I’m so excited that I’ve completed my Sew the Seeds star for West Virginia.
After seeing several stars created by some of my favorite embroiderers on Instagram, I looked up the hashtag #esasosflag and #craftism. What were they all doing? Could I be a part of this project? I emailed the project creator and I asked if I could help and if she would accept an art quilt star. She said yes and I got to work.

So, what is the “Sew the Seeds” star project?
“It’s basically a very large US flag with 50 stars for 50 states and 50 species that are somehow linked to the Endangered Species Act.” Each star created by a textile artist represents a state. NC was taken so I chose West Virginia and it’s monarch butterfly. The stripes of the flag will eventually be made up of embroidered quotes about the importance and beauty of nature.

Interested in creating a star?
Go to http://www.sewtheseeds.org/  for more info.

I’m excited that I finally finished my piece for IQA auction. It measures 15.5″x14″. Although this doesn’t show it, the magnolia is much warmer and more yellow in person. I’ve titled it “scent of the south” because nothing reminds me more of my home in NC and my neighborhood than the sweet smell of magnolias. It seems like everyone in my neighborhood has a huge magnolia tree in their front yard.

Here are a couple of pics while the piece was in the painting progress. It was so much fun painting white and pushing them toward the very dark yet they still read as a white petal.

If you are in Houston during the IQA show I hope you will bid on this piece.
Keep stitching!

On this extremely rainy day in NC I thought I’d share directions for a fun scrap block that I keep making and can’t stop making.

This is a stitch and flip method that I really love. I like to use a stabilizing fabric. Or in my case I use my “used” bounce dryer sheets. (A thin muslin would also work.) I trim sheet to 6 x 6.

I turn the bounce square on point. Then, using my long scrap strips I stitch from top point to bottom point.  Note: Be careful stitching commercial fabrics. They have a right & wrong side. I use lots of batiks and this doesn’t matter.

Next, I flip and press.

I repeat until the entire bounce block is complete. Don’t worry if strips are not perfectly even in size. This makes the block more interesting.

When the block is full/complete flip over and trim with your rotary cutter.

Voila!

Have fun and stay safe!

I just can’t seem to get enough. Here is my latest project, Pickle Lilly. Pickle, who is a he, is one of the coolest kitties I’ve ever met. I was commissioned by Pickle’s Grandmom to do this little pet portrait. I began by painting him with textile paint on PFD (prepared for dying) fabric and then stitching to bring him to life. I used a prismacolor pencil to make his eyes more blue green and around his nose to give it definition. I had a great time and I’m very please with the results.