More Flower Power

This morning I've been working on my own flower picture for the Quilt University class - Flower Power.

First I started out with appliqueing a light pink fabric to the base using UDA (upside-down applique).




Then I overlaid that with a slightly darker pink fabric.



Stitch it down upside-down.



And then cut the outside away very close to the stitching.

This still doesn't look like much, does it?



And here we add another piece.



Slowly it's taking on a form.



A little snip of yellow.



And some machine embellishing.



More free-motion work with variegated thread.






Now there are just some yellow beads to add and voila!

American Hero quilt top

Another American Hero quilt top is finished. Originally I planned the border a bit different, but I ended up having problems executing it, so I simplified it. The top will either go in the mail on Tuesday or I'll take it with me on the plane, when I fly to WA for the Sewing & Quilting Expo in Puyallup the end of this month, to be given to a "longarmer" to be quilted. The star blocks in this quilt are 16" and I pieced them using the large Quilt in a Day Flying Geese ruler.

Flower Power

This morning I was able to work on my Quilt University class "Flower Power". The first project was a small piece to practice UDA (upside down applique) and I think my first attempt at it turned out OK. Since I didn't know if this first attempt would turn out, I wasn't too careful about the color selection, but I can live with it as it is. lol

The tulip pattern was provided by the teacher (Susan Brittingham), but next I'll be working on my own flower picture. I hope I'll get to that before the class ends.

I took this picture last year at the San Diego Zoo. To the left you see the sketch in preparation of the UDA. Once I'll finish this little wall hanging, I'll post a picture of it.

two pillows finally finished

Two hand appliqued and hand quilted "tops" had been in my UFO pile for way to long, so I prepared everything to take to the kids' lessons to be able to work on them while waiting. Well, the result is that I was able to finish two pillows this week!

The bottom pattern is called "Love'n shells" and the top one is a Space Shuttle pattern designed by Jan Davis a NASA astronaut.

Here's a link for anybody wanting to download and make the pattern:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_exhibits_events/article/0,1789,HGTV_3247_1374079,00.html

What I've been up to

The last couple of days have been really busy for me. Mondays and Tuesdays I always take DS to Kung Fu in the evening, but I've started helping out with the PAT (Parent Action Team) at the kid's school some mornings now as well. Monday and Tuesday we were preparing "Valentine grams" that the kids purchased to raise funds for school activities.
Tags, on which the kids wrote their Valentines messages had to be cut out (well, most of that we had done on Monday), then we were tying those messages to the Valentine's gorillas and attached a lollipop each. With several of us to help the task was done fairly quick.
I was kind of glad that this task got me out of the house in the morning, because otherwise I would have had too much time home alone to think of my mom's 2 year anniversary of her passing from cancer. In the morning I had called my dad before heading out of the house, to check on him. He is by himself most of the time and although he would never admit to it, I'm sure he is very depressed. But he will not let anybody help him, so other than calling him, there's not much I can do for him from here.
Then yesterday DS turned 12. He wanted the cheesy bites pizza from Pizza Hut (which Cliff brought right after work) and I had some chocolate cake and two kinds of ice cream for him. DH and I have gotten him an MP3 player, which he is heavily using already.
Today I'm catching up on things, and hope to get some more work done on an American Hero top, while DH takes DS to Kung Fu.
Tomorrow morning I'll most likely be out the entire morning again, as I'll be helping on both school campuses with a walk-a-thon and the kids will be getting out early, too.
Saturday I'll take DD to her 3rd ballet lesson. She's really liking it. At the same time DH will take DS to the UMA headquarters for his 1st stripe green belt testing. Afterwards he will attend his special invitation CIT program, which he is very thrilled about.