Pillowcases & surprises

I have been making pillowcases for the Genesee Valley Quilt Club Show in June.   Pillowcases are part of their show community service and they set a goal each year and people can make pillowcases to donate or you can sit and sew at the show for as long as you wish using fabric that members have donated and cut for pillowcases.   As part of the show, the club sponsors a "Strive For Five" card - different ways to earn 5 points by volunteering for the show.   If you get 5 points you get into the show free.   Making 5 pillowcases earns you 2 points.   (If you donate fabric for 5 pillowcases to be sewn at the show you get 1 point).   When I turn these in tomorrow I will have earned my 5 points.

Most of these were made with fabrics from my stash - I only had to supplement a few.

Yesterday I decided it was time to take the winter/Christmas wreath off my front door.   (In my defense, it has been winter here up until last week.)  I had quite a surprise that I had not even noticed coming in and out of the house previously.

This is the original wreath - look closely.

A closer view.........

And.........an even closer view.









Unfortunately, I just took the wreath off the door, brought it in and prepared to put it away without noticing this until I had touched the nest etc.   It took me so by surprise because it looked so perfect that I wondered at first if I had not originally noticed it when I bought the wreath!!!!!   Don't laugh, you know that can happen!

6 x 6 for ROCO

I have been busy working on my 6" x 6" contributions for ROCO (Rochester Contemporary Art Center).   Every year they collect the 6 x 6 from all over the world - photos, paintings, textiles, mixed media - everything qualifies.   They are on display at ROCO and they are also available online in the month of June.   More information can be found at:  http://www.rochestercontemporary.org/

These are my 2 pieces for this year.

The piece on the right is called Purple Wildflowers I.

The piece on the right is Painted Butterfly.

Both of these are from techniques in "Quilting Arts" Magazine.

3 different fabrics are pieced for the background.   3 different size circles are layered for the big flowers, single layered circles for the smaller ones with some gold lame behind them.  The free form flower design is stitched next, with beads added for the center.

The background is stitched first on this - you can see the alternating directions of stitching.  Then the whole piece is covered with acrylic paint to give a smooth, level basis for painting the butterfly which is done with stenciling the design, adding crystals and stitching for antennae

All in all, I'm pretty happy with both of these this year.   Now we'll see if anyone else likes them!!!!!

Towpath Part II

Here are some of the more traditional or other quilts I found intereting at the show yesterday.....

OK, so everyone knows that I am a purple lover and a butterfly/dragonfly lover.   This quilt satisfies all of those!!! 

This quilt just glows!   I love the interplay of different designs.

It appears I didn't take a picture of this full quilt  - but all of these pattern designs were outlined in metallic gold thread.   Beautiful!

Nancy Crow design - took this for my friend Kathi who is a Nancy Crow design lover.

I would probably never do this pattern, but it is beautiful and perfect for a graden lover.

I'm not an applique person either, but you have to love this - especially the border design.

 Simple - yet beautiful - mostly because of its simplicity.

This was on a table, though not sure it would be a tablerunner because of the dimensional flowers.  See closeup below.

I always like this folk tree design and all the elements around it were so pretty - the leaves, apples, butterflies, flowers etc.

Towpath Quilt Guild Quilt Show

Today was a fun trip with some of my quilting buddies to the Towpath Quilt Guild Show.   We enjoyed the show and did the requisite amount of damage at the vendors!!!

Some of my favorites in the challenge area:

 This is the requisite Challenge Fabric.   There were also 12 other steps they had to follow including adding at least 12 other fabrics, using yellow, but not white; using the star pattern somewhere in the quilt; using a textured fabric such as minkee, wool etc.; using embellishments such as beading and some hand quilting.   I would absolutely LOVE a challenge of this magnitude.

Can you find the challenge fabric - hidden in the center of the twisted log cabin.   The star pattern was also a requisite for this challenge.

All of the ladies skirts are part of the fabric.

I love dragonflies and butterflies.   You had to really search to find all the challenge requirements.   This was a 3rd prize winner, but my favorite.

Another 3rd place winnter.

The first place winner.

Part of the Art Quilt Group section - this next grouping.   This group calls themselves the QIG's.   Quilt Inspired Group!   The circles looked something like the foil on peanut butter cups.

Lots of fabric beads on this one.

This didn't photograph well, the brighter colored sections are beaded.

More butterflies from the CIQ.

And yet more butterflies and dragonflies.

 Ditto to the above - I think butterflies or dragonflies was part of the QIG challenge.

A beautiful kimono dance inspired quilt.   The quilt shape is the swirly shape - pinned to a black fabric.