Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I received an Liebster award from www.joetulips.blogspot.com or Julie.  Well, I'm so surprised!  I never expected such a thing....but I like it!

Now I'm supposed to list 5 blogs that I like.....does it have to be a quilting blog?  I suppose so....

well, here goes.....these are a few that I follow and find interesting

The Liebster Blog Award rules:


1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Link back to their blog.
3. Copy and paste the Liebster award to your profile.
4. Pick 5 blogs that you feel deserve to be in the spotlight (they must have @200 followers or under).
5. Blog about it and leave a comment for your nominations to let them know that you have chosen their blog.



And now just for the heck of it:  Loli on her couch on her quilt!!!
Just taking a hard life easy!!!

Cats in Liberated Houses/Casas Liberadas con Gatas Adentro


So I've had this cute kitty fabric for more time than I care to remember.  I really like it but couldn't figure what to do.....then  "Liberated Quilt Making" came into my house.  Those darned cats needed houses....I said to myself....  Plus I was getting pretty sick of working with my browns and fall colors in the Double 4 Patch Quilt project.  This is just a quick diversion but one I really needed.....suffering from short attention span quilting the way I do.

He tenido esta tela con gatos por mucho tiempo.  Me gusta mucho la tela pero no tenia ninguna idea que hacer con ella.  Pues entonces el libro “Liberated Quilt Making II” entró la casa.  Estos gatos necesitan sus propias casas….dije a mi mismo.  Además estaba harta de los colores de café y de otoño que son en el proyecto Double 4 Patch.  Esto va a ser un diversión rápido pero una que yo necesito.  















Here is my first Cat House....  I found it difficult to go wonky on this first one for some reason.  It's too straight.  It's too centered.  It needs help!


Aquí está la primera Casa de Gatas.....Encontré difícil quitarme del mente donde todo necesito estar recto.  El bloque es demasiado recto.  El bloque es demasiado centrado.  El bloque necesita ayuda.






This is the second Cat House.  I think it's better but I also feel that it is lacking something, maybe the tree is too pale.  The Kitty isn't very prominent.  I kind of like it and like of don't.  More research is necessary.


Este es el Segundo Casa de Gatas.  Pienso que es mejor que el primero pero también siento que algo hace falta.  Quizás es demasiado pálido.  La Gatita no se ve muy bien.  A mi me gusta un poquito y mi no me gusta mucho.  Hay que averiguar más.





 This is the beginning of Cat House 3.  Of course, there is more to come....just ran out of time.

Estoy empezando Casa de Gata 3.   Claro que sí, hay más que hacer.....no tuve tiempo para seguir.

















The three together.... So what do Y'all think???  I need advise, please.

Los tres juntos….. ¿Así que, que piensen ustedes?  Estoy pidiendo aviso, por favor.
  







NOw for the BEST thing that is being kept until the last......OH MY DOG!!!  Joe Tulips (http://joetulipsquilts.blogspot.com) I love you!!!  She mentioned my blog in her blog.....OH MY DOG!!  Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!  I can't believe you put my blog on that list but am very grateful that you did!!!  Quilters are the best!!.

Ahora el mejor que guardé para el fin.  ¡¡DIOS MIO!!  ¡¡Joe Tulips (http://joetulipsquilts.blogspot.com) te amo!!  Ella me puso el blog mío en una lista de blogs en el blog de ella….¡¡DIOS MIO!!  ¡¡GRACIAS GRACIAS GRACIAS!!  ¡¡No puedo creerlo que me mencionó pero te agradezco que lo hiciste!!  ¡¡Los quinteros son los mejores!!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Liberated Stars for the Back of Double 4 Patch

Well, you might not know this but I'm REALLY TRYING not to start any new projects and am focusing on finishing the WIP's (Works In Progress) that I've already started......life is so difficult....  BUT since I like to make my quilts two sided.....and I have a couple of  wonderful books on Liberated Sewing (Gwen Marsten and Freddy Moran's books) I have discovered a way to do something new while finishing something that has been laying around for awhile.  These liberated star blocks will be the backing for my Double 4 Patch..  I will assemble the quilt using Quilt As You Go.  The quilt will go together in four segments.  Oh JOY!!!!


