Pretty Little Things

Here are some pretty things to share...

First, is a tatted bookmark from my friend Lupe. She is the mother of a friend of mine from high school. My friend and I haven't talked in years, but her mom still lives in the area. We've become great friends. Actually I would say I have become better friends with my friend's mom than her! Funny how that happens. Funny how quilting is was brought us together. She's a quilter and amazing with embroidery and tatting or "frivolite"...that's how they say it spanish! Pronounced "Free-vo-lee-tay." I love the spanish word so much more! Isn't this beautiful?


Next is a beaded button from the amazingly talented Summerset Banks. (I love her name!) Check out her blog soon and see her work on her projects. You will be amazed at this seamstress! Click here: Pins and Needles. Isn't this button beautiful? She did it by hand! My photography is not very good, but that is a little butterfly charm on there too!

And lastly, a necklace from the artist Angela Cartwright. She is an amazing photographer and artist. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because she was "Penny Robinson" in the original Lost in Space, circa 1965-1968 and Brigitta in The Sound of Music, circa 1965. Check out her blog and etsy store. Beautiful stuff: Said & Done.

And one more pretty little thing...Ok, maybe it's not that little. A couple of days ago I drove down to the Orange County Fairgrounds to drop off my quilt entry. I hope it is displayed. The OC Fair is one of those fairs that tells you they will only display the quilt if they have room. Well, in case you don't get down there July 11-Aug. 3, here's the quilt I entered....
To take pictures I hung it over a banister in my home. It belongs to a friend of mine who bought the quilt top at a garage sale! Can you believe it? It was hand pieced! I did the backing, quilting, and binding. Didn't it turn out nice? I wonder who pieced this lovely thing...we may never know! (the people who sold it at the garage sale didn't know either!)
I attached a sleeve before I took it down to the fair grounds. It will be removed after the fair. My friend wants to put it on her bed.

Have a great day! It's nice and sunny here in southern California. Today I'm headed to downtown L.A. to each lunch with Daughter #2. Another adventure for me! Yeah!

Class Is In Session

"Boy, what a life...what I wouldn't give to just lay around all day!"

...Sometimes people are busier than we think!

Since I was out for a couple of weeks with the flu and hardly did any quilting, I'm busy trying to get caught up. I don't like to make my customers wait too long. I know how it feels to piece a quilt and be anxious to get it completed. I used to send my quilts out and I couldn't wait for the longarmer to call and tell me they were done.

Oh, I wish I could show you the quilts I'm working on these days. But they are "Top Secret." I'm doing a number of quilts for Calico House, a local quilt shop in Placentia, CA, that will be presented soon. When I can post the pictures I took, you'll see. They are gorgeous! I'm amazed at the fabrics the designers are coming out with. Awesome!

Pictured: class samples, my sketch pad and my photo album.

My freemotion quilting class I taught last Sat. at Cranberry Quiltworks went very well. Each and every class I teach I come home and tell my husband, "Now that was the best class ever!" So I guess the classes are getting better and better. The ladies I taught all had a number of years experience quilting on their longarms, so it ran very smoothly. I hope they learned things that were beneficial to them. I had a great time. I love teaching...which to me is easy, because all I'm really doing is sharing!

This class sample was quite appropriate for Easter. It's a printed panel of Peter Rabbit that I quilted with many fun techniques I teach.

The bag I created for the Amy Butler contest.

No, The Purse Dog and I didn't win the Amy Butler Sew Inspiring contest. The winner was announced on Mar. 12th. Oh well, I enjoyed making this bag anyway. It's not very often I get to sit at my sewing machine and sew! I'm thinking about making some more to sell on Etsy....in my spare time! What's that?

A "Crafty" Day

Yeah, yeah, I know! I have a huge quilt to do on my longarm, but today my BabyBoy (the 17-almost 18-year old) and I decided to do some crafts. I know in about a year, the BabyBoy will be on his 2-year mission and I will treasure these times we have together. (Side note: He may look back on these times and think, 'My Mom was always a little crazy!"...but I kinda hope he treasures these times too!)

Anyway we went over to Michaels today and bought candlemaking supplies. We decided to make sand candles. I had seen them done on an old Brini Maxwell episode and was going by memory. My son's turned out so much better. He's got so much artistic talent! Check out my sad little sand candle on the right. His is on the left. He always tries to take things 'up a notch.'

Below is one of my favorite pictures of my BabyBoy. It was taken at Joe's Crab Shack. I think it depicts what goes on his creative mind....always creating!

Also today I got out my Swarovski crystals and some Jewel-it and decided to add some 'bling' to my old cell phone. I don't think it improved it much, but it put a smile on my face anyway.

And lastly, I put the final touches on my purse for the Amy Butler Sew Inspired Contest. It's from her pattern, The Swing Bag. For the exterior I used, 'Lotus Tree Peony Ivory' and for the interior 'Belle Coriander Pink.' I am hoping to win and I have a spot all ready for the new sewing machine here in my quilt studio. :) (it doesn't hurt to think positively, does it?) Here's a closeup of my freemotion stitching. I love this fabric!

Hey, The Purse Dog got a new Purse! She helped model for the pictures I submitted to the Flickr Group.

Wish us luck!