Deborah: CQ 2013 progress

Not much to report ( and late again ). I spent most of yesterday working on AAQI quilts, most of today cleaning house and baking cookies. It's Purim and I always make hamentaschen. These have strawberry preserves, peanut butter & chocloate fillings.

Anyway, when I wasn't doing the above I did manage to get just a little done on the CQ:

I trimmed enough from the applique blocks to make them 8", and added the borders. I don't think I have enough of the lighter pink fabric to add a border around all four blocks. Someone mentioned doing a narrow border using the batik I like so much. The fabric here may still be too dark or too much of a contrast with the narrow borders between the appliques. I may have more of the pink stashed somewhere. If not I probably have something similar I can use.

This is the darker print with no batik. The print fabric appears a little darker here than in reality. 

That's about it. The weekend goes by too quickly, especially Sunday it seems.

Deborah - Progress

I have finished basting the "false back" and the final backing, as you can see, and it is ready for binding. I'll sew the lace on afterwards. I noticed a few little details that need attention, like where I did not finish beading a seam detail. But I hope it will be finished today.

However, "Elvis" definitely will be ready to go to the AAQI as soon as it's bound:

 

Deborah: Sunday Reveal

I'm on a new schedule: get up at 4:30 am and go to the gym where I work out for about 45 minutes, get to work at 7:30, home at about 5. Unconscious by 8. I have a narrow window time wise to work with. However, I did stitch away (more) on the CQJP quilt which is hanging on my design board as we speak. I had a piece of silk I bought a long time ago for another purpose which I am using for the backing, one of my trusty IKEA fleece blankets for batting and lo and behold, enough of this fabric for binding:

I did get a little stitching done on the Elvis quilt for the AAQI. I'm using only black and turquoise thread on this one.

And a few details added to the CQ. That has to stop or I will never get it finished. I promised a friend at work it would be done this weekend so I could bring it in for her to see.

I learned a lot doing this project. I hope I learned enough to do a better job this year. Although I said I was not going to do just one quilt but many smaller ones, I ran across some items that just begged to be made into a quilt. I will post those later on my blog.

For now my daughter and I are getting ready to take Brit, our foster puppy, to the Sunday adoption event.  We have managed to get her housebroken and she's well  socialized so she'll make someone a wonderful pet. I will admit that I'll miss her but not her 1 a.m. antics!

Debra: Praying Madonna -- CQJP, AAQI

Pretty slow going this week on my Praying Madonna block.   With all the lace there isn't much room for embroidery in the outer block area.  I am going to add embroidery on the lace and more embellishments.  Right now I am sewing on the string of clear beads along Madonna's photo.  It gives a nice clean edge & just a bit of sparkle.

Herringbone Stitching added through the middle of lace trim & between all the patches

  

Clear beads added along the photo's edge

Comments are welcome.

Deborah - Reveal

Not sure what I've got to reveal this week. I have begun putting together my 2012 CQ project blocks and discovered a pretty big problem. One of the blocks is about 1" smaller than all the others. I can't think of much to do about it except try to extend it in as unobtrusive way as possible, and blend in the extra bit with embroidery and embellisments. Pretty embarrassing - I clueless as to why I didn't see this before now.

So I'm revealing an AAQI quilt I worked on yesterday between cake baking and dinner fixing for Allison's 25th birthday.

Elvis's birthday is January 8th, so this seemed appropriate. This fabric is from a few years ago when I was furiously making pillowcases. Remember, Debra?

Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter, Allison!

The cake is Andes chocolate mint cake from Bird on a Cake and it was delicious.

I have five more AAQI quilts ready to finish. I started gathering all my UFOs and prioritizing them, and will post more of that on my blog later today.

For now, I am getting ready for breakfast with family and our our annual shopping trip.

I'm lucky that the new year always starts off on such a fun, positive note - daughter's birthday, shopping, and new stitching.

Happy New Year, and happy stitiching. Can't wait to get back & read what everyone else is up to.

Debra: 2013 Plans: CQJP & AAQI

This year I am dovetailing a few projects that are compatible.  One of the organizations to which I like to contribute is the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI).  Through the donation of small 9" x 12" art quilts money is raised for research.  I met my 1st goal of raising $1000 and during 2013, I will be stitching toward my 2nd $1000 goal.

Instead of a new CQJP wall piece, I will be stitching a monthly art quilt for the AAQI & using that piece to qualify for my monthly CQJP challenge.  To date I have pieced 12 blocks to use.  They are utilizing oddball pieces of reclaimed embroidery (from Angela's thrifting) and various pieces of my own fabric transfers and machine embroidery.  Since I am still in Madonna mode while working on my Mother and Child piece, I decided to use a Madonna photo transfer for January's piece.

 

This Praying Madonna has very rich toned satiny fabrics overlapped in the background.  I used a small packet of prom dress samples with some tidbits of trim.  She's already beautiful but will be even more when embellished with embroidery and beads!

 

Oh! What is this?

 

All the leftover & rejected sewing themed fabrics have been sewn together as the backing for my Sewing Journal.  I am officially (mentally) done with this theme!  The blocks are laid on the dining room table waiting for assembly.  Today may very well be the day.  If not, this week for sure!

Comments are welcome!