kerrykatiecakes

Just a reminder that you still have until Sunday midnight to enter the first giveaway in my little giveaway spree.  So, after you sign up for this one, check out the other here in a previous post . Lots of you who signed up for the first giveaway chose this as your first choice as one of the items at Rainbow Disks .  You can read more about Creative Fabric Techniques on the Rainbow Disks website here .  Briefly, " using innovative new techniques, top quilter Annette Morgan explains how to use existing textiles combined with sheer fabrics and stitching to create sumptuous new surfaces. She shows how to play with wire frames, wrapping, stitching, burning and appliqué to make creative squares. Using fabric as a base for piling on texture she adds paint to give surface decoration."  Doesn't this sound like fun?! So, here is what you need to do! 1.  Visit Rainbow Disks and come back and leave me a comment telling me what technique that is not already there th...

Here is a bit of a teaser for you - just some of the quilts up for auction in the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative April auction!  You can view the the rest here - it is always worth the click just for the inspiration! The April auction starts on Sunday so be sure to check it out!

I have decided it is time for some giveaways!  I have a few reasons for this - that I am paring down my stash of goodies, that I have over 200 followers now, and just for the heck of it!  lol  So, I'll keep this up for a few days at least.  The first item I am going to giveaway is this Helen Stevens ebook with video CD from Rainbow Disks .  Here is the information from the back of the disk: In ONE SIMPLE STITCH Helen Stevens begins a crusade to prove that if you can bring your needle up through your fabric, and take it back through to the reverse, you can embroider.... and you can work all the projects in this book. And you don't even need lengthy step-by-step instructions.  All the information you need is encompassed by a template, a colour chart and a unique "directional diagram".  Armed with these three weapons, and one simple stitch, you can slay the dragon that has held you back from working true embroidery.  And with no counted thre...

I couldn't bring myself to mail this block off Friday - I tried but I just had to try to add a bit more and improve my performance on this.  I had some good advice from Arlene and tried to implement it. I used metallic thread to outline the edge and veins on the lace fan so it no longer disappears into the background.  I added a top row of bugle beads to the beaded buttonhole stitch seam to make boxes and added some mauve stitching within the boxes and a larger glass bead in the center of each. Last, but certainly not least, I added the beautiful beaded heart I bought from Marie in the Hearts for Betty program.  I think it is the nicest thing on this block!  I'll remind you again that this program is the sale of beautiful beaded hearts made by Marie Alton and will help Betty Pillsbury rebuild her gardens, which were devastated by Hurricanes Irene & Lee.  You can check it out and get more information at the link above. NOW this block is in the mail!

I finished up with the fabric I rusted - I mentioned it in an earlier post while I was impatiently waiting for the fabric to develop enough rust for my liking.  I embellished the rusted areas with gold seed and bugle beads as well as a few glass beads.  I love the way the colour of the rust plays with the glitz of the gold beads.  I am hitting several birds with one stone again with this one.  It is my January Bead Journal Project (okay, I'm a little behind!  lol).  Also, I made it up into a small art quilt which will be my March donation to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI).  This makes my 15th AAQI quilt!  Can I get a whoop? I love the way the back worked out too.  As you can see, I have taken to printing out the labels for these on printable fabric with the AAQI logo.  So, how thrifty was this quilt?  I used a scrap of cotton for the fabric I rusted.  The high tech items needed for the rusting came from an ol...

What is this crawling across my round robin block?!  I have the privilege of being in the Fools Gold Round Robin with Arlene White in Australia.  If you aren't familiar with Arlene's stitching, you should really give her blog a visit and check it out.  Arlene does wonderful crazy quilting and the most beautiful goldwork and stumpwork embroideries.  I don't usually post photos of round robin blocks until I have them home but I couldn't resist sharing the photos of the stumpwork beetle Arlene has stitched on my block, so with her permission here are her photos.  Stumpwork is such an ugly name for such a beautiful technique!  Stumpwork is the name given to a style of raised and padded embroidery, originating in England in the second half of the seventeenth century.  Like the wings on the beetle, parts of stumpwork are worked separately from the embroidery and then attached after.  Check out the body of the beetle - isn't he just magnificent?...

I finished my work on Barbara's Fool's Gold round robin block.  This one didn't speak to me like the last one, probably because I have a terrible cold and my muse has flown the coop til I'm better.  Up in the left hand corner is a flower spray with Rambler Roses done in metallic gold thread, beads, leaves cut from gold ribbon and stitched on and some Japanese gold thread couched down in a filigree.  I used several gold trims and added beads and stitches in gold rayon thread and variegated purple DMC floss.  I added the purple here and there to tie in with the purple tones in the silkie.  There are several beaded seams as well, a heavy gold trim around the silkie, crystals, and a sequin and lace fan.  I hope Barbara will like what I've done.