Art Quilts Around the World Challenge - Science

Woo hoo!!  My 'science' challenge for the online blog, Art Quilts Around the World, is finished.  I call it A Quilter's DNA!

I'm sure most quilters can identify with having some blood on a quilt or two, hence the red on the fingerprint.  

I'm sure some of you may have seen on those CSI shows a picture of DNA sequencing...if not, this is a picture that may look familiar or close to it!  HA  Actually, this was my inspiration for creating a background of 5/8" hex's (paper pieced by hand)! 

I started on this awhile back but with my hands/wrists being an issue (that's a blog post on it's own!  HA) I have been slow to stitch these little buggers!  But I do so love hand stitching!   

And a closeup of the fingerprint (machine quilted) and some hex's! 

I didn't do much machine quilting, other than the fingerprint, as I felt it would take away from the theme.  

This was a fun challenge and sorry I didn't meet the date on the 30th!  But it's done and now on to the next challenge, 'Believe'...hmmmmmm

Do check out some of the other challenge pieces on the web site: Art Quilts Around the World.

Yes, I am alive!

Yep, alive and kinda well!  HA  Wrists are bugging me again. (I'm waiting to hear when/if I can get in for injections in my wrists before we head south!)..so I've not been doing much hand sewing....ugh....therefore, I did not make the November 30th challenge date for the online Art Quilts Around the World.  Do check out their blog as some folks did meet the date!  The challenge theme was 'science' and some creative work is on the blog for you to enjoy.

I've have a few rows sewn together but still have a few to go!  I'll get it done eventually!

But I did finish 42!!!  Valentine fiber cards (my goal was 40 but I had to add 2 more!)!  That was all machine work so pretty easy to accomplish!  Boring work sewing the edging but I did catch up on some of the shows I had Tivo'd!

And look what my BFF, Carol T., gave me Saturday (we met for a lunch and to spend some $$ at a local craft show - which was really good and not as crafty as really cool gifts!).  Isn't it beautiful!  How sweet of her to think of me!  She was shopping for Christmas gifts for her sisters and said she thought of me when she saw this!  It was made by LollyElla a shop in Bloomfield Hills.  You can head to their website here!  Might be worth a field trip next spring!

I love my necklace...it is so me!  But that's what is special about your BFFs!  They know you better than anyone!  I met Carol back in 2000 when we both took a hand quilting class from another friend of ours!  Carol and I sat at lunch that day and we've been friends ever since.












I've shown Carol's artwork before...she's quite a talented quilter but she excels at watercolor/drawing!  Here are just two of her pieces she did years ago that I love (I've posted these on my blog before with her permission).   Aren't these great!!!  Carol doesn't have a web site/blog so you'll have to enjoy these two pieces of artwork!  I do post her work from time to time.

So that's all I've been up to of late!  Boring I know...how do you think I feel!  HA  I will be posting some of our Thanksgiving family time later this week!  Guess I did do something!

Thanksgiving

Today we are heading to my son's house for their annual, delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  Kris is a great cook and always has some unique dish she prepares.  Her mom is in charge of the rolls (home made of course, as she's also a great cook!) and she'll make a pumpkin cheesecake.

 I'm in charge of making two lemon meringue pies.  I have a recipe from the late 60's that makes the best lemon pie ever!  I saw  earlier this week on GMA where you use vodka along with water when mixing your pie dough (yes, I make my own pie crust).  I won't know how well the crust tastes so you'll have to wait and find out in another post!  They look good!  HA

I haven't been dong hand work on my hexes daily...I'm giving my hands/wrists a break and only doing hand work every other day or two.  UGH...left hand is starting back up with discomfort, which I'm not thrilled about.  I have a call into the Ortho Dr. who injected my wrists this past summer to see if I can get in before we head south the end of December for another injection.  Keeping my fingers crossed.   This is the progress so far...I have each row sewn now to sew the rows together.

And I only have 12 Valentine fiber cards to finish the edging on!  Woohoo....I have 30 cards totally finished!!!!  All I need are the stamps, which I'll do sometime in December.  I don't want to wait until Florida as the lines at the post office in Ocala are long, long, long!  It's all 'we' snowbirds you know!

