2015 Crazy Quilt Calendar

Today's post will be just a bit of babble I'm afraid.  I had hoped to have some photos to share but I just haven't been able to accomplish much the past few days.  My phone line was down again yesterday so I spent another 20 minutes pushing buttons on my cellphone trying to get someone from the phone company out here to fix it once and for all.  Why is it you can never just get a real person to talk to?  Anyway, it seems to be good now.  But stuff like that throws me for a loop and then it takes me awhile to settle down and focus again.

I do expect to have some photos tomorrow. I finished up my purses and I have some new things from mom and Kathi to share.  Hopefully I can get all that done tomorrow.

I'm working on my tutorial for the next issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine.  Just about done with that and hope to get it all typed up next week.

I'm still working on organizing my bead cart.  I'm a very neat person so I don't know how it got so messy!   I think I just get into stitching and forget to take the time to neaten things up and then all of a sudden, I have what feels like an overwhelming, disorganized mess.  But I'm about 1/2 done with my beads.  I had to stop at Michael's this morning for a few more packages of tiny zip lock bags.  It had to be Michael's because I had a coupon.  Remember what I said about craft stores and coupons!  Always, take a coupon with you!

I thought I'd talk a little more about my 2015 Crazy Quilt Calendar.  I invited 12 crazy quilt artists to contribute a block.  Obviously, 1 artist for each month and then I'll do a design as well.  I asked each artist for a specific theme based on their unique style of crazy quilting and I think it'll be fun to see the interpretations as the designs come in.  I plan to release the calendar at Magcloud on September 1st this year. 

The purpose of this project is to help promote crazy quilting, to promote the individual artists that I invited and to offer a calendar with pure, beautiful, crazy quilt eye candy!  I promise, the eye candy will be amazing!  I will include bios for each CQ artist as well as links to their blogs, Etsy shops and any other links that they would like me to include.

Well, I guess I'll get offline now and finish up my tutorial and then work on my beads some more.  I'll be starting my block for the calendar in another day or so too.  Lots of fun things are going on!  Oh yes, and Flea Market season starts next month!  Oh, how I love Flea Market season!

Cutting Fabric Pieces

I spent my morning getting my latest purse blocks all ready to sew together.  I pulled lining and backing fabric and have everything measured out and cut.  Tomorrow, after my chores of course, I will sew these together:

I also have this little cat doll to sew up:

Also, while I had my fabrics out, well some of them, I sewed up this block:

My very dear and long time friend Lula has a birthday coming up in April.  She loves her I Phone!  So I thought I'd make her a cellphone pouch.  Years ago, Lula sent me a little embellishment pack from Embellishment Village.  Are they still in business?  It's been so long since I've been to a Quilt Show that I have no clue anymore!  Anyway, the little kit is for making a seascape so I'm going to use it on this block.

I also (on my beloved treadle machine) pieced my block for my 2015 Crazy Quilt Calendar.  I can't share that one though.  I asked everyone to keep their blocks a secret until the calendar is released.  Yes, typical publisher!  But that's how it works and that's how it's always been.

So for now, I'm going to get offline and go stitch.

Stitching, Rearranging And Planning

I've been busy the past few days, stitching, rearranging and making plans.  Taking over Pat Winter's beautiful Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine is giving me a fresh start.  As I mentioned, I'm planning on buying a new computer this Summer and I'm going to repaint my little room pink and decorate it with roses.

I'm trying to reorganize my stash a bit.  I want to make room for a stitching chair and stitching lamp in one corner.  That way, when Bubba wants to watch football, I can come in here and stitch and listen to music or watch a movie.

This room is only 9 1/2 foot square.  It's tiny so it'll be a challenge to contain my stash but I think with an all in one scanner/printer, a small computer (be it a laptop or desktop) and a small corner desk, I should be able to manage.

I like small spaces.  I like the coziness and I never did want my work room to look like a work room but it's become a challenge because quite honestly, I love my craft supplies!

