Chinese Checkers - an art quilt

The rules are pretty specific - take this piece of fabric and follow the rules.  The rules say we are to incorporate the fabric given us into a quilt based on the theme "Games People Play."   It's a North Louisiana Quilt Guild fabric challenge and I've thought about this challenge just about all year long and it has just left me baffled.  What game is out there that I could use this fabric in a quilt to exemplify??? I came up with none...as in nada....that means zero....so, now that I'm down to the wire - we meet December 4 with our quilts in hand to meet the challenge - I decided I would let  some of my fabric "speak to me" as "they" say.  My quilt is almost finished....still have to stitch the binding on  and make the label.  To the ungamely out there....this is my idea of

Chinese Checkers!    I'll  proudly display mine among all the real quilted games next Saturday just as if I read the rules correctly (even though slightly misinterpreted).  Hey....it's a game...and the rules say we should have fun with this fabric.

I'm not complaining about quilts for sale!

Getting organized continued....organizing my completed quilts is easy - it's the taking pictures of same that just drives me up the wall.  I'm not complaining about the sunshine, really, but some days it's just too bright and there are too many shadows.  I'm not about to complain about the rain, but.....it does make it difficult to take outside pictures.  So, to help with my picture-taking dilemma, he HuMaN -

made some tall...really tall....poles to suspend a hanging rod through.  Works beautifully with the lighting system he had already devised for me. However....I'm still not complaining, but - being the neat-nik that he is, when not in use, he HumAN, likes to store all this gear in the attic.  Not only is it all out of sight, but also out of reach.   So, I have to schedule a photography session on his calendar.  We did that Sunday afternoon and took pictures of six large quilts!  Yea!... and for sure, I'm not complaining.

I'm also organizing The Blog....I now have a new blog for photography and another one reserved for "for sale" stuff...like big quilts and art quilts and purses and.....well, anything I want to put on the market!  I appropriately named this blog "Marty In Motion."  Check them out.

Getting Organized...one shelf at a time!

Since HuMAn has moved his office into the guest(?) bedroom, I have a little more breathing room so decided to get more organized.  No better way to start than here....all my pasties and sprays, oils and cans of hot air shelved together.  And away we go...one shelf at a time.

Yes, I did take the liberty of altering the photo...see how here!

Great Big Snowball Quilt (or super-duper shoo-fly)

Yep....they are great big snowballs! Black, Red, Lime Green, Pink! It's so easy to blame it all on someone else.  I guess that's the bad girl part of me - but it's true - it's all Malka's fault.  The fabric requirements and directions on how to whip this up are  posted on Sew Mama Sew.   And, Malka has a new book - Color Your Cloth -  it's on my Christmas wish list.

See more of this whimsical eye-catching quilt at Marty In Motion

Spending Time

I've been spending time with Reflections Unfurling.  It's one of my newest blogs that has everything to do with my photography and photo manipulations.  Reflections are truly unfurling day-by-day as I continue in my quest to alter every single photo in my computer albums! 

Here's a little snippet of how I took a photo and came up with something totally unrelated just by cropping.  Some folks think I never sleep....they could be right.  Gotta go...it's time to go play again. 

Do you see the red pepper painting on the wall over Lil's left shoulder?  Well here it is again.  Sorry, Lil, I had to do it!

Christmas Time's a'Coming

An hour later....and there was nine!  It was a sad day for me when I ran out of white-on-black and black-on-white scraps.  I was just hitting my stride making these Christmas hot pads! See previous post....you can make them too.  Sew easy! 

Hot Pad Tutorial

As seen on Esch House Quilts - Love her design for Christmas hot pads.  Mine are much smaller, but I just grabbed the scraps available and started following instructions.  Well.....almost.  Since I love to raw-edge applique, I decided I could constuct the hot pad per instructions, then go back after the layers are turned and applique the trees and tree stumps in place through all layers of the hot pad. 

P.S.:  Mum should be the word - friends and family may see these again!

Changing Spaces

Oh life is full of Sunshine - Tuesday Bees at their best - We gathered at the Walker's home yesterday for sit-and-sew fun, then lunch.  What a great group (picture) is we.....

