Around the World Blog Tour (Hop)

I was reading blogs this morning and came across the Around the World Blog Hop written by Beth at Love Laugh Quilt, That reminded me... I was supposed to write one today! I was invited by Sarah at  Confessions of a Fabric Addict. (Check out her blog. Lots of pretty quilts and great stories.)

By way of introduction... I'm Terri and I enjoy quilting - especially paper piecing. I also love Halloween, Harry Potter and my Hubby... not necessarily in that order.  I make up lots of little plants to give away at Halloween in our diorama of the greenhouse in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . The trick or treaters love that they get a little plant along with their candy. We love doing it, too.

We are supposed to show some pictures and answer some questions... Here goes.

Jazzy Snowballs 2013 Pattern from a Quilter's Newsletter or QuiltMaker Magazine in like 2010 or so.

 

Paper Pieced Butterflies from a pattern from Claudia. I don't see the same butterflies there anymore, but there are some shown in the gallery, so they must have been there once - right? Why she would take them down, I don't know, but they are beautiful and I enjoyed making a bunch of the 9 designs that I bought.

 

Simpler paper pieced butterflies - from the book 365 Paper Pieced Quilt Patterns (or something like that. All my books are packed away, and have been for over a year, so I can't check out the name. We are getting ready to move, and it has taken a year for our house to be sold. Finally, last weekend our buyer found our house! She sounds excited to buy it. I'm quite happy for her, but now I have to find one in Washington state that I like. Help!)

 

A red (Ford Anglia) for a blog friend's hubby.

Paper pieced, of course, from a Harry Potter pattern from Jennifer .

Donation blocks for a QoV for Alycia.

 

Grandson's I Spy quilt which is now my header on the blog.

Hubby's 70th birthday present. Made right under his nose for a QoV - or so he thought!

Paper pieced hexies for a QoV - still a WIP

 

This one being worked on as a quilt for H2H Happy Chemo

I'm late on the deadline by months... sorry. So many other things going on here.

 

Granddaughter wedding quilt finished in June 2014

I tried 2 other designs before I liked this one for them. 

 Most recent finish - a doll quilt for the Mrs. Claus project.

(See the button in the side bar.)

 

 

a UFO

 

 

 

Apple cores paper pieced UFO

 

 Another paper pieced UFO

Dolly quilt made and sent years ago for the Mrs. Claus charity

a star for the female astronaut making a quilt

 

A quilt for my latest granddaughter (she is 8 months old and I started this 4 months before she arrived!) .. pink, white and lime green. Paper pieced of course... and I've been picking the paper for a year in between all kinds of other projects. I just recently restated it, and will be working on it as well as the other projects below.

 

 

In the works, tomatoes

and carrots. Paper pieced veggies - produce in process. Lol

 

 

 Below are the two projects I'm working on now. 2 "I love you" ASL symbols for a friend. 

This one needs some fixing... I messed up and added the wrong color on the bent finger, which makes it look fat. Can't have that!

 

And now the questions.

 

What am I working on?

See the above pictures. The hands should be in the snail mail today. Still a lot of work to do on the veggies. I'll show pictures of the finishes after the recipients get their gifts.

 

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, obviously, it's different because I did it.

Then there is the fact that any quilt is different from another in the design, colors and fabrics chosen and the pattern choice... and they are all unique in the arrangements of the blocks, too. You can try to make something exactly as another has designed, but there will always be the unique differences... fabric cut here and not there... the quilting is always an identifier. Then there is the label - mine says made by me and yours says made by you. LOL

 

Why do I write/create what I do?

Short answer: to use up all this fabric! lol

No, really I don't know what I would do if I didn't have something creative to do... clean house? Ugh! It might be necessary once in a while - like when the dust bunnies start to attack... but really, cleaning (incessantly) is for the people with no imagination or skills. I write my blog to join in the community of quilt bloggers. I've learned a bunch from this community, and shared a few thoughts. I enjoy the write/create (most of the time....)

 

So I think this does it for the blog hop/tour. I wish I had 3 in line to carry on from me, but I don't. If there are any visiting who would like to host one - please do.

 

Have a lovely week of sewing.

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unexpected gift, donations and fabric purchased

Hi Folks,
We had a lovely time with our local kids today, and the granddoggies. We had dinner and exchanged gifts. It was fun! Thank you two!

So here is my little Show and Tell for today. First is my gift from Sheila at Sew Cook and Travel. She sent me cookies from their local place, a card, and little squares (2.5") that she cut of her fabrics. Aren't they gorgeous?

Below is a closer look at the squares. Thank you, Sheila!

Next are the two paper pieced butterflies I sent to  two dresses studio for her Butterfly Effect project. She is ending her affiliation on the 31st so I wanted them to count for her time on the charity.  Artists, and we amateurs make butterflies to commemorate the innocent children who were victims of the holocaust.  I've wanted to donate for over a year, it seems, so right at the deadline I got it done. You can still donate. Just go to her site to find the museum address to send in your bflies. You can use any medium from paper to leather, feathers to fabric.

