Valentines Day Themed Crazy Quilt Heart Class

Do you remember some time back when I had posted 2 naked hearts for one of the classes I'll be teaching?  I had finally started embellishing them.  It had taken me around 2 months to really dream up what was to be for both of them.  I finsihed the pink and white one and moved onto the red and white one.  I embroidered my first peacock, who i thought was very dorky looking, then I adjusted his eye a bit and was a little more pleased, but still, much to learn in the way of making peacocks.  Next time i won't outline his body in black that's for sure!  Anyway!  Last Sunday 11-23 while shopping, I had taken them with me while looking for a few embellishments.  I lost them.  Yep you read it right.  I lost them.  I didn't realize it until I got home with dinner and my boyfriend and I were about to sit and watch a movie and eat.  As the movie was playing and i was picking at my food, I instinctivly went to reach for my red and white heart to work on it and then I couldn't find it.  Well we looked everywhere.  Tore the apartment down, looked in the bags and in my purse and emptied everything 6 or 7 times, checked the freezer and the refridge, checked all over the car and found nothing.  We retraced our steps back to Joann and the parking lot... still found nothing.  I left photos of each heart with my name, phone number and that I'd pay a cash reward for them if found.  A week later and still nothing.  That night, even though I felt completely horrible and like my world was coming down, I sat and whipped up 3 new hearts on the machine.  I managed to fully embellish one to take as my class sample for Tuesday.  The store had been asking for a class sample and if it's going to be a January class, people should at least have a good month to look at it ya know?  So I raced against the clock and finished the new pink and white one.   It's almost a replica of the old one but it's all I could manage given I only had a day to work on it.  

I brought it to the store and the owner is out for a week, but the one woman who works there is so sweet and was very flattering even saying she'd be signing up for the class!  I feel so unworthy or something lol!  Like it's so simple I feel so silly when I get compliments, even though I agree they're beautiful I feel like anyone can do it!  Oh well, overall I am thrilled I got them a class sample, but I sure do miss my old ones.  

Here are some photos...

These are the original 2 that I recently lost, the pink and white one was finished.  The red and white one was in the works...

The 3 new hearts I made.  I know the top left one is way too busy.  It'll surely be a 'what not to do' piece ;)

Class sample finished...

Close up of the fully open roses, they were fun!

I miss my old hearts but I really hope whoever found them will treasure them as much as I do...

Crazy Quilt Christmas Ornament Swap!

I finally got my pretties back!  And wow they sure are lovely! 

These are the two that I sent in:

I have some of my needle tatting on the left one and lots of silk ribbon embroidery on the right one!

And these are the two I got back!  How beautiful are they!  They're so shabby chic! ...and guess who loves shabby chic?! ;)  I love all of the stitching and charms and lace and how cool is the one that is in the shape of a tea pot?!  I'm grateful that I was encouraged to be in this one!  Yay!

Finally Made Something For Me!

I was originally making this as a gift and then I just kept falling more and more in love with it!  Of course that doesn't mean I won't duplicate it for the recipient ;) but I just love it!  It is my first charm bracelet of this magnitude, it's very jangly and is just full of charms and crystal!  What fun!  Here are a bunch of pictures with close ups.  I can't wait to wear it!

 

Pin Cushion Madness!

I've been collecting caps for the past couple weeks now, anticipating making some really cute pin cushions!

My first attempt was this cupcake pin cushion.  It came out cute, but of course I have bigger, better plans for the next ;)

Then, last night I sat and made these two. They work up super fast and very easy!   Very addicting... I went and bought a 50lb bag of sand today to fill all of my new ones!  I put rice in these with poly fiber fill.  The rice probably wasn't such a great idea but oh well, live and learn!

More to come soon!

CQ Ornament Swap!

