Crazy for Fabrics

Quilts for my Friends

2011-12-05T10:45:00.001-06:00

We've celebrated birthdays, Christmases and a lot of other occasions with a group of long--time friends for many years. I made quilts for the three women in the group, Cindy, Connie, and Linda, and handed them over on Saturday night. They were all delighted, but I think I was the happiest!

Photos from top to bottom: clockwise beginning with me (seated), Cindy, Linda, Connie.

Linda with her golds and earth tones quilt, Cindy with her red and blue quilt, and Connie with her reds, greens, browns, golds, etc. quilt.

Each friend gave me an idea of color schemes which made it easier. There is a label on the back of each quilt, and near the label I wrote their late mother's names. Tears and happiness. What a lovely way to start the holidays!

Funday Sunday

2011-10-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

Debi, Gayle, Jo, and Wendy came over Sunday for an artsy fun day. We painted, collaged, and made a mess while working with gesso panels, small canvasses, and watercolor paper. Here are the results.

Wendy is enjoying a delicious homemade biscotti Gayle brought while thinking about what she wants to make.

Jo is looking through a surface design book while she waits for paint to dry.

Debi shows off her lovely piece. I think she was attempting to match her shirt and she did.

Gayle is showing off her pretty in pink project.

I drew this funky star flower with a black Sharpie on muslin, painted it with watercolor paints, and used black and yellow puff paints to highlight it. Copper "Beads in a Bottle" are in the center. Fun stuff to work with but you have to be patient because it takes a long time to dry.

This is a stenciling project just for fun, but I like it so much, I think I'll find a use for it sometime.

I painted the background, then put on more paint over the dry surface, smooshed plastic over it and let it dry for a while before removing the plastic. I then added fibers and those fun 3D puff paints again. I think I might be hooked on those . . .

More Updates

2011-10-05T20:33:00.001-05:00

We painted the outdated brick with a more modern color. We are also having a very large storage shed built in the back yard. The foundation is poured and Steve is looking forward to getting rid of junk and putting what we need into the shed. Me too!

Home Improvements

2011-10-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

We installed new garage doors. It gives our 1960's house a more modern look.

Road Trip Purchases

2011-08-21T09:30:00.001-05:00

We went to Lincoln, Nebraska and stopped at one of my favorite stores, the Cosmic Cow. If you love the colorful, bright, and wild fabrics, this is the store for you. There's not a dull piece in the place. I purchased these lovely fabrics. Then I picked up a few fabric pens and some funky trim at another stop for an upcoming project.

Storm Damage

2011-08-21T09:14:00.002-05:00

A severe hail and rain storm pelted us last week. The hail broke out a side window near our front door, damaged the siding, broke screens and pelted our vehicles. Softball-sized hail slammed surrounding neighborhoods and towns causing more serious damage.

It's been a tough summer in the Midwest. The Missouri River is expected to go back into its banks in mid-September. We have only been slightly inconvenienced by the flooding, but others in the city were not so fortunate and will be dealing with the aftermath for quite a while.

Art Quilt Show

2011-07-12T15:39:00.001-05:00

The Midwest Fiber Artists Alliance had our opening reception for our first show at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha, Nebraska, this past Sunday. Here are a few of the quilts in the show, which the makers kindly agreed to let me post to my blog. You will need to enlarge the photos to get a better look.

I'm very excited as I sold my Kool-Aid quilt!

All of the Nebraska Squared quilts had to be based on something from/in Nebraska. Since Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, the quilt is entitled "Hastings" (how clever is that?). I dyed the silk background fabric in boiling water with cherry Kool-Aid mixed with vinegar. It set nicely without any fading or running. I used heavy vinyl for the pitcher and stitched the envelopes inside.

This quilt is called "Nebraska Bloomers" because some of the flower centers have names of famous Nebraskans who were born and/or bloomed there. I took the plastic stems and doodads out of silk flowers, sewed them to the background and then used Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) to put the names into the centers.

