Four totes in 2 days!

I was sorting through a pile of cross stitch projects that I never got framed or used for anything. Most of them date from 1997 or 98. I came across this one with a lady knitting on it and thought it would be nice to make a tote bag for my Tante Janny from Holland, who was visiting my parents.

Then I came across another one I thought my friend Christine would like and her birthday was coming up, too! Perfect! Another one done! I thought the butterfly would get lost in the busy-ness of the fabric so I framed it in black, which echoes the pattern of the fabric anyway. I also put a fabric behind the stitching so it wouldn't get torn away on the inside of the tote.


And then there is this Debbie Mumm sunflower garden angel, the kit came with the red birdhouse fabric. The cross stitch piece is actually sewn onto the red fabric. The yellow fabric is from a set of drapes I bought from Ikea that I didn't really like when I got it home. It is quite sturdy, so it's great for a tote bag.

Last but not least, is one made from a Godzilla t-shirt my hubby had. I was going to use it for his t-shirt quilt, but I had 7 t-shirts and it is easier to make a quilt out of 6 squares, so that one got rejected. I had it all cut out and ready to go, too. Eventually, I had bought this black denim, always intending to make a tote out of it, but me and the washing machine had a fight over this denim. I was so ticked off how ragged it was when it came out of the wash, that I just folded it and put it away. But I was in the tote making mood this weekend, and I got a brilliant idea of putting in the red trim around it. I think it looks fabulous!

LFQGuild Challenge 2008

Well, we finally had our Guild Challenge Meeting. We had 36 entries (3 of which were mine and I know Christine submitted 2) out of 126 members. It seemed like a fair amount. What is the participation rate for challenges at your guild, or does it just depend on the type of challenge? You can watch the slideshow here and you can see the winners here.

Here is my first piece I entered. Keep in mind I only used fabric from my stash and the Challenge fabric. This one is called Blowing Bubbles. That is supposed to be a Blue Whale blowing bubbles from his blow hole. I had an idea that I wanted the fish to be inside bubbles using the reverse applique method. This piece also uses fusible applique and freezer paper-needle turn applique.


The second piece is called Heads or Tails. I tried the facing the piece instead of using binding. This will be a gift to my friends in Michigan, after I show it in our Guild Show in October.


The third piece is called 2 Lost Souls, after the song How I Wish You Were Here by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd..."We are just 2 lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year..." That is such a moving song!


I've also managed to finally finish my Amy Butler quilt, from fabric I bought a year ago at the Kitchener-Waterloo show. My working title has been Rob and Amy Go on a Picnic. The quilt contains Amy Butler and Robert Kaufman fabrics. Now I am just calling it Picnic for short. All though I am not really firm on the name :)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I just wanted to wish my mom a happy mother's day! My mom doesn't make quilts, but she did sew a lot of our clothes when we were kids. I can appreciate all the work that went into it now, but I don't think I appreciated it then, when I had to wear matching clothes with my brother who is 2 years younger than myself. In the collage below the first photo in top left corner...we look like twins, we even had the same haircut! (am I on the right or the left?) LOL!

I also wanted to share some line drawings my mom has made. She and a friend took an art course together and ever since then she has been making these wonderful drawings of houses and buildings. The first is of my house, the second of her father's home in Nigtevecht, Holland, and the third of a maple syrup farm in Ontario.