CQJP-November and December

I have finished my last 2 blocks for the CQJP.
This is my November block.  It is actually going to be the flap of a Boho bag for my granddaughter
Kyleigh for Christmas.









This is a current picture of Kyleigh, now 12 years old.  She loves
what I love, and I know she will love her own Boho.













This is my December block.  I am going to frame this one and give to my sister for Christmas.  She mentioned she always loved this picture and I thought it would be a good gift.



Now to get my Christmas cards done, cookies made, sweatshirts embroidered for my littlest grandson....In my spare time!

CQJP-OCTOBER

I finally completed my Crazy Quilt Journal Project Block for October.  With making my Boho Bag, and my trip to Houston, I am a little behind.  This one is of John and I when we got married, November 16, 1975.  We got married in the Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We took our own witnesses, good friends Susan, Mark, Don and Nancy.  I made my own dress and veil.  The next weekend, our friend Susan had a reception at her house in Pacific Beach, CA.

September CQJP

I just finished my block for the CQJP for September.  I got a bit behind when I was doing my room renovations and could not stitch in the morning like I prefer to do.

So I am happy I finished this one this morning, and can get to my October block next, and my water bottle holder and my new accessory case.  I have a lot to do before the end of the month and my trip to Houston.

August Block-CQJP

I finished my August CQJP yesterday and this one has a lot of meaning for me.  But first an explanation.  My girls were about 4 and 5 in this block.  When they were little, I had their rooms papered in in Holly Hobby wallpaper.  I STILL love Holly Hobby!

When some fabric came out a couple of years ago, I bought some, planning to make a quilt one day.

















My dear mother-in-law made both girls quilts.  This is my oldest daughter's quilt.  They were finished in March of 1980, so are 32 years old.   I had shown a picture from a magazine to DMIL, all it had was the center figure in it and she designed the rest.  The large Holly Hobby used to have a pocket on her dress, where DMIL designed a little dolly that fit in the pocket, who also had a bonnet.

My youngest daughter's quilt was stolen from her by her roommate as Katie was moving out, who stated it was hers.  Even though the back was labeled and said "To Katie From Grandmother Hurd, March 1980".







Anyway, this is my August block for CQJP.  On a recent order from Liz of Gypsy Feather, who is currently on vacation, she sent along with my order the little Holly Hobby motif in the left corner.  I dyed it but wasn't getting the effect I wanted, so I ended up embroidering most of it to look more like the Holly Hobby Fabric.  Right below that, and to the right is the bonnet of the doll that used to fit in the quilt pocket which I found recently while looking through a stash of some trims I had.

CQJP-July

I was determined to finish up my July block yesterday so I could move on to August.  I need to piece that today before going back to work tomorrow.  My stitching time is generally early in the morning when I get up, until I go to work.  They I generally take something to work at on lunch break.  By the time I get home I am usually worn out and stitching is the furthest thing from my mind.  This block features some of Cathy 
Kizerian's hand-dyed lace at the top and some more of Nicki Lee's hand-dyed lace in the corner, the flowers in a pot.

I took my granddaughter and Marine, the French foreign exchange student staying with them for 3 weeks to lunch at Cheesecake Factory.  We had a great time, though the service was not that great this time. I was showing my daughter Kristen how to take a picture with my I-pad when she snapped the crazy picture of Kyleigh by accident, and it is priceless!

Well better get off the computer and sewing as I have a busy day.  Also need to get the house cleaned today!

WORK IN PROGRESS WEDNESDAY

Sharon Boggan has been reporting her Work in Progress on Wednesdays and I have decided to join her to keep myself on track blogging more.  I am currently actually working on 2 projects.

The first is my CQJP for July. I am just about ready to start adding my stitches.  This shows my daughters and I.  Kristen is about 22 months old.  Katie is 3 months.  I had driven down to San Diego from Sacramento, a trip of over 500 miles by myself to spend time with John's parents for Thanksgiving.  John had something going on at work so he couldn't make it.  John and I had received a free photography package for listening to some time-share deal, and this was about the third of a set if pictures I got.  Its hard to see in the lighting I had last night. 





The second project I am working on is my Sumptuous Surfaces 2nd project.  It is going to involve a starfish, and coral.  I was attempting to put a second border on of a scroll stitch.  I cannot seem to get it right though and am about to pull all this out.  Either I have it too loose, or too tight, and I cannot seem to keep a consistent tension.  I had put down a first border of chain stitch and that is fine.  But the scroll stitch has to go and I will do something else to cover up the holes it is going to leave.