I joined a CQ Ornament swap about 2 months ago VERY excited, having thought of this earlier in the year.  I kept thinking "wouldn't it be so beautiful to have a tree full of small crazy quilted ornaments?!"  And then, it happened!  Unfortunately for me it came at a time where I had already committed myself to so many other things, including paid work, so I could only make 2.  I had hoped for at least 12, i mean jeesh! Nevertheless I made my two and here they are!  Of course I love the one with all of the silk ribbon embroidery.  On the 2nd one I know something is missing over the tatting... i just don't know what.  I hope whoever receives them enjoys them!  Those little bees and critters are so fun to make!  The tatting is mine, i just added some gold seed beads for a holiday effect.

Pin Up Girl Crazy Quilt Hearts

I love pin up girls.  The new ones are pretty but I'm talking the older pin up girls... 50s & 60s.  Yes, 2 weeks later I am still feeling creatively tapped out but i'm talking embellishment wise, not quite design wise.  On Election night, as a matter of fact, as the votes rolled in I sat and worked on these hearts.  They were a lot of fun but I learned that I should have enlarged the heart so that I could get a little more area to work on.  Regardless, I will finsih them, and they will be mine.  I don't have anything that I have CQed that I own to show.  So I thought these would be a fun set of pieces to keep, and I hope to add to my collection by hosting a swap for these next year!  

She came first.  Notice i couldn't resist immediately adding a beautiful rhinestone trim on her.  My plan is to take feathers and from behind pop the feathers through around her boa to make it look real.  A lot of fun (and an experience that'll be eh?!... like making a wig!  I better google a how to there!)  

Next came this beauty.  I love the black/white/sepia thing going on here.

Lastly, came this gypsy like gal.  I love gypsies so the idea of a gypsy like pin up girl in front of the moon?!  A-1, first class craziness!  She's actually not topless, although you cannot tell in this picture.  

So what you see is what you get!  That is how the sit right now because I am a bit busy with other things and still kinda feeling like: ??? what do I do with these???  As if I've never embellished anything before.  It's ok, timing is everything and it will come to me!  Stay tuned!

Crazy Quilt Round Robbin 1st Block

Alright, almost 2 weeks since i've posted - wow!  Still kinda tapped out but I have been feeling the urges to post here, i've just been lazy! 

As I posted earlier I am in the HGTV CQ Round Robbin.  My first one and I was scared to death to join!  I mean - really - what if I messed up someone's block after people had worked countless HOURS on it?!  But ya know what?  Once you get that block, it's not the same feeling.  The block speaks and you just work... They really do talk and it's SO much fun!  I'll never second guess joining a CQ RR again that's for sure!!!

First up I got EMB's block.  Her theme was butterflies.  I wish I could post more but I can only show you my 2 sneek peaks that I showed her.  I will also show you her block as I received it bare.

Here I tatted the "E" and added some silk ribbon embroidery over it.

Here, I added the lace with the beads and a little "heart flower" then the beaded silk ribbon.
Fun, fun, fun!  Next up is fishingwidow's block.  It's here and I already have some ideas 'drawn' out ;)  Stay tuned!

Creativly Tapped Out

For the past week, maybe almost 2 now, i have just been creativly tapped out.  I stare at all of my CQ projects as if I have never touched one in my life.  I lay out beads and lace and this and that and nothing comes to mind.  I'd hate to say I'm 'depressed' because that just makes me feel even worse.  I'm not quite sure what to think.  My friend Kathy has sent me some e-mails today to help me with some ideas and they were great, I sat down to stitch and just couldn't.  Needle in hand and I just stare... I don't know what to do or what to make of things at this point but it's really disappointing.  ugh!  This is a bad slump to be in, my projects are really what keeps me going!

I've been looking for a fellow tatter in New Jersey to tutor me in shuttle tatting because my flip keeps getting messed up.  I've put out those tear off flyers in the local supermarkets, looking for shuttle tatting tutor $15/hr., still nothing.  I have put ads on craigslist, nothing. 

So frustrating!