Quilts, Quilts, and more Quilts

The first piece here was drawn by a 13 year old child from Ghana. It's all finished, but I could not find the picture of t he completed piece, none the less, you get the idea. There are jewels on the tu-tu's on the female. When I find the picture I will post it.

These two pieces show the completed quilt and the lone panel before framed. The panel was purchased from an African woman from Ghana. When I started
this post I was going to tell you all about the crazy things that has transpired here, but decided to make that secondary to my post. Had internet trouble last week. Could not get online. That is fixed. The mold is gone. My studio floor is finished, but not without problems. The tiles are obviously from several dye lots, and now I'm in a fight with Home Depot and Armstrong.
I have hung in my storage closet about 50 finished quilts, and have taken out several to finish.

I just cannot seem to get to the sewing machine now that it is fully accessible. I think there was something about manuevering to get to it before that drove me to it. Gotta get motivated again, and realize that it may not be over yet, since I would like a new floor in the studio. I'm putting it back together again and thinking that I may have to take it a part again. Well, I'm tired now and the thought of fixing dinner is something that I really am not looking forward to.

Hope to be more consistent with my posting in the future for I have found that the longer I wait the more I have to say and the longer it takes to get caught up to the moment.
KEEP BLOGGING AND QUILTING

Thanksgiving for some is tomorrow,

but for me Thanksgiving is everyday. I thank God for my new life in Christ. For giving me the mind and the will to do of His good pleasure. I thank God for life, health, and strength each day. I thank Him for my wonderful husband who thinks I am a queen. I thank God for good relationships with my two sons. I also thank God for putting my home back together better than it was before the water damage with very little out-of- pocket expense. I thank Him for so many things it would take forever for me to tell it all. Here's wishing each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day on tomorrow and admonish you all to be thankful each day because if we take a good look at our lives we can find a lot to be thankful for. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God.....

Two steps forward, Three steps backwards

If it ain't one thing it's another.

My new floors are in, but the refrigerator caused damage to my studio floor. We pulled all the flooring and underlayment out and purchased new flooring. When removing the baseboards we discovered mold. Yes, I said mold. I have angioedema and am highly allergic to this substance, but God has been good to me. I have not had a reaction. The mold is in the corner where my tv and sofa was. This was my favorite spot next to the sewing machine area.

Had to call insurance again for the floor and the mold. They do not cover the mold, so I guess you know who has to pay. Yeah, me.

To make a long story short I'm outside my studio looking in, however, they contained the damaged area with a plastic enclosure, so I can still get to the sewing machine and my computer.

I've been drawing out some new designs to day, as if I don't already have more than enough already waiting to be put together.

The quilt I'm posting has been finished with borders but I don't have a picture of it yet, so I'm posting it as a UFO. It has already found a new home and owner. I thought this one was appropriate since it kind of smiles at you.

From Sketches to Quilts

Well, I'm still way behind all the furniture and other things in the corner with my sewing machine. I've recently discovered that I need to replace the floor in my studio. We had to put the refrigerator in my studio, and lo and behold there is water damage on some of the floor now from the overflow pan. When we moved it the water splashed and I did not know it was on the floor and as it sat there it damaged the floor. I'm going to put in something that will not be damaged by water this time.So much for the gloom. I'm still stitching everyday by hand or by machine. I refuse to stop for stitching helps me keep my sanity.

I had a black piece of cloth on one of my work tables some time ago. As I look at it now I don't know why in the world I padded that table with black cloth, however I started drawing on it and then painting on it some time ago and had really thrown it in the "OUT" pile. When I was in the process of moving to my new studio I almost threw it away. I took a good look at it and a light went on. I decided to paint a little more on it and since I have been here with everything torn apart I decided to do some hand embroidery on it , and it is beginning to look very nice. It is about 24X36 in. I think I will mount it on a board.

I also pulled out the floor pillows that I started making covers for yearssssss ago and am working on the last one. The pillows are about 2 feet square. Thought I'd share what I've been doing since my last post besides tearing out floors and rearranging.

" A STITCH A DAY KEEPS THE BLAHS AWAY"

AM I DREAMING?

Unfinished Scrap Quilts

On yesterday I worked on some hand embroidery on a long forgotten piece. I'm trying to play catchup since losing so much time setting appointments, waiting for contractors, picking out flooring, mouldings, paint, etc.

I'm so BEHIND it's discouraging. I've decided within myself that due to the unusual heat here in San Diego last week, I may have some kind of lame excuse.

Well, forget the excuses. I'm going on from where I am today"BEHIND", and continue to perservere and work on completing one UFO a day as planned.

I realized one thing while pondering where I am, where I'm going, and where I want to be, and that is that I must complete something while also working on some or one of the others, otherwise I will never complete anything.

AM I DREAMING?

Miriam Praises God

Here's another finished UFO. Let me introduce you to "Miriam", another one of my interpretations of the women of the Bible. The same story that went with the previous "Miriam" goes with this quilt. I used a "fussy cut " from this wonderful fabric I found . It's an allover of these beautiful black women. I quilted it, added the tambourine, beads at the top and hand quilted in very fine echo stitching all aroung the motif. What fun I had and the hand sewing is very therapeutic. To read what is written on either side at the bottom of the quilt in the orange area go to Exodus 2:3-9 , Micah 6:4, and Exodus 15:21.
I'm going back through my new issue of "Quilting Arts Magazine" the June/July issue and there is this wonderful article titled "Quilt then Paint" by Sue Kelly. Her quilts are very beautiful and she uses the same technique I did for the last "Miriam" quilt. She uses "Shiva Paintsticks" instead of liquid fabric paints. The paintsticks are very beautiful on fabric . You can buy them in irredescent or matte finish. They are a must have for art quilts. Well, I guess I should be about the chores of the day and maybe work on another "UFO".
HAPPY QUILTING!