And below is my donation to Beth's House block party. She is at  Love Laugh Quilt and of course, her deadline to join in is on Dec. 31 also.  I tell you, if you're waiting for me to get something done, you've gotta have lots of patience!  It's a paper pieced (but you knew that!) Lighthouse... get it?  I did make a house! And I especially wanted some pebble fabric for the edge of the island... I thought I had some... I looked and looked. I have my fabrics sorted by color, so it should be easy to find anything. NOT!  I looked in the browns and the bird colors.... yes, I have a small box of colors that look like birds to me. I also looked in the top layer of the multicolor fabric.  Still NOT!  I looked through the HP patterns for Hagrid's Hut.... thought I singled out that fabric for that pattern.... NOT!  So while we were out  on Monday I stopped at my local quilt store and found all kinds of fabric that I couldn't leave without.... but no pebbles.  While waiting for the cut lady I continued to shop - any of us would - right? Guess what was in the cut rate bin right inside the door?  I did find some. It was all brown... and you all know I don't care much for browns.... but it looks so good as the edge of the island. Don't you think so?

You know some of the quilting bloggers are trying to reduce their stashes..... Here's the fabric I couldn't leave without.

This is gorgeous... lighter and yellower than the photo. I got a yard.  I think it might make a really pretty baby blankie as a center panel.

Really. Could you leave the store without some of this? Please!

These are 2 different quarter yard pieces... for HP paper piecing. You know magical fabric.

     On the left - more magic                                                          on the right - pebbles!!!!

And this is white and metallic gold! Yum

So you now you know my weakness... but then you do know my weakness.

Love you lots,

Hugs,

Terri

Sending off some blocks...

Howdy folks!
I'm reducing my stress/guilt UFOs by one. I started this quilt as a wedding gift, but neither the bride nor the groom liked it, so it's going to a church group who makes quilts to give people in need.  I like the idea, and I might just give away a few more of the unfinished things around here.  Here's the first candidate - an old picture from last year.

Since this picture I've sewed rows together. There's all kinds of color, and a variety of off white set with it.  I'm hoping they will make it look great and give it to someone who will love it.  It's going to Sarah Craig who blogs at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Sending it tomorrow, Sarah.

I sent off some 4 patches a while ago, too.  It's for a breast cancer charity...(BTW my daughter just had her  reconstructive surgery. She's in alot of pain still, but hopeful that she will be done with surgery now.) The charity is run by a daughter who lost her Mom to the disease.  You can donate a few blocks. To see the requirements go to Regina's blog. I sent 11 blocks this last time. See if you can beat that!

Also sent off two paper pieced butterflies that have been hanging on my design wall for a while. I sent them to  the Butterfly Effect... you will have to look around for the address. This blogger is done with her project and handing it over to a museum now, but they are still collecting butterflies. Make one in any medium - painted, collage, fabric.... whatever you like to work with. They want one for every little kid killed in the camps during the holocaust. I think I'll make another and that'll be one for each of my kids who were healthy and lived into their 40s so far. (How can that be? I'm younger than that, am I not?

I've got a neato idea for a house for Beth at Love Laugh Quilt. Her deadline is Jan. 1, 2012, so I'm cutting it kind of close. (I always do this. Think of something at the last minute.) I have the pattern set, I'm picking the fabrics, but I thought I had some pebble fabric... and I just can't find it. I looked in the brown box, I looked in the bird box (mostly browns in there) I looked a little ways down into the multicolors... nothing. Maybe I never did buy any... I have admired it many times.  Anyway, I'll make a second choice for that part of the design, and maybe I can send it off on Tues or Wed.

Sew what are all you doing? I love reading your blogs.... probably why I'm not getting much of my stuff done. I know my hubby would love to have some time on this contraption. Maybe tomorrow.

Hugs,

Terri

Results of the FNSI

Hi All,
So I sewed!  Here's the pattern from a free pattern site, Sewhooked.

It is the phoenix, Fawkes, from Harry Potter... Sewhooked's interpretation as a paper pieced pattern. I love it!  I sewed it, and this is how this one looks. 

I've made him before, but of course they are all given away - right away.  This one is for a card for my BIL.  I made another Fawkes for a different (very different - British) BIL when he had a heart attack, and lived to tell about it.  To me they both rose from the ashes... This BIL is doing quite wonderfully. Coming back from a brain bleed, being blind and not being able to talk or move his right side... to talking and being able to see and eat on his own ... I call that rising!  DD is feeling better after her 5th chemo doses... some side effects that aren't pleasant, but she is handling it in an upbeat, positive way.  We knew she would.  Only one more to go.

So go over to Sewhooked if you want to paper piece some HP patterns.  It's fun..  There is another site that I'll call the friends of Sewhooked which links to other paper pieced patterns, some of Harry Potter, that were designed by Sewhooked's friends and that are copyrighted, also.  You can use them, just not to make something to sell.  Sewhooked does sell some patterns.  You can probably find it on either of these two links.

Well, that's what I sewed for the Friday Night Sew In, so I'll now get on with the rest of the day... see if the ladder can be used. We need to pick more of the oranges for sharing and juicing... we had a lot of rain in the past two days, and it may just be too dangerous to be up on a sinking ladder.  Maybe tomorrow.  It's my idea of heaven... up in the trees in the sunshine picking oranges or tangerines.  There are thorns, though.  I showed you the ones on the lemon.  Orange and tangerine have them, also.  But the fruit must come off soon, the trees are making flower buds, and once they open, there will be bees!  Danger Danger Danger!!!

Hugs to you all!

Terri

PS stop by the  Butterfly Effect today to see 11 more butterflies.  They are beautiful!  My buddy Nina
from Make a Boob has a very pretty butterfly there.  I've gotta get going on mine!  You can make one too.  They are taking any media, and anybody... even kids - since it is a remembrance charity for children, I think that is very appropriate.  In fact when you see the ones that are already sent in you will see the children do very well, and in lots of cases their butterflies are more beautiful!  So help out... you'll enjoy the creative outlet!