I finished a Crazy Quilt Block ~

Thursday, February 16, 2017

There you have it, I finished another of my crazy quilt blocks I started in Kathy Shaw's Crazy Quilt Classes.  It is a finished 12 inch block that is framed in one of the many fabrics I used within this block.

 I then created a quilt block storage portfolio carrying case in which to store my crazy quilt blocks; this is a portfolio I learned from Ellie Sienkavech (sp).  This dimensional crazy quilt block I used includes embellishments like Silk ribbon embroidery as well as using assorted thread weights and fibers. A beaded opal carbachon in the top left corner, a beaded monogram in the lower right, and some wisteria stumpwork along the bottom left with french knot sheep on the hillside.  The top right corner is a beautiful silk ribbon variagated ribbon in pastel colors for the petals and the seeded center of the flower is filled with glass beadwork.  Assorted embroidery stitches including many bullions, some very tiny, are part of this piece. 

At the center is a vintage photo printed on silk I purchased from Kathy Shaw, thank you Kathy. It is framed in a braid that I have attached tiny glass beads throughout the braid.  The handle allows me to not only carry the blocks with me, but also allows me to hang the portfolio up that this framed block can then be on display.

In this second photo is the back that I used a beautiful bead that sparkles and a corded elastic to close the flap; on another portfolio I used a heavy duty magnet and then attached a flannel rabbit motif to cover the magnet brace.  When you open the flap there are side fabric panels that unfold displaying any crazy quilt blocks in storage.

These flaps not only hold the blocks in place they also help to keep the blocks clean while in storage awaiting completion or for use in the next project as well as keep the blocks flat preventing wrinkling of the block. One portfolio will hold multiple blocks.  I have another one of these storage portfolios for my pieced quilt blocks and have yet to make one more for my Baltimore album blocks.  

I love stitching in the garden on the blocks and creating birds and bees and butterflies twirling about on those long winter days we experience in the north.  With another 6 inches of fresh snow that fell last night, totaling over two feet of snow in a weeks time, stitching flowers in the garden in between shoveling helps me recoup my strength for the next snowfall as I enjoy sitting by the fire.

fresh new snow that fell while we were sleeping

Maybe this weekend if the sunshine appears again we will have a chicken barbeque on the grille and enjoy the brilliance of the glistening snow as I imagine which garden flowers will be the first to appear as I await Springtime in New England.

Godspeed, and thanks for reading my blogpost ~ Hope all is well with each of you
mary 

Registration open...

May 16, 2016

Quilters are in for a real treat

Shawkl has a "new" class

Registration open until Tuesday May 18.

Hello fellow quilters!  Have you been looking for a class to take?  or someone new to learn from?  Looking to make projects small enough to complete so you don't increase your stash of UFO's? 

My Crazy Quilting mentor, Kathy Shaw, is doing something totally new for us in blog land classes.  She is hosting a "traditional quilting" class where everything is done within a private blog from your computer.   No classes to drive to, you can do your assignments at your own pace.  And get this... she teaches them to her students for "FREE".  I know... almost unheard of today :)

Her name is Kathy Shaw and she is one of the "BEST".  Kathy is devoted to her family, an Author, and even has taught in college.  She encourages her students, will critique your work, and finds creative ways to help you learn something you may not know how to do, over the internet with words and photos, and for the one that may get stuck on an assignment or technique, she has been known to phone call you to help walk you through it...  I know - isn't that ever so kind.

You can chat with other quilters from around the world, how cool is that :)  You have access to see other gals projects too, as you encourage and inspire one another with your words and work.    If you are a self starter, as you need to work at your own pace and want to 'learn' some tips and techniques that may be new to you, or to have a refresher on some things you thought you knew but after class is over you now know better, and have fun in a quilt group from your own home you may want to register.  

You will need to know how to use a blog and upload photos.  You also may want to acquire a 3 ring binder, as Kathy's classes in the past are full of PDF's she allows you to download and print for personal-use-only so the learning continues as you complete each new assignment.

Today is Monday morning, and registration is open through Tuesday May 18 at Midnight Alabama time :)   Kathy Shaw is from the south in United States of America, alas, with blog-land we miss out on her accent (if she has one), but we get to enjoy her southern hospitality as she welcomes us into her home and life for the few months over the course of this class.

 I registered as soon as I saw class with Kathy was in session once again!  Maybe see you in class. Read more about it at the following link...

http://www.shawkl.com/2016/05/open-registration-for-new-class.html

Godspeed,
mary

Crazy Quilt Class Registration is OPEN ~ through March 18

If anyone is interested in learning how to create crazy quilt blocks from a Fantastic Teacher, my CQ teacher Kathy Shaw has opened her online class once again.  And get this, she teaches it for free, as she loves crazy quilting and wants to share the joy of crazy quilting with each of you.

