Twelve Dozen Stitches in Twelve Months

I've signed up for Shawkl's CQ Stitch Challenge - Twelve Dozen Stitches in Twelve Months!!! Shawkl has started this challenge and is generously writing the stitch combinations. These stitch combinations are being posted on her blog shawkl.com. Check it out.

I did complete the first stitch. This is only a portion of the completed seam. I used it on Kate's RR block and we are only allowed to show a "sneak peek" not the whole thing.




Shawkl has also created stitching templates. Word is out on these templates. 30 some people have requested membership to the Crazy Quilting Wiki, so that they can access her template. Here is the link to Shawkl's stitching template.

I know that Carol Samples has stitching templates. And there is another set of templates available: Success Strips. DecPainter wrote a great tutorial on how to use and where to purchase the Success Strips (scroll down to the link to the PDF).

WOW...must be the start of a new year. Lots of excitement about a new year learning new techniques and starting new projects.

Happy Stitching
Jody

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and wishing everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

It has been a very quiet and relaxing Christmas, so I guess I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas. We had a very nice family dinner on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas Day "chillin". We are still in PJs and watching our 4th movie of the day.

Hope everyone had a good day. Tomorrow will be another fun day with my daughters and then stitching time for me on Sat. and Sun. before heading back to work on Mon.

Happy Stitching

CQ Give Away

My CQing friend Nickilee is having a CQ Goodie Bag give away. Check out her blog for a chance to win this beautiful bag of CQ bling, glitz, and treasures.

Having been in a few CQ swaps with Nickilee, her work is very pretty and creative. I KNOW the contents of this give away will be just amazing. Her hand dyed lace is so beautiful you just want to pet it.  Check out her blog, not only for a chance at the give away but also look at her dyed laces and cq work. 

Nicki Lee's RaviolLee Dreams

Happy Stitching.

Preparing for Christmas

Well as some people know we are remodeling our house. We have been living in a townhouse since Mid. Aug. The exterior of our house is in pretty good shape, but the interior is another story. Here are pics of our house before and our house now.

Our House before remodeling started

Our house now during remodeling.

What does this have to do with getting ready for Christmas? For the past several years I have switched from making Cookies to making candy. I really do enjoy making candy for the holiday: English Toffee, peanut brittle, caramels, chocolate covered cherries, and more!!!

Well, instead of working in my big kitchen with stainless steel counters and all of my kitchen tools, I am working in a small kitchen, very limited counter space and minimal kitchen tools. I plan to do what I can in my limited space,  just hope everything turns out. If not my excuse will be my house is under construction!!!

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate this holiday. May all of your wishes come true this magical season.

Happy After Thanksgiving and Preparing for a Merry Christmas

WOW!!! Thanksgiving is over...it was a BLAST.  Spent the weekend with my family, we had a 45 person sit down Thanksgiving Dinner. On Sat. we had a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my parents. It was a wonderful party, great seeing family and friends. Back home on Sun. completely exhausted, finally feeling rested today.

A first for me I put my Christmas tree up last night. I have never had my Christmas tree up by Dec. 2nd. It is very cute, decorated with lights, gold/pearl garland (need a couple more strands), and my 6 ornaments from Nickilee's CQ ornament swap.

This week, better get going it is Wed. already, stitching on OJM CQ RR block, updating the cqwiki with two NEW lessons and RR Photos, AND my own CQ Ornaments that I need to make for gifts.

Enjoy the rest of the week, I'm off to work...this day job business really disrupts my crafting/blogging time.

Happy Stitching

Over Extended

I have found myself "craft" overextended. I could not get my 12 Days of Christmas gifts finished and have dropped out of the swap.

Why is it that crafting time is so limited compared to day job time?

Round 2 of the CQ Round Robin has begun. All the blocks were mailed to the 2nd round stitcher on Nov. 15. I received mine yesterday, it is just beautiful. I hope to do some stitching on it this weekend but might have to wait until after Thanksgiving. Lots to do to get ready for holiday travel.

Happy Stitching

Jody

Crazy Quilting Round Robin

Round 1 of the HGTV Crazy Quilting Round Robin ended today. All blocks have been sent on to the next person. I have never participated in a Round Robin until this one. So far it has been great fun, great way to get your creativity going.

Each person created a blank crazy quilt block at least 18" wide/long but not more than 24" wide/long. Lots of "Creative" space to stitch/embellish. I'm wondering if it gets easier as the blocks have more on them or harder coming up with embellishments/stitches that go with the other people's work.

The HGTV CQ group is GREAT!!! This group encourages every one to participate, no matter what you skill level. Everyone that signs up knows there will be a range of skill level stitching on their block. I find this very inspiring, you can always learn from seeing someone elses work.

In the rules you are only allowed to post two sneak peeks of the block you are working on. So there will be lots of surprises when the finished block returns to its owner.

Here is one of my sneek peaks from the block I was working on. This block was pieced/belongs to Nickilee - CQer and Lace Dyeing Expert.



I'll be getting my second block sometime next week.

Back to finishing my 12 Days of Christmas swap gifts. I have the weekend to finish them, deadline is next Friday (have to be received) so I need to allow some shipping time.

Happy Stitching
Jody

New Magazine!!!!

