me with my mouth hanging open, my eyes teary from such a beautifully decorated home with family in mind,my mind racing with possibilities for my own home, and my heart pounding with excitement to borrow a few ideas from you. Thank you so much for sharing your world and thank you Romantic Country Homes for seeking her out. LOVE this issue!

Holiday Wishes

2011-12-24T17:53:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday!

Sharing Blissful things!

2011-12-23T11:13:00.000-06:00

I've treated myself to a few CQ goodies and wanted to share some sweet gifts too. First I want to thank you all for the Christmas wishes and warm thoughts and I wish the same to you.

I'm late in sharing this but I just have to...my dear friend Dawn, who accompanied me to the LA fabric district presented me with this awesome book she had made of our adventure for my birthday. When she gave it to me I couldn't open it because I knew I would cry so I waited until I got home. When I realized what the book was about I could hardly speak and made her change the subject...yes, I am a sentimental loon.

She began the story of our trip with a photo of me stitching on the plane. I've never smiled so much in my life!

It included photos of us at the Pasadena Rose bowl flea market. Here I am scoping out the jewelry with my sweet niece Katy (in red.)

After we parked and got off the elevator we were instantly greeted by fabric shops. Here with my Boho bag ready for stash collecting and my sis-in-law Nicole, we are shocked by low prices.

That trip was so awesome and there are no words to describe my gratitude to Dawn for making it happen. I also had the pleasure of meeting a super sweet new CQ friend, Susie Wolfe. Definitely a fond memory I will hold onto forever.

I've got to show you this sweet gift from my talented tatting friend, Wendy Shu who always surprises me with her amazing tatted gifts.

What a talent and giving soul. Thank you Wendy, this candy cane will hang on my friendship tree each year.You should see the tatted bookmarks she is making on her blog...wow!

For those who read the Winter issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings, the embellished lace applique's from Angela Campos are even more beautiful in person. I received this gorgeous collection from Angela and you can get yours from her etsy shop , Magical Mystery Tuca here. Be prepared to gasp in awe of the yummy goods.

If you want something truly special for yourself or a gift, you have to get one of the beautiful delicate hearts from Sweet Inspirations. Shannon has a special gift of making everything she touches feel like a vintage dream. She is truly a sweet inspiration to me! Thank you Shannon for everything!

I also have to share some trim which I thought I was purchasing for a BOHO bag however I don't think I can use it because of its beauty,LOL. No worries, I ordered more! This gorgeous, soft, unbelievable feeling trim is from the etsy shop La Croix Rosion.

It is the shop of Liz Waring, a very sweet woman from England who collects the most wonderful items including these trims which are perfect for Boho bags. You can learn more about Liz's offerings on her blog here. Look for more on Liz in the Spring issue of Crazy Quilt gatherings.

Last but not least, I wanted to share these adorable little pink heart Danglies from the Lost Art Creations etsy shop.

If you want some you better get them before I do! They are delightful, scrumptious little trinkets for charms, jewelry, crazy quilting and so much more!
Alright, I really have to get something done around here. DS will be home today and I have a tiny bit of grocery shopping to do so I will see you later. Enjoy your day and check out these links for quality shopping fun!

Christmas Cracker on Kreinik

2011-12-22T16:52:00.002-06:00

Just a heads up for those waiting for the CQ Christmas Cracker tutorial on the Kreinik site. It is Day #12.
Enjoy the downloadable directions!

Stockings are finished!

2011-12-22T16:31:00.002-06:00

Santa's elf can rest now. The stockings are finished. I have to charge my camera battery to get better photos but this is what I have to share now.

Now I have to clean my studio and put away my mess. I think I will make a stocking for DH before next Christmas, it was kind of fun working with earth tones.
I have some things to share but they must wait until the charge is finished so......see you later!

All is calm...........

2011-12-21T18:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday part of the furniture arrived, the couch and ottoman.

Miraculously the chair and a half arrived this morning.

Not expecting it to arrive in time for Christmas, we put the tree up in front of the window so it is a bit crowded in the living room for now.

I'm looking forward to rearranging the furniture when it comes down. I can't wait to take down those pictures. For now it is just comfy cozy like a little farmhouse should be for Christmas. I really love the furniture and can't wait to decorate around it. My friend Jan keeps getting me excited about the wall hanging I will be creating for the space above the couch. I already know what I'm doing and which fabrics I'm using and I claim not to be a planner??????
I snapped a few pics of the ornament exchange from the Creativechicks group which I had placed in the dining room especially for moi!

I am so delighted by each creation. The paper garland fit the tree perfectly. My little Charlie Brown tree has never been happier as it displays all of the sweet additions. I am so happy Elizabeth asked me to join in and I hope to be asked again only I will be creating my gifts during the Summer so I can offer something CQed next time. There is just something so very special about hand made isn't there?

DH spent the day shopping with his mom and I spent it happily cleaning and stitching. My son's stocking is ready to assemble so I had better get to it and finish wrapping the gifts. He will be home Friday...Yeah! I'm ready! Have a wonderful evening.

Last Christmas project

2011-12-18T15:19:00.001-06:00

Well, the last project is pieced and I'm headed downstairs to embellish.

I fought my muse to not add a lace overlay on a few fabrics. However I did use a few fabrics that had a lace like appearance, shhhh.
I used several patterned fabrics to add motion and texture instead since this is for my son. Instead of the traditional green and gold Christmas tones, I chose the Eddie Bauer muted earth tones because that is all he wears so he must like them. I may add a smidgen of gold vintage lace I've saved for ages but that is all the lace that will adorn this stocking. It is almost impossible for me to crazy quilt without lace as I'm sure you can relate. I am really excited to be doing something in CQ for my son because it is not something most guys would expect to receive. I know he will be surprised and hopefully pleased to get a CQ stocking with his girlfriend. I hope to get a picture when they open them if I remember. Alright, off I go. See you in a day or two.

Winner of little giftie and lots going on around here!

2011-12-18T10:35:00.003-06:00

Day #12 of the giftie/ornie exchange was from Terry Pitzel. Terry made us a pretty bird to fly about the tree and then mine will be flying in my studio. It is cheerful and will hang above me with the dragonflies and other birds I enjoy overhead. Thank you Terry!!!

Alright, Day #13 was my giftie. I must admit I started off making something crazy quilted until I realized I didn't have time to make 13. I had all the best intentions but there just wasn't any way this task was possible. Sometimes I overshoot an idea....a think big or go home, kind of gal.
I have always loved the image of the Victorian ice skate so I decided to work with that. I printed 13 small images and stitched 4mm silk ribbon roses, three petite black beads for buttons, a pink vintage forget-me-not and stuffed it like a pillow with fragrant dried lavender buds then edged it with a vintage lace that reminded me of snowflakes which my sweet friend Leslie of MI gave me then stitched on a metal snowflake which used to be my trademark (Winter/snowflake) and put a pin on back.

I wanted to something associated with what I do so silk ribbon embroidery was the only way to accomplish this. I hope they weren't a disappointment. I am going to take a photo of my little tree with all the new goodies on it this evening. Thank you all for allowing me to feel like a kid opening fun gifts and not one pack of socks or underwear in the bunch! I'm sorry I got a late start but I must say it was kind of fun getting to open a few of them at once :-)

I chose to offer my lavender filled brooch to one of my blogger friends the other day and I gathered the names and let DH draw one. The name was...........SUSIE W!!!! Susie's favorite song is "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus." Congratulations Susie!!! I actually know Susie, and had the pleasure of meeting her in California earlier this year. By the way, White Christmas came in first place and it is my all time favorite song with Silent night coming in second. It was my dad's favorite and we would listen to the LP and drink eggnog every year as I examined the white album cover with Bing Crosby wearing a Santa hat with a holly sprig on it. I also love John Lennon singing ,"So this is Christmas" because it seems to wrap up the year. Although I could cry each time I hear it???? I thank you all for playing and I will be having another drawing for New Year...just not sure of the giftie yet! Susie, please send your address and I'll mail your brooch tomorrow, thanks!

Along with Christmas there are several other important events taking place around the Winter home. I always forget about what all will transpire before Christmas actually arrives. I think this is a survival mode kicking in,LOL. Starting with yesterday, the 17th of Dec, this beautiful woman....

.......turned into this 81 yr old beautiful woman!

Last year she went through a horrible time with health issues as many of you have read on my blog. There were touch and go moments I didn't share during those months and honestly I thought she would not get to celebrate this birthday. She is doing well now and we had a nice tea together yesterday. When my leg gets better we will be spending a day out to lunch and a movie.

I bought this little tatted wreath brooch from an etsy shop and pinned it on her package bow.

She loves brooches for her coats and I love tatting so it was a good choice. When she saw the pin she immediately removed it and pinned it onto her coat. She forgot all about the package it was pinned to,LOL. Thank you Linda Price for offering these lovely tatted things and for such fast shipping!

Today Angell has a birthday, she asked me not to tell her age (almost 100 in human years) but she sure doesn't look it does she? She is feeling her age these days with arthritis and allergies. Thank goodness they have meds to control her pain. Some days she will run through the house and others she hobbles like me lately,LOL.

Tomorrow is our Anniversary. We will be staying home because of my leg. Almost 4 weeks ago I woke up to a sore knee and couldn't put weight on my leg. I didn't fall or bump it so I have no idea where this is coming from. I saw the doctor two weeks ago and I was supposed to go back last week but it was feeling a little better so I put it off. Not smart. I'm hoping to get in this week and get an ultra sound. I know it isn't the bone so it must be a torn ligament or something internal behind the knee. Whatever it is, it is irritating when I have so much running to do and can't. I tried to shop Thursday and walked into Carson's and forced myself to make a few purchases before leaving for home. This time of year is not the time for injuries or illness.

The carpet for my son's old room arrived early and is installed. Whew! DH set up my exercise bike to face the window and my iPod is laying on the seat waiting for me. Tuesday the furniture is supposed to be delivered. If it wasn't Christmas time I would be searching elsewhere until I found something closer to what I really want. I bought the Cindy Crawford set which I am happy with. I will add a few colorful pillows (CQ) to add some of my style.

However I would love something more like this Carol Bolton sofa. I know you will agree. It is more "cottage-like" and fun. The light green in this sofa is in the stripes in the above sofa but you can't see it in the photos.

It isn't easy decorating to accommodate both male and female. DH would live with anything and be happy however I feel better considering his gender and trying to keep the tone somewhat masculine in the living room. I could never decorate all white or cream and fluff or pink and frou frou although my heart screams YES.....DO IT! When we first moved into this old hose I transformed the front room into a Victorian parlor with comfort in mind however the guys wouldn't step foot in it. They never said a word, but it was a lonely room in which only I visited to read or sew or entertain friends of mine. I don't want to live like that, I want common ground throughout my home after all, marriage is give and take right? I am fine with that and like I always said, if you had everything you wanted, what would you have left to wish and dream about? I'm just fortunate DH likes to keep things current and initiates change from time to time.

