The Artful Dodger

Cathedral Window Mini Quilt

 

I love cathedral window quilt patches.  I made this mini 10 inch square quilt of cream colored polished cotton and different flower motifs all cut from the same fabric scrap.  It isn't really quilted, but the flower pieces are sewn in by hand.  To finish it I just added a little bit of lace.  The buttons were sewn on to cover any corners that were less than perfect.  I saw a draw string purse made of cathedral windows with a background fabric of gray.  I think I'd like to make a purse of some kind with black as the background and black, white and primary color inserts.

Square Lap Quilts - Fish and Fat Quarter

 

I thought I would show you a couple of the square lap quilts I have made.  I like to make them about  43 to 44 inches square so I don't have to piece fabric for the quilt back.  The bright one on the left is made from large squares with two strips on the right and bottom, added log cabin style.  After joining the squares I added strips of the main fabric to the top and left side to make it balance.  I machine quilted it and added binding.

The quilt on the right was inspired by the fat quarter in the center.  I squared the fat quarter to 18 x 18 inches and started adding borders, pulling colors from the fat quarter.  I used the last of the fat quarter in the center of each side border.  It, too, was machine quilted and bound.

I love making these small quilts with fabrics from my stash.  I always feel good when I make something without having to buy anything new.

Grey and White Patchwork

   

A dive back into my box of pre-cut 5 inch squares has turned up 2 shades of solid grey and an interesting grey on white floral.  Instead of just using the squares as they are, I think I'll go with half square triangles this time.  The center square above looks good.  I tried to go even smaller in the square in the upper right corner but the cuts aren't precise enough to go so small.  I think I'll make a couple of bedside table toppers to give my bedroom a different look.  I've been thinking about going all black and white and grey.  Years ago I had a bathroom done in black and white tiles and I had grey rugs, towels and curtains and I quite liked the look.

Failed Donation Quilt

 

I often make donation quilts and afghans for various local charities.  This one was made up of some nine patch quilt squares I had originally made to cut up for stuffed animals.  I always like to take photos so I can remember the quilts.  It wasn't until I was actually looking at the photo that I realized I had inadvertantly built in a pink swastika.  The swastika is a symbol from neolithic times that is still used in Indian culture and Dharmic religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. So I hope who ever received this quilt never notices and isn't offended in any way.  This is all the more reason why you should always place a quilt on a design wall and look at it for a while before you sew it together.  Glaring errors in composition will jump right out at you.

Crocheted Wash Cloth

 

I crocheted another cotton wash cloth.  I enjoy making them because they're finished quickly and give almost instant gratification.  But I always have to find someone to give them to because I use a sponge to wash dishes and a net pouf to bath with, but that doesn't stop me from making them.

Lavendar Patchwork Lap Quilt

 

Once again I've dived into my box of pre-cut 5 inch squares and started a new lap quilt.  The top is all done, now I just have to decide how to finish it - machine or tie quilted?  I think I might tie quilt it with little white buttons everywhere the corners meet.  The advantage of using buttons is it covers up any corners where the seams aren't a perfect match.

Cutter Quilt from Ebay

 

I was looking for a quilt I could cut up and use parts of in other crafts.  I got this cutter quilt on Ebay for a few dollars but when I saw it, I couldn't bring myself to cut it.  It's completely hand sewn and tie quilted and stain and damage free.  It's a good size for a lap quilt and now I use it to cover my legs when sitting reading in the Arctic temperatures we keep in the house.  It's made of traditional bowtie blocks and I love how scrappy it is.

Nostalgic Rice Sack Pig

 

While looking for some muslin in my fabric stash closet, I came across this pig made from a rice sack.  Mother and I used to make them years ago to sell at craft shows.  I believe Mom used to get the sacks from a rice packing plant near Crowley, LA, the Rice Capitol of the World.  I think he'd look better with a red or navy bow. 

Crocheted Potholders

 

I can't tell you how many sets of these potholders I have made.  This is my idle hands project I make when my fingers are itching to work but I can't decide what to make.  I use three yarns, one variegated and two other solids that appear in the variegated.  They start with a simple ring of single crochet, then I work 3 single crochets in one of the stitches in the ring and keep working back and forth with 3 stitches in the center single crochet on each round and I only work in the back loop of each row to give it a rippled texture.  I make potholders of the variegated yarn and each of the solids and one of the two solids together.  With two worsted weight yarns held together and the ripple pattern they make well insulated potholders. 

New Cookbook - Cookies

 

I recently got a new cookbook called Cookies - 1,001 Mouthwatering Recipes from around the World.  I picked it up at Barnes & Noble on the discount rack.  It has all the standard cookie recipes you'd expect plus many variations and some recipes with totally unexpected ingredients  like rosemary, white wine, rose water, grape juice and sour cream.  So far I've made iced lemon cookies and chocolate-nutmeg cookies that have freshly ground nutmeg in them and remind me of shortbread only chocolate.  There are about a hundred pages of drop and bar cookies, the lazy cook's favorite.

The Downtown Aquarium

 

I had to share one more photo from the Aquarium Restaurant.  This shot of the octopus and the sunfish looks like some alien loping across the land with the disembodied head of Chairman Mao (wearing a filly collar) in hot pursuit.

The Downtown Aquarium Restaurant

 

If you've never been to Houston's downtown Aquarium Restaurant, you've missed out on a fun place to have dinner.  There are huge aquariums in the restaurant itself, a white tiger exhibit, a train ride that goes through a tunnel under an enormous tank full of sharks, a fairway with carnival type games, a ferris wheel, a merry-go-round (or flying horses for those New Orleanians among you), a walk through aquarium exhibit where you can pet baby sharks, starfish and sting rays, and much more.  And the food is very good too.  Above is Brett pretending to be attacked by a white tiger and below is him looking up through the children's tunnel that runs under the sting ray tank.

Japanese Paper Dolls

 

I have a set of instructions for making little Japanese paper dolls using origami paper for their kimonos and black crepe paper for their hair.  Their bodies are just little strips of card stock and their heads are circles punched from the same. They range in size from 2.5 to 4.5 inches.  As you can see, two are mounted on books marks.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the other two yet.  I thought of making a set of note cards with the little dolls on the front and lining the envelopes with origami paper that matches their gowns. It's hard to see the detail (I caught them in the last of the evening's sunrays) but they each have one or two collars for under kimonos and an obi sash.  I have some instructions for little boy dolls I haven't tried out yet.

The Smart Shopping for Lights

 

Here's the Smart out shopping for a new chandelier for its home in the garage.

Baby Herons in the Yard

 

We rescued a baby Yellow Crested Night Heron last weekend and yesterday his siblings were all wandering around in the backyard, but they can fly.  There were four of them.  I thought the baby from the other nest had flown away, so either he hasn't left yet or they found a new friend. The photos aren't great because I was afraid of startling them and I took the shots through a slightly opened door.  It was only 4:30 in the afternoon and I was surprised to see them.  The adults usually only leave the trees after dark.  They were pecking about for food, so I hope they aren't hungry.