Lanterns Bloom and Poppy Wall Art - Easy Peasy

A few weeks ago, I was surfing craft/quilt/fabric blogs and happened upon Anna Maria Horner's visit to Martha Stewart's show.  In it, she shows how to paint silhouettes on fabric.  Beautiful Daughter #2 and I had just been talking about how hard it was to find art for the walls of her apartment since she didn't want posters, and didn't want to spend a fortune.  When I saw the video of Martha Stewart's show, I knew I had found my answer.  (Just by happenstance, Michael's had 7-packs of stretched canvas on sale that week - sweet!)

It was really hard to get a good close-up picture of the beading.

Here's the back of the vase and flowers after it was quilted.  Someday, I'm going to do a quilt, and it's just going to be white, with quilting stitches to make up the design.  I think they call that embroidery, but...

I know it may sound irreverent, but I can't seem to watch General Conference without something to keep my hands busy or I tend to fall asleep.  This was the perfect project.  Three pieces of "art", quilted, beaded, stretched, and finished in just a few hours. 


Success!

Happy Fall!

Don't fall colors make you just want to sit down and CREATE something?

This morning I got up with a plan.  I really wanted to get a lot of things done.  I really needed to clean my house, but somehow the draw just wasn't there (the house will just have to wait until tomorrow ).  But I did have some goals, and I'm feeling pretty smug that I accomplished most of them. Of course, I'm totally exhausted...

I finished the "S" and "Z" blocks for the Avignon Picnic quilt from Moda Bake Shop.  The "S"'s were fine, but I had a terrible time with the "Z"'s.  I'm going to blame it on the fact that my sewing room was an oven and I really should have been taking a nap.  But I persevered, and I have my blocks done.   Tomorrow - to the floor for layout.

I plugged the holes in the former duvet cover so I can turn it into a quilt.  I meant to get it laid out and pinned except my backing isn't big enough.  I'll either have to piece it, do something creative with it, or go buy something.  I'm leaning toward one of the first two options.  Anyway, plugging the holes was an accomplishment all on it's own, so I'll have to be satisfied with that.  This one I had planned to embroider/quilt once I get the "sandwich" put together.  Might be a little ambitious.  Maybe I'll finish it in my lifetime.  You think?

I did, however, get the log cabin half of the duvet cover laid out and pinned.  Not quite sure what to do with it now.  I'm leaning toward machine quilting it.  It's actually quite a stunning quilt, if I do say so myself.  Even Wonderful Husband commented on it when it was all laid out on the floor, and he almost never comments on such things.  He said it reminds him of Arizona in the fall.  Hmmm...  I was thinking more "woodland by the lake", but whatever floats his boat.  Anyway, I really like this one.

I even got to the store and bought some perle cotton (way more fun than buying groceries!)  I checked both Michael's and JoAnn's and the color selection was very limited.  Couldn't find the color I really wanted, so I will have to make do with what was there. 

What I did not get done today was a project I wanted to do to go with Beautiful Daughter #2's tree quilt (which, incidentally, matches the leftover quilt I made from the - uh - leftovers).

I was inspired for this project by something I saw on Anna Maria Horner's website, although this project will be quite different, if it turns out.  I'll be sure to let you know.

Last of all, I received my 3 partners for my handmade ornament swap group.  Fun!!  What should I do?  I thought about smocked ornaments but there are others that look fun as well.  In searching, I discovered Fern's crafty blog that has some pics of some really cute Christmas ornaments that look like tons of fun to make.  So many choices!  And the contemplation of it all is so much fun too!  Ah, sweet!

In the meantime, I just found out that this is National Card-Making Day (it's true, I promise!) so I think I'll go make a card in honor of the occasion.

Or maybe I'll just go to bed.

Lanterns Bloom #2 - Finished!

 The "leftover" quilt, Lanterns Bloom #2 is officially finished!

1.  Patches

2.  Cut apart, rotate, and put back together.

3.  Add borders, backing, and batting.  Quilt.  Bind. 

 4.  Done!

5.  Wrap yourself up and enjoy.

Major Surgery

Well, it's done.  At least the squares are dissected and put back together.  The hardest part was making the first incision.  I felt like I was doing major surgery - cutting into vital organs or something!  (And to think I thought I could be a doctor!)

The second hardest part was arranging the completed squares.  Do I want a square quilt or a twin?  Do I want the aqua squares all in a row or spread around?  Do I like the brown at all?  All this angst!!  But amid the coughing (I guess it's a summer bug) and the company (Handsome Son is visiting from Down South) it is done.  I hope to add the borders and backing and get it quilted this weekend, but for now, I have most of a quilt top.

I think I like it!  Maybe.