Giveaway Winners!

As promised, I am going to list the winners of my little "Writing on Fabric' book giveaway.  Sorry there are no photos for this post....seems I am having a bit of 'technical' trouble, so photos for the next post, I hope.   ( UPDATE: Here I am several days later adding photos to this blog post....had to purchase more photo space from Google in order to add photos to my blog....who knew?)

I had wanted to post some photos of the favorite son, favorite daughter and old navy man from Thanksgiving....but if all works out...you will see them soon.

For those who wanted one of my books.....here are the WINNERS:

Cindy P
Shannon 
Bonnie
Meredith
Allison
Vicki
Judy
Jodi
Louise
Christy

I will need your mailing addresses if I don't already have them....hopefully, I can mail them out before the week is over.

If you had your heart set on one, and didn't win....I will be giving something away for Christmas, so stay tuned for that.

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful....stay safe, cozy and warm.  Til next post, take care, pat

Three Small Quilts and a Book Giveaway

This will be my "Happy Thanksgiving" post.  I don't know why I chose these quilts for this post, but I often don't know what I'm doing....as you know...so for some reason....these are the ones you are getting tonight.  They are some of my favorites, actually, so maybe that is why.  This first one began with that little square of muslin.  My friend, Jim, drew these little one inch drawings and wrote the words during a class I was teaching about writing on quilts.  He later gave it to me and I said I would make a quilt out of it.  He doubted me....but here is the quilt. 

I had watched him during the class and couldn't believe he got so many little drawings done in so small a space...and during the same amount of time others spent writing their letters or poems or whatever they had chosen to do. 

Jim works rather quickly and these are some of the smallest drawings I've seen him do...and they are special.

So, I just pieced this little quilt and among the quilt stitches are the hearts.....they are stitched with red perle cotton in a back stitch which in this case, became the quilting stitches....yes, they show on the back.

Here is the label for the quilt....gosh, this sure happened a long time ago!  But, truly, it seems like yesterday!

Here is another quilt containing some of Jim's work and mine too.  He told me he could draw something better than those little squares in the previous quilt...so one day an envelope arrived in my mailbox with this little square in it.  He knew I loved birds.....so he created this little nest with birds just for me!  I do love it!  And, once again, I said I'd make a quilt with it.  On this quilt, I used a lot of buttons and simple piecing.  All these quilts are about 24 - 30 inches.  Not very big. 

I had this little brass bird I just had to add to the quilt.  Fitting, as Jim loves to embellish his quilts with lots of 'stuff.'

This is the edge of the quilt.  I just had to bead the edge....it looks pretty good and was fun to do.

Simple piecing, as I said....and simple quilting too. 

This is the label.....I cut that spray of flowers out and used fusible web to iron it to the fabric.  Something I don't normally do, but I really did like the way this one turned out.  And, then, the 'story' too.  There's always a story!

I like the way the beading provides extra interest in the finished quilt.  Seeing it again makes me want to SEW!!!!

Jim always said I couldn't make a quilt on the sewing machine.  Mostly because I just don't much like sitting at a sewing machine.  One day, I decided I would make a quilt top on the machine.  Fusible applique and all.  This is the pattern I drew and the top was made in speedy fashion.  Of course, you can probably tell, I had to embroider something...that orange wavy design....and it is hand quilted. 

So, I guess he was right...I can't really make a quilt on the machine.  I really enjoyed embroidering that orange wave...Herringbone Stitch meandering along the border.  It was great fun!

Can you see the little plastic fly on that leaf?  Jim gave me a couple of them, encouraging me to 'embellish'...he thought I wouldn't use it, but I thought it added a little fun to the quilt!

Machine stitched the outside edge of the leaves and the veins......

This is the back of the quilt....just loved this Fall fabric and had to use it...so colorful....it almost looks like this around our area now as the leaves finally turned. 

When I taught the class that Jim took...writing on fabric....I made this little book.  It was meant as a souvenir of the class.  I ended up having hundreds of them printed and have sold and/or given them away for years.  I'm down to the last few.  Today I decided I would give those last few away.  If you would like one.....(I have TEN of them).......kindly comment on this blog post and I'll  pick ten winners.

I plan on taking a little  blogging  break....my son is coming for Thanksgiving and we will have around 38 folks for the holiday....so you comment, and I'll choose TEN winners on Tuesday, November 27th....it will all be over by then and favorite son will head back to California.  Make sure I have a way to contact you!

So....please have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  Stay warm, safe and have FUN!  take care out there, pat

My Friend's New Book

I am so very excited about this new book.  "EMBROIDERED MEMORIES" from my dear and best friend (in Indiana), Brian Haggard and published by C&T Publishing.  It is a great book to own if you are interested in embroidery, crazy quilts,  embellished clothing and household items...well, just about everything.   The work shown in this book is lovely....as his work always is.  And, just one little thing to tempt you, which I will not show here...you must see the chair on page 71.  It is DEAR!!!

Here is the back cover of the book.......I LOVE the embroidered bag shown here...just delightful!  And, there is Brian, himself!  A great guy and such fun to visit with.  I know he will be making even more new friends as this book is found by YOU and many other like-minded stitchers.

 

Every page has something to admire...this is the introduction page...notice the detail at the top of the page....all these motifs are so beautiful and ideas are everywhere.

I always love a basket and here is a wonderful one.........I also love Brian's very subtle use of color.  So elegant.

Here is a clutch he has created...LOVE it.  I have been wanting to make some coin purses....oh, let's see where will I find inspiration??

