I am still in the crazy mood and here is a new project. I bought the signs of the Zodiac a couple months ago and decided to crazy them this weekend. I actually started lasted night and only stopped because I promised myself to go to bed at a reasonable hour lol. Befow are the first two blocks. I was trying out the dryer sheets.

Then I seamed four dryer sheets togethers and put a zociac somewhere and crazied around it. Here are eight block 11x17 with 8 signs already done. I think I also did two of these last night, so I must have done 6 today.
Here is a close-up of four.

Another close-up of the other four.

I am using all my scaps and doing them any which way. It is totally mindless and as I sew, I create areas on the side and add them to the block. I sew strips together or use leftover strips form other projects...this is really a fun thing...guess I'm still crazy lol.....

I finished the twins' quilts...just the tops so far. Tomorrow I will quilt them on the longarm and bind them. I love them, they are so cute.

Somebody called them bullwinkle, I'm shocked hahhahaha.....

I have been busy working on two quilt for a pair of girl twins. The twins belong to my son's close friend and I talked to him the other day and he was talking about the babies and he called them, "my girls" and I thought that was so cute. I had to make them both a little quilt you see? I found this real cute design in some quilt mag. I had stored in my scap book of saved designs that I tear out of mags. I will go through tons of mags and just tear out the good stuff that I like. My friends mags too. Here is one finished but I think it's a bit small so I'll add more of something and post them both when they are all done and quilted. I have the other one all prepared so tomorrow I'll cut out the appliques and finish that part of it. It's a cute moose in the forest with friends, cute eh?






All the applique is fused on with wonder under and then machine stitched using the applique stitch on the Janome Memory Craft 800. This machine has some beautiful utility stitches. It comes with a host of decorative stitches and a separate embroidery kit. I don't use the embroidery part, except if it pertains to my quilting. I have had my Janome for years and think it's one of the best machines out there. It has a special foot for doing the applique, in that you can guide the edge of the patch along it and it does the job perfectly. When I go to Paducha in April, I will check to see if they have anything new to add to the machine that I can use.

I know there are some name brand machines out there that cost an arm and a leg and when I researched them, the only thing that made them so expensive was all that embroidery stuff, well so it seemed to me. I often wonder what people do with all that machine embroidery? How much of it can you really use? Do they sell it? I just don't know. There seems to be hundreds of patterns to download from the web and I hear about it all the time from eves dropping lol.

Personally, you should get the machine that is useable to you and what you do. I know I will hardly ever use the embroidery part. The Janome has just enough in case you should need to use it one day. I most often use the utility stitches and love all the other features like moving the needle where you want it etc. It has just enough perks to make it a top machine in my opinion and though the price is not cheap, its well affordable for a first class machine. I always have a back up machine too, just in case lol. I have a Brother Quilt Club 1300. I also did my research on that one. It is also a great machine. I do most of my piecing on it and if I didn't have my long arm, I would quilt on that one. I have one of those great singers also, I forget the model but it's one of the desirable ones lol...it is in a lovely cabinet and sews like a dream. I keep that one in one of the bedrooms and sew on it now and then. Also, I have never in my entire sewing life taken any machine to a shop....how about that? I service all my machines, have done it for years. I learned that when I first started to sew...as I am mechanically inclined, I like to know what make it tick and keep it ticking....well so much for now....

I have lost my web page with MSN, well they have lost it and won't admit it. I had so much stuff up there damn! I have a request now for the Cinco Di Mayo Quilt and I notice that blogger only carries over one year and a few months and the current year, so I will repost the Cinco for those who want to see it. This is the Cinco all finished.

Here are three blocks. I would put them on my design board as I finished and rearrange them until they pleased me.

I have squared off the quilt. I'm tired of adjusting and adding and designing lol. Now see the wheel at the right top? I am going to make several of these and add them some where on the quilt.

Here I have just place the wheel for now. I will put some borders on first and let the wheels extend out to the border, I think.
Until the next episode.....

Well, Spring has sprung in this house today. I started in the middle room which is our reading room or guest room. Never have any of those lol...anyway, I take everything out and go through everything and of course all the quilts came out. I have thought about rolling my quilts on long rollers ever since I saw Judy Martin do that to her quilts on her website. I thought what a neat idea.

Of course hers are rolled on wooden rollers and look very nice and decorative. After I counted 36 quilts 30 of them totally finished. I thought there is no way I'm going to spend all that money on rollers. So hubby had brought me home, last year, mind you, these long cardboard rollers that large amounts of damask fabric comes on. They are very strong and hardy. The company throws them away. I checked out the price for little rollers and almost fainted. So for free, take! hahahahah....