With Christmas being a week away, I might not blog much this week. I have another project that must get done and a bit of decorating if possible. I'm not used to sitting with my leg up, perhaps this is why I'm not healing? I have never been a good patient.

I hope you are having a good day and keep enjoying those Christmas songs!

Megan's stocking progress and little giveaway

2011-12-16T17:44:00.002-06:00

Well, I have been embellishing Megan's stocking today and I'm ready to assemble it then add the finishing touches such as lace or beading around her name. I will do that tomorrow because I just ordered a pizza and I want to settle in and watch Christmas in Connecticut!

The fabric to the left is for the backing. It reminds me of the Old World fabrics, a medium weight brocade with the raised carpet like feel which I think is perfect for a Christmas stocking. I love a "weighty" stocking before the gifts go in :-)

Speaking of Christmas gifts, I opened my gift #10 which is from Terri Lightfoot. A neat spool ornie and a vintage tree clip redo all tucked in a decorated muslin bag. Thank you Terri. I love them!

I also got to open gift #11 from Linda Morgan. I have to admit I have always wanted an assembled art doll like this. I sat down a few times intending on making one but it never came to fruition. I could never have made anything close to this sweet creation. Love it Linda!!! Thank you.

Two more days to go. I've decided to offer the gift I made to a blog reader so if you want to be on the list just comment on this post only about your favorite Christmas song. Thats all, just name a Holiday song and make sure I have your email or link to contact you. You will see the giftie in 2 days when I choose a winner! Good luck!

2011-12-15T08:46:00.001-06:00

I am still stitching for Christmas. I hope to finish two more projects that I wasn't sure I would get to in time. This one is for my son's girlfriend but I don't want to reveal it until it is finished.

I have to run a few errands today and hopefully this afternoon I can continue stitching. It has been rainy here but it was pretty warm yesterday. I would be at the beach this morning if my darn leg wasn't acting up again. I have to save my hobbling for my errands. I hope you have your gifts finished and some extra time on your hands to relax. I'm asking Santa for another hour in the day :-)
I'm hoping the stores aren't crowded this morning...wish me luck.

13 Days of Christmas...very late but worth the wait!

2011-12-14T13:32:00.000-06:00

A few months ago my sweet friend Elizabeth invited me to join in a Christmas exchange. I haven't done one in ages so I kept forgetting I was participating. Now, I know it sounds rude to say I forgot I was a part of the swap, and in no way did I mean it wasn't important to me, it is just a terribly busy time of year and I don't do swaps so I somehow put it on the back burner. Well, I did get my gifts made and sent and the big box of return gifts arrived and I placed it in the dining room and when I put the little tree up in there (for myself) I placed the 13 gifts underneath. The day I placed them there I was tempted to open just one but I didn't and just arranged them nicely until everyone received their box of gifts. Needless to say, with the hustle and bustle around here, I forgot to open the gifts and as the group replies came in I was always reading them on my phone and I don't go to groups on my phone because I forgot the passwords. Long story short, I began opening my gifts under my little tree last night. This morning I took a picture of my beautiful heartfelt and handmade treasures to share.
Day 1 is from Barbara Burkard. A sweet snowman globe with a cup cuff around it. What a clever idea. Thank you Barbara.

The second day gift is from Mary Zimany. (why does her last name make me want to sing a Mary Poppins song?) Love it! Her gift is an image of adorable angels in a tin ornie with a cute muslin flower hanger. Thank you Mary, it will go in my studio after the tree or perhaps on a chunky chain with other goodies???????

Day 3 is from our hostess Elizabeth Woodford. A cloth cone filled with candy canes!!! Love the vintage laces and buttons....and treats are always nice! Thanks Elizabeth!

Day 4 is from Leslie Brier. This reminds me of my childhood Christmas decorations. How sweet this ornie is with the bottle-brush tree and tiny glass balls with tinsel. Thank you Leslie...brought back fond memories.

Day 5 is from Patti Gramza. Another beautiful fabric cone with a candy cane, sticker gems and rubber stamp and....I will use the muslin for my CQ base! Thanks Patti!

Day 6 is from Martha Brown. A pretty heart ornie with a special message. Thank you Martha!

Day 7 is from Vivian Neroni. A cute snowman stick ornie. What a cheerful fella! Thank you Viv!

Day 8 is from Corinne Gillman. Goodness! A fun garland that will fit my little tree. Pretty papers,fibers and buttons, thanks Corinne!

Day 9 is from Hope Clinchot. A cute face brooch she hand painted to use year round. Thank you Hope, this will go on my jean jacket.

Day 10 is today.. I haven't opened my gift yet. I will do that as soon as I turn on the tree and make a cup of tea!
We have 13 days of gifts and I am #13 so I will blame being "that" number on my tardiness (gotta blame something even if I'm not superstitious) but I love my gifts so far and I apologize to the Creativechixchristmas group for being so late in "playing".

Artful Gathering online Art Retreat

2011-12-12T09:03:00.001-06:00

I'm getting excited about the Artful Gathering online Art Retreat in 2012. Cristina has lined up so many wonderful artists offering amazing classes. You can learn more about each class as Cristina posts tidbits of info from all artists on facebook here https://www.facebook.com/artfulgatheringfest as well as the official sign up site here http://theartfulgathering.blogspot.com/

You can grab this button for your sidebar to invite others or remind you of the fun time you will have.

I'm honored and thrilled to offer a 6 week crazy quilt class. A detailed video class from start to finish with tips along the way as well as interaction with students. You will be able to ask me anything at anytime along our journey. I will be offering an optional class kit with everything you need to complete your project and a DVD to refer to time and again after class ends. I'm looking forward to meeting those new to crazy quilting as well as those just wanting another perspective from a long time crazy quilt addict. I guarantee a fun personalized and informative class, no stuffy classroom here!

We all learn and motivate each other and this line up of teachers and classes classes are sure to please. It is going to be a fun time with drawings for gifts and of course there will be a drawing after my class for a CQ prize too! Even if crazy quilting isn't your thing, browse around and meet each teacher and see their class description, I know there are several I want to take. Where else can you learn something new wearing your jammies in the comfort of your own home any time of day or night and have the assurance that you will have the information and at your fingertips long after class is over? No flights to book, no hotels, just turn on your computer and begin your your new adventure. *It's only fair to warn you if you take my Crazy Quilt class. It is addictive!

Sign up has begun. Hope to see you there!

Registration http://theartfulgathering.blogspot.com/p/registration-policies.html

Finished the mystery project

2011-12-08T20:17:00.001-06:00

I thought of another way to assemble this project so I was too impatient to wait until tomorrow. Wendy guessed correctly, it is a tissue box cover. I quickly snapped a few pics in poor lighting with my phone. The trim looks straight in person. I have no idea why it is showing it wavy?????

I have one small loose area in the green brocade fabric that needs attention which will wait until tomorrow. I will take better pictures with hopefully truer colors with my camera tomorrow. Goodnight!

What is it going to be?

2011-12-08T18:26:00.001-06:00

Can anyone guess what this will be? It is kind of a challenge from a friend.

I've never made one before so I will take my time assembling it tomorrow with my fingers crossed. Any guesses?

Little CQ Christmas project for Kreinik's "25 projects for Christmas"

2011-12-08T08:03:00.001-06:00

If you are looking for a quick CQ project to hang on your tree, fill and add to your Holiday place settings or for gift giving, I've made a project to share with full directions which will be available on the Kreinik site very soon. A Crazy Quilted Christmas Cracker. Time requirement is under 2 hours.

Fill with Kreinik threads, silk ribbon, beads and small embellishments for a great gift for that special crazy quilter in your life! Kreinik has several projects for Christmas and Hanukkah so take a peek!

Kreinik offers free projects for the Holidays!

2011-12-07T13:53:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to tell you all that Kreinik has offered free Hanukkah designs for you. Hanukkah begins December 21, 2011. Celebrate with their new Hanukkah themed designs. They will release four new designs the weeks of December 5 and 12, 2011.

For those who celebrate Christmas, check out the calendar filled with free projects and be sure to keep an eye open for a crazy quilt project to be added soon!

Kreinik is where I get my favorite metallic threads for my crazy quilt projects! ( Very fine #4, Fine #8, and Med braid #16 are my choice) So give Santa your thread list to this link. !

Water bottle pouches completed

2011-12-05T17:10:00.001-06:00

I finished the construction on the water bottle pouches.

The Teal one goes in my Etsy shop ....................

and the pastel one is for my CQ buddy who gave me most of the fabric I used including the gorgeous vintage net lace that I used as an overlay in the upper right pink area. The straps are tucked inside the pouches, they are just simple cording. The linings have a layer of fusible plastic to prevent the embellishments or backing fabric to get wet from condensation from the water bottle. These are handy for hands free shopping at Quilt shows and such. I'm always parched when I go to those huge events and this allows me to quench my thirst without standing in line. So, on to my next project................have a great week!

Bears game vs CQ!

2011-12-04T14:54:00.001-06:00

DH is going to be on vacation until the first of the year so I must accept the fact that my Sundays will be spent stitching while he watches football...unless a friend rescues me that is. Anyway, today is dreary and wet so I sat in the dining room and stitched on this project.

The image is from Sweet Inspirations and if you are looking for beautiful image kits, dyed laces, fabrics and handmade gifts with a vintage theme you might want to check out Shannon's etsy shop.
I'm off to assemble it and then soak my aching leg in Eucalyptus scented Epsom salts.
I hope you have sunshine wherever you are and if so, please send it my way!

Pre order magazines and calendars on their way!

2011-12-02T17:12:00.001-06:00

This afternoon I was addressing envelopes and stuffing gifties into plastic sleeves awaiting the arrival of the Magcloud order and when I finished I checked the front porch just in case, and sure enough....there was a box from Magcloud. So......I filled the orders, tucked in the gifties and they are ready to mail out in the morning. The people at the post office had better bring their smiles and patience tomorrow because they will be waiting in line for a while,LOL. Sorry, but that's life! I don't know about your post office, but mine is as slow as molasses and the one person who is usually taking care of everyone has a sour puss face. Never a kind word. I will be smiling though because I am glad that these will be on their way to all of you. Thank you and I hope you enjoy them and your treat :-) You should get a notification but just in case, heads up!

Beach walk time!

2011-12-02T11:38:00.001-06:00

Is this Dec? The sun is shining, no wind, and I just had an early lunch of mixed green salad with avocado and shrimp with pomegranate lemonade so I think it is time for a beach walk! See ya later!

