More Scrapbusting

In my move towards using up fabric scraps this year, my Scrapbusters Challenge 2011 is coming along nicely and feels really good each time I crank out another block!

So now, I've decided to add a second project that uses scraps and joined up with sarah and molly's free piecing study. There were a few other things I needed to complete before starting, but I'm all caught up...

January Mondo Bird block:

January Log Cabin House block:

and only one block for February, a Heart:

The study goes through October and we'll then have 15 completed blocks for a quilt. All of the blocks are 10.5 inches square, but I've been thinking I may add a white border to each one to make them 12 inches, finished.

I'm trying not to overthink the blocks, which isn't so easy for me at times and another good reason for taking on this project!

Marilyn

Blizzards and robins.....it doesn't seem right!

I love the relaxed feel of a snow day...no place to go, nothing pressing to do.


Strolling by the front door this morning, instead of rushing out of it, I noticed this robin helping herself--I know nature requires male robins as well, but I always seem to refer to them as 'she'--to some berries on our crabapple tree. I was happy she did--we're experiencing a blizzard here in the midwest and I can't imagine how that must feel to our outdoor creature friends.


I was tickled that she seemed to pose for me....."would you like me to turn left? right? or straight on?" Just stay warm little robin, that's what I'd like.

I hope those of you living with snow these days, which seems to be the major part of the country, are staying warm and safe too!!

Marilyn

I'm not calling it a New Year's Resolution...

...but it could be. The invitation behind Scrapbusters Challenge 2011 is to use up fabric scraps...for me, it's those pieces that accumulate after sewing projects and are tossed into a basket where they mysteriously multiply and take up precious craft room floor space.

When, in fact, those scraps can be turned into patchwork pieces like these:



These blocks were inspired by a post in the flickr group linking to this beauty. And it's really quite relaxing--I just grab strips of fabric to sew together without much thought at all, trim the block to size and move on to the next one.

There are photos in the flickr group of projects other members have completed using fabric scraps. It's quite amazing, really.

Marilyn

Mail Art Received

A couple of weeks ago, in the midst of Christmas cards, bills and advertisements in our mail box, was this beautiful mail art envelope from Lenna...


And inside, there were three gorgeous postcards from the Creative Swaps Mail Art Swap...


from Rita in Wisconsin...

from Rebecca in Australia...

and from Becky in Arkansas...

Lenna worked at swapping mail art to send back that she thought we would love. I'd say she was right on with her choices for me--it felt like Christmas had arrived early and I definitely love them!!

Thanks so very much for a great swap, Lenna;) And for your incredible art, big thank you's to Lenna, Rita, Rebecca and Becky!!!

Marilyn

A Little More Christmas...

Karla hosted a lovely holiday craft day about a week or so before Christmas. We crafted and ate a delicious lunch and crafted some more! There was also an ornament exchange. Lucky me got to bring home this beauty that Beth made...I love it!!


I made this one with little girls in mind...

(front)

(back)

...so was pleased when Shawn and her daughter, Bethany received mine;)

A few more ornaments I put together for the girls in our family...


And a glimpse at our tree that I didn't get up and decorated this year until December 20th! But here it is on Christmas Eve all ready for a visit from Santa, which is what really counts, right?


It was a very merry Christmas day at our house---I hope yours was too!

Marilyn

Merry Christmas to You;)

Sending Happy Holiday wishes with a photo of my recently completed (as in yesterday-recent) bitty blocks mini quilt---made using adorable 3.5" blocks I received in the Traditional Christmas Bitty Block swap!

May hope, peace, joy and love surround you this season and always.

Marilyn xo

Seussisized.....

Liam loves books...

Liam really loves Dr. Seuss books...

Liam turned ONE last weekend...and the theme for his party? Dr. Seuss, of course;)

Oooohhhh, I said to his mother, I've seen some new Dr. Seuss fabrics recently that are colorful and fun--surely we can think of something to do with them!!


We decided on a cover for the gift table, and that worked out beautifully, but after the party, it could transform into a quilt for the Seuss lovin' boy.

Liam and his book nook...

Seussisized!!

Marilyn

Happy December!

I think it's amazing that I have some holiday sewing to show you and it's only the first of the month!


For a "Traditional Christmas" bitty block (3.5") swap in the Bitty Block Committee on flickr, I made 12 of these little Rudolph blocks. They were mailed out last month and I've also received back several from the other swappers. When the last few get here, I'll be ready to make them into a Christmas mini quilt for decking the halls!

For the KC Modern Quilt Guild Holiday Swap at November's meeting, I created a holiday placemat:


I was inspired by the Modern Quilted Place Mats by Alissa Haight Carlton in the 2010-2011 issue of Quilting Arts Gifts. This is the back of the placemat:


I was really happy when it went home with Angela! She is the sweetest person and is a genius with her quilting designs!

The swap gift I received is from Jaime...


And just how perfect could it be?! Holiday fabric and a pattern for four different sizes of the most darling duffle bags...hmmmm...gift possibilities? Thank you, Jaime!!!

Marilyn

Good Intentions/Excuses and Creative Swaps Mail Art

Alas, my poor neglected little blog! My intentions are good, but my weekdays are full and my evening energy is pretty much non-existent.....AND I wouldn't change a thing! Remember my sweet grandbaby born almost a year ago? And my new childcare "job"? Well, after having the summer off, we're back at it and I love our time together;)

This is Liam on Thanksgiving (sorry for the sunny glare):


His mommy's little rocking chair came down from the attic and he was trying it out--nice fit, I'd say. I sent it home with them for a second generation of memory making...*sighs* and *smiles*.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So now, after making the proper excuses;) how about some pics of creative stuff?

I think I'll pick up again with another Creative Swaps project...this time, Mail Art.


I started with white 5x7 envelopes and traced mandalas onto the fronts and part of the flaps. I colored them with my favorite prismacolor pencils and filled in the rest of the white space with coordinating chalks. After protecting them with a spray sealer, rubber stamped words and images were added. The postage photo is one I took in Taos, NM and used to create stamps at Zazzle during one of their postage sales.

(backs of the envelopes)
Although it was optional, I decided to include a postcard (which just happened to be the perfect size) in each of the envelopes--more rubber stamping, my contact info and faux postage--very simple. I also included the web address for the mandalas I traced.



All of the envelopes were mailed individually to Lenna so they would go through the postal system. After the Dec. 4th deadline, Lenna will swap out the envelopes and return them to us in a mail art envelope that she creates.

I've been enamored with mail art for a such a long and I was so excited when I read about this mail art swap! I can't wait to see the pieces I receive back and I'll share them with you when they arrive! For now, there are many to see on the Creative Swaps blog and they're wonderful!

Marilyn