My cat and flowers

Last week was my birthday. Don’t ask how old I am and I will tell you no lies? My daughter took her dad and I out to lunch and gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My cat loves real flowers, he smells them, he taste them and sometimes even eats them. As I was putting flowers in a vase he kept trying to see them. I finally put vase on floor so he could get a closer look and snapped this pictures.

The girls from my quilt group gave me a surprise birthday party also. Chocolate cake and punch. I was totally surprised.

Lemonade Recipe

I love lemonade and can drink it anytime of day, winter and summer. Here is the recipe that I use. I like mine a little weaker than recipe calls for so I add at least ½ cup more water. I buy several lemons at the time and let them ripen good for at least a week setting out on my counter. I use a spoon and pull as much pulp from lemon after I squeeze lemons. You will be surprised at how much lemon juice is still in lemons. ************************************************************************************ 2 Large lemons. 1 Cup sugar. 4 Cups water. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice from. Add sugar and water to container and stir until sugar is dissolved. The quilt top I used for background is one that I am sewing by hand. I have the top made and now need to put the border on and then quilt. It is a simple nine patch but will have flowers appliquéd on.

Fabric post cards

It has been some time since I made post cards. I was looking at pictures that I had printed on fabric and decided to make a few new ones. One of my nieces had two little love birds and this reminds me of them. They was so cute and the female kept laying eggs but non of them ever hatched. For all the girls that love horses. These are for sell on my artfire site.

Butterfly

I'VE watched you now a full half-hour; Self-poised upon that yellow flower And, little Butterfly! indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. How motionless!--not frozen seas. More motionless! and then What joy awaits you, when the breeze Hath found you out among the trees,And calls you forth again! William Wordsworth, “To a Butterfly”

Legend of the butterfly; which have no voices-when released , they rise to heaven and whisper our wishes to God.

Cat pillow

This is one of my favorite vintage pictures of a cat. I have used picture on several different items that I have made in the past. I made this small pillow last year. I had forgot about pillow and had it stored in a cabinet alone with several quilts and other pillows. I have made several larger quilts using the elk design. I decided to make a smaller version of quilt. Nice Northwest design. fit right in.

moose pillow

One of my favorite animal themes to use is the moose. I have made quilts, aceo's, pillows and many other items with the moose.

I have seen only three wild moose in the wilds. One day a moose crossed in front of our car to the other side of road. After she got to other side she stopped and looked back. Out of the tall weeds came this cute as a button baby moose. Of course no one had a camera with them so only have memory 's of mama moose and her baby.

Pillow is listed on my Artfire site.

Making pillowcases

Several months ago we had a class on making pillowcases at my quilt group. Maybe they will teach how to make sheets for my bed next.

I have been making new pillow cases for my family. They are a lot of fun to make with all the beautiful fabrics that you can buy now. I put two pillow cases on my Artfire site and will list more later.

New lavender sachet

Two new lavender sachets on my Artfire site.

Getting accident prone!

In the past two weeks I have had more accidents. I usually am not accident prone but now I am wondering. First I was walking down my front steps and stepped wrong and twisted my ankle. So hobbled around for a week. Second I was putting my cat on my bed and his back claws scratched my arm. A few days later I was helping my cat get in the window and his back claws scratched my arm again. Now I have two lovely scratches side by side on my arm. Two days ago I was picking up a heavy box and it tipped and made a big cut on my arm. Today I was cutting fabric for a quilt and my rotary cutting slipped and almost cut off finger tip. Luckily I did not have to go to doctor. I bought one of the handle thingies that you put on your rulers when you are cutting fabric and forget to use it. After today I will use it, no more cut fingers. Here is a picture of my cat, he does not like his picture took. He is setting on his blanket getting ready to take a nap. He looks mad but is very sweet. Going to make oatmeal cookies. Hope I don’t burn my hand off.

Frog doll quilt

I like to make children's and doll quilts. I make a few doll quilts to put on my Artfire site and others for gifts. I have been going through my fabrics and pulling out fabrics that I had left over from children's quilts that I made. I am sewing these up into small quilts and doll quilts. Small quilts can also be used in middle of table. If you collect frogs this would be a great addition to your collection.

