Someone's in the basement with Helga....

Hi friends,

I'm a little busy today trying to quilt my Happiness Key Mystery Quilt - designed by Pat Sloan, blogged in tandem with author Emilie Richards fabulous novel...  a trilogy perfect for summer reading... I read a total of 7 of her books this summer.  They were all tough to put down - no wonder I got so little quilting done the past couple of months!

This pic was taken with about half the applique and embroidered words - it looks much better than this now - really!

You can see the results of the other HK quilts and a few assorted challenges along the way at the Flickr group here.  I'll add a pic of my finished quilt as soon as I get the binding on... I promise!!!

Have to get busy so I can party with family tomorrow!

March onward to the finish line... and a bit of Oscar

I finished a few things last month - so I thought I'd post a few pics while I'm thinking about it...

Sue Luxbacher won 12 of these blocks on Feb 28th at the QCE meeting - congratulations, Sue!



RRCB quilt blocks are all done and pressed - hope to get these assembled in March (yikes, better get started!)

  

FATraders Button Doll #1  Lacy Jane

FATraders Button Doll #2  Time Flyer

Cottage Rose class sample finished for Monroeville JoAnns

Inside of new Studio Kat Designs handbag coming out THIS MONTH!!!

Little Blue Bird Quilt - Entered in Three Rivers Quilt Show

Turkey Tracks (Wandering Foot) Also entered in Three Rivers Quilt Show

Finished Studio Kat Designs handbag - front

and back - love that zippered pocket - so easy to make!

Finished these 2 Little Miss Shabby's "Little Bird" Block of the Month

Easy as Pie tote from THE BAG MAKERS BIBLE

ARTIST TRADING CARDS for FATraders swap

 Now, February only had 28 days, or I might have gotten a couple more bags done... I have one cut out and waiting for assembly on the cutting table, so if you'll excuse me, I'll talk about the OSCARS now...

I just want to say that the critics were much too hard on the performances of James Franco and Anne Hathaway - I've been watching the Oscars since the early 60's and I thought this year's presentations were very entertaining.  Altho James Franco looked exhausted (have to wonder about the schedules these entertainers are on since he hopped a plane and didn't even get to enjoy the after parties...) I enjoyed almost every bit of it, including the appearance of Kirk Douglas - whom I did not recognize or understand, but I was glad to see that he's still on his feet and recuperating from a very serious stroke!  Kirk has always been one of my favorite actors - a rags to riches guy with a better pelvis than Elvis!  OH MY!! did I really say that?  I wasn't always this old, ya know?

Gotta go - lots to do today!

Can Can Girls

I promised a few pics of my WIP - the Can Can Girls started as a Pat Sloan Challenge based on Black, White and Yellow in Paris - for which she offered kits with b&w polka dots, a piece of yellow fabric and some ricrac and a few yellow buttons.... and I dilly-dallied around until the very last minute and nearly missed the deadline.. 'cause I had so many deadlines the first two weeks of April, I was a bit over-loaded.
So, here are the pictures of how I developed and am still in the process of completing this little 34"x30 wall hanging - enjoy!

I had a poster at one time by Toulouse-Lautrec the one on the left - you can learn more about this artist by visiting http://www.lautrec.info/ on the web (after you leave a comment for me, of course!)

from these images I drew up a sketch on freezer paper:

and then proceeded to the fabric choices, tracing, etc. to develop the quilt.....

I like the way her leg came out -

and her hat!  I had feathery plumed gray & yellow fabric that I'd been saving for years, and finally knew why!

and here's the quilt as it was on the day of the deadline... not quilted, not bound, not finished... (sigh) click on the pic to see it ....
so I'm still working on it, and I'll post a celebratory blog when it's finished, so check back - I'm about halfway through the quilting.