Me on wine

Maybe that explains the confused look?

Staying Home From Houston challenge

A challenge was issued on the QuiltArt list for those of us not going to Houston to make something without buying any supplies. So I did. The blue is a piece of hand-dyed fabric that was a gift from Thelma Smith, the black is scraps from the burqa I made for my daughter for a sociology project, the rust stained keyboard fabric has been hanging around for months after I experimented with the rusting and darts on it, and I've had the skyline fabrics for several years. This is obviously still in the assembly stage, but it's pretty close to what the final piece will look like. I actually broke down and used Wonder Under on this one too. It's the easiest thing to use for small details in applique and I didn't want the horns to look out of whack without the stability of the WU on them. I've used a small piece of a weird silver mesh cut from a Dollar Tree table runner I got last year in the lamp and I think I'll overlay some of the windows in the buildings with it also. Black binding to finish it. 50x20.

For Shannon

A little bit more detailing around the edge and this one is done. The green(s) on the right side are a much deeper color, and variegated greens, than show in the photo. And my! What a big photo it is, my dear! The red twisted bugle beads are a bit darker too. Closer to Twizzlers in color than that ORANGE they look like here. The joys of bad lighting at night with the Boo Radley kitty trying to help. Oh well, you'll see it soon enough.
Pewter, crystal, bronze and copper beads to the left of the stone. Lined crystal cubes at the bottom.

Like I need another obsession

These are beaded purse medallions that I'm putting on quilted purses to (TRY!) to sell at Chimneyville at the end of November. I am having an absolute blast doing the beading and making the purses too. Something very soothing about it. The ones that are not actually purses yet are photographed on the fabric the purses will be made out of. Any feedback is welcome too, including what you might consider a fair price for them. The beaded part is on a pin/pendant back and is just pinned to the flap of the purse.

Contrary to popular belief....

I am NOT dead....just my blog is! Although I did spend about a week FEELING like I was dead...or wishing I was, from a brown recluse spider bite. Oddly enough, the bite was about 3 inches below the spider tattoo on my thigh but my husband swears there's no connection. The days I wasn't laid up feeling like a cement mixer ran over me I've been busy as a bee...or maybe an ant? Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Chimneyville Crafts Festival is coming up tooooo soon and I'm trying to get quilts and quilted, beaded purses finished to take with me. I'll get pictures of the purses posted soon. I went today and pitched my teaching and quilting skills to the owners of a new quilt shop opening up soon and I feel like it went well. As I told my friend last night, at the very worst I'll spend an hour or so with them ooohhhing and ahhhing over my work before they say thanks but no thanks. I got the ooohhhing and ahhhing but I also got a very positive response from them about the teaching. I'm mucho impressed with their organization and vison for what they want the shop to be also. About as far from the impersonal chock-full-o-crap Hancock's as you can imagine. And what a novel concept they have for the shop too....they're actually going to fill it with FABRIC! Real fabric! On bolts! And not a single one of their chairs or tables are going to have a price tag on them. There won't be an elephant sculpture in sight! Or a $29.95 Ming knock-off vase either! No inlaid wooden boxes or umbrella stands or plastic palm trees! It's like a fantasy dream come true! A fabric store with fabric! 3000 bolts of fabric! Batiks! Kaffe! Solids! Stripes! Prints! Well, you get the idea. I'm looking forward to it opening.

Pictures of the quilted purses with beaded medallions soon.