It's precariously close to September.....

and I've just a few minutes ago finished my August Sisters' Ten blocks of the month.   It was a whirlwind morning getting just the right scraps together for these two Old Maid's Puzzle blocks.  You see, I like to use what's on hand for my sampler blocks and these turned out to be two of my favorites.

I'm not sure if these are Kaffe Fassett or Brandon Mably fabrics....either way, couldn't go wrong.  Their fabrics are divine. 

 

Bring on September!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geli Plate Printed Fabric ~

It's simply the life!
To get up in the morning
And paint fabric. 

I've been searching for just the right fabric to go with my string of pearl for my next table runner when all the while, it was right at the end of my paint brush!

 

From start to finish: 

 

Gather materials......white fabric prepared for dying

geli plate

acrylic paint

paper or plastic plate

paint brush

brayer

water

I protect my work surface with a piece of freezer paper, but any surface cover will do.

 

In plastic plate, squirt a dab of acrylic paint.

Since I wanted  the outcome to be a really muted gray, I added lots of water to my black paint and mixed with my brush.  Then,

 

 

with loaded brush, painted over the geli plate.  Because the brush was large and the paint was very watered, I got gray water drops just to my liking. 

 

 

 Now, lay your fabric right side down on the geli plate and roll the fabric with your brayer to get these results!  Need more painted fabric, just do it again.  When the fabric is dry, press with the hottest iron your fabric will stand to set the paint.   I'm using cotton, so hottest hot is okay. 

 

My painted fabric is a perfect blend with some off-the-quilt-store-shelf fabric I had on hand.

 

There you have it.....a table runner project in the bag for quilt retreat in mid-September.  There'll be more projects gathered before I get the final packing done, but this is a start! 

 

 

 

 

a laugh out loud moment

If this won't make you laugh out loud, nothing will. 

 

Commiserate or get up and at 'em?

I've been self-commiserating because of lack of enough time.....while all the time, I had all the time I needed.

I just needed to get back on track, stop floundering and

Unlock the door to find my creative room

 

 

Get organized

 

 

Follow the right path and stay focused

Now, I'm getting somewhere and decided to work on the improv log cabin that's been unfinished on the design wall for weeks! 

and my improv curve blocks

and that improv whole cloth quilt that's going to be full of life and color.  Malka Dubrawsky with a little Kaffe Fassett - that's what's happening here. 

Commiserating:  to feel or express sorrow or pity for.  No, not any more. 

Lots to do yet but at least I've pulled myself out of the pity party which in itself has given me more time! 





 

A Lyric to Live By: SugarLand

Haven't done much picture-taking lately.....but it seemed appropriate for a lazy summer Friday to rev up and post to my "Lyrics To Live By" series.   We drove over to Vicksburg last week and I was snapping pictures as we crossed over.  In between bridge spans, I got this one. 

 

Under the Lone Star Quilt ~

I'm delighted to be finished with my lone star quilt top.  After all four borders were added, it was a delightful 74" square. 

If you haven't....you should use Quiltsmart printed interfacing.  I could/would never have finished the star without it.   Once you get it, you get it.   Just fuse each rectangle, fold and sew on the line.  The intersections match effortlessly!  Really! 

And then, of course, each quilt top must have a quilt back.  I had plenty of fabric, just not enough yardage of one kind.  Not a problem in this sewing room.  I just took the three fabrics I thought would blend to make just the perfect back for my lone star, arranged and re-arranged until I was satisfied with the design, then sewed all 49 blocks back together. 

Now, it's ready to go to my favorite longarm machine quilter.  Yahoo 'til the cows come home. 



 

An August Quilter's Calendar

Okay, already....I know it's mid-August; however, since the month isn't totally over, I decided to get off my quilter's butt and make my monthly quilter's calendar.

Using a picture of Debbie's modern quilt - the one she brought and bragged about to the Piney Hills....Ruston, Louisiana....quilt guild meeting this month.  Love, love, love it!

 

 

 I had to do a little twisting and shouting to get this one put together in Debbie's red, white and black color scheme.  But, hey....that's what photoshop photo altering is all about. 

 

 

 

I'm a BOM addict

.....and I confessed just this past month that I participate in four BOM's  - one of which just ended.  Sew, Mama, Sew! and Pile O' Fabrics collaborated for a big, modern  block of the month and I just had to do it.  Here is block No. 6, Pandora's Box....all 25 inches of it!

