Love Apple Quilters 2006-2008 Executive Board Quilt

Piece Name:
LAQ 2006-2008 Executive Board
Quilt Show Volunteers Quilt

My quilt guild Love Apple Quilters of Cherry Hill, NJ has a quilt show every two years or so. For the 2007 Quilt Show the Executive Board that just stepped down at the time started a new tradition. They made a lovely group quilt. Every member of the guild who volunteered at the show got their name thrown in a hat. One lucky winner's name was drawn and won that quilt...and it wasn't me. DRAT!

The Executive Board during my presidency (2006-2008) loved the tradition and wanted to continue it for the LAQ 2009 show. We chose an ambitious quilt pattern from the March 2008 "The Quilter" magazine called "Jewel of the Night" by Roxanne Carter. We just loved the quilt and the colors used in the magazine and wanted to mirror them as closely as possible because they just glowed. We went on a fabric buying road trip to Amish country in Lancaster, PA and purchased the fabrics from three different quilt stores. It was a fun day!!! We did pretty darn well I think! If you'd like to compare the magazine's quilt to ours click here to see theirs.

We each made blocks and I assembled and quilted the quilt. I didn't get it done in time for the 2009 show in March (bad me!!!), nor for the April or May meetings (hey a I work full time and am a busy lady!!), but I FINALLY got it done for the June meeting and handed it over this week (tearfully I might add!). I am going to ask the lucky winner (not me again darnit!) to hang it in the next show.

The quilt turned out so nicely! There is a label on the back (above) listing all of our names and the offices we held. You can see us here with the quilt.

Left to Right: Melissa S. Boos (Me), Rachael Victor, Denise Mohan, and Donna Walker. Not pictured Phyllis White.

Quilt Completed June 8, 2009

Helm's Weave Chain Maille Bracelet

Piece Name: Helm's Weave Chain Maille Bracelet

This is a very feminine 8" Helm's weave (aka Parallel weave) Chain Maille Bracelet made with 20 gauge Argentium Sterling Silver wire using two mandrel sizes. This is another bracelet I wear all the time.

This isn't the first time I've done Chain Maille (click here for another example), but it is the first time I FULLY made the bracelet from start to finish. That means I selected the two mandrel sizes, coiled the wire myself, used my Koil Kutter to cut the rings (the most fun you can have with power tools BTW!), tumbled the rings, and then finally wove the bracelet. The ONLY thing I didn't create was the fancy Sterling Silver lobster clasp I had previously purchased. Prior to this bracelet I bought pre-cut rings. It is soooooo much more fulfilling to have done all these steps myself (even if it is more work)!

I have been wanting to make this weave for awhile and I have a necklace to match in the works!

Piece Completed: May 2009

Cubic Drop Pendant

Piece Name: Cubic Drop Pendant

I purchased the Love Knot Cubic Earrings tutorial from the very talented "de cor's Handmades" shop on Etsy (along with most of her other tutorials!!). This was my first attempt at this tutorial. I used Argentium Sterling Silver. I wasn't 100% pleased with the final result (I need more practice) and didn't end up making a second earring when I made this piece.

This sat unused for awhile. One day I remembered the loan cube and thought it would look pretty as a pendant. I put it on a silver chain. I was right. It does look pretty! It is simple and elegant as a pendant and isn't too small or too large. When I wear silver I most often wear this as a compliment.

I HIGHLY recommend any of "de cor's Handmades" tutorials. They are first rate.

"Woven Checkerboard Bracelet" Class at Beadfest Wire

Piece Name: My First "Woven Checkerboard Bracelet"

Lest you think ALL I do is quilt....let's post some jewelry!!! I took a class at the May 2009 Beadfest Wire Convention called "Woven Checkerboard Bracelet". The class was 7 hours long and I finished the bracelet in class. I LOVE when that happens. YAY! The instructor was Debbie Williams. What a neat technique! The class sample was tri-colored but I opted for all Argentium Sterling Silver. Even though it has many first timer imperfections, they aren't noticeable to the casual viewer unless I point them out (and I won't!). I wear it ALL the time (which you can see since it desperately needs a tumbling to clean and shine it up) and I can't wait to make another one to fix all my first timer sins and improve upon my technique. I am also looking forward to trying different colored wire combinations.

