A Crazy Quilt and Notice of the Heartprint Winners

 

So, here we are.  

Once again...it's all about the hearts!

I made this little quilt (15" sq.) in 1997 and would have shown it on Valentines Day...but, just like me to do, it was hanging on the wall in my hallway and I just failed to SEE it.   I swear I can't see the forest for the trees.

Anyway, I decided I would show it tonight, as it goes with all my posts in February.

 

 I made this quilt for one of our quilt events in my guild.

 So, just look it over.  It was lots of fun to make.

I love doing the embroidery along the seams...and then hearts everywhere else.

The little gold hearts are done in metallic thread.

I don't care for sewing with that type of thread, it's hard to get the stitches to lie smooth.

But, I did it anyway.

 

 I loved making the little stuffed hearts hanging from a chain of DMC floss.  Another really fun piece of work.  And, I know you will ask...that gold scallop is actually three dimensional paint squeezed from a bottle.  I hesitated to use it, but did anyway.  Funny...it hasn't changed a bit in all these years!

 

  

 I used a permanent pen to write the quotes on the borders. 

  

Here are the quotes:

"When friends meet....hearts warm."

proverb

"When you want an accounting of your worth, count your friends."

Merry Browne 

"The greatest gift we can give to one another is rapt attention to one anothers' existence."

Sue Atchley Ebaugh

"No life is so strong, so complete, but it yearns for the smile of a friend."

Wallace Bruce

 

  

 Some of my favorite heart embroidery on this little piece.

  

  

Most crazy quilters prefer not to use many print fabrics on their crazy quilts. Also most use 'fancy" fabrics.  I've nearly always used cotton as that is what I could get my hands on and it has always been fine with me.  At least, when I was 'into' making them in years past, that was the case.  But, being me...well, I always wanted to use mostly ALL printed fabric.  I still believe it's up the quiltmaker to decide those things.

 

 Hope you enjoyed seeing this quilt!

And, now.......here are the names of the two Heartprint Winners for February.

 I will need a mailing address from each of you:

Mandy Currie

and

Kathleen Santos

I hope to mail the Heartprints

 on Monday....all depending on when I receive the addresses and I'll show them on a blog post thereafter.

Next week, I will  also immediately begin working on the March versions... 

I appreciate each of you who commented and you never know, you might win one sometime this year yourself!

 

 until next time

BE WELL

from

 Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️ 

Heart Month #4

 

More hearts for Heart Month.!

 This is a doll I made in 2001.  It's made from a square of Crazy Quilting.  I don't remember where the doll pattern came from....but it all began with a small pillow.  She's very 'boxy" but I made her anyway.  And, you have to look for the hearts.

  

I loved this assortment of fabrics and even though I thought she was a bit "homely" she thanked me for making her anyway.  Imagine!

 

She also has a pet lamb....and a favorite heart I chose to include in the photo, even though

None of them were made in the doll's time period.

 That red and black heart was made from felt and silk ribbon.  One of my favorite things...it's about 7" tall and has aged well.

I did not make the little lamb but I did add the heart.

 

I know you will ask about the Redwork embroidery.  It's a pillow I made...I LOVE redwork!

It has nothing to do with this little 'story' about the hearts and doll, but it is RED. ❤️

 

She has simple little face....and, Oh, My!  That hair! 

It's made from many 'ravelings' taken from different fabrics.  I always knew that stuff would come in handy if I thought about it long enough.

  

Funny and cool, all at the same time.

 

This is my favorite Crazy Quilt book from back in the day, 1986.

 I'm showing it to you because I took a quote from that book and wrote it on the back of this doll.

I was amused by it.  It's about the concern early Crazy Quilters had for losing their vision while doing tedious embroidery and quilting.  It seems the lack of lighting back then, and the very long hours they spent stitching, caused worrisone eye strain.

I understood that, as I have never had decent vision, worried about it then, and still do.  But with lots of lighting, much determination and a great love of stitching...I managed to do a fairly decent job of stitching all these years.  You really have to WANT to do it and you will overcome.  My idea has always been when I get to where I can't stitch....I will just talk about it!!! 

You can read the quote below.

 

And, to read it more easily:

  

So, there you are...another heart post.

I have decided that since my next Sunday post will be MARCH 1,  (where did that month go!!),

I will be announcing the winners of the February Heartprints on Wednesday night, the 26th.

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 ❤️❤️❤️

HEART MONTH, POST #3, Pincushions Needlecase and a Basket

 

Well, here I am with the third post concerning Hearts.

And, in this post, you will see why my favorite colors are green, red and pink.

