Finally took the plunge!

Tags

block, challenges, ffirst bee, nubees, quilt, quilting, swap, virtural bee

Well here they are, the blocks from my very first online quilting bee.  I joined one of the ones on flickr.  The Nubees http:NuBees.wordpress.com/ quilting group are such a friendly group of quilters. The best part is each block swap runs 30 days and you can particicpate in which ever months work best for you. I am having so much fun with this. Don’t let the picture here fool you because these were fresh off my sewing machine. Now they are pressed well and ready to go.  I have a few other challenges I’m going to cover once I get going with those really well.  Oh’ I want to show the lovely blocks I’ll receive from these talented ladies in my hive also.  All I can say is  ‘Wow’.  So there is lots more to come……exhale…..!

Collection of Pincushions

Tags

art quilting, etsy, gift idea, gifts, home dec, needle crafts, needles, pincushions, pins, quilt, quilting, rainstudio, sewing

New Collections and….

Tags

amber, beads, collection, couture, cuff, doily, etsy, glass, handmade, jewelry, linen, magnolianlace, textile, vintage, white

A new collection is being launched on my newest Etsy Shop Magnolia & Lace “Textile Cuff Couture”  I have crafted this piece totally by hand using the finest of couture details. http://magnolianlace.etsy.com .  A nice accessory to wear with your victorian outfits. There will also be some wonderful vintage finds! Stop by and check it out.

Rain Studio – http://rainstudio.etsy.com  has lots of new goodies.  If you’re looking to spruce up your sewing space, then you will want to check out the collection of Home dec pincushions I have made. Really nice!  There are lots of detash items also like some beautiful vintage fabric remnants and some Quilting Arts back issues.  And I have added a few patterns too. I will be adding more detash items as I continue to clear out my studio. There may be that treasure waiting for you so check often because I will be adding stuff as I come across things. At Rain Studio I will be starting a collection of Book Marks and Journals with handmade covers. These will definitely fill the bill for smaller gift items that everyone will be looking for this holiday season.  So keep your eyes open for these goodies.  And of course I have been working on a few surprizes that I will wait until the next post to tell you about.

You can tell I have been super busy lately! I have also been logging in some time with my other passion which is Art Journaling/Paper crafting. I have joined a few challenges and swaps. So I plan to follow those here also. I hope to have some good pictures of my progress and techniques. If you like please follow along with me on this journey deep into my creative soul and hopefully you will be inspired along the way. Comments and questions are always welcome here.  Oh! Haven’t forgot about the bag tutorial, but right now I can’t put a exact time frame on it . I’ll  have a good heads up when its ready to roll.   Exhal….. !

Still Quilting and….

Tags

journals, projects, quilting, sketch books

I know I have not been here in a while! There is quite a bit of stress in my life right now. Don’t know what I would do if I did not have a creative spirit. It keeps me sane. I was able to complete some projects from my UFO pile. Then I added new projects to the UFO pile, replacing what I had complete. It is a never ending wonderful cyle. The life of a quilter. My creative juices have been working over time. I’m loving every minute of it. I have managed to work on a family Heritage Memory Book in between times. Oh and lets not forget the piles of my sketch books and Journals where all my ideas are first born. Been working like crazy in thoses also. While it may seem like I have abandoned some ideas, actually I have just put them on hold for now. Exhal….

Quick Update/Notes

Tags

art quilt, blog, blogging, cross blocks, goals, improvisational, tutorials

 Well I wish someone had told me how involved it is to put together a tutorial.  I am not giving up on doing one.  Just that I have been sooo busy!  My heart was in the right place!  However, I will do this - 1) locate a  really good link  for the cross blocks. 2)  I thought it would  a good thing to start off this year by thinking of ways to reduce what we put into the landfills. So I’m going  to start putting together a tutorial for the Market Bags instead.  It will be my first tutorial! I hope all goes well. Don’t expect it right away – but its coming .  If we use these neat bags when we go to the market it will help our enviroment greatly.  I’m going to be making a number of these bags during the year for myself and family.  I hope more people will do the same along with me.

1. This is the piece I have been working on lately. It is  an improv wall quilt. I am loving the freedom of the improvisational quilting .  Actually my last eleven projects have been improvisational.  Yessss eleven and counting.

2. Goals – My goals for 2011 - right now I am at six goals to be completed this year. I added a few kinda late and I could add a few more.  But I’m not going to do that.  It’s hard enough as it is.

3. Thinking about starting a new blog.  It’s kinda been on my mind a while now.  When I created this blog I had BIG dreams. I think I could have did it better and posted more regularly.  If I decide to start a new blog.  I will be ending ’The Fab…Life!  I don’t know yet, just tossing it around in my head and thinking of some new ideas.

Well thats it in a nutshell!    Exhal………

Improv Crosses?