I piled all the quilts in a corner and I think I'm going to like that. Now I can see what I have just by looking and not having to take down and unfold..besides no more folds, which they say is bad for any quilt.

Now if you like that idea and would like to do it..just check with Joann's or any fabric store and see if they will let you have the roller when the fabric is done...

The beginnings of a crazy quilt lol. Lots of cast away fabric scraps and a mess. All thrown on a sheet and everywhere...but that's how it goes if you want to create...you must have a visual.

Crazy quilting is a very unorthodox way of sewing. I am a perfectionist in the sewing department, all seam match etc. you know. Anyway crazy quilt is the crazy in me and it is really art in fabric and in art, Anything is everything and that must be the reason I like it. I get to stray away from the norm.



Ok, I had this outfit I had painted years ago for the Las Vegas fabric painting show and I didn't win. Anyway, it was a lot of work painting these peacocks, so I decided to cut them out of the vest and crazy them. Here is what I have so far. Well at 3 am this morning hahahahhahahaha.

Look over to the left of the quilt above. I will do something of interest over there. Because I'm designing the quilt as I go, I must be careful not to put too many big pieces in there, so I will start to put little piece together seperately and then add them to the quilt until it is square. If you notice some areas are lots of little piece put together first before adding. I have four of those peacocks, so if this turns out good, I will continue to design as I work and will gain lots of experience. I am learning as I'm doing it and that is the best part about the whole deal, here is a close up.

I will keep you posted as I progress..

I finished another quilt with the binding. I am really on a roll finishing projects. That makes three for the week...oh boy, I hope this boost of energy never ends lol. Here is the one I call planets. Also done with fabric that I hand painted.

Here is a close - up of an area.

Another close up. For some reason it seems that the camera cannot pick up the true colors of the border. The border is brilliant and it is sunset so the light is ok but I've tried at different times and still no cigar...oh well....

Here is "Cat Nip". All quilted, with binding, labled, sleeve, signed and dated. An orginal to booth lol.....I enjoyed making this quilt. It was a lot of work. I think it's 47x57 or something like that. I am tired now, its 12.15 and I'm off to bed....I just wanted to get it up here.

I love crazy quilts...I started to make some blocks two days ago from by bag of left over scraps. We all have scraps right? I just started to upload pics in no paticular order so it goes faster. Below is what I've done at this point. I have now made 20.



I started inserting cat pics as I went along and really liked it. Cats are so cute in quilts ...it's like they belong there.



This cat is from yard goods I had bought long ago when I was making my crazy cat-coat. The yardage has about 4 different cats and they are the best. I wish I had bought more of that fabric...well we all know that story.


Here is another fabric of quaint cats. Imagine these are all scaps that normally get thrown out. I am making a quilt out of nothing. Oh and Ms Mel's hand dyed scraps are in there too.

Here's a real jazzy cat.

This was the first block I did. Well I made 4 in all before I decided to add the cats.

Well so far so good. I will post the entire quilt when I get in done.

Finally! I have finished quilting my undulating art quilt. I had such a hard time with it. The thread kept breaking. I think I need a stronger number thread because the fabric is all painted. Remember the 100 yards or 200? that I painted some months ago when I was in a fit?



I quilted it on the longarm machine. Here are some close-ups of the quilting. I just do anything and since it's my own quilt, I practice a lot lol.

I used Deco Americana acrylics...I used the entire fabric line...shimmering peals, so soft and metallics and I also use the regular acrylic with added fabric medium. I like these paints because the pigment is strong....

Yesterday was a great day to go to the quilt show in Mount Dora. It's still going on for the rest of the weekend in case some of my quilter friends didn't know about it. Mount Dora is a quaint historic town with lots of those neat little quilt shops and little resturants with home cooking.

I actually spent some money at the show. I bought a couple panels and some other neat stuff to paint fabric with...here are some of the quilt pics...

I like this version of "Trip around the world".

Here is another version...

This was a bagello pattern...

All applique, very nice.

This was adorable with the clothes and all.

From the book of "Quilts without corners"....

All applique...

This was different. Please excuse the quality of the pics...I had to switch to economy as the batteries were very low ...




All applique....very nice...

I have changed the way I write to blogger now...I upload all the pics first and then I write what needs to be written. It saves time of cutting and moving etc. I have also changed to the new blogger where you sign in with google and blogger has really been working very nicely. No more pictures missing and not uploading etc.

