Marty's Fiber Musings

Photography Tutorial

Every now and then I find a tutorial worth viewing....this was one of them. Some quick tips to capture beautiful photos in a simple garden setting. Short length - you won't get bored.

Halloween

Some days are just too good to be true. Uninterrupted fun - thrown in with an extra cup of coffee and here's what you get.

Vest front

And just as much a delight on back

The cat's meow - this little purse

Just August, you say. The new school year is about to start, then will come the ballgames and fairs and before we know it, the holidays will begin in earnest...beginning with All Saints Day - yes - that's Halloween. And, I'm ready!
Or is Halloween the eve of All Staints Day??? Anyway...Both the vest and purse were pre-printed patterns (vintage unknown)....all I had to do was cut and sew. All in a mornings work. Friends and friends of friends got together last week and divided friends of friend's fabric. I came home with this piece.

....and this piece of fabric which I put into a donation quilt. Our quilt guild donates lots and lots of quilts each year for children in need. Hopefully this one will bring joy to a child on a cold winter day.

And, I found this cuddle buggy bug fleece on sale and whipped up two baby quilts to complete my donation quilt project.

Dearest is out taking care of family, so while he's away, me and the cats do play!!

New Quilt Top

I love it when I get so energized to start a new quilt top. Twiddle Tails started the "Geese in the Forest" block of the month and I downloaded most of the patterns. I had already missed the first two before I found Twiddle Tails so I drafted my own blocks to fill in. Now have 29 of these little paper pieced beauties completed. I've already 'done the math' only 71 to go.

Block 1 - Goose Bumps - Make 6

Block 4 -In Formation - make 13

Block 3 - Triple Tree - make 10

It will have the scrappy look but will be predominately aqua and orange. Aqua and orange - now that's a good thing!

Recycle

I've taken recycling to a higher level.

My community - no not just my community - my city, my state, my part of the country - seems not to be concerned about trash and recycling. About ten years ago the city allowed a recycle company to come in with a large dumpster for our paper products disposal. That lasted about 6 months, then it just disappeared without explanation. So now even our paper has to go to the dump. Dearest and I pick up the trash dumped by the city when its trash and garbage trucks run each week. They are definitely sick of the trash in the trash truck, 'cause when it hits the streets, it's left there.

Oh, well, enough whining. I can't make it go away but I can do my part here at home. We had to replace our chipper/shredder last week. Our first one just bit the dust. I can reduce mounds and mounds of yard clippings down to a very small pile which composts beautifully in a matter of months. Great recycled nutrition for the garden beds.

About the same day the shredder died, so did my under-the-sink-kitchen compost bin. My first one lasted for about 15 years, so I guess I can truthfully say it served me well. Now have a new bin to reserve all my veggie peels to go outside to the compost pile.

I've been reading lately that our aquifer level is rising. I understand that this means as the fresh water table rises, salt water fills the space which will never allow that space to go back to fresh water. I know this is a very simplistic explanation but in my simplistic mind, this means that unless we do something to reduce the rising fresh water level, we WILL be using salt water in the not to distant future. Again, I want to do my part to help save our water, so I'm thinking...

I remember when visiting the San Francisco area back in the 1980's, they were experiencing a severe drought. I must admit that the first time I heard "If it's yellow, let it mellow..... If it's brown, flush it down" I was amused. But folks lived by that rule or got fined. So I've started practicing that discriminate method of disposing. Dearest immediately banned me from HIS toilet seat!!

So, I took recycling to another level this week. Here are my little booklets made from recycled saltine and cereal boxes. No, not my idea, but I wish I had thought of this.

The cardboard of one cracker box made 4 little booklets

And a cereal box was transformed into two booklets that measure 4" x 7". They are hummming a little tune - I'm too handy for my purse!

This is a free project, compliments of Two Creative Studios. Thanks, Sue Bleiweiss, for sharing this little project with me. So much fun. I chose to piece together strips of fabric from my piles of scraps to cover my little booklets.

Photos on Fabric, Note Cards, Thread Painting

Was a busy Sunday afternoon....and yes, I do have my personal favorites.

First, I printed a photo on fabric and stitched that on a canvas tote bag. Gives it much more personality.

