Valentine Heart Swag Swap

I am participating in a Heart Swag Swap with the Fabric in Altered Arts 2 Group.  I embroidered the hearts on my Janome 11000 embroidery machine.  Three of the heart designs are from Anita Goodesign.  I'm now sure of  source for the 4th heart.  I used fabric from my stash.  The red rickrack is also from my stash.  I used a vintage red plastic flower belt buckle and button for the hanger at the top.  I'm quite pleased with the swag.  The rickrack is a little difficult as a hanger.  I might consider using ribbon if I did another one. 

My DH is recovering nicely from his knee replacement surgery and I finally have time to work in my studio and post a few items on my blog.  Thanks to all of you for continuing to visit even though I'm not that consistent with my posts due to life's issues.

"Z" end of the Alphabet Quiltie Swap

This is the end of the Alphabet Quiltie Swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2 Yahoo Group.  Penny has been an excellent hostess.  She kept us organized and supplied a few themed letters along the way.  Thank you Penny.

This quiltie is made from a panel I purchased a few years ago.  I embellished it with sparkling leaves, black beads, and a button cover.  I did a little hand quilting around the zebra and the tree trunk.  It will go in the mail this week to Penny.

Sewing Tray Swap

Here's my sewing tray for a swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  The mail date for the swap is September but I decided to get it finished.  My DH had knee replacement surgery a few days ago and I am his caregiver and driver for the next 6 weeks.  May not have lots of time for swaps with nurses and physical therapists visiting our home and doctor's visits.   He is recovering nicely here at home and we are thankful for that.

The tray is made from a picture frame.  I removed the photo from the frame and replaced it with part of a vintage quilt top.  I purchased the top at a antique store a number of years ago.   I also added vintage seam binding packaging.   My DH drilled holes for the handles prior to his surgery.   Vintage wooden thread spools are used for the handles.  I attached a pair of small sewing scissors.

The back of the sewing tray is covered with foam core board and scrapbook paper.  I love this paper and have used it for a number of projects.  It is by Graphic 45.   I made a matching pincushion to include in the swap.

"Y" Quiltie - Yellow

I finally have a few minutes at the computer so I'm posting my "Y" quiltie for the Yahoo Group - Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  This month's alphabet quilt had the theme "Yellow".  I found some yellow fabric strips in my studio that are left over from the baby quilt in the previous post.  I then added batting and backing and a yellow binding.  I stamped the word yellow along the binding and embellished with yellow items from my stash.  We have ONE more quiltie and our alphabet collection is complete.

"W" is for Weave

We are nearing the end of our Alphabet Quiltie Swap on Fabric in Altered Arts.  The letter for May is "W".  My friend, Susan, recently brought me these selvages from a project she was working on.   I decided that they would make a wonderful woven quiltie.  Our quilties are to be 6" x6".  I decided to leave one edge with untrimmed "tails" of selvage.  The base is 6" x 6" and the tails could be trimmed if needed.  This has been a fun swap but we only have X, Y, and Z to go.  We will finish in August.

"V" - Violin Quiltie

We are nearing the end of our Alphabet Quiltie Swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  This is my V quiltie.  The crochet flower was an after-thought.  It looked a little bare with just the fabric and dictionary pages so I added this crochet flower.   I made it a few months ago.  It was the perfect color even thought it has nothing to do with the letter "V".   The quiltie will go in the mail tomorrow to our hostess, Penny.  Hope it makes it to her by the end of April.  I'm running a little late this month.

"T" is for tulip

We are nearing the end of our little alphabet quiltie swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  How time flies, it seems like only yesterday if was making my A, B, and C quilties.   The tulip on this quiltie is fused applique.  Letters are stamped with Stazs On ink.  I added a vintage lace from my stash and quilted with my machine.  Edges are finished with satin stitch.  I love the colors in this background fabric.  Green and Purple are my favorite colors and Springtime is my favorite time of year. 

I'm anxious for those lovely Spring Days.  We had freezing temperatures here in the desert last night.  At 10:00 am I let our little doggie outside.  He went over to his outside water bowl, stuck his head in, and then gave me this strange look.  I went over to see what his problem was -----water in his little bowl was frozen solid.  Poor little doggie had never seen ice in his bowl.  I covered my plants in the flower bed and just hope they didn't freeze.  Many have lost their landscaping this winter.  Strange here in the desert.  I know I shouldn't complain since many of you have sub-zero but I live in the desert.  It isn't supposed to freeze.

Shiny Snail Quiltie

This is my "S" quiltie for the alphabet quiltie swap on Fabric In Altered Arts 2.  Can't believe we will finish this swap later this year.  It has been so much fun.  This month our hostess, Penny, gave us the theme of "shiny".  I looked around my studio and found the shiny decorative trim.  I think someone sent it to me as part of a swap.  Then I remembered the gold snail that I had purchased at the thrift store some time ago.  I was saving the beauty for just the right art project.  S-Shiny-Snail  This was the right project.  The pink hand dyed fabric is from my stash.  I finished the edges in gold thread to add some extra shine.  The metallic thread was no problem for my Janome 11000.  Now it's time to mail the quiltie to Penny.

