Blue and Lavender circles

Blue and Lavender circles are completed.



The next circle made me feel like I was baking a cake...

I told you I would show you how I made the flowers so....  I used Japanese mokuba 1/4 inch picot edge ribbon (Shown above the ruler and the gathered piece) to make the flowers.   I usually cut 3 inch pieces but to make a tighter flatter flower I cut a 1 3/4 inch piece for each flower. 

This is probably something you already know how to do but....

1. Cut a 1 3/4 piece of ribbon for each flower you are making.

2. Carefully singe both ends to stop from raveling. (I cut all the pieces and turn on a burner on the electric stove and very very carefully ..  ever so slightly singe each end.

3. Sew the ends together, secure and run the thread through each picot to gather into the flower.

4. I cut a piece of a narrower mokuba lavender with a gold line through it about 1 inch long ... gathered it along one side and attached it in the center of the flower after it was sewn onto the fabric and put a 3mm crystal in the center. 

To make them a little more sparkly!!   

Before they are sewn onto the fabric

1. Add a size 15 czech bead between each picot on the ungathered side. 

2. Make a small circle of sequins to sit under the flower on the fabric you are attaching them to. Experiment

P.S.

On a sad note Mr Lesage passed away quite recently.   For more details see the write up below.

http://glimpsecreations.blogspot.com/2011/12/francois-lesage-1929-2011.html

Taking Stock

 I am taking stock of some of the circles I have already done that might fit into my new scheme.  Unfortunately I sometimes get sidetracked with and idea or subject matter I can not resist.  The following circle falls into this category.  It is a 4th-6th century Near Eastern senmury (dog bird).  I love him but he doesn't fit the scheme of this project.  I will save him for another day.

The next circles will be the repeats / motif of the quilt.

Most of the circles will inspired by early 20th century stamping patterns.

Both of the rose colored circles are the same color.  the light makes them look different.

The circle I am working on now is lavender.  A flower will go in each place there is a  black dot.  When it is completed I will give more details on how the flowers are made.

Rethinking my next project

 I have purchased three different fabrics for my new quilt background.  One was a piece of taffeta in a green gold color that is the same type and design fabric as my last project so its was hard to say no to it.  However... I have just decided that it is too green and I don't like it... I love the type fabric but the color is just not right.  So its back to the drawing board.  The background fabric is on the right.

The shiny fabrics are lame.  The gold mottled organza over the right side of the lame will be layered over each circle to mute the lame color but the shine will show through.  Of course I found the same lace for the frame of the quilt in ivory.  I also have 1000 12mm ivory AB dome sequins and a few 35mm huge marque shaped ivory AB sequins .. perhaps for the corners.

The flowers are made from the gold mottled organza.  When I went to NYC in October with Susan Elliot our first stop was at M.& S. Schmalberg.   I gave them about 1/2 yard of the gold mottled organza and chose a flower style.  Two days later I received 200 organza flowers in the mail.  They did a wonderful job.  

I also have some great gold 3mm beads thanks to Maureen Greeson and of course lots of gold matt sequins.

Now I have to draft a new design as the new background fabric is a smaller piece.  The clock begins... now I will remember when I started this quilt.

THE WINNER IS!!!

I announced in my last post that Jane was the winner of the give away.  She chose the chicken and said she might frame it.  As  I left very little room around it I mounted it on black fabric by putting a circle of tortise sequins around it.  I will mail it out tomorrow.  

Here is the Silent Auction  blackboard at the fair, Christmas on the Green in Longmeadow, Mass.  For me the fair is a wonderful experience.  It's sponsored by the Women's Benevolent Society, the oldest organization of its kind in the country!!  The fair is the primary fund rasing activity and all proceeds from the fair are donated to local charities.   September until the fair date (the first Saturday in December) is a flurry of activities.. organizing, baking, making etc. etc.   All items are either made or donated by church members.. no vendors....  

As you can see #7 is my purse.  There was not a lot of bidding in general... I think it is  a sign of the times.  However my entry got 5 bids ending with the winning bid of $100.00.    

P.S.  Last year we donated over $14,000 to local charities... Early reports are that we topped that number this year!!