Christmas Gift's: Naughty and Nice

Here are some pictures of a few of the nice things I got for Christmas. Above is a very pretty ceramic Pink Bunny. For obvious reasons I got that gift. Thank you Lori!


Here is a very cute gingerbread house that I got early in December as a gift. I was hoping it would last for a couple of years, but the first day, I had a four year old eat one of the gum drops. Apparently he just couldn' t resist! Thank you Dixie!


This came in the mail yesterday! It was all beautifully wrapped in the most beautiful pink sparkly wrapping paper! I wonder how long it took to gather that many wonderful pink and brown things....Thank you Miss Carole!


Ok, this picture I am doing on the sly! I gave these pajama's to my two oldest boys for Christmas. Of course they only wore them long enough to take the picture...HA! Who in their right mind makes blanket sleepers large enough for grown boys to wear? When they returned them the next day, the girl asked why they were returning them. My oldest held one of them up and said, "Isn't it obvious?". Okay, don't mention I posted this picture or I am in really big trouble!

TTYL,

My Christmas Donut

When Judith Baker Montano was here for the retreat, she taught a crazy quilted Victorian Christmas Wreath. I remember she called it a donut...well now I know why. That thing was really hard to sew together and even worse to stuff. After all of that, I was told by one family member who shall remain nameless, that it looked square. Well, I am leaving it. I am a big perfectionist, but that wreath(donut) will never be round! I am enjoying it anyway....

Finished Valentine Crazy Quilt Squares

Some major progress has been made on our Valentine Crazy Quilt that we are donating to the MCC sale in April. This crazy quilt has 14 small 10 1/2 inch squares surrounding a 20 x 30 inch large big piece. Here are the five finished ones I have and the other squares are still out and about among the 7 of us working on the quilt. Enjoy the eye candy and I'll keep posting finished squares as I get them.





Talk to you later!

My Funny Job!

My job as a crazy quilt teacher, is sometimes interesting. What is always strange to me is when everyone else is busily working on Christmas stuff, I am working on spring stuff. That is always so that the projects I am going to teach in the spring are ready to go. The other side of that is, in May, I am working on Christmas stuff while everyone else is working on flowers and summer stuff. It's just how it is, but sometimes it is hard to work on Christmas stuff while you are out lounging by the pool!

Anyway, the picture above is stitched on a project I will be teaching in the spring...so enjoy even though it is Christmas!

Christmas Gift Idea's

If you are looking for great Christmas gift idea's for your favorite crazy quilter, here are two great idea's. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I am involved in making a crazy quilt for the MCC sale every year. To raise money to make the next quilt, we sell calendars featuring pictures of the quilt. This calendar features the 2009 Crazy Quilt, but it is a 2010 calendar. We would really appreciate it if you would buy one to help us out! As you know, a crazy quilt is not a cheep venture! This year's theme is a Valentine Crazy Quilt.

Another great idea would be Judith Baker Montano's new book Fibreart Montage. When she was here in November, she sold all 36 of the books she brought! It is an amazing book that is oversized and is spiral bound so it can open flat.

Both of these items are available on my website, www.valeriebothell.com.

Thanks so much,

Odd's and End's

Here is something I pieced today for a customer. I just love to piece around pictures like this and I can hardly wait to see what she does to embellish it. I think she is giving this to her friend for their 65th wedding anniversary.

Here is the same piecing method I have used to go around this picture. I did this one several years ago. Can you guess who it is a picture of? Your truly of course!
I have had some comments about the fact that everyone is thankful I got a new camera so they can actual see the photo's I take. Ha! Well I thought I would show you a picture of my camera, because of course, it is PINK! Did you know they make pink camera's? I really love it and it was made for especially bad photographers like myself!

TTYL,

Victorian Stitchery Retreat Part 3

I think this will be my last post on the retreat and then I am ready to move on to some other things going on around here! Pictured about is a crazy quilt done by Claudina Hruby..I think it is just gorgeous.

This is a picture of the 1st place winner of the pansy contest I had. It is a beautiful purse done by Heather Brighton of Canada. I just love everything about this purse.
Here is a picture of the 3rd place winner of the pansy contest. It was a cover for a photo book. I think it was just amazing and was done by Sherry Johnson. I don't have a picture of the second prize winner, but it was a beautiful mussie tussie done by Chris Norris.


Here is a picture of myself with all of the three teachers! This picture was taken the last day after it was all over, hence I may look just a little bit tired. All in all it was a wonderful time and I am already looking forward to next year with only 11 months to go!

