Twenty Years in the Garden....Progress

Ohhhhh it has been fun!

The mid-ground area is about completed.  I brought the number of sunflowers up to twenty (people were counting them!)  Then I finished the hydrangeas, zinnias, and marigolds, and some tall grass.  Remodeled the little yellow house a bit too, but it needs more work...

About those grasses...

I love this ribbon by my friend Vicki Day.
But it was too poofy for how far back in the composition it is, so I just lightly stitched over it with clear thread and I think it worked.  ;-)

See, there it has been flattened, but not too much.

I've shown this to a few people and every single one of them counted the sunflowers, so now there are 20 of them.

We always leave them to go to seed for the birds in fall.  Doesn't take them long to eat everything!

The middle border has the annuals I always sneak into Robert's vegetable patch...

This year will be no different!

I gave the house a little more detail work, but it's not done yet.

But for now, it is time to decide which crops to plant.
Just like in real life!

**Remember, this quilt is for the "Twenty" contest to benefit the Quilt Alliancce.  You have plenty of time to create your entry! Guidelines are here.**

"Twenty Years in the Garden"

Val and I have sent in our manuscript!  There is much work left to do before it is published in May 2014...but almost all of it is C & T's job at this point.  ;-) Which means that after 15 months, I can turn my attention to something else. And blog about it!

So it has been so much fun to begin my quilt for this year's annual fundraiser/contest for the Quilt Alliance (formerly named The Alliance for American Quilts, but now it has gone international--hence the name change.)  The theme is "Twenty", to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Quilt Alliance.

The guidelines for entering are here.  I hope you will do it!

I've been itching to do an embroidered landscape, so I chose to depict "Twenty Years in the Garden".  We've actually lived here for 22 years now, but it's close enough...

I thought I would just post a series of photos showing the process...

I'm "planting" favorites that have recurred through the years: the sunflowers under the alder tree, hygrangeas that I love but Robert doesn't, always a border of zinnias....of course, the beds in the foreground are for our favorite vegetables....

Nice to be back here with you!

Shauna's Gift

I have a very generous, warm-hearted friend.

Shauna's mother saved her mother's linens for years and years.  After her mother passed away, Shauna has slowly gone through her things and has decided to part with some of them.  When I saw her recently in California, she gave me a large bag full of treasure.

I've become more and more interested in incorporating vintage textiles into my work--just ask eBay about all the quilt blocks and fabrics I've been bidding on.  This lace trove here will keep me engaged for months.

There are doilies....

...and more doilies.

Lots and lots of the lace is crocheted.  Isn't that rick rack neat in its lace incarnation?

Some of the pieces are very fine and very old.

Just breathtaking to me, from another age entirely.

I can't wait to get to work with these new elements.  The second book is coming along very well, so I'll be able to venture forth into this new direction in a little while....

Thanks for stopping by!  I know I've been rather piano lately.....

Thanks...

Happy New Year, my friends!

It has been difficult not to blog here as freely as I used to...but when our book is done this coming May, I know Val and I will both be so glad to re-enter our blogging circle of fellow stitchers again with our works in progress...Unfortunately, I have to wait to blog what I'm doing for a months more.....

I will say we have had so much fun creating together, and truly look forward to offering our ideas and efforts to you all!

So for the moment, I just want to say.....

 Thanks

7" X 9"

by Allison Aller, 2013

Christmas 1994

Returned from the Broderie Perse and cut-out lettering days of 18 years ago.....a Christmas greeting to you all from the sewing room of 1994.

 

And to All a Good-Night

11" X 19"

Hope your Holidays are Bright! 

New Class Samples

I've been having fun embellishing my Crazy Pieced Heart Block and also making a new "Frame It With Flowers" class sample, this time honoring my husband's family.  Have a look!

This block has a whole new incarnation when it is quilted and then embellished!

This is such a simple project, but what a fantastic gift it could be....!  You still have plenty of time to get one done before Christmas.

...and....Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!