Crazy Quilt RR - Art Nouveau

With summer winding down, I think I will finally have time to get back to updating my blog on a regular basis. I know you've probably heard it a thousand times already but... where did the summer go? For that matter, where has the year gone? ....it seems to me like it was just the beginning of spring.

Over the summer I was in numerous Crazy Quilt RR's. In the next few days I will share some of my work as well as some of the beautiful blocks that I have received back from the ladies of CQI (Crazy Quilt International). I love this group - everyone is so creative and so giving of their time and talents. To all of you wonderful CQI ladies - thank you ! thank you!

Mid-summer I signed up for an Art Nouveau RR which involved swapping 6x6 naked CQ blocks . Each of the 5 ladies in the group sent along 5 naked blocks to be embellished. One by one we got to choose one block to complete and then pass the rest on to the next participant until all of the blocks were ready to be sent home to their owner. The fun part was deciding which beautiful block to work on for each lady. The following are the 5 blocks that I created. My signature I hoped to leave behind on each piece was some of my dyed laces .... I almost feel naked not adding a piece to a block.

Created for Carolyn:

Creat for Colleen:

Created for Alice:

Created for Darlene:

Created for Cathy L:

Featured below are the six Art Nouveau blocks I sent around to be embellished. 5 of the ladies each pick one block and embellish it leaving the sixth for me to complete.

My naked blocks:

Work by Colleen:

Work by Cathy L:

Work by Alice:

Work by Carolyn:

Work by Darlene:

Thank you ladies for making this a beautiful swap - loved every minute of it and can't wait to do another RR with you again.

Summer is over - back from my vacations

Are ya'll wondering like me where the summer went? Poof - gone! I have to admit that this had to be one of the best summers, weather wise, I can ever remember. For the first time in years I thought I was waking up to California sunshine everyday while living here in Massachusetts. Gorgeous sunny days... a little hot at times but hey... that's ok with me as I hate the cold!

It's been about a month since I logged in so thought I'd get caught up a bit with what I've been doing over the past 3-4 weeks. Rob and I went back up to Great East Lake (Maine) and enjoyed a beautiful week fishing and kayaking... well to be honest he did more fish than I did... I sat on the dock getting a great tan all the while dying up close to 600 new pieces of lace (most soon to be listed in my Etsy Shop - RavioLee Dreams) While there we set up our camera on a tripod and took a couple of pictures... I put on a top that I wore on one of the very first summers I spent up on the lake and he put on a shirt similar to one he had back then. We took a picture to compare how far we've come over the years... I think we both pretty much look the same.. a few more wrinkles and pounds but still the same "in love" couple" ahhhhhhhh

This picture was taken in August 1995:



and this one was taken August 2010: 15 years! Where did it go?



I no sooner got home from Maine than I was packing up my suitcases to head out to California for 2 weeks to visit my son Jason's little family. OMG! Can you say "Nana in love?!" I don't think I was in the door before my heart was won over by two of the most beautiful babies I've ever seen... it was only a matter of a couple days before I heard "hi Nana" Loved it! I've been home about a week now and already it seems like months since I held them in my arms... I can only imagine how big they will be the next time I see them - they are growing up so fast.

While In CA I did a lot of CQing. I had 3 CQ RR blocks to work on as well as a few other projects. I'll post my progress on them in a new post later this week. I also met up with my dear friend Carolyn for another one of our CQ Treasure hunts in the LA Fabric District. We had lots of fun and bought tons of goodies..... mostly I enjoyed spending the time we shared at her house chatting up a storm... oh her poor son and hubby - their ears were buzzing with all the talking.

Nan Nicki and her babies (all 3 of them)



Jason & Evy and my grand babies Evita & DeAngelo:

Gone Fishing! Yahoo!!

In just about 2 hours hubby will be waking up to finish loading the kayaks up on the truck and then we are on our way! Yahoo! Vacation time! Every year for the past 16 years we head up to Great East Lake for some kayaking and fishing and some fun in the sun. Great East is located half in NH and half in Maine so you never know which state you are in when you are paddling. I figured since it's already near 1:00 I might as well stay up and sleep in the car on the 3 hours trip north.... I'm sure Rob will like that as he won't have to listen to me yak all the way LOL!