Tags

cross blocks, etsy, fresh, holiday, improvisational, kitchen, modern, quilting, rainstudio, runner, table

Well this it!  This is what I did with my cross blocks.  It really came out very nice.  I had quite a few blocks after I went on to try that neat tutorial I found.   I’ll  post one here.  I made two table runners like this one (one for myself, of course!). The other one is in my Etsy Shop.  And I have been recieving so…… many compliments on how nice it looks in my kitchen.  Everyone keeps thinking I’ve done some remodeling.  It gave the kitchen a fresh modern look.  Isn’t that something!  Just by adding one piece you can freshen things up a bit.  And in fact just in time to put me in the mood to do some holiday cooking.  Exhal….

Happy Turkey Day!

Cross Blocks

Tags

blocks, blue, color stories, comtemporary, crosses, green, modern, phases, projects, quilting art, quilts, techniques, white

I decided finally to try the cross block for my latest project.  It is pretty much a very simple block to put together.  Only after I had completed about 21 blocks did I find a neat tutorial which was much easier and a lot faster than my way.   I will try to post both versions before the end of November.  I think  it could help  someone else with their cross blocks by saving them a considerable amount time.  

Lately, I have been in a really blue phase  and most of my projects have been turning out to be blue and white or blue and green.  I am finding  this to be a very effective way to work. I enjoy working within what I now call my Color Stories Phase.  Just working with all the blues and throwing  in a bit of other colors such as the green. I use this as a way to introduce my next color story. It  has been an eye opening experience not to mention this method has reduced the blue area in my fabric stash considerably.  ROOM FOR NEW FABRICS!  A good reason to go fabric shopping. Right?  Exhale…

Improvisational Quilting

Tags

art, etsy, improvisational, modern, quilting, quilts, rainstudio, tradional

Haven’t posted in a while  I know .   So…so….busy and this is what I have been doing!

Lately I have been working on many improv projects.  Basically this is a technique which I like to also call freeform piecing and quilting.  I am definitely loving it!  Kinda’  a no rules way of working and the results can be amazing.  I am beginning to believe this is my true quilt calling.  I have always barked at the traditional ways of quilting. That’s why I guess I ran ( fast too) to ART QUILTING. There I have remained faithly. I have only made three traditional quilts ever.  The third ONE I did just  recently (a Strip Pieced Quilt) may very well  be the last one I do in a traditional style.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the beauty of tradional quilts and there is and never will be a substitute for these lovely Quilts.  I am however learning to go back some,  just in a different way.  I am going to be trying some modern throw or lap style quilts.  I have several that are ready to go!  So we’ll see.  The  Art Quilt in the picture is the first one in a series of twenty three Art Quilts I have worked on so far.  Most of these I’m been pleased with and some I was clearly approaching my learning curve.  I haven’t crossed that curve as yet, since I am still in an experimental phase.  Twenty three and counting.    Oh!  I forgot……finally using some of that hugh stash of hand dyed fabrics too.

Exhal……

Journal Quilts

Tags

2009 journal quilts, Etsy shop, memories of nature, new year, strip piecing, themes

Mother's Purple Flowers 2

Another  one of my 2009 journal quilts .   This year I challenge myself to use strip piecing with the  theme (Memories of Nature).  It is the first time I have tried the journal quilting project.  I must say I really enjoyed the process even more than I had thought I would.  I committed myself  to one 8 1/2″ x 11″ quilt per month.  There were times when I got involved and would do two for one month.  The only rule was that I would not throw a quilt  into the waste bin if I didn’t like it.  A was pleased with the results of most all of them.   This little quilt is an intrepretation of remembering the lovely Iries in my mother’s garden when I was growing up.   With 2010 approaching fast means I am starting to think about next years challenge.  I think I will continue  with this size which was nice to work with.   I have been making a list of possible themes for next year.  This piece is also listed in my Etsy shop  http://rainstudio.etsy.com  along with  a couple of other journal  pieces.  I have decided this much for next year’s project.  It has to have lots of surface design.   And I would like to include  some inspirational words or poetry.   Thats’ a start!  Its’ still pretty broad I know.  I’ll need to narrow my playing field a little more.  Just for myself!  Of course nothing written in stone as yet.  A theme…a theme…!   Exhale…

The Perfect Gift…

Tags

blog, blogging, family, gift, gifts, God, holidays, hope, love, Our Daily Bread, peace

The Holiday season is here and I have a lot to be thankful for.  Some made it through another year and some did not.  I do pray for peace the world over and hope remains in my heart.  While the rush for the perfect gift begins, I’ve been reminding myself to stay within my budget.  So many have lost jobs and are barely getting by or not getting by at all.  When I received my copy of ‘Our Daily Bread” for December and read the first page titled ‘the Best of Gifts’.  I thought these are the  things I sometimes take for granted.   The Best of Gifts won’t cost me any money just my sincere effort to connect with  family,  friends and those who are alone.   

 

* The gift of listening

* The gift of affection

* The gift of laughter

* The gift of a written note

* The gift of  a compliment

And I will be sharing with others how God’s love has sustained me in times like these.

 Peace