Happy Holidays

 

Wishing everyone peace, love and joy this holiday season.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Tangles and mixed media

 I like to learn new things and take creative classes online. 

I also get ideas online from many sources including FB groups, YouTube and I subscribe to Craftsy, The Quilt Show and take many of Joanne Sharpe classes through Ruzuku. 

I have been following some daily tangle challenges on FB.  In June and July we have been doing a zentangle a day on index cards.  

The FB group is Tangle All Around and has a lot on inspiration!!!

I did a video flip through of what I have done so far in this years class book from Joanne Sharpe class....Whimsies, Words and Watercolors..  I have specific goals to challenge myself to get this book caught up. (Even though...Joanne says you are never behind)  It is such a fun course and I am loving it but I need more dedicated time to get the pages done.  I thought by doing a flip through video I could see where I am now and posting would help with accountability.

This video might not play....I don't know how to post it to make it work. It was only a minute long...fast flip through!

Anyway.....challenges keep me motivated and specific goals help me get these fun creative things done.  

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 Once you start stitching a Kawandi inspired quilt...you will want to keep making more!  At least that is what I have done.  

Here is a photo from today of a Kawandi I started before the one I posted about last week.

I am using a Walkabout charm pack and stitching with #8 variegated perle thread.  I just got the center pieces cut and edges folded under and placed in position.  I am stitching on it today and it is ready to take to my Tuesday group to stitch.  I don't worry if my stitches aren't the same or if they are not straight.............just enjoy the stitching.

Linking to Kathy's Quilts  Slow Sunday Stitching

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/07/slow-sunday-stitching_080786552.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 It is so relaxing to hand stitch a creative project! 

I started this Kawandi inspired square after watching a free online class the end of May.  It was the Making Zen Online Retreat.  Jen Strauser was the teacher and I used some of her ideas in this little quilt.  It is a 12" square and the corners are all the same fabric.

I was already working on another Kawandi at the time using Walkabout charm squares. 

The following photo shows a part of that quilt showing how I add a fabric piece to hide the seams.  I need this photo in my blog for reference when I forget how I do this!!  AND it might help someone else that is interested in using this method in certain areas of the quilt.  

I did a blog post this past week of how I changed a Kawandi mug rug to a journal cover.

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/07/slow-sunday-stitching_0266786319.html

Smilses and hugs....Caryl

Kawandi mug rug to a journal cover

 I like to make journal covers for junk journals.
 In February I decided to use a small Kawandi mug rug I had made and turn it into a journal cover.

I cut a piece of batting the same size as the top of the mug rug and cut a piece of fabric about 1½" larger all around.. I folded the fabric over the batting and hand stitched rows of stitching over the whole thing.  I used Aurifil purple 12wt thread.  I glued two Peltex pieces to this inner journal cover.

 Then I used Sulky teal varigated 12 wt thread to stitch around the outside to finish the cover.

I will be going back  in this blog to post projects I have done and my method of making things.  i need to have this reference here.  Everyone is welcome to use my tutorials.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

So fun to doodle!

 About a month ago I had a video come up on  my YouTube page about making floral fodder with magazines.

No drawing experience needed.  I love to doodle and I have a bunch of magazines.  I also have tons of markers.  The photo shows some that I have been making using magazines and water colored book pages.

It has been a long time since I have done a blog post.  I like  to refer back to my previous posts of  projects and how I did them.  Somehow I just stopped blogging and  now I hope I can get back to using it to document what I am doing!

Anyone wanting to know more about these doodles...here are some channels:

Shannon Green

My Vagabond Style

Halfass Crafter

TrashyTreasyours

These Y/T channels are all new to me over the past month!

I have been enjoying making junk journals, tangling, and Kawandi inspired  quilts.  AND I like to paint and take online mixed media classes.  I get a lot of inspiration also from looking at Y/T videos on different crafty projects.  I  have a lot of interests and like to jump from one thing to another!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Merry Christmas

 

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas and a happy new year!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 This past week I finished a small Kawandi mug rug

And I started another Kawandi.  I have watched YouTube and The Quilt Show tutorials and did it different this time.  I folded over the backing seam and did not stitch it down as i have in the past.  I am also going to wait to add the batting AFTER the first row of pieces of fabric are added.  These are two changes from the earlier small Kawandi quilts.  

