Sew Sunshine

I have a thing about the art of Amedeo Clemente Modigliani. I have been wanting to practice thread sketching some more so decided to try my hand at this little lady.   Proportion is off but I don't even care. This was so fun to do. This is Madame Raynouard 1916.   I am doing an organizational challenge right now too and I found a couching foot that I have never used before so I couched some yarn to the edge. Needs fuller yarn or rattail but for this practice piece it was fine.  She is approx. 8" x 10" and already stuck to my wall.  I also made up a few drool bibs this week to send to my great nephew. I hope they work. They are the bandana style made with flannel and or terry cloth.  Turned out sweet!!! LInking up with Lorna @ Let's Bee Social  HERE

approx 29" x 29" In my quest to clean and organize a bit in my sewing room(s) I plan to see what I can come up with for challenges that I already have.  This 8 sided spider web is for the Project Quilting  season 8 first challenge - "8 is great". I was working on cleaning up the floor in my sewing room and I came across 2 bags of mostly useless selvages. I didn't know what I was doing when I saved them and they were mostly too skinny to even use or there was no wording or color bubbles. Crazy! So I found enough to do this spider web. Drafted a triangle template with newspaper and started laying them out. The inspiration for this piece really came from my friend  Jennifer . Right before the holidays she started a string quilt spiderweb that is so awesome so I knew I wanted to put it on my bucket list. Well, no time like the present.  I took this when it was 2 degrees F out. My hands were a little shaky to say the least. I am so pleased with this piece. N

  Happy New Year!   There is always so much planning and resolution making going on this time of year. I decided to join a couple challenges that split up some of the things I want to accomplish into monthly installments.  I think with that kind of a set up there will be less  "More" accomplishments and that will keep the good vibes going.  First up is a friend of mine doing an organizational challenge. Steph Jacobson is heading up the   #organizedsewingspace2017 .  I was sure I did not need to do this challenge and then...........I realized that what I have on my shelves and stashed in corners has been around for a while and not getting much use. Just before Christmas I opened a bag and found that receipt from 1997 for these two pieces of fleece (which are now a warm fuzzy blanket) HERE  and soon realized I have a lot more issues than I thought.  My intention still was to do this on my own and I started to look at the scrap bags on the floor before you get to my scrap bi

I decided to join Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs  for Best of 2016 Linky Party. I really felt that I did not do much this year so it was hard to pick my best so I picked most viewed.  1. The "eyes" have it quilt. A kit on one side makes the giant pixel eye and on the flip side I made my own version of a God's eye.  A few finishes post 2.  Scrap Busting 3.  My Way 4.  Cutting room floor 5.  Around the block party   tied with.......... Closer to you This was a lower production year but a fun year of making none the less.  Linking up with  Meadow Mist Designs Linky Party

Happy Holidays! I have been working on a few gifty things that I didn't want to share yet. Yesterday I got hit with a bit of vertigo so I was not able to sew much but I did put together the glass balls I have been experimenting with. I got some ranger inks and played around with coloring them. Found this cool vase and decided to put together a little holiday card.  The words are part of a hymn that my dad always loved and I think it is especially fitting this year.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! linking up with  Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee social

    Mini quilted trees happened today.    I have many many orphan quilt blocks that were pattern samples my mom made when she was trying blocks out.  Most of her blocks are from a picture then she makes a grid and cuts out cardboard templates.  Many times the block didn't come out exactly as she wanted.  She would fold up the block with the templates and label an envelope with the block name or idea.  I inherited boxes of these.     I decided to try this sort of unattractive rust color block as a sample and randomly quilted it.  Once it was quilted I drew tree shapes on the block not caring where they fell really. I took matching thread and stitched over my drawing several times then cut them out.  I really like the way the cuts took on sort of a wonky appearance but like it was meant to be.  I dug out moms button box and added the button to the top and tied a string to make in to ornaments.   While my quilting is the worst part I think they turned out kind of coo

