FALL IS DEFINITELY ARRIVED!!! 44 DEGREES THIS MORNING WHEN WE GOT UP!!!!

 I did get house cleaning done this morning, so I can get back to my favorite room!!! Let's get caught up!!!

 Just finished with our local Lewiston County Fair!! I had submitted 6 quilts and all got a ribbon....

and here they are:

This is my 2020 Challenge Quilt, Titled "His Love Story in the Stars." It was exciting to see this quilt finally get some recognition!!! First place Ribbon.

This one above, is titled, "Fly me to the Moon", for the song. First Place Ribbon.

This one is titled "Undersea Aquarium", which was inspired by Barbara Nicki Seavey from whom I get all those laces!!! First Place Ribbon

 Titled, "Spooky Halloween" Second Place Ribbon.

Titled, "Pumpkin Fall Colors" Second Place Ribbon.

Last, but not least, titled "On the Road to Damascus" First Place Ribbon.

We have all seen the big barn quilt blocks in our travels. I have always wanted to do a crazy quilt block and hang it outside next to my yellow sewing room door. My hubby was going to try to paint one on a board, but couldn't figure how to really do it. Then he told me about it, and I tried to see if cloth on a board, with Mod Podge would work. But didn't like the effect. But in the mean time, I decided to do a block in pink, simply because I hadn't worked in pink for a long time!!

So this is the block I was working on earlier this summer. I thought it represents a typical block that we might do today. 

Then I remembered on Amazon you can have any picture put on a metal board. Permanent and safe in the elements, though mine is under an eve so won't really get wet.

And here it is!!! When I have it on the wall I will put up a picture then!!!

This summer I met a sweet lady quilter at her garage sale. She was selling some of her quilts and some of her paintings. She offered me to see her sewing room, but I got her card and set a date later in the week.

She is such a phenomenal lady! Arleen is her name, and she has done over 400 quilts, lots of ribbons, and has sold or given away many of them. When I went over for a visit, we didn't stop talking for about 7 hours!!!! We found we had so many things in common that we felt like we have always known each other!!!

Here's a picture in here living room with some of her work:

If you look closely you can see ribbons on most of these. Her whole house is so decorated with her art work. 

Even her back yard:

The concrete wall was put up by neighbors behind her, so she painted the whole water scene!!!

So Arleen has inspired me to put all my ribbons on my pieces and hang them to be seen. She has hundreds of ribbons, and she didn't want to have to point out each piece as someone made a comment. I thought that was so smart.

Here's my Wall of Ribbons, 29 now, long ways to go to catch up with Arleen!!!

This is the hallway to my sewing rooms, with left door to a bathroom. 

Back of sewing room door, I recently got this baggie from Amazon, to hold all my "puffy" yarns!!!

This is inside my sewing/classroom, leading to the utility room. I use skirt hangers to hand quilts on. They have a middle loop for the next hanger. 

On the right, is my sewing room door, with quilts. and then on the wall, more quilts.

On opposite wall, my hubby put up these pegs and the clamps we found at Home Depot, where Arleen told me about them. Some of my quilts do get a little heavy!!!

On the door entering the bathroom, white vest made back in 1999!

Inside wall of bathroom...

Side wall, next to sink and counter.

Sandy wanted a piece done to commemorate a vacation we had take to Arizona one year, so I made this for him. "Arizona Memories" hangs in his office, and received a Second Place Ribbon. 

This one, titled "Yellowstone Memories", for our trip during their 150 Anniversary; received a First Place Ribbon. Hangs in above stairs to basement, seen in our living room.

This the Undersea Aquarium, hanging on one of two bars in the hallway. I change out what to hang here by season or whatever!!!

I finally have a "safe" way to hang my Constellation quilt..it has wheels, which makes it really convenient to roll in place. I will now be able to take it with me when I teach a class. The quilt always has to be folded with a bed sheet covering the front, or the embellishments would catch on each other. 

Last one, I started this quilt in 2007 when taking my first or four classes from Judith Baker Montano, but it took me five years to finish it. It has four 12 by 12 blocks, sewn together, the inner seams are embellished to hide them. This was an award at an Art Show in Pocatello. When I get some more clamps it too will hang!!!

Thanks for following me on my crazy quilt/fiber art journey...who knows where it will take me next year!!!

Happy Stitching,

BJ Sandusky 

Sew Crazy For You!!!

 

Who can ever believe that this is actually 2024!!!                                              

I am sure many of you are planning on some new projects this year...or maybe finishing up some unfinished projects... 

My previous post I had shown the projects that took ribbons for that year!!! 

This year was a tough year for me! I started the month of January with hip pain. It was so bad I couldn't hardly spend much time in my sewing room and use the stairs to get there!

I was on the waiting list for surgery for four months! But it was worth the wait. Dr. Adam Jellinek is the best in town and therefore the wait!!! Had surgery at end of May. And immediately started feeling better. Once I was healed from surgery all pain was gone!!! Thank the Good Lord!!!

So I was so happy to be healthy and functioning again, I do what I do best!! Start a new project...this time a thank you gift for my surgeon...He had told me that his favorite color is red...so, I chose this color palette!

I really like the Christian song, Dry Bones Rattling so I used the words in the song as my theme!

I printed a few of the phrases on to fabric, and placed them on the quilt. 

Here you can see a skeleton and upper right a picture of a hip replacement!!!

This is the finished piece...before backing and border...

And this is the completed project. Needless to say, he was totally thrilled with the piece. It still hangs in his office and he shows if off to his patients.  Oh, and by the way, I had not known ahead of time, but he is a Christian also!!! Who knew!!!

The summer was slow for me in that I was healing all through it. 

