Crooked Gulley Art Quilts

The Italian Quilt ... I've started the quilt for our queen size bed. The design is based on our wonderful trip to Italy this past fall. The part that covers the bed is my interpretation of the beautiful marble floor and frescos we saw in the duomos. I am going to build the quilt in sections and then sash it all together. So... I'm about ready to build the quilt sandwich (add the batting and backing) and start the machine quilting. I will stabilize it all together by stitching down all the seam lines with a walking foot, hiding the stitches by stitching in the ditch starting in the center and working out. Then I will put in the free motion quilting... This is where I need help/ideas!  I have no idea what the design should be! 

I've just finished two wall hangings.  This first one is for my niece who has a cabin at Lake Tahoe. As you explore around the lake you will see clumps of Aspen, which are a beautiful sight in the fall. I relied on my memory of the aspens to create this art quilt. It is a modified confetti method. This piece measures about 16X28". I used a batik background and drew in shadowy trees with a black sharpie. The aspen trunks are Stonehenge marble fabric. I also used some fine point pens to draw in details of the bark. I used a black thread to do an uneven zig-zag on the left side of the trunks to create a shadow and give dimension.  The leaves are done with another Stonehenge marble. I cut pieces with pinking shears. I used a  basting spray on the background fabric and then laid the leaf sections on the tacky surface. To make sure it was all secure, I overlaid a dark gray netting and then zig-zagged the edges of the leaves with gold metallic thread. This next art qu...

Pattern found in Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang. The pillow measures 16”x16”. The back has a velcro closure. A pocket on the back holds the dolls wardrobe. The clothes stay on the doll because they all have flannel fused on the back. Reminds me of the old flannel boards from kindergarten! Hugs from Mary

          We just got back from a beautiful trip through the Tuscan region of Italy. Everything was more fabulous than I ever imagined it would be. We traveled with another couple and did it all on our own. No guided tours... we just followed my husband and hoped he knew what he was doing, as he hadn't been to Italy in 43 years! I'm needing to make a quilt for our bed as a remembrance of the trip. I've got it nearly worked out in my head and just need to do some sketches, review pictures, buy fabric,..... it is all just so overwhelming! I know I want the main part of the quilt to be a depiction of the different marble floors we saw in the Duomos. I took lots of pictures of church floors!  These first two pictures are from areas of the Vatican Museum. I think I was the only one looking down... Here you see the floors of San Marco in Venice. As I was taking the pictures water was creeping in to flood parts of the church during high tide. Just amazin...

Getting Ready For Italy! We're planning a trip to Italy in September with another couple. We'll be gone for nearly a month, flying into Rome and out of Venice with a two week stay at a Tuscan villa near Lucca. Of course looking chic is a must! I posted earlier that I was working on a stylish fanny pack... Here is mine completed. The pattern is Sew 'n Go Hip Purse by joyofsewing.com  .  I did a few thing differently, but basically followed the pattern. The front pleats allow the purse to expand as you stash stuff in it. My friend, Kate wants one also, and suggested it would make a fine birthday present! She requested red and black. Lucky for her I had these glitzy scraps! I crazy quilted a big chunk, went down the seams with gold metallic thread using one of my fancy machine stitches, and cut out the pattern. The top opens with a heavy duty black and gold zipper. Inside a zippered pocket divides the purse into two sections. The back side has a zippered poc...

Two new projects completed. First... a wedding present: It is similar to a previous wall hanging. The bride has just gotten a teaching position in 1st grade. Being a retired 1st grade teacher, I just had to also make a quilt for the kids to sit on in her reading corner. It measures 42"x36". The quilt should add a bright splash of color to the classroom. I love thinking about all the sweet kids who are going to learn to read while snuggling with it. That's it for now. Hugs from Mary

Hello... I've been busy and a neglectful blogger! Shame on me! However, I have not neglected my sweet sewing machine! Just finished a tote bag for my daughter, Amber. She is a high school librarian. Take a look at the picture and you'll see why I had to play with this fabric and make a few things for her... She was surprised to see her calico cat in the corner of the bag. The pictures show both sides of the tote bag and clutch purse. This was so much fun to make! I also made a quilt out of the fabric and will blog it soon. Hugs from Mary