Everyone sitting down?

2011-12-01T07:16:00.001-06:00

I was looking around my empty living room last night and a thought came to mind.....why don't I make a crazy quilt wall hanging when the new furniture arrives? Yes, something for myself? Novel idea right? I own nothing crazy quilted for me other than purses and the purple CQ wall hanging,"Life Within A Garden" so I think it is time for me to decorate my home using my work. When I browse blogs and see people decorating with things they made it always feels right. I have never taken the time to do that before, not sure why. So I will settle in for the winter and create something large and CQ with lots of vintage lace for the wall (s). After that I may create a Bell Pull from My bud Terri Takacs idea in the second issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings for my dining room and maybe CQ my chandelier shades in creams and whites.

Then perhaps do a series of crazy quilt framed family photos for the hall.....Hmmmm, I think I'm on to something. I've always filled my home with found objects and gifts from friends but never considered creating things just for my home. I'm thinking I should do this before I lose the use of my hands or eyes don't you? I had better stock up on teas, vanilla coffee and biscotti! I guess you will be seeing a lot of projects this winter coming from "Mrs. Winter."

I'm off to do some shopping with mom for my MIL when it warms up a bit. It is around 27 degrees right now, brrrrrrr! I hope your day has sunshine!

Been stitchin today!

2011-11-29T15:07:00.001-06:00

The winds here today have been around 55mph..whew! I snuggled in Angell's chair (since that is the only one in the living room right now) and stitched the afternoon away. I hadn't planned on sewing today but I received a phone call from a furniture store I visited last week. I had asked them if I could purchase their discontinued samples. The gal said they have a list and the other people on the list had recently been given samples so I would be next. They were so nice about it and I truthfully never thought I'd get a call so I decided one kind deed ......so in return for some samples for CQ I thought I would make the gal a neck pouch. This is what I came up with today. Olde Rose, Pale Blue, and muted green with gold accents. The image is from a dear friend. She shared several with me, and one that is just so special:-) Thank you JO!

Now to put it together this evening so I can present her with it in the morning when I pick up the goods. I hope the wind eases up by morning but either way, when gathering stash we can't be deterred by weather can we?
Yesterday in the Dr.s office I finished the water bottle bag for etsy. I might assemble that tonight as well.

So if these two UFO's need attention...why am I sitting here? Later!

Exactly what I have been saying!!! Deep thinking again...

2011-11-29T07:38:00.001-06:00

For as long as I can remember I've been told that I give way too much information away. I have mixed feelings about this because on one hand I didn't (and still don't) feel like I have a whole lot to offer as far as unique ideas and on the other hand I feel what I do have to offer, either by coming to me in a dream or perhaps seeing it previously and not knowing it stuck in my memory then recreating it with my own twist, should be shared and not lost in my mind.

When I came across this article on this wonderful blog this morning I had to re post it. Feel free to re post it if you feel the same. Yes, I understand and respect copyright, so please don't go there. I also understand many of you make your art for money, at some time, we all do that don't we? Even without trying. My point is, every idea has been done before, by someone, in some other place in time, each being seen and created with a unique eye and hand.
Why not share with each other more openly and see the beauty another can bring with that idea or pattern or method? Isn't that what we are doing with our art anyway? Sharing what we interpret from an idea that caught our interest? It isn't ours just as our paid for home isn't truly ours, or the land we live on and pay taxes on. We only borrow these things while we are still breathing.

One day while visiting Ellen Eddy, early in our friendship, I was so pleased to hear her comment that we can't sit on our ideas like eggs (or something like that) so share what you can. Seeing her amazing colorful big as life art and knowing what a special gift this woman before me owned, I gained more respect for her that day. I imagine people pick her brain all the time, students, artists she meets, curious George's, but with her attitude and giving spirit, she will never be depleted of ideas.

Like the article states, "Somehow the more you give away, the more comes back to you." I am living proof of that. So, do not covet your ideas, I'm not. I did take credit for using a crazy quilted flap on the BOHO bag but I openly shared it for anyone to do, and I bet several actually had it in mind before seeing mine. As creative people, we do that, think alike and apply our art as we see fit. Just because I did it doesn't make me the queen of the BOHO bag. What a silly thought. The BOHO bag idea came from the gorgeous backpacks made by Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl. I wanted a roomy fun bag for travel and loving pretty fabrics and trims,...the BOHO was born. People have changed this and that and made it unique to themselves and I am loving it. The variety of the bags, the creativity and fun...all good, all positive energy and I hope it continues.

Any patterns or information in the crazy quilt gatherings magazine is there for you to collect and use. If it looks familiar to you, that is total coincidence. I make my own patterns however I can't guarantee I wasn't influenced somewhere in the past. I will say I have never intentionally copied a pattern and claimed it for my own. I mean how many shapes are there for eyeglass cases? You do NOT need my permission to use an idea or pattern although I was very touched by those who have been asking. The information is for you to use and play with abandon as you wish. Make it, sell it, give it away, it is your creation my friends. Go play!!!!!!

With that being said, I respect my fellow artists and their ideas and I hope they know that sometimes an idea sticks in our heads and grows like a seed then presents itself perhaps years later in our art. After all, didn't all crazy quilters copy the Victorians art? Aren't you glad we did? Why let it die because great Aunt Gracie refused to share her pattern or tips on a favorite stitch? Let it live on...experiment, play,SHARE.
Jumping off my soapbox and tiptoeing away.........

Think Spring?

2011-11-28T08:59:00.001-06:00

Sounds funny to be thinking of Spring when Winter is about to arrive but I wanted to remind you to submit your CQ/fiber projects for the Spring issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings. The issue is filling up quickly and I wanted you to know you are always welcome to submit your work or questions, ideas, etc. I am excited already with the content of the Spring issue. I think it will have something for everyone.
The guidelines for submissions:
Original work by you either fiber art,journals, crazy quilt projects, reviews on product or books related to CQ, tutorials, finished projects to share with readers, questions or projects you would like to see in the magazine.
The highest quality photo you can get of your work.
Short Bio and photo if you wish to share one.
I must request that tutorials or articles be shortened to allow for larger photos and will send info upon request.
Ads are reasonable so promote your shop/blog/or webpage.
Freebie images for center pages are always welcome to promote your shop.
If you know of someone who we should meet, please send the link, name, info and I will contact them.
I'm always looking for an "encrusted" crazy quilt block for the cover, so if you want to be a cover girl, submit your work to be considered for future issues.
There will be another winner of a free issue for followers, so click the follow button on the Magcloud page of any issue and you will be entered automatically.

Have a great day and blissful stitching!

My muse won out!

2011-11-27T14:15:00.001-06:00

Well, I think I got about 6 whole minutes of studio cleaning time in this morning. As I was straightening up an image of one of my favorite Flappers fell to the floor and that was it. I picked it up, headed to the fabric drawers and my muse took over. DH is watching a ball game, Angell is sleeping so I decided to relax as well and create! I'm making a water bottle holder.

Still with no living room furniture so I am sewing at the dining room table. This is my current creative mess.

Oh how I love my Kreinik threads!

I hope you are having a creative day...back to stitching on this rainy Sunday afternoon.

Please vote :-) TODAY is deadline...please????

2011-11-27T10:03:00.001-06:00

Julia, my super talented friend in AU has made a beautiful quilt for her son and entered it in a contest. I've known Julia for several years through the internet and she is a magnificent crazy quilter, embroiderer and quilter not to mention the sweetest person you could ever meet online or in person so, not meaning to embarrass her, I would love for anyone who feels inclined, to vote for her quilt here. Just scroll down to the 9th quilt, titled,"Dinner is served" to see this quilt...

then scroll down further to see where to cast your vote. I would appreciate it so much and I know Julia would appreciate it even though she is terribly modest. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Nice beach walk with mom

2011-11-25T18:57:00.001-06:00

We didn't make it to the beach until after 2:00 but we did make it and enjoyed every step. As you can see, mom was anxious to get to the pebbles. There she goes.... you can't keep her down!

When we arrived there were several beach combers already searching for treasure.

We just joined in the "head hangers" and enjoyed the sunshine.....when it popped out.

You can tell there were many feet passing through these stones today.....

The sun was beginning to go behind the clouds and stay there so we headed back content with our finds and our refreshed spirits.

I found a large "brain" for mom and she found most of my crinoids here.

I'm glad we kept our plans to stroll the shore today because cold and rainy weather is headed our way.

When I returned home I was shocked to find my etsy shop was empty again so I just added some more things for tonight. For those who bought the pre-ordered books, I went ahead and ordered them already. I figured with the holidays upon us why make you wait any longer. I must charge my camera battery and add more goodies tomorrow. Thank you for all who purchased things. Happy dreams to all and rest your feet for those who ventured out shopping. I'm ready for a bubble bath!

Black Friday? Not me!

2011-11-25T10:03:00.001-06:00

The sun is shining and I am in my studio putting together the new etsy offerings. I added a couple things but have much more to follow. The thought of being in a crowded shopping area this morning makes me shudder. Been there...done that....wised up,LOL. I've already heard of one shopper in CA pepper spray a line of shoppers...Really? You need something that bad for a couple of bucks off? Where is the giving spirit these days?

I am going to pick up mom for a beach walk a little later. It is supposed to be sunny and 60's today so I must take advantage of that. No cooking today, just yummy left overs. We enjoyed a quiet (I was too tired to talk much) dinner with all the trimmings. Everyone was so full we didn't even cut into a pie.
I hope all of you who celebrated had a great Thanksgiving with family and scrumptious food. I also hope you enjoy the rest of this season and don't hurry Christmas...life goes by much too quickly to hurry your days. Enjoy yourselves and count your blessings daily. Have a relaxing moment however you spend your weekend.

Pre order issues in etsy

2011-11-24T08:06:00.001-06:00

For those wanting the current and back issues of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine and the 2012 Crazy Quilt calendar, I have offered a small quantity of pre orders in my etsy shop. When they are filled I will order and ship directly to you at a shipping savings for over seas. All four issues are available and the calendar. This is less confusing for all of us :-) Just purchase which issues you want, pay with Paypal if overseas, or Money order/check if within US. Click this link to go to etsy shop.

Time to catch up!

2011-11-23T15:27:00.001-06:00

Well, now I don't know where to start. How about my visit to Ikea with my bud Dawn...we covered every inch after we had a little breakfast in the center of the store. It was fun and we did find some goodies and made mental notes of things we might need. I also came home with several packs of cinnamon rolls,LOL.