I did a strange thing today, I painted lol. A friend is coming over tomorrow to paint and I haven't touched a brush in a while so I thought I'd get my hand in motion.

I have been needing a bag or something to put my new project of knitting in. I have these sachels with a company name on them, the perfect victim.


Here is the sachel in the first stage. I have blocked out the name and sort of blocked in a design...



Then I sort of put in some more stuff...


Then I finished up and will add some more finishing touches tomorrow. I used acrylics and extender. The design is folk roses.

It's 40 degrees in Longwood, Florida and that means it's colder than a witches tit for us. Anyway it's great weather to be knitting. I am fairly new at knitting, a rank beginner. I spied this "heartbeat" pattern over at Melody's blog and just had to have a go at it. If it has instructions, I'm game. So I ordered the pattern. This is what I've done so far. I think it took me about 4 days but not constant knitting.


http://www.justonemorerow.com/9/206.htm?553

That is the front or back. Now I have to do another one just like it for the front or back, then the sides and the little sleeves. It's not hard at all. I got a bit confused at first but after reading a couple times, I got it. It's the modular knitting style and I like to knit that way. I find it enjoyable. As you can see the bottom is not square and it's meant to be that way. It just softly rounds of at the bottom and the middle goes up a bit. Very stylish I think.

I haven't invested in any fancy yarns as yet. I need to get my feet wet first. I just go to Joann's or Walmart and buy the baby sport or some sort of yarn in that catagory. It's good enough for now and its has to be yarn for the Florida weather. I can't let this hobby grow too big as my painting is my biggest hobby. It takes up a whole wall in my garage from floor to ceiling with wood pieces to paint. Then there is the quilting part, major hobby number 2 and that takes up several chest of drawers and one closet and half the studio with the long arm. Then there is the ribbon and regular embroidery but that is kinda small. A few ceramics lol. I do crochet too. So far I have a tall cabinet, one basket and one short tub filled with yarn. Life is wonderful isn't it.....

I just made myself a gigantic cup of cinnamon tea. I use the real tea. My sister brings it to me from England. I brew it in a small pot with a cinnamon stick and it's just enough to fill this cup hubby gave me for Christmas .....I love chickens. He also got me a set of canisters that are just lovely French chickens

The cold weather brings out my cooking spirit. I have been saving a recipe some time now and I have been dying to make it. It is a flan recipe. It is called "Flan Napolitana." I remember eating this flan once and it was not like other flans, it was a bit different and soooo good. Well some time ago a someone posted it to a chat board and it sure sounded like the one I've been dreaming of. It calls for 1 can condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, 5 eggs, 1 block of cream cheese. vanilla and 4 tbl sugar. A double boiler is needed. Put the 4 tbls of sugar in a pot and cook until caramelized and pour into the double boiler or a corning bowl and set aside. Beat the softened cheese with the condensed, evap. and eggs, add vanilla. Pour into the bowl or doulble boiler with the sugar. Cover the bowl or DB with foil. Now lower the bowl into the pot with water and boil for 45 minutes. Take care that the water doesn't rise above the bowl, use med. heat to boil. Here it is and it is the one and is delicious....I show it in the back in the pot. I put a plate on the foil and I did cover the pot. Just keep an eye on it...

Then I cooked a piece of sirloin tip roast and a 6 bean stew. I mix all kinds of beans together and cooked them... and some seasoned rice.

Then I mixed up some yeast bread, actually I called them buns with coconut milk. Here is a pic of that coconut milk in the can. It is so nice and thick. It will make the bun delicious, they are still rising.





In the meantime. I thought I'd show you how to load a quilt on the longarm. First the top of the quilt is thrown right side up over the machine. Then the top center is marked and pinned to the center of the fist roller canvas. Then it is rolled up on the roller and let to hang loose for now.



Then the quilt back is then thrown over the machine wrong side up and the top is centered and pinned to the center of the second roller, then rolled up part way. The bottom of the backing is then pinned to the take up roller and the batting goes on top of that and pinned together with the backing.


Then the second roller with the backing is rolled up and the batting is pushed between the two bars in the front to hang free. The backup roller now has the backing and batting pinned to it and the top of the quilt is then floated on top and pinned temporarily and a line is sewed accross with the long arm. Everthing gets rolled up in place again, the side clips are put on both sides. The side clips hold the batting and the backing, never the top. The top is just pinned on the sides to the back and batting.
Oh the coconut milk buns are done and here they are....