This is my third quilt and was made in a hurry as my three previous attempts to add the final required 3'x3' quilt were not turning out as I wanted. I just "went for it" and the results are okay but not my favorite. It is not hanging straight because I accidentally sewed the hanging sleeve on (at 6 a.m. on the morning I had to turn it in) at an angle. That is what happens when you procrastinate. Will I do that again? -- probably!

This is my friend Wendy's quilt. It is hand-embroidered and attached to plexiglass rods. Be sure to take a closer look at the lovely embroidery. It's a stunning piece.

This is Debi's quilt. Take a look at the fun quilting she did. I love this simple and elegant quilt.

Minnesota Trip

2011-06-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

Debi, Wendy, and I drove up to St. Paul, Minnesota for the state's annual quilt show. We all took an all-day Tsukineko (pronounced Soo-kin-INKO) Inks Workshop with the amazing Judy Coates Perez. Visit her blog at http://judyperez.blogspot.com to see the wonderful photos she took.

We had a great time in St. Paul. It was lovely there and the show was great. There were stunning quilts from Korea and we ran into some of those quilt makers in a textile museum later that day. We took a drive around St. Thomas University. It is lovely and the homes around it are marvelous.

On the way up we stopped several times with one stop in Clear Lake, Iowa. Although I've lived in Iowa my entire life, I had never been to Clear Lake. What a neat town! They have a wonderful art gallery, and I came home with a new necklace from there. We enjoyed some great ice cream and a view of the lake. It was so nice that we stopped there on the way home as well and sat on the lake wall for a while enjoying the view.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera! Of all the times to do that, this was one of the worst. I am such a list maker and the camera was on my list but I still forgot it. Damn!

I Won Something -- Again!

2011-06-23T18:40:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to win something from the Sketchbook Challenge -- again! I won some wonderful pens/pencils in February, and in May I received these three great machine quilting videos courtesy of Patsy Thompson Designs (www.patsythompsondesigns.com) I am enjoying them very much, and it's fun to pull the tv up close to my machine and try to copy her lessons. They are long, fun, and informative from beginning to end.

I'm surprised and happy about my good luck. It has nothing to do with my drawing skills which are still improving and have a long way to go. Just random names drawn out of the computer's hat.

Nebraska Squared Progress

2011-05-15T09:39:00.002-05:00

I am a member of the Studio Art Quilters Guild (SAQA), Nebraska Chapter. We started a challenge entitled "Nebraska Squared" several months ago. We are making three art quilts that have something to do with Nebraska. One quilt is 1' x 1', another is 2' x 2', and the last is 3'x 3' feet. Here is what I've done so far.

This quilt is entitled "Hastings" because Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. The background is silk dyed in red Kool-Aid. The pitcher is made from heavy, clear vinyl. The Kool-Aid packets are glued in to keep them from moving around. This was fun, and while doing this I also learned you can temporarily color your hair with Kool-Aid. There's a thought!

Our group's quilts will be on display at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha and then at a gallery in Grand Island, Nebraska in March of 2012 along with several other pieces.

This quilt, "Nebraska Bloomers" came to mind when I thought of famous people who were either born or raised in Nebraska. I removed stems from silk flowers, flattened them out a bit and pinned them to the background. I then used Transfer Artists' Paper (TAP) to print the names and sewed them to the center of the flowers. I added buttons from my grandmother's button box to finish the quilt. I love this fun and funky quilt.

Enjoying the Sun

2011-05-15T09:14:00.001-05:00

Steve was out washing the car and Molly came to help. You can see that her help included napping in the sun, which she loves.

A Good Friday

2011-04-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

Four of us went on a road trip on Friday. We stopped at the Cosmic Cow Quilt Shop in Lincoln, Nebraska first. The shop is a must see, especially for those of us who like bright and fun fabrics. They have loads of them and are more than happy to help you look through all the bolts to find just the right fabric. Since my home stash is still huge, I didn't buy a whole lot, but did add to my book collection. Here's what I got at the Cosmic Cow.

