Sandy Hook Memorial Project!

Many of you know that I coordinated the "Hearts and Hands for Sendai" quilt project in the aftermath of the horrific devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan two years ago.  The resulting quilts were a culmination of an outpouring of love from around the world by fiber artists in many genre's. 

Sadly, there has been another awful, awful event.....the mass shooting of innocent children, all ages 6 - 7 and 6 adults in Newtown, Connecticut.  I am speechless....  I cannot begin to express, with words, my feelings of loss and sadness for these beautiful souls and their families.  My "means" of coping with these emotions, is to create a memorial that will account for these lives in a lasting, tangible way.  Hence, the Sandy Hook Memorial project has begun.  A memorial quilt will be created of diamonds.  Twenty six plain blocks will be added that have the victims names embroidered on them.  This quilt will go to the Newtown government (the agency to be determined at a later date) to memorialize those lost.  In conjunction, healing heart quilts will be made and sent to the families of the victims.  These will have to be distributed by the police department or a similar agency to protect the privacy of the victims.  At any rate, this post is a call to all who are interested, to participate.  I am putting the guidelines in this post, but would be happy to send them to anyone interested, separately.  I am not able to get the templates for the hearts and diamonds to come through here, so please feel free to contact me!  lehrlich@ymail.com 

Thank you in advance for your compassion and participation!!  My experience with these charitable projects has always been overwhelming with the response received showing the compassion of fellow artists!!

Sandy Hook, CT Memorial project

This project is to be a tribute to those people who lost their lives in the unspeakable shooting tragedy in Sandy Hook, CT in December, 2012.  Members will choose to create either (or both) a diamond shaped block or a heart in memory of a victim.  The diamonds will be pieced into a quilt to be donated to the Sandy Hook, CT government as a tribute and memorial for the victims.  More specific details on the exact agency will be published at a later date.  Others may choose to make a completed heart that will be donated in memory to each of the families of the victims.  The details for each of these items is below:

Quilt blocks

Each diamond block will be created on a muslin type foundation in a crazy quilted style.  Finished diamond to measure 6 1/2 inches long, 4 5/8 inches across the middle. The colors for this project are basic “primary” colors that are found in children’s projects.  Blue, red, green, yellow, magenta.  If you have any questions regarding the colors, please contact me or refer to a color wheel.   Fabric to be used are the tradition “fancy” materials used in cq such as velvet, silk, taffeta, etc.  along with nice quilting cottons. These blocks are to be completely embellished.  Please do NOT add beads or buttons within a half inch of the seam line and please add a basting line at the half inch mark.  The theme will be children’s old fashioned toys. Template for the blocks is below:

Memory hearts

Create a 6 inch crazy quilt heart on an 8.5 inch fabric block.  These are to be pieced in cq style . The colors are to be basic “primary” colors found in children’s projects and toys. Blue, red, green, yellow, magenta.  If you have any questions regarding the colors, please contact me or refer to a color wheel.    Fabrics that may be used, are nice quilting cottons and/or fancy fabrics such as velvets, silks and taffeta’s.   The theme will be children’s old fashioned toys. These hearts are to be completed and then backed with fabric to create a small wall hanging.  Finished size is 8 inches. Please add triangles in the corners for hanging.  I have included a heart template for your use if you so choose to use it.

Due date:  April 1, 2013

PLEASE sign and date the back of your blocks/hearts!!!

A flickr group will be created for the display of these blocks.  Please mail all hearts and blocks to:

Leslie Ehrlich

912 Foothills Ct.

Windsor, CO  80550

 

All About Seams

aas - pam9, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I am in a rr, titled All About Seams. The purpose is to challenge ourselves to come up with as many variations on stitches along with layers to create unique seam treatments. I have a whooooolllle bunch of these blocks on my flickr and will refer you to that rather than posting them all here!

Water Garden rr - Lauries block

water garden - laurie, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

Last but not least is Laurie's block. She requested a tree, soooo, that is what I stitched for her along with the pelican to symbolize the pelicans that visit here in Windsor every summer!

water garden - nicki

water garden - nicki, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

This is the block I did for Nicki! I hand dyed some lace for some of the flowers and then added sre flowers and butterflies and the embroidery.

water garden - thearica

water garden - thearica, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

This is Thearica's block in the Water Garden rr. She collects pigs and had six different types of piggies on each of her blocks. I thought it would be fun to have the pig playing in a wading pool in the garden. The bees are buzzing around the flowers with the hummingbird at the feeder and sunflowers a bloomin'!

Outlander janet

outlander janet, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

This is a block for Janet. Since the block had a wintery feel to it, I created a dormant tree then added the circle of stones in the distance along with a watch at the top to depict the time travel of the story.

Outlander rr - maire

outlander - maire, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

This is the block that I did for Maire in the Outlander rr. In the style of Carole Samples, I did the upper edge of the fan in outline stitch and then did seam treatments for the blades.

Water Garden rr - Maire's block

water garden rr - maire, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I am in a rr titled "Water Garden". This block is for Maire! We had a person that needed some angel stitching and I was elected, soooo I stitched the upper half of the block! I created a sucken ship and stitched the sea horse. With my embroidery machine, I stitched the sea turtle and angel fish, and then I added all kinds of sea flowers. I am pleased with how this turned out!