If you find yourself at Beadfest in need of a class, I suggest learning this technique. Email me if you'd like an attendee's review of the class.

Piece Completed: May 2, 2009

My Mini Quilt Auction Purchase!!!

Piece: United States Flag in Mini Yo-Yos

Remember this post and this post? These were my contributions to the 2009 Love Apple Quilters Silent Mini Quilt Auction for Charity. This year I was lucky enough to win the one I bid on! This wonderful mini quilt was made by Love Apples member Nancy White. These are some tiny yo-yo's I can tell you!!! I admired it while she was making it and knew I had to own it. It's great isn't it!? Even better that the proceeds went to a worthy charity.

Purchased: March 15, 2009

Pre-Civil War Quilt

Piece: Pre-Civil War Lily Quilt

I was at the 2006 Lancaster, PA Quilt Show. In one of the antique quilt vendor stalls this quilt was folded up in a stack with just a hint of the flowers peeking out. I was smitten even before I unfolded it. The bold yellow-y/green on such an old quilt just spoke to me. It was old...older than any other quilt in my antique quilt collection. I wanted it! The price for it was quite fair for $475, but was WAYYYY more than any price I had paid for a quilt to date or since. The vendor was kind enough to take layaway. YAY!

At the 2009 Love Apple Quilters Quilt Show member Mary Cahilly had a Reproduction Civil War Gown display. This quilt hung as a backdrop to the gown display. While it was hanging I had my quilt appraised by certified AQS quilt Apprasiser Karen Dever. It is hand appilqued, pieced, and quilted. Unusual for the period, the borders are mitered! I found out that the quilt dates to approximately the 1840's...Pre-Civil War! I also found out that the value is quite stupendous. A smart buy that I made in 2006! I love this quilt and it is the jewel of my collection.

Purchased: Spring 2006

"My Hawaiian Rainbow" Quilt

Piece Name: "My Hawaiian Rainbow" Quilt

I have been working on this quilt on and off for YEARS. It is satin stitch machine appliqued and machine quilted. I started it in 2004, had all the blocks done and two of them quilted by early 2005, and then let it sit for years until early 2009 when I finished machine quilting each of the blocks. I then used an entirely machine quilt as you go method to finish the quilt. I LOVE the vibrancy of this quilt and it reminds me of a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands my husband and I took back in 2004. The back is a gorgeous red Hawaiian fabric print. Most of the patterns come from the book Hawaiian Quilting by Elizabeth Root.

This quilt hung in the 2009 Love Apple Quilters quilt show.

Quilt Completed: March 8, 2009

"The 1930's Were A Good Decade for Tulips" Quilt

Piece Name: "The 1930's Were A Good Decade for Tulips"

This was another UFO quilt that sat started and unfinshed for years. I made the top in late 2005. I only recently finished it for the 2009 Love Apples Quilters quilt show. The quilt is zig zag stitch machine appliqued and machine quilted. I used many many prairie points. I named it after my use of several 1930 reproduction fabrics. I love this quilt because it is bright, fun, traditional, and modern all in the same quilt.

The pattern is from the book Pick a Pattern Applique & Variations by Joan Sjuts Waldman.
Quilt Completed: March 3 2009

"My Lone Star Garden" Quilt

Piece Name: "My Lone Star Garden"

I made this quilt for the 2009 Love Apple Quilters Quilt Challenge. The main rule of the challenge was that we had to use the two floral prints you see in the pictures. The fabrics from the challenge just didn't speak to me until the VERY LAST MINUTE. Usually for these challenges I know almost immediately what I am going to make. Not this time as I really sweated it out and almost didn't do one. I put this together in the final weeks just before the challenge deadline. I am so glad that I did and I am pretty darn pleased!