Our next stop was at a gallery in Grand Island, Nebraska, where we met with the owner to see about having a Studio Art Quilters Association (SAQA) show. It looks like we will be doing that in March of 2012!
Then it was on to Material Girl Quilts in Grand Island. The store is in a strip mall and there is nothing special about the outside. I opened the door and was not at all prepared for what I saw . . . a huge store that is so big they have shopping carts! They have everything from solids to out of the world wild prints here. There is so much to take in that we all experienced sensory overload. There are many sample quilts on the walls, loads of threads, patterns, books, kits, sample packs and all the rest of the goodies we quilters love. The staff is super friendly and very helpful. Again, I pulled in the reins and just bought a few things to add to my stash.

New Bathroom

2011-04-06T18:24:00.000-05:00

We've been working on our master bathroom for a while now. Actually the "we" is a terrific contractor. Here are photos of the new bathroom. We are truly enjoying the spaciousness of the room and the glassed in shower. The vanity is unique as it hangs on the wall and makes it easy to clean the floor underneath. The only things missing are the door to the in-the-wall-above-the-toilet cabinet and a window treatment. It's modern and so much better than the old one.

Appendectomy

2011-04-06T17:23:00.003-05:00

I had an emergency appendectomy last week. It was not fun, but I am slowly healing.

While at home recovering we were looking out the back door when my husband noticed this cat sitting on a tree stump at the top of our terraced back yard. She sat there for about an hour adjusting herself on the narrow stump. Of course, I tried to call her. She did reward me with a glance in my direction until she saw our yellow Lab, Molly, standing next to me. Nice way to start a morning.

Sketchbook Challenge for March

2011-03-27T14:36:00.000-05:00

Here are my entries for the March Sketchbook Challenge. This month's topic is "spilling over." I am so grateful for the people in my life -- my husband and sons, and family and friends that the joy sometimes spills over in happy tears.

I also think that life can be what you want it to be (not all the time, of course), but that you can bloom any time in your life. The fun things in my life are blooming over in the second drawing.

Big Girls' Day Out

2011-03-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

I recently had lunch with some of my family. We left the little kids at home and enjoyed trying a new Mexican restaurant. It was very nice to get together and have a chance to catch up.

Clockwise from left to right: My Aunt Carol, cousin Lori, sister Cindy, niece Kenda. They rock!

Birthday Gifts

2011-03-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

I had a birthday last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have the best family and friends ever. My DH wanted to know what to get me, and all I could think of was a trip to Dick Blick to pick up some art supplies I'd been wanting. We made a day of it, stopping at several places and ending up having dinner at a great Asian fusion restaurant. It was a lovely day.

Here's what I got from Blick. I love the Derwent Inktense pencils. They are great wet or dry and fun to use in journaling or on fabrics. The inks are new to me, but I saw them on Judy Coates Perez's blog and had to try them.

I Won Something!

2011-03-07T10:55:00.000-06:00

I am participating in the fabulous and fun Sketchbook Challenge and won something during February. Here is a photo of the variety of terrific Micron pens and case I was fortunate enough to win. I will put them to good use. I am finding that as I attempt to improve my drawing I'm also learning that pens make a difference for me. Now I have the opportunity to try out different nub sizes, thicknesses and all. Thanks to the Sketchbook women for this great prize!

February Sketchbook Challenge

2011-02-08T18:35:00.001-06:00

The theme for February's Sketchbook Challenge is "Opposites." Here are two of my renditions of what I think of as opposites. This challenge is loads of fun. I take my sketchbook with me most everywhere and just try to draw whatever I see. I was intimidated at first, but after seeing all the fabulous and not-so-fabulous sketches on the SC Flicker group, I realized it's not about competing or about perfection -- it's about learning, growing and having fun.

Sketchbook Challenge -- Highly Prized

2011-01-23T09:27:00.000-06:00

I am participating in the Sketchbook Challenge and this month's theme is Highly Prized. The things my grandmother taught me are highly prized and are represented here mainly by the amethyst ring. Many years ago I worked in a jewelry store and purchased the ring for Gram because it was her favorite color and it was something I knew she would love. She treasured it and called it her Beau-tee-full ring. When she passed away in 1999, the ring was returned to me at her request. I love it and wear it often. I am grateful to have it.

Molly's Sofa

2011-01-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

As you've all seen, Molly is our very much loved yellow Labrador. Since we have turned a bedroom into a den where we watch TV, Molly indicated that she wished she had a sofa so that the three of us could sit together. So here is Molly sitting on her Christmas gift!