One day towards the end of summer, I heard the song, Fly me to the Moon on the radio. I suddenly felt like the song is more of a love song to my Lord. So my mind completely went to some of my favorite colors...

Naturally, after making the Constellation Quilt, His Love Story in the Stars, I still have a ton of fabrics with stars and planets!!! So I started going through my stash to see what colors I could come up with!

And this is what came together...Lines from the song and related Bible quotes put on fabric to create the theme!!!

What is amazing, I didn't buy much embellishments for this quilt/wall hanging. Though all my laces come from Barbara Nicki Seavey  She really is the best!!!

I tried some new "slow stitching" on these two pictures!!!

Below I got really lucky finding this fabric on line one day!!!!

And it just fit the back of my quilt perfectly!!!

The tabs were made  from the back fabric!!!

Even before I finished this project at the end of the year, more colors were calling to me!!!

 

I mean, it was October...and I just love this colors in the fall especially!!!

This is called Happy Halloween...leaf on the left and pumpkin on the right. I am experimenting with using different elements in my work. Hence, the piece of driftwood on the lower left and one to hang it with!!!

And when in JoAnn's I couldn't pass up some beautiful Halloween fabric. So I tried something new for me. I bought about a half yard, I think. I cut out just what I wanted to highlight. And then went to embellishing it!

So added, some trims, hot fixed crystals, and other glass beads in the pumpkins eyes!

Also, two real tree limbs are covered in sparkly yarns and attached. A wonderful blending of two or three yarns to make a trim! Both of these last two projects are on cardboard for hanging. This one is titled Spooky Halloween!!!

So not a very productive year in number of projects, but I am pleased with the ones I did!!!

I will be participating in the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2024 this year. With the project I have in mind, I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can handle!!! Time will tell!

I think the last time I did a Journal project was 2020!!! Click here to see their page, Crazy quilt Journal 2020!!!

Well, Happy New Year, and as always I appreciate you following me. I will give you one tidbit to watch for...I am working on my book for the "His Love Story in the Stars" project!!! Stay tuned.

Happy Stitching, 

BJ Sandusky

My Flickr site:

 2023 FAIR DAY!!!

IT WAS A WONDERFUL FUN YEAR AT THE FAIR THIS YEAR AGAIN...BELOW IS MY "UNDER THE SEA" WITH A FIRST PLACE RIBBON AND A CREATIVITY ROSETTE!!!

SANDY HAND MADE THIS CREATIVE FROG BY HAND, AND RECEIVED A FIRST PLACE RIBBON AND A CREATIVITY ROSETTE!!!

"LOOK FOR THE SIGNS" RECEIVED A SECOND PLACE RIBBON!!!

"MERMAID UNDER THE SEA" RECEIVED A FIRST PLACE RIBBON!!!

"SUMMER IN THE PALOUSE" RECEIVED A FIRST PLACE RIBBON!!!

"UNDER THE SEA QUADRUPLED" RECEIVED A SECOND PLACE RIBBON,  ALONG WITH A GIFT CERTIFICATE AT PATRICK'S YARN AND FABRIC STORE! 

"AUTUMN IN THE PALOUSE" RECEIVED A FIRST PLACE RIBBON!!!!

 

TO MAKE IT EASIER TO SEE EACH PICTURE, BELOW I WILL POST SOME CLOSE-UP PICTURES AND SOME DESCRIPTIONS...

LEFT BOTTOM CORNER, CRUNCHING UP VELVET MAKES IT LOOK LIKE CORRAL REEFS!

LOTS OF TYPES OF YARN AND STITCHING LOOKS LIKE UNDER SEA WEEDS!!!

NEXT IS "LOOK FOR THE SIGNS"...

I LOVE WORKING WITH BLUE AND PURPLE...

I BOUGHT THE CENTERPIECE FROM ZEN TO ZANY, WITH PERMISSION TO USE IT IN MY QUILT PIECE. 

THE PEACOCK LACE IS FROM BARBARA NICKI SEAVEY WHO DYES WONDERFUL LACE PIECES USED IN ALL MY ARTWORK!

NEXT I LIKE TO CALL "THE MERMAID UNDER THE SEA"

THE MERMAID WAS PAINTED BY ANNETTE GRAVES FOR ME!!

"SUMMER IN THE PALOUSE" IS NEXT...

THIS WAS A FUN PIECE, FOUND THE WHEELS ON ETSY. USED SOME DRIFTWOOD, GLUED TO FELT, ADDED TONS OF FRENCH KNOTS AND THEN WAS ABLE TO SEW TO THE WHOLE PIECE!

THE BROWN FABRIC MIMICS THE WHEELS!

LOTS OF ROCK BEADS ARE ADDED UNDER THE TREES ABOVE AND BELOW!

THE BUNCHES OF BEADS MIMIC CLOUDS!!!

NEXT IS THE "AUTUMN OF THE PALOUSE"...

PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD AGAIN WITH FRENCH KNOTS!!!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, "UNDER THE SEA, QUADRUPLED!"

THIS WAS A FUN PIECE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOW UNDER THE SEA IN VARIOUS COLORS!!!

THE FUZZY YARN WAS FUN TO WORK WITH...JUST TACK DOWN AND ADD A FEW BEADS!!!

WELL I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE JOURNEY WITH ME!!! I AM ALREADY WORKING ON SOME GOOD SURPRISES FOR NEXT YEAR!!!!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY JOURNEY OVER THE YEARS, CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO MY FLICKR SITE FOR PAST AWARDS! NOW UP TO 23!!!!

HAPPY STITCHING!!! AND THANKS FOR THE VISIT!!!!

BJ SANDUSKY