Imagine embroidery

This is a new embroidery I call Imagine. I started it Thursday night, with the first gnome who had a magic feather and conjured up a robot. The mushrooms grew overnight.
On Friday I added a smiling cat, and Holly reminded me to add a carrot. even fairy tale creatures must eat vegetables.
I felt like inviting a fairy just for fun . Once I made her, I realized she had to be riding something. So, since I had a carrot, I added a purple rabbit.
The elf was flying past and saw the spectacle, so he joined the fun. Then the moon came out and the robot started shooting sparks.
Today I will finish quilting it with cross stitches, and then will add a border and make it a pillow. Number 78

Dog bed repair#1

Charlie chewed the canvas corner of the new dog bed to fraying bits in the first 24 hours. I sewed a new corner on this morning, over the spot. It will be only a short time before he chews another corner, maybe today. I have to design a completely edge-free cover for the dog bed frame. And it has to be 2 layers of very tough canvas, so he doesn't put his foot through.
He has demolished indestructible beds his Dad bought from pet stores in less time. This one is in better shape after a couple days than expensive ones. If I can't find a way to prevent him from ruining his bed, he will sleep on the bare tray in the bottom of the crate at night. Poor Charlie. His teeth get him in trouble.

Buddy Naps

This is Buddy, (10lbs.) on a new bed I made for his cousin, Charlie (55lbs.). Buddy is old and feeble, but he doesn't know that. He barks at Charlie, from a safe distance, behind a gate. Charlie is a bull dog mix, and could be called the Destroyer. He has chewed and torn through a number of bedding materials. I made this of heavy canvas, and used 2 layers for the top and end casings. I sewed the casings 6 times, to re-re-reinforce them. My son cut the pvc tubes to raise the bed off the floor. We are trying to make Charlie comfortable, despite his rough nature. Maybe the smell of Buddy on the bed will make Charlie happy, dreaming of snacks.
 Dog bed, Number 77 for the year.

Robot Chicken

Just finished, a new embroidered pillow, Robot Chicken! The background is tea dyed cotton dish towel. The designs are all my own, inspired by a variety of things.
This one started with an off-brand box of tissues, that had a cool flower on it. So I made a flower in the lower left corner. Because I wanted to make some french knots, I did a spray of them above the flower. They looked like warts on a frog, so he came into the picture.
Then, I wanted a chicken to be eyeing the frog for a snack, so I looked at a children's' book to see how a chicken is put together. My chicken has taken liberties with biology, as has the short legged frog.
Then I felt like a few more flowers were needed, to put the chicken in perspective, so they grew up behind her. And of course, what chicken is complete without a robot? One is flying by at the moment, so in he came. A goldfish wandered in  to balance the composition, and blow bubbles. A few more bubbles splashed around, and Bob's your uncle, the picture is complete. Except for the rainbow of crosstitches I added as I quilted the top to batting. Number 76

Mosaic class

 This is Jan's bird mosaic. She made it in class at 212 Arts on Monday. It's about 8" square. Obviously, she has an eye for mosaics.

 This is Deb's flower. Aren't the colors lively and happy?

 This is Cheryl's flowers and butterfly. Sorry it's small, she sent it to me by email, and I can't enlarge it. So cool, isn't it?

This is my rooster. I have to do something while they work. It started as a fish, but grew feathers

Gazing ball

 Here is Rick with the Redbud tree. It is blooming a month early. I think the peak bloom will be in a day or two.

 Here is me with the Flowering Cherry tree. It had a haircut last week, took off 3 branches. Now it's in full bloom.

 A longer view of the Cherry, with a blue gazing ball.

 Here is a close up view of newcomers to the flowerbed, 4 plants of Dwarf Daffodils. Just 2 tiny flowers show now.

 The Gnome family is back from winter vacation. Sam the Elf presides over them, as usual. It looks like a Fairy has dropped by.

This is the red gazing ball, whose stand needs to be mosaiced. Somebody should tell Kat to get busy!

2 hours later- Okay, I got busy. I started to mosaic the gazing ball stand. It's a big job, can only do a 2" strip at a time, because of the curve.

This quilt was made by the mother of a friend of mine. The quilter's sight is failing, so my friend asked me to finish it for her.  I quilted 4 of the blocks, and the border, put on the binding, and tied the sash and border.  It's done today, I hope in time for her birthday. Number 74 for the year.

Pieced and embroidered pillows

 This pillow is made of leftovers from a lap quilt. I love the fabrics of Kaffe Fassett. 71

Dreamland,  A pillow made of my original designed embroidery of a fairy tale which features a turtle on the moon. I just haven't yet made up the fairy tale. 72

Another of my designs for a fairy tale, a little mushroom house for a wee folk. This little pillow is number 73 for the year.
And I just cut some fabric to start a new fairy tale embroidery. I'm on a roll.

Spring necklaces

Two new necklaces in Spring colors. One has a heart pendant. They look like Easter to me. Numbers 69,70

Santos

 This has been a busy weekend. The warm days have led to tree trimming, and garage cleaning. Good to have done, but no good pictures.
 But I also painted a shelf, and hung it in my studio. This is my collection of sewing room gods. They watch over me, and give me ideas. I have Our Lady of Guadalupe in many forms, another Madonna, and Jesse Ventura, Jack Sparrow, He Man, Hindu Gods, various pirates and monsters, and a pewter Unipig.

This is hail from the storm last week. It was rained on for 20 minutes before we ran out to get it, so it shrunk. But the biggest was 2+1/4" even after sitting for so long. We were lucky to have escaped the worst of it.

Spring, chicken mosaic

 A beautiful day, I can't believe it's March. We all went outside. See Rick play with sticks?

 See Buddy watch the plants grow.

 See what I grouted,
a cross... 67

 my address...

and a Spring Chicken!
Number 68

Juggler and Elf

This is done now. I quilted it, and made it a pillow. Already feel like starting another new one, but I have several that need more details first.

Juggler and Elf

This is the newest fairy tale embroidery. It shows a elf casting a spell on a juggler. I have not made up the fairy tale yet, but this is the first illustration for it. Number 66

Address Mosaic

Project of the day- address mosaic. This was fun, made of stained glass, about 6" by 10". Since it's on particle board, it will not weather well. So, I'll seal it and put it on a covered porch, after grouting. Maybe I'll also tile the side edges. Number 65

Pillows

 This pillow was a quilt mounted on a canvas until I removed it, and made a pillow. Number 63

This pillow was made from scraps left from one of the quilt tops I made this week. 64
I also made curtains for my guest room today, and will post them when I get a rod and hang them.

Lap quilts

 A quilt made of mostly Kaffee Fasset fabrics, just for fun. Top is done, needs to be quilted.

 Another mostly Fasset fabrics quilt.  This one is golds and blues. I am posting a close up of the fabrics, they are yummy. Makes me want to go get more. At this rate I'll never use stuff up. 61, 62