FLU--BEGONE!! & A FINISH!!

Now that the flu has flown (for the most part!) 
I was able to bind my "Spider in the Jardin"--finally  my first finish for 2013!!  

I have been spending a few hours here and there ironing and sorting all my scraps into colorways...and in the evenings working on my "Pretty Pansies" table topper--it's about half done :

I love the fabrics:

Here:

 And here:

 

I am sorry to state that I had to give up on "Easy Street"--just TOO MANY PIECES--made me totally frustrated.  Perhaps it was the flu--as the design is really pretty.  But I have put it all away and am concentrating on finishing up my "Woven Wall Ladies"..

Expecting weekend guests and then MLK Day visit from my daughter and family, so the WWL work will wait until after.  

I am trying to spread out my quilting and re-think how I go about choosing projects....I do know that another hexagon project is in my thoughts and perhaps a "made-fabric" (a la Victoria Findlay) from my scraps....a lot of thinking going on here.... 

Until next time, I am a much better
 Julierose, La Blageuse

WOVEN WALL: FLOWERING LADIES

Since  my back went out and I have been mostly doing handwork:  I was looking at my woven wall and feeling the blocks needed something......
 something else....and here is what I have begun to add:

..... searching for some thread, I came across a stash of my old scrapbooking stamps and permanent ink pads....VOILA!!!!! I  stamped images of ladies dotted across my blocks and appliqued flowers and leaves as head-dresses on them:

--here is a closer shot....

AND....

AND THIS ONE....

So far, I am liking the look of them--how well they will all go together is another story......BUT.

It sure is fun "fussy-cutting" them and sewing them on. 
AND----All these blocks will have to be quilted--
I have to decide if  I will try "quilt-as-you-go"--which intrigues me; or if  I should just back the whole thing with another top or even a piece of flannel....decisions, decisions....

I really feel as if I am stepping out of my comfort zone with this project --which, of course, I never would have even thought of if it wasn't for Jude Hill's" Spirit Cloth" blog and her weaving class that I took online.  (Thank you Jude for being such a terrific teacher and insipire-er)   It really opened me up to a new way of looking at fabric and quilting.  I love working without a pattern and playing with cloth like this....

Julierose, La Blageuse

WEAVING A WALL

It appears that I have woven a wall:

I now am working on my 18th (!!) of 20 blocks ...it just happened--I LOVE, love, love this new method--all by hand:  pre-washing all fabrics, tearing strips,
hand weaving them, pinning them and then best of all--voila !: hand basting them in place during our long, summer evenings either out on our deck or watching tv.  Works for me. 

Supris, supris!!  At first I looked at them and thought:--this looks like old rags --but now I am seeing applique possibilities and cut out spaces for moons, stars, hearts...

Here's a close-up of a little woven block within the weave...I have no idea where this will take me...no pattern at all...just 20 (fifteen +/- ") blocks tobe sewn into a Winter quilt for myself...

I have used scraps only.  Now THAT makes me feel virtuous...(but not too much so--I'll have to wait and see how it turns out, non?).  Gosh, I love taking classes and learning new things.

Here is one of my fave pix from this past weekend....

My son Jeff (proud Daddy) ad my adorable Fiona --bedtime for baby....

My poor back is finally calming down from its spasms...I can actually walk w/o shuffling today---yay!! As tomorrow I am set to go to my daughter's to babysit for her four.  Busy days,--I am surely blessed with my family so close around me....Til next time, I am (thankfully) yours avec amities---JULIEROSE, LA BLAGEUSE, GRAND'MERE,,,,