scraps and more scraps

What do you do with a tub full of scraps?

Spend a weekend making 10" String Quilt Blocks and a ton of Mug Rugs that will be Christmas gifts for the office and friends.

Problem is I don't think I made a dent in the tub-o-scraps.

Oh well there is always next weekend.

Home of the Brave

In a previous blog of mine "In memory of our servicemen and servicewomen" I wrote about my involvement with the project "Home of the Brave."
I am so glad to say that on Oct 20th my friend and the Ohio coordinator Janet Alderman presented the parents of a local fallen soldier their quilts.

Here is a great story and photos (which was covered by The News-Herald).
I cannot explain to you the feeling I had standing at the memorial with about 100 supporters of this Marine's family listening to the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace.
When we presented the quilts both parents hugged me and it really brought 3 years of closure to me. I hope that these quilts will help the family heal the hole that has been left in their soul with the loss of their son.

So many connections were made that day. Janet found a way to contact one of her missing soldiers and the next day we found another. My thanks to everyone who made this possible esp the quilter Nancy in Erie Pa who quilted both quilts and also to my dad, from heaven, who I am almost certain helped me on my way to help the families heal.

Meeting Joshua

My day started out bad with spilling coffee on my phone but ended on a high note on my lunch break. I walked out of my local Marc's store and standing there was Joshua McKinley - Project Runway Season 9. I love Project Runway and watch it every time it's on. So imagine my surprise to actually meet him in person. Just sucks that my phone was in my car dead as a door nail so I didn't get a photo.

 Can I tell you how much that made my day?????

Lake County Fair 2013

The Lake County Fair is one of my favorite summer pleasures and I love coming on Tuesday to see what fellow crafters and quilters have entered into the fair. It is always exciting to see if anything that I entered into the fair won any ribbons. I was not disappointed this year.

This is an embroidery that I bought from Olive Grace Studios. It uses a technique involving coloring with crayons, embroidery and bead work. The frame I bought from Michaels. I painted it with Acrylic Paint "Blue Harbor," water washed it and when it was dry I used sandpaper to stress the paint. I really liked the way it came out. Plus I got 1st place.

This is one of the 1st quilts that I made. The pattern is Court House Steps. Thanks to my mother-in-law who helped pick out some of the fabrics to go with what I had. Not bad for a quilt that I made 7 years ago. BTW my quilt buddy Bonnie won 1st place and Best in Show for her "Brick & Mortar" quilt. It's on Girl!!!!!!!

I had this pattern for about 6 years and finally decided to give it a try. It was a challenge to transfer the embroidery designs onto the black fabric until I found this wonderful product by Sulky. It is a water soluble stabilizer that you can put into your printer and print your design onto it and then it sticks to your fabric, you just wash it away when you are done. I also decided to give some techniques that you use in Crazy Quilts to decorate the seams. Very excited to get a 1st place ribbon for this.

This is my favorite entry, this is a wall hanging in memory of my dad Charles Prentice. When he was in the army he was a Sharp Shooter and when he passed i got quite a few of his patches. Having them for 3 years I finally found the fabric I wanted to use to make a wall hanging. The photos of him are printed onto fabric that can be used in quilts and I top stitched some of his patches and attached some of his pins onto it. Note: I have to make 2 more for my sisters. My hubby (who hates fairs) came with me that night and made a bee line to it to inform me that I won 1st place in the patriotic category. This was the entry I was most proud of.

Wondering what I will think of for next year's fair.

A bag of Suprises Part 3

These are some of the blocks that my grandmother and great grandmother did, I can tell that her (my great grandmother's) eyesight was going by then, cause they are kinda wonky. Gotta dig the color combinations!

A Bage of Suprises part 2

Another gem from the bag. Quilt top already done, just needs borders. Has a very spring like feeling and i love the colors. but what to use for the borders? Taking all suggestions. Quilt top was probably done in the 60's to 70's so kinda need to keep the colors and patterns in mind.

This was also in the bag. It is already quilted. Gonna square it up and put a binding on it and use it as a wall hanging. What you think?

 

 

Quilters Newsletter published my 300 Words about Quilting: Awareness Quilts essay on their website as part of their June/July 2013 Web Extras. My story was about my quilters group making blocks for the "Home of the Brave" which gives quilts to the parents of fallen soldiers. WOW!!!!!!
Here is the link
http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/articles/300_Words_about_Quilting_Awareness_Quilts?bc=c

A Bag of Suprises

Amazing what you find in a bag that your mom gives you, not sure if my great grandmother, grandmother or my mom did this quilt. It's all hand sewn and hand quilted. the yellow flower fabric were scraps from a dress that I had. Didn't even know I had this quilt. Think it was on my grandpa's bed at one time.