Feeling sheepish

I found a pattern a few years ago at a thrift store for these stuffed sheep with quilt block sides. The pattern was 25 cents, so I bought it thinking I'd give it a try in CQ. Took the directions out when I got home and was completely boggled by them. There were extra pieces to be cut for the shoulder and legs that just didn't make sense to me. I put it away thinking I'd read through it again later and maybe it would make more sense.

Well, I took it out again recently and it still boggled my brain, but this time I left it out and read through them again a few days later. Still not clicking. Then I decided to just take the ram by the horns and start cutting out the pattern pieces. A few more days go by and suddenly it clicked. The "extra" pieces were to make the traditional square quilt block become the sheep-shaped pieces they needed to be...AND since I wasn't limited to making a square CQ block, I could cut a foundation piece that incorporated the sides and the extra shoulder and leg pieces all in one.



So that's what I have so far. They'll be embellished in spring pastels with probably fleece used for the head of the sheep.

Fool's Gold

I'll be joining a new RR beginning February 1st. The theme is Fool's Gold, which means we'll be using lots of gold-like embellishments. There is a type of embroidery called gold work that uses real gold threads and bead-like pieces. They're understandably expensive, and not something most of us were willing to invest in without being very serious about continuing with it. We're looking for the types of braid and gimp trims that are prevalent at Christmas time (and hopefully on sale after). Gerry K is the momma for this one and has offered to send anyone who signed up a sampling of her gold-like stash.

I'd known this RR was coming up since last fall, and have been giving it a lot of thought. I just couldn't settle on a theme or fabrics for my blocks (this will be a do-your-own-block RR, so I needed to make six 6" blocks). Finally I settled on using a Christmas theme, and doing 3 angel blocks in creams and whites, and 3 old time Santa blocks in fancy blacks. I've asked the stitchers in my group to throw in a little of the colors in the silkies with their fool's gold work. I should have these home by late summer and can hopefully plan to have them assembled as gifts for Christmas. You know what they say about the best laid plans...but that's just mice and men, isn't it? Probably doesn't apply to crazy women.

I had an extra Santa from the set of silkies, so I pieced a block for myself to play with while the others are making their rounds. I excused this Santa from the first three-some as he looks a little crabby, like he's admonishing a naughty kid with a frown and a good old-fashioned finger shaking. But I liked the colors in it (they're much brighter than the computer would have you believe), so I'll work on it myself. Just hope I do a good job. I'd hate to get on his naughty list.

I'm such an angel...

On the yahoo group called Crazy Quilting International that I belong to, there are lots of round robins going on at any given time. Each round robin will have either 5 or 6 stitchers in it plus an angel. The angel is a stitcher who doesn't have a block making the rounds, but is available to step in if someone who does can't continue stitching til the end for whatever reason. This is the 3rd or 4th RR I've been an angel for, but the first time I've actually been called into "active duty".
The stitchers in this RR are Michele, Annamarie, Genevieve, Jocelyn, and Marianne. After the RR started last summer, there were fires, floods, and illness to contend with, but these ladies are about to see the end of the road as each will soon have their precious blocks home. For Michele, it will be a new home, different than the one the block was mailed out of, as she lost her home in the Bastrop, Texas fire.

I hope she likes it. I think it's just gorgeous, and it came to me that way! I just filled in some bare spots and will be sending it home today.

Have a froggy new year!

Yesterday I was going through one of my CQ containers, a rolling 3 drawer chest, and found the pattern to make this little guy. From finding the pattern to finished product took about 5 hours, so a fun quick project.

I never can seem to follow a pattern or the directions exactly, so I made some major modifications to the assembling process. This is supposed to be a case for glasses or for sewing notions. My glasses fit into it perfectly, but it's not the most practical thing.

I'm hoping to make this a jumping (or hopping, if you will) off point and modify the pattern further to make a more practical case for needles or other notions. It might need to be bigger, I'm not sure yet. I have a second CQ piece to work up, and then I'll try cutting a bigger one and actually finishing it more like the directions state.

I also have a pattern somewhere around here for sheep that have quilt blocks as their sides. They'd be great with CQ quilt blocks, and done in whites and creams with pastel embellishments for Easter/spring, or black, for the black sheep, with jewel tones.

Family Christmas

Here are just a few photos of Christmas doings this year (if you're just here for the CQ, skip this post):

Trystan, Jared, Rachel in the background, and Corbin on the floor. Behind Trystan is the Netflix video of a cracking fireplace, which we played throughout the evening. We have a real fire place, but with 20-some warm bodies in this little house, it would get too hot. So we had the ambiance without the heat.

My sister-in-law Sherry holding Barbara's grandson Jeremiah, and Barbara.

An ill-tempered teen elf finishing up some gifts.

Paul relaxing before the big holiday crunch. The light-up Santa on the hearth is very old; I've had it since I was about 6. Yes, we had electricity back then....

Some of the Popish family here for Christmas eve dinner. The handsome fella in the grey shirt is grandson Zack.

Ooooops! How did that get in there?? Oh, yeah, he's here to wish everyone an extra terrific year in 2012!

Outlander round robin

This block belongs to Maire in NY. All of her blocks are fan shapes in some really interesting colors. Each one that has been embellished so far has a focal motif in the open corner, and I think they're all beautiful.


The block on the left was embellished by Jacque in NE, on the right by Colleen in NE.

The birds are finally up!

The last block in the bird RR that I participated in early this year was to be finished by me, but when I was at the retreat in September, I asked my friend Gerry Krueger if she would do that one for me. She graciously agreed, and sent it back to me a month or more ago. I found a shadowbox frame at Salvation Army that had a square of handmade paper inside it that was exactly the right size for the little 6" block. I glued some batting onto the paper and was able to stretch the block over it (it had a hard backing on it) with 1/4" to fold to the back side and glue down. I think I spent $1.99 on the frame, and I was thrilled with how it came out.

So just before Christmas, I got out the bird wall hanging and rearranged items on the wall to fit it in. I also was able to hang my "Wolverine" painting that Michaela did for me for Christmas last year. Quite a grouping, don't you think?