I did order the Cindy Crawford living room set however it is such a popular set that it was on back order at the warehouse and won't be in until the week after this so I have no furniture for Thanksgiving. I hope I made the right decision.......I'll worry until it arrives.
Monday dawn came over and we spent the morning dyeing ribbon and vintage goods. It was Dawn's first time and she loved it. It was quite fun and nice to have company dyeing. I mean after all, who wants to dye alone,LOL.....I know, not funny.

Dawn's ribbons on her drying rack at home. She couldn't wait to press them. You should see her pretty dyed wedding dress bits..to DYE for!

It was warm today and sunny but I stayed in and made the pumpkin and pecan pies. I thought DS would like to take one of each home with him...I even bought extra whipped topping :-) It is supposed to be 60 on Friday so mom and I made plans to stroll the beach. I can't wait! I took her shopping Tuesday and she didn't use a cart, she walked herself. She said she needs more exercise and is having a room dedicated to her exercise machines. I will go over a few times a week and do some things with her so she will keep the interest through the long cold winter. We all need encouragement once the freezing weather arrives and the sun doesn't visit so often.
I know I had more to share but I am sleepy so it is time for a bubble bath...tomorrow will be a long day spent cooking Mr. Tom! DS will be visiting...that sounds weird.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving !

Busy days!

2011-11-22T07:32:00.001-06:00

I've been terribly busy these days but hope to catch up when I return from shopping today. I've just listed three 2012 crazy quilt calendars in my etsy shop for anyone interested. Makes great gifts for crazy quilting friends. See ya later!

New Winner!

2011-11-19T12:10:00.001-06:00

Sorry but I had to pick a new winner for the Crazy Quilt Gathering follower. I was not contacted and only had the name with no link to a blog or site so....the new winner is Freda Butler! Freda will receive the Winter Issue of the magazine! Congratulations Freda!!!
All issues available at pansypatch.magcloud.com

Winter issue is ready!

2011-11-18T18:51:00.001-06:00

The fourth issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings is now available to order at Magcolud.

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/301030

Winner of calendar drawing

2011-11-18T13:47:00.001-06:00

I meant to do the drawing before I left the house this morning but it didn't happen. The winner is Susann. Congratulations Susann and I will need a mailing address please. Thank you all for sharing your favorite month. I've enjoyed reading the reasons behind your choices.
I've got to get back to my project.....aren't those some yummy leaf beads? They were from Liz B!!!

Surprise beach visit with mom

2011-11-15T16:35:00.000-06:00

This morning I had to run into LaPorte to furniture shop (ick) and it was so nice out that I decided to call mom and ask if she was up for a beach walk. She was so I ran home to tend to Angell then high tailed it to mom's. It was really a perfect day to stroll the beach. Several people were already there enjoying the warm sunshine and calm lake. Here is proof I haven't abandoned mom....

She made her way down to the shore and spend two hours searching for treasures.

Can you find my first piece?

Beautiful day for a surprise beach stroll! Afterward I stopped to get us a cold Dr. Pepper and it hit the spot! These were my treasures. Mom found the Crinoids for me. I'm going to make mini sea themed wall art and use the small driftwood pieces to hang.

As for the furniture shopping. I am 98% sure I am going with the Cindy Crawford Woodrow collection. It has my mint green and multi fabric to mix it up a bit (crazy.)

The photo looks Olive but it is mint green stripe and in the paisley. I'm just getting the sofa, chair &1/2 and ottoman. No room for the other pieces. It goes nicely with the carpet and walls and it isn't "Frou Frou" so DH can enjoy it too. Anyway, I will be making that decision on Friday. Tomorrow I am headed to Ikea with Dawn. We are going to check it out inch by inch,LOL. I better get some rest tonight! Have a great evening.

Whew what a weekend!

2011-11-14T07:43:00.001-06:00

Feeling a little like an empty nester again this morning. Not as bad as when DS left for college, I was a basket case, but still, there is an empty feeling in my home. We have spent the weekend moving our son into an apartment 10 minutes from his work rather than 2 hours.We gave him our living room set so I will be shopping this week. I'm not looking forward to that. I hope to find something similar to what I had because that was the most comfy set I've ever owned. I know DS will enjoy his new place and it is in St. Joe not far from the Lake!!!! My favorite town!!! You know I am pleased about that and I didn't have any influence in his decision at all. Last night on the drive home I realized and couldn't believe I was in St. Joe twice this weekend and didn't get to visit Kilwins (fudge!)

It will be so much easier for him and more time to enjoy life instead of driving the highway for two hours daily, especially with winter approaching and icy roads. I could never commit two hours a day to wasted time, I don't even like to spend time eating or sleeping,LOL. There is just too much to do and I think not only are boxes of ice cream and toilet paper rolls getting smaller, the hours in a day must be shortened somehow. I'm sure many of you agree. The days just aren't long enough to do what all you need and want to do. I've complained about time many times I know but really, where does the time go? I guess it could be worse, like sitting at home bored out of my mind. With crazy quilting, I'm happy to say that doesn't happen very often.

So, I have nothing new created to share with you because I found it impossible to stitch while packing things,LOL. If it were possible you know I would have done it.

With the actual calender in hand, and positive feedback from those who ordered, I am excited about it and wanted to give one away to a reader so......if you comment on this post only telling me your favorite month (your favorite month in general, not favorite month of the calendar,) your name will be in the drawing which will be held this Friday the 18th of Nov. If your name doesn't link to a blog please leave me your email addy so I can reach you. Also I will be picking a new winner of a free issue of the Dec issue of Crazy Quilt Gathering if the chosen name (DONNA PRATHER) doesn't contact me by tomorrow. Good luck!

I am off to give the living room a good cleaning since it is bare at the moment. While moving things in and out yesterday we just left the doors open because it was 70 degrees. however it was also very windy and I have quite a few leaves on my kitchen and hall floor to clean up. So, chore time! Have a great day!

Coming soon...........

2011-11-09T17:39:00.000-06:00

It's almost here......the Dec issue of Crazy Quilt Gathering magazine. I can't believe it is the 4th issue. I am looking forward to future issue in 2012. Thank you contributors, reader's, followers. You have given me the pleasure to continue to gather information, news and eye candy within the crazy quilting world and beyond. I am humbled by your response and send every one of you a heartfelt thank you. Sneak peek at the cover featuring crazy quilting by Connie Eyberg.

Once again, this Winter issue if packed as full as Santas bag on Christmas Eve. Although though the cover indicates a Christmas theme, I'm afraid like the previous issues, there isn't a theme. Just a lot of fun articles, tutorials and eye candy for all to enjoy.

I will blog when it is released and if you are a follower of the magazine on Magcloud, you will automatically be notified by email (even before I can blog it.)

Finished another project!

2011-11-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

I know, I know...another purple project :-)

I can't help wanting to work with the colors I love, especially when I have to come up with something for a tutorial. It is easier to play with purple and pastel and I know all of you creative souls understand. We all have out favorite colors that give us inspiration and comfort. So, I finished this purse this morning and added the clasp a few minutes ago. Got a lot to do today so I'll yak at you later. Hope your day is going well.

A little fun and a lotta work this weekend

2011-11-06T16:48:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I went to Fishman's Fabrics and Ikea with Jilly. It was a beautiful warm day and I had no idea I was going to go on a little road trip. I have been wanting to go to Ikea for a while to check out some storage drawer units. I had one I had found at a tag sale and I love to be able to pull the wire drawer out so I can dig for just the right fabric. I've been using the plastic enclosed units but my fabrics were exploding through the back and the drawers wouldn't close properly. Anyway, I found the wire ones and bought two units and 12 drawers. This morning I assembled them and switched them out with the plastic ones which now reside in my closet filled with lining fabrics and sheers.I took a little break and watched "The Red Violin" with DH then ..back to work.

I spent the entire afternoon organizing the studio/closet and still didn't get the fabrics folded and arranged in the drawers nicely....that will be tomorrows task.

I have a load for Goodwill and DH carried out 8 big bags of junk for the trash. I cleaned out my paper work also and I'm trying to get everything together for DH and the accountant. It feels good to be organized and caught up on things that I usually set aside (forget about) until the last minute. I am a bit tired now and don't want to look at fabric any more today, not even my new goodies from Fishman's. I know, unbelievable....but true! It was a fun outing with Jilly and much needed too. Time for a lavender bubble bath I think!

Too funny!

2011-11-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

I had to laugh this afternoon when I got an email from Kathy Shaw telling me she just published a CQ calendar. I didn't know she was doing one and unless she was looking in my window the past week, she didn't know I was doing one either. So now you have a few 2012 CQ calendars to choose from. I guess Crazy minds think alike! They make great gifts too. You can preview my 13 month CQ calendar on Magcloud using the link on my left sidebar. You can browse Kathy's too by typing in CQ calendar (I don't have the link) Eye candy galore! This could never happen twice,LOL.

I had to cut this post short last night but anyway I was making the calendar for myself actually. I had bought a Sea glass calendar last year and was sad to see it go soon so I thought I would make my own so I would have a CQ calendar in my studio. I like simple calendars with a nice space to write my appointments, so this one has basic events only. Some have just way too many events that I'm not interested in and no space to jot down a note. So I had decided to offer it to the public as well. You don't have to buy it but you can get a preview on the Magcloud site. I used full size photos so CQer's can see the detail and perhaps get inspired, grab their stash and get stitching!
Today looks pretty clear although it is cold right now. Unless a friend calls to go play, I will be working on the last project for the magazine. Whew! I'm getting there. Have a wonderful weekend!

Winter is closing in...........

2011-11-04T03:11:00.001-05:00

The frost is on the pumpkin these days and old man Winter (not my DH) is wringing his hands anticipating his arrival I'm sure. Every fuzzy caterpillar I've seen has been solid black....not brown and black which they say means a hard winter. I'm stocked up with supplies and tea so I'm good!

I am finishing a few small projects before taking a break to work on online class planning. I am excited to be offering this tool for those who have inquired about CQ classes from me through the years.Yesterday I started assembling this clutch. I just need to finish adding a closure and it will be finished.

I've also been busy wrapping up the Dec issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings and should be ready for publishing before Dec. I hope you find it interesting. I have packed it full again but tried to offer larger photos. I see many magazines with one or two photos per page but working with only 40 pages doesn't leave me with that option. I am enjoying the journey though and hope you continue to enjoy it as well. I am always open for suggestions or submissions.

This morning I took mom to the County Line Orchard and found it had closed for the season on Oct 30th. Phooey! I wanted a blueberry pie! It was disappointing but we went shopping and to lunch so the rainy day wasn't all washed up....:-)

Yesterday I had a pleasant little visit from my sweet friend Leslie TH from Michigan. She was looking beautiful as always and I was in my frumpy housewife attire, pj bottoms and an old sweater. I was half dressed because I was working on the magazine and Angell doesn't care what I wear,LOL. It was so nice to see her smiling face. I didn't get to meet up with her in St. Joe this year because the weather was so hot that I just didn't get out very much. Perhaps next year I can get a pic of us on the carousel.

