Sunday, August 31, 2008

August Take It Further Challenge

The theme for this month's challenge was "balance".

I was inspired to make this pillow from a few of the quilts I saw at a recent quilt show that sported labyrinth designs.

I know that the labyrinth is sometimes designed and implemented with meditative purposes, and that meditation can be used in the pursuit of balance. I balanced the two sides of the pillow by reversing the colors and tufting it with the same button on each side.

Stitching this was very calming and I enjoy tracing my finger through the design.



Enjoy!
You can click on the pictures for a larger version.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Holy Crap! August is OVER?!?

Man oh man I cannot believe how fast August flew by!
I had better get my ducks in a row. Let's start with the eggs...


Here is the set of pillowcases I made to go with Camas' quilt. I put prairie points along the edge. She loved it!


Jeff needed a flag. The Cat approved of my work.


I went to Quiltfest! It was a blast. I took a class from Shar Jorgenson.
All about the Apple Core and all those curved seams. This is what I made in class.


And this is how I am using it, but more on this later.


There were a ton of quilts I loved at the quilt show, but it was hard to get good pictures of them with all the people walking in front of me...
Here are some of my favorites. Credits below each quilt...

These parakeets looked so real! I could almost hear them chirping!



This one was great, too. If you looked closely, you would see that Granny was wearing fishnet stockings ( quilted on...)!



One of the two crazy quilts in the show.





I loved this one! I already asked for my Dad's ties so I can copy the idea!




At home I am preparing for our move in December and the reality that I won't have my sewing machine for 4-6 weeks while it is in transit...
I am clearing out as many UFO's (unfinished objects) as possible, starting with a stack represented by this small group of lavender sachets.


I made a rosette for an upcoming costume...


My color study round robin square came back, now I have to decide what I want to do with it...


I saw this idea in one of my magazines recently, and put this orphan slipper to good use. It made me a little sad that it is way too small for either of the boys' feet now...


Cute all the same, though!



I pieced a bunch of crazy quilt squares to pack into a kit to take with me on the move, so I won't be without some calming stitching to get me through the foolishness and mayhem of it all. Also I will have something to do in the evenings after the boys go to bed since we won't have a TV, either... (it'll be good for us!)





***Total Spoiler Alert!!! These are for you CAMAS! ***



These blocks are all naked, and I won't show them again until I have already mailed them to Camas, but thought you all would like a peek at them anyway. The figures are a pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. The initial is freehand. Some of the seams still need to be stitched down by hand, so pardon the pins and peeking corners.
You can click on any of the pictures to see them bigger.








I am working on Jimmy's quilt, as seen above. Jimmy picked out all the different greens.


I also pieced a couple of ocean wave -ish squares a couple of weeks apart.
Here is the recent one.

And the first one. I tried to make a diamond secondary pattern but messed it up in one quarter so I turned the rest of them so you couldn't tell...


I also forgot to check if the needle was centered when I stared the second block (it wasn't) so the second one is smaller than the first one with a hair larger seam allowance... I think I will put a narrow border around it and keep it separate from the other blocks...

Now I have to decide which way I want to make the rest of the blocks; to clump in quarters like the second one, try to do the secondary pattern of the first one, or say hell with it and go for scrappy...hmmmm.

I am also stitching away on this month's TIF Challenge... I ran out of the floss I was using and need to pick up more.

Also I am working on a costume for Jeff and Keith's Christmas present. I want to get it done super early since I don't know when in December we will be moving...
check back in a few days to see the challenge piece...