VENETZIA, ET AL

Venetzia is starting to come together...4 rows of butterflies (see below for
the top row)

No vertical sashings here, as I want the idea of that watery background 
to permeate under the butterflies...even though they were appliqued onto separate blocks....

Now I am thinking that I want to applique something on those horizontal strips...
flowers, circles leaves--just thinking right now...

Here is that top row that I couldn't get in the first photo...so there are four rows in total-- separated by 3 bands...

And.....it is narrow (30" +/-) --so need to add some width also...not sewing it all together until I do the appliqueing...

I'd love to use my scrappy 2-sies in neutrals and darkish browns on the borders in some way...they would be a kind of coin-strippy thing.... 

This one has turned out to be quite a low volume quilt despite the brightness of some of those butterflies...

I picture the Grand Canal ---all that golden ochre-ry color everywhere--
even the waters sparkled with gold at sunset...

This will take a while to find the right fabrics and there are quite a few decisions to be made as yet....

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A side trip down Memory Lane....

Here are a few shots of my very first Improv piece--I made this in the 80's before I even KNEW that it WAS Improvisation--
I just had very little of each fabric and wanted to use it up 
(one of my very first quilt pieces)

                                    I called it Early Winter.....
those little squares are all scenes of Wintery trees and limbs....

I only had bits and bobs
of that gold hand dyed 
and the Japanese leafy print...
and next to nothing left of the
wintry trees....and a little soft
gray print...and the stormy skies
piece....

You can see that the tree print gets smaller and smaller...;)))

I hand quilted this one freely--again before I knew
there were hand quilting patterns, rules, etc...
 whatever occurred to me with the idea of an early snowfall....






This remains one of my own personal favorite pieces ..........

It hangs over wine chest in our dining room.....
reminding me to "let go" of my preconceived notions and go with the flow....

Hugs on this quiet, cool Sunday...
Julierose, La Blageuse, (remembering-euse)

"SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME, SUM SUM SUMMERTIME...."

Midnight Garden Update: (WHILE HUMMING THE TITLE ABOVE OF COURSE)

I am slowly hand quilting my 1st Coin Toss Improv piece nightly while watching the
Red Sox on tv...
.(I WILL BE DOING SOME THIS AFTERNOON AS THE GAME IS AT 1:00);)))

Using lovely purple thread and big stitches:

I like this DMC
No 8 a lot...
gives texture...

I am following the curved inset strip lines so far--thinking about adding other quilt lines....

************************************

Look what FINALLY bloomed for me..;)))

These were a FREE (yup!) bonus when I ordered my lilies...aren't they are simply gorgeous!!

Here are two of the other colored ones from last year's order:

RASBERRIES &
CREAM






AND

this purple-ish/eggplant edged one with that bright yellow throat...

I love my day lilies...

With more to come....;)))

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Here are all my "Venezia" butterflies...this will be a memory quilt for us of our trip to Italy ..........see why? 

this subtle background fabric has scenes of the Grand canal and sites in Venice--

I love love love this fabric....as a matter of fact I am turning into something of
a brown/beige/neutral freak these days.
  
I just ordered a bunch of browns from equilter as they sent me a special $12 off coupon --(uhhh, do I buy a lot of fabric??? who Moi?  And wha hoppen to that
"No fabric buying this year, huh?  Huh?)
Welllllll, see below.....

this was written JUST for me I guess...life is short, as Mom used to say, eat dessert first...for me, dessert IS Fabric....hahahahaha 
(Notice, I am not sharing how much I spent today..I mean you have to get your coupon's worth and free shipping too, right?;0000)

I hope you are all enjoying this Summer despite the heat and humidity--soon (all too soon,) we will be carping about bitterly cold weather--and so it goes..

A huge thanks goes out to all you followers and readers for all of your continuing lovely comments you send me...I read them all and love them all
(remember Sally Field in "You've Got Mail"???Are you old enough to recall it??
LOL)
Hugs, Julierose,La Blageuse (brown as a berry-euse) 

TYING MADAM EAGLE, ET AL

                              Ms, Improv Eagle is being thread basted in place.....

That cone of white thread belonged to my Grand-mere...it is just perfect for basting....

                          And that little Depression glass dessert dish was also hers....

(I only have a very few of her things as she broke up housekeeping moving to 

California to live with my Aunt Mildred, Mom's sister when I was a 

young teenager...)

.

Here is the new thread I purchased for quilting....I just love these colors....

aren't they gorgeous--what a treat....

The good news is.........

Madam is holding pretty still for me while I baste....

{the trade off from pin basting using this method, is my back gets sore from

 bending over so long; but then, afterwards, I don't hurt my 

fingers taking all those pins out ....} 

6 of one kind of scenario I guess.....

***********************************************

A N D 

I have a few SECRET projects that I am working on these days....

Using some of these x-tra butterflies that flew in a few days ago...

across our rocky shoreline.

I have sewn them all using batik fabrics--I really do love batiks a lot....

Plus.....I have sewn a GA-zillion of my favorite 2-sies together, too.--uh

in TWOS..(lol groan)

Oh, look!!

this one flew in over a snowy field...

she must have missed the migration South..

I will have to put her someplace warm....;))))

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (secret sewing-euse).

BUTTERFLY SEASON

Look what I won  From Terri at Quiltncards....

