Celebrating The Purple Breeze

Another in the year-long project of weekly six-word memoir quiltlets (more than half way done now!)

Was it a particularly purple week for me? Not really, just happened to be a lot of purple scraps on my worktable from cutting out tumbler patches (thus all the skinny triangles). The triangles inspired this pennant-esque look here, I left them unattached except for at the top under a purple ribbon, so that they can flutter in the breeze.

The words say:

CelebratingThe BreezeBlowing Through Today.

Rainbow Around The Block

Here's the block that I made for the Rainbow Around The Block project. Anna Maria Horner is organizing the making of as many quilts as possible for the flooded out folks of Tennessee. I had to do a very simple block as I completely failed and flailed at making an actual for-real, correctly sized 12.5" block. I don't care too much when I make blocks for myself, but when it is for someone else, then it is suddenly very important!

First I tried this one. Really off! I like how it looks though!
I thought this one would be nice and easy, nope. Sigh. Guess I need to go back to beginning quiltmaker school, or try it again without the painkillers.

There is still lots of time to contribute a block if you feel like making one, all the rules and requirements are here.

Delayed Fireworks

A post 4th of July celebration with some very small fireworks was the inspiration for this six-word memoir quiltlet.I incorporated one of the wrappers that survived being lit on fire.

The words say: "Delayed Fireworks Are Still Very Fun!"

And here are some pretty pictures of the fireworks that I took. First is Piccolo Pete, what a sound!

This is a Ground Bloom.

Another Ground Bloom.

And why not? A movie of one of the Ground Blooms. These were always my favorites, love how they sound, and move, and look.

A 4th of July Quiltlet

My six-word memoir quiltlet for the week of the 4th of July had to have some red, white and blue of course.And some thoughts about this wonderful and challenging and changing country that I am lucky enough to be a citizen of. Hard to sum up all that I was thinking about in only six words, but I gave it a go. My spin on the"My country right or wrong"sentiment.

The words say: "My Country Is Right And Wrong."

Four More Out The Door

Here are the four ATC's that I made and traded at the July CQFA meeting for the ones I showed you yesterday.

These were made with the scraps on my worktable from several recent projects. The red dot fabric shows up in one of the July six word memoirs, the small quilt I made recently, Repaired.

The red printed burlap with blue polyester came from trimmings of the quilt I made for the Dream Rocket project, "The Word For The World Is Water."

I did a lot of linear stitching and the zig-zagging of the edges before I added anything to the piece.

The final touch was a button, a nice, small, button. Luckily I had a lot on hand thanks to the recent button donations I've received.

The back of my ATC's are pretty boring compared to some. Mostly because I put off making them until the very last minute and don't have time to make a fancy label to WonderUnder onto the back. Maybe this time around I can make a sheet of labels ahead of time, hmmm, the idea has merit.

Four More Collected

Trading more ATC's was one of the fun things we got to do at the recent CQFA meeting. Here are the four that I collected. I'm getting quite the collection now as we trade every meeting. I have them in plastic baseball card collector pages in a binder, they're really fun to page through and check out. I really enjoy having these little bits of art from my creative friends.

This first one is from Bron, using several cool fabrics she snagged at FabMo. I really liked the metallic fabric on there , she gave me a little piece of it to play with. It is very bendy in that strange way that metallic fabrics have. And I just noticed this picture is upsidedown, as the word stamped saying "Space" is the wrongwayround.

Next is one from Dolores using some fabric she recently hand marbled using shaving cream and fabric inks. I really like the delicateness of the fabric. How do you like those see-through letters? Cool huh?

Nancy was inspired from the black and white design ideas class I taught at the May CQFA meeting and continued on in the smaller ATC format.

And last but not least, Reva did this great flower blossom on a beautiful vibrant green background. I love all the little details, especially the cool threads that she used.

Unleashing The Rainbow

Time to unleash the rainbow and do some painting with some new paints. Jacquard Traditional Textiles, which I've never tried before.

I chose a piece of woven tapestry weight, yet soft upholstery free fabric. It has a nice woven-in pattern.
I started out with the lightest color first, yellow. The paint is really intense and a bit thick, so I dabbed it on and then added water.

Adding more colors and seeing how they flow together and change.

My thinking/painting face.

Almost done, and look at that muddy water. I'm liking how the pigment is gathering in some spots according to the woven design of the fabric.

And here it is all done. I was going to make ATC's with it, but I decided against it for several reasons:

• just too pretty to cut up
• a much thicker fabric than I usually use for ATC's
• kind of loosely woven (will probably shred when cut)
• the colors are too spread out to read well in ATC size.

Spoken like a true fabric hoarder huh?

One Square Foot

I started this small quilt , "Repaired" (it is 12x12") in the hopes of having it done in time to donate for the SAQA benefit auction. I didn't quite get it completed by the deadline, but it is done now. Although I do admit I may add some additional embellishments to it.

Here it is before any additional stitching or embroidery was added. Looks really different doesn't it?

Some closeups of the embroidery stitches I used.

One of my favorite kind of weird stitch adaptations I like to use this diamond (or the small circle stitch), then raise the presser foot, pull over to where I want another stitched and not cut the thread in-between. Gives an interesting more graphic and complex look without any extra work (hurrah for that!).

Stealing Pillow Ideas

Looking around Pier1 for a basket of a certain dimension, I was attracted to this big shelf of pillows. So many fun ideas for texture, shape and design. I especially like the one on the bottom row in the middle with the layered scallops.

I was a teensy bit worried about getting scratched by the beaded ones that my husband was threatening to throw at me. A pillow fight in the pillow department, makes sense to me, except for all the breakables surrounding us...

Seaweed Pringles? Why Not?

Seaweed Pringles? Really? Haven't seen these in your grocery store I bet. These are from the WalMart in Shenzhen, China where my husband buys his drinking water when he's staying there for work. He knows I like Pringles, and seaweed, so this last trip I talked him into bringing me back a tube of them.

Aren't they a strange color? They are still the usual perfect Pringles shape that conforms to your tongue, but with a unexpectedly pleasant lightly sweet and seaweed-ish salty flavor.

Don't read the ingredient list,. you don't want to know what food colors are in there to make these babies so green. Allura Blue? Great name, wonder what it is though. Here you can see how fancy these package is, with holographic rainbows scattered all over the green label.

I have no idea how these picture occurred, I must have been under the influence of these strange and exotic treats!

Wiping The Slate Clean

And now I'm caught up on showing you all the six-word memoir quiltlets I've made so far, this one is #26. Woohoo! Half-way done with the year.

The words say:

"Wiping The Slate Clean, A Do-Over."

This is made with the back of a white Tyvek bubble wrap envelope I recently received with my new Moo cards. I got the right kind this time, last time I inadvertently ordered business card sized when I wanted the skinnier Moo cards. If you see me, ask me for one! I think they turned out really cool, and mark a new beginning (at least in my mind) with how I'm doing this art making thing.

The envelope was nice to sew on and yes, I popped quite a few of the bubbles as I sewed along. In the second picture you can see where I ran out of thread leaving behind a trail of holes that will never close up (at least without any help!).

Yes I Made It

Here is #25 in the six word memoir quiltlet series, it is misnumbered here, whoops.

I used my ticket and wrist band for the Maker Faire that we attended. Sewing through the Tyvek wristband was very easy even though it is slippery stuff.

The words say: "Yes I Made It By Myself."