Hexed and Crazy

This morning I was looking out at our water garden and remembering how much I enjoy the dragonflies that visit each summer. This, in turn, reminded me of this little quilt I made a couple of years ago. I had been introduced to three new techniques and wanted to incorporate them into a single project. First, the hexagon background. This came about following a program at my guild by Molly Anderson from Nebraska. Her quilts are absolutely astonishing, if you ever have an opportunity to see them. She works with very small hexagons and gorgeous applique. Next, I had done a workshop in modern crazy quilting and bead embroidery with Kerri Murphy. Finally, I learned the "bead stew" style from Deana Hartmann.

I wanted to build a background of hexagons but in a
crazy quilt manner (my own addition to the mix LOL). After handpiecing the hexes, I treated some of the seams and crazy patches with beaded embroidery, regular embroidery, appliques, and charms. Then I created "Pond Queen" using the bead stew technique. I quilted it using a seed or chicken-scratch stitch. It is bound with wide black satin ribbon, zigzagged with invisible thread. I have to say this is probably the most fun I have ever had making a quilt.

It is very difficult to get a beaded or heavily embellished quilt to lay flat. Both Molly and Kerri confirmed this. But I really didn't let that bother me. It was ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS!

Chalk It Up to Being Monday...

After I published my blog this morning, I looked back over it and noticed that the picture of Folk Hearts & Flowers I had loaded was the UNQUILTED top!!! No wonder it looked so limp. Here it is finished--still needs more quilting LOL!

Mondays are like that! 

A Little More Folk Art...

I really enjoy working with wool and this is a little penny rug with strawberries with beads for seeds. I like to make wool pincushions too so added a couple of 'berry cushions to the photo.
Snowed in one January, I scavenged through my stash for something--anything--to start a new quilt with. I love baskets so I found an old, old basket block pattern, added some hearts and folk art flowers and worked on it throughout the snowy winter. Someday must add more quilting to it...

Another Jo Morton pattern, this is my version of Rachel's Reels. I like the graphic look of blocks repeated, but in slightly different colors.
















Natasha and Rocky immortalized in cloth! Natasha is a cloth rendition and Rocky is done in canvas, painted and antiqued.















This is my Moonlit Garden quilt that I made several years ago. It was my first attempt at needleturn applique!!! Whoa, Nellie, hope I have improved since then!!!

May is starting out lusciously--sunshine and a gentle breeze and mid-50s already at 8:30 AM! Great day for running errands.

Pondering Color Schemes

What's up with this??? Lately I am so drawn to this color scheme! The top photo is a group of fabrics I bought yesterday at a darling little quilt shop I happened upon in Hiawatha, Kansas. Laurel Burch fabs were 1/3 off!!! I bought 2 yards of this adorable cat fabric. I am such a fan of Laurel's art. Then I proceeded to buy some coordinating FQs in luscious batiks. Do I know what I'll make with it? Do cats ignore birds? I am kinda thinking about a crazy style or string style... But no definite plan.
The second photo is my little beaded-fish-quilt-in-progress. When I got home yesterday and went to the quilting studio to put my new yummies away, I noticed it on the design wall....any similarities??? Can't explain why I suddenly become drawn to certain colors!

Pleasing color combinations are very elusive to me. I've read the books on color theory, own a couple of colorwheels, and have my favorite schemes. But! I am usually happiest with a finished quilt when I have used a focus fabric, then pulled coordinates from it. One of my quilt goals is to be able to--on my own--pull colors together that "have it going on"--all by myself LOL.

Much rain in KC all weekend. Grass is looking wa-a-y shaggy and weeds are looking too comfortable in the gardens.


 

Folk Art Fetish

I have loved folk art for as long as I can remember. I like to make it, I like to buy it, I like to decorate my home with it, I like to read about it, and I especially like to make quilts with it!!! Even though I am trying to break out of my box with more traditional and reproduction quilts, art quilts, and even crazy quilts, I am still very drawn to simple, primitive shapes and color schemes. Here are a few from the stack.


The first photo is my version of a Pat Sloan design, "Walk in the Moonlight". The second photo is "Folk Art Frenzy" that was made following a block swap on my online group. I decided to set the exchange blocks in tilted frames that I saw in a Fons and Porter magazine a few years back. The last photo is my Christmas quilt, "Starring Christmas".
The charm of folk art just makes my heart sing!