Decorating wood and cigar boxes

I was given three wood boxes of different sizes. One held cigars, one held peanuts and the other a mystery.

I decorated two of them. I painted both boxes acrylic paints inside and out side. On the pink box I used vintage pictures printed on papers with flowers, and butterfly’s. I made book marks for the inside.

The blue box I decorated with oriental pictures on all four sides of box. I made bookmarks, cards and found objects to place inside.

I have not decorated the cigar box yet and probably decorate with different wild animal pictures. I will do a demo on a later Blog how to decorate a box.

Pictures and quilts

About 25 + years ago I made my first quilt. Over the years I have made a lot of quilts. After quilts started to pile up with no place to keep them, I started to sell at a local quilt shop and a gallery that sold only hand made items. I also gave my family quilts over the years. Baby, lap and queen quilts. Many I have forgot what they looked like. When I started to make quilts I did not take many pictures of the ones that I made.

With the older cameras I had to take my roll of film to a store where they sent your film off. After impatiently waiting for a week my pictures finally came back. Such disappointment, most of my pictures where either to light, blurred or to dark.

I remember one time trying to submit some of my wood craft designs to a magazine, I took about 12 rolls of film before I finally got one picture right to send in.

When I discovered the digital camera I thought I was in heaven. I bought a cheap inexpensive one at first to see how I would like it. O, yes! I liked. I could take all the pictures I wanted and print them out on my computer. If I don’t like the way my pictures look I just take more. No more wasted rolls of film and having to wait to see what my pictures look like. I am still learning to take decent pictures but I am getting better. Now just need to learn to take good pictures of my quilts.

Mounting small quilts on foam board

I like to mount a few of my smaller quilts on foam board. I like the looks that it gives to them. Here are directions of how I do it. Very easy to do.

Supplies : Your quilt Foam board: these come in all different colors Sharp tool, I use an ice pick Thread. I used cotton Needle Paper. 2 sheets Glue stick Large rotary cutter. Ruler Acrylic paint. Optional. Paint brush

I had black and white foam but did not like the looks of either with my quilt. I used the white foam and decided to cover it with paper the color I wanted. Using your ruler and rotary blade cut your foam board to the size that you want behind your quilt. I left 1” on each side of quilt. I have a large box of assorted papers for using in mixed media collage. I picked a brown that I thought looked good behind my quilt. Tear your paper into strips and start gluing on foam board. Use a roller are your hand to make sure you get all the air bubbles out from underneath papers.

Did you know that if you tear paper up you will have a white edge and if you tear paper down no white edge. I like the white edge look.

This is how my board looked before I trimmed the papers even to board using my rotary cutter and ruler.

I also used paint to give edges of foam an antique look. I painted edges of foam board with paint, use a thin brush. You may get a little paint on back of board but that is ok.

This is the tricky part. Lay quilt on foam board and mark for holes. Do this for each corner of quilt at top. I also like to stitch the bottom of quilt in middle. Use your ice pick are sharp tool to punch two holes in board. I then take a threaded needle and starting from back of foam board come through one of the holes to front and stitch quilt. Take needle to the back and tie off. I put my quilt a little off to the side of my foam board as I liked it that way. My finished quilt. Ready to be hung on wall. These can also be framed.

What is your fairy name

This is a fun site. I love to collect fairy's and use them in my fabric art.

I decided to see what my fairy name is. You can also get your fairy name. Click on the site below.

My fairy is called Field Elffly. She is a cheerful sprite. She lives in fields where wild flowers and poppies grow. She is only seen at midday under a quiet, cloudless sky. She likes to wear red petals in her skirt. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.

http://www.emmadavies.net/fairy/default.aspx

doll quilt

Doll quilts are fun to make and collect.

I like to make them as I don’t have space to store many larger quilts.

I had a small piece of rabbit fabric left from a children’s quilt that I made.

I wanted to showcase the fabric and picked this pattern to use.

The pattern is paper pieced, one of my favorites to use.

I choose a tan and dark brown fabric to use. I did not have enough of the backing nor the rabbit fabric to use for my binding. The lime green fabric that I used was perfect. You can find this little quilt for sell on my artfire site.