C'est Fini

Woohoo!  Finally got this quilt done.  It's been almost 2 years but I am so happy I completed this project.  The blocks are all hand appliqued and the quilt is machine quilted by me.

The pattern is called Mon Ami by Verna Mosquera but I named my quilt J'Aime Paris.  Here is a close up of a couple of the blocks.

The border is quilted in a rose motif.

This is the other quilt I am entering at the Beach Cities Quilt show.  It is called Riding Out the Storm.

I purchased this pattern during a trip to Maui in 2009.   It was not easy shopping for fabric for the turtle.  I think I used 7 or 8 different fabrics just for the turtle. Good thing Candy's in Chatsworth, CA has a HUGE batik collection.  Even then, it took a while to find the right combination.  

I finally completed this quilt in June of 2011.   The turtle, coral and seaweeds are all hand appliqued.  

I've always said I'd rather eat glass than paper piece but this wasn't too bad.  The size of this quilt is only 28.5 by 28.5.  I used the blue batik leftovers from my bargello project (that stash seems to replenish itself).  The paper pieced blocks are called Storm at Sea.

When I was naming this quilt, I thought about how this turtle is surviving the storm at sea.  The past few years, we have all been hit by the terrible economic downturn and a lot of people I know (me included)  have really been impacted.  I thought about how the storm will eventually pass and we all need to just hang in there and ride the waves for awhile.  We are all stronger than we think and I take inspiration from this turtle who is continuing to paddle beneath the storm.

The Beach Cities Quilt Guild show will be on June 2nd (10-5) and 3rd (10-4) at the Soka University in Alsio Viejo CA. For more information, click on this link.  Come down and see us.  You will not be disappointed.

Real Candy as Eye Candy

I don't think it is a good idea to use real food as home decor.  Just ask my friend Trish S.  She had inadvertently left out a basket of raw eggs for a few months.  I'm sure she was inspired by a photo in Country Living or Martha Stewart magazine.  However, one fateful day, the eggs exploded from the gaseous build up and left a slimy and stinky mess  in her kitchen.  The funny part was that the eggs exploded with such a big bang, sending Trish for cover as she thought it was a gun shot.

That said, I couldn't resist filling this candy jar with something pretty...not just with bulk candy...not just with sparkly ribbons...not just with buttons or any other tschotske...but with AQUA M&Ms.  How pretty is this?

Since a pound these M&Ms cost more than a pound of rib eye steak, they will have to be eye candy for a while...or until a case of an emergency.

Keep Calm and Continue Quilting

Wow!  I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post.  Can't be for the lack of quilting news, that's for sure.  For starters, I have been busy cramming for the Beach Cities Quilters Guild quilt show.  It will be on June 2nd and 3rd at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.

This year, I am entering 2 quilts.  And I am working on quilting my Paris quilt to get it done by the submission deadline.  I wish I could send it out to a Long Arm quilter but there are so many thread changes that I am sure I will have to pay an arm and a leg for it.

This pattern is from Verna Mosquera and it is called "Mon Ami".  It measures 55 x 64 so it has been a strain on my left shoulder to quilt more than a couple hours at a time.

I started this project in the Fall of 2010 when I went up to Danville, CA to attend one of Verna's very fun sewing retreats.  I went with my friend Lynn and we had a blast!  Verna and her assistant Pam put on such a wonderful event.  They decorate the place so beautifully, take us out on field trips and serve super yummy snacks.

Here are a few photos from the retreat.

I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I started this project.  I have since grown out my bangs and have laid off my Revlon waver iron.  It was sort of  an homage to the 80s when I used to crimp my hair.

One of my co-workers is moving to Las Vegas and was getting rid of her salt and pepper shaker collection.  I managed to swipe rescue these two sets just because they are so adorable.  

I would have taken her cups and saucers too as I've always wanted to make a mosaic table.  But realistically, I will probably just store them in the garage for the next 20 years so I passed on them.