Ceramic Jewelry Fun

I took a class last summer.  Yes, I am finally getting around to posting this.  It was a class on making small ceramics for jewelry.  The class was reasonably priced and honestly if I was not big into quilting I would probably be big into ceramics.  Always loved that medium.

There is a great coop in downtown Rochester. They use to have a dark room there.  I would go there and develop my black and whites.  I thought I was so cool, dont yah know.

The teacher made up a few stamped greenware for us to share.  Very cute.

Some of the teachers stuff.

Supplies

 

She fired us up a slab to put our stuff on.  I was called pineapple. 

Some of my friends stuff. She has a bit more experience than me.  Well, a LOT more experience than me.

I had a blast.  I took the class with my friend Mary Pat.  We made all kinds of little do dads that I really need to hang on wires and necklaces, etc.  Put them to use.  My favorite was my very experimental turtle.  I wasn't sure if he was going to hold up but he did pretty well.


 

The Baubles

Doll Clothes- Jacket

My daughters received an American Girl Doll for Christmas last year.  I have made a few outfits with my daughters for the dolls and few on my own.  I guess I was so busy making doll clothes that I never posted... Matter of fact there are quite a few projects that I never posted.  In the coming months I hope to get it all out there.

This is one of the first things I made for the American Girl Doll.  It fits her just fine.  If you would like the pattern it is Simplicity 5733.  

The pattern was very easy to follow. The one thing you should not neglect to do is it is turn up the hem on the sleeve before you sew the sleeve closed. Lesson learned.

I used a pair of jeans that no longer fit my daughter I thought they would be perfect for a jean jacket and skirt.  The skirt is not in the pattern - that was my creation.  I used the actual hem of the jeans for the bottom of the skirt.

Lamenting Lavender

For about five years now I have had some beautiful lavender out in my front walkway.  I wish I had taken more pictures of it. Sigh.

The lavender during a hail storm.

This past winter, this frigid, subzero, freezing winter, killed my lavender (and my 10 year old sage plant).  I have harvested lavender from my yard for a couple years now.  I use it to make sashes, bath salt mixes, decorate and freshen my bathroom and have even used it for cooking.

Instead of crying over spilt milk, or rather dead lavender, I bought some new plants last night.  They won't be as glorius as they were last year, but I will have lavender.

My Mother was/is such a great gardener.  Her backyard looked like a park, many beautiful flowers and beautiful layout.  She had a vegetable garden as well but my Mom loved her flowers.  She still does but doesn't necessarily have the strength anymore to tend to her garden.  The flowers have mostly been replace by hastas.

Now, me, on the other hand.  I love to draw flowers, they are quilted into my quilts.  I doodle them all the time. But as for my yard, I am a practical gardener.  So, most of the plants around here have some type of usefulness- quince, herbs, mint, lemon balm, raspberries, blueberries, aloe... and lavender.  It was my two fold experience.  Beautiful flower with all kinds of usefulness- even if it was just to smell and keep the bees happy at the very least.

A view of my front walkway from my window.

Sweet Blue - A Log Cabin Quilt Repurposed

 

I inherited (is that the right word?) I ended up, no, that's not it really either.  You see my friend, Sandy's Mom passed away a few years ago.  This was before I knew her.  Her Mom, Shirley, was a quilter.  After she passed my friend, Sandy who is also a quilter went through all her unfinished projects, took what she wanted and passed the rest along.  My other friend received one of those unfinished projects. This friend, Jan or Quilting Revolution was going through her stuff and pairing down and gave me this quilt top.

The quilt is a log cabin and it was round.  Just what was I going to do with it.  It was pretty and I wanted it and I just couldn't bear cutting it.  So it has sat on my shelf for about two years.  Wow, did that time go by fast.

I was in my laundry room and there on the shelf where I keep my unfinished projects was the quilt.  It spoke to me.  I pulled it out and took it upstairs.  Putting all my other projects aside I began to work on it.  (Yes, that is how I end up with unfinished projects- but they do in fact, get done). I cut it down to a square.  It now seemed right to cut it.  It was four blocks by four blocks after cutting off the roundedness so it needed some borders.  I placed the borders on and had corners of log cabins. Funny, I had gone to a stash sale last year and picked up some older fabric.  This fabric was dated 1989 I believe so it totally worked with the fabric Shirley used.

I did it all very quickly.  I still had to finish it with a binding but I had to show my friend because I was just too excited to share it with her.

I am calling it Sweet Blue.  I will leave it up to her what she wants to put on the label.  I am done with it.  It was meant to be, I feel- just exactly like it happened.

You can go see it at my friends Sandy's blog as well- Quilting For The Rest Of Us.

Me, showing the baby quilt.

Finish Friday String Quilt

I am totally enamored with string quilts. They really use up scrap in a hurry.  No special cutting required necessarily- just strips- any size.  The one I did here is bright colors.  I plan to do another in Autumn colors eventually.  A bit of a different design.

This is one of the ones I planned to finish after New Years, as part of my goals for 2014.  Mission accomplished. 

If you want to do a quilt like this, you cut a square- 4 1/2 or 5 inch, measure 1 1/2 inches down from corner.

Debbie Shore Wallet/Clutch

A way fun and easy video to follow with Debbie Shore.  See You Tube video below.

Great for summer- something light to carry when you are on the move.

I love the pockets and such.

Memorial Day

source: The Graphics Fairy

Today, in the USA, we honor the people that have served defending our country. God Bless them all.  I thinking of them a lot through out the year and not just on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.  The families who have lost brothers, sons, sisters, daughters, mothers, fathers.... I wish there wasn't war.  And whether I am opposed to any given war, I still honor each and every moment they have  spent serving.  They do what they are called to do.  There is no greater honor.  You are in my heart and in my thoughts, today and always.

source: Graphics Fairy