Bags are packed and I'm ready to roll. CQ goodies packed - check, CQ Books packed - check, Dyes & Laces packed - check, Cross stitch mermaid project packed - check! Looks like I'm all set for a week of doing what I love to do most.... have to be prepared as you never know what kind of weather you might end up with. I like knowing that if I get stuck inside because it's raining I will have plenty to keep me from getting bored.

A Whole Lotta Summer CQing and Sewing

Let me see, this past month has been a busy one for me - trying to get caught up on a bunch of different projects all the while having a fun summer seeing old friends and actually spending time at home for once.

I belong to a great Group called the Bakers Dozen. Each month a group of us have a specific project that we have to create using any technique we want. For the next 12 months we will all make a project, be it a mini quilt or whatever. Our first project was to represent the word "Freedom". These mini peices of art are not for swapping - once the projects are all done we are hoping to have them all shown in a Gallery.

Now, I could have gone the route of making up something that was patriotic in Red, White and Blue but ya'll know me by now.... I have to find a way to incorporate my pretty dyed laces. So... I decided to cut up one of my beautiful Victoria Secret bras and create "Freedom - Let the Girl Fly" - This little mini quilt measures 13x15 and is complete with "stuiffed bra". You can read the full story behind my creation at : Bakers Dozen Also, while you are there check out some of the other creations - simply awesome!

Notice the little pair of gold scissors? Yeeeehaw! Cutting them free!!!

Another fabulous group I'm in is called "The Twelve of Us" a fun group of talented ladies who love to sew. Each one of us picked a project for the next 12 months and have been matched up with a different person each month to make that particular months project. Our first project was to make a purse using yo yos. I made my purse for Amanda and had a blast - it was the first time I ever used these big grommets. I've been so afraid of trying to use them and was laughing at myself when I realized how easy they were to put in. You can see all the other beautiful purses at: The-twelve-of-us

So... now on to some Crazing Quilting. My new friend Susan (from Canada) and I started our friendship by swapping out her tatting for some of my dyed laces. We decided right away that we would love to do a 1 on 1 CQ block swap and picked a theme "All things that fly". Susan made her block and sent it to me for embellishing as I did mine to her ... of course you already KNOW what color my block was LOL. If you'd like to see her work on my block please check her blog out: Suztats I can't wait for it to arrive. BTW - her tatting is fabulous- she sent me some really cute seahorses that will appear in one of my next mermaid projects.

I dyed up tons of laces to match the color of her fabrics. Beaded, layered and stitched my way into a flower garden with bees, butterflies, birds and bumble bees.

A Group which is the brain child of Pat Winters is for the making of CQ Puzzle Pieces. Pat provides you with the Puzzle Pattern and you in turn make 4x4 little CQ pieces. I had a ball making these and received some gorgeous pieces back in the latest swap. Think I will have to get myself busy and make some more to swap as they were so much fun.

Ahhhhhh isn't she just adorable!!! One of the CQI RR's I'm in calls for a block to be CQ'd in Luscious Laces. I received Colleen's block and on it was a picture of her beautiful grand daughter Annebelle. Being the first to work on her block I was so excited I just had to give Annebelle a pretty little headband.... after all..... her Gramma is an old hippie LOL!

Next I wanted to create a little garden for her with a momma kitty and her baby. I found a couple of these wooden kitties at a dollar store - would you believe a $ for 6 ofg these?! My wonderful hubby drilled two small holes in them so I could sew them down by inserting a bead.

Of course the kitties had to have a pretty playground so I layered tons of dyed lace over a piece of lattice lace ... oh..... and check out the little bumble bees - my friend Carolyn taught me how to make them - aren't they adorable!

If you want to be a part of a Grrrrrrreat Crazy Quilting group click on the button on the right hand column of my blog -you can't miss it - CQI. You will love all the wonderufl ladies that come out to play and swap with you and above all ... you will learn so much!

