Post Cards for Sisters and more....

Ive been working on Post Cards to donate to the Wish Upon a Card - associated with the Sisters Quilt Show in Oregon... There is still time if you want to contribute - click the word Sisters for details. Not sure which one or ones will go yet - I am taking these to retreat this weekend so my friends can vote on which ones I should donate...

1. Inspired by Ruby2. Double Cone Flowers3. Color and Line

4. Circle Play

I've also been playing with a technique - inspried by Deborah Boschert. She does this thing called sheer layers - so I tried it out on some postcards for my nephews for their upcoming birthdays... I don't think they read my blog so the cards should still be a surprise but even if they do - Happy Birthday Guys!!.

Last but not least - I made these darling little finger puppets for my niece for her BD - they are done on my embrodery module for my Bernina and then I made a nifty little pocket holder for them. There are 7 in all - Chick, Frog, Racoon, Bear, Shark, Owl and Pig...

Recycled ATC's - I Found Flowers

FAT - is hosting a swap for Fabric ATC's using found objects.... Well this is right up my alley... I love using things that others would pitch in the trash and making something unexpected from them... When this swap popped up on the Yahoo Group earlier this week I went thru the trash bucket in my studio and pulled out these wonderful plastic remnants from button faries -I pulled the leaves off some silk poinsettia for the wings on my fairies and tossed them (shame on me) when I started pulling things out to make the ATC's for this swap the little plastic star shapes caught my eye and whispered flowers... I found a fun and funky batik for the background - did a quick stipple quilt and couched some rescued yarn ( the batting and backing are leftovers from a recent quilt back) and then added the plastic stems with a zig zag stitch... The button centers and yarn are also rescued from boxes of things that were going in the trash @ my previous job @ County Seat Stores.. These little qulities are fun and hopefully will delight my swap partners - too bad I have to wait until March to swap... but I am glad I have them done..

Foot Book and Button Fairies

Here are some pictures of the things I have been working on lately - and its been mostly work and no play...

Button Fairires - for a FAT swap - definitely play and a great creative outlet - not to mention using up some of the STUFF that is in my resource center... (No dent made - ha ha)

FOOT BOOK

Work and alittle play - but fun work - This is a store sample for a class I am teaching at the Bernina Store here in Dallas - it feetures - a hands on class to teach you the many different things you can do with all the presser feet Bernina has for their machines...

This is the cover...

Page 1 - Couching

Page 2 - Free Motion CouchingPage 3 - Circular Embroidery Attachment

This is a 6 month class feeturing a new technique each month - My pages are completed through March - more to come..

New Stuff

Time flys - but finally a minute to post some new creative things:

The holidays bring group gatherings and exchanges - My Friday Night Group - The Grateful Threads - decided that we would exchage house pincushions this year for the holidays -each person made one and we drew numbers to pick our houses.... Here I am the other night acting silly holding all the houses...

This is the house I made - its made from scraps from the book covers I make - I had some constuction issues - but in the end it turned out OK... My friend KF was delighted.

My other group - the Material Girls - decide on a tree theme - and we give to each member of the group - I made each gal a tree journal quilt - 7 in total - including one for me!! Here is mine.

Each are slightly different - but all similar.

Yesterday I tested out the techniques from Gail Garber's book flying colors - on a photo album cover I made for my FIL - we celebrated his 80th BD back in November with a huge party here - the album is filled with photos from that night...

I'm not a paper piecing fan - at all but I do love they abstract effect of the distorted geese and the possibliites this techinque can offer.. I think another bookcover is in order - to test the techniques further before I make class samples....

ATC's in Fabric

I started making ATC's this year with leftovers from other projects... And have quite nice collection now and have been able to swap some as well... Teaching a class on how to make these little pieces of ART at the local Bernina Store too.... There is an upcoming swap with my local fiber arts group - there are 11 of one of these ATC's for the swap - which one is a secret until the end of the month.. (opps I mean end of Sept.)

I love making these - a quick creative outlet - and a challenge to make something from things that might otherwise be tossed..

Ruby Dancer

This is Ruby -and a little poem I wrote inspired by her....

Ruby Dancer

Dance through life with your head held high
The wind in your wings will help your spirit fly

Only look down if your feet touch the ground
Dancing is easy if your feet are not bound

The sun will add sparkle as you make your way
Enjoy what you get each and every day

My name is Ruby - a creative muse
Don't loose the spirit whatever you do

I belong to DAFA - and one of the members did a 1x1x1 challenge on her blog - Ruby was inspired by this challenge...

So here are the techniques I used on Ruby - Trash collage background of reds in a similar hue. Free Motion Quilted in a whimsical floral design inspired by the print on a piece of paper from a panty liner. Couched with rescused yarn from my job years ago. Ruby is fused on red felt and then stitched in place. She's dancing on a bed of rescued red sari I picked up at the Dallas Quilt Show this year. I cut the top edge with my wave ruler - just for fun. Subtle bead and sequin embellishments - and a rusted red heart complete the piece.

I really like Ruby - she may have some sisters in the near future....

Delighted!!!!

The exchange is completed - I received this wonderful little mini in the FAT SA Quiltie Trade from Carol B -its 2 sided and wonderfully thread painted... I think I was the lucky one in this trade.... Aren't the little houses darling????