Wednesday, Kalee had her 'day job' of visiting the local Assisted Living center.  She just loves all the people....

 There is also a Memory Care Unit next door, which we haven't visited until today!  I was talking with the manager of the Assisted Living unit and she asked if we have visited the Memory Care unit.  She thought the residents at Memory care unit would also enjoy Kalee and asked if sometime I would go over.  I said "sure, how about today?".  She grabbed her coat and off we went!  The residents were great and I know for those few minutes she brought some smiles to their faces.

Oh, just so I have documented on my blog....Tuesday night we lost power a little before 7 p.m. until almost 11 p.m.!  We are lucky to have a gas fireplace upstairs which kept the temperature in the house at our regular 72 degrees!  We were actually quite comfortable. I read, we talked and looked at pictures on my Ipod.  We do have a generator but Bob didn't think the power would be out too long...hence we ended up taking out items from the frig, put them in coolers and sat them out on the deck!  About 30 min. after we did that the power came on!  Go figure!

I do hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and you eat until you can't eat anymore!  HA  It's just what we do isn't it!

It's hex time again!

I've been working on my 'Science'  project for the online Art Quilts Around the World blog challenge.  It's due November 30th and hoping I'll make the deadline!  So I found a picture of DNA sequencing on the web (where else would you find such a thing!) and I'm using it as my starting point for my quilt.

Perfect for hexes right!  Well, I thought they would work...so off to my stash to gather shades of blue fabric.

These are the little 5/8" hex pieces just laid on a foam board.  The finished quilt measures 11.5" x 16".  Great TV work sewing the hexes and I already have 8 1/2 individual rows sewn and I think I have about 4 or 5 more to go.  I also have something else (surprise!) that I am either stitching or painting on top of the hex quilt.  Yep, one of those idea's in my head that I may or may not be able to put to fabric!  HA

Interesting....Beth (from Quilter Beth's Blog) has a great post for some tips on sewing hexes!  Check it out here!  I usually sew my hex pieces right sides together then a whip stitch...but I'm going to try Beth's method.  Sure looks like it would prevent those times you grab the paper in your thread and don't realize it until you go to remove the hex paper!

Beth is working on a HUGE hex quilt!  Check out one of her posts with a picture of this fabulous quilt here!  Then go back to just look at some of her older posts!  She's quite talented and writes interesting posts!

Yep, another hand project!

I'm making good progress on the Challenge piece I need to complete this winter for a group in Florida.  Can't show the entire piece but you've seen pieces of it before...

Because I do get bored easily....and I like having different projects to work on depending how my mood and how well my hands are working...I decided another hand project was needed.  After all, I have my Valentine fiber cards which are all machine work and the Steampunk piece is requiring some fabric I need to dye....so...I decided to start another hex project.

Actually, this piece will be for the online challenge for Art Quilts Around the World.  Their next challenge is 'Science'.  I had been on 'sabitical' for the past few challenges because of my hands/wrists and other priorities so I'm hoping I can finish this piece for the November 30th due date!
This is the start, using hexes, of course!

Can't tell you what it's going to be just yet....and I need to make around 20 more 5/8" hexes so I can then rearrange then start piecing.  I love piecing hexes!!  Well, to be honest, I just love  hand work...but then you've heard that before haven't you!  Here are all the  hexes in a row ready to be sewn together.  It's Survivor night so I hope to start on them tonight!

Several years ago I was part of 30 folks who created works of art for a DNA exhibit in Flint.  I had to make a piece of art to represent Chromatin Fiber!  Yea, I didn't know what it as either and had to research.  Anyway, this was the piece I created.

You an read about my piece and exhibit here.  So based on the research I did then is how I came up with this project!  One of those ideas in my head...hoping to put it to fiber!

Tuesday I headed down to Nick's last football game of the season.  It was 76 degrees and beautiful out!!!  Hard to believe.....especially when you live in Michigan.  Today it was rain and in the 50's...go figure!

 The game ended in a tie, which was good because the 8th graders had to be back at the school by 6:30 for their field trip to D.C.!  The game ended at 5:35 p.m.  All the parents were rushing to get their kids home for a shower and food so they could get back to the school.  Nick was quite excited to get on the road....sure brings back memories of the good old days!!!