Remember the inchies??

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away....  Well a long time ago anyway, I participated in an inchie swap at MQR.  Carla organised the swap and we all made inches and traded them.  Carla made everyone who participated a cute little birdie that the inchies came stuffed in.                                                                                                                                                                                                  Well, I have been trying to think of a unique way to finish up the project and display them.  Then one day it finally came to me....mixed media on canvas.

So I took an 11x14 gallery wrapped, primed canvas and painted the background with Golden fluid acrylics (anthraquinone blue & hansa yellow light).  Then I added several layers of texture using molding paste... pushing some thru a word stencil to get raised words,  and fiber paste in other areas.  Once that was dry I painted over the entire piece with interference blue, interference green, and interference gold. Then a layer of clear leveling gel over everything.  Once all that was dried I finished up with a varnish coat.

The next step was to add the inches. I punched a 1/8" diameter hole in each one and pulled a piece of 1/4" wide organza ribbon thru the holes. Then hung them staggered over the top and secured them in the back with glue and staples into the stretcher bars.  They hang free on the front.

Lastly, I added Carla's birdie at the top.  Attached with wire. All finished now, it is hanging in my great room.                                                                                                                                                                       

So, can you find your inchie??

I think it turned out to be a pretty cool piece of art.

Anyone else finish theirs??  I'd love to see them!

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A prezzie!

I have really gotten behind on my posts!  Well, I have been busy....  Anyway I'm working on catching up.  And to start Suzanne sent me this nifty little prezzie a week or so ago.  I love this light! We saw it at MQS in the A-1 booth, but they were out of them at the time.  I came home and promptly forgot all about it until Suzanne posted about hers.  I was so surprized and thrilled when this arrived in the mail!  (ignore the lint, please!)It is a magnetic LED light that fits perfectly between my needle bar and the hopping foot. And it puts the light right at the needle.

I just ran the wire along the side of the machine with the supplied magnetic wire clips that came with it


and down the back
And Don mounted the on/off switch here on my carriage..doesn't get in the way or caught on anything here and then it plugs in under my table.

Perfect!  Thanks Suzanne, I love it!

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I'm Home!

And totally exhausted!  MQS was fun, my classes went well, my auction quilt sold, and I met lots of online friends in person.   Suzanne came for a day, so we were able to brainstorm some and visit.  All in all a good trip.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Got hung up in Atlanta on the return....could have driven home in less time; oh the joys of air travel!                                                                                                                                                              

Did get some shopping in;   I'm too tired to narrate, so here is a small sampling of my buys... if you're a longarm quilter it should be pretty self explanatory. 

Talk to you when I recover!

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I got this beauty from Mother today.  Thank you Mother, I love it. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day too.I head out first thing tomorrow morning for Kansas and MQS.  I'll be gone till Friday evening, but will have laptop with me and try to post while I'm away.  I'll be busy with teaching my classes and checking out the quilts, and of course shopping the vendors.   I hope my auction quilt will bring in good money.

This is the give away quilt I made for my class....one of the students will go home with this.

So, I'll check in when I can, but I'll see you after I get home.

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Soaps and body butters

Between quilting and getting class material together, I started some body butter and soap.  This is body butter.I start by melting shea butter and mango butter.  To that I gradually add while whipping...  apricot kernel seed oil; avocado oil, and rice bran oil.  A little crushed and macerated lemongrass. And at the end a little lemongrass essential oil that I make, for fragrance.





All of this in my kitchenaid mix master (used only for this)  and I whip for 15 minutes then cool for 15 minutes and repeat that cycle for 3 hours.  Then I spoon the light airy whip into jars.  It's a really light and emollient whipped butter...decadent, but my skin loves it.  No water or preservatives...it keeps about 3 months.... if it would last that long....I use it up in about 8 weeks.


And this is my new batch of soap.  Same ingredients, with the addition of lye.  It'll be ready in about 3-4 weeks.  The floaters you see is lemongrass...not crushed up...a good exfoliate...smells refreshing too.


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More Stuff....

What in the world did I ever do before this stuff?  I hate binding..hate it, hate it, hate it!                   Best Press makes it a little easier.   And no, I don't want to hear about your easy way to do it.  Just send me a binding fairy to do it for me.

Finally got my MQR postcards in the mail today..right on the due date,  that's a first!  The theme this time is "Home Sweet Home"

And I received two postcards today!  Obviously from those who do not procrastinate...LOL.

This one is from Judy...it's beautiful, thanks Judy!

And this from Michelle...so cute Michelle, thanks!


There are messages behind all the doors and windows!
Back to finish the last minute details before my trip on Sunday.  Have a great evening!

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A surprize!

Look what was just delivered!  A mother's day gift from my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter Fiona!   How cool is this...Geez, I should have taken the pictures BEFORE Don and I dove into it..LOL.

Thank you kids!  I love it and it sure is tasty!   Can't wait to see you in July!

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"Pretty in Pink"

This is my latest finish.  Another in my Flaminingo series of quilts. Similar motifs to "Placidos Flamingos, but almost a wholecloth...the birds are the only elements keeping it from being a wholecloth.  This little quilt is 47" x 49" and will be donated to the auction for education at MQS next week.  I also did step by step video instruction on how to make this little art quilt.  It is available  to premier members of MQR . Click on the photos to enlarge them.







The feathers are free hand cut from wool felt and were attached on the longarm during the quilting process.





And the back is a wholecloth!











I used two layers of batting; Quilters Dream Puff over warm & natural. And all the threads are by superior..all King Tut except for So Fine in the "sky" background fill.

If you're going to MQS you can see this quilt up close and personal and bid on it with the proceeds going to a great cause.

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