Flying Flamingo Pillow

Flamingo Thread Painting Appliqued and Quilted Into A Pillow

Amy, at http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/ is hosting her spring blogger's quilt festival again.   As usual, it will be wonderful and she'll have put in countless hours providing us with untold pleasure as we peruse all the entries.  This is the flamingo pillow made for hubby last Christmas.  Years and years ago, I'd told him I thought those plastic yard flamingos were fun.  He said, "I'll know we're over if I ever come home and find one of those in the front yard!"  Well...never one to forego a challenge, from then on I've found ways to give him flamingos.  And after awhile he and our family have gotten in on the fun, too.  We have flamingo puppets that amuse the grandkiddos, a little rug, Christmas ornaments, a monster-sized flamingo pen, etc.  

Nothing exciting, but the back

Saw a painting of a flamingo in flight and decided to "paint" with thread after being inspired by several quilters.  Enlarged the design, pinned it to material, batting and a backing and did an outline of largest areas.

This is a very out of focus picture, but shows the outline a bit.

Just started sewing very densely with the feeddogs down and my quilting foot.

Flamingo really coming together, but you can see the puckering that happened.

Up close with the "painting"

Ended up having to cut out the "painted" flamingo from the original material because of the puckering.  Stitched a very small and very tight zigzag all the way around it before cutting.  Then I appliqued that to another piece of the batik with backing and batting, again with a tight zigzag stitch.  Quilted it in a circular spiral sort of design to give it an airy feeling.  Then made the pillow case with piping.  It was definitely a labor of love and hubby was really happy for his present.

Be sure to go to Amy's and view all the quilting candy there.  You will not be disappointed!!!  Suppose this would be in the art category, or small quilts...not sure what other area it fits in!

http://fligamapoof.blogspot.com/search/label/flamingoes  shows a lot of the flamingos we have

Somebunnies To Love

Somebunnies and their carrots to share!

Not sure where the pattern came from for these batik cuties...thought it was Bernina, but can't seem to find it anywhere.  Just a basic bunny pattern with floppy sort of feet.  The carrots were from a video--which I can't seem to locate, either, but it's just basically a triangular/wedge shape sewn along one side to make a cone for carrot.  Mine are about hands' length when sewn.  Turn under about 1/4" and sew a gathering stitch with doubled thread.  Catch leaf  as you sew (two mountain shaped pieces about 2x3 sewn right sides together).  Used forceps to stuff ears, and ends of carrots, then stuffed by hand.  For bunnies I knew were going to children, double sewed the bottoms after stuffing.  Bunnies couldn't have been easier--just sew 1/4" seam all around.  Their feet were definitely floppy as I couldn't seem to get them filled, but figure bunnies have floppy feet anyway!!!!  Very easy to make--made 22 bunnies and 8 carrots for grandkiddos, hubby and some other kiddos.  

Last month or so, I've not been able to sew on my machine because of a sore shoulder.  Could do some applique so worked on a Rose of Sharon block quite a lot and did a couple other things as long as kept arms close to my body.  The other day I got brave enough to try some free motion quilting on a pretty table runner that had been sandwiched for quite some time.  It's made using extra blocks from Clover and Violet's Garden Steps quilt-along:   http://www.cloverandviolet.com/garden-steps   Absolutely love the colors and got rather addicted to doing their embroidered centers and making up several of my own.

Centers are ones I made up or adapted from something I saw online.  Middle one mimics some of the fabric used in the quilt.

Runners Rule...Wall Hangings Are Cool

Valentine's runner from My Runners by Disa bought on Amazon

Some of small quilts made over the years, mostly last couple.  Enjoy working in this format--get lots of experience, appliqueing, quilting and binding.  First one is from https://www.fabshophop.com/registration.asp  where they offer free quilt squares each month--gathered by visiting online quilt shops.  I've done a couple quilts from their blocks.  Also, used blocks from one set to make three runners (first one shown here), a little quilted purse and part of a baby quilt. 

Close To My Heart

Son's Elk fused applique wallhanging done for his graduation from anesthesiology residency last year

Bejewelled runner, with back below.  Like how quilting shows on black backing.

 

Circly wallhanging done with girlie girls and boyly boys.  They threw circles they'd colored randomly on floor.  Used picture of that to replicate circles, then they and their momma quilted it.

Home Twee Home resides at daughter's home now.

In Leafy Treetops is now at home of my son and family

 Girlie Girls with ladybug quilt.  Hubby thinks they look like crazed chickens--ladybugs, not girlies!

 Fishy quilt for hubby last year.  He loves it! 

 
 Ladybug pansy stained glass hanging.

 Autumn Berries runner--hubby thinks trees with buttons look like E.T.'s hands

Candy Runner...made three of these last year for daughter, daughter in law and us.

 
 Christmas runner from Disa book, 2012

 Christmas tree skirt.  Squares made with small flanges (1 in strips folded in half and ironed) sewn to 1.5 in strips.  Used three strips with flanges and one without on top, sewn into long strips then cut into squares.

