Today's bugs in jars

Today i embroidered 3 more of the bugs in jars series.

The grasshopper

Mosquito

And frog...i love this one. hahahahaha

These are just too darn cute. there are quite a few other designs in jars that i am looking at. and i have an idea or 2 of my own to create using this vinyl and making my own designs.

I'll show you when i get some done...

Later

Vicki's Fans top is pieced

I got a UFO partially finished today....the top is pieced....just needs to be quilted. It is called Vicki's Fans.

I won hand dyed fabric from Vicki Welsh back in January....started this project and then something else came along to claim my attention.

Today i got the top finished. It still needs to be quilted....but, hey, one step at a time.

If you haven't tried some of Vicki's hand dyed fabrics from her Etsy shop....you are missing out.  the red and the pink in the middles was fabric i had. i meant to make them all red but ran out and then used pink for the final 4. and i ran out of Vicki's fabrics, too near the end and had to substitute some of my hand dyes.

This turned out about 55x70"...good couch size...as long as you aren't too tall. LOL  i guess next year's resolutions will be to actually quilt up all these tops that are accumulating in the cabinet. but i shall try to get to some of them ...

Later

Little bug blocks

I seem to have this fascination with bugs lately. embroidery bugs that is. although, i got stung by a hornet today while cutting grass....not a friendly bug.

I found these bugs and thought they were awful cute...and there were 22 of them on an embroidery CD. usually you just get 10 or 12.  some little boy (or girl) will just love these in a quilt. here's what i got...

Red ant running

Ants having lunch

Bee

Beetle...one of my favorites...i think it's the bright colors....because he looks kind of creepy. LOL

Butterfly

Cuddlebug...he just wants a hug

Dragonfly

Earthworm....another really cute one

Firefly

Grasshopper

Honey Bee

Inchworm

Lady Fly

Ladybug 

Another ladybug

Lightning bug

Praying Mantis

Red ant...can't figure out what that is in her hand....a piece of corn?  or her purse?  LOL

 A sleeping bug

A spider....another favorite....reminds me of the daddy longlegs that hang out on my door at the studio

Wasp

Hornet

Cute, cute, cute....but now there is another UFO that needs to be put together and quilted....

Later

Yesterday's work

I ordered the CD Bugs in Jars after seeing a quilt made from these blocks on MQR.....i couldn't not do it. it was just adorable. so, naturally, i had to stop what i was doing and try one of them.

I did the smallest one first...and it took an hour. actually it is not a bug...but a fish. but the rest are bugs. but you get the idea. the 'jar'...in this case a bowl....is vinyl....which is appliqued on after the design is stitched.

On, my goodness....these are just so cute and adorable. just wait till you see the rest of the bugs in jars. they are actually jars with lids. and the expressions on the bugs faces are just priceless. i'll be working on another one of these today....right after i finish Carole's quilt that has been on the frame way, way too long for how small it is.

Also i got a couple more of the hand applique safari animals done. they are wool felt on a cotton paisley print. there are all different sizes of blocks. i had fun designing the top to fit them all in.

The color for the background fabric is actually somewhere between these 2 blocks. my camera and i don't always communicate properly. LOL

I also finished a bunch of small bug blocks....show you

Later

Almost not a UFO

This is called Vicki's Fans. I won some fabric back in January from Vicki Welsh....i chose a package of scraps. so have been paperpiecing these fans forever. it is almost not a UFO any more. i have 12 blocks

8 red ones

And 4 pink ones

Of course, that is actually 48 blocks...put together to make 12 larger blocks. The red and pink centers is my fabric. i think i will sash them in white. still thinking.

Thanks Vicki for the prize. only taken me 9 months to finish these up. but it should be all together in a couple days. only about 75 more UFOs to go. hahahahaha

Later

Newest hand applique project -- Safari

My newest hand applique project was conceived to use up some of my neutral wool felt pieces...black, grays, browns, tans.

This is called Safari. there are 40 animals....i have a ways to go. LOL

First i did a large cat...of some kind

And i have a camel

And this upset looking gorilla

And this thing. i won't even have you guess what it is...you'll never guess.  it's called a Falanouc....see? It lives in Madagascar and is shy and lives in the rainforest. a mongoose-like mammal.

The bottom of that last pic didn't turn out properly but i got tired of trying to get it to load correctly. Blogger is having picture loading problems. but you get the idea. the part missing is part of his tail.

This is my evenings entertainment these days. only 36 more to go. will show you more as i do them..

Later

Daddy's Little Helpers

I just finished up some cute little embroidery blocks...they are only 4" or less. little boy bears with tools.

Going into a UFO box...hopefully to become a quilt top soon. the projects just keep adding up. LOL

Later

Crazy Quilt Journal Project...top done!

There is an online crazy quilt project being done this year....each month you make a crazy quilt block and submit it online. i am done early....and, of course, i had to be an over-achiever and made 9 blocks each month. one was extensively embellished and the other 8...not so much....just seam embellishments and some buttons and beads...maybe some embroidery. i finished all the blocks for the year and pieced them all into a top....sheesh that sucker is heavy.

Set 10x11 blocks....blocks finished at 9 1/2"...so top is now 95x104 1/2".  what a quilting job that will be.

Some blocks are extensively embellished and some not so much.

This was a fun project...and although i think i won't do any more crazy quilting for a while....i do have a white/cream crazy quilt ongoing....a couple dozen blocks are already done. and i have an idea for another crazy quilt....my brain just won't stop.  anyone know how to clone themselves?....i need an assistant.

I hope to get this quilted sooner rather than...

Later