Registration is open for such a short time, here is the link to get registered.
http://www.shawkl.com/

Happy Quilting Everyone ~

February ~ time to display Hearts and Feathers

Oh how I enjoyed creating this Valentine Celtic Hearts and Feathers quilt in the Free Motion Quilting Technique on my home sewing machine.   I created this quilt following online instruction from quilter Leah Day.  

I loved it so much I made two of them, and gave one to my oldest daughter.  It was a delightful surprise when I went to visit her earlier this month,  to see her quilt was hanging and part of her holiday decorations on her front door.  Oh, I should have taken a photo of her door.   I will have to ask her to do that and send me one to post.

Thanks Leah, still enjoying this quilt I made with you some time ago.

A finish from Kathy Shaws class

I am so excited to have a project finished and hanging... it has been sometime since I last posted.  

I have been taking Kathy Shaws Crazy quilting classes on the internet; I am a newbie crazy quilter having only dabbled a bit creating few crazy quilted projects before meeting up with Kathy.  I hope you are inspired and maybe even encouraged to try this art form of needlework so I will share with you what I am learning. 

The first photo is of a practice piece of muslin I created from her dyeing classes; I believe we were using acrylic paint turned into dyes for this piece....  I have to tell you my dyed fabric pieces did not look like anyone elses in the class and boy I wondered where I would take this piece of fabric...

The second photo is taken in my backyard by a yard decoration set-up I created for our 5th annual Fanslau Family Fun Fall Festival.  This huge pumpkin is a table painted orange and the green stem is a gardeners/prayer warriors kneeling pad.  The framed project is from Kathy Shaws class 107 on silk ribbon embroidery of small gardens; again this is my practice piece I learned silk ribbon embroidery on .... I put the two assignments from class on the one piece of work and of course added a few extra details like a village with a church, mountains, lighthouse, waterfall and gristmill, pathways, etc.   I wanted to include critters and such, but it is time to take another class, so calling this one completed, maybe I will include some novelty pins later on.  I learned so much about what to do and not to do while working on this project...

The third photo is the framed piece hanging in my home; the dimensions of the project inside the navy blue border is  10  1/2 inches high x 11  1/2 inches wide piece.... hmmmm, pretty happy with this practice piece and thought I would share it with all of you - hope it brings someone a little bit of inspiration and encouragement to give these classes a try.  Learned so much from Kathy Shaw... so grateful Kathy for your investment in me with these art forms, classes and encouragement.

Now a note about Kathy Shaw... one lovely generous lady who has learned these art skills with a hearts desire to pass on her knowledge to others...  check out more about Kathy Shaw on her blog...

http://www.shawkl.com/

Godspeed,
mary

Grandson Quilt ~ Row by Row

Grandson Quilt Front ~ row by row

 

 

Grandson Quilt Back

      This quilt was made in July 2015 as part of the Row by Row Challenge in the USA and Canada.  Participating Quilt shops are giving away a free pattern (row), you collect as many patterns as you like and create a quilt, row by row.  you must use at least 8 rows.  If you are the first person to bring in a completed, quilted, bound, labeled, quilt to a participating shop you win a prize. I won a fantastic prize from the Golden Gese Quilt Shop ~ thank you so much, I love all my new fabrics :)

      I finished binding this quilt last night, and so excited to share my quilt with all of you.  I used the 11 rows I collected from different places, 10 from USA and 1 from Canada.   My husband and  I enjoy our visits to new quilt shops and I love making purchases of some fine fabrics to bring home.   All the blocks I chose are things our two grandsons ages 3 and 4 enjoy like fishing, tractors, and dragons (in Lake Champlain )  .   It is a two sided quilt, 5 rows on the front and 6 rows on the back.  

2015 FMQC June Pillow with Diane G

What a fun time I had creating this months free motion quilt challenge!   The teacher this month was Diane Gaudynski and I found loads of inspiration within her 2 books.  

My fabric choice was a special piece I recently received from my aunt.  She sent me a box of old handkerchief linens that she has had for years, and what a delight I have had going through them.  

This green one I thought would be perfect for a FMQ feather design, and I have been eager to try Diane's ideas for feathers coming out of a vase.   The white stenciling on this antique linen gave a fantastic design element to work around :)

My finished Pillow Cover , now to go stuff it



My finished Pillow


 

Side view shows the lovely stenciling (or maybe this shape was covered with something, then dyed).

 ~ Thank you Auntie for all the lovely handkerchiefs.   As you see one has become a little quilted piece, others will go in my collection, and others still will become part of Crazy quilting or a part of free motion quilt blocks.

~ Thank you Diane for inspiring us through your works and teaching.

~  Thank you quilt shop gal for creating this challenge for us to be a part of.

Godspeed,
mary