Here is that bag on the back of his book.  Isn't it lovely?  He loves including old photos in his work and I love the writing too.  I so love this piece.

This is the cover of Brian's first book.  I was so excited when I found this on amazon.com I bought it immediately.  After reading it, I managed to talk with Brian and we have become great friends.  I so admire his work.  And, I have to say, he reminds me of my friend, Jim, who you have seen on this blog so many times.  They are much alike, but very different.  Well, you'll have to figure that one out for yourself!  And, now, they have become great friends too.  The blogging world can be so much FUN!

This is the back of the first book of Brian's.  IF you don't have it, you may just need to have both.  If you like this kind of work, as I do, then, you will WANT both.  You won't be disappointed.

I am so proud to be able to show you these books.  When you have yours and decide what you want to make - this may help - Brian also has a line of fabrics coming out in February.  You can find out about them at Windham Fabrics.  If you are interested in reading Brian's blog....check it out here. 

So, there you are....a great new book to warm you over the winter.  I have already read every word in it and look forward to being inspired by all the photos and every single one of the 375 embroidery designs in it's pages.  It's inspiring, as I said and since I feel I know YOU...well, I was pretty sure you would enjoy knowing about it.  ENJOY!

It's been raining here today, with thunder, lightning, some wind and cooler temps.  I think I'll get back under my quilt, take a pad and pen, these books of Brian's and sketch a few ideas myself.  What a way to wind up a cold/rainy day!  Thank you, Brian.  Take care out there, pat

Election 2012

Cross-Stitch Memories

Recently, I enjoyed a conversation (via email) with Linda,  a blogging friend of mine who lives in Maine.  She mentioned working on a cross-stitch sampler and I told her I would post my cross-stitch samplers for her to see.  And, you too, of course!  Here is a photo of three of my samplers which are, at the moment, living in our living room.  More about that fourth one later in this post.

My house tends to be dark and I took these photos late at night, so they are not as clear as I'd like, but you get the idea.  These three were made in the early to mid-seventies......oh, my, how many years ago was that?? You know, I can look at things I've made and my life just flashes in front of my eyes!  I can remember sitting and working on these for many hours in the evenings.  My kids were born in 1967 and '68, so how I ever found the time, I don't know.  Of course,  there are no little kids here now and I still don't know where I would find the time.  One thing I DO know...I got a lot more done when I had to work around the children and their needs.  Maybe I was just quicker then.  OK, no jokes about aging!

I have particularly loved the poem on this sampler....and have tried to abide by it......you know how I love words on needlework and I do try to maintain a thankful heart.  

These samplers were made with kits that were available back then.   Later, I became aware of Aida cloth and linen and began to 'do my own thing' and/or follow a designer's charts.  I have to say, I think it was more difficult to cover up the inked fabric in the kits than it was to follow a chart.  Often times, the printed design was difficult to cover up.  But, at the time....I was lucky to find anything to stitch, truth be told.

Even today, on some days, I'd still like to stitch a sampler.  I'd have to have really good light, but it would be fun.

This is another kit sampler.  This one didn't take nearly as long as the other two and was quite fun.
I'm just a fool for sentimentality!!!

Excuse the light in the lower left of this photo...try as I might, sometime I just can't keep the light from reflecting on the glass.

As I mentioned, here is more on the square cross-stitched piece.  I recently purchased this one at one of my favorite flea markets.  It is very cute and I just couldn't leave it there.   The little crosses don't really touch each other...as they should, but I still thought it dear.  Some pieces just call your name!!!  As you can see on the photo, I just simply placed it on this antique chest below my cross-stitch pieces.  I don't know where exactly it will wind up....but for now I'm thinking I may remove that large frame on the top row and put it there......I just never know until I make it a priority to spend a bit of time 'playing around with it.'

I have no idea who stitched it....but I'm glad they did.  And, I'm happy to now be the caretaker of such
a fun sampler. 

 I used to teach quilting classes at the Ozark Folk School in Mountain View, Arkansas.  My classes were five days of quilting fun with some very wonderful students from 'all over.'  For one of my classes,  I decided to make a quilt that resembled a cross stitch sampler.  How that idea popped into my head, I just don't know, but I made this quilt for that class and we really did have FUN.  It's about 28 inches or so square and as most of my 'stuff' is....hand appliqued, hand embroidered, and hand quilted. 

                                    

I love the little appliqued hen and chicks.  Embellished with some embroidery.  Such fun to make these cute little creatures...and they were inspired by the work of  Janet Bolton, in her books "My Grandmother's Patchwork Quilt" and "Patchwork Folk Art".  You can find them at amazon.com.

These flowers were made from fabric yo-yo's and great fun.  I have used this method before...the back of the yo-yo is what I used for the front and then the center was filled with French Knots.

More applique....I love doing that part too.

And, of course, there had to be a tree.  Lazy Daisy stitches filled with one or two straight stitches, appliqued tree trunk.

So, here we are on the back of the quilt.  Had to add another bird, of course!  Now, look at that, made in 2008!  Time surely does fly!!

And, I just had to show you the fabric on the back of this little quilt.  I purchased this fabric JUST for the back of this quilt.....all 'farmy' and all....so cute, don't you think?

So, there you are...my cross-stitch samplers.......and quilt 'sampler' too and many hours of my life...right here in this one post.  I hope you enjoyed seeing them...as much as I enjoyed stitching them.  take care out there, pat