Finally the "quilt " is finished - the twenty year project

Finally........ I started a quilt in 1997. It was a lovely quilt, the cover quilt on a calendar, but it was soooooo much work that it didn't get finished. At least not while the quilt group was working on it and it got put away. I thought about it quite a few times and even got the flowers and leaves ready to applique, but there it sat until I moved into my new workroom and actually found all of the fabric. Then about six months ago I started finishing the applique border blocks. I changed the corner blocks so the quilt would be square and finished those too. I created a block of my house for the center also.  I still had to cut all of the Irish chain blocks and sew it all together but I did it and now I can share it with you. The quilt that was started in 1997 is finished in 2018!
So take heart of of those out there who have that UFOs (unfinished objects) out there, success can be at the end of a long trail of stitches.

Gold Fish and Trinket box

I want to share my very glittery gold fish with you.  This is for the top of the trinket box that is part of the Cabinet of Curiosities.
I used off white silk fabric for the background. The threads include a blue and a green silk from China. I was able to purchase some threads when we visited the school at Suzhou and I really like using them. I also used Soie de Paris in shades of gold and cream that are the same threads that I used on the sides.
I tried to use gold threads that were not too bright so the fish looked more like the color of a real Koi.
The metal threads include an antique gold couching thread from China,  a rich antique gold #1 Japanese thread, various bullions and pearl purls and paillettes.

All four of the sides and the top are finished so now comes the terrifying challenge of gluing the embroidery to paper and the paper to the wooden box.  I have gold braid for the edges and will gold -leaf the feet. I was able to find some fabulous hand made paper in gold and white for the interior.

Fish and Rabbits and Angels Oh My!

I have been working on a number of very different things in the past few weeks.

Here is the oval outline for the top of the trinket box finished. You can see the outline of the fish that will be in the center. She will feature lots of gold - gold thread, gold bullion and at least one bead.

I went into a knitting store to find some yarn and what did  I see. A row of the most darling sweaters. They were designed for some animals called Little Cotton Rabbits. I just had to visit the site and not only were the sweaters but dresses and animals of all kinds. Rabbits (of course) and bears and elephants and on and on.  So cute. So.... now I have the patterns for the sweaters and dresses and rabbit girl and bear boy. Plus I may have to get at least one other critter.
Here is my first rabbit in her "underdrawers" and  in her dress.

These are some little cloth angels that I made for my quilting group. They were fun to do but much more work than I thought they were going to be. Small and simple was my thought.... not quite but I love how they turned out. Several of the members of the group have been quilting once a month for maybe twenty years.  One day I will gather photos of all the quilt tops that we have created and post them to share.

While Rosy Cheeks is growing. She now has the alphabets finished. I am about a third of the way finished.