Doodling Around

2011-01-06T12:05:00.000-06:00

In my effort to learn to draw, I've started doodling. I found a good website, http://www.zentangles.com/ which is very interesting and inspiring. My doodling doesn't have a meaning that I know of, I simply put the pen/pencil/Sharpie, etc., to the paper and let my brain guide my hand. While doodling I was thinking of my mother and grandmother who are both deceased, so their names popped from the head onto the paper. Same thing with the new year references -- I like the new year because it's like all the left over stuff from the previous year gets washed away and I have a clean start. It's fun!

Goals for 2011

2011-01-03T12:22:00.006-06:00

I have long ago given up New Year's Resolutions. I don't keep them which makes me feel like a failure. Instead, I set goals. A "goal" seems like a more friendly idea, and here are mine for 2011:

1. Have more fun.
2. Get more sleep.
3. Get some exercise.
4. Update my blog more often (instead of once every 4 or 5 months)
5. Get more creative.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Goal number 5 has led me to join the Sketchbook Challenge. Several talented quilters/artists are leading this monthly, year-long challenge. I think it will help me learn to draw. I'm sure I can do it, I just haven't practiced and believe their leadership and challenges will push me along the path to drawing enjoyment. Click on the Sketchbook Challenge button on the top right of my page and see if you'd like to join as well. I will post my monthly submissions and would love to hear what you think.

I purchased a couple of Moleskine watercolor journals for this project. The cold press paper in these journals is fabulous, so if you want to draw, color, etc., in a journal, this could be the one for you.

I hope 2011 is a wonderful year for you and that you have fun goals of your own.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T12:07:00.008-06:00

We had a very nice Christmas, although neither of our far away sons could make it home for the holidays. Here are the youngest members of our family at our holiday gathering.

The youngest, who is soon to be one year old, fell asleep in her high chair after all the excitement of her first Christmas.

Her big sister who is 7 is wearing a fleece robe I made for her. These two are quite taken with each other, and the little one really looks up to her big sister. They are fun and make the holidays even better.

A Very Special Guest

2010-07-15T21:57:00.005-05:00

Our son, Derek, has been teaching English in Seoul, South Korea for the last 2.5 years. He met a lovely young woman, Soona, and she visited us recently.

She is beautiful, charming, thoughtful, and funny, and fit into our family very well. We enjoyed taking her to restaurants, learning about her home and just being with her.

Our dog, Molly, was crazy about her and Soona wanted to take Molly with her. We had a great time and it was hard to let her go. She will be attending art school in London beginning in the fall, and she gave me some great designs I intend to use in my quilts.

Alaska Trip

2010-07-15T21:24:00.003-05:00

My husband and youngest son enjoyed a fishing trip to Alaska in mid-June. I also enjoyed myself as I stayed home with the dog, who was my studio companion most of the time.

They had a great time riding the Alaska Railroad and visiting Denali National Park where they were fortunate enough to see the elusive Mount McKinley.

They both said the blue glacier in the photo is a much deeper blue than it appears.

The guys caught a 76 pound halibut, another smaller halibut, and a king salmon. They had the fish fileted and frozen and brought them home on the plane. We've been enjoying the wonderful fresh fish and grilled some salmon on cedar planks -- it doesn't get any better than that.

New Studio!

2010-07-15T17:56:00.013-05:00

The old carpet, wall board and flooring have been removed, and the studio has been cleaned and painted. It's a lovely space and much more functional.

I like having my sewing machine directly under bright overhead lights, and the six foot long table behind me is a bonus work space. I simply turn around and have room to lay out projects. My tools are within easy reach and I can actually remember where they are now.

Fabric yardage is sorted by color and/or type and is folded all the same way which makes it easy to see what I have. Fat quarters are stored in plastic boxes by color.

The design wall is made of batting and hung up with binder clips attached to 3M sticky, removable hooks.

The book nook is still loaded but I have donated many magazines and no longer needed books to a group who will enjoy them.

