My GDD's (granddaughter daughter)  BFF moved away this past weekend so the girls had a last sleepover Friday night which always leads to a Saturday sleep in.   Saturday my DH was off for the day in pursuit of the perfect train picture, so I was left to my own devices. After my am coffee at Starbucks and an estate sale on the way home I arrived back at 9:30am.   The sleep in put me out of my normal stitching area and I was relegated to my sewing room with nothing to do but quietly make flowers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 
 So I prepared the fabric, let it dry, cut it into appropriate squares and heated the molds...... and for the rest of the day I molded, cut out and remolded flowers.   I probably made 40 large and 80 or so small.


Large flowers for the quilt border

Small flowers ... don't know what for yet!!!

 

More small flowers different shape


Stamping and cutting complete... believe there are lots more than this!!!

The completed flowers for the border...  The Lame flower with organza petals over it.  The center is a dome sequin with some glass glitter applied i.e. I glued it....

    


This is an experiment with the border design...
The actual design will be different.  It will be outlined with the green metallic and the leaves will be done separately in sequins and sewn on.    Maybe... Sometimes when I get there it doesn't look just right so it may change.

Thanks Arlene I love your molds!!!! 

Arlene does not have a web site or a blog... so sad....... but her e-mail address is ArleneBkr@aol.com or she can be called at (562) 928-3583.

After my class its taking me a while to get back into the swing of things...  First I would like to show off one of my students work.

 Monarch butterfly on small black clutch she designed

Design on the top of a hat she made.

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Then of course I have been talking to Arlene Baker about her wonderful flower mold reproductions (See other post labeled Arlene Baker) She sent me a sample of what she thought I was looking for plus some some extras...

I chose # 8 and of course the first thing I did when I received it was not follow the instructions.   I very carefully made these flowers out of my synthetic Lame fabric... They and a variety of other colors with adorn the border of the quilt.

It was so much fun I ordered # 1 and #21. 

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School Vacation and a trip to NYC, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero with Sabrina, my GGD (granddaughter daughter) , her friend Christine and my husband. 

 new building at ground zero

 Christine and Sabrina on Liberty island

Me, Sabrina and Christine

and of course a trip to MOOD was squeezed in

Fabrics for a future project.  The fuchsia/cranberry cotton velvet is from Delectable Mountain Fabrics, the white with the grid is from my friend Gloria's stash, and the variety of silk organza's and coordinating tulle is from MOOD... and of course Opie the cat must sit on whatever I put down... except he will not sit on my lap...

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Now I am back to my Lame quilt project.  I have completed all the circles and 1/2 of the background.  I spent the last several days ironing on the 1 inch Lame squares onto the second half of the background fabric and I am about 1/4 of the way through embroidering the sequins and beads around the squares.  

Hopefully by the end of next week I will have the embroidery done and will start the borders.

Enjoying the spring weather!!

I have been very busy the last few weeks getting ready to teach an introductory class in Tambour Hook.  In the midst of it all I lost my camera so was unable to take any class pictures.  I had 6 students from NY, NJ and Mass.   The first day of the class was very  busy lots of "SHIRLEE" I am stuck...I can't start my thread... I can't end my thread... Look I put in 6 sequins... (2 minuter later) *!*@@ I just pulled out all 6!!!  I dropped my beads!!! I made a big hole and I can't get around it..and lots of @*! muttered under their breath....  Believe me I have heard it all before and done the exact same things when I was learning.  At the end of the first day I was fearful that one lady was not going to return  to finish the class.

But low and behold the evening passed  and the next morning all 6 return bright and early (8:30).  With a little more practice the night before even the most frustrated was having success with the chain stitch, attaching beads and sequins, and  the fill stitch.

Anyone that would like to take a class E-mail me .  With enough interest (6 minimum) I will schedule one

This is a picture of the class project... 

I spent most of today, clearing out and cleaning up our class space and putting everything away. 

As I was driving into the garage about a half hour ago I had a flash of lucidity and remembered had  stuck my camera on a shelf in the garage because I was in a hurry (nothing new) and didn't want to carry it with me wherever I was going that day.    Phew!!!!

 I recently gave a presentation for a womens group in Longmeadow MA.

My "Couture Circle quilt and Lesage pieces in the background.

In the background are my crazy quilt pieces and crazy quilt.

My new Psychedelic Circle quilt.

This is  the first piece I did when I was trying to figure out what/how I was going to make my Couture circle quilt.

 I like to pass it around so people can touch and examine.

Chatting after the presentation.

The best picture I have of my completed quilt was taken at the presentation.

I thoroughly enjoy giving presentations.  The two things I learned from these pictures were ...I needed a hair cut bad... which I did and I need to loose 20 lbs or so which I am working on!!!!!!

 I was in Barnes and Noble waiting for my husband so I decided to  browse the magazines.  I came across the March/April issue of Piecework in the craft section with a tambour hook on the cover and I had to buy it.  

The tambour article was great but another article in the same issue by Arlene Baker really caught my interest.   Arlene is a bead artist,  and author of Beads in Bloom Interweave Press 2002.   She has an extensive collection of vintage ribbon flowers and flower making tools, and offers a large variety of classes in flower making and beading in her studio next to her home in sunny California.  She also sells kits to create some of the flower bouquets pictured in the photos below.  Arlene has a collection of 50 different antique metal molds used to make flowers, leaves, and petals.  She has had the molds reproduced ( by her husband and brother!) and sells the molds separately.

Arlene does not have a web site or a blog... so sad.... but she has e-mail ArleneBkr@aol.com or can be called at (562) 928-3583.

I e-mailed inquiring about the flower molds and  received a wonderful e-mail back from her with loads of information.  She asked for my telephone number and called me the next day.  We had a long conversation, it was like talking to a longtime old friend.  I explained what I was looking for and she is going to make some flower samples and mail them to me. Can't wait to get them!!  If you get a chance pick up a copy of Piecework and read the articles....

P.S. I have finished all my psychedelic circles and the second quarter of the background is beaded.  I will photographed it when I get it all basted together.

Lame circles

Seven more circles are completed ... almost.... only one to go!!

 The next 4 are connected pink, green, purple, gold

 The pink in both groups is the same circle... the light makes it look
different.
 

The light blue is the almost done one...

I am also auditioning ideas for the sashing around the perimeter of the quilt .... I don't have a lot of the gold organza left so I squeezed in  a small section of an idea for the sashing  in with my last two circles.... 

 Flowers/sequins would... might go in the center of each circle.  butttt I am not liking it too much..

I also have mounted the 2nd of 4 sections of the background so I can pick away at that in my spare time!!

More Psychedelic Cricles

Five more circles are completed.  Four are a group and overlap - pink, green, purple and gold. 

The dark blue is a separate circle.    

The light changes the look of each circle.  Above the light catches the dark blue lame under the circle.  below you see the gold mottled organza.                                   

All of these are still on the frame.