Rags N Quilts

Archive for July, 2009

First, the last tiara…mine! Well, not actually the last…I am doing more, but of my own design…

What do you think…should I change my avatar to this?????????
Well, believe it or not; I actually have some quilt content tonight. Today my guild had a sew-in, I went and took a project. I whipped up a pattern in EQ6 that was “GO” friendly. Took it, the fabric, “go” cutter and appropriate dies, and sewing machine and assorted paraphernalia. This is my design…simple but striking…lots of space for quilting later. Only I took dark purple instead of black for the background.( My granddaughter Kara loves purple)

I did all the cutting here with the “GO” And then started piecing. I just LOVE how perfect my piecing is….all thanks to the perfect cutting with the ‘GO” New thing for me to have good piecing..LOL

Although, I didn’t get the entire quilt pieced…(due to visiting and running my mouth) I did get it over half done. Here are the star points.
the border pieces

the half square triangle blocks for the star block corners

A completed star block (minus the center purple square I forgot to put in for the photo)

And I even did a kaleidoscope trial block while demo-ing the “GO’ cutter….I should be getting a commission…many went online and ordered today!

And here are all the blocks I finished….
This weekend I should be able to finish the top. Then, back to work getting those videos made.

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We made it out of the airport just before the afternoon storms. Lots of rain on the way home, but that’s OK…at least it waited till the plane was on the ground.

Too much visiting to do to spend much time here, but here are a couple pictures of Princess Fiona with her tiara…her Mom too…
Can you believe they match their tops?? Amazing!

And we have to try it on daddy too…oops upside down!

OK, now it’s right.

After a late dinner and some chat, all are off to bed after a tiring travel day. Tomorrow Fiona gets to spend the day in the pool…and she is chomping at the bit!

Later gators!

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I’m slowly getting all the towels and other linens(sheets, placemats,napkins) done from the girls last week. Fiona and her parents arrive Tuesday. So naturally Fiona and her mother will need tiaras also….you know how it goes, what you do for one you have to do for all!

That’s what I’m doing today (instead of laundry and cleaning…any excuse will do, you know)making two more tiaras. I’m about half done with beading the edge on both of them.
After that’s done, I’ll start on the bling for the body of the tiaras. I wonder which one Fiona will choose? Care to venture a guess? I really like how these two are looking…kind of like sunshine and tropical waters…

Chloe and Harry are just about recovered from the girls visit…good thing to, because Fiona will give them a workout!

The week went soooooooooo fast! First pool pictures…Kara is the tall one, Samantha the short one. no narration…

Kara discovered she loves beading! This is her tee shirt. We made it into a decorative pillow for her room (she collects elephants) and she beaded it all by herself.

And then…the crowns/tiaras They had a ball making these! First Kara in hers…You can’t really tell in the photo, but the edge is beaded and looks like ice crystals.

And Samantha’s. Sam was born on Halloween…hence the orange theme.

Kara modeling the one they made for their step-sister Becky

And their Mom, Kelly with hers that I made.

The queen and crown princesses

Of course they immediately thought of others they needed to “crown”…here is the beginnings of one
And they decided daddy needed one too..as in his words…he is the “King of Nothing”…. ROFLMAO. His house full of girls takes everything he has….Mom and the girls will bead his at home.

We had a great time. All at once it is too short a time, yet just the right amount of time … to be under one roof….for all of us. The ideal? Would be if we all lived closer together so that we could enjoy time together all the time, and still all have our own place to go home to.

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I have started another crown. But this is the last time I will call them crowns. As I originally purcahsed a kit for the first one, there were many things I didn’t like about it. So, I did some research and found TONS of royalty free “tiara” drawings. I have also drawn some of my own. And you can buy foam crown templates at Jo Ann’s, and patterns from simplicity and vogue.

As for the original kit, I didn’t like any of it other than the shape, which I have found that exact shape in 5 other royalty free places. So I figure I can use that shape. The directions and the foundation I pitched…I didn’t like them. So I used my own stuff and developed my own directions. This is the first one. The others will have different shapes…my own drawn shapes. So, before I show you the steps to make this one…..

I’ll make an announcement. I have started a new site where I will post basic instructions to make some of the things I create and some of my quilt designs. Keep in mind, I draft all of my patterns in EQ6 and they are very simple. I like to use basic, simple designs and embellish them with applique, the quilting, and other mixed media type stuff . So if you’re looking for complex patterns, this will NOT be the place for you. It will also assume you have basic cutting, piecing and applique skills. So don’t be emailing me with questions about basic skills. I will provide more in depth instruction with some of the art techniques. But keep in mind this will all be free…and you get what you pay for (;>)… that means, no hand holding. If you can figure it out from what I post…it’s yours to use how you like. If not, it’s not my problem.

That said, I’m hoping to have the site up and available by the end of the month. I’ll post the opening here.

So, now to my latest tiara. I will have several patterns and instructions for some varieties of these on the new site.

OK, first cut out your shape from peltex (I use the NON-fusible, because it’s easier to work with (IMHO)
Then I fuse wonder-under to 2 fat quarters (one for the front and one for the back) and fuse them to each side of the peltex

The leftover fused fabrics and an accent (also with fusible)

Next, you cut the shapes for the front of your tiara. I am using a shape on one of my “GO” cutter dies here. I have also cut some on the Sizzix Big Kick.

fabrics with fusible folded over the shape to be cut.

cutting mat in place

rolling it thru the cutter
Voila!

Next fabric folded over the shapes I want to cut

cutting mat in place and rolling it thru the “GO” cutter

and here are my circles..2 sizes (and a few bonus shapes from the fold that I’ll save for use in another project)

fused to the tiara

next I stitch the edges to secure them
this is opal dust….glitter in an acrylic polymer base. Much better than glue..doesn’t attract bugs. Drys clear too. i fix it after it’s dry with a textile medium mixed with versatex fixer and let it dry.

nice sparkle! Really spectacular on dark fabrics.

And of course, my helper Harry!

All dry and fixed.

There’s also gold dust….I think the girls will use this on their tiara’s.

Bias binding for the lower edge.
And, then the fun stuff to be added

All finished the machine work. Now to add the bling!
oops, forgot to show you the velcro on the back…makes it adjustable.

And, I’ve started adding the bling. I bead the top edge first and then will go back and add crystals and other beads and special sequins to the appliques. I’ll post a photo when I’m done.
So, keep watching for the launch of my new site!

Have a great night, be back soon.

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