And now, the fun begins.  Madeleine has the most wonderful, very large, sun room in the rear of her home and I coveted her space!  Matter of fact, I am green with envy.  When I bounced back home yesterday, I made HuMan an offer.....I would give him back his office if he would enclose the back patio for my sewing room.  Well, of course, it was a "no dice" response. 

But the hint of having his own office space back again stayed in the forefront of his brain.  Oh, the power of silent persuasion!  After reflecting a bit, he decided that a move to an unused bed room might be a great plan.   We're going today to look for his new desk and chair.  He'll also need his own printer (we now share).   We'll take one bed out of his new office space so he'll have plenty of room.  Don't want to crowd a generous man!

What does this mean for (clever) me - I can totally rearrange to make the once shared space MINE.  More cabinet, counter top, shelf and floor space....{sigh} and {smile}....and WE can continue to enjoy our back patio as one happy couple!

Miniature Log Cabin Quilted Wall Hangings

"The Road Less Traveled"

 "A Very, Very, Very Nice House"

Hung individually or together....miniature quilted log cabin wall hangings!

See these and more.....HERE!

Maxine Says.....

Gotta Love Maxine!  Hope your weekend was not too exhilarating.....

Website Updated.....

.....to include The Birdhouse Quilt!  I haven't come up with an original name for it yet, so it is simply "The Birdhouse Quilt." But, with or without a proper name, it went up on my website today. 

And here is how I described it:  It's a birdhouse quilt! Black and white polka dots surround six 9" x 14" individually pieced birdhouses. Then there is color.....lots and lots of wonderful, whimsical color. You may want to use this 43" x 63" quilt as a wall hanging or a lap quilt - either way, it will make you smile! Custom quilted by Hannah Marie Lee. $ 650.

Does that aptly describe "The Quilt?"

Patchwork Baby Quilt on Etsy

Just uploaded the baby quilt - it's 20" x 20".  The perfect size to adorn the crib, drag around or wrap around a doll!   Both sides of this baby quilt will delight the eye!

Fabric Art Card - a pretty lady in a smart hat!

 Her name is Ruby Suzanne and she is a thread sketched beauty....if I must say so myself.  Her portrait measures 4" x 6" and it has whimsical yarn attached for hanging on any nail,  door knob or coat hook.  She's available and you may buy now - $15.

Have I told you yet?

.....That I've started a new blog:  Reflections Unfurling...as each day begins and ends.   It's all about  photography and photo altering that is beginning to be a major part of my life.  Notice that I didn't say it was consuming my life....but, has it???  I am one determined person to get every penny's worth out of my camera and photoshop program.....not to mention using up every minute of my alloted awake hours in the next 24!   I'm looking forward to being even more creative with all those pictures.  This blog has a very clean look - no extra side panels so I can use the extra large picture post feature.  Go see...but remember, I've only just begun. 

{Echo} Week 25 - Homestead

A view of my homestead out the rear bathroom window.  I love being home - it's synonymous with safe haven, peaceful feelings and love is in the air.

And here is Autumn's vision of homestead.....

Whimsical....Wool....Purse....For Sale

Eugenia...just a little beauty, says I.  The original thread sketched fabric art card sold way back when, but since I retain the copyrights to my one-of-a-kind works of art, I felt compelled to print her on a fabric sheet and use her picture front and center on my newly constructed wool purse. 

It's a houndstooth grey wool with red check lining, has two inner pockets and metallic snap closure.  11" x 12" with 14" drop in the strap - $45

Toys for kids

Every now and then I do something....well, just because!  And yesterday was that day.  This little stuffed toy needed a quilt.  What I didn't realize when I started this non-sensical project was that 'the quilt' would only be 3 1/2" x 11" or that the little squares would only be 1/2" each, or that it would need a buttonhole.  Heaven forbid - I am not a seamstress.  I had to get my sewing machine book out to see how that gadget worked!  Another "What was I thinking?" moments, for sure.  But it was really worth the effort.  I love that this little guy can wait for Santa in his nice, warm quilt.  Another reason never to throw away fabric scraps.....you never know how small 'the quilt' can be. 

It's all about Blogger's Quilt Festival!

