Graduation 2012

Actually my granddaughter's high school graduation is tomorrow night, but we just got home from a family get together to celebrate as the graduation night will be a little hectic!  And  I did give her the t-shirt quilt tonight....her dad said, that needs to be kept special...I said...no...I want her to use it...I want to see it in four years come home in rags...that she will have pictures to see what it looks like!!!!

Front of t-shirt quilt

Back of t-shirt quilt (can you guess where she is going to college?)

I didn't get my 15 minute- challenge posted today, but I can say that I did have at least 15 minutes every day of sewing/ sketching completed!!  I also got my Cotton Robin mailed off today and will post it when I hear that everyone has received theirs.  We have been requested to not show until that time!

And my other daughter is experiencing some wonderful sites in England right now...am anxious to see her and hear all about her trip...I think she was doing Stonehenge tonight!

Challenge # 71-Pea-nuckle

Challenge # 71 Pea-nuckle

Just under the wire!!  I finished Pea-nuckle while watching television this evening!  I didn't think I would get it finished in time to post today...the deadline for the weekly challenge, but I was able to multi task!!  Pea-nuckle seen below, is from the archives of the original website for Zentangles.  I didn't think I was going to like it at first, but it is pretty fun to do....I don't care for my total look on this tile....'way too much stuff!!  But I did use my "new" technique of choosing patterns that start with the same letter as the challenge tangle!  I used: Pea-nuckle, Plaid, Pane, Puf, Pas, and Paradox.  These can all be found on tanglepatterns.com.... a site I have referenced many times before!  Great site by Linda Farmer.

Maybe if I start simplifying my tiles I won't always be at crunch time for posting!!!

Dare # 6

Dare # 6

It is time to post the Dare Challenge from Erin at Bright Owl again.  I really enjoy these because the design is already created and it is just a fill in the spaces!  It goes very quickly for me.

Summer has come to Texas...95 degrees today...I am very glad I finished my t-shirt quilt.  It was getting a little bulky to be quilting when the weather is hot!  I even have the binding on it...just need to make a label for it and a card for my granddaughter's graduation.

I have also gotten my Cotton Robin quilt quilted....just need to bind it and do some embellishments.

15-Minute Challenge

I have spent most of this week working on my granddaughter's t-shirt quilt for her high school graduation...the only thing I haven't finished is the binding and that goes on tomorrow!  I don't want to post a picture of it yet because she hasn't seen it. Graduation is next week and I will post then.

And yesterday, my studioQ bunch met for our May meeting.  We met a week earlier than usual because the last Monday of the month (our usual meeting time) is also Memorial Day.  We only had five members able to make the meeting, but still had a great time as usual.  We are challenging ourselves each month with a 12 x 12 block, and this month our theme was "In the Yard of Life, Be the Pink Flamingo".  Here are a few examples of what we did:

By Bethany who came up with the theme this time

My 12 x 12..I am going to do beading on it with the cabachon in the center.

Kay's 12 x 12...the only one of us who actually got hers finished!

And Kay, our hostess for the meeting, also showed us real neat fusible method to create a positive/negative design.

Kay's demo

In the upper left corner are two little quilts Kay had done with this technique.  And on the table is the beginning of her demo.  Next post I will hope to be able to show you a completed block that I have done.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival 2012

Thanks to all who voted for my quilt in the Quilt Gallery contest!  I was not the one with the most votes, which is OK...the quilts that did win were really gorgeous...I will just have to continue to drool over Vicki Welsh's handdyes....or maybe break down and actually BUY some for myself!

Now I am putting a quilt in a virtual quilt show....it is on Amy's Creative Side blog...again, there are just oodles of really beautiful quilts!!  The one I am entering is:

Ra, the Sun God

This is one of my latest quilts...I will be entering it in my guild show in the Fall.  It has a lot of beading on it...some techniques I learned from a class I took by Larkin Van Horn.

Back of Ra...using Judy Perez's "facing" technique

A close up of the beading and stitching

When you click on the link to the quilt show, you will need to scroll down quite a bit to see all the quilts...there are almost 600 in the show....I am 575 or something like that...'way down there!!!

Dare Zendala #5 and A Contest to Vote for...

Zendala Dare # 5

The other "zentangle" challenge I have taken up from Erin at "Bright Owl" is a fun little quicky.  Erin provides the "Mandala" design which can then be printed off in  a couple of different sizes and shapes.  This week, I had such fun with "Squid" on the Diva's challenge that I decided to do the whole Zendala Dare # 5 with that pattern.

And I have entered a contest...Quilting Bloggers offers a theme a week with some pretty cool prizes.  This week Vicki Welsh is offering some of her handdyed fabrics which I just drool over every time I visit her blog.  So if  all of you would like to help me win...go to Quilting Bloggers and vote for my quilt!!!! The voting takes place all this weekend starting today.  This is the quilt I have entered.

Aurora Bourealis-Earth, Wind and Fire

I had also entered this quilt in our guild challenge last year for using recycled fabrics.
There are a lot of pretty quilts in the contest so if you choose someone else's to vote for, I will certainly understand!!!  Thanks in advance for those who are supporting me!

Challenge # 70-Sepia

This week the Diva challenged the zentanglers to use color in our tiles.  Because so many haven't used any color, she suggested doing part of the zentangle with a Sepia tone...I always have trouble choosing which zentangle patterns to use so this time, I decided to use patterns beginning with "S" for sepia. There are so many patterns out there...(click on the "tangle patterns" badge that I have on the side)  I need help in making a decision!  It worked so well I may have to use this technique again!!!