This is the mini I whipped up for our local guilds mini swap.  We were supposed to make anything but keep it between 12"- 24".  I made "Listen" approx 16" x 16" and it is matchstick quilted.   The fabric in the center was the inspiration and it spoke to me so much as to what to add to it so thus..."listen".  Since it was a hurry to finish I added the quick corners at the top for hanging and I added the small one at the bottom for a label. Was super quick to just sew it in the binding.  The guild swap was pretty fun but stressful. We chose the mini's white elephant style so there was lots of stealing of quilts. Not my favorite thing to do as you briefly get attached to the ones you had in your hands.    "Sweetness" is the mini I won made by a new guild member. It is sweet and I am so looking forward to getting to know her in the new year.  Here is the attempt to get our OMQG guild group in a pho

  Happy Day! I made a  Bionic Gear Bag  as a sample for one of my lqg Saturday Sew Days.  I had a piece of AGF pastel thrift letter fabric and it just happened my initials were in the fabric together.  Since I love text so much I decided this was the way to go to make "myself" a gift.   I used some more text in the inside and some happy colors.  Perfect to house those clips. This bag is so wonderful I could use it for make-up and jewelry. Or ...maybe I just need to make more?   Linking up to  Show off Saturday  @SewCanShe

This quilt I made using the  Quick Curve Ruler  by Sew Kind of Wonderful. I just love how easy it is to make curve blocks using this ruler.   I made this and several of their patterns for a demo I gave at one of my quilt guilds quilt show this last month.   This is one of those times that a deadline was good because that is almost all the sewing I have gotten to lately.  The pattern for this quilt is in their book One Wonderful Curve. I highly recommend this book if you want to give curves a try. Every pattern is so very different. And .......no I am not being paid by them I just love this product. :) I used all Moda Bella solids for this quilt. It measures approx 45" x 45" and simple straight line crosshatch quilting.  I love the movement it has. Makes me wish I had quilted it in circles.  Linking up with Kelly for  Needle and Thread thursday   and  Finish it up Friday  with Crazy Mom Quilts.

Just a reminder that the Blogger's Quilt Festival is open for voting.  My "Conversation of a Marriage" is in the small quilt category.  Check all the small quilts out  HERE   and then check out all the categories . So much fun to see all of the quilts from so many talented quilters.  Linking up with Let's Bee Social with Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

"Conversation of a Marriage" Weight of Love Pattern by Libs Elliot 53" x 59" My entry into the  Blogger's Quilt Festival  Small Quilt category. I took a class with Libs Elliott thru my local modern quilt guild.  I collected many of the fabrics for a while as I love text.  These have some special meanings to me and I tried to include elements that represent my husband and myself over the years.  Some of the fabrics includes are the Pastel Thift text letter fabric that I used to put the "lbs." to represent another kind of unit of measure in the 'weight of love'.   Also I ordered this great Pride and Prejudice fabric from a designer at Spoonflower. (sorry I could not find your name to link to) The backing has tons of text and graphic prints.  Please stop over the the  Blogger's Quilt Festival 2016 fall edition  and vote for your favorites when it opens.  Also linking up with Lorna @  Sew Fresh

  I am a Maker 24" x 24" pattern by Liz Harvantine   HERE matchstick quilting I have loved this pattern since it came out and this is my third time in making the small wall hanging size.   It is really fun to make.  This piece was inspired by a piece of text fabric that a friend who happens to be co-chair of this quilt show, gave me a few weeks ago. It has text and sheet music on it. Then I found some fabric that has sewing pattern terms and quilt blocks on it. Some fabric with writing, photography, architecture and diagrams and put them all together to represent the makers of many beautiful things. This wall hanging will be donated to one of my local quilt guilds for their quilt show auction coming up Oct 6-8 to raise money for the guild.   I might have to buy it back I love it so much! If you are in Lincoln Ne during that time stop by to see the show or bid on a favorite piece to own.  linking up with  Crazy mom quilts