So these two projects are what I am going to be working on after I got get the back lawn mowed this morning.  It is supposed to be 107-109 today.  So I need to get it done probably before 8:30 or 9 or else it will be too hot. 

CQJP-2012-JUNE BLOCK

This is my project for June.  It shows my husband John and his mother.  He was about 15 months old.  I will probably do a little more, sometime, on the blank strip of teal above the sailboat, but I need to get busy on  my July block.  I hope to make it today before I go to the barbecue.  First I have to finish cleaning house!

CQJP-2012-May

I finally finished my Crazy Quilt Journal Project block for May.  This one is of my parents on their wedding day, January 14, 1950.

Now to get to my June block ...

CQJP-2012-April Block

My April CQJP is the wedding picture of my dear inlaws.  My father-in-law was in the Navy,  and my mother-in-law cleverly made herself a uniform.  I always thought this was the cutest picture of them, and such happy  faces. 

The lace fan in the corner I was happy to purchase from Cathy's Crazy by Design Etsy Shop.

The hand-painted pansy button I purchased from Gerry Krueger's Older Rose Etsy Shop.

I had fun with this block, and fond memories of my in-laws. 

My May CQJP block will be my parents' wedding picture.  I got the block pieced today so I will be able work on it before I go to work tomorrow.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012-February

I finally finished my block for the CQJP for February.  I am really, really happy with this one.  I might go back to add more to my January block, but for today and tomorrow on my days off, I need to get busy with my March block.  Down near the big purple flower, I was so happy to receive my order from Gerry, of her hand-painted buttons.  I had always admired these, and was thrilled to be able to add one to this block of my maternal grandparents. 

I  think this one I embellished to the hilt, because they never had anything fancy, living in rural Arkansas in poverty in the 30's and 40's.  Out of eight children, my grandmother had 2 babies die in infancy, one after she had walked numerous miles to take her to the doctor.  Another son was murdered when he was 19 or 20, probably because he just got paid.  My mother was the baby of the family, and her mother died when she was 10.  She was subsequently raised by her older sister, who was 10 years older than my mother.  So I never met this grandmother, and saw my grandfather maybe 3 times in my early childhood.  I would have liked to have known this grandmother Mary Ellen as she was a quilter.  She made them mostly out of flour sacks but she did make quilts.  My mother always was saddened by the fact that her mother never got to make her a quilt, as she did some of her brothers and sisters.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012-February

Today, as it is my day off, I wanted to star working on my block for February for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project.  This is actually a re-purposed block.  It started out life as my block for one of Sharon B's online classes in Encrusted Crazy Quilting.  With the exception of my grandparent's picture, this was as far as it got, before life got in the way.  So for the month of February, I added their picture and am going to embellish this one.  But first thing I think I am taking off the turquoise bit of lace, or maybe it is the stupid looking ribbon flowers that are bothering me beneath it.  Something has to go, and I am going to figure it out first thing this morning and get going on it. 

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012-January

I finished my January block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project.  Mine is going to be all about family.  This was with my mother and 3 siblings.  I am the tall girl with the ugly bathing suit on.  I had a sullen look on my face that day because my picture is being taken in this really ugly bathing suit, while my little sister with the lovely curly hair has a pink bathing suit on with little ruffles!  This was a fun block to work on and brought back memories.  I made a first attempt at the same block but it was too pastel for me.  I am thinking of finishing that one and giving it to my sister for her birthday this year. 

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012

Crazy Quilters, Please Join Us!!

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project is an annual challenge issued to all needle-artists to produce a major crazy quilt project within the established twelve month period.

The overall goals of the Project are:

-- To increase awareness of crazy quilting at the local, national, and international levels.

-- To challenge crazy quilter's to continually expand their creativity and improve their individual technical skills.

-- To inspire, and encourage crazy quilter's through publication of our individual works in a consolidated and inter-active web-based format.

-- To provide a central location for the public to view examples of crazy quilt projects in progress and completed.

Visit the CQJP Blog and register today!!

Our Honorary Chairman is none other than J. Marsha Michler, well known crazy quilter and author of many CQ and other books.  Visit her website here.

We hope you will join us in this, the largest CQ project for 2012!  Let’s work together to show the world our beautiful art!

I was catching up on my blogs yesterday and came across this.  I am excited about this and ready to join!

Karrin