Then got out the paints to make more note cards.
First stamped the cardstock....let paint dry, then with pigma ink pen, sketched the dandelion!

Another stamp, another dandelion....

Peach dandelion. Why not?

Did I ever tell you I think orange is a neutral?

Nothing better than a blue dandelion...

My watercolor note cards make me smile.

Then, it was back to the sewing machine for some thread painting. I haven't named her yet. It takes me a few minutes after their birth to see what name fits the personality. Would never name a child before it is born.

And, finally back to flowers....little inchies all stitched into orange fabric. Now, how should I arrange these?

Dinner was carry out!! Hope your day was also fun filled.

row of little white cabins

row of little white cabins
Originally uploaded by shebrews

I've reserved cabin #3 - I can leave immediately if it's available!!
I just love this little cabin series I found at shebrews flickr

cabin number four

cabin number four
Originally uploaded by shebrews

I want to be here. I've already called about reservations! Isn't this the best little art quilt.

Santa Claus

I found this quilt yesterday....actually, it was never lost!! But sometimes the large ones are so much trouble to take pictures of, I just stick them back. This is when I wish I had a professional photographer to come in and 'just do it'. Each Santa depicts his different loves of life....All are needle turn hand applique and it is custom quilted. And it's big at 66" x 92".

Santa provides for the Cardinals.....

And the butterflies and bees....

In the flower garden....

The delicious red apples are ready for harvesting...

Santa says yum yum....

He just dug these Calla Lily bulbs to share with all of us....

Am I thinking of Christmas in July??

It's A Scrappy 'Lil Doll Quilt

Met the challenge....It only measures 18" x 18". I think it's a "Put On A Happy Face" doll quilt.

You simply must click to enlarge pics to appreciate my talent...(eye roll)

The pink and green were scraps from the backs of other quilts. I've had the gold around so long, can't remember which quilt I used it in.. I was given 2 1/2" strip of kid fabric and had no clue how I would ever use it until this challenge was thrown at us by Tracy. Free motion quilted in a variegated green thread. This little quilt gave me a chance to practice my quilted hearts. I really heart this scrappy 'lil doll quilt. A fun challenge and the back was as much of a challenge as the front.

This little quilt joins another of my doll quilts of the past.

I just took a great little floral print and outline quilted in each flower. It's the binding that sassed it up a notch.

Oh yes, and here's how I used up more of that pink fabric....a birthday purse for the six year old niece, Maysen-Grace. (Don't you just love her name?) Oops, I forgot to picture the lining....that's where I used the pink that is also in the doll quilt. But you get the picture (don't you?)

Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston Collaborate

Want a chance at a Freddy Moran/Gwen Marston book, just enter to win by leaving a comment HERE. A great collaboration.

Note Cards For Sale

Remember a few posts ago I told you about the stamps I made

Then I stamped on fabric

Well, now I have finally snapped a few pictures of the fabric and put the photos into note cards.

Simple as 1 - 2 - 3.....

If I continue to be super productive, I'll tell you that these note cards are for sale either individually $2.50 each or bundled $2.00 each. Email me at martymason@bellsouth.net to place your order. Any photo on my blog can be made into a note card. They are blank inside and measure 4.25" x 5.5".

xx's and oo's

Marty

Sold the Sunbonnet Sue

I get so excited when I sell one. And this sale was no exception. But, I still have mixed emotions as I box each one for mailing...happy to be rewarded for my labor of love, but sorry that I can never see that quilt again.

Did I have a favorite month? No, not really, but Sue truly enjoyed her April shower.

And, she made a beautiful June bride.

If I don't stop reminiscing, I'll never get this posted. Snap goes the lid...I've said my goodbyes to these little Sunbonnet Sue's all adorned in their wardrobes for each month.

Now to get on with the day. Here are three little mini-flower gardens. I guess these could be called journal quilts. I've read in places that purist journal quilters adhere to a strict 12" x 12". But being the impure person that I am, none of the three meet the journal qualification. I came close on one @ 12" x 12 1/4"!!

The other two are 11"ish by 12"ish. As 'they' say..."close, but no cigar." Good thing I don't smoke. A fun way to while away an afternoon. I stopped counting, but I think I have 4 more in the works.