The pattern is from Debbie Maddy's Shining Star Quilt as seen on HGTV's Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. I had printed the instructions out right after seeing the show way back when and pulled them out for this challenge. I love the look of the star and I love the total lack of diamonds and inset seams! You have to be a pretty good piecer though...lots of seams to match up!

This hung in the 2009 Love Apple Quilters Quilt Show.

Quilt Completed: February 2009

3D Tutu!!!

Piece Name: "For the Love of Ballet...and Little Girl Dreams" Mini Quilt

You'll remember from this post that I had made two mini quilts for my quilt guild's charity mini quilt silent auction. I had hoped I would make at least one more after my own quilts were done for the show (which they aren't all yet...GULP!!). Anyhow, I was making the ribbon hair scrunchies this weekend for the boutique (see previous post) and the first one I made didn't turn out right. I didn't want to waste the ribbon and it looked so pretty even as a failure. After playing around with it it reminded me of a ballerina's tutu...and well, this was born. I used the failed scrunchie as the 3D poofy tutu on this mini quilt. I framed the whole thing with ribbon which reminds me of ballet slipper ribbon laces. Hopefully one of the quilt show goers will have a special little ballerina in their life and will bid on and win this little mini. 100% of the proceeds from the silent auction go to charity. P.S. The quilt is crooked in the pictures based on the angle I snapped the picture, but in real life it is correctly shaped.

Completed: February 8, 2009

Boutique!!!

Piece Name: 2009 Quilt Show Boutique Items

I belong to Love Apple Quilters Quilt Guild of Cherry Hill, NJ. Every two years or so we put on a very professional quilt show. Our next one is in a few weeks on March 14-15th. I am sewing and quilting in HIGH GEAR in preparation, so you probably won't be seeing any jewelry posts until I survive the show. :) Anyhow every show we have a boutique of finished items and other steals and deals. The quilt show attendees STAMPEDE there! It is one of the major money makers of the show that allows our non-profit, charity based guild continued existence for the next two years! So the members do a phenomenal job of making items for the boutique. Here is a small sampling of some of my items: tomato pin cushions, a stuffed cat with ribbon, button flower ponytail holders, ribbon hair scrunchies, and a two sided table runner.









All Completed: February 2009

Lullaby Lamby!

Piece Name: "Lullaby Lamb" Baby Pillow

Made this baby pillow for my cousin's baby shower. She and her husband are going to have their first child...a boy. This pillow was adapted from a quilt pattern called "Lullaby Lamb". It uses the layered chenille technique, fusible machine applique, and echo quilting. It is 21"x21". I used a safety pin with a pretty blue bow to attach a little "cow" bell to the lamb which adds a nice tinkly bell sound and furthers the 3D effect of the pillow. I know I made this so I am biased, but darn this one is precious!

Completed: January 17, 2009

There Be Flowers on My Quilts!

Piece Name: "My Blue Baltimore" Mini Quilt

This a mini quilt that I made for me...all me! Not giving this one away! No way! I made this just for fun because one day I wanted to do applique. This is what I came up with after flipping through my library. I pieced the background in beige and cream (which you can't see in the photos). It gives very subtle visual interest to the piece. A simple a thing as that and I've never done before...I've always used solid one piece backgrounds. I have to say I like the subtle difference and it was worth the extra work. The block design came from one of Elly Sienkiewicz' Baltimore Beauty books, and the border I designed after being inspired by traditional swagged borders. I decided to stay in all blues because I thought the look would be powerful and clean against the cream/biege background. The quilting is traditional cross hatch and I have to say I am mighty pleased with this little quilt (22"x22"). The applique is fusible machine applique. I love making traditional designs using modern applique methods (modern meaning it gets done in my hectic schedule without fiddly hand work!). This quilt will hang in my guild's quilt show this March 14-15th (Love Apple Quilters of Cherry Hill, NJ). Completed: January 4, 2009