What?  You ask is Blogger's Quilt Festival?  It's Amy's creation and it's in its fourth year.  Amy's Creative Side  loves giving us a chance to view and share.

My entry is a quilt I made a couple of years ago.  I call it "flowers in the wind"....and it's one of my favorites....it just makes me smile.

It's a Teri Christopherson pattern in her book The Best of Black Mountain Quilts.  A local long arm artist, Kay Thode, quilted it for me.  

Do visit Amy's site to see many more quilts and smile with me.....

Marty

Photoshop Addiction!

I'm having too much fun to stop now!  Good Morning to you as well.

Just Round The Corner!

Finally.....got down the knack of rounding photo corners using the round rectangle brush! I'm a little slow.....to say the least!

Pumpkins Galore!

And Along Came A Spider.....and!!

I've really been practicing and improving my photoshop skills....thanks to Kim Klassen's skinny-mini eCourse. The greatest! Yes, I'm smiling.....at my little pretty!

Pumpkins!

While in Seattle last week, I found these pumpkins neatly grounded (displayed) on a counter top in Etta's....a restaurant in Seattle and thought it made just the perfect pre-Halloween picture. It also suits my mood of the day completely! You see, I've grounded myself until I can get a few projects completed! Is that wishful thinking....or what?

To Sell or Not To Sell

I'm making a brave effort to make my sales go faster...easier...free of etsy fees...so will be posting new items here. Guitar flouncy purse is 10" deep and 14" wide with a 14" drop on the shoulder strap....just enough to hang about waist level. It is made of cotton fabric and has a metallic snap closure. $45.00/$5.00 S&H

I'm Energized!

I was so energized to learn yesterday that I've been invited to participate in The Art Quilt Blog. So, naturally, my first post was to showcase a few of my favorite art quilts. Here's one.....but go see more.
















Curated by Chris Daly, The Art Quilt Blog features quilt artists from around the globe. It's new and growing - add it to your favorites/feeds/facebook/twitter....grab this link and post it in your blog.....just spread the energy (translate joy) around.

{Echo} Week 24- Liquid

{Echo} Week 24 - Liquid.....wow! I love my partner's choice of liquid - WATER. Gotta go see Autumn's blog - it's wonderful.



And here is my choice of liquid - LIQUOR.



No - while I do enjoy an occasional glass of wine or an extra dry martini - sometimes a simple scotch and water, oh and can't forget the refreshing sip of gin and tonic (with a twist, of course) - I'm not a liquor lush!

While I was in Seattle last week visiting a friend, I had occasion to have lunch alone. Ann was participating in a seminar which gave me lots of free time to roam Seattle downtown. If you get a chance to go there, then go there. Anyway, back to lunch alone at the Steelhead Diner on Pine and lst Streets, since I didn't have a reservation, my option was to wait....and wait....and wait....or be seated at the bar. I choose to be seated. The bar was right up front with a great window view of the Pike Street Market and the water and rows and rows of liquor bottles. I need this barkeep at home...he was sooooooo tidy!

How timely that I took this picture 'cause when I got back here to my home computer, I discovered that the {Echo} prompt of the week was liquid....and I do consider liquor very liquid.

What did I have for lunch....you ask. A wonderful minimal calorie buttermilk battered fried chicken sandwich with fries. Oh, yes, a tall glass (of water). It was lunch time, remember, and I had lots of shopping yet to do.



When one dines alone....one is allowed to take pictures of just about anything one chooses. Yes, that includes liquor bottles and food - drool!

My time moved south again!

My time changed by two hours last night! I haven't changed with it. What has been 8 a.m. for me the past 10 days is now 6 a.m. My body will adjust someday...but in the meantime, I missed the breakfast hour.

But I didn't miss the opportunity of making this ordinary street corner shot into one I could manipulate into a nice little street corner.
I remember thinking this was a nice blue color on this utility van...why else would I have taken a picture with a blue van as the prominent feature??? When I downloaded all my photos this morning, I was not so impressed with this picture as I should have been. But there is a moral here - never delete a picture until you rethink it! Took some major cropping, but instead of seeing a blue van, I saw a lovely little street corner.

I arrived home safely and soundly - more later after my next nap!