I took yesterday off, printed up a coupon for JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby and Michael's.  I got all dressed up in a nice sweater, my St Patricks Day earrings that my sister made for me, my real pearls that my aunt and my cousin gave me for my birthday, put on my beautiful faux fur coat, grabbed my Lord Of The Dance CD and took myself shopping in my new little car.         

I needed some large snaps for my most recent purses which I need to sew together but I honestly didn't need anything else.  Other than getting out and getting some fresh air.  Trust me though, I found something in each store to use my coupons on!

When I was all done, I took myself to McDonald's, bought a large Shamrock shake and drove to the park by the lake, listened to my CD and enjoyed a peaceful 1/2 hour knowing that soon the weather will warm up and I can get out on my deck!

The robins are back!  Yes!!!!  Along with the grackles, the starlings, the cowbirds and the red-winged blackbirds.  The squirrels are eating like crazy and I'm starting to see them with nesting material so although it hasn't quite sprung yet, Spring is quite near!

Have I gotten chatty or what?  There are some days when I just don't know what to talk about so I post photos of my stitching and leave it at that.  And then other days, I can't seem to stop typing!

Well, before I go any further, and speaking of stitching, here is a photo of my Little Girl With The Seashell block:

That image is one of my favorites.  It's from the collection of Pat Winter.  I've always loved it and have wanted to do a purse design with it for quite some time!

I crocheted some trim for the bottom with gold palettes and I pulled out a vintage lace collar to use on the bottom.  I'm not sure the collar will work but I'm going to give it a try.  Will have to wait and see how it looks once I get this sewn together.

If this collar doesn't work, I have plenty of other vintage collars and lace pieces that I can use. 

In other news, I putting together a 2015 Crazy Quilt Calendar.  It'll be an eye candy calendar and although I'm not going to give any secrets away, I can tell you that it will be gorgeous and filled with the beautiful work of some wonderful crazy quilt artists!! 

Spring One Day, Winter The Next

We were supposed to have a high of 37 today but it's only made it to 27.  Tomorrow they're calling for 54 degrees.  We'll see if that happens!  I did see a Robin today!!!  He was sitting in the tree across the street.  More and more will come now.  I hope!  No snow in our forecast for the next week and I'm okay with that!

I have a quick update on my Seashell Purse:

I'm trying to get my chores done so I can go work on this some more.  I love the colors!

Seashells and Baseball

I started adding lace to my newest purse project:

I love doing sea themed pieces.  I painted the lace appliques this morning but still have to sew them down.  I'll be stitching on this as soon as I get done on the computer.

Our temps are finally going up a bit and the snow is melting.  Slowly, which is a good thing for people in flood prone areas.  We had a dusting of snow over night but the sun is out now and although I saw some Robins over the weekend in my sister's backyard, it was from a distance so I'm still waiting to see some closeup.  One of these days, I'll look out in my yard and I'll see one or maybe a ton of them!

And with the temps rising, my thoughts also turn towards baseball.  It's the only sport I like.  Cubs baseball.  Yes, poor me, I'm a Cubs fan!  LOL!!!  My dad told me they used to be called, "The Loveable Losers".  I've referred to them as morons from time to time but still, I'm a die hard fan.  Ha, ha, ha!

I always get the baseball itch starting in March and to satisfy my need to be done with Winter, I start watching my favorite baseball movies about this time of year.  It holds me over until I can watch or listen to the pre-season games.

This morning, I pulled out The Natural with Robert Redford:

My favorite baseball movies are, Eight Men Out, Field Of Dreams and A League Of Their Own and I always tend to put those on first but for some reason, I grabbed this one out of the DVD cabinet to watch later today.  I haven't watched this one in a few years and kind of forgot the story line.  So I read through the little booklet that came with the movie.

When I got to the end of booklet, there was a quote by Roger Towne, who was the story editor at Columbia Pictures at the time the movie was made.  Something told me to post it here.  Perhaps it has meaning for me and perhaps it will have some meaning for you too:

Roger Towne:  "Even the most gifted and most natural people are hurt by the capriciousness of fate.  Yet they are often given a second chance to make up for the past.  This is what THE NATURAL is all about."