Myyy, what a large foot you have my dear!

At the 2013 Minnesota Quilters Annual Quilt Show and Convention I bought a magnifyer for my Bernina.  It's not as large as Nancy Wick's but I'm happy at the moment.  I hadn't installed it yet because even though the Bernina Rep said it would work and the instruction says Bernina 153, the place it is to go already had something there.  I had to take the machine apart a little bit further than I'm comfortable with but it worked.  What do I do with the extra part?  Just kidding! 

No more magnifying glasses while sitting at the machine!

I went on a fantastic cruise!

My little pencil drawing of one of the islands off of Bar Harbor, Maine.

Embroidery

It's been a super busy summer, 5 quilt bindings wore me out, and having a Tea Party for Sadia - my really, really soon to be niece-in-law.  This is a 12.5" block for my current boss at work.

 And it's been YEARS that I keep thinking I'm going to repair those embroidered pillowcases from Grandma Bernadette Ouradnik and I've finally gotten to it.  On the right side you can see the thread was almost gone.  I've embroidered on top of her stitches.

Postmark'dArt Fiber Postcard Trades

I can't believe we're on trade 17 at Postmark'dArt but I've finished my cards for the No Theme catagory.  They are Postcard Purses!  The zipper really works and opens to the pocket.

The zippers are all recycled from something...I don't remember what.  I'll take anyone's old zippers!

I made one with the zipper toggle showing, but then made the other 5 with the toggle tucked into it's own little pocket for mailing. (Upper right corner.)

What should I put in the pocket for mailing?

 

Quilter's Hands

Ironing, lining up, stitching, surfin' the internet, more machine stitching, hand stitching, texting...creating love.

Video at Camp Wapo for MCQ Quilt Retreat

A couple unprofessional videos from the MCQ retreat at Camp Wapo.

Youtube link to videos

We had a lot of fun!

Peace piece has been sold!

Yo yo background

I'm auditioning greens to use as the 2 hexagons that will be on each flower.  I don't like any of these.
Maybe pastel green?

Turning 49

I am really excited to have turned 49.  It just seems so momentous and joyous. An accomplishment, a medal of honor. A dinner at Ol' Mexico with my family and friends was delicious.  The Cave Women gave me this awesome fiber postcard and a quilt shop gift card for $49.  Aren't they fun?

I want to make my 49th year the best yet.

The Challenge "Abode"



Blue sky and grass blowing in the wind.
Knee high grass blowing in the wind on a sunny day is so beautiful it mesmerizes me.  This beautiful earth is my home.



Minnesota Contemporary Quilters "Abode Challenge". 

The piece on the left is for the challenge.   I think I must quilt a big circle in the sky as another representation of earth.
The piece on the right is for myself.  I have another idea that will result in a third piece, but I have other things to work on yet.  Maybe someday.

The Tree Project Completed Wallhanging Part 4

It's done!  Hurray!  Yee haw! Boom shuga shuga shuga, boom shuga shuga shuga!

Its called "Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall".  I was lucky to get different seasons.

Now I want to get the "Abode" challenge done this weekend.

Strips and Curves

My strata was 120 strips wide.  I had to coax myself to start cutting.  By looking at the strata's in the book I thought my 120 wide strata would make a huge quilt.  Not so.  There's lots of waste cutting on the bias and cutting quarter pie shapes and their counterpart.  I didn't really have it thought out as to how it was going to work, light and dark, different colors.  I mostly tried to put opposites together for contrast.

Now I have to decide the layout and nothing seems to be jumping out at me.

Challenge Fabrics

So many years buying the challenge packets at Minnesota Quilters Annual Quilt Show and then saving them perfectly wrapped so someday I can do what? 

 I dunno!

So I unwrapped them all, washed them and they're going in my stash!

As I unwrapped them I felt like I had come home from the quilt shop with a butt-load of fabric!

Crumpled, smashed or crushed present bows

Lamest craft ever?
I wanted to figure out how to use the bows from Christmas that are not worth saving.  I got a 5" foam disk that's about 1/2" thick at Dollar Tree and hot glued the bows to it.  So it's not small, probably 7" tall.  It's more like for a tree outside.