And here it is together with the first five blocks.  I'm loving it!  I love it Big and Modern and almost Finished.   The borders have been selected, but not yet sewn on.  I'll update as sewing and photography and time allows. 

 

 

But for now, I'm on the road again.....heading to Vicksburg to enjoy the day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Being Creative....Ira Glass

I loved this message.  A very 'in my face' reminder that what I do today is making me and my work better.









 

Just zip it!

My mother always said....."if you can't say anything nice, then just zip it!"

Well, I have lots of nice things to say about Mary this morning.  She knows I love to make zippered pouches. 

 

 

So, when Mary found this box of zippers while working at her church's garage sale, she grabbed them up for me. 

 

I've spent the morning sorting and measuring.

I'll be zippered for a while!

Thanks, Mary. 

 

 

 

 

 

Roll out those days~

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

Those days of soda and pretzels and beer

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

You'll wish that summer could always be here

                                          Nat King Cole

So, the bump is a boy!

What's his name?  The HUmAn of the house is more news aware than I, so each morning I ask....hey....what's his name?  And HumAN doesn't know yet.  Do you? 

 

Here at home, I  asked Herman and he doesn't know ~  

 

 out in the country, the bloodhound and the bro don't know ~

on the lake, the cob and pen are curious....talking about the newborn ~  but his name?

No, we don't know.

On the street.....We haven't a clue ~ May be William, Charles, or Baby Blue Eyes. 

 

In front of the mirror ~ Mirror, mirror on the wall tell your secrets to us all ~

What we do know is that the bump, now the boy is giving the royal family something to crow about. 

So, what's his name? 

 

I wanted real flowers, but that didn't happen ~

I wanted flowers this morning.....but, it's too hot to pick them from the garden!  Nothing like instant gratification - sketches in Photoshop. 





The Vase No. 1

 

 



The Vase No. 2




 

Big Quilt Block Love

Playing favorites today.  But then my favorite quilt block is always the one I just finished!   Thanks to Pile O' Fabrics and Sew, Mama, Sew! I have completed BOM #5...."Like Rain" and it is by far my favorite.  I love the simplicity of it and it was oh, so easy to construct using a Jay McCarroll Center City fabric as my focus. 

It looks great with the first four blocks.....just one more to go. I plan on sewing my six blocks together for a big block sampler quilt.  But, I think I will go back to No. 5 and make at least four of a kind to make just the perfect modern baby quilt.  More on that idea later! 

 

Since I've used the Kona Snow on three of my sampler big blocks, I'll need to find a different  background for August's BOM 6 to tie this lap quilt together. 

 

 

 

YES, I CAN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- And I blog too

In conversation the other day I told a new acquaintance and scrapbook-er that I blogged.  She said she couldn't blog, she wasn't interesting enough.  And I've thought about her saying that ever since and I'm asking myself:  "Am I interesting enough to blog?"

I have a passionate interest in quilting.....quilting of any type.....art quilts, modern quilts,  traditional quilts.  Does being passionate about my quilting make me interesting enough to blog? 

And I love puttering around in my back garden.  Relaxing in the swing room. 

or watching the bumblebee gather pollen from the flowering sage in my herb garden,

and the elephant garlic heads following the sun,

 

 

 

or just pondering over the clay pots... wondering what flora I should use.

 

 

But does being an avid gardener make me an interesting blogger?

 

And I enjoy a bit of traveling

around town

 

and in the country

 

But does being a traveler an interesting person make I? 

 

 

Oh, people....how I love to watch people.....but am I as interesting as this barber? 

 

 

or these folks waiting for the chef to open the restaurant door.  Would being among these interesting-looking people help me be a more interesting blogger? 

 

 

 

My good friends thread-sketched on fabric art cards took a vote and unanimously they agreed that while I can't always carry on an interesting conversation with adult or child 

 my imagination makes up for the lack of this social skill. 

It's agreed upon by the non-verbal members of the household  that one doesn't have to be interesting

to blog! 

 

I appreciate their quietly non-spoken vote of confidence!!! 

and I blog too

 

 

Eugenia

  

Molly

 

 

Peaches

 

 

Priscilla Lee

 

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 

Satchie Claudine

Sara Jane 

Willie May