My first grade teacher told me you should never put red and pink together.  I've spent a good bit of my life doing just that.

 So here are a few too many photos showing another of my total passions....pincushions!

I can't help myself!

 

 This little brass pincushion, was also in a post not long ago.  It's sweet. I hope you can see the little pink clear heart, the tiny brass one...it is made up of many TINY little hearts. Then the usual straight pins with a heart at the top.  I LOVE those things.  Not to mention that the bird is dear.  This was a gift from my friend, Jim, very long ago.

  

Here are the crazy quilted treasures I made also long ago.  You may be sick of seeing some of these little pieces as I've shown them so many times, but I never tire of them and will probably show them from time to time until I quit blogging.

 Here are the sizes:

The needlebook is approx. 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" opened flat and 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" closed

The tiny pincushion is 2 1/4" square

The larger pincushion is 4 1/4" square

and

the brass bird pincushion is 2 1/2" wide and 2 1/2" tall

 

 Again....so cute.  That little round clip holds a tiny portion of one of my business cards...its part of an embroidered tree.  I just thought adding it to the mix was FUN.

 

Here are the three crazy quilted sewing items.  They are on top of a very old length of fabric.

Of course, I loved the colors in it!

 

 Closer photos!

 

 The Needlebook.

 

So, are you noticing the tiny Satin Stitched Hearts? They are on each piece of the larger two and then there are some Back-stitched hearts on the needlebook and the tiniest square one.

They are all such fun to stitch.  There may be some showing up on the Heartprint Giveaways.  Time will tell.

 

The back of the crazy-quilted square pincushion.  I love the fabric I used here.

 

And, here you can see when I made these things!

 

The back of the Needlebook.  I really like that quote and had to add it to the back of the book.

LOVED making this.

That quote:

"Until the World be quite dissolved and past,

so long at least

the needles' art shall last."

 Unknown

 

 Inside. 

 Look at those top two needles.  They are so bent....after many hours of beading!

 

Here is the basket I used in the first photo with the sewn items.  I have a selection of wire baskets.  I'll post them sometime soon.  I just lately found this one.  The little hearts are so cute dangling there and well, it IS Heart Month, so I had to use it.

 

 Adorable!!!

So, there you are....more hearts...evidence of Heartprints I am quite sure.  I hope you enjoy seeing them. 

REMINDER:

February's Two Monthly Giveaways will be announced in a post on Saturday, February 29, 2020. 

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️ 

 

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

Crazy Quilted Hearts

Tonight, I am returning to the archives and showing you more crazy quilting. If you've followed this blog for a while, you may have seen some of these before. Like the pincushions, these all have new homes and hopefully, their new owners are enjoying them.

These hearts were all made to hang somewhere - from a door knob to the guest room, to the china cabinet or a buffet, on a hook in the bathroom, on the bedpost or the closet door, or, as one of my friends did....hanging on the knob of a glass cabinet housing special fabrics and quilted items. I've made so many, I don't want to count and I own not a one. Maybe one day I'll make my very own.

Most of the people wanting one seemed to like a lot of color....can you tell? I think I might make mine, one of these days, in cream with pearls and rhinestones, off-white silk ribbon and perle cotton and lace......maybe some mother of pearl buttons in several sizes. Well, who knows? Maybe I'll just imagine one and try to get caught up on some UFO's instead. But, a person can dream, can't she?

I've tried to make each heart different from all the rest.....it's a challenge. You tell me what you think about these as I like hearing what you think about the different pieces I make.

I'm currently working on a project for a special person. Hopefully, she will get it in the not-to-distant future and she will then forget how long she has waited for it.....if she likes it, that is.
Working on this special project...for a special person....has been hard to do....so many things going on here to get in the way. Important things. Things that push and pull at me, reminding me that I can't possibly do everything I want to do. I'm telling this to let you (and all my friends and customers) know that I will no longer be doing "special orders." I'm so sorry.....but not being able to meet deadlines is never easy...but at this particular point in my life....nearly impossible, and that really bugs me, so I've decided to discontinue that practice. I just hate disappointing people and keeping them waiting. I know you will understand that.

Now...I did not say I wouldn't be making things for sale....there IS the downtown studio and if I can get myself in gear to learn a few more technical things, as my children encourage me to do, I will be making whatever pops into my head and putting those items in my etsy store, a place that has been neglected...no, forgotten about...for a very long time. No deadlines....that will make me feel better. Now, if I can just apply myself to learning a few things.

So....hope you enjoy the hearts....more hearts to come as February rolls on by us...thank you so much for visiting!!! Stay warm, safe and cozy....pat