Five Shadows

This is my one finish for the month of May with OPAM sponsored Peg and Kris. This is a year long challenge to finish at least one project a month and then post it  on your blog. Of course if you are making more than one project a month, you share those as well. I’ve had a very slow month.

I bought this pattern from vendor Kaye Moore, while at the International Quilt Festival, Chicago, in April.

I changed it up just a bit by hand stitching yo-yo hearts to the background fabric and free motion stitching the saying.

I really love how this turned out! I am not a hand embroiderer, so I’m very tickled by my attempt at those french knots! This was playing and I hope to do more, learning hand embroidery!  The idea to free motion machine stitch the saying came from Rebecca Sower’s red thread sessions. Altho I have done free motion quilting, I’d never done free motion writing, but once I saw Rebecca’s session # 3, I knew that was how I would apply the saying for this project. (Thanks for the inspiration Rebecca!) And the last bit about this piece is the fabric is all from a swap/challenge hosted by Melissa of Ardea’s Nest. 8 of us swapped fabric and then use a piece of each of the fabrics in one project. I used the fabrics to make the heart yo-yos. Thanks for hosting the sawp/challenge Melissa! It was fun being a part of it and I’m just plain-o tickled with my piece!

And, I just kept playing with the hearts – this piece is not finished yet. I know, I need to learn some other embroidery stitches.

(Photography by Noel Schutt. Thanks son!)

Happy New Year all!  2010  A new decade!

I’m not doing a ‘resolution’ this year, not even claiming a word or phase to live by for the new year. Last year I decided to live ‘guilt free’ by not taking on projects that I really did not want to do – by not letting people ‘guilt’ me in to doing things, and I can say I’m pleased with how the year turned out!

Here are some of the things I did take on and am pleased with the results: participated in Swaps hosted by Creative Lenna,  took part in Lisa’s One World One Heart project, hosted a five day quilting retreat for 20 some ladies with two other friends, directed the planning and hosting of a formal dance (the kids call it a prom) for 179 teens, taught Sunday School for 5 year olds for two months (what a fun age!), organized a canvas bag swap with a group of 12 quilting friends (results should be up soon, this ended up being a true challenge just getting the bags swapped out!), went on a summer quilting retreat with 4 friends (that was a blast!), offered a generosity project, organized an on-going community service class for the teen group, moved one adult child out and one back home (the eldest ran out of money while in grad school – he is responsible and this is only temporary – that is   what I keep telling myself! LOL!), helped a friend organize her house, pack and prepare to move to SC. I signed up with the paper/cloth group with Belinda (but alas, have not enjoyed the process – ME, not the group! I love looking at what they have created!), took part in 3 Creative Studios BOM.  That’s the list I can come up with  for last year. I’m thinking it looks pretty good!

For the New Year, I’m continuing the 3 Creative Studio (3 CS) BOM, have signed up for the 3 CS Quilt Challenge (first word for the challenge was revealed today!), have promised to teach two months of 5 year old Sunday School, will join the One World One Heart Project, am planning another formal dance for the teen group, and have joined a collage group. Tis it for now!

But lurking in the background is a possible out of state move. My hubby’s job ends in mid-May. Who knows where we will end up!

I hope you will all have a prosperous, guilt-free, and happy New Year!

This little quiltie will be added to a butterfly theme canvas bag as a pocket. I used Lumiere paint by Jacquard in turquoise and plum. This is for a friend who loves purples and all things glitter. So I decided to try the Lumiere paint as a base, then stenciled the butterfly and leaves, coloring them in with fabric markers. I added a turquoise selvage edge, several ribbons and a button. In the upper left corner, can you read the word ‘charmed’ on the selvage? That word suits my friend!

This Altered Canvas bag swap should be winding down about now – bags are due back to their owners in September. But I have not seen the 11 bags I’m to work on! Looking over my past posts, I think I have only received and worked on 8 bags! Yikes! I wonder who is holding them up? I have three more bags to work on….

