Some Changes Made

OK, I knew the center square needed "something" so I set to work on it, adding more the the appliqued grapes and embroidering a stem.  Then I wanted to embroider a berries motif on it as well, and couldn't find a pattern to use.  So, I did freehand drawings of the berries with a non-permanent marking pencil and set to work embroidering them as well, which I enjoyed doing very much.  Now, it's finished!  But, I plan to add some of the same touches to some of the quilt squares to tie it all together.

 Compare the center square as it looks now to this photo of it before I made the changes...

AND....I am very happy to announce that I received another mug coaster from Mary at Faith Fabric & Photos!  I simply added a caption to two different photos she posted, and won these great prizes!  The newest one is the aqua cup and saucer design.  Thanks SO MUCH Mary!  To visit her blog go here:
http://faithfabricandphotos.blogspot.com

A few More Shots of the Quilt Show

Here is a great view of the Tucson Convention Center room that was used, from the hallway above...

 These are a few of the vintage "estate sale" finds people had on display.  Beautiful! I should be so lucky to find something like this!  They'd all been bought very inexpensively too!

A view of the floor...

 Then, when I was through enjoying the Tucson Quilt Show (for more pictures of quilts, scroll down to my two posts of that day!), I walked over to an adjoining room to the American Indian Art Show.  They had some wonderful jewelry, baskets, rugs and sand paintings as well as many other items and was a wonderful treat!

But before I went in, I had lunch...ooh, there's frybread and Navajo Tacos!!!!

 Here are the ladies making the frybread....

And here is my delicious Navajo taco!

Baby Quilt Request

Please visit KaHolly's blog to see what I am writing about.  She is requesting quilters to donate a blanket for these precious newborns at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Brooke Army Medical Center (BMAC) located in San Antonio, Texas. 

There has been a special request made by KaHolly to help out these newborn babies of our service members with blankets and quilts.  To find out more, please connect to the following link:  kaholly.blogspot.com/2012/01/special-quilters-request.html

Cluster of Grapes

I have been working on a centerpiece square for a quilt I want to put together.  I have had the blocks made for some time.  Here is the magazine page that helped me envision what to do with a center of appliqued grapes en pointe...

Here are some of the quilt squares I have worked on in the past that are ready to be stripped and made into a top.  I didn't want to do just the squares and stripping though and decided this centerpiece will give it just the flair it needs...The colors in the squares seemed to call out for the grapes motif!  Plus, some of the fabric has tiny grape clusters in in and also different berries as well.

So, this is the centerpiece....However, I do want to make a few minor changes that I will photograph when they are completed. I want to add a stem and also another leaf and possibly another grape to the more bare side of the cluster.  I am considering also adding some embroidered embellishments in the four corners.

For some reason the computer tilted the picture...but you get the idea.

More of the Tucson Show!

This year, 2012, is the Centennial for the State of Arizona, and there was a Quilt Challenge.  Here are some of the entries for that...

Below is a quilt that depicts famous Arizona women, including Lozen, the only female Apache warrior....I had just read about Lozen in the book I added to my sidebar on A Colorful World.

 These next two were special display quilts from the challenge....

 They were both unbelievable!  Here is the closeup of the second one....

 This explains about this amazing quilt...

More wonderful quilts from the show! These two are my favorites of several really whimsical entries....

 Then on to another very sweet applique that uses the black blanket stitch...

 a closeup of the one above...

 another entry using the black background that is so stunning!

 a reall interesting wall hanging...

 one of my favorites for its wonderful use of color!

 again, some awesome appliques...

 a great pineapple quilt design...

 closeup of above...

 a wonderful geometric!

 This was called Mexican Tiles, and I just love it!

 Those are three-demisional  flowers on the border of this beauty, and the squares are embroidered....

 I couldn't resist this one, because my husband loves giraffes....

 My favorite miniature....

 Don't these just take your breath away!!!!

I MIGHT have photographed a tenth or fifteenth of the quilts in the show!  And I haven't even posted all of those pictures here. I just can't tell you how wonderful it was to walk around that room and look at such works of art!  I'll have a few final photos and comments in a future post....Wish you could have joined me!