Again, thanks to my husband for all the hard work in scraping up old tile and adhesive from the floor. The painted floor is easy to clean, and the area rugs give it a touch of color and warmth. It's nice and cool in hot weather, and the wood stove keeps me very comfortable during the winter.

I love the updated space!

Brent's Quilt

2010-04-16T11:35:00.005-05:00

At long last my nephew, Brent, has his quilt. I intended to give it to him for his high school graduation last year but time got away from me. He joined the US Navy, and I was able to find some wonderful backing fabric with the US Navy insignia, ships, planes, helicopters, etc. In the top photo he is reading the label. I added the Navy Motto of "Honor, Courage, Commitment" to the label along with "made by his favorite Aunt Deb."

He said he will take it back to training with him and enjoy keeping warm under it this winter while the rest of the guys in his barracks sleep under a rough, thin, wool blanket. I'm glad he likes it.

Quilt Retreat

2010-04-16T11:29:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I enjoyed attending a quilt retreat with 40 other quilters. We had loads of fun, and I was able to complete two quilts and get all the blocks for another completed.

Sue, who organized the retreat, made this beautiful quilt. We are encouraging her to enter it into the state fair.

Catching Up

2010-03-24T10:57:00.002-05:00

My new creative studio is nearly done! I just need to add an area rug to the floor and when that's done I will publish photos. I love the new space. It's clean, warm, roomy, and I have more storage and additional work space. Watch for photos.

I enjoyed a quilt retreat in February with my wonderful friends, but forgot my camera. We had another great time of sewing, eating, talking, sewing, eating, talking . . . you get the idea.

Updates coming soon.

Molly's Chair

2010-01-28T14:29:00.003-06:00

You can see that Molly is right at home in the den. She and I share this comfortable chair. She enjoys it while I'm at work or away, and I get it in the evenings. Yes, I do make her get up if I want to sit down, but the look she gives me is pretty sad. She's lived with us for nearly a year now and we don't know how we got along without her.

Best Card Ever

2010-01-28T14:21:00.003-06:00

My sons gave me this wonderful card a while back. I ran across it the other day and took it to be matted and framed. It will hang in my new studio. In case you can't see the words clearly, the card reads:

"I still remember the very first thing you ever taught me . . . what it feels like to be loved."

Thanks, guys.

Studio Progress

2010-01-07T18:04:00.003-06:00

The walls and floors are painted and look wonderful. The blue is sapphire and looks great with the tan walls and floors. The room is big enough to hold that color since it's on a windowed wall. I can barely wait to get all my fabric, sewing machine and rest of the inventory in there!

Many thanks to my husband, Steve, for all his hard work. The floor took hours to get it in shape to be painted.

More to come . . .

What I'm Working On

2010-01-07T18:00:00.002-06:00

I started this quilt for my nephew who recently graduated from basic training in the US Navy. I had hoped to have it done this past October, but we all know how that goes. All the rows and sashing are done now and I just have to put it together and then quilt it. I will be happy to give this to him.

Snow all the way to the terrace

2009-12-26T13:53:00.003-06:00

Snow almost as high as 6 foot fence

2009-12-26T13:53:00.001-06:00

New Car

2009-11-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

It's probably not a big deal for most people when they get a new car. However, my last new car was purchased 12 years ago, so I'm really excited about our new Altima. It's loaded with convenience gadgets and I'm already enjoying the heated seats.

American Quilters Society Show

2009-11-01T10:45:00.007-06:00

Eight of us traveled to Des Moines to attend the American Quilting Society show held this weekend. The Des Moines Area Quilt Guild also holds their show at the same time. We had loads of fun, walked for miles, spent our hard-earned money and had a great time.

(Clockwise): Gayle, Julie, Wendy, Debi, Nancy, Susie, Diane.

2009-11-01T10:27:00.005-06:00

Here are just a few of the many fantastic quilts we enjoyed seeing.

Two Little Girls and Their Quilts

2009-10-15T05:44:00.004-05:00

In an earlier post I showed photos of these two quilts for a good friend's daughters.

Isabella, above, loved her quilt. It is as colorful as her personality.

Baby Addison appears to be enjoying her flannel and chenille quilt as well.