Challenge # 70-Sepia

The tangles I used are Sonnenband, Striping, and Squid.  Sonnenband is from Simone Bischoff who is in Germany and means Sun Bands in English, and clicking on either of the other two patterns will take you to the same artist, Sandy Bartholemew...two different blogs with the instructions on how to draw these.

15 Minute Challenge

I have been messing some new software I got for Christmas..."Pixelmaster".  It is a pretty neat program but got quite a bit of stuff in it!   I think I could use a really good instructor...not just the manual...but I am going to try to muddle my way through so bear with me while I experiment.

The first thing I did was to try to come up with a neat way to do a background for my 15 Minute Challenge list.  Here goes:

I am working on the transparency of the background and I see I need a little more work!

I haven't posted with the "15 Minute Challenge" before but I think it will be a good challenge...just to maybe help keep me focused!!!  I did notice, now that I have already posted my list, I forgot to put the time on my last day...I probably worked three hours yesterday on quilting and sketching....the T-shirt quilt is getting quite bulky so I can only work for a limited time before my shoulders get weary!...that's when I turn to sketching!!

Challenge # 69-Groovy

Challenge # 69-Groovy

Here it is...Saturday night and I just finished this zentangle.  I did mislabel it though...I put Challenge # 68 and, after looking at the Diva's site again, I realized it should read "69"!  Wow!  She has really done a lot of challenges!!  The idea for this pattern..Groovy...came from Eden.  Periodically the Diva will choose a name for the zentangle of the week....this past week the design was created the talented Eden Hunt  and here is how she created it.

This was a very fun tangle to do...it will be one I will use more often.

And because I missed getting the Diva's last weeks' challenge posted, I am going to post mine again!

Challenge # 68-Strircles and Hybrid

Now, on to work on my T-shirt quilt for the grand....and must also get my "Cotton Robin" completed.  I received the completed mini last week and now must quilt, bind and get it mailed off.  Those participating in this challenge have asked to not post pictures until everyone has had an opportunity to get their original mini back...completed!

Two New Zentangles....Kind of...

Dare #4 with a hint of Mexico

My first "zentangle" is for the mandala challenge that Erin has created.  This week she posted this design to fill and suggested that we use something influenced by the ocean or Mexico as she was embarking on a cruise to that area.  So my Mandala is composed of some Mexican colors...ristras, the colors of the flag of Mexico, etc.

For those not familiar with Mexican peppers, these are ristras....dried peppers.  They can be purchased all over the Southwest and Mexico...used for decoration and for cooking.

Challenge # 67-Strircles & Hybrid

And my other zentangle is for last week's challenge by the Diva.  I am a little late in getting it done so it may not get posted on her website.  I am a little pressed for time this week as I am trying to get my granddaughter's t-shirt quilt finished for her high school graduation....Her last band concert..forever...was tonight!  Hard to believe that baby is getting so grown up!!!

A New Zentangle Challenge

Well I've done it again!!  I have entered two challenges!!!  One is an old one for me...the "15 minute challenge" and the new one is "A Zentangle Dare!".  Erin designs a Mandala then posts it weekly on Friday.  With some challenges she gives a specific topic (see # 4) and in others the topic/tangles are creators' choice.  This is the third one she has done and I am going to try to post it, but I may have missed the window as this is Friday and she may have closed out #3 (my first one)!

I like these challenges as they are something I can do in the evening or take with me where ever.  Whereas, sewing or beading creates a whole new set of problems...having to take so much with me and be in really good light to work on a project!

So here goes:

and a question...when I  placed the "15 minute challenge" logo on my blog...it is too large for what I want.  Can anyone tell me how to make it smaller??  Thanks in advance!

My fiber artists group...studioQ...met yesterday.  We always have a great time...and what wonderful sharing of ideas!  A couple of months ago we decided to have a new challenge for ourselves...being inspired by the "12 X 12" group, we are doing a 12" x 12" mini quilt each month.   Each member will give us a topic...either a quote, favorite saying, etc and a suggested technique to use...that being optional to either suggest or do.

Last month our topic was "Counting Flowers on the Wall"...fun to do!  This month, the topic was "Walking On Sunshine"...the first one is mine...I used a technique on layering that I saw demonstrated by Beryl Taylor on a Quilting Arts video "Layer by Layer"...I haven't finished it yet; I am going to wait until all my mini's are done to see how I want to finish all of them.

My "Walking On Sunshine"

Rhonda's

Beth's

Kay's

Susan's

Bethany's

Three of our bunch weren't quite ready to show theirs yet.  I really enjoy seeing how differently everyone interprets the same topic!!  If you would like to see more of other works of art that were shown at our meeting, copy and paste the link below.

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a45794f4463774d54413d0d0a&blogview=true

For the month of May we are doing "In the field of life, be a pink flamingo!"  I already have an idea of what I want to do.

I've been considering joining the "15 Minute Challenge" again.  As a fellow blogger mentioned, it is  good way to try to keep one focused!  Here is list of the items I am either working on* or want to work on:

• T-shirt quilt for my granddaughter's graduation from High School* (the closest to completion)
• My color challenge "Bargello" for April (Whoops...missed that date!)*
• BOM for May*(fabric and pattern ready)
• Cotton Robin challenge-finish and mail*
• studioQ "Village Quilt"*(A group project I volunteered to put together)
• workshop starts!*(Many)
• Quilt for our bed* (fabric ready/Paper piecing printed off)
• Challenge for May..in my head!!
• ....and probably others that I can't think of right now!!