Project Quilting Season Two Begins!

Tonight I was browsing the blogs that I read, and what popped up, but a picture of my Logs quilt on Kim's Fabric Fascination blog :)  Kim was announcing the beginning of Season 2 of Project Quilting that just started yesterday.  I have an idea of a project that I'd like to make by the deadline of noon on this coming Sunday, but we'll see if I can get to it as I have a couple of other deadlines that I'm working on this week as well.
 

Season One of Project Quilting was a blast.  This is a collage from Kim's Crafty Apple consisting of one project from each of the 25 people who participated in Season One.  You can find it, and more information on Project Quilting and Season Two here on Kim's Crafty Apple blog.  There is still plenty of time to get in on this week's challenge...and if you can participate in any of the challenges, I strongly recommend it ~ I found the challenge to be really fun and a cool way to spark creativity.  I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with this season :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn
 

A Little Back Basting Progress

Here's a little progress report on the hand applique that I've been working on lately.  I've been putting time in on it in the evenings when watching TV. 

 I have the green finished!

It's going to be a reproduction of one of the corner blocks for the Lady of Victory Quilt for the Baltimore Applique Society.  Now I just have to do the red half.

I'm using Back Basting ~ one of my favorite methods of hand applique.  It works great to position my leaves in the proper place to each other.  To do Back Basting first I marked the pattern in reverse on the back side of my block's background fabric.  I used a blue water soluble marker to mark mine (pencil works too, but I find that the blue shows up really well and rinses out completely).  I placed the red fabric face-up on the front of the block covering over the shape to be appliqued and lightly pinned it to keep it from shifting around. 

Then using a large darning needle, and thick quilting thread I ran basting stitches all around the the outline of my shape to be appliqued. 

From the front you can see the outline of the shape to be appliqued created by my basting stitches.  Then I removed the pins, and the piece is very easy to handle and portable.  Letting the block sit over night before doing any work on it, helps the holes that I made with the basting set up well to create a nice "perforation" where I will turn the edges under, and aides with the needle turn. 

Additionally, I like to take a chalk pencil and run an outline just outside of the basted lines ~ this is optional but it helps me see the stitches.  Finally the piece is ready to needle turn.  I cut away the red fabric as I go leaving just a little edge to turn under, snip the basting stitches and pull out a little at a time, and needle turn along where the basting stitches were.  That's the gist of how to do Back Basting.  It's coming along well, I'll show you some photos of my Red progress soon :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Cutting Right Into the New Year!

Happy New Year!  It seems I've taken a two week "computer sabbatical" ~ I did hop on the computer and check Facebook occasionally (and touched base with my stores of course), but for the most part I kept the little bugger completely turned off throughout the Holidays...and it was decadent!

Now after two weeks of worshiping, playing, cooking, eating, unwrapping, toasting, and all around celebrating I'm feeling fresh and ready to put the nose back to the ole grind stone :) 

I did do some designing during my down time, and these are some piles of fabrics that I've received from Red Rooster Fabrics for two upcoming projects for Quilt Magazine.  The first pile is a happy collection called Lil Miss Cutie Patootie Springtime, and the second is a reproduction group called Elm Creek Quilts Anneke's Collection.  I'm cutting into them now, and will be sewing away with them the next few weeks, I'll post some little sneak peeks as I can :)

And tonight I'm enjoying some bean soup, and hand applique time in my easy chair. (I'm working on a block for the Baltimore Applique Society that I hope to have finished by the meeting the third week of this month ~ more on that soon!) I'd love to hear what you are working on in the New Year!

In the meantime...
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."  ~Benjamin Franklin       My very favorite New Year quote :)

Wishing You a Happy and Healthy 2011!
~ Dawn

Snowflakes are Showing Up Everywhere!

The winter winds have set in, and snowflakes have been flying around intermittently here ~ not as much as the heartland of America, but Jack Frost has definitely moved in for the season!  With snow mingling with the holidays, I'm excited to share that my Snowflake Punchneedle Pillow design is in the February issue of Create & Decorate Magazine on the news stands now!  I designed it, and did the patchwork for the sample, and Heather did the punchneedle work on the center snowflake, so it was quite a team effort!

This was my first time working with the ladies at Create & Decorate, and they have been such a pleasure to work with.  If you haven't seen this magazine, check it out (I've spotted it in Joann's, Walmart, and some grocery stores).  It's a delightful magazine chocked full of primitive style craft projects of all kinds!  You can "like" the Create & Decorate girls here on their Facebook page to keep up with their upcoming happenings...and tell them I sent you ;)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

I Was Interviewed :)

 

I was interviewed by Kim's Crafty Apple as a participant in Season One of Project Quilting!  You can check out the interview here on Kim's Blog.  The above montage are the projects I made in the first season.  Thanks Kim for such a cool feature!

Stay tuned ~ Season 2 of Project Quilting begins January 9th...and anyone can participate, consider joining in on the fun!

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

The Littlest Things

I've been knitting a lot lately.  It's an easy carry-along that I can do as a passenger in a car, and in less than perfect light.  I always have a little knit project in progress tucked into my handbag for when I have time to kill.  I like to work on little things for that reason, and because I can also feel like I'm accomplishing finishes.  They are such little projects, but it's funny, when I visit my dad at the nursing home, he can't always have a coherent conversation, but he always recognizes my handwork projects that I'm working on and is interested in my progress :) 

So, as of lately I've been completing a bunch of little projects to give as gifts, and this one in particular sparked my dad's attention, I'm not really sure why.  This is a little scarf that I made for Elsie out of a fun polyester fleece yarn ~ and since I had more yarn, and it kept my dad's attention so much, I've made an extra one for sale here in my Etsy store for some other special little girl.  

Even though he doesn't go out side in the cold, I think I'll have to find some more "manly" colors and make one for my dad next.  Sometimes it's just the little things that make a difference :)

Enjoy the day!

Decking the Halls 2010

This weekend was about decking the halls at the Stewart house, so I thought I'd share a little dose of Christmas Spirit with you.  First I had to make my new ornament for 2010.  Each family member in our household has one with their name on it, so we had to add one for little Abby! 
These are Easy-Peasy: One cheap After-Christmas-Sale ornament, and a Silver Permanent Pen...Write the name + doodle = finished in 5 minutes :)

Now the Stewart Family tree is complete...on to decorating the rest of the house!

And just because I can't help myself, I have to show you some pictures of the girls first Annual Christmas Photo Shoot together.  These are a couple of the many cute pictures that my daughter took of them.

And my personal favorite:

A Christmas Classic :)  I hope you too are enjoying this magical time of year!

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn