Radiant Sun Quilting

I have quilted several Radiant Sun quilts and each one is more fun than the last.  This one, made by Janet S., is a king size and I used 16 different colors of thread.  Each curve is quilted with a different design.  The most fun part - she pieced a log cabin on the back in these batiks and the quilting patterns are so much fun.  I usually let the fabric pattern guide me in my quilting choice.  This is my kind of quilting!

A Walk in My Woods - gifts

T and I decided to tackle some of the bush honeysuckle in our woods while we could.  That's a never ending job but that's another story.  While we were clearing the brush and clearing the trail over the creek and to the fields for dog walks I noticed so many wonderful things in the woods -  I am so thankful for these gifts.

Houston Juried Show

Candy in Houston with quilt

I was very excited to have my Dresden plate flowers juried into the Houston IQA show this year.  It was in the mixed technique category so it was up against some large quilts with lots of applique and piecing.  I was just thrilled it was there.  I am looking forward to having it home.  It's been gone a long time. 

Seeing Red Challenge

The Rambling River Art Quilters met recently to display our new challenge - Seeing Red.  The rules were:

use a recognizable piece of the red fabric and depict the subject "seeing red" in some way.  I will post more about each individual one and watch the progress as Jane figures out a way to put them into one piece with connections.  Here is mine.  It depicts the Red Poppies that were all over France this spring.  It is based on a pattern done by Lenore Crawford although I used my own techniques to construct it.  sorry about the quality of the picture.  I didn't take one of my own piece and had to crop it from the larger one. 

Off to Houston

Off to Houston for the International Quilt Festival.  Watch for posts from the floor with all the quilts.  So excited. 

Postcards for Pets

Frieda Anderson recently blogged about a project in Houston by Pokey Bolten - Postcards for Pets.
Judy and I got together and made several postcards - some featuring pets, others holidays or just fun.  We're sending them off tomorrow.
Info below tells where and how if you are interested.  

From Pokey Bolton:For this fall’s International Quilt Festival/Houston, we are launching our first of three Festival Pet Projects, and we are inviting YOU for this fall’s show to make fabric postcards that will sell for $20 each to benefit Friends for Life. Would you be willing to make and donate a one-of-a-kind fabric postcard? I am hoping we get at least 500 fabric postcards, and if they all sell, that is $10,000! (And wouldn’t it be fantastic if we got even more?) We encourage ALL types of fabric postcards: animal-themed, abstract imagery, landscapes, floral pieces, etc. The point is to raise as much funds as we can! If you are interested in making a fabric postcard (or two or three or more), here are the requirements: Each fabric postcard must be 4? x 6? and can have either a horizontal or vertical orientation. They should be stitched (hand or machine) and consist of a front, batting (or interfacing), and a back. As these postcards will not be going through the mail, it is OK if they are in excess of 1/8? in thickness. So if you want to heavily embellish your postcard(s), go for it! You are not limited to making just one fabric postcard. Create as many fabric postcards as you like! On the back side of the fabric postcard, please sign your name and title your postcard. (Contact information is optional.) These fabric postcards are due at the Quilts, Inc. office no later than Tuesday, October 23rd. Please note: this is a received-by date. You can mail as many fabric postcards as you would like, but please place them in a padded envelope. This way they will stay in pristine condition to be displayed at Festival. Please mail them to: Festival Pet Project Attn: Pokey Bolton 7660 Woodway Suite 550 Houston, TX 77063

Whose feet are these?

I love to take pictures of my feet in different situations.  Today Tom, King and I went geocaching/hiking in Greensfelder.  It was a beautiful cool fall day and the colors were just starting.  King is a great caching dog and Tom even helped today.

Cache King & Tom Bombadill

Amazing pattern in mushrooms

Whose feet are these?

Cache King guarding the cache site

Fall colors starting  Eagle View Valley

Amish Quilt to be published

Years ago I made an Amish style quilt for my friend Pat as a thank you for watching my oldest son one summer while I worked.  Recently C&T publishing asked for submissions for a 30th anniversary book and I sent in pictures.  It was accepted! and will be published.  How exciting.

and it's hand quilted

Lynn's Quilt

OK where did September go?  I had every intention of posting but lost it all along the way.  Guess I was busy.
One of my oldest dearest friends from junior high school lives in England.  She came to visit last week for our high school reunion.  Last year I brought home blocks made by her grandmother to put together in a quilt and finished it in time for her visit.  She was surprised and pleased I think.

The quilting

Love, love love the fabrics

Lynn with her quilt

Here they are.  I loved the 50's fabrics.  Someone could use these to make some new fabrics!
We think they were all from clothing - Lynn remembers some of them

Organizing and Purging the sewing room(s)

I think I got to the point where there was just too much clutter around and it kept me from doing what I wanted to do.  Plus after cleaning out a friend's sewing room after she passed away I wondered about some of the old things I had - did I really need them around any more.  Weren't they just dragging me down?
So.... I started in the sewing room and took darn near everything out, went through boxes, cleaned out old fabric and kits and gave it away.  Boy did that feel good.  I moved the furniture to get a new view.  I hung new peg boards to organize my rulers.  You know the drill.  It takes time but it was worth it.  The hardest part was not getting distracted when I came across something I had forgotten about.

Here is the beginning

Furniture switched around.  More room for design wall

Display, view, almost done

Fabric organized and in pull outs

Cutting table and peg board. 

 Now on to the art supplies and the long arm room.  Phew!

Dragon Festival

I know it has been ages since I posted.  More later about that.  I've been busy

Chihuly glass with sunset

Japanese garden in the rain

Reflection ponds with silk water lillies

cherry blossoms

Cranes

We did finally get to the Missouri Botanical Dragon Festival last week before it closed.  It was great.  Beautiful large Chinese silk sculptures all over the garden that were lit up at night.  I have some of the left over silk pieces and I have an idea for them in my new Sketchbook challenge. 

Mt. Rainier

Tom and I visited Mt. Rainier for 6 days.  It always restores my soul to be in the mountains.  Rather than a day by day account I am just going to post pictures.  I came away with images of THE mountain, wild flowers, water, waterfalls, tall trees and the smell of pine.