March CQJP Progress

Love the way this turned out

Leaf in progress using buttonhole ; running stitch.

No photos yet of Aunt Mae because I can't find the ones I want to use.

Sort of, Kind of, Almost Done (February CQ Block)

Here are the results of several days of intensive CQ-ing:

This is one of the center blocks in the top row. The two embroidered linen pieces are part of the "frame" for the block in the middle of the quilt. I'm still working that out in my head.

This trim was actually part of a larger piece. Needs more beads!

I hope you can see the details on this trim.I'm very pleased with this.

Here's a better shot.

All these are unedited right from my camera's card because it's getting late & I need to get to work. 

February CQJP Block 2

I'm not quite done with this block - are we every really done? Maybe we just come to a stopping point. Anyway, here are some details I've added since last week. I've really got to move on to March after today. 

I worked on the border around the photo. I'm using a lot of the crocheted trim that was on the linens I used in the cq blocks. Here I added French knots to stretch out the crochet which was a little compressed, I suppose, after all these years. Then I'm putting a bead on the little picot edges. 

This is an idea from the Samples book (which I got through interlibrary loan and is due tomorrow. :-( I will have to turn it in.) More details to go inside the hearts.Handwork is so slow, but so satisfying.

"Hearts" are a major theme in this quilt in case you didn't notice. 

Next Saturday is my birthday AND the sewing expo in Atlanta. I never miss this event and usually wind up staying all day long. It's not far from where I live but it is a good 45 minute drive. But I love it and I'm really looking forward to going again - you can find all kinds of neat stuff there!

I'm off for my morning walk and then an afternoon with my daughters. AFter the Friday storms, it turnd off cold again. 

Have a great day, everyone.

Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative - March Auction

I'm happy to see AAQI quilts has sold. The March Auction is in full swing - please go over and bid on a quilt.  You know the story - AAQI raises money for Alzheimer's Research. Consider buying one of these beauties, make a donation. buy a gift certificate for someone. You already know what a worthy cause it is! You can see a wonderful slide show of all the quilts up for auction here.

Become a Patron of Our Art: get the details here.

Help me reach my goal of $1,000 raised for AAQI and BUY MY QUILT!

$704,000 raised so far!

Saturday Yard Sale

Welcome, visitors from Quiltville! The storms missed us last night, for which I'm truly grateful.

I'm participating in the Saturday Yard Sale at Bonnie's Quiltville. Thanks, Bonnie, for hosting again.

I've just got a few things. Shipping will be first class mail unless you prefer another way, let me know.

What you see here are pieces of tshirts cut into strips and blocks, intended for making quilts. I did make a few and they were really wonderful (you can see one here) although they did not sell.  I serged the blocks together and Debra S. quilted them directly to polyester fleece. They washed and dried beautifully. I wound up giving those we made for gifts and to family. They loved them, they just didn't want to pay for them! ;-)

  This is all from recycled tshirts, washed and cut into different sizes. Most are strips about 6" by the width of a large or X Large shirt. I bought the biggest sizes I could find. The colors are really nice. The last bag is the neck bindings which I refer to as "t shirt droppings." :-) I keep telling myself I'm going to do something with it, but I know better. I'd just like to clear it out. 

$10 for the lot, plus shipping.

Any questions, please email. Last time I had quilt binding for sale but didn't get any made this time. However if you are interested, I LOVE making binding, will be delighted to make up some for you. Just let me know. I can make binding til the cows come home. I know a lot of you really hate that part of quilting, so let's talk...

February CQJP block

February CQJP block - not finished but well on its way

This is Polly's block. She was Mom's second oldest sister, and lived to be 94. She outlived her son by a few months, and was the next to last sister to pass away. I think she just got tired of being the one left behind. She had a great outlook, was a terrific cook, artistic, and could do a mean Charleston - which she did every year at the family Christmas party.

I love this picture of my Aunt Polly

Heart detail

Another little detail

I'm still pondering this block. I'm slow, I admit it. I'm also holding off a little until next weekend when I go to the sewing expo here in Atlanta and see what they have. Last year I bought some cute things there that were not expensive. I just want to get it right.

Next CQ block:

Ella Mae

This is Aunt Mae's Block. She was the aunt I was closest to. We moved in with her in 1952, when my grandmother became too ill to be left alone during the day. Both pictures are of Aunt Mae and my grandmother, Malvie Lee Hawkins. The picture on the right was taken just before my grandmother died. Can you believe she was only 65 in that picture?

AAQI for February

February AAQI.

I had a lovely machine embroidery from Debra  which inspired this quilt. The silks were given to me years ago. After the Atlanta Olympics - when local quilters donated quilts to the athletes - we also donated small quilts to the Japanese Olympics that winter.  Everyone who donated a quilt received several pieces of beautiful kimono silk from our Japanese counterparts. I've had those pieces all this time, and they seem to really complement the embroidered piece. Then, I have all this dupioni silk - or had, since I've used a lot of it. Holy cow does that stuff ravel! I replaced all of the binding once; then a portion of it yet again. In the process, one of the "fast finish triangles" that I use for hanging the quilt got turned down and I stitched over it, then had to do that over. Not at my best under pressure! The lace is from a vintage jabot I found at an antique place in Woodstock years ago. Depending on your definite of "vintage", this little quilt probably qualifies, because almost all of the materials are at least 20 years old, or older!

Here's a detail from my February cqjp block.  If I say I've had that button for years, you'll probably barf but it's true. I rarely throw anything out. I've got small scraps of fabric that go back 30 years. I drew a circle intending to do something quite different, then decided to use the flower pot button. Still it helped me keep my perspective on the flower placement. They're not too helter skelter I hope.