Well, it is 3:10 am and Angell finally fell asleep, She had a rough evening and now I am going to try to get a few winks too....on the couch. Oh well, at least it is comfy! Sweet dreams!

Finished eyeglass case

2011-10-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

You all are so sweet. Thank you for the kind comments and well wishes. I am sitting here wondering if tomorrow will actually arrive? It is amazing I can't get any relief from this pain and how I am tolerating it. It hurts so much and yet I know nothing can help so somehow I am managing to go through the daily activities, I can only grin and bare it. I keep reminding myself that it could be a migraine and I can't eat so I'm losing weight over the weekend and I feel a tiny bit better. Alright, no more pain talk, I finished the eyeglass case from last night.

The image is from Sweet Inspirations etsy shop. Shannon's offerings are truly Sweet Inspirations. My camera battery is charging so I had to use the phone camera. I'll try to get better pics later. Thanks again for feeling my pain...oh gosh, I take that back, I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Time stands still when pain is involved...Pat's pity party

2011-10-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

Thursday night around bed time I had an ache in my jaw....a few minutes later I was in agony and headed for the medicine cabinet. Two Motrin and a q-tip of Orajel...an hour later, horrible pain....I was desperate and in tears by this time so I stole one of DH's hydrocodone for his back....an hour later, no help...I took another and for me to do that, I was in huge pain. Still nothing. I suffered all night and phoned the dentist, left a message begging for any appointment with any dentist. Around 9:00 the office called for an appointment at 10:20. I just had a cleaning, x-rays and checkup in July so how could this be? I brush, floss and use mouthwash...this isn't supposed to happen.

The dentist couldn't see any problem so more x-rays were taken, a different kind he said. That was painful biting down on hard plastic device digging into the soft part of your mouth. Again, nothing showed so he took out what I now refer to as the "Torture device" and began probing each tooth front to back upper and lower. As he landed on each tooth he sent a shock through the tooth which told him what pain level each tooth held. Well, one tooth didn't register anything so he said the tooth just died and it is spreading pain through the mouth which is why I couldn't pinpoint which tooth was aching. It was not really an ache, more like a throbbing heart being stabbed with a rusty axe! (The word "rusty" made it sound more painful right?) Anyway, he numbed the tooth and began drilling..I had my doubts but at the level of pain I was dealing with, he could have pulled all of them and I would have danced. Naturally I wasn't going to get off that easily. He said the tooth canals were so tiny he couldn't find them and there were supposed to be two....so he filled the tooth, gave me two prescriptions and sent me home with a referral to an Endodontist for Monday for a root canal and possible crown. Meanwhile, I am speeding down the highway with a mouth throbbing in pain trying to get to CVS to fill my drug prescription. Vicodin! I hate medicine but I would have shoved a child out of my way to get to a vicodin at this point. Well, there were about 9 people ahead of me and I pleaded with the pharmacist that I really, really needed these an hour ago and was about to scream.....that did nothing to advance my place in line. i then felt like an addict as I moved to the back of the line wincing in pain holding my throbbing jaw. It didn't matter who was in pain ,as a matter of fact they called me after 10 minutes to ask for my insurance card which they forgot to get when I presented my prescriptions.....so others got to go in front of me as I waited even longer contemplating if I should browse the isles in search of a straight razor and just do myself in right then and there. I'm talking worse pain than childbirth only in your mouth! Finally, "Pat Winter" was called.....whew. I grabbed my pills ran to the pop case, bought a bottle of water and downed the pills, one for pain and one in case there is infection. I drove home, barely got into the house and I fell into my comfy chair and drifted to sleep. I don't take pills and even aspirin puts me to sleep. I was off to a peaceful place............ahhhhhh. I awoke, only to find just 20 minutes passed? Not fair! I wasn't having pain but I was not feeling well. Nauseated and foggy. I hate pills. Before leaving the dentist the Dr. told me I would still have pain, but it might take the edge off. Really? Over the weekend I have to deal with this? I am in pain as I type this, as you might be able to tell. Major pain, and I feel like if you looked at me you could see my whole head throbbing like a cartoon. I took my pills and nothing. Is this modern medicine? No help from pain at all? Deal with it? To top it off, he made it worse by drilling a tooth that wasn't even involved and now that one is stirred up too. I don't get it at all. Tomorrow morning I am calling every dentist in my area to see if they can do something if the Endodontist doesn't call by 10:00. This is ridiculous!
Ok, my pity party is over, I did stitch last night....a little. It was either stitch or #itch!

I hope your weekend is going much better than mine.

Sale on Boho bag book ends tomorrow

2011-10-30T08:07:00.001-05:00

I don't have anything to do with the discounts Magcloud offers. They are giving buyers a treat until tomorrow, Oct 31 by putting magazines on sale. They only put one method of purchase on sale, download or print to order. I have nothing to do with this. All I do is create the book/magazine. Magcloud does the rest, it is a "Print to order" business. Those who ordered the printed copy on the first day before 7:00 received a free download. I'm sorry if some of you are confused but I don't know how else to explain it. I don't have anything to do with the publication once I upload it from my computer. Magcloud notifies you if you are a follower, I notify you of any new publication here on my blog. Any other questions should be directed to Magcloud.com. They are very helpful. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the Boho Fever book.

If you want to put the tag on your sidebar, the link is below. Copy and paste it in the HTML widget (small one) on your blog. (thanks)
A photo will show like the one on my left sidebar.

Trim & Treasure club ...grab your brown paper bag

2011-10-27T16:12:00.001-05:00

Sit down, grab a tissue, make that a box of tissues, prepare to hyperventilate while you feast your eyes on the Trim & Treasure club offerings from Flights Of Fancy Boutique for October...................... Teal and brown treasure. These are things you must fondle in person to really appreciate. Pictures just don't do these justice at all. The sparkle, textures, and unique items in these packs made my muse light headed, and she is a strong gal.

Now for November...........be still my heart! Dusty grape purple, my fav beaded and sequin butterfly and dragonfly, crushed velvet and blossoms waiting to decorate a Boho bag for certain.

What better way to indulge without dealing with calories? I just couldn't keep this to myself...now I must go fondle my goodies a bit more.....................

If you are a FOF Treasure club member and have made a project incorporating things from a Trim & Treasure pack, email a jpg of your finished project or block to angell100@comcast.net for the Spring issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine.

Link to sign up for online classes

2011-10-27T14:19:00.003-05:00

You may sign up for classes and get all registration info at the following link
http://theartfulgathering.blogspot.com/p/registration-policies.html

Yes, you may take classes from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access :-) I'd love to meet you!

Artful Gathering...Registration is open for online classes for 2012

2011-10-27T08:16:00.002-05:00

Just a heads up to let you know Artful Gathering registration is open for the 2012 classes where various Artists, including myself, will teach what they love with detailed video classes and availability to ask questions so you can see and learn what you are interested in within your own home. No plane ticket to buy or hotel room to book...not even gasoline to purchase! Learn in your pajamas if you wish.
No more leaving a class puzzled or lost and unable to finish on your own. So for those of you who have been asking me about CQ online classes, or those who are interested in crazy quilting, this will be like taking a one on one class with just me and you :-)

I urge you to check out the other classes with the brilliant teachers offering tempting classes. Zinnia has gathered quite an array of fun and inspiring Artists....Kudos to you Zinnia and thank you for making this possible.

New Boho Book is available and on sale!

2011-10-26T06:52:00.000-05:00

Now you know why it took so long for me to complete the last two bags...I had to take a million photos of the purple bag to document important steps for my new Bohemian Gatherings Bag book now available on Magcloud...and it happens to be on sale. Click on the link in the left sidebar and browse the pages. I tried to make it detailed and as simple as possible. I improved the strap attaching method and the lining insertion. I don't think it can get any easier than this! Full color photos large enough to see details. I made it into a 28 page book with spine so if you do buy it you won't confuse it with the magazine...which is coming out in a few weeks! Take a browse and let me know what you think.
I'm tired....going to wait for the sun to come out and head to the beach to breath in some much needed fresh air! Have a wonderful day!

A little teaser for Reen (sorry)

2011-10-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

I am tired of ordering something and when it arrives it is not at all the color shown or described so what is a gal to do???? Dye it herself! Which I did and got the exact results I was hoping for. I dyed Bullion fringe with my eyes, toes and fingers crossed....it came out beautifully. I then dipped lace and a doily in the dye bath for a few minutes and was pleased as punch with my trims. I prefer custom made anyway :-)

The colors are much softer than the wet dyes drying in the Lilac bush as you can see in the "almost finished" boho.
After my peaceful beach walk and working a bit in the yard, I felt the need to assemble the newest Boho. I know I've said this with each bag, but I want to keep this one :-)...(no Reen, I wouldn't do that to you)

Tomorrow I will add the finishing touches and off it goes! So gals, you can dye your own Bullion!
I use Procion MX fiber reactive dye !

Sweet dreams!

Lets get pedaling girls!

2011-10-24T13:51:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEH4Yum4nN4&feature=player

Time for a beach walk! Grab a stick and roll up your pants!

2011-10-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

The weekend was beautiful and we spent it enjoying the weather and celebrating DS's birthday. We took him and his girlfriend, Megan, to dinner and had birthday cake afterward at home. Yesterday evening Megan's parents invited us to their annual "Beaner" party. For over 25 years they get together with their neighbors and make a cauldron of ham and bean soup. I wish I had taken my camera, the cauldron was so cool. Huge and black just like a witch would use and it was full of soup. Everyone took a dish and enjoyed the beautiful Autumn day.
This morning I debated whether I should go to the beach or not...I cleaned house then decided I really should take advantage of the sunshine so off I went. I arrived around 8:00 which is late for me and there were a few people collecting already.

It rained during the night so it was a good morning to do some beach combing. The lake was a bit angry this morning with sand all churned up making the water look like coffee with too much cream.

The waves were rolling in , the sun was hot and plentiful and the breeze was refreshing. I headed West...my usual route.

My first treasure.....a boomerang???? Did one of my Aussie friends toss this over to me? Who was it ??? Fess up! Judith? Julia? Sharon?Daisy?Lottie?

Perhaps it was...... Oh!!! A mermaid tear.....

and another...boomerang next to a greenie!

What? Hmmmm...Who threw these and weren't they supposed to come back to you?

I stroll onward to find more tears and a pretty piece of driftwood.

More people arrive so I make my way to the stairs and take one last look at my calming lake...beautiful skies.

My booty for the day.

