1000 Postcards for Peace -- #6 Not Forgotten (4)

I'm continuing with my Forget Me Not (myosotis) postcard series.  I was able to bring some color to the background as I have made peace with the local news story that sent me running to my quilting room.

I used the same FabuLux Neon Blueberry and Neon Lemon for the flower, but added some color with FabuLux Neon Lime for the background:

Here are the other cards in the series:

I turned up the color in each postcard as I was working through the series:

I'm not sure what I'll stitch next, but I think this series is now complete.

Quilt Finish -- Petal Power

In July/August 2015 issue of Gen Q Magazine, I published a quilt pattern called Petal Power.  It was for a tablerunner, but I decided to make a larger quilt from the same pattern.  It was hand-appliqued and sat unfinished for two years.

Then... I compromised and machine appliqued over the hand-appliqued leaves, also machine appliqueing the unfinished leaves.  I quickly quilted it and....

It's DONE!

The secret to finishing this quilt was FabuLux Neon Lime thread:

I used it for the machine applique:

Oh how my HQ Stitch 710 loves to machine applique!

I used FabuLux Neon Lime thread for the quilting:

I didn't use FabuLux Neon Lime thread for the machine binding, though.  I used a thinner, subtle thread so it wouldn't show up on the backing:

My HQ Stitch 510 is my straight-stitching work horse.  And my Clover Binding Clips are ANGELS!  They make machine binding possible for me!

This quilt is for one of the thousand babies being born in my circle this year.  The mom saw this as a UFO and said, "Hey, that'll match the nursery" so I finished it for her.  That was easy!

MAIL CALL: The Letter "O"

I'm in the midst of a series of postcards for Little Boy helping him to spell out R-O-C-K-E-T-S-H-I-P.

I pulled out my handy-dandy HQ Stitch 710 machine (did you see what I did there?) and started stitching down the "O" with FabuLux In The Pinks:

I wanted some contrast to frame the card, so I switched to FabuLux Cloudy Skies for the satin stitching:

As I've been making postcards, I've learned that I like to double-stitch the edge of each card.  It makes a bolder frame for the postcard.

My "O" card with the FabuLux threads:

Did you notice that the fabric matches my cutting board?

This card is ready to mail.

Next up:  The Letter "C"!

1000 Postcards for Peace -- #5 Not Forgotten (3)

I'm continuing my series of Not Forgotten postcards featuring a Forget Me Not (myosotis).

This postcard uses FabuLux Neon Blueberry and FabuLux Neon Lemon threads for the flower:

I used the same Salmon InvisiFil for the background that I used in the previous postcards:

I'm still not finished with this series.  Check back for more.
_____
If you'd like to make some postcards, check out the Postcard Supply Kit I put together containing 6 pieces of stabilizer and 6 envelopes.

Cutie Quilt: Picnic Patch

If there's one pattern I wish that I had designed, Picnic Patch would be it.

I have made many of these quilts and will make many, many more!

I am in a low-volume mood and wanted to see how low-volume fabrics would look next to a light yellow fabric.  After piecing this quilt, I thought the yellow was too happy and tried to pick a thread that would neutralize the yellow:

I quilted the entire quilt with the thread on the left.

I quilted feathers:

Ribbon candy and pumpkin seeds:

And more feathers for the border:

I finished binding this quilt during a recent hotel stay:

This will be a belated wedding quilt for a happy young couple.

1000 Postcards for Peace -- #4 Not Forgotten (2)

I am working on a series of postcards featuring a Forget Me Not (myosotis).  I recreated Not Forgotten but changed the threads that I used for the flower:

I stitched the flower using FabuLux Blue Heaven and FabuLux Mellow Yellows:

I used same background thread, Salmon InvisiFil, that I did on Not Forgotten:

 This Forget Me Not postcard series isn't finished yet.  Stay tuned.

Do you want to make postcards, too?  I have put together kits of stabilizer and envelopes to help you get started.  Find them HERE.

On The Road: Anna's Sewing Center

Last weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to teach at Anna's Sewing Center in Fairview Park, Ohio.  The shop was fantastic, the staff was wonderful, and the students were SO FUN!!!

Here's a quick story to prove my last point.  Some of you know that I'm hard of hearing and wear hearing aids.  I am pretty good at guessing what people are saying, but sometimes...

I held up a quilt that had TONS of ribbon candy on it.  One of the students, Claudia, said "That looks hideous but pretty."

That is a re-enactment of my face when I heard her call my beloved Sweet Tooth quilt "Hideous."  Well... She actually said that the quilting looked TEDIOUS but pretty.  The room roared with laughter.  And the laughter continued throughout the weekend.

Did I mention the owner, Rosanne?  She runs a great shop and also knows how to treat her teachers well.  Proving my point:

That was every bit as yummy as it looked.

Please check out Anna's Sewing Center when you are even close to Cleveland, OH.  I promise that it's worth the trip!

Another Finish: Serviettes

Due to my relationship with Hello Kitty, I'm very popular with the under-10 set.  Little girls love that they know an adult with a love for Hello Kitty that equals their own.

I was having a rough evening recently and decided that I would cheer myself by stitching with some Hello Kitty fabric:

It worked like a charm!

A family of special little girls will get to enjoy Hello Kitty while they dine.  They are part of a large family, so I figured a dozen Serviettes should do it:

Then I figured, "Hey, I like Hello Kitty, too!"  So I made four more, just for me:

I wrapped up the serviettes for the little girls with some Hello Kitty ribbon so they are ready to deliver at church this week:

Do you use cloth napkins?  Would you use Hello Kitty napkins, or is that too "out there?"

MAIL CALL: The Letter "R"

Little Boy loved his Rocket Ship postcard, so now I have to send him all of the letters to learn to spell it!

My HQ Stitch 710 machine is my partner for this project. It handles threads beautifully and makes hundreds of decorative stitches!

This card was stitched with FabuLux Midas Touch thread.  It's another one of my go-to machine quilting threads:

And it's ready to mail!

Next week, I'll make an O!

1000 Postcards For Peace -- #3 Not Forgotten

Sometimes I need to turn off the news and quilt.  I stitched this postcard while I was trying to process some difficult local news:

That blue flower is a forget-me-not (myosotis).  I stitched some subtle background designs using Salmon InvisiFil to blend well with the peach fabric:

I stitched the edge in black thread as a symbol of mourning:

The name of this piece is "Not Forgotten."

I'm not done processing this event.  I will play with this flower more in future postcards.

Cutie Quilt: Jack's Star

The winner of the first Cutie Madness contest, Jack's Star Cutie Pattern, is very dear to me since I named it after my late father.

I made this version with yummy organic Safari Sweet II fabric:

I quilted swirls and feathers:

Double-bubble ribbon candy and continuous curve:

More feathers:

I finished binding this in my hotel room recently:

I will likely keep this quilt in the family.

And the Winner Is....

Jack's Star with over 85% of the vote!

Here's the current bracket:

Sign up for my newsletter so you won't miss this week's Cutie Pattern contestants!