Crystal embellishments on my Beatles quilt

These are 3 squares from my Beatles quilt where I added crystal embellishment.  The Lucille Ball square is a visual pun on Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, the next is Across the universe, with the crystals added to the stars, and then I added some bling to Ringo's rings.  It wasn't that hard to add the crystals, and they suited this quilt well, but I don't foresee this kind of embellishment as a regular part of my quilting.  I'm more of a traditional block, scrappy kind of gal!

 

weekend update

Well, I made some progress on 3 projects this weekend.
1. I finished the binding on the Beatles quilt and I added the crystal embellishments on Saturday morning.  It turned out to be pretty easy.  Just a slow and methodical process.  I followed the directions from an online tutorial.  I used the flat head of the heater tool, and just put the crystal in its place and then applied the flat head for about 15 seconds.  All that is left is making and applying the label and making a sleeve and sewing it on.
2. With my friendship group, we made quilts on Saturday for "covers for kids" which go to Ronald McDonald HOuse and similar kid charities.  We did disappearing 9-patch, but on a large scale with 8" squares.  I used 8" novelties for the interest squares, black on white circles for the sashing, and red small polka dot for the cornerstones.  I'll be adding a black border.  I'll post pictures tomorrow.
3. Tonight I started sewing together the "keyboard" border for my 30s basket quilt.  (Tisket a tasket). Got one side sewed together.  The trick will be to adjust the length so that it fits the edge.  I haven't started trying to measure this. 
Good progress.

new endeavors

So many things.
1. First up, is learning how to apply crystals.  I have the crystals, and the tools and the quilt, and I've looked at an online tutorial (which says to place the crystal on the right place and use the flat bottom of the tool, not the beveled head).  More to come this week as I try it out.  Of course I will try a few on a sample piece of fabric.
2. The whole brave world of applique.  I've never taken a class, except my first intro to quilting class where we did some needle turned applique on a shape of Texas that we put in the middle of an Ohio star.  (It's been packed away about 5 years; soon to become a pillow).  I also did a little needle turned applique on a southwest block of the month, and a little tiny bit of machine applique on some of the blocks on the Beatles quilt, but I would like to take a class and really understand the "tricks."  I also receive a Go Baby last year as a gift, and have a nice set of templates, and have never even tried it yet.  I think it is the step of applying the stabilizer that is slowing me down.
3. Trip to the central basin national parks.  We've visited most of the Rocky Mountain national parks, but have yet to visit the more arid parks: Zion, Arches, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, even Carlsbad Caverns.  We need to get this on our calendar and start making reservations (but not in the summer).

design wall reality

For 2 years I have had the incomplete makings of a one-block wonder pinned to my makeshift design wall (pink insulation board covered in batting).  I walk (struggle) by it every day on the way to my machine, and the fabric 1/2 hexagons keep falling off, and I repin them randomly or even get them back at their right "spot."  But this ufo is just not on my priority list for 2013.  So today I took down all those 1/2 hexagons and their mirror mates, pinned them together in pairs, and stored them in a nice clear plastic shoe box.   So now I have a blank design wall, and I can play with my pink terms of endearment, and 2012 pink and white sample blocks, and actually make progress! 
Moral:  a design wall filled with a project you're not doing, is just clutter. Move on!

tisket a tasket

This is my progress to date on a block of the month I worked on all last year.  The title is Tisket a Tasket, designed by Ann Wanke and published by The Quilted Basket.  The colors in the photo are a little pale.  the prints ins the design are 30s reproductions.  The remaining step is a keyboard border of the 4 solids with the prints (the solids are the "black keys" and the prints are the white keys).  This time I know where my backing is, so I should be able to finish this up in the next couple of weeks and get it to the long arm quilter.  I do love the 30s prints, and I need to get back to putting together my grandmother's flower garden!

my beatles quilt top is finally done

I've been working on this quilt top off and on since 2009, when I was still a new quilter.  I had struggled with a couple of quilts that had 1/2 square triangles and biases, etc.  so I chose this pattern so I would only be working with squares and rectangles. The block pattern (from the July 09 Fons & Porter mag) also reminded me of a light box work of art that a classmate had made when I was a freshman at TCU in the late 60s (Charley Varner).   the inspiration was a selection of Beatles fabrics that Cranston offered.  I selected primary colored tie-dyed batiks to go along with the Beatles fabrics. 
Then I got side tracked with family things, and somewhere along the way I got the crazy idea to have some of the squares in the block represent Beatles song titles.  Then began a quest for novelty fabrics to represent song titles, and some of them I made word puzzles (or a "rebus").  There are now about 50 song or album titles represented in the quilt , which the Beatles or a Beatle either composed and/or sang. 
The quilt is at the long arm quilter now, and it will be entered in the Quilt Guild of Dallas quilt show in March. 

best books of 2012

I have 11 best books I read this year (out of 53). No particular order.
1. The Art of Fielding
2. Lamentations of the Father, short stories by Ian Frazier, particularly the title story
3. Game of Thrones
4. The Keeper of Lost Causes (Danish noir mystery)
5. When Will It Get Better, Kate Atkinson.  British mystery
6. Unbroken. biography of WWII survivor . by L. Hillenbrand
7. The City & the City.  dystopic sci fi, China Mieville
8. Bring Up the Bodies. part 2 of the Hilary Mantel Cromwell novels
9. When I Stop Talking You'll KNow I'm Dead.  Jerry Wintraub.  Show business agent autobiography
10. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
11. Emperor of All Maladies.  History & survey of cancers & their treatment.

I also listened on audio CD to William Shatner's "Shatner Rules"  A fun list.  First rule: say yes.