Back at it!

OK, over the past year and a half, I've been pretty good about blogging. But the last month or so it's been hit and miss. I know most of you don't care but I do..since I started this blog as a way to journal my year, I really want to keep my 'blogging' up to date!
Hopefully, with Mandy progressing well (still can't walk on wood floors or jump up or down) I've been creating art work! Yes, I really have been working!
This is my 2nd South of the Border (20" x 24") art quilt. It's a record album cover from Gene Autry's album of the same name. I did and am doing primarily hand stitching although we decided to call this 'free form embroidery'. Doesn't that sound artsy!
Here's another closeup of the stitching. I used stem stitch on the lettering; stab stitching on the background and some decorative stitching on some other areas.
See the cactus beside Gene's head and at the bottom? Well, I'm adding some beading stitching which are turning out really good. Even hubby said they look like cactus. I'll post those pics in a day or two.
I also (finally) started my July BJP project. It's going to be called 'Fireworks'..I know, go figure, right! I started my beading of the circles which are representing fireworks in the sky but it hit me I needed to free motion quilt the background first.
Hard to see but i did some free motion quilting on the background and then started on some beading. The other areas will be purples and then I think I put aside some reds or pinks...
Here's a closeup of the 'first circle' of fireworks. Well, they are going to look like fireworks to me!
Today we photographed 58 quilts for our MQAI traveling exhibit. Some really cool quilts in this exhibit but then it is always a great exhibit because of the diversity of the artists.
So, see I have been working on my art! And it feels good to be 'back at it'! And I'll be back posting now as well!