Where Women Create
Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women

Last weekend I discovered this new magazine. It is a new magazine but not a new publisher, Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio. I always look at the Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio magazines but had never purchased one until I saw this issue.

It is WAY Cool!!!! Very inspiring premier issue. This magazine will be published quarterly, it is rather pricy and no discount per issue with a subscription. $14.99 per issue or $59.99 for the year (4 issues). I will be looking for the next issue, check it out and then decide if I want to subscribe or not.

As in other Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio publications the photos, color, and layout is just beautiful and very inviting.

This issue has articles about several women and their creative spaces. Check it out, I found this magazine at Borders Books. There are links to their web sites and/or blogs. Hope to have some time this week to check out the web sites and blogs. Of course there many ads, but most have links to web sites.

Happy Stitching and Creative Time
Jody

Sparkling Elegance!!!

WOW, a friend just finished her etsy site "sparklingelegance". Her name is Lynn, she makes beautiful beaded jewelry, check it out.



(Lynn hope you don't mind I posted a photo from your site).

Congratulations Lynn, wishing you much success.
Jody

CQ Ornament Swap Pic.

I made 6 CQ Mitten Ornaments for a swap. 5 of them are the usual Christmas colors, this one is a bit different, but I like it.

CQ Ornaments finished!!

I finished my CQ Mitten Ornaments this weekend. Just need to take photos, post, and mail them in for the Swap. Good news is the deadline isn't until Nov. But I have a LOT to do between now and Nov. so I'm glad these are finished.

Will add photos, hopefully tomorrow...but wait it is tomorrow. So later tomorrow!!!

My CQ News

I have finished embellishing my CQ Mitten Ornaments, for the HGTV CQ Ornament Swap. Just need to "finish finish" them. Backing, hanger, and fur cuff.

I received my CQ Embellishments Swap package today. WOW WOW WOW!!! This is the first time I have participated in this swap. I passed on this swap last Nov. because I didn't think I could meet the deadline. When I saw all the pictures I was "kicking" myself to not playing. So when the signups were posted I JUMPED RIGHT IN!!! I created 10 baggies to swap and 17 surprises, in return I received 10 different baggies and 17 different surprises. The box was HUGE and the baggies "stuffed". I won't have to CQ supply shop for a LONG time.

Leading up to perfect timing for the CQ RR that begins on Oct. 15 when a group of 40 women each send their "naked" cq block to another person in their group who begin embellishing the CQ block. Another CQ Event FIRST for me. I have never been in a round robin but I can't wait to see the beautiful work as it progresses. Photos are being posted on CQwiki.

Need to get my CQ RR block pieced, need to be ready to mail on Oct. 15.

bad blogger!!!

I am so bad about posting on my blog. Time just seems to get away from me, with family, work, stitching, and the CQwiki.

Current Crazy Quilting Stitching project is cq ornament swap. The ornaments are 6" tall, I have 6 pieced and 3 1/2 embellished.

One of my Mitten Ornaments

Next CQ project is a crazy quilting round robin. I have never participated in a round robin, so I am very curious to give this a try. I've been in a couple "One Block Swaps", creating a block for someone based on their description of their favorite things. And receiving a block someone created for me based on my favorite things. Both times the experience has been AWESOME!!!

The 2008 One Block Swap was completed on Aug. 30th. I created this block for Lori, her favorite things are "water, ocean, sea, river, blue".  Have to say at first I couldn't think of anything, then my "brain" kicked in:

Ithinksew created this amazing block for me. My favorite things: rich summer colors, dragonflies, altered art

Link to all of the blocks created in the "2008 One Block Swap - Favorite Things" This page is a list of all the participants, each person has a page with pics of the block they created.

Follow the 2008-2009 Crazy Quilting Round Robin progress.

Back to my CQ Ornaments!!! Happy Stitching to all. Stay dry - I do hope this rain ends soon.

Jody

CQ Heart Swap

I'm so pleased, I have my 6 CQ Hearts finished before the deadline!!! Yeah, this is a first, for me, in my limited swapping experiences. I always try to finish before the deadline and always end up shipping on the last possible day to meet the deadline.
The CQ Hearts swap deadline is June 1st and I will be sending my 6 this WEEK!!!!



I even stitched one to keep for myself.

Crazy Quilting Hearts

Latest project, Crazy Quilting Hearts! Lots of fun and amazing what you can come up with in a 6 1/2" heart shape.

I am working 6 of these hearts for a swap. Would love to do 12, but with the deadline of June 1st, will probably only finish 6.

Happy Stitching.

Crazy Quilting PB Wiki

My latest work in progress. Several months ago I started a pb wiki: crazyquilting.pbwiki.com. I started it as a way to learn new technology for my day job.

I finally found a reason to make the crazyquilting.pbwiki.com functional. I am participating in the HGTV Board CQ Lesson and Challenge group. This group is teaching each other Crazy Quilting techniques.

Great group of people sharing ideas. There are over 100 participants from all over the world and it was getting difficult to keep all the lessons/information organized in one place where everyone in the group could access it at any time. The light bulb turned on....pbwiki!!!! With the permission of the HGTV CQ Lessons and Challenge Group I am posting the lessons and information on www.crazyquilting.pbwiki.com

"Crazy" Stitching to all!!!