Progress on many fronts

Just because I have not posted my progress on my many challenge and Christmas projects lately doesn't mean that I am not working!  I have been making progress and believe I will be making even more progress this weekend and next week when I take several days of of work.

1.  I have completely finished two of the three pocket dolls for Christmas presents to granddaughters.  I have all the clothes made for the third and just need to make the dolly and the pocket.

2.  Now that the handwork is finished for the doll clothes, I am back to working on my Shibori.  My guild has a brown bag challenge coming up in December.  I need to put three pieces of fabric in a brown bag along with some information about me.  I want to include an indigo shibori piece with two coordinated dyed pieces.  This picture is the beginning of my stitching for the shibori piece.

3.  For the UFO challenge, Joy in the New Year, I have tackled my fractured quilt top.  It was too fractured for my liking so I have cut it more (does that make any sense??) and inserted strips ala Ricky Timms.  Here is a picture of my progress.  So far, I like the results.

4.  I have not yet started cutting and piecing the November Schnibble, Picnic, but I do have the pattern and have chosen the color palette (not my typical cheerful, even childlike palette).  Here is a sneak peek at the materials.  It is Kansas Winter.  I am making the Schnibble to hang in the office of a co-worker and he wanted a more subdued color.  I will be starting the piecing this weekend. 

5.  Kate's quilt is still folded waiting for attention. Keep the suggestions coming for it.  I am getting a much stronger feel for how I want to proceed.

6.  Last, I have started adding details to the fabric self-portrait I am making for my Mom. The large pieces of fabric are all fused together and now I am making the faces with various media--currently using water-color pencils but will continue with some stronger colors.  I need to take a picture and get your suggestions.  Later.  This is definitely one of those tenative pieces where I work very slowly.  You know, *do a little, live with it a while, do a little more, live with it, and repeat from *

Kate's Wedding Quilt

Okay, here is my plea for some suggestions. 

I started Kate's quilt years ago.  I think she has now been married for 3 years, maybe 4.  She has one little boy and is now expecting a second baby.  I would really like to finish it before the year is out.  Image her surprise if she got it for Christmas?  And I could count it in my UFO list for Joy in the New Year Challenge.

Here is the problem.  I think it is too long for the width and I would like for it to be at least a twin size when finished.  I am not sure what to add that will work with what is started.  Here is a not very good picture and some close ups of details.

Okay, here is the story the quilt is telling

Do you know the story of Johnny Lingo?  He prized his wife so much that he paid her father 8 cows as her bride price so that she would never have any doubt of her value in his eyes.  Well, when Andrew asked Kate's father for permission to marry her, Andrew brought 8 stuffed cows to give to her father.  So, the quilt has 8 paper-pieced cows that lead up to the paper-pieced temple, and a paper-pieced bride and groom.  In the sky the paper-pieced Angel Moroni is blowing his horn and dispersing the darkness. Both Kate and Andrew are return missionaries so the symbolism seemed appropriate.

The question is how to add borders that will bring the finished size up to what I need and will compliment the story of the center?

A vacation day for working on UFOs

I have been working on my UFOs.  First, here is a picture of my finished October Schnibble.  It is now waiting for my step-daughter, Bekka, to deliver our new grandson in December.

Here is the finished floating squares for my bed.  The gold in it doesn't really show up well in the photograph.  The quilt is brilliant in person.  When I show my husband a quilt design and ask him if he likes it, he always asks if it will keep him warm.  This one will keep him warm.

I didn't list finishing the self-portraits the kids made a few weeks ago but they all need to be bound.  Here is the first of the seven I need to finish.    After cutting his hair, this boy decided he would rather have a mustache so his self-portrait is a bit old looking for his 10 years of age.  Other than that, it looks just like him.

UFO challenge

I have done it.  Joined the UFO challenge at http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/.   I am taking a few days off of work at Thanksgiving when I was going to work on a Thanksgiving feast. So much for cooking!!  Here are the projects I am counting.  I, of course, have several other project in process but none of them are far enough along to count in this challenge.


I counted 4 finished tops--
1.  October schnibble that I have pinned and ready to go

2.  crazy quilt yellow
3.  fractured crazy quilt (see the picture)
4.  9x9 quilt (actually put this together several years ago but it needs a border added)
5.  I am not counting the fall quilt because I want to do some surface technique on it first.  I'll show you a picture later.

And 3 unfinished tops
1.  Kates's wedding quilt (got married 3 years ago).
2.  The stars quilt I stopped working on 4 years ago to work on Kate's quilt.
3.  November Schnibble (not started yet but I have ordered the pattern).