I hope you have a beautiful day too! Time for some yard work before the rain arrives! Then stitching time!!!!! Whoot Whoot!

CQ blog to share

2011-10-23T12:30:00.001-05:00

Hey Crazy quilters I found a blog you might want to follow...I know cqers like to support each other so I am sharing Marjolein's blog with you. She just made a pretty sheer wing dragonfly with directions.

Boho is correct!

2011-10-22T11:33:00.002-05:00

I am too obvious right...of course it is going to be a Boho bag. I love the gypsy girl image and the suggestion of her sitting among the flowers, and I was dying to play with the new fabrics and trims I bought with my last class in Michigan. The backing fabric is yummo! You will have to wait to see:-)

The dusty purple was calling my name and I tried to put it off as long as I could but...we all have a breaking point. I'm very honored to have this claimed already and by a woman I admire very much. I worked on the flap this morning and will be assembling between now and Monday. When it gets to this stage I can hardly wait to see how it will turn out. Just like all my CQ projects, it becomes what it is supposed to and I don't have a clue until it is finished.

For those asking about the butterfly, it is a pre finished piece from Flights of Fancy Boutique. It is a sheer embroidered butterfly with sequins and beading and if you go buy them all I will never speak to you again (only kidding ...but I'll have an attitude) I can't resist them and they are always first to be noticed in my work......how can they not be? They are gorgeous.

Gotta go....have a great day!

Gray clouds this morning

2011-10-21T14:43:00.002-05:00

Do these clouds send a shiver up your spine?

They look so cold don't they? That was my view looking out this morning which kind of made me want to crawl back under the covers. I didn't go back to bed, but I decided to stay in until the sun came out so I worked on some small sewing projects then headed out to run errands. DS has a birthday and I had to pick up a few special things for him. Nothing like waiting till the last minute. I took advantage of the sunshine and ran over to the lighthouse mall near the lake. It wasn't bad at all and I found a really nice jacket at Eddie Bauer and filled the pockets with a dirty green substance "$"(at least that is what I wrote on the card and placed inside the box) so he can buy some computer junk because I have no idea what he could use in that field. I need to pick up his favorite cheesecake so I won't be making a cake which is fine with me. I have been doing so much baking lately.
When I returned home there was "Royal Mail" for me....I just love Royal Mail :-) These treasures are from Lottie from the UK.

She made me a beautiful hanging message center. This will go in my kitchen where I'm always needing paper and pen and it just so happens to match, green! It is something pretty for my kitchen and useful too. Lottie slipped in some vintage postcards that date back to the early 1900's. The pretty Mother card was sent in 1909, and the other two are WW1 cards with something terribly special...they have embroidered silk prints, original silkies! of course these will be displayed and treasured, not sewn into a project. I can't imagine Lottie parting with these but I am honored to know she trusts me to own them. Thank you for continuing my sunny day Lottie!!! Big hugs and smiles to you. I must get busy....gotta wrap a gift! Have a great evening and a super weekend.

Rainy cold days are for stitching

2011-10-19T17:45:00.003-05:00

What a miserable ugly wet day out there but warm and blissful in here stitching away...........................what will this become?????????????????

A little teaser for the Dec issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine

2011-10-19T07:48:00.001-05:00

I hate to do this to you but I must.....check out Kathy's buttons. I must warn you to grab a box of tissue and paper bag for hyperventilating first, then go to her blog and drool. Kathy is sharing her tutorial for making these in the Dec issue of the magazine. Be still my heart!

Done!

2011-10-18T09:07:00.003-05:00

I just finished Liz's Boho bag....I have just one pic to share because I have to try to find a box and beat the mail lady......

Have a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful old CQ

2011-10-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

The first antique shop we stopped at this morning had this beautiful vintage velvet crazy quilt. The price was $725.00. I thought that was a bit steep for this quilt because although it was much more beautiful in person, it only had the usual plain stitches in white and yellow threads. The velvet fabrics were muted and really pretty but the photo just doesn't capture the beauty. I can imagine the maker was very proud of her accomplishment but wonder how it got away from the family. Just had to share!

Close up photos of Gypsy Garden Boho

2011-10-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping this old version of blogger allows you to see a better close up. With crazy quilting , it is really all about the embellishments, so I took more pics to share for those who were frustrated about not being able to enlarge photos :-)
I showed Liz already, so I can freely share that this was made for Liz of "Gypsy Feather" etsy shop. She is a delightful woman with a generous and kind heart and I wanted to repay her kindness in way of something from my heart and hands. Liz had sent a lot of the fabrics in this bag just out of the blue, her favorite was a Scalamandre Silk which was very colorful on the underside which is what I used in the bag, and very time worn and aged (beautifully I might ad) on the right side. That was my inspiration piece. Then I chose this image which reminded me of a gypsy lady enjoying her Autumn garden, being that Liz's shop was named "Gypsy Feather." I hoped the whole time this would suit her fancy and it does she said. So anyway, on to the photos............

The front panel under flap (not embellished yet)

The back of bag (I love this textured upholstery fabric)

Flap details

Scalamandre Silk (above, the print fabric)

Shell leaf buttons with pearl center flowers

Loopy and ostrich trim, beaded trim and a corkscrew trim

I had to slip a dragonfly in there somewhere. This is one from Flights of Fancy.

I'll send a finished pic when ready. I'm taking the day off to spend antiquing for laces with mom in LaPorte...then a nice lunch and back home to finish the Gypsy Garden! Have a great day!
Just a heads up on this sweet pink stash collection at Gypsyfeather!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83869569/light-pink-adornments-box-embellishment

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83869569/light-pink-adornments-box-embellishment

Gypsy Garden Boho

2011-10-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

This morning was rainy so I put on a pot of beef stew and went to work on the other Boho bag in progress. A few hours later the sun came out and it was cool but pretty nice however I decided to finish stitching on the Boho. I took colors from one of the fabrics in the flap.

I know the colors are unusual for me to put together but now that I am ready to assemble this bag, and have the backing, trims, and front panel fabric in front of me, I'm thinking it may be my favorite yet. I found the backing fabric with the brick colored leaves and the Bullion fringe at Lemon Creek fabrics. It is Autumnal and a perfect project for this autumn day. I hope #*? likes it............
For those asking for more pics of the pink Boho I made for Kathy, I don't have more pics so you will have to ask her or watch her blog and she may post some.

Have a great day!

Lunatic Fringe......my true self revealed :-)

2011-10-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

Ellen Anne Eddy has gone and revealed my true self, my secret life.... take a look here. She knows me too well!

Ta da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally

2011-10-14T13:15:00.002-05:00

It was rainy this morning but the sun popped out so I called mom and asked her to lunch. I thought it would be nice for both of us to get out of the house for a bit. We agreed to just grab a drive through sandwich and park at our special place. We sat in the car with the moon roof open enjoying the sunshine as we watched a few ducks floating on Lake Palomar. On our way home we discussed going to the beach not sure if it would be too cool and windy. We decided to take a chance so we continued on. The waves were pretty high but the wind wasn't really cold so we headed down to the shore. We fought the wind the whole way, it was very strong but when you have a desire for beach combing, it wins the battle. I didn't have my camera but I took pics with my phone hoping they would be clear.I can't believe mom finally made it to the beach. She was determined to go down to the water, wind and all.

We found a few bits of glass and I found a broken old ladle that someone must have been using to dig for glass. It has a nice long handle so I'm leaving it in my car for beach trips.

So mom looks pretty good for having the flu last week. She is a strong little lady. She is waiting for the next warm day to go again.....I'll have my camera on me then. Hope your day was great....mine was!

Mood changes with the weather

2011-10-13T13:21:00.002-05:00

As expected, I awoke to a rainy day. We really needed a rain so I can't complain. I don't want things turning brown too quickly. Yesterday DH came home and we took a motorcycle ride into town and had dinner at Masala Jacks, a new burger joint. It wasn't bad, fresh burger and iced tea hit the spot. We then took a ride to the beach and walked along the shore a bit. It was sunny and much too warm for my jacket so I shed that immediately. There were several groups of people hunched over digging in the stones. I wonder if they were looking for mermaid tears? :-) We found a few...

isn't that a cute heart shaped stone? It has rust on it and it is a candidate for a pendant or to be worked in a CQ piece. On the way home I soaked up the sun and breathed in the aroma filled Autumn air. It was refreshing to take a bike ride on such a beautiful afternoon.
I've started to fill my poor little abandoned etsy shop. I put some ciggies and coordinating ribbons together like this set...

Its a start! As soon as I finish a couple projects I will begin making eyeglass cases, change purses, and fun little CQ items....there is a lot of fabrics I want to play with.......... I just had a nice phone conversation with my bud Dawn and I feel like creating!
(Thanks bud)

Walk in the woods and apple pie kind of day!

2011-10-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

This morning did a little stitching on a Boho bag flap. Sneak peek...

I then went outside and picked up walnuts by the barn for my brother. He shells them in front of his wood stove as he watches TV in the evenings and always gives me a jar full. I love black walnuts in brownies, divinity for mom and fudge for...guess who? We are fortunate to have several Black Walnut trees on our property so why not gather and use them? They are abundant this year... sign of a hard cold Winter? Perhaps.
After I gathered almost a bushel and I was tired of bending over I decided to make an apple pie (with homemade crust this time.) It was just that kind of a day. I rolled the crust and cut my strips, gave them a twist before laying them across the apples then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and slid it in the oven.

The only bad part about baking on a beautiful day is...you need to waste some time indoors, at least I do because when I am cooking and stray away from the kitchen I forget I am cooking and the house ends up smoky and smelly. So, what to do?
Give Angell a much needed bath was the answer to that. I scooped her up and off we went. Several dirty looks and a few growls later she was smelling fresh again. I wrapped her in a towel and sat her on the back deck to shake then I put her in her chair and she fell asleep so I had some more free time and called my friend Tish which I have been wanting to do for a few weeks now. Hanging up laughing, I smelled the pie and went to check it....and it was done.

Now I was free!!!! Angell was still sleeping so I escaped to the barn, started my golf cart and away I sped toward the woods with camera in hand. The first thing I saw were a pair of fungus...the biggest I've ever seen. I slipped my sandal off to show you the actual size of this monster.

Beside me the creek was trickling slightly under the fallen golden leaves. I love the woods and the smell of Autumn. As I've mentioned before, our woods behind our home was my main playground. Solitude and imagination was all I needed to be the happiest girl on earth. The peace and discoveries that woodlands hold are magical for me still today. It certainly was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods. Nothing like simple pleasures of apple pie and woodland walk days to refresh your soul.

I hope you enjoyed your day too!

Just do it! Thank you Zinnia!

