Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Skeleton Flower

I'm still plugging away, bit by bit, on Blooming Horrors. The ghost head and the apple green skeleton flower haven't been appliqued on yet. Those pieces are still safety pinned on and I'm using long silk pins to hold down the edge I'm working on. Yes, I still use long pins. I tried some of those itty bitty sequin pins and couldn't stand them -- too small for my stubby fingers.

The little ogre head wasn't a part of the original plan, but I needed more light colors on the left side. He looks like he belongs where the wild things are. The heads are all from that Nancy Wolff fabric that I made Halloween Faces from.

The round flower will probably end up with another circle on top.

I got the idea for the skeleton flowers by looking through my inspiration folder and finding this great little piece by Gwen Marston called Two Birds. Gwen used to have a folk art applique quilt in every issue of Ladies Circle Patchwork and Quilting. I saved all of them.

We had all sorts of commotion at our apartment building this morning. Our upstairs neighbors are either moving out or moving a lot of belongings. One of the multi-story box lifters was right outside our window and the cats were mesmerized and a bit skittish, what with that platform whizzing up and down and the slamming and banging upstairs. I intended to go out and take photos but they surprised me by finishing up by 10 am.

We finished House Season 2 and started on season 3 last night. I have a love/hate relationship with that show. Love Hugh Laurie immensely and he's a stitch, even if House is a true jackass. I watch it for him and that character. The baby doctors still annoy the hell out of me and even Cutty and Wilson are getting obnoxious. House saves someone every single week and yet they still doubt him and have to carry on and fight so hard every time? And he's always right? Always. This show needs to change it up some.

Gotta go out into the world now and buy some bread. The boulangerie on our block is still closed for the summer holiday so I have to hike a bit further to get to the Paul's down in the market. I like their bread, even if the shop is the French equivalent of McDonald's. (The food is better, but it's franchising all over the place, including the states.) I was a baaad girl yesterday and scarfed the entire loaf down all by myself. Have to make it up to my hubby today and make sure he has his bread. That whole not-eating-bread thing of mine sure didn't last long.

p.s. Anonymous, it was great to get your comment. Don't let the Quilt Police get you down. Keep on making quilts to make you happy, not them. Quilts do not have to be square, they do not have to be perfect, they just have to be made with love.

21 comments:

Lynda said...

Your Halloween quilt is so cute! I am working on my baby's quilt. I've got the top finished, but don't know how to do the actual quilting part. Lol. Anyway, keep up the good work! Looks great!

Unknown said...

Your P.S. is great--so very, very true. Keep on spreading that gospel!

Jan said...

I have so many inspiration photos cut from those old Ladies Circle Patchwork and Quilting magazines!! That publication never looked as enticing on the stand as many of the newer glossies, but it was always chock full of fabulous antique quilts...and, as you mentioned, lots of articles by Gwen (and Joe.)
Your quilt is loads of fun!

Ms. Jan said...

This quilt just keeps on getting better and better and better. I'm so happy to see its continuing development.

Gypsy Quilter said...

Tonya, I'm curious, did the "eye in the hand" come from Stephen King's book "Night Shifts?"

jovaliquilts said...

I do love that Halloween quilt! When Oct. 31 comes, please let us know how it's celebrated -- didn't used to be anything till Nov. 1, but I hear that's changing.

Don't let the bread get you down. It would be a shame to entirely forego the best bread in the world.

Candy Schultz said...

I think you are in the wrong city to try and give up bread.

QuiltMom said...

Tonya,
You have certainly captured the character of the Wild Thing from Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are". It will be a great hanging for Halloween. Thanks for supporting the artistic rights of a quilter- we all have our own unique way of expressing ourselves.
Regards from a Western Canadian Quilter,
Anna

tami said...

I love the Halloween quilt. It is so much fun.

Feeling Simply Quilty said...

My husband and I love to watch House also. We rented all the DVD's too and it's a great way to get caught up. Are they losing one of the baby doctors? I don't know where I picked that up, but, I think one is not returning for the new season or will be out. We'll see.

Great PS-quilt police be dammed.-I probably spelled that wrong...dam it...smile

Laura said...

I am loving this quilt, what fun! I know I have said this before, but hey you are so creative!!!! I am also loving how you share what inspired it. That little Gwen quilt is so awesome. And keep up the picture tour of Paris. It is just unbelievable to me all the beautiful architecture.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful sentiments! I love the way this quilt is coming along. Makes me want to try one too. I sure wish I had that collection of Gwenny articles. What a treasure trove!

sossy said...

I find your stuff to be very unique and inspiring. I have become a regular reader of your blog and just love your creations! I am also a big fan of Buffy and Angel so love the occasional references. I have both series on DVD and usually watch an episode during sewing time. Anyway, just wanted to say I love the Halloween quilt!

Anonymous said...

Tonya,

It's great fun to watch this Halloween quilt grow and read your thoughts/insights as you create it. I have found it so interesting to look at the pages that you have shared from your idea notebook. If you have a chance to share more information about that one day, I know that I would enjoy reading about what you save. I recognized the bedroom page as Nancy Thomas'. Her folk art is great.

I'm also a big Gwen Marston fan, and your comments prompted me to pull out her books that I own. I wish that I had the folk art applique articles that you wrote about here. I wasn't tuned into her work then. I forgot how much I enjoyed "Collaborative Quilting" that Gwen wrote with Freddy Moran. I've been pouring over it for the past couple of days and coming up with lots of new ideas.

Thank you for all of the inspiration that you provide me!

Marge

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

I just love the eye in the hand! It is so perfect after the time you spent in egypt!

Bonnie

Carol E. said...

Love your work, and you are such a dear person and inspiration to many. May I quote your P.S.? I already printed it up and want to use it in my display when I am a featured quilter at our guild's show next Feb. Let me know.

Quilts And Pieces said...

OK, so I"m really tired and dense. It took me forever to see how you got a skeleton flowr out of that bird quilt! I was trying to read much more into it!
Mmmm good bread! I'd be in such bad shape eating it all the time!

sewprimitive karen said...

Now there's a girl after my own heart, I could eat a loaf of bread all on my own any day of the week. Especially if it's a dilly bread I made myself or a loaf from an Amish bakery yummmmmmmmmmm. Wish you had gotten a pic of the lifter thing and I wish I could have seen the cats watching it. Is there ANY CHANCE you could gradually post more of the Gwen Marston quilts from the LCPQ???

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

We are houseaholics here, and for the Hugh Laurie reason! And you are right, the 3 musketeers are just pious pains in the b...
Enjoying the work on scary, Tracey

Nines said...

Even if I don't get out and about Blogville much these days, I just had to stop in and see what you were up to- you always make the coolest Skeery quilts! Every year, something great.

I had to giggle over the bread eating incident! Now when you start stuffing said bread with dark chocolate, you may never be allowed to leave France!

JoAnna said...

Your flowers are too cute! The fabric is great and you are using it so well. Spooky!!