Quilting - four blocks for a memorial quilt for my Mom

I made these quilt blocks a while back and had set them aside so I could hand stitch the little yellow hearts to the houses.  I finally got to that task today!!  It was suggested at a get together last year at my sister's house that we should make a memorial quilt in memory of our Mom.  There were several suggestions and ideas were presented by several of us (I am one of six girls) and it was finally left with these parameters - blue, yellow and white and any quilt block would be fine and that anyone who wanted to do hand stitching could.  It was revived by one of my other sisters recently as we are having a family reunion in July this summer and we have invited everyone who wants to make a square to contribute to the quilt.  Several of my sisters are experienced quilters and several of us seriously dabble and quite often are less than traditional with our approach.  In the extended family the same situation exists - some more serious than the others.  So we are hoping that many will take on the task of remembering our Mom in the making of a quilt square.  These are the four that I made.  My flying geese instructions make four flying geese at a time so I made four of them.   They become the blue sky and white roofs of my houses.  I added yellow and blue strips in a log cabin (generally - but not precisely) manner around the houses until they were 11" square.  Our Mom was the heart of our home and the most important square in the log cabin block is the central block - the heart and hearth!!!!  The blue swirl fabric came from one of my Mom's blouses which I acquired when she passed away.  I am so looking forward to seeing what my family members will be making for squares for this quilt.  One of my sisters provided the quilt block information to be passed on to all of the family through email.  She will be collecting the blocks at our reunion in July and then putting them together into a quilt top and then finishing it.  It will be returned to our next reunion as a silent auction prize.  

Therese

 

Art Date - Dying fabric with paint with my sister

 My sister, Sylvia, was here for a few days and we played with dying fabrics with paint.  We tried a variety of different mediums and techniques which all worked out well.  We washed our fabrics and found that several did lose colour while others did not at all.  It seems more connected to the fabric we used rather than the paints.  We used a variety of white cotton fabrics.  It was a very fun experience and Sylvia is looking forward to using some of these for hand stitching for handmade cards and as background for artwork for shows.  Therese

Cardmaking - embossed pearl backgrounds with butterflies and greeting for IWIN

 I have incorporated some of the pearly backgrounds I made last week into cards for IWIN.  I got the butterfly diecuts at a garage sale a while back thought they would complement each other well.  I dusted the pearl background with a bit of powder to ensure they would release well from the embossing folders and then added fiber or cardstock strips then adhered them to coordinating card fronts.  I then added the butterflies with 3D foam tape and the layered "Thinking of you" greetings with double sided tape.  They turned out really beautiful and I know they will bless those who receive them.  IWIN  rescues persons from human trafficking and gives them a chance to start a new life.  Therese

Cardmaking - pearl acrylic paint backgrounds on white cardstock

 I worked on backgrounds last week in an effort to sort through some of my paint stash.  I used up some pearl acrylic paint housed in fine tip bottles meant for a variety of techniques.  I found more than a half dozen which had solidified beyond use and several that still had viable paint so I tore apart some cardstock postcards that I had in my stash and used those as substrate for these fun backgrounds.  Generally, several colours of coordinating colours of paint dug out of the bottles and smeared with my fingers into some painterly backgrounds.  I spritz water on those who were too thick to spread well and then mixed in other colours which made some very cool backgrounds.  So in the end, several bottles were put in the trash and the others returned to their bins with more room.  I will be making more of these as time goes on!!  They are very pearly!!!  Therese

Cardmaking - a rainy scene with a man with an umbrella

A fun card featuring a man with an umbrella in the rain!!!  I am sure everyone is wishing for rain and this person loves to garden so I am sure they are wishing for some!!  The background is from Morgue File and has been sitting in my stash for a while!!  It thought it was perfect to simulate a storm.  I added rain with a clear glitter pen!!! I added "Joie!!" in glitter as well on the orange strip as that is how it feels when you get want you want!!!  

Therese

Cardmaking - a harlequin background created with squares and a fussy cut rose in a large circle

I started by fussy cutting the rose and its colours inspired the rest of the card.  I trimmed a green card and then dug into the stash for the little baggie of red squares.  I laid them out roughly and they seemed to work reasonably well for making a harlequin background.  So I played with the squares until I was happy with the lay out, drew some vertical lines where the points of the squares would line up and then just glued them into place one row at a time.  Worked out perfectly!!!!  I adhered my rose to a round circle and added a dashed line in green pen all the way around.  That inspired the wiggly lines in the green squares.  I mounted the focal element to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.   Love the card!!!  

Therese
 

Cardmaking - a leather oak leaf on an embossed tag over a collage background

Another card for a family occasion!!!  I started with a dark brown card.  I pieced a decorative paper background -  I like the spots of colour it adds.  I added a strip of brown cardstock at the top and added four pewter eyelets.  I muck one but I could not get it out with wrecking everything so I left it in.  I stitched the leather oak leaf to the embossed tag (birch trees) and then added it to the decorative paper using a letter brad  I adhered this large layer to my card front to finish off my card!!  

Therese