Welcome to Angelfishy's blog!

there are quite a few blogs out there worthier than mine, simply because they are a bit more consistent in their posting frequency. but you'll see that I have a few things to be proud of, dabbling in quilting, and other needle arts.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Contributions to Anna Maria's project

Though the deadline has passed to submit quilt blocks, as I did (my name is somewhere in the last third of the list), there are other ways to still help.  I just wish I could teleport to Nashville somehow to help sew...

www.annamariahorner.com/rainbow.html

Blocks that I sent...



Tuesday, August 31, 2010

other things finished this summer

Before I forget, I should add that I worked on some other things this summer.  Of course, I'll put up pictures of those as well.  I made two quilted totes, one for me, one for DD.  Both are made from batiks, and have to be seen to be appreciated.  Thanks to Quilts and More Summer 2010 for the pattern.

I had found a pattern for a needle holder on someone's blog, but then failed to locate the said blog again (after numerous attempts).  I finally decided that I am smart enough to figure one out for myself, so also completed a quilted needle holder (almost like a book or folder) with wool felt "pages" for the needles, and some pockets.  I use it all the time, and love having a place to put a needle (not just some random piece of fabric, not the magnet, not the tomato pincushion where they get pushed in, not the package needle came from), and knowing where the needles are.  Such joy from such a small thing.

These first two pics are Grace's bag, back and front.



These are pics of my bag, back and front.



The dolphin/fish batik was a gift from a friend many years ago.  I finally found a good use for it.  I try not to save things so much now, and rather want to make use of them.

Monday, August 30, 2010

thinking about Monday

Today I am thinking about the things I'd like to accomplish before school starts next week for two kids, and myself in grad school.  Gabriel starts the following week, but I digress...


 Blocks for Anna Maria's project


I need to post pictures of two baby quilts finished, as well as some blocks that I completed for donation to Anna Maria Horner's Rainbow Around the Block project, a quilting effort for flood victims in middle Tennessee.  Anna Maria is collecting blocks and/or quilts to complete for distribution to those who have lost their homes due to flooding.  I heart her.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

baby quilt from last summer

I found the pictures that my husband's cousin emailed back in February 2010--the quilt was made in spring 2009 for DH's cousin's new baby.

 
This was the first time that I used fabrics all from one line.  Red Rooster's Paisley Party caught my eye when s-i-l and I went to the Minnesota Quilt Show in Duluth.  I first found fat quarters at a shop on the way up (potty stop), and then found more at the show.  I love the colors so much; they remind me of yummy colorful candies.  It's good that I didn't see the other fabrics in the line, because the Paisley part of the Party is just as fun!


 
I used fabric markers to color in this label.  It's from "Make Your Own Quilt Labels!" Volume 4, by Kim Churbuck, whom I got to meet at the quilt show.  She has a bunch of these little books of inspiration for quilt labels--I soooo wished that I had thought of the concept first.  I also wish I'd have seen her booth in the first few hours, not the last 10 min., as I was pretty low on $$ by then, but had enough to buy one of her books.  Thank you Kim, for sharing your talent with all of us!  I will buy more next time I get to a quilt show...

Monday, August 9, 2010

Little Blessings star quilt

One more picture of this one--the other picture is small.

new bath mat

I checked out a few books from the library, and love "Handmade Home" by Amanda Blake Soule.  She has a lot of ideas for repurposing items that you likely have around the house. 

Our rubber-backed bath mat is falling apart, mostly because I have to wash it a few times a week as the family dachshund uses it for potty when nobody notices she needs outside.  Or when it's raining and she doesn't even try to tell anyone.  I am not loving the rubber backed type rugs anyway, because they smell bad when wet, and take a long time to dry!

Amanda has this project in her book to use a towel that is no longer being used, and some fabric--perhaps sheets that aren't used anymore either.  I took advantage of the possibility that I'd find something at our church thrift sale, and I found a towel bath mat (the size of a bath mat, but made out of the loopy towel material), and a really cool print on cotton, but thicker than quilting fabric.


The mat cost $.50, and the fabric $1.  Not bad!  And no more yucky rubber smell.

baby quilt


Here are some more shots of the quilt.  I sewed the label in the "wrong" place, meaning that I didn't intend to sew it on the top of the back, nor "upside down".  I put these descriptions in quotes because it's not like you can really mess this up, as you really never look at both sides at the same time, do you?

baby quilt for Caelin


I made this quilt for a friend from church and Girl Scouts. It is a scrappy quilt--I did not buy anything new for it, including the batting, which was pieced together from fairly large scraps.

The label is an experiment, as I have never done any embroidery before but would like to start!  The embroidery is free form, my first attempt at some stitches.  Bird was appliqued first and embroidery worked after.  The bird is done broderie perse, I believe it is called, where you cut out an image printed on fabric, and applique it.  It's from a fat quarter a friend bought for me a long time ago, probably 10+ years.  I have never figured out what to do with it, but here's a start.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

blogging and finishing

so there's a lot I haven't blogged about, but I'm about to catch up a bit. I just have to find the camera again. :) Amid clearing out the house for a garage sale (read: beware of pregnant woman nesting), I have sorted through lots of craft things and found a long-lost cross-stitch baby blanket that needed completion. It is now ready for baby-on-the-way--it only took the pending arrival of the fourth child to get it done. But done it is, and in the washing machine with two other baby quilts. One is for a friend of my s-i-l. The other is for a friend from church and Girl Scouts. Will post pics when they are done washing.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Baby quilts



Here are two baby quilts. The star quilt has Little Blessings fabric in the centers--cannot get this fabric anymore and that's too bad! I always seem to find a fabric line after it's retired. That quilt was for my cousin's baby, born 2007; I was able to give it to them in March 2008, not too bad. The pinwheel quilt was made from the triangle scraps of the star quilt--even though they were small, I couldn't bear to throw them! I believe the half-square triangles were 2.25 inches finished. That quilt went to it's tiny owner in November 2008.

The backing is scrappy, which is the first time I've ever done that.  Usually I use one big piece or two pieces of fabric.