I've ton more than I've been working on and need to be working on but I also had to take a break and get some more laces dyed. I've loaded up RavioleeDreams so please stop by for a peek at some CQ pretties. If you see something you like and want it in a different color range please let me know. Slowly but surely I will be loading up 100's more pieces in all colors and designs.

For those of you interested, I am heading back out to CA in a couple of weeks for another CQ Treasure Hunt: LA Fabric District - CQ Treasure Hunt - if you are interested in this awesome CQ Buy In, please contact me.

Sunday Morning Colors

Who doesn't love the colors of summer? Pretty flowers all dressed up in every shade of pink, purple, blue, yellow, whites etc. .... all just waiting to be picked. Before picking my morning bouquet of flowers, I took a walk around my gardens with my camera for some inspiration ... I was planning a day dying up laces (for RavioLee Dreams) and wanted to take a good look at what mother nature had on parade right in my own yard. No other words are needed... enjoy!

Pat Winters Summer Celebration Give Away!

Want a chance to win a fabulous Prize? Pat Winters, one of my all time favorite CQers, is celebrating the beginning of summer by having a fabulous a Give - Away! Check her beautiful Blog out while signing up for a chance to win a terrific prize. Pat Winters Gatherings

Mosaics... somewhat like Crazy Quilting?

After posting my mosaic crazy quilt cabinet in my last give-away, a few of you emailed me asking me about other pieces I have made. Here are a few pieces that I will be putting up in my Etsy shop RavioleeDreams sometime this week.

Before I was ever into Crazy Quilting I was addicted to creating mosaics. I would scour yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores for fun and different items that I could work my magic on. The hunt was so much fun - not to mention the thrill of finding a new piece of vintage china… something that was cracked, chipped or broken. I spent quite a few summers in my back yard mosaicing the day away getting things ready to sell at local Art & Craft Shows and Christmas Festivals. One of my most favorite pieces to make was this cute little bird house. Using pieces of vintage china and stained glass I laid it out like I would a crazy quilt foundation... blending colors. Then I embellished it with some broken pieces of vintage costume jewelry and a porcelain rose. Funny... I just noticed that the colors I choose to use in my mosaics are the same shabby chic colors I use when dying up my laces.


This picture frame was one I actually cried over. I mistakenly broke a plate that was part of my collectors series ... you should have heard me.... no... better you didn't LOL!

I added cute little polymer clay roses to this cute little frame to finish it off.

When I found that my attention shifted to crazy quilting, I almost forgot my mosaics… such a shame since I have a room full of china dishes and stained glass just waiting to be played with again. I got to thinking a while back how much Mosaics were much like Crazy Quilting. Little bits of broken china put together to create an unusual design and embellished with beads, vintage jewelry and sometimes other pieces of china findings.

This mirror is made using all cut stained glass and topped off with a cute little set of porcelain roses.

Another mirror is a mixture of stained glass and vintage china. In the corners are bits and pieces of costume jewelry, buttons and even an adorable little porcelain bench.

Finally, I couldn't resist trying to dress up this cute bird dish - just the perfect size to hold a plant, jewelry or pretty soaps. I brushed it with some metallic gold paint and using a mixture of broken china and stained glass , I also added a few little clay roses.

Last month I gave away a little mosaic cabinet which I made specifically for storing crazy quilt pretties. I have two more cabinets that are similar, some old sewing machine drawers and lots of frames so I've decided that maybe it’s time I get back to breaking up china and start playing with my mosaic work again. What led me to this decision? After the flood we had in our basement a couple months ago I have had to take a good look at all the “stuff” I have accumulated over the years in my studio. I’ve been gradually cleaning and tossing things out and need to rethink how I am going to set it up once all the major work has been done to revamp the basement. I took me a whole day just to remove the fabrics and china and I still have half the room to go! Enough is enough…. Yea right… wait until I head upstairs to my Crazy Quilt room or worse.... find another object of my desires at an antique shop or flea market! OMG! I need a few more hands!