My good friend Shirley.....

has started her own blog.. Shirley is an exceptional art quilter and has taught classes all over the country. She has an online group that offers FREE, yes, you heard it, Free..... fiber art classes... If you are looking to learn something new, check out her blog and her group - there are people from all over the world.

Shirley and I have spent many happy (and messy) hours in my kitchen hand dying fabric. She has an exceptional sense of color and absolutely delights in seeing the colors emerge from our dying sessions....

Today is a quilting day for me. I have an absolutely huge, king size, customer quilt to do.... so it will take a couple of days... but I am excited..... I have been given the green light to "do what I want" and I have been envisioning all the wonderful patterns i want to put on this quilt....

Thought for the Day
The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.
Ferdinand Foch

WOOL APPLIQUE...

I have four more blocks done on my Greenbrier quilt - the wool for these are hand dyed by me, with the exception of a couple of pieces that I purchased. This past few days I dyed a few more pieces as I didn't have enough background blocks. The pattern called for mostly red but I decided to go with some purple and light purple blocks also. The quilt will definately be bright. The instructions also call for mixing some cotton fabric in with the wool and this is a really nice touch for the quilt.

PLEASE don't forget to make a donation to Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue - you might win that gorgeous wall hanging!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is more blessed to give than to receive

Act 20:35

QUILTING HEAVEN.....

I am in quilting heaven right now..... This quilt is my oldest UFO (unfinished object). It is a hand appliqued quilt that I started around 2000 and is called The Country Bride Quilt. At the time I decided to learn to hand applique - didn't know anything about it, but read several books, took a class and magically thought this quilt could be done up in a flash. HA!! Well, after all these years and several stabs at different types of hand applique - freezer paper up and down, glue, needleturn, etc (who knew there were so many types) - this little baby is done!! BUT..... what's the best part of this quilt - NO, not the applique - it's all the blank spaces, blank spaces for wonderful feathers. I cannot wait to get this quilt on the frame to quilt it. I see wonderful feather wreaths in the plain blocks and perhaps more feathers outlining the applique blocks. Many of the fabrics used in this quilt were hand dyed - I bought the hand dyes - at the time i wasn't dying my own fabric like I am now. I have no idea who this quilt will be for. I always thought it would be a wonderful wedding quilt - but, no one in the family is scheduled for a big event, so perhaps it will have to stay in my quilt stash AND another project crossed off the list, but alas, moved to the quilting list! LOL

Thought for The Day

Enjoy!

WOOL APPLIQUE

I am just in love with wool applique and have started a project called Greenbrier, pattern by Sue Spargo. Here is a picture of the centre block :







I have hand dyed all the wool using an acid dye bath. My friend Anna Hergert provided me with dyes and directions on how to do this. I really enjoyed the dye process, although it is a little long to watch boiling dye and wool on the stove! The end result is going to be a lovely quilt - I have a few more blocks to put around the outside. I decided not to use a traditional blanket stitch on all the blocks as i really like the primitive look that a whip stitch gives. This is a really good winter project - fingers are crossed that it will be done by the time this winter is over!