December Fabric Postcards

The postcard above is on it's way to Florida.  It is for the December Fabric Postcard Swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  Recently we have been exchanging postcards every two months.  We have a themed exchange on alternate months. 

For this card, I used PelTex as the base.  I covered the Peltex with a red fabric and then added an applique cut from Christmas fabric.  I added glitter around the edge of the applique and stamped "DEC 25" randomly on the fabric.

I made the postcard above for a Blogland friend.  Hope she likes it.

Christmas Tree Swap

We are having a Christmas Tree Swap on the Fabric in Altered Arts 2 group.  I haven't participated in many swaps recently.  However, I did sign up for this swap.  The tree was to be approximately 12" high, incorporate fabric on a flat surface, and include a hanger.  After the tree was completed, we were to add embellishments.  I made this little tree from scraps of green fabric.  It is stitched to a PelTex base.  I used my sewing machine, rhinestones, and Stickles to embellish the tree.  Thanks to Cathy over at Fabric in Altered Arts 2 for hostessing the swap.

June Fabric Postcard

This is my June Fabric Postcard for Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  We don't have a theme this month.  Since I had this fabric left over from the jelly roll bag, I decided to use it for the postcard.  I made the flower by twisting one of the jelly roll strips and sewing along the edge with the hemming stitch on my machine.  I had seen a flower made this way but it was glued to a felt circle .  I decided that I would try stitching the flower to my quilted background.  It worked and I plan to try some on other projects.

I wasn't in the studio on Wed and Thursday.  I am providing transportation for the GDs to attend summer camp and classes.  The five year even has homework for her Reading Readiness class with ASU.  But it's fun and she likes it.  The seven year old is in theater camp and loves it.  She told me the other day that she is going to be an Actor.  They play "Director May I" instead of "Mother May I".  She told her little sister that a director was the one that gave instructions to the actors.   She is looking forward to turning eight.  Then she can audition for the Children's Theater plays.  I'm off to a quilt show this weekend.  Hope to post pictures next week.

Valentine Garland

These Valentines were made for a swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.  Cathy, our hostess, provided the heart pattern and we were to design fabric hearts to exchange.  The hearts are approximately 5".  The hearts will become a Valentine Garland.  I used items in my studio.  The photo transfers were left over from a project last year.  The hearts have a fabric front and back.  I keep doublesided fusible Timtex in my studio for this type of project.  Fabrics are from my fabric stash and trims from stash of trims.  Most of the decorative trims in my stash have been purchased at the thrift store.  Usually they are small pieces and perfect for these small projects.  I used my Bernina 165 to satin stitch the edges. 

Fabric Chirstmas Cookies Arrived

This year Norma of Fabric in Altered Art 2 hosted a fabric Christmas cookie exchange. You can read about my cookies here. Our cookies were mailed to Norma and she packaged the cookies and mailed back to us. She included the following recipe:

Hot Batch of Christmas Cookies

Made with delicious cotton fabric dough, appetizing frosting of gel medium and acrylic paint, sprinkles of lovely little beads, paper dots and paper words. Then baked to perfection with a nutmeg or brown acrylic paint.

Fat Free, Calorie Free and Sugar Free! Enjoy

Thanks to Norma for a wonderful swap. They are the perfect addition to my tablescape in the breakfast nook.

"F" is for Face Quiltie

In the Fabric in Altered Arts 2 group this month's letter for our alphabet quiltie is "F". I decided to use one of my sketches from the Faces on Fabric class. I completed the class recently and had a number of sketches to choose from. My "F" includes a Face and Flowers on Fabric. Guess that qualifies as an "F" quiltie. I sized the sketch to the correct size and printed on an ink jet fabric sheet. Color was added with colored pencils. I added a spray finish to the fabric before adding backing and batting.

Eat Beef Fabric Postcard

This is my November postcard for Fabric in Altered Arts 2. My partner this month is Norma. I used an image of a vintage Thanksgiving card. It's difficult to read the message but it says "I'm the popular birdie. All right! All right!" I decided to stamp the words EAT BEEF along the side of the card. Black snaps were used as the final embellishment. Hope Norma enjoys the card.

Fabric Postcards

I recieved these two fabric postcards recently. Aren't they lovely? The autumn themed card with the lovely pic of boats is from Pam C. in Maine. She took the photo on a trip to the coast of Maine. This was for the October postcard swap on Fabric in Altered Arts 2.

The Frida postcard is from Anne in CA. It was for the Day of the Dead postcard trade on Fiber Art Traders. Thanks to Anne and Pam.

"E" is for Eagle

I'm trying to work ahead a little on my quilties for Fabric in Altered Art 2. We will be on vacation this fall and I wanted to still participate in the quiltie swap. This is my "E" quiltie for October. The eagle was made on my Janome Memory Craft 11000. It is one of the built in designs. I really love my Janome. I've also been making monogramed items the past few weeks using this machine.

I'm seeing a bird theme here in my quilties. So far I've done "B" is for Bird, "D" is for Dove, and now "E" for eagle. Need to think about "F".