It's Only October!

2009-10-15T05:41:00.002-05:00

We got 4-5 inches of snow on October 10th. That's pretty early, even for Iowa. Thank goodness it melted rather quickly. I'm not ready for this yet, but it is beautiful.

Go Texas!

2009-09-20T14:45:00.001-05:00

Our Molly used to live with our son in Austin, Texas and was a big fan of the Longhorns because she attended most of the tailgate parties when they were playing in Austin. We took this photo to show Kyle that she is still a fan. Notice the Texas kerchief she is wearing.

In the Yard

2009-09-07T17:18:00.005-05:00

We planted these lovely flowers this year but can't remember their name! They are beautiful, delicate, and colorful. Looking at them reminds me of the beauty in the world and how often I take it for granted.

Kids Quilts

2009-09-07T17:03:00.004-05:00

I recently finished these two quilts for the daughters of my friends. The baby quilt is for Addison Evelynn who was born in February. She will finally get a quilt to keep her warm during the winter.

Her older sister, Isabella Noelle, has been my friend since she was a one-year-old. She is now almost 10 and has been fun to hang out with. She's turning into quite a young lady.

I made Bella's quilt with fabrics I had on hand. I only had to purchase backing and the rick rack that I used in place of "regular" green stems for the flowers. I fused the flowers to the background and then used some fun machine stitches to anchor them in place. I also sewed colorful buttons to the centers of the flowers with the most petals. A friend machine quilted Isabella's quilt. I'm very pleased with it.

I hope both girls enjoy the quilts as much as I have enjoyed making them.

Pineapple Cake and Teas

2009-08-11T17:56:00.002-05:00

The tall box looks like the pineapple cakes that are inside. There are two kinds of teas as well. Of course, I can't read what kind they are but one smells like raspberry and the other smells like lemongrass.

Goodies from Taiwan

2009-08-11T17:53:00.001-05:00

These are pear pastries. Everything he sent is beautifully boxed and almost too pretty to eat!

Self-Portrait

2009-08-05T13:22:00.005-05:00

A few months ago three of us decided to make a self-portrait quilt. I fussed around with it for a while and then finally came up with this. I think it expresses my personality (note the coffee cup, chocolate [in thread] and the "Blah, blah, blah"). My portrait also has earrings and a bracelet which are the norm for me. The hair represents mine that never stays in place.

Wednesday Flowers

2009-08-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

A colleague brought in these beautiful flowers from his daughter's wedding reception. They have brightened up my office and my work week. Thanks, Dave!

Quilt Retreat

2009-07-28T18:11:00.004-05:00

Seven of us had a wonderful three-day weekend at a cabin in the woods enjoying making quilts, knitting, and other fiber arts projects.

2009-07-22T17:48:00.001-05:00

My husband (tall guy in the center wearing the Red Oak t-shirt) and friends get ready to ride on RAGBRAI ([Des Moines] Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) on Sunday, July 19th. Participants ride west to east across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. The ride goes for seven days and lots of folks ride the entire route. People from all over the US and foreign countries enjoy the trip.

Quilt Retreat This Weekend -- Yippee!

2009-07-22T09:51:00.002-05:00

Seven of us are going on a quilt retreat this weekend, and I'm like a kid going to Disneyland. We have a great time sewing, quilting, making other art projects, eating, reading, watching movies, listening to music and enjoying being together. I have promised myself not to bring too much along this time and pack only what I realistically have a chance to put my hands on. I'll post some pictures so you can see what we're doing!

Molly in her favorite place.

2009-07-14T20:24:00.002-05:00

This is our lovely Molly. She was rescued from Hurricane Katrina by our son who lives in Texas. He took a new job and could no longer keep her, so we are the lucky ones who have her. She's the best dog we've ever had!

Our SRWS Challenge Blocks

2009-07-14T20:05:00.002-05:00

Here are the results of the June Challenge for the Still Running With Scissors (SRWS) art quilt group. We each drew two color names from a paper bag and had to make a block the size of a CD case out of those two colors. The only other color you could add was black. My block is the lemon and lavendar I See You block.

2009-06-30T15:58:00.000-05:00