More on the Victorian Stitchery Retreat

This was a colonial lady done by Sherry Johnson. I don't know what there is about colonial ladies, but I just love them. I thought she turned out....well so cute.



These three squares were done by a Pam Peugh and I thought they turned out beautiful! She made them from Miss Carole's pattern Mommy's Ties. Of course I know that pattern well because that is one of the classes I taught for her in Maine. I just love that class and I love the idea of making "needlelace" for the top of a fan.


This square was done by Sherrill Lewis and it is a result of a class she took from Judith Baker Montano when she came last. I thought it turned out fantastic!


The show and share time at the retreat this year was, well AWESOME! I don't think I have ever seen so many beautiful crazy quilts in the same room before. I'll try to post more in the next few days. We also had a Pansy contest, so I'll get you some pictures of the winners.

Talk to you later,

Wow, The Victorian Stitchery Retreat is Over...

I cannot believe that the retreat is over! I already miss everyone so much. Over the next few day's I will try to post pictures from the retreat and give a recap on all of the wonderful things we did. Betty Pillsbury brought her award winning quilt "Crazy Diamonds", much to my delight, she had incorporated the ribbon that I had given out at the last retreat. I thought it looked stunning! This picture was taken with....gasp....my new camera. I think they look much better than the pictures my old camera took.

We had a catered dinner one night and then there was a show and share time afterwards. Many absolutely stunning crazy quilts were shown. One that captured my attention was a crazy quilt that made for the top her casket! It also incorporated one of the ribbon's I gave out last year. I remembered that she had us all sign it.

Well, that's all for now, I'll keep you in suspense for a couple of days,

In September when the Kansas State Fair was going on, it reminded me of when I won a ribbon at the Fair. I have a whole stack of ribbons from the fair, but half of them I don't remember what I got them for! I don't know why, but I haven't been taking my things to the fair in the last 5 plus years. Well, I guess I know one reason. I make my living on my quilts and I am so afraid they will be stolen. I am just know sure about the security there! Anyway, the picture here of this ribbon I won on my very first crazy quilt I made. I was done in dark jewel tone colors.

I know that it has been awhile since I posted, the reason being, I am getting ready for the Victorian Stitchery Retreat...again. It was so much fun last year! You probably won't hear from me at all until that is over(November 5, 6 and 7). I am going to buy a new camera before the retreat, so I am hoping that will improve my camera skills so that I can have some nice pictures to post for you. Here is a photo of all the teachers from last year. The same ones are returning this year and I am already working on the teachers for next year!

See you in two weeks(after the retreat),

MCC Block #9

Here is block #9 for the MCC Valentine Quilt. Wow, I only have five more squares to piece! My scanner is on the fritz and so I took a picture of it. I have never pieced a block like this before and it will probably be challenging for all of us to embellish it. We will probably have to do some red embellishing in the center so the corners don't stick out so much.

TTYL,

Nebraska Eye Candy

A few weeks ago, it was my birthday and I decided to go to Lincoln, Nebraska to celebrate. Of course, I had ulterior motives, there are two very nice crazy quilt exhibits there. I was going to wait until next spring to go, but the exhibit ends in October. I will try to post pictures as I clean them up. There were crazy quilts at the International Quilt Study Center and they didn't allow pictures. At the Nebraska History Museum they allowed pictures without a flash....but as you know by now, I am no photographer, so I will try to let photobucket work it's magic. At the quilt study center, I spent about an hour and a half just sketching stitches and that was fine with me! Heaven, me alone in a quiet room with 12 beautiful crazy quilts.....

MCC Block #8

Here is MCC block #8 that I pieced today and mailed out. There are 6 more blocks to piece and I am determined to finish piecing them in the next week or so. Then all we have left to do is embellish all the 14 squares and the 20 x 30 center piece. (Ha! That's all.....)

Enjoy your day,

MCC Squares Completed!

Well, we have actually completed three squares for the MCC crazy quilt that we will be donating to the MCC sale in April. I am getting a little nervous because this quilt has 14 - 10 1/2 inch squares and a large 20 by 30 inch center. I recently pieced the center and it took me about 5 hours to do! I passed it off to one of our members in the round robin on Saturday and I felt like I was giving my first born away since it took me so long to piece it! The crazy quilt heart that you see pictured is going to be appliqued to the center of the large 20 x 30 piece. I have MCC calendars for sale on my website and I would sure appreciate it if you would order one....I don't profit from them...the proceeds go to make this Valentine quilt. The calendars are professionally done pictures of the quilt that we did for the sale last year and are for 2010. Enjoy the eye candy..