Apr9
Author Archives: texasboxerlover
Apr9
Susy Sandy and Donna
Apr9
Bonnie hard at work
Apr3
Another landscape – retreat coming!
Well, getting ready for a great guild retreat next Monday thru Thursday – can’t wait. I will be teaching a quick free half-day class on this super easy way to do a landscape quilt. Being so close to the Gulf of Mexico I thought it would be fun to do a beach scene, and, I had to add one of the Lorelei beach ladies to my scene. My studio bathroom is decorated with them so guess where my little quilt will eventually end up. The quilt needs to be quilted yet, and, of course bound, but it’s moving right along.
Well, if the above picture is titled “Sexy Lady at the Beach” it stands to reason that this one should be called “Sexy Paula With Her Quilt! It is so much fun to deliver a quilt and see the big smile!!! Good job Paula!
Off to the Coastal Prairie Guild meeting tonight to learn all about broderie Perse…should be interesting. Always fun to see so many quilters in one space having a great time.
Until later..BE HAPPY
Karen
Mar28
Landscape Quilt – what a blast!!!
Well, I really had a great time yesterday playing with my first landscape quilt. I’ve been wrestling with something to do for a fabric challenge and hated my first project, sew…here is the beginning of my second try. I have been collecting landscape fabrics for quite some time so now have a big pile to fold and put away again. The roof of the old house is the challenge fabric. Lots to do yet, it is only glued together so far. Trees need foliage (thinking Angelina or snippets), thread painting, quilting, and embellishment. It has turned out to be a fun project!
I love red and white quilts. This one belongs to Paula and I just quilted a lovely edge to edge design onto it. It was a pleasure to quilt, nice and crisp and square!
Hope to get more accomplished on my landscape later today, although I have “the worlds biggest quilt (at least that’s what it feels like) on my table and quilting it. Sure glad it wasn’t an inch bigger. Actually it is a bedspread with extra fabric and is about 120” across and five yards – yes 5 – long….sigh! Pictures later.
BE HAPPY…..Karen
Mar27
Mug Rugs are Fantastic!
I received my mug rugs and have so enjoyed looking at them. I used the owl rug under my morning coffee this morning…what fun. They were made by my new friend, Elaine Rowe or Colorado. She not only does wonderful quilt projects but she is a papercrafter as well. I received a set of hand-made note cards complete with the cutest picture of various styles of high heels…can’t wait to use them! Thanks so much to Elaine.
This really pretty 1600’s quilt belongs to Carol K. who is making it for a wedding present. I quilted it with an Ann Bright pattern with the word Love scrolled all over the quilt with different fonts…great for a casual wedding quilt to drape over the sofa. The quilt was long enough that we quilted the entire thing and Carol plans on making throw pillows to match.
Having a great time today experimenting with a landscape quilt. I need a quick quilt to send up to Kansas for a fabric challenge…this is turning out nicely. Will post a pic as soon as it is more together. Fun though. Never done one of these before!
Meanwhile…BE HAPPY! Karen
Mar25
When your 3rd child turns 40…KEEP BUSY!!/new fusible technique
This is a really happy and bright quilt, designed and made by Keeley. She really should go into pattern making!
This second, soft and cuddley rose quilt was also made by Keeley. Such a different feel and style to both quilts. I love them both!
Sure glad I had these to quilt on the day my daughter turned 40…and she thinks she feels old! We did, however, enjoy a fantastic steak birthday dinner with most of the family at the Texas Road House..great peanuts too!
Another discovery that really looks great – a new, to me anyway, way to fuse without adding the fusible paper to your project. Check out this tutorial: http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com.au/2006/04/my-fusing-method.html
I’m heading to Michaels to find some Liquid Thread today! Worth a try! BE HAPPY! Karen
Mar20
My favorite EVERYTHING cleaner!
Before I forget this for the 100th time, wanted to let everyone know about “Greased Lightning”. I have been using it for years for everything. I keep it in my quilt studio all the time. It will remove grease spots from fabric and it doesn’t leave a water spot. It’s great for spots on your laundry and just about everything. I discovered it many years ago and it has sometimes been hard to find. I went into Lowe’s yesterday for some brush cleaner and, lo and behold, on the endcap, was a large display of Greased Lightning. This big container only costs a little over $7…. No connection with the company, just appreciate how many binds it has gotten me out of.
BE HAPPY…Karen
Mar18
Keeping Me Busy!
I have been working on customer quilts and have a few pictures to show. The first “pile” of yellow 
is left over strips of fleece that I braided into pull toys for dogs. I will give them to family dogs and take the rest to the shelter. They were just the selvage edges that I cut off before finishing the edges of the blankets for a dance team. The second picture is a delightful wall hanging, meant to hang on a high wall in a stairwell. Joyce did a great job of designing this. The last is a quilt made by Mary. It has the cutest embroidered blocks. Back to work for today. I have a king size quilt on the long arm, 102″ x 96″
BE HAPPY…Karen
Mar17
Easter Blessings
I’m teaching a stencil class soon using Shiva paint sticks and making a freezer paper template. It was a fairly easy project and hopefully it will give my students some ideas of just what they can do. I stenciled the background and painted it, added the words with my embroidery machine, then quilted it. Took about a day and a half with lots of distractions.
This was an Easter gift from a talented designer, Esther Alieu (www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/). Check out her blog and website. She does some fantastic work and is truly generous with her talent. It was given to her readers as a 7 1/2″ applique block. I blew it up to about 28″ x 28″ in order to produce this wallhanging. I really like the way it came out.
Hope everyone enjoyed a great National Quilting Day yesterday and that you are having a great time wearing the green (or orange) and partying this St. Paddy’s day!
BE HAPPY…Karen
Karen The Quilter 