2011-10-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take a moment and Thank Cristina Zinnia Galliher for the "nudge" to play around with making instructional videos. I've been asked to make some crazy quilt tutorials for a few years and couldn't imagine where to begin so I kept putting it off. I took a video class and loved it. I'm one who needs to see the process instead of just reading about it...(lord knows how I taught myself to CQ,) so I entertained the idea once more, and again lay the idea aside until Zinnia came along that is. I love mixed media and dabbled in it once or twice and admired Zinnia's work. One day she emailed to ask if I would be interested in doing CQ related videos and her approach was genuine and after I spoke to her on the phone and listened past her words I felt the faith she had in me and then I felt the courage to try seeping in my heart. That evening I had DH get out our video camera and I inspected it, looked at the buttons, removed some smudges then sat it down where it remained for a few months. The thought of making a video intimidated me so much. I shy away from intimidation, you tend to do that when you aren't a very confident person.
Eventually I spoke to my son who is a "Techy" and brilliant (of course) and he assured me I could do it but I might want an updated camera. Well, I had no idea what I needed so a few more months passed, a few more emails of encouragement and helpful offers from Zinnia sat in my email box. I was feeling like a failure without even trying. What was I afraid of? If I tried and failed, at least I would know I couldn't pull it off and that would be that. The more I thought of how wonderful it would be to present projects and instruction in detail on crazy quilting to anyone in the world, as if I were in the room with the viewer, the more excited I became. I had to do it! With the help of my Techy, I invested in a new video camera with a few bells and whistles which I really didn't need but????? I slowly played with it pressing all the wrong buttons until one day I got the nerve to just do it.
As you may have seen, I shared my first videos and they are pretty bad but I did it. I know I will get better. I'm learning to edit and with my new desktop it is so much faster and more enjoyable.

At the top of my blog under my header you will see my video which Zinnia put together for each artist to show a bit of our work. Zinnia did much more than share this offer with me, she made me step outside my comfort zone and gently pushed me to explore something I never thought I would and I love it.

So, long story short, I will take part in the 2012 Artful Gathering which is an online summertime adventure. I will be sharing crazy quilting with anyone and everyone interested. I think you should take a look at the offerings, there are many projects to choose from and the eye candy is terribly enticing. So for those of you who have requested that I do online classes, I am......thanks to Zinnia.

Lots to think about...the magazine and life

2011-10-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

Life is full of changes, sometimes I want to go back to the quiet times when I woke up, straightened the house and went to the garden to play around before heading to the front porch to stitch a while. Then again I would not have not had the experiences I have had through teaching and online interaction so.......
As I meet new people online I naturally spend more time in cyberspace and I tend to raise my hand much too often which keeps me busier than I want to be. Several big changes in plans took place the past two weeks which allowed me to take a long look at what "Pat" wants. I've made some tough decisions and hope I can stick with them. Although I have learned never to say Never.

I've decided to only teach in my home studio for 4 months instead of 6. The teaching months include June, July, Aug, and Sept only. This allows students to plan their class time and better scheduling for me.
I also need to work on projects that inspire me for my etsy shop and get some stash in there soon. It irks me when I see an ad for a shop, go there intending to find something and it is bare bones. Unfortunately this happens quite often in the big magazines and I'm always so disappointed that the editor didn't research the shop before putting in the ad. If you have a filled shop and would like advertising in the magazine, I am having a special you can't beat so drop me a line if interested.

Last but not least, I want to focus more on the magazine, (as if I don't spend enough time on it,) making it my priority. There are many things I need to learn but I think overall the issues are improving. For the benefit of readers getting what they pay for, I have tried to pack as much info in each issue that I can. This has forced me to make the fonts (words) much smaller, depending on the article and photos and I'm not comfortable with that. I will be using a larger font and larger images, which is why I need submissions to be re size-able and clear as possible. There's much confusion when I request 300dpi. Basically if you set your camera to the highest quality setting, take your photos and send them to me without resizing, that should work fine.
When Magcloud prints the magazines after you order, I notice some pages are darker than others. This is no doing of mine. I've tried to cut back on distractions as far as backgrounds and such but then again, I am a crazy quilting and even "embellishing" the pages are too tempting for me.
The reason I am sharing this info with you instead of just doing whatever I wish is because this magazine is for you, the crazy quilter, fiber artist and I want you to feel free to send your complaints and issues concerning the magazine to me so I can adjust what I can to make it a better publication/tool for you.
I am not responsible for the quality of the overall printing...I wish I new a magazine publisher who would allow more pages at a better price however I do not. I'm sure one day someone will come along with the right resources and start another crazy quilt themed publication but I hope until then I can gather as much info and eye candy I can fit into 40 pages at a time that interests you. I appreciate your readership and am just amazed at the popularity of the magazine. I see it was much needed and I am happy to continue offering what I can. Alright, nuff said bout that!

I spent some time over the weekend reorganizing the studio upstairs....do we ever stop reorganizing our stash? I don't think so. I found a pair of beautiful curtains in the bag my friend from Michigan, Leslie, had dropped at my back door a few weeks ago. Aren't they sweet?

I laundered and ironed them and hung them in the studio..whoops, I see wrinkles!

I couldn't dare cut into them for a project so now when I look out the windows I'm reminded of a thoughtful friend and smile. (Thanks again Leslie)

Another friend, Jilly, gave me the book shelf on the right for the class studio. I'm moving things around out there and needed more room so I decided to bring it upstairs to my studio and it was perfect for books and things I didn't have the space for. I attached my Delica bead units to the sides of the book case and freed up wall space. This works much better for my project supply gathering.

I also cleaned out my dye supplies and guess what I found? Five bags of ribbons soaking in dye. Imagine that! Lost ribbons in deep jewel tone colors. Teal, hunter green, deep blue,golden yellow and violet.

Hopefully soon I can share the two Boho Bags with you. Until then, have a great day!

If anyone would like to share photos of their studio for a future issue of Crazy Q Mag, please send them in to angell100@comcast.net. Perhaps for the Spring issue to inspire studio organization?

If I were rich..................

2011-10-08T12:45:00.005-05:00

There aren't a lot of things I would want to buy for myself if I were rich, however........If I were a rich woman I would treat myself to this doll..........from this blog. Her expression, her dress, boots, stockings,etc capture my heart. When I saw her I was instantly taken on a journey back in time to when I was a young girl sitting on the fallen tree trunk atop the duckweed covered pond in my magical spot in the woods daydreaming the summer afternoons away. I love her!!!!! Love her!!!! Love her!!!!!!

Play date postponed

2011-10-07T14:19:00.004-05:00

Well, my play date plans today when haywire but we postponed until Monday. Since I had my ribbons cleaned and soaking I went ahead and dyed a few yards and I needed some for a current project. I think they turned out yummy! Just wanted to thak those of you who entered your Boho bag photos for the Dec issue of the mag and to let you know I'm still accepting your photos.

Beach walk and Play date!

2011-10-07T09:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I ventured to the beach.It wasn't quite daylight when I left home. Along the lake it was cool and calm and the sun hadn't quite made it above the dunes and trees. I walked to the Pink house and turned around. I was more interested in the water ripples than searching for mermaid tears. Trillions of tiny ripples across the lake was mesmerizing. As I started home I saw this beautiful bush. I had never seen one in bloom before. I had to stop for a picture. These are the tumbleweed-type things you see along the lakefront rolling in the wind.My found treasures were not many but the stroll was much needed and satisfied my soul. I decided to stop at mom's to pick up a gift from my youngest brother...his delicious beef jerky he makes twice a year...birthday and Christmas :-) Yum! I didn't stay for a visit because mom has a flu bug :-( On my way home I spotted this fella pretending to be a stop sigh or something. When I arrived home I thought I would share what I did with my beautiful spider from Kathy Shaw. I hung it in my car for a while then I will hang it in my studio and perhaps add a pin back to wear on a sweater. It is just too beautiful to not display.
My bud Dawn will be arriving soon and we have planned a dye day. Silk ribbons will be dipped and dyed and hung to dry. I hope you are having a beautiful day. It is another gorgeous day in the 70's with plenty of sun to spare...if you need some :-)

Beautiful Autumn day

2011-10-04T15:56:00.004-05:00

The weather has turned for the better. Our Autumn days start out cool and sometimes with a little frost but the sun pops out and warms everything up.....including my sandals I keep on the front porch. I stepped into them this morning and it felt wonderful and for a moment I imagined it was the beginning of summer, not the end. I worked a few hours on vacuuming the pool...yes, I am the optimistic one who thought I would have at least another month to swim but I haven't been in it in three weeks. Next year it will be closed on Labor day when all public pools close. I guess there is a reason for that,LOL. We had huge rainy wind storms last week and the pool received about two bushels of leaves.....I had a wonderful time today (me being sarcastic.) We will close it tomorrow evening and that will be that.
I did get the other Inner Child doll finished...sorry for the blurred picture. Birthday greetings continue to arrive. Let me share what I've had to put up with all my life. My brothers send beautiful, thoughtful cards....... encouraging me to think warmly of them..until I open them.....LOL! Yep, that is what I get. This year it was an actual brand new penny! I just need to sit and think about where I should spend it, should I spend it all at once, in the same store....etc.
Thank goodness for friends right? LOL.
I opened Sandra Bailey's card from England (don't you get excited to receive Royal mail ?) and loot fell in my lap! Just look at all these fun embellishments. I'll be stitching them onto many projects! Thank you Sandie, that was a sweet surprise. I also received a card from Wendy Shu in Singapore. Wendy tatted around this delicate embroidered hankie. Purple made her think of me...I'm so glad the hankie had purple in it,LOL. I've never seen that tatting design. It is very beautiful. Thank you Wendy, I love it.

Aside from being spoiled and laying around eating bon bons, I have a few more puzzle pieces to finish up then I will continue working on the other two Boho bags before I retire that project for a while. I have gathered silk ribbon sets for etsy and hope to get some more things added this week because my schedule has opened up and I don't plan on filling it again. I'm just going to work on the magazine and create, so watch for some up coming eye candy!!!!
Hope your day was a good one and tomorrow even better!

Experimenting with alcohol ink...again!

2011-10-03T09:14:00.004-05:00

I was looking through my acrylic flowers the other night and realized the colors were too bright for a project I was planning so I grabbed my Alcohol Ink and thought I would experiment. These flowers were pale pink and yellow before ink was applied.I used a cotton pad instead of a brush because I didn't want to haul out all the supplies so these are smudged but with alcohol ink, you can easily fix that which I will do today. The colors are much nicer and I may use more acrylic in the future!

