The Pink Artists Drawing ~ Part 2

Read about Part 2 then be prepared to be awed!

Do you recall a special drawing held last year for the Pink Artists Doll? Do you remember how beautiful she is?!

The Block Art Quilt is every bit as beautiful! And again, the funds raised by the drawing will benefit breast cancer research. This is where you go to view the quilt and to be awed!

This is where to go to view other wonderful prizes you could win in the drawing!

And that Pink Artists button at the top right of my blog...that's where you click to learn where to enter and how to donate to Breast Cancer Research.
Last year, $3028.34. This year, ?????

Marilyn

Summer Lovin' (Part II)

I'm still giddy! Laura's mini quilt was in my mailbox today and it has to be the sweetest little quilt ever!

(13" x 13")

I love the colors, and I love them with the white. Adorable on the back also:)


The Summer Lovin' theme is sweetly evident in the FUN goodies she sent too...


I've spent an untold amount of time admiring every inch and every detail in this mini--there's so much to look at (and enjoy!!)






Don't you agree?!

Thanks so much, Laura! It has indeed been a pleasure!!

Marilyn

Summer Lovin'...

That was the July mini quilt theme in the Swap Til You Drop group.

And yesterday, my swap partner Laura, received the little rendition I made for her...


The backing fabric was my inspiration for the quilt...love the beach (she says from this land-locked state in the middle of the country)!


I appliquéd an extra umbrella onto the center piece--that pair of chairs just seemed to call out for one:)


A few summery-looking extras for the package and off it went. (Has anyone tried the Skittles Crazy Cores yet? Maybe I should have gotten a box for myself!)


The quilt Laura made for me went in the mail yesterday. She posted a sneak peek after it was pieced and I already liked what I saw then so now I'm getting very excited to see it finished. It's like Christmas, I tell you!!

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Another bit of summer lovin' has got to be this "Fairyland" eggplant that came in our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) bag a couple of weeks ago.


The little baby eggplant was only about 2 inches long--isn't it cute?! Or maybe it's just me--I'm such a sucker for anything in miniature:)

Marilyn

Swap, Swap, Swap.....and Swap?

I'm excited about the start of Doll Quilt Swap 7...last night, I received the email with my secret swap partner's name and preferences. Now I can start "stalking" their blog and flickr photostream and hopefully get some ideas about what I'm going to make for them. The quilt is to be mailed by September 15th so I think that will give me plenty of time...famous last words?!

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A swap that I have finished and is ready to mail is the Itty Bitty Book Club "Children's Fairy Tale Book Swap"...




...2.75" by 3.5" cards, twenty two of them ready to send to Mary Ann who will swap them out with the other swappers' cards and bind them on the left side. I think it will be an adorable little book. The deadline for cards isn't until September 1st so I'll have to wait a while...but worth it!

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Here's a sneak peek at the mini quilt I completed and mailed today for the Swap Til You Drop "Summer Lovin'" theme...and how many times did I sing that song while sewing this little quilt?! (heehee)


Laura should receive it early next week so I'll show the rest of it then:)

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Finally, remember the mermaid I made for the Under The Sea Swap? She was waiting for my swap partner, Bairbre Aine, when she returned to California after holiday back home in Scotland. Bairbre Aine named her Mipsy.


Sadly, the little seagirl that Bairbre Aine made for me has not arrived yet :(
She was mailed from Scotland, so we are both hoping that she is just delayed someplace along the way.

Marilyn

Craft Day at Vintage Arts Studio

Yesterday, I had the delightful pleasure of getting to know Lauri at her Vintage Arts Studio! She rents out the space to groups and Mary arranged for our craft group to meet there for the afternoon.

When Shawn and Bethany and I pulled into the drive, we were immediately taken with the outdoor space--it is absolutely gorgeous!






And it continued on into the studio too. There were so many wonderful things to see and be inspired by!





A giant table in the middle of the room provided plenty of space for the seven of us (Beth and Karla arrived a little later) to spread out and work, yet we could still easily talk and visit because we were all at one table.


Some of the girls brought a lunch from home but Lauri also offers the option of purchasing a box lunch...which is what I did and it was really quite good.


Mary took some video of Bethany talking about how she created one of her pencil holders. I think Bethany was pleased with the final cut:) (Soooo cute!)


Mary also brought presents for everyone. She is very good at hunting out, and finding, the most incredible vintage ephemera and was nice to share some with us! (Thanks, Mary!)


More photos from inside Lauri's lovely studio...




Thanks very much, Lauri...it was a wonderful day!

Marilyn

Stitching & Patchwork...and two great tutes!

"Hello"...I really like that little banner! And I really like this stitching pattern from Sublime Stitching by Emily Martin of The Black Apple. I haven't done any embroidery in a while but felt the itch again after making this door hanging for a friend.


Her doorbell is broken and she wanted something that said 'please knock' or 'doorbell doesn't work'. I went with the former but I have to say I liked the unconventional appeal of the latter, hehee.

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I'm definitely enjoying Sew Connected 2, the virtual quilting bee I belong to. I'm reminded again this month one of the many reasons why--I get to play with gorgeous pieces of fabric that I don't have to buy! These blocks are for Emily and I love the fabric she sent!

10.5 x 10.5 in.

10.5 x 10.5 in.

5.5 x 5.5 in.

The other patchwork project I've been working on are these reversible bags. I used this tutorial and it was wonderful. They were so fun, I just may have to whip up a few more of them!



There's a Flickr group, Made it Based on Pink Penguin's tutes!, where you can see the way these bags easily become one of a kind--the fabric possibilities are endless:)

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Another tutorial--this one for mini-recycle-bin-books--prompted me to make a couple of them...


I made mine 2.5 x 3.5 inches with 50 pages--a great size to do with whatever you want;)

I so appreciate the many generous bloggers out there who share tutorials--it's such a great way to try something new. Thanks a million to all of you!!

Marilyn

Babies, Babies, Babies! (*Smiles*)

How cute is this little guy?!


To ease any worries, I stayed plenty far away from the nest to take the photos (and I think the telephoto function on my camera did an OK job). These photos are from just last week and already this week, he and his nest-mate have flown the coop! (I'm using "he" and "his" for no particular reason, but really, look at the hairdo...male--no?) I do remember seeing one of them sitting on the edge of the nest Monday morning and had I known that they were leaving for good, I would have wished them "Godspeed!"


Actually the timing was perfect. The nest is in a tree right under our bedroom window and their little "peeps" were getting louder each day and their song was monotonous--just one note. Do birds need time to learn the prettier songs and/or does it come with practice? Hmmm....

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Speaking of Cute Little Guys!


Grandbaby Cole:)
Two months old already!

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AND...Remember about a month ago when I gave you a sneak peek of this quilt top:


Well, I can now share with you that it is a baby quilt for our second grandchild! First daughter and son-in-law are expecting a holiday-time baby, due December 20th! Yippee!

Marilyn

aDRESSing the Situation

It's been over three months since I said to Monica, (girl-gone-thread-wild), "I'm in." And now it's time, today is the day...


(click the above image to read her request)


You probably remember Monica from The Pink Artist Doll, when 182 artists came together to create "Love Squared" and support Breast Cancer Research.

Now, again, artists are coming together...this time to bring attention to Women of Juarez...by making Art Dresses and mailing all of them TODAY, July 1st, to Stampington & Company.

My DRESS...


just one...


of many!


Monica "aDRESSes the situation" so well on her blog...I think you'll be glad you made some time to visit.

Marilyn