Maire's Water Garden Block

 Hello All

Here's Maire's whole block after Thearica, Nicki and I worked on it

 And here is my work

 and a few close ups

I do like Under The Sea blocks there is so much you can do with them

Later,
Lauri

Thearica's Water Garden Block

Hello All

I wasn't sure what a pig had to do with a water garden but I tried to go with it.
The machine embroidered pig design takes up quite a bit of a 6 inch block.
The only way I could think to add water was with a hose and have the pig wallow in the mud.
I think it turned out pretty cute once I figured out what to do
Hope she likes it
Later,
Lauri

I Did It!!

Hello All

Well with 4 hours to spare "Janet's Fault" was done in time to enter it in the County Fair
Tomorrow we will go watch the judging and see if it win anything.
Will try to get better pictures when it is hanging but at least you get the idea
I am very happy that I got my miters perfect and that it also perfectly square. Which for a non sane quilter like me it is a huge deal. I did everything I could think of to make sure the quilt didn't get marked down for any of the things that normally plague crazy quilts.
Of course they didn't know what category to put it in as there was not one for crazy quilts
Hope you enjoy it!
Lauri

Added 7/15   I won a Blue Ribbon!!

Nicki's Water Garden

Hi Ladies


Here's the before and after of the block I did for Nicki Lee. The theme is Water Garden
The frog and lily were done as slips and added later. I particularly like the cattail seam embellishment
Hope you like it Nicki!!
Later,
Lauri

Janet's Fault

 Hello All



 I have finally gotten all the block/fans done on this quilt. It is all pieced and sewn together, but I am too short to get a good picture of this project. No matter what I climb up onto I am still not tall enough to get the whole thing in one photo. I REALLY need a design wall
Hopefully I can get the hubby to hold it up while I photograph it

 It was my intent to make the lace to look as realistic as possible. I am happy with how it has turned out

 Now sewing this all together was quite an ordeal. I am not a sane quilter and matching corners and completely straight seams is not for me. As the plan is to enter this into the County Fair, I don't want to give them any more ammunition to mark it down . Crazy Quilts just don't do well at Fairs and quilt shows. It is definitely something you either love or hate

Now onto the black embroidered lace on the first border.
Don't forget you can click on the photos to get a larger view if you wish to check out the seam treatments

Later
Lauri

February CQJP

Hello All
I know this block may look a bit boring. I am trying to give myself an exercise. The object of the CQJP is to learn something. SO I have decided to use the same block layout for all my blocks this year and see how many different ways this block can be made to look. Through fabric choice, texture , embellishments, focal points and so on

Later,
Lauri

Seam Inspiration

http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2012/1/29/sunday-sweets-fun-and-fondant-free.html

Hello All
 What may you ask does a cake have to do with CQ? Well that bottom border looked like a seam treatment to me

What do you think? Did I catch it?

This is the lace border I did on one of the fans for the "Janet's Fault" project

Here's the rest of the block 

And here are the other 3 plus some seam closeups

 That's about all for now

Later,
Lauri

CQJP 2012- January

Hello Ladies

I know it's been quite awhile since I have posted. I haven't been completely idle. I have pieced over 200 hexagons for ANOTHER huge project. I never seem to learn. I have so many huge projects and smaller ones going that n all honesty could never be done if I worked 8 hours a day for everyday for 5 years

Here is what I have done. This is my block for the CQJP. It is quite different from my usual work. Red is not one of my favorite colors to work with. The original plan was to do all the seamwork in Hot Pink but all I had was perle 8 in that color. With the bold patterns done onto the blocks size8 was not strong enough to stand out.

All the  fabrics except the red/white stripe started out as solid color pieces. I liked the idea of the geometric surface embroidery juxtaposed with the curves of the patches and the seams

Perhaps I will get brave enough to take pictures and post them of all my undone projects. Maybe I will even give a few of the unstitched projects away.