When my friend Jan Obertein was heading to AZ last week with her hubby for the Winter months, she stopped to drop off a birthday package because they pass the Chesterton exit. I felt very privileged to have the chance to say goodbye in person. Not only is Jan a wonderful crazy quilter/china painter but she also works with paper and makes the sweetest things. Using a bird theme she dressed up some files and a book of folders which I am thrilled with. Her soft colors make it so pretty. I have a nice collection of her work. Thank you Jan!!!!! Elizabeth Woodford sent me some pieces of her sun printed cloth. It is so pretty and I will use it in my CQ. Thank you Elizabeth!!!!! Terri Takacs, my bud from CT made these butterflies on her embroidery machine. I saw one on her project which won a ribbon a few months ago and loved it but wouldn't dare ask for one. To my surprise she tucked two of them in my birthday gift. I will have to think long and hard as to what project they will be used for. Thank you Terri!!!!! Last night I began to clean and organize my picture files. With this new computer, I can do it in no time. I haven't had a desktop in a long time and I am getting spoiled with the speed of this one. It will be so much more enjoyable working on the magazine and perhaps I will catch more mistakes with this 27" monitor instead of a 15" laptop screen! (hope so anyway) Thanks Ed!!!
Thank you for all the birthday wishes, it was a wonderful day (weekend) which I enjoyed to the max.

The Boho, puzzle piece, and prize for Lottie are all mailed, the house is clean, and I am settling down to work on a little Inner child doll that didn't get finished last night. The sun is shining and I may take a beach walk later. I hope you have a great day!

Finis! Boho bag pics wanted for Dec issue of magazine!!!!

2011-10-01T15:12:00.005-05:00

Drumroll.............................I'm finished with Kathy's Pink Boho! I had to try it on my shoulder and it is comfy....one of the reasons I love these bags! If anyone has made Boho bags or will be finished with one by Oct 30th and want to see it among others in Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine please email me a 300dpi clear image, as many as you wish. I'm hoping to fill two pages with Boho bags from readers. Don't be shy, share your talent and creativity with us! Send photos along with your name and state or country to angell100@comcast.net...you can send a short note about it if you wish.

Trim arrived!

2011-10-01T13:11:00.005-05:00

Yeah! Yesterday the beaded trim arrived for the pink Bohemian Gatherings Bag and although I couldn't work on it last night, I did begin working on it after breakfast and I'm almost finished and thought I might share the progress. This is the beaded trim I was waiting for.I had two pink trims and neither of them were good enough for this bag so I ordered the scallop beaded and drop beaded trim and love it! The color was perfect which surprised me because you never know what you get when you order online without seeing the actual product as you know. I run a line of glue along the trim first then hand stitch when dry. I add the longest trim to the bottom right along the edge of the flap then layer the next trim on top of that and so on. I use trims that graduate in size so I don't have to watch for length along the edge. The right side of bag.....
Under the front flap I offset a vintage dyed doily and stitched around it to form a pocket.

The back of the bag has a hand dyed dresser scarf which I cut in half and used as a pocket too. The front flap with trims... I have some personal touches to add today and then it will be mailed off to a gal in hopes of it making her smile as much as her generous mermaid necklace gift she surprised me with as well as the two beautiful spiders she sent for mom and me last week.
Thank you Kathy!!!!!! I hope you like your BOHO Bag!

Birthday winner!

2011-09-30T13:46:00.004-05:00

Thank you all for the warm wishes and sweet comments and for joining in my birthday giveaway. I will be having another giveaway for Halloween in about 2 weeks....two winners will be chosen, one handmade item and one stash pack in a Halloween theme will be the prizes. I will post the drawing so stop back once in a while. :-)

It is going to start to get busy around here in a little while so I just went to the online random number generator and found the winner! The number chosen was #14 which is Lottie! I read her comment and wanted you all to know she was chosen fair and square, her answer had nothing to do with her winning. (Thank you Lottie!)

Between 1 and 111~
14 was the number it chose

Random numbers generated Sep 30 2011 at 13:45:54 by www.psychicscience.org
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

Congratulations Lottie, please send your mail address to angell100@comcast.net

The picture from Goodwill

2011-09-29T15:27:00.004-05:00

I thought the picture I found at Goodwill the other day was of roses, I briefly looked at it and loved the frame and coloring and didn't think about the actual flowers, so they are not roses but a spider mum type flower which I love. I cleaned it up and DH hung it in the dining room last night above the tea set.

Making sunshine on a rainy day

2011-09-27T16:39:00.003-05:00

We had such a fun day! I picked mom up at 9:30 and we headed to Goodwill for a quick browse. On the way out the door I found a very neat shabby chic photo of roses (picture soon) in a 36 inch long white chippy frame. Next we stopped at Target because they are the only ones around who carry my Gold Peak green tea. We wandered around a bit then went to Marshall's but didn't find anything exciting. We decided to make it an early lunch to beat the crowd at Panera but we were too late. Apparently 11:30 is the new 12:30??? So we opted for Chili's instead where we both ordered the grilled chicken breast with honey mustard....after we ordered we decided to try for the 12:10 showing of "The Help." OMG! It was so good. Grab your mom, sister, friend, daughter, aunt, etc and go see this movie.....and don't forget a box of tissues too. I wanted to pinch Hilly until she was black and blue!!!!!! I could not have dealt with those women in the 60's, I would have done more than make them a special choc cake! (I could go on about the topic but I don't want to give anything away) It was a perfect movie for this rainy day.
The rain let up then poured as we got into the car so we headed home. Mom was yawning which made me yawn so we thought curling up in our favorite chairs with a hot beverage would round out the afternoon quite well, and it did. I just made a cup of Mocha peppermint coffee and I'm going to sit in my chair for a bit before continuing to stitch the Boho bag....oh, you want to see it?

No, I couldn't do that......show a sneak peek ?.......sorry, that just wouldn't be fair to the person receiving it....that would just be wrong.....something I would never...............ever.....ever do! So don't ask :-)
I'm sinking into my comfy chair with my hot coffee and vegging out for a while. Enjoy your evening and as soon as you can, go see THE HELP!

Getting it done

2011-09-27T06:11:00.003-05:00

I had a restless night so I got up at 3:00 and decided to finish one of the Boho bag flaps. I'm working in pink so it is as enticing as working with purple. I hate to admit that I put my other project aside to finish this one. Sometimes you just have to let your muse choose the project. My muse has been terribly stubborn these days so I let her take over. Besides, I'm miserable without her.
Do any of you feel lost when you aren't creating or have some sort of project(s) in the works? I feel useless if I don't have a project in hand. I use crazy quilting as a bribe to get housework, cooking and such finished. If I do what I am supposed to do, I can do what I want to do. Kind of like having desert, only with no calories to deal with :-)
I'm spending the day with mom and possibly might see a movie. I want to see, "The Help." I think mom would enjoy it too. I think we will start out browsing the Goodwill in Valpo then hit Target, Barnes& Noble, and possibly Marshall's before having lunch at Panera Bread (Broccoli cheese soup, french baguette and Iced green tea...yummo!) That way we will be too full for a sweet snack at the movie.
It is dark out but has been raining all night so I assume it will be an ugly day...just right for

shopping and a movie.I will share the newest Boho soon! Have a great day!

Coral Boho done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-25T13:46:00.006-05:00

Well, my muse hasn't fully returned but I managed to get the Coral Boho bag finished.
I started another and have had another one in the works however I can't share them just yet. It was a rainy day but the sun has managed to come out so I think I might do a little more weeding. I hope to get Karen and Dawn here next week for fern. So much fern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you are having a nice weekend!

Have to share pretty stash

2011-09-24T08:34:00.002-05:00

I was browsing etsy this morning and had to share some wonderful gatherings from Gypsyfeather which are great for crazy quilters (ask me, I know)

You must check out her embellished yo yo's too.

Liz Bugh is the shop owner and shared a tutorial on making these Yo Yo's in the second issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine on pages 24 & 25. Her approach to making these will surprise you.

NOTE~I'm not being paid, I just like to share sources that I use and think would be of interest to you.

2011-09-22T10:57:00.001-05:00

Come celebrate with me!

Its time for my birthday giveaway...soon (Sept 30th) I will have been on this earth for 52 years and I can't think of a better way to celebrate with the creative blog land peeps than to share goodies with you.

I have gathered 52 items in Autumn colors since I'm an "Autumn baby." I actually prefer Summer colors but.......
Everyone who comments on this post will be given a number and your name will be tossed in the hat.
On Sept 30th I will use the random generator to select one number to win my birthday stash gatherings. Good luck to all. International guests welcome to enter...naturally.

The goodies include:

6 fancy fabrics

3 lace/trims

3 ribbon flowers

3 cotton poplin ciggies

14 assorted glass leaf beads

4 daggar beads for making dragonfly wings

1 packet sequins

8 yards of 7mm hand dyed silk ribbon in autumn colors

2 mother of pearl heart shaped buttons

8 special larger sequins

52 items

Thank you for sharing your world with me.

Photoshop play

2011-09-22T08:50:00.004-05:00

I took this picture this morning and sat on the porch with Angell and played with Photoshop.

I do believe you should "Grow where you are planted" and make your home where you would want to hang your heart. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Elizabeth W.....I'm sending sunshine your way today, so get out your sun printing supplies :-)

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Spiders are not just for Halloween!

2011-09-22T07:20:00.001-05:00

If you want to learn to make your own beaded spider, you will want to hop over to my talented friend Kathy's blog. She has written a very clear and detailed tutorial on the subject and her spider is gorgeous!!!! I would proudly wear this everyday wouldn't you? Can you imagine these hanging from the Christmas tree? Attached to a gift? Worn as a pendant? So many options for pretty spiders!
Thank you Kathy!

New Perennials and puzzle piece

2011-09-21T18:13:00.002-05:00

I planted a few new Perennials along the back deck. This time of year I miss color so I thought I would plant a few new plants. My favorite is the Toad Lily. It is quite an amazing little piece of nature. Such detail packed into such a tiny bloom.

The size of my thumb!

I also bought a Windflower, Asters, grasses, and a few others which I will share on my gardening blog tomorrow. I've been working in the yard quite a lot and slowly making progress.The weather is just perfect, sunny and 70's. Great for biking, gardening, and even floating :-) I mopped the front porch and added a large planted pot for color. I'm ready for swinging and stitching! I need to whip up a few more cq puzzles to swap so that will be a nice front porch project. This is the one with the image of the little girl catching a crab is from the video..I will add it to the swap group this evening.

It has been such a pleasant day with the doors open and the cool breeze blowing through the house. I got a lot accomplished including getting to talk to a dear friend on the phone, run to the vet for a stronger arthritis pill for Angell, stop at the bead shop and have a little visit with Ellen this afternoon. The last few days of summer have been blissful. I hope it continues through autumn.....................