2015 - 16 Thimbles BOM Month 3

Month 3

Month 3 block all done!

2015 - 16 Thimbles BOM Month 2

Month 2

Block for month 2 - done.  Cut one of the dark purple short, so it's a little wonky.

2015 - 16 Thimbles BOM Month 1

Month 01

Finished with Block 1 for Thimbles Block of the Month.  Yay!  I'm ready for Block 2.

Simple - Elegant Tee

I took this class yesterday at Thimbles with Lynn.  She's a great teacher and the class was fun.  I never thought garment sewing would be something I would do, but I really enjoyed it.

SIMPLE STRINGS APRON

Here's the aprons I made for John and I.  His is for barbecuing and mine is for painting.  The instructions are in the book School of Sewing.  It's a real easy apron and it was fun putting them together.

This one is mine.

Close up of fabric,

Look out steaks, here he comes!

Close up of fabric.

Mixed Media Christmas Ornament

 

Here's the ornament I made for South Side Brushes (four in all).   I didn't have a plan, I just knew I wanted to use the poinsettia and the paper with the wording for the background.  I used things already had in my stash.  It turned out pretty good.

LIFE BOOK 2015

I can't wait to sign up for Life Book 2015.  Check out this link to find out all about it. http://www.willowing.org/2014/09/08/life-book-2015-teacher-line-up-blog-hop-and-give-away/

OMG! I love Ice Dyeing

I attended the CREATE 2014 Retreat again this year.  I was only able to take one class since I was in Ohio at the HOOT Convention.  I took a fabulous fabric dyeing class called Snow & Ice Dyeing with Cindy Lohbeck of Hands On Hand Dyes.  Below are the fat quarters I dyed.  I can't wait to make more.

Twisted.

Scrunched.

Twisted.

Scrunched.

Scrunched.

Fan folded.

Scrunched.

Twisted.

 

I did this purple with the leftover dye on the bottom of the bin.

Red - Breasted Nuthatch

It's been a while since I posted any watercolor paintings, but here is my little Red - Breasted Nuthatch from my watercolor class on Wednesdays.  This one is from way back in September. We finally had enough people to hold class again which started on the 21st.  I feel so "normal" again!  This one is all my own drawing instead of tracing a pattern from my reference photo.  Its always more satisfying when I do all the sketching myself.

Red - Breasted Nuthatch

Tuscany Tote

Here is the latest tote!  It's from a pattern called Tuscany Tote by Pink Sand Beach Designs and is done in the Downton Abby fabric line.  I made one for my mother-in-law and one for my mom.  

Below is close up of the fabric flower I made and pinned to each tote.

I learned to do the flower at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Schaumburg, IL.  The class is 3-D Origami Flower and was with Stephanie of Country Stitchin.  It was really easy to do.

The Everything Bag

Here's my Everything Bag from the Winter 2013 issue of Quickly Quilting.  I love Tula Pink's fabrics, so when I saw this, I had to make it.  I already had purchased from SewLoveFabrics on  Etsy a pack of 25 fat quarters of the Tula Pink Acacia line.  The bag only takes one  2 1/2 inch strip WOF  of 12 different fabrics plus fabric for the pockets and lining.  I have plenty of fabric left over so I may make another.  I think this would look great in batiks, too.

BLOCKS 1 AND 2 - CLUBHOUSE 2014

Here are blocks 1 and 2 for the Michael Miller Clubhouse 2014.  I think this year will  be easier than last year's clubhouse.  I highly recommend investing in the Bloc Lok ruler to square up your half square triangles.  It really makes easy work of the squaring up process!

Block 1

Block 2

Now to help mom with her blocks!

A Ray of Light Finished

Here's the Ray of Light quilt top all finished.  Just have to figure out what I want to do with the back.  This is the pattern I got from Teresa Fields when I went to the shop hop in Kokomo, IN.

Here Chicky Chicky

I've started to dabble in a little sewing, too. This is a Four Corners Apron I made.  I had to search the internet for the chicken wire fabric, but it really made the apron!

SDP Conference 2013

Hey everyone - here are my finished projects from the 41st annual Society of Decorative Painters Conference held in St. Charles, IL in May.  I had a great time being creative and meeting up with old friends.

After The Rain

Teacher: Carol Spohn 

Medium:  Watercolor

Batik Turtle

 Teacher:  Bonnie Jones  

Medium:  Batik with watercolor

Cat

 Teacher:  Linda McDonald 

 Medium: Pastels

First Snow

Teacher: Pat Lentine

Medium:  Colored Pencil

New Snow

Teacher:  Tom Jones

Medium:  Watercolor

Nice To Meet You

Teacher:  Janice Miller

Medium: Acrylic on porcelain plate

Here's a link to the post from Jeanne Palmer Moore's blog on the Stitch and Paint class at CREATE Chicago.  There's a picture of the students in class.  I'm the lone cat lover.

http://jeanniemooresblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/chicago-class-august-2012.html#comment-form

PROJECTS FROM CREATE 2012

Here's my projects from the CREATE Retreat I attended in August.  This was the Shabori class I took.  It's amazing what you can do with a can and some string.  I used Setacolor fabric paints by Pebeo.  I really like these paints.  It's the first time I used them.

I also did Batik with Soy Wax.  That was a real fun class.  I never realized how many marks you can make with everyday items.  Can you guess what they are?

That snowflake looking pattern in the upper right-hand corner is the bottom of one of those plastic strawberry baskets.  I stamped a yard of fabric with that pattern and I'm going to paint it with Cobalt Blue for a great wintery themed fabric.

Below is my fabric from the Create Your Own Fabric class.  These were created with the Setacolor by Pebeo and Silks Acrylic Glaze by LuminArte .

This piece is going to be made into a pillow.

HOOT Class ... the last one

Here's my picture from Mark Polomchak's class at HOOT this year.  Mark always has a good class.  I can't wait until the SDP convention in St. Charles to take another of Mark's classes.

Fog Delay

 Click on Mark's name to the right under My Watercolor teachers to see more of his work.

PROJECTS FROM HOOT 2012

Here are the projects from the HOOT painting convention I just attended.  Missing is the watercolor with Mark Polomchak. I'll post Fog Delay in about a week. HOOT is always a good time and I look forward to next year already!

Coneflower with Laurie Mac Kenzie, TDA

Secret Get Away with Carol Spohn

Make A Journal with Kelly Hoernig

Rainbow Bill with Cindy Harrison

A Ray of Light Post #1

Saturday I went to a bus trip to the Quilt Shop Hop in Kokomo, IN with the Pride of the Prairie Quilters.  It was a great time.  During lunch, mom and I were talking with the girls at the table and I happened to mentioned that I am a beginner.  A little later, one of the girls we were talking to came up to me and gave me a complimentary quilt pattern called A Ray of Light by Linda Kaiser which is published by JWD Publishing.  Her name is Teresa Fields and she is one of the designers for JWD Publishing. She asked me to show her what I've done when I go back next year.   

Well, that sounds like a challenge to me and I'll take it!  

Check out Teresa's patterns here.  I can't wait to start picking out fabric for the quilt.  I decided to make the throw size.  It will come in handy on bus trips.

A Ray of Light