 Daisy runner adaptation of Sunflower Fields, Disa book again.

Made from orphan strips left over from Christmas quilt couple years ago

Beautiful sunflower picture my friend took.  Planning to make a quilt from this but not sure exactly how  I'll do it!

Tiny wall hangings made for a friend's twin granddaughters.

Katja's baby quilt.

Sunflower Fields from Disa

Swirly Christmas Tree...fused applique.  Made them for daughter, daughter in law and us.

My son, the sewist/doctor!  When he graduated med school and since then, I've made a bunch of scrubs caps for him and to give to friends...all sorts of fabrics.  His Seahawks one wore out so he found a pattern online that he adapted--all like mother, like son he said!

Made this family history quilt in late 70's.  Home is hubby's grandparent's in Utah.  Copied from a woodblock print my sister in law made.  Trees/mountains/lake represent my side of the family in Washington.  People are hubby, brother, my children and myself.  Awarded honorable mention in a magazine contest.

Well...lots of pictures and explanations for some of my work over the years.  Love quilting and creating in fabric!

Littles--Bookmarks

Bookmarks made with my embroidery unit.  Did a little eyelet stitch with machine. Put fray check on edges 

Every month I send out a newsletter to about 25 ladies from church, a few friends, and my daughter.  When it's their birthday month, there's a little extra something included--some years it's a tiny baggie filled with confetti, sometimes it's been a little candy, one year it was appliqued flower coasters, a hanging birthday greeting, etc.  I try to make up enough for everyone for the year at one time--doesn't always happen!  Anyway...this is what was included this month.  

Base for bookmarks using my cording foot and metallic yarns and tiny ribbons.

Hooped black and gold fabric for backing and base material with pellon between  for stiffness.  Used  small rectangular borders  to delineate three bookmarks.  After embroidering, I used a tiny straight stitch around the edges to make sure everything was sewn down well before cutting out.  

Before cutting them out.  Will use scraps for another project.  Bought a bag of threads and tiny ribbons years ago .  Did a serpentine stitch to hold them down.  Love making "new" fabrics using embellishments.  Wanted something flat for mailing. These were fun and easy to make.  I've couched various threads/ribbons/yarns for years without the cording foot, so if you don't have the foot try this anyway.  My daughter has a different foot with fewer but bigger holes.

Celebrating Christmas in Cloth

Nativity I made for grandkiddos 9 years ago.  Wanted something they could play with and saw something somewhere online that inspired me.  It's all free form stitching using stitches on my machine except faces that I did with embroidery designs bought for my machine.

Saw this Swirly Christmas tree wallhanging on Craftsy

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/swirled-christmas-tree-quilt-pattern/17664 and had to have it.  Made three of them this year using Steam a Seam.  Used swirls in quilting, but they get a bit wonky in the colored areas where I was trying to get all the ends and edges of the prettiness.  In last one also sprinkled in some stars near the top.  

 The strip wallhanging uses leftovers from my Christmas quilt I've posted about over at The Christmas Quilt Festival  http://www.quilting-tutorials.blogspot.com/p/2012-christmas-quilt-show.html 

First saw the ornaments runner at my lqs: The Attic Window.  It's from the book My Runners that was found at Amazon, too.  Made it this year.  FMQ was swirls and stars with Merry Christmas written at either end near tree limbs.

Snowman quilt, made using free designs called Snowbound by Bunny Hill.  I used pinwheel blocks instead of what they suggested.  It's one of the favorite quilts I've ever made and my grandkiddos love it.

Christmas Quilt Show

There's a Christmas Quilt Show going on over at Michele Hester's:  http://www.quilting-tutorials.blogspot.com/p/2012-christmas-quilt-show.html

.  Have wanted to join this for a couple years but never remember to get it done.  This year I saw an email about it, so decided to add my quilt from a year or so ago.  I found a book with over 300 block ideas for Christmas and made a lot of blocks from those pictures and directions; also made some extras found online or made up such as the candy cane one.

Finished quilt...obviously not symmetrical, but it's how it came together considering all the different sized blocks I ended up with!!  The three large red squares have Christmas sayings, plus the red border and dividing pieces have some wording on them--like my grandchildren's names.

Backing--just kept growing and growing with scraps I had left over.

Got a Kate Spain Christmas fabric layer cake in 2010 I think and had lots of fun making up blocks. Most are from a book already mentioned on here: 301 Country Christmas Quilt Blocks by Cheri Saffiote, printed 2002.

One of my absolute favorite squares.

Made several star blocks using fussy-cut pieces for centers.

Love this little angel block.  Ended up making a lot of blocks and have several left overs
need to make into something small.

My daughter says this is her favorite...he's pretty cute I think, too.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7854712989797547840#editor/target=post;postID=1843900617486082048
  shows several of the blocks sewn into sections.

Enjoy the festival.  And have a wonderful Christmas season.