AND the next photo shows a way of adding the pieces to tuck the seam under so the edge looks neater.  I like to take photos to share tips and also for a reminder to me in the future!! 

I cut up some pieces of the following fat quarter to put in this quilt.

I had a birthday February 16the........83!   Not sure how I got here so fast...the years fly by!!!

The photo was taken at Marie Callendar's in their library room.

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2023/03/slow-sunday-stitching.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I started another Kawandi....number 8 and it is a mug rug like the last two I made.

I am not not concerned about the rows being straight or my stitches being the same.  I like it perfectly imperfect....makes it so much more fun then perfect stitches! 

Here is the last Kawandi that I finished.

Last Tuesday at my quilt group I learned about a fun improv method of making blocks.  The photo shows the blocks I have made so far.

Check out Terry Rowland on You-Tube. Color wash quilt scraps challenge.  These are so fun to make with scraps and each block is trimmed to 3½".  She has several videos about these blocks.

Last Sunday late afternoon we drove down to the La Jolla to watch the sunset at the ocean.  I had checked the time of the full moon rise and it was close to the same time as the sunset time.  So we thought it would be an awesome thing to watch.  AND it was.  We watched as the sun disappeared into the ocean and then on our way back home we saw the full moon low on the horizon as it had just come up.  The sky was clear so we were able to view both of these....very special time for us.

 

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2023/02/slow-sunday-stitching_01804329813.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I have been working on my Valentine Kawandi mug rug that I started I mentioned in last week's blog

sorry for the dark photo.  This is where I am today...almost ready to add the center..

Every morning I check YouTube for interesting videos.  I have a fire stick on a small TV at my desk.  This morning there was a video about momigami.  I have never heard of it before.  For those who don't know it is a Japanese papermaking method described as kneaded paper.  It makes the paper soft like fabric.  In the video she did some slow stitching on it.

  I wanted to try it.  I did some experimenting.

The first photo is watercolor paper that I had painted.  I used a small Japanese  saucer with some lotion and used a clear plate for laying it out to smooth between times of rolling it up and squashing the paper.

Next photo is the piece of paper I tore off a piece to compare before and after.

The next photo shows some denim I am stitching with perle cotton and will be used for a journal cover.  I might be adding some paper inspired by monogami to this piece.

AND I am working on the January lessons from my Joanne Sharpe class 2023 Artfully Inspired Life online course.  Next is a photo from my class book. In the photo is the alphabet from one of my journals of NYC checkered cab alphabet from Joanne Sharp book Artful Alphabets.

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2023/01/slow-sunday-stitching_0329602671.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 This past week I finished the Kawandi mug rug and started another one.

Here is the finish with a saying stitched in the cneter

The center saying says Create Joy Every Day.  

Here are some photos before I stitched it to the center.  I felt it needed something so I added the words.

Now I am working on a Valentne Kawandi mug rug with pinks and purples and reds.  I did the same different start like the last one with sewing machine zigzag around the edge.  I described how I did this in my January 8 Blog post.

AND the last photo....sharing a favorite snack I discovered several months ago.  They are so good.  LIghtly salted and crunchy...yum!

I am linking with Kathy;s Quilts  Slow Sunday Stitching

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2023/01/slow-sunday-stitching_0676946238.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I had a glorious time this afternoon sitting on my patio and stitching on my Kawandi mug rug.

I used a different procedure on this Kawandi.  Here is how I did it:

  I started the mug rug by doing a zig zag stitch on my machine on the outside edge.  Lay the backing right side down, then the batting  then the top fabrics.  I used a jelly roll.  The way I did it was to hang the first strip off the edge and fold the edge of the backing over the batting and the jelly roll raw edge on top.  Start zig zagging and each new piece of jelly roll I folded the edge under.  When I got back to the beginning I folded under the first piece and stitched back to the corner.  It is a very fun and fast way to get a Kawandi style quilt started.  The rest is all hand stitching around and around.  I really really enjoy this type of hand stitching...........perfectly imperfect!  

This last week I have been going through scraps of fabric and sorting in piles according to size.  I stitched various scrap sizes on a muslin base starting with a 5-sided center piece.  The following photos are the first before trimming and the second trimmed to 9".

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2023/01/slow-sunday-stitching_02094618467.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl