Not Quite Woody

Backyard wildlife

Salt Plains

As part of our 4th of July '08 tour... We made a stop at White Salt Plains. Normally, you can drive out and do a dig... but for unknow reasons it is closed due to some emergency. If you are interested, call before going and see if is opened. Normal open season is late April to Oct 1. They do research... and there is a decent sized lake on the other side of the salt plain.

You drive between two cow pastures to get to this place that feels like another planet... or at least a really cool movie set. BLINDING sun!

NaC1+CaSo4

Gloss Mountain

This is how we spent our 4th of July, atop Gloss Mountain. Located in western Oklahoma. A short hike and a short drive from Tulsa.

Ring Necked

A little wild life on gloss mountain. We also spotted an owl and it was pretty cool sitting eye level with the hunting vultures.

Focus

or maybe, refocus.

I've been reading and viewing various fiber artists blogs, who have attended the Nancy Crow workshop... and I am once again challenged and inspired. And I want to start focusing on doing my own creative quilts - not so commercial.

This will require buying less "quilt" fabric... and be willing to learn to dye, or pay more for my fabric... I think I will continue to buy some prints I love for small quick sewing projects, and Asian print, just because I enjoy them... but I need to refocus on why and how I started into this medium and get back to the heart of what I love.

My own version of quilting.
It is much more rewarding.

Summertime

Canadian Scrapper

Here is the sum of my contribution to the Suzy/Jamie cabin scrap quilt. Suzy is quilting it and will hopefully have it ready for the cabin for this summer, 2007.

Week 6

Each week, get's a little longer....

Happy Birthday to Rieley

Here is Rieley, the boxer and Tasha at Rieley's bday party. We won't discuss the behaviour our Lady Bug and Rascal. Let's just say, his name fits!!

Charm II

Yet another charm pack quilt. I used two and 1/2 charm packs for this one. The wider strips of fabric are from the same line and the narrow strips are from Amy Butler and Anne Marie Horner lines. Once it was "done" I realized I wanted it longer and added the additional two rows. I think I would like it more if the strips went thru the entire quilt. In other words, if I had added the extra squares before setting the quilt with the strips.

It looks too dis-jointed for my taste. Oh well. Now I know.
I don't recall the name of the line, but I do know it is from MODA.

Up close

but not so personal. Here you can see the two fabric choices for the strips. I think I will use the "greenish" one for the binding as well.

English Piecing

I obviously have two more to add... but here is my first, and most likely, last attempt at English Piecing. It's easy, it's OK, but I don't like to have so many steps in a process before seeing results.

The piece is resting on a pattern - not unlike the "Disappearing 9 Patch"

Before

This is what my beautiful Keeshon, Lady Bug, is suppose to look like.

... after

This is Lady Bug in her "summer" trim. Very frightning to me when I first saw her. I've gotten use to the look, if not acustomed. I think she looks like that freaky character from the Lord of the Rings movie, Golum? I'm not sure of it's name. But when she lies down and her legs are all sticking out, very skinny compared to her chest. Very LotR. Otherwise, a shorn sheep.

Left side

of my not so organized stash closet.

It no longer looks as organized... but it still makes me happy when I open the door to add more fabric to the collection.

Put your Right Arm in

Here is the right side of my quilting closet. Primarily, Asian prints and hand dyed fabrics.

The rubbermaid holder is a "pre-sorter" of sorts, that holds projects I am either working on or am still collecting fabrics for. Example, my black and white quilt. My batik quilt. My polka dot quilt out grew this method and now has it's own box. Entire box! As does all my flannels. And yard sized or larger cut misc prints.

It is not an illness. It is therapy!

Oh Canada!

Yes, another scrappy strip quilt... but this is a joint effort with Suzy. Blocks are smaller (cut 6 1/2") and the unifying color is royal blue (hope I have the right color) and the finished product will go up to the cabin in Canada. I have a whopping six done in one night!

Hubby Quilt

I have since added one more row so as to insure E can actually cover up with it!! But I love my scrappy quilt because I enjoy looking at the various prints and remembering which quilt they went into, or who swapped scraps with me. I plan to back with fleece and tack.

Up Close

Polka Dot

I will applique a giant "dot" in the center of the blocks. I have 9 of the 12 blocks set, need to finish the strips that will go vertically between the rows. And then I will do more set strips in my darker polka dots for the outer border of the quilt. This pattern was in American Quilts and designed by "Piece of Cake" quilt designers, and fellow Oklahoman's! Becky & Linda.

I started this quilt 2 or 3 years ago and finally decided I want to be able to start using allll thos PD prints in other things, so I need to get this done. My only complaint about the pattern... did not give generous enough measurements for the foundation pieces. You have to really pay attention to make sure you don't loose a corner... May very well be sewer error... but I prefer generous pieces that I don't have to be so aware of. Other than that, loving how it is turning out.

More Scraps

See earlier posting for a closer view of the blocks... but here it is quilted... I got ahead of myself and put the binding on... only to discover I had forgotten to quilt the darn thing!! I was lazy and didn't remove the binding... just quilted it since it is a scrappy quilt, so it bunched up in a couple of places. Oh well. Makes it easier to just throw around, seeing how it is definately no work of art!!

Summer in the City

This is from the Moda line "Summer in the City" I bought a charm pack of 5 inch squares and four pieces from the line... I added enough of the dark brown floral and an extra blue like the inner border to make it 49 squares... and pieced the back using the left over pinks and brown floral. Note on the binding, I added small pieces of the pinks to insure I had enough to get allll around the quilt! As I literally used all the fabric I had!

Scrappy too

I must be feel'n frugal. My second "scrap" quilt. This one is made up of primarily 3 inch squares, from my stash and Sarah's stash, and Tammra's.... you get the idea. I have two of each of the blocks of the dark purple in them, and I plan on setting it in a 9-patch formation.

Baby blanket size.

The Capt'n

Tom gets home tomorrow after serving his second 7 mo rotation in A-stan. His wife painted and created the sign and E&I added the tree stars and flags. Glad you're back Tom!!