Isn't she lovely--all paperpieced you should SEE all the seams on the back--HOLY COW, gal!!
I've only done a small bit of paper piecing myself and can't imagine the patience needed to do this baby butterfly...

And--my lucky day--
 it will go with my 2nd Chinese Coins Toss strips...
See...

thank you so much Terri--I just love it!!;)))) Check out her other pretties....
*********************************************
And speaking of Butterflies--in 2015 I made these "Butterflies Are Free" using
machine applique for the first time: testing Helga....

there are a whole lot more, too---some already appliqued some to be done...
and I am embroidering with black DMC No.12 cotton thread...on each one...

Like this

And this

The background fabric is an impressionistic rendering of Venice--to remind us of our Italy trip a few years ago...

All the butterflies are batiks from my collection..
These have been my deck work (or AC like today if it is too hot).  
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Do you like cruciferous veggies?  I love them...cabbage is my very favorite--;))))

as a matter of fact for lunch today I am frying some shredded cabbage in a bit of
Virgin Olive oil with salt and pepper...for my lunch...YUM YUM (Mr. Hubster is not
fond of veggies, so I just make some pour moi!! )

And so I will leave you guys for now --I hope to machine applique more Flutterbyes (lol)
this afternoon...and manger le cabbage...

hugs, Julierose La blageuse (embroidering-euse)

COMING IN FOR A LANDING (A long story)

I spent the last 3 days turning in circles back and forth, back and forth --(ack!!).

I free cut those rounds from little 2" folded squares of freezer paper and trimmed the edge in an arc--to get those wonky circle-y shapes...

Lesson learned: It's ok for shapes to be wonky-- BUT not lumpy/bumpy (ugh!) --

On the first few circles though, I tried my old bugaboo-needleturn applique--
reasoning, how hard could it be?  Well, it defeated me yet again!! Plus
my undone funkified shapes were now all fraying like crazy after undoing them:
SO...
(humming: "But not for meeee..."  between clenched teeth! ;ooo) 

I  just said to myself, OKAY  
they will match my eagle's tattered beak and wing tips and 
left them there to remind me for next time--
THAT:  
I much prefer the freezer paper on the back, 
starching the seams first- method before sewing...
and proceeded to finish 
the rest using that method...

YET Another lesson learned: ...your finished shapes will only look as good as
your cut templates are.

All this from 10 little round-ish shapes...who knew???


This did me in for applique this time around and
as far as I was concerned I was D O N E  with anymore 
applique on this piece.
PHEW!!
**********************************Now for Part Deux:

So here's my story re: Borders (I am long-winded today as always ;000)---

Eagle was on my wall RIGHT NEXT to my 3rd set of Chinese Coin strips and ..
And, all of a sudden I had an "ah-ha" moment..

why not use them to border eagle medallion style...
would they go?  Could I?

I had been looking up all the border types I could make, 
but--here these were 

RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF MY EYES!! 

SO why not???
Plus those roundish things picked up some colors in the coin strips, too....

SO..... I measured and measured and measured AGAIN
and  yes, 
I had just enough with only two little pieces leftover (about 4 little strip coin pieces) .
Hurrah...
then...I knew they needed some kind of separator strips and spied that
mauve floral...but
 that mauve, 
could it go with the red in the center..? And YES!!
Well I liked it..anyway...;)))))

SO: my first medallion was born...
{Madame Eagle-agreed--she like her surround...}

All I have to do now is sew on this lovely print--one of my very old fabrics...as the final border

and

.
                                                          V O I L A !!

hugs,  Julierose, La Blageuse (wordy-euse);)))

RAINY THURSDAY'S BASKET COUNT

                                            Seven of nine baskets done...

I was just able to scooch out two more backgrounds from my toile so I can have nine.

Sooo, two more of the light blue fruit fabric....

I am really enjoying making these baskets...I am even getting used to the handles...
(not that they're all perfect by any means!) they are liberated for sure.  

And I love the frolicking in the background ...;)))). Somehow that toile just goes with the basket thing in my mind.  

Hugs, 
Julierose La Blageuse (dance-euse)

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

Lessons learned:

1) Cut background block A LOT bigger than you think you'll need...because....

My eagle decided to spread her wings further and fluff her feathers out....and so, (sigh)
those borders had to come in to save the day...

2) "beaks, and tips and cuts in a hurry..." not good; slowly slowly ; and only clip concave
curves..
.
She is a bit tattered at wing tips and her beak is a bit blunted ....I think she's a bit worn out from my gyrations....a bit frayed....lol --as am also   ;ooo

3) dark fabric + dark thread very hard to SEE--even with new lenses....and that lovely red background moves before your eyes...choose fabrics more wisely....

NOW:  Questions to take my time over...

What to add......
and do I trim out the base fabric or not ...

.for now, she is resting on my wall...and
I need to do more research.

She will be a patriotic wall hanging...and, with that in mind
I am longing to make some little 9 patches in a border surround...but, we'll see....
And I need a flag somewhere and some flowers...perhaps a little pot of flowers and a flag
at the bottom?? and some fabrics to lighten it up a bit, too...

Stay tuned....I am also resting, ya think???;)))

hugs to all, 
Julierose, La Blageuse (new applique-journey-euse)