Rebecca's tree skirt

becks skirt, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

At lonnnnngggg last this longstanding ufo is complete! This tree skirt turned into a memory project which made all the more fun! The middle section with the ties is a small tree skirt made for Rebecca by her great grandmother! Close ups are on my flickr account for your viewing enjoyment!  There are patches from her Christmas jumper and her son's Christmas suit, vest and shirt and the lace was from my wedding hat. There are many snowman silkies for her love of snowmen and charms with symbolic meaning to them as well. All is documented on a label on the back. PHEW! i'm sewww glad this is complete in time for use for this year's season!

Maire's Outlander block

Maire's Outlander block, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

Busy stitching! This is Maire's Outlander block from our rr based on the Outlander series.

Viv's tree skirt

ts viv, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I am in a rr with Vivienne in Australia! This is a second tree skirt wedge that I did some stitching on as an angel. Viv will complete it with what she wants. I hope you like what i've added Viv!

Sew It Is Christmas - Jacqui's block

sic jacqui, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

This is Jacqui's block in a rr at WWCQ. I did all the work on the left hand side of the block, along with the poinsettia, the green striped ribbon and gold trim on the right hand side. All were beaded up! I'm having lots of fun with all this christmas stitching! Enjoy Jacqui!

Jacque's tree skirt wedge

jacque ts wedge, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I am making progress getting through the tree skirt wedges in the rr at WWCQ! This is Jacque's. I beaded and embroidered over all the trims, added beaded snowflakes and some ornaments! I also did some fancy seam treatments and a filigree cross on the fan portion that came with the wedge! Enjoy Jacque!!

Jacque's Outlander block

Jacque's Outlander block, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I have finished Jacque's Outlander block! :) Yeahhh! I did some fancy seam treatments and added an antique clock (for time travel), Claire's pearls, gloves and an emerald ring. I hope you like what i've done Jacque!

Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too!

Its a new year and I have plans to do what I can to promote crazy quilting this year!  Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts has a cyber show that features nothing but crazy quilts!  Can you imagine??  Sooo, in the spirit of thinking "outside the box", I decided to create some cq jewelry. This is just the beginning with more shapes coming! I used many batiks in the piecing along with dupioni silk. I hand dyed lace, used some silk ribbon on some pieces and used vintage buttons along with adding hand embroidery and a border of  beaded picot stitching on the edge of all the items to give them some extra pizazz! These items are light and fun to wear, quick to create and are wonderful accessories in your wardrobe! Here is a peek of one of the neckalaces! 

To participate in this contest, I needed to share a little about me.....  I live in Windsor in the beautiful state of Colorado!  I am in the northern portion of the state with wonderful views of the mountain range.  I can often see all the way south to Pikes Peak!!  Anyway,  I have been stitching since I was approximately 5 or 6.  I dabbled in many types of needlework, always LOVING embroidery, was a member of EGA for several years and then saw Judith Baker Montano's work and was hooked on cq and have been "crazy" ever since!  VBG!! I entered my first contest at a local quilt store with my art bra and won!!  I created an online cq group for Colorado residents, helped found a cq group, Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilters in Denver and was a co-owner of a large international crazy quilt cyber group for many years!

At CQI, I participated in round robins, swaps, coordinated the yearly retreat along with charity work for breast cancer and later for Japan  In reflection,.  I have done quite a bit of charity work, with first venture being to create a block for the "All That Jazz" project.  Quilts were created from donated blocks and auctioned off with the proceeds going to helping those affected in New Orleans by the hurricane.

I also created several blocks for the Art Bra Quilts that were placed in breast cancer facilities to pay homage to our "sisters" battling with this awful disease.

The very first actual large bed size crazy quilts I have ever made were for the Making Memories organization and were displayed in the International Quilt Festival in Houston.  For this, a number of memvbers of an online crazy quilting group CQI, created a block with wedding dress materials and then embellished them within the specified color parameters.   

In the following years, I made several more collaborative, smaller quilts that were auctioned off for breast cancer and then this past year completed 20 quilts for the Hearts and Hands For Sendai project.  A few are featured here!!

I have completed several wall hanging size quilts comprised of blocks from round robin's.  This one being a favorite of mine!

So, my passion continues as I develop my embroidery and design skills!  I have moved on to create my own international cq group and am entering four quilt shows this year and hope that in this small way I will help to further exposure for crazy quilting!!  Be sure to stop by Pigtales and Quilts to see what others are up to!  I hope you enjoyed your visit!

UFO Complete

joeys tie quilt, a photo by Pinyon Creek Stitchin' on Flickr.

I have just completed this quilt, approx 50 x 70, for my grandson. It is made entirely of ties. My children had received similar quilts made by a great grandmother so I thought I would continue the tradition! It will be winging its way to Florida tomorrow!

Outlandish Stitching

I have finally finished Janets Outlander block!  I tried to re-create Craig Na Dunh (sp?) from the book!  I hope you like what i've done Janet!  This rr is definately challenging me!!  :)

FFT 18

This is Susan Richards block in the FFT 18 rr.  I have again done the work of two on the block.  I was allllll over the place trying to fill in spots!  I hope you enjoy, Susan!

January CQJP

This is my TAST for the first week of January 2012 along with my block for CQJP for January!  It is fun to play around with the variations on the fly stitch!!  Here is another pic for TAST as well.

And Sew It Is Christmas

I have been busy stitching away!  This is Lorries block from the And Sew It Is Christmas rr at wwcq.  I was the first person and stitched for myself and another in the rr who is working through some problems at the moment.  Enjoy, Lorrie!!