Spring?

Well like everyone else I've been very busy. I've been absent for a while because my old computer died and I had to break down and purchase a new one. And of course it's running Windows 8 so I had some learning to do. I tried to have the old one fixed by a few individuals but after person #3 I finally conceded that it was time to consider the old computer dead.

Well it's finally March and spring is really not in the air in northern Wisconsin. We received 6" of fresh snow just the other day. Here is what it looks like out my door this year

Last year at this time I was posting picture of my tulips coming up earlier then I could ever remember.

 

I have been commissioned to do a small crazy quilt for a local person here so I have been working on that lately and have not really gotten to work on my CQJP or BJP lately. Hopefully after I finish this small piece (4 blocks) I can kick it into high gear and work on those pieces. When I finish I will post some pictures.

I have also finally found my border fabric to complete my CQJP quilt for last year.....Ohhh...soooo much to do. I just never have enough hours in my day. Oh, and I'm taking a computer class learning HTML for designing web pages. Yikes
 
Just a few more photo of my wonderful snow doggie.......Nala, she just loves this snow. I wish I had her attitude sometimes.

Everyone have a wonderful week!

Final Beaded Rocks

Well I finally finished my beaded journal project for 2012. I know it's two month past due.....but I did get them finished. First one is all done in all greens and blues. I love these colors together and as you can see it works well on the beaded rock. So here is November's beaded rock:

December's beaded rock reminds me of winter, cool blues, whites and silver.

In both beaded rocks I used some left over beads and beads of different shapes. Next onto 2013. Both CQJP and BJP. I'm starting a little behind but that OK. It's winter now in Wisconsin so there should be time to catch up. Have a wonderfully creative week   :)

Cleaning closets

I know I have been missing in action for a long while....I've been very busy cleaning out craft closets. I have 2 rooms full of craft items. This week I decided to clean out one of the closets (It actually took more than a week, more like 2 and a half) Some items I am deciding to sell, some I am going to take to the quilt store and have them finished off. I am finally going to take all those finished quilt tops that I have collected thru the years and take them into the local quilt store (Karen's Quilt Corner, Eagle River, WI) to have her machine quilt them for me. I always think that I am going to quilt these quilts myself but another quilt top gets finished and on it goes onto the pile. I have probably have as many as 15 quilt tops none of which are finished. So I am going to face facts, that I simply do not have enough hours in my day, and get them to the quilt store. Here are just a few.of the tops just sitting around for years waiting to be quilted....

 

 

 

My favorite so far is the Log Cabin simply because I love scarpy quilts. The bear quilt I designed myself and want to sell the pattern. I do love homespun plaids.

 

I have also been going thru my fabric and deciding what I going to keep and what I am going to get rid of. You sometimes have to get rid of the old to make room for the new. We are having a local craft sale/swap next month so I'm going to participate and let some of my fabric go.

 

I also found a few old silk ribbon projects in my closet that I all but forget I made. I use to teach silk ribbon classes when I lived in Florida and here are some of the samples for the classes. I will probably sell some of these at the craft sale also.

 

 

 

I haven't forgotten about CQJP 2013 or the BJP 2013. I am working on the first months for these groups but you will have to wait and see yet. Cleaning out the closets has put me a little behind but I had to get those closets cleaned up.  Everyone have a great week......and let your creativity soar!

CQJP blocks 15 and 16

Here are the last two blocks for my crazy quilt for the CQJP 2012. I have had a wonderful year with this group of fellow crazy quilt addicts and it has been a wonderful year getting to know all of you!!!. I sometime feel a little alone in my corner of the world because there are not alot of people who do CQ in northern WI. A few but none like me. So anyways...its been a great year for me. Here are the final two blocks.

Block 15:

 

Block 16:

 

I went to my local quilt store this morning looking for a border for this quilt and really didn't find any fabric I liked so I might have to put finishing this quilt off for a bit. There is another quilt store about an hours drive (Antigo, WI) but I don't get that way very often. I want my border to be a teal or brown Batik fabric so it might take some searching. I never just settle for any fabric. I will know when the right fabric hits me. One puts so much time and work into a quilt like this that the finishing is just as important as the blocks are. I also need to come up with a name for this quilt. I put that challenge out to my daughter this week...she's usually pretty good at helping me come up with names for my quilts.

Here is a photo of all the completed blocks....

 

Anyways...I wish all of you a very heart felt....Happy News Years. I wish you all the best for the up coming new year. May we all be blessed with beautiful ribbons and fabulous threads and an unlimited end of creativity. Oh and yes I have decided on a theme for next year CQJP...but you will have to just wait and see.

Crazy Quilted Christmas Wall Hanging

In the spirit of the season here is a crazy quilted Christmas wall hanging made many years ago. Again, it is a very early work (Sept, 1996). I bring it out every year to celebrate the season. Some day I would like to do another Christmas themed crazy quilt as my skills have improved slightly since the construction of this one. First photo, the whole wall hanging;

 

 

Here is a close up of the wreath block and a close up of the silk ribbon wreath.

 

 

Next, close up of the candle block and a close up of the candle itself.

 

 

Here is the stocking block with the close up of the stocking. The buttons on the top of the stocking are from Mill Hill beads. And the stocking itself is woven 4mm silk ribbon.

 

 

 

And finally the pointsetta block. The flowers were made using 13mm YLI silk ribbon.

 

 

All the silk ribbon work on this quilt I designed myself. The silk ribbon used is all YLI silk ribbon except for the flame on the candle. I believe that is Petals hand dyed silk ribbon. All the fabric in this wall hanging is 100% cotton fabric except one piece. Don't know why that happened but not really important. I actually like to work with cotton fabrics in my crazy quilting. Its just plain easier to work with.

 

Here is also a cute little tree I made.

 

 

It has a cone shaped styrofoam underneath and many yards of green ruffled lace wrapped around the cone pinned in place. I then beaded a long stand of different beads for the garland. This tree was fun and easy to make. However I was never real comfortable with how the top of the tree was finished off but recently I saw a tree very similar to this one on Pintrest and the maker had put a star on the top of their tree.....how clever...why didn't I think of that. Now looking for a star for the top of my tree...lol  

 

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.