Later,
Lauri

Hideko's Bear

 Hello All,

This is the secret project I was working on all summer and couldn't post about

 I met Hideko at the 2010 Retreat , She ended up loosing that years bear. She lives near Sendai and was affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

 I got in contact with the ladies that attended that retreat and asked them to contribute something small to make a bear of Hideko's own.
This is the finished result

She received it today and seems very happy with it

Well off to another project!!

Later,
Lauri

This Year's Bear

 Hello All,

As some of you may know I usually make a cq bear for the the Chinese auction for the retreat.

Usually the are quite blinged out. Not this year!! I kept myself under control. There is not one single bead anywhere on this bear. All the seams were done in a variegated threads ( some of which I dyed myself) with a coordinating solid. All the fabrics were black, with a few black/colored prints thrown in for good measure

For me this is quite a departure. I love my beads and bling

 This little guy took me about 80 hours to do. I've been asked how much I would charge for a bear like this. I'd say the "bear" minimum would be $300-$400. Why should I value my work for less. If I was getting minimum wage ( which I think I deserve more than) it would be over $580

 I really liked how it turned out. The black background makes the colors POP

This bear got to go home with Helen Thorkleson

Next time I hope to show my progress and the saga of the great color disappearing pink quilt

Later,
Lauri
PS  a BIG thank you to Connie for all the pictures! She is a much better photographer than I am

Stacies Gypsy block

Hello All

Stacie stated she would like a gypsy wagon and horse. So I did some slips of those. Then I added the chain stitch loop seam treatment which is now  fairly obscured

But the slips just looked out of place wherever I put them. So I added a couple trees. Then I got stuck, then I had a brainstorm to add the road, as Stacie had mentioned the wanderlust. Then I needed more trees. Naturally making them each a different season came next

I enjoyed doing this block a lot. Maybe my creative mojo is finally back!

Later,

Lauri

added 8/8/11     too bad my writing skills seem to have disappeared when my creative mojo came back!!

Missing Quilts

Re Printed with permission from Kerry's blog


Please be on the look out. This is one reason I have been reluctant to enter contests and exhibits. It doesn't happen often, But more than you think.



Missing Quilts!





















CT Publishing has recently announced that a few quilts, in their guardianship, disappeared after Spring Quilt Market. They've done everything they can do to find these quilts and are now asking for our help to find 3 cover quilts and a table runner.


The quilts have gone missing from a quilt show. Please take a good look at the photos, and watch for these turning up somewhere. CT Publishing, who had these quilts in their possession, has offered a $4,000.00 reward for the return of the quilts. If only one quilt is found, the reward will be pro-rated on the appraised values of the quilt.


It breaks my heart that Allison Aller has lost her beautiful crazy quilt especially. This quilt is such a work of art from Allison's heart and hands, and is definitely irreplaceable.
................
.....................

 These quilts that are missing are not something you can replicate or replace.

I hope you will help increase awareness of missing quilts and help in the effort to get missing quilts back into the hands of the creator and/or respective owners.

Pink

Hello All,

Once  again I have been struck by an idea that hits me  in the middle of the night. These ideas come to me full formed and relentlessly. I call them "Athena" ideas
So I get the bright ideas, then I piece them , then there they sit. I WILL get this one done
I have been struggling with an easy idea to have done in time for the County Fair, this isn't it
Lately I have noticed how many ladies are afraid of pink. "Oh you're so brave to wear pink at your age!'  What the heck?  You can wear it any age you want and just because you like pink and like being a girl does not mean you are a pansy. Believe me. I love pink and no one pushes me around
This centerpiece is MUCH brighter than the photo shows. Embellishments will include lots of lace, beads( of course)and GIRLY things.
I will live with it pieced for a day or two to see if anything needs changed up.
See NuMom I can do monotone, It's just a very bright monotone
Comments are always welcome, so let's hear it :)
Later,
Lauri

She's HERE!!!

Hello All

As some of you may know. I've been trying impatiently to wait for the birth of our first grandchild.
She finally arrived May 31st
Astryd Samantha  weighed in at 6lbs 11 oz and 19 inches

Now I just need to figure out how to live in 2 places at once

Later,
Lauri