I sent this little 12″ square quiltie off in the mail yesterday to meet the deadline for Lenna’s Fabric Technique Swap. The idea behind the swap was to try out some new-to-you techniques. I had planned a go at needle felting, but then my last issue to Belle Armoire arrived in the mail. I used Roberta Morgan’s technique for using alcohol inks on fabric – pages 40-43. Great article and a fun, simple technique! I also did hand stamping, foil, beading, and free motion quilting.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year! I’ve been reading my favorite blogs and the topic of New Year’s resolutions are popping up all over. Not uncommon for this time of the year! I particularly like what Calamity Kim had to say about shutting the door on 2008 and getting on with 2009! I guess she has done just that (thank you Kim!) because 2009 did appear right on time, just like we hoped for! And I read Pokey’s blog (Clothe Paper Scissors & Quilting Arts editor – my two fav magazines!) and entered her giveaway. Her resolution is to “keep it simple.” My dear husband and I talked a bit about resolutions and he thought he’d go with the “lose 25 pounds” type. I suggested he change that to “go for walks several times a week with my wife” and he would not have the guilt of NOT losing weight, but would actually see a weight loss because we are out walking together. Both of us would benefit! My resolution is to “live guilt free” this year. I tend to let myself get involved in things because of the guilt factor. Things I don’t want to do, but do anyway, because of what I think people expect from me. THAT is a silly way to live one’s life! I want to create more and see where that leads. I ran across the Creative Everyday blog and thought that was such a good idea! It is a challenge to create something everyday but in a way that sounded like no pressure. Creating could include cooking, singing, doodling, etc. I got to thinking, by Leah’s definition, I do create every day. Bye-bye guilt for thinking it has to be some form of art or craft! I cook from scratch, I lite candles, I like simple center pieces, I often sing in the shower, and I do even make it to my sewing table to create. I enjoy a walk in our backyard garden and I occasionally will sketch something I see. I guess I do more creating than I thought! So “living guilt free” will be my 2009 catch phrase!

What about you? Do you have a word or phrase, or resolution to live by for 2009?

I wanted to show the quilties I received from the Shades of Forest Swap hosted by Lenna. But for some reason I can not figure out, I can not get them to load properly in my post. They are all so pretty! You can see all the quilties on Lenna’s blog – follow the above link. Lenna will be hosting new swaps in 2009! Do consider joining! And I’ll try figuring out how to post the pictures.

Oh such lovely pieces of Sunshine have arrived in the mail for me to enjoy! These are from the swap I participated in hosted by the ever Creative Lenna. We each made four 6″ quilties and received four different quilties back.

Pacific Sunset by Kiki Finlayson

By Beverley Teichrob

By Wil Opio Oguta

Sunflower Time by Vickie Jones

I received my lovely set of row houses in the mail September 8th from Lenna’s swap. Houses are from Vickie Jones who made an ever-so-clever Winnie the Pooh tree house, Joanie Hoffman created a cottage in purples and pinks, Lisa Mallette (Studiorose) created the sunbathing beauty, Teri Calia (catnip designs) created A Taylors House – the lovely gold one, and Janice Perkin created the tall thin dream house. Thank you ladies! I love them all.

Row House Swap

Today I will ship my Shades of Sunshine quilties to Lenna for the swap. Here is the second design I created. You can see the first design here. I made three of each design. Four will go to ladies participating in the swap, one is for Lenna and one is for little ol’ me. I hope everyone receiving them likes them. I think I’m putting too much pressure on myself by not getting them completed earlier and in the mail in a more timely manor!

I’m looking through pictures my son took while in Sweden this summer. And they have me thinking of the next swap, Shades of Sunshine, I must get busy on as it is due later this month.

These pretties are heading to Lenna for her Row House Swap. When I first read about the house swap, for some reason beeskeeps/beehives popped into my head. After all, a hive is a house for bees, right? I shot off a note to Lenna to ask what she thought and she replied in a general email to all participants saying, “Sharon asked, “Do the houses have to be the shape of a conventional house? For example, I’m thinking a beeskeep is a “house.” Any size or shape as long in the range of 1- 3 ½” wide and 2-5” high, including the roof are the rules, so I think that could work, Sharon!”

I know that these houses may not be what the other ladies are expecting. but I do hope they will like them as much as I enjoyed creating them! The base for the house is a chipboard Christmas tag which I painted with gesso and craft paints. Then I added torn paper to give the woven basket shape to the hive and embellished with bees and stamping.

And here is a picture of the back of two houses. I made six, so Lenna can have one. Thank you Lenna for another wonderful swap!