Quizás no supieron que en verdad estoy luchando a no empezar proyectos nuevos.  El foco mío es terminar el montón de proyectos que ya tengo comenzado…..la vida es tan cruel!  PERO debido del hecho que me gusta hacer los quilts con dos vistas…..y ya tengo unos libros dedicado a “Liberated Sewing” (Costura Liberado) escrito por Gwen Marsten y Freddy Moran, he encontrado una manera de empezar algo nuevo y el mismo tiempo terminar un proyecto viejo.  Estos bloques de estrellas liberado será el back del Double 4 Patch.  Voy a construir el quilt usando el método “Quilt As You Go.  Compondré el quilt en cuatro segmentos.  ¡¡Que dichoso!!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Another Double 4 Patch

A while back I made a Double 4 Patch for our friends that are the parents of our god-children. The inspiration came from Wanda the Exuberant Color Lady (click here to see her version)  I had some pieces left over and thought I'd use them up.  Of course, I had to cut some new pieces to add to the quilt.  Well, here's a photo.


Hace más que un año hice un quilt "Double 4 Patch" para unos amigos que son los padres de nuestros ahijados.  La inspiración vino de Wanda la mujer de color viviente (haga click aquí para ver la versiónsuya).  Tuve unos trocitos extra y tuve ganas de usar los.  Claro, tuve que cortar unos pedazos nuevos.  Pues, aquí está la foto.


Sunday, March 4, 2012

Música Marimba


I'm in group that makes these small quilts each couple of months.  One person will pick a theme and we will make our expression of the theme.  Last fall there was an exhibit of our little quilts at a quilt show that Wendy, one of the ladies in our group helps it organize, here in Mexico.  At the time of the show there were 3 people in our group.  After the show more people joined our effort.  I don't really know how many without checking, I think we gained 6 ladies.   I picked the first theme.  It was Sun and Sand.  My friend, Janet, in Mérida, picked the second theme of Morning.  And Wendy picked the third theme which was Dessert.  Those three themes rendered 9 little quilts and those were the ones exhibited. Click here  to see the 9 little quilts.  Next the picking came back to me and I picked the theme Music.  The little quilts had to be completed by March 1st.  I'm not sure but I don't think that they are all finished.  I finished mine March first.  My Music theme was inspired by several visits to a particular restaurant in Panajachel, Guatemala.

There is enormous restaurant competition in this little tourist town.  And restaurants come and go each visit that we make.  But this one came to our attention because there was a Marimba Band playing.  Unusual as you might think, Marimba is a very popular musical form in the area and we have seen many Marimba Bands.  And we really like the music.  But we have never seen a female Marimba band.  That is what caught our attention in this restaurant and we were drawn in.  The owner is a very amiable man and one night we chatted with him about the band.  I had noticed some facial similarities and we asked if the man was related to the 3 lady musicians.  He told us that 2 of the young ladies were his daughters and that the third was his niece.  He continued the story.  It seems that the restaurant was barely making enough trade to stay in business.  His daughters and niece hatched the idea that they would take Marimba lessons and then play in the restaurant to attract customers.  Well, they were all in their mid twenties and had never played any musical instrument.  So, we found it completely amazing that in 2 years time they were able to learn and begin performing in the restaurant.  And the whole scheme worked.  The music hooks the people into coming in and they sit down and listen and at first they order drinks and then before you know it they are returning and ordering not only drinks but meals.  Now they get tour buses that bring customers specifically for the whole package!  Business is great!



Cuando mi esposo y yo fuimos de vacaciones el otoño pasado supe que le toca a mí para escoger el próximo tema por el Proyecto 8 X 11.  No pude pensar en nada.  Pero cuando estuvimos en un restaurante favorito la idea me agarró.  Este restaurante es extra especial porque allá tocan música marimba.  Pero la cosa extra ordinaria es las músicas son mujeres, Marimba normalmente es tocado por hombres, que lo he visto.  Y su historia también es interesante.  El dueño del restaurante tiene enorme cantidad de competencia.  Sus hijas y su sobrina que nunca tocaron música antes llegaron a la idea de aprender de tocar música marimba para atraer clientes al restaurante.  Y adentro de 2 años lograron a aprender este arte y tocan en el restaurante.   Y por esto el restaurante tiene mucho más clientes y ha realizado más éxito que nunca.  Cada vez estamos en Panajachel, Guatemala, pasamos por este Restaurante y disfrutamos la música con unas chelas y botanas.  Así que, la idea del tema de Música me agarró durante esta visita a este alegre restaurante.