June is fast disappearing!!!    But what a great month!

             I am honored to be a  Featured Artist at our 

              Lewiston local library    for the whole summer!

They have graciously put on display 59 pieces of my artwork. Some

are hung on walls, some are on stands in cubby boxes. Some are

in a glass class where wondering hands can't touch!

On July 29th I will be doing a special presentation. A little on history

of Crazy Quilts, my passion.   I will have two antique crazy quilts with me.

But the big surprise will be, my large 2020Challenge, His Love Story

In the Stars Quilt. It will hang on a stand with wheels, so I can turn it 

around and show the back. My hubby will have to help me cart it 

in to the library!!!

I will have a sing-in book, free pens, some handouts for the guests.

 

 

And that's not all the good news for this month!!! 

Remember the 2020Challenge by Sharon Boggon? 

I have just published my story of my 2020Challenge Crazy Quilt,

His Love Story in the Stars!

You can see in the upper left corner of my blog, a link to go to which enables

you to buy your very own copy. For all who participated in this

challenge, and some still working on theirs, you know this was a

huge effort. Not only was it the biggest quilt I ever made, but also with the 

goal of 2,020 unique embellishments! Well, I am pleased to say that

my total count is 3,865!!!! Good thing I kept a notebook journal of

my progress.

So I thank you in advance for any who go to purchase my magazine.

You will help encourage me to write another one maybe next year!!!

Last weekend, for my birthday, which was on Sunday, Father's Day, 

Sandy surprised me with a day trip to Dayton, Washington on 

Saturday. It was hot and windy, but we had a great time.

Well over 200 classic cars to admire and yes we saw some we have 

had in the past. Old trucks, a Corvair, an Impala and even we had

as our last car, a Town Car like the one pictured, only ours was green.

Our car now is another Town Car, which is getting close to 20 years

old...almost a classic itself!!!

But for me,  the best was finding a brand new Quilt store, having their 

Grand Opening!!!!          Dayton Quilt Co. 

Amy, the owner, was just the most out-going and friendly person to meet.

Their web site is: www.daytonquilts.com 

Here's some of the fabrics I bought:

Found this glass basket at a garage sale. 

So, I think that's enough excitement for one month. I will 

do a post next month after my presentation. We bring the

quilts home on August 27th.  I have also been asked to do a

presentation/trunk show for my local guild in September.

And of course, September is fair month, and I better get busy

if I want to enter something!!!!

Thanks as always for visiting my blog. A little longer than my

 usual, but so many fun things to share.

Have a great summer....and Happy Stitching

BJ Sandusky

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60882932@N06/

   

Exciting news today in my crazy quilt world!!! In our local Lewiston Library I have an opportunity to showcase 49 pieces of my artwork! It not only happens to be the year of the Library's 125th year, but America's 250th Anniversary!!!  Earlier this year, Lynn the director at the library suggested I should do a piece on the 250th....and of course I couldn't resist!!! The fabric tabs at the top, is called Starts and Stripes!

 

This is the back panel!

When I did the presentation last summer, we were targeting April, but it would be only two months. Then earlier this year, Lynn said let's move it to the summer months, for three months!!!!

Sandy helped me take in four suitcases and a couple tote bags to layout on their tables. Their were two gentlemen who immediately started pulling from the tables what they wanted where. Instead of keeping themes together they went with playing colors off each other. One of the men is an art teacher!

Enclosed in an glass case, are some smaller items.

Some of the smaller pieces, were stood up against a bookend, above the shelves out of reach of young hands!

My first pictures posted on Facebook, didn't have the identifier tags, but they did get listed.

Titles, dates when made and mixed media, crazy quilted.

My very first Under the Sea (UTS) that I learned to do in Judith Baker Montano's class in her home studio.

 A total of 49 pieces of artwork are on display...98% are all ribboned from one fair or another over the 29 years!

I will be doing a presentation on July 29th...and Sandy has talked me into describing my 2020 Challenge!

"HIS LOVE STORY IN THE STARS"

Started on this project, as a challenge from Sharon Boggon in June of 2017!

I will do part of my presentation on how I made this quilt. If you still would like a copy of the Crazy Quilt Magazine about this piece: it is a print on demand, Just click on the highlight above.

I will have 2 or 3 projects in the Lewiston fair in September again. You will have to wait for the post on those! And I also will be doing a trunk show for our local Seaport Guild in late September!!

So Excited....so Grateful!!!

As always Happy Stitching...and be sure to check out my Flickr site too for more pictures, up close!

BJ Sandusky

 

 

Well, I don't know about you, but it's hard to believe that another New Year is really here!!! I thought I would do a blog on the past years accomplishments/projects. For last years ribbons you can scroll down to the last post, September 25, 2025. Some of those projects, entered in 4 different fairs around my area, were older projects never entered in anything before. 

So here is what I worked on year 2025, not necessarily in the order that I made them. 

I did a lot of experimenting this year. One was working on small projects, on canvas. 

These were fun to do, and have collected more canvas boards to try more.

I was featured in the Inspiration magazine. One artist I followed this year, was Jennifer Clouston. I just love watching her videos and seeing how she uses stitches in different ways. The bottom right two were practice pieces from learning her stitches. 

Then I tried a small piece, no title! but I loved the look, so I framed it, and put it in the fair in September!

Then I did a themed piece, called "Jesus spoke to Apostle Paul why don't we listen?" This one was a joy to make, and also to win a First Place ribbon in September!

Also inspired by Jennifer Clouston, I did this spool as a logo piece for my passion.

Called, Sew Crazy For you!

Another artist I followed this year, is Nichole Vogelsinger

Both of these projects were fun and challenging to do. Will put them in the fair this year!

I also made a stocking for Sandy this year...another ribbon in September!!!! Hangs in his office!

Probably my pride and joy, was this piece. One of the most challenging and difficult pieces to put together, which makes it's First Place ribbon really appreciated. 

My mother was an artist from childhood herself, and she did many different mediums like oils, acrylics and water colors. But when we were stationed in Japan, 1957-1961, she learned Charcoal drawings from an old Japanese man. I am thankful to have about 11 of them, my sisters have the rest. Since they are quite big, 11 by 14", I can't hang them all....so the next best thing was to put them in the quilt above....

Here's one of them up close! 

I took a class late September, locally at a quilt store. It was a landscape quilting class.

Though the class finished their projects with traditional quilting, I finished mine more with crazy quilting in mind. The teacher did feature an artist I have followed, Karen Eckmeier, which I have several of her books. In fact, two of my works had already been featured in Fairs. 

I call this one, "Autumn in the Palouse" and it got a ribbon in 2023.

And this one, "Summer in the Palouse" also got a ribbon in 2023.

And last, but not least....a gift for a special friend. We hired Sean for work in the house a couple years ago. He totally remodeled our kitchen laundry room, and 3 bathrooms.

Then this year, he helped with putting in a fire pit in back yard...

And then added steps and railing to our front yard. 

So Sandy suggested I make him and his family a gift. He had a couple pictures in his phone when Sean and family had been in Hawaii...

so...Beach landscapes another favorite of mine...

Well, I hope I didn't leave anything out. There is a quilt on my table, ready for backing, but I took the month of December off from sewing. So it will be my first finished piece in 2026!!! But there's already another quilt in mind to follow that one. Unlike some quilters, I only work on one project at a time. So I collect ideas, pictures, fabrics in a file to remind me what the next piece will be....so stay tuned for those this year!!!

Happy New Year to all who follow me....

and as always, 

Happy Stitching

BJ Sandusky 

My Flickr site