Piece Name: "Elizabethan Gardens of Manteo, NC" Mini Quilt

This mini quilt (24"x24") is entirely machine embroidered with a design pack you can purchase on the Secrets of Embroidery website. It took many hours of work stitching out each block with all those thread changes and then joining all the blocks together like a jigsaw puzzle (that took some skilled easing!). I chose very traditional rose petal colors, and when it was all done it reminded me of the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC. This quilt will be a very belated wedding gift for a cousin. It's been done for awhile but I have procrastinated over putting a label on it (where have you read that before!!!). It is going to be even more belated because it too will hang in my guild's quilt show this March 14-15th. Completed: Jan. 2008

Christmas Present Earrings

Piece Names: Sparkle & Luster Earrings and Irridescent Snowflake Earrings

Every year my husband gives his Aunt Kathy (his Godmother) a Christmas gift. Most years this translates to me selecting and taking care of the gift for him! This year we gave her a purchased silver mesh sterling silver bracelet, but I wanted to add to it, so I created the following two pairs of earrings for her from him. This first pair are what I call the "Sparkle & Luster Earrings" because they are made with two shades of red 4mm Swarovski bicone beads (the sparkle) and 7.5mm freshwater pearls (the luster). The metal is either Argentium Sterling Silver or regular Sterling Silver. These were made with simple bead wire wrapping techniques that I thought looked pleasing together and weren't inspired by any artist in particular.

Remember that fabulous wire artist Corra I mentioned in my previous post? I purchased her Snowflake Earrings tutorial and made these "Irridescent Snowflake Earrings" as the second earring pair in the Christmas gift. What a great and easy to follow tutorial! I used multi-colored irridescent seed beads with Argentium Sterling Silver to make these. They stubbornly resisted being photographed well and look crooked (I didn't feel like getting my light studio out so that's what I get)...but I assure you they came out wonderfully (and straight despite what they look like in my photos) thanks to Corra's wonderful instruction!

Both pieces completed: December 2008

Experimentation Yields Sparklies!

Piece Names: Green Ladybug Pendant and Garnet & Silver Pipa Knot Pendant

After making so many snowflakes adhering losely to a pattern I felt creative and wanted to "play" with wire with nothing set in mind. The two pendants in this entry are the result. The first I call the "Green Ladybug" pendant. It is made with two gauges of Argentium Sterling Silver wire (20 and 28 I think), a 7.5 mm freshwater pearl, and three green shades of 4mm Swarovski crystal bicone beads. This one was all my design from start to finish. I need to find a dressy enough reason to wear this one!


The second pendant was inspired by the work of Corra an EXTREMELY talented Jewelry Artist whose work I admire and follow closely. I have purchased a couple of her tutorials. This Pipa Tear Drop Knot done in wire is actually a Chinese knotting technique that Corra elevates to new levels in wire. I was able to make this version of the knot by studying her lovely pieces and doing Chinese knotting research online. If you'd like to learn I HIGHLY recommend one of Corra's tutorials as they are FIRST rate! This pendant is made with two gauges of Argentium Sterling Silver wire (20 and 28 I think) and 4mm faceted garnet beads.

Both pieces completed: December 2008

Christmas Craft 2008 - Snowflakes!

Piece Name: Christmas Craft - SS Wire Snowflakes

If you know me you know that each year I do a Christmas Craft project that I give to friends and family members as gifts. I have been doing this for almost 20 years now. I have made things in all sorts of techniques, but like last year (scroll below for 2007's craft) I settled in on wire wrapping again. This year I made snowflakes. They were inspired by a bracelet tutorial by Karen Traeger Rakoski that was published in the Winter 2008 edition of the "Step by Step Wire Jewelry" magazine. I got pretty good at making them and just like real snowflakes each one is a little different!

These snowflakes were made with 20 and 24 gauge Argentium Sterling Silver wire. They either use faceted Blue Lace agate beads or light blue 4mm Swarovski crystal bicone beads for the center stone. I used narrow light blue satin ribbon as hangers for these ornaments.

Completed: December 2008

Mini Quilts for a Good Cause!

Piece Name:"Jug of Black Eyed Susans" and "Kimono Fun" Mini Quilts

My Quilt Guild Love Apple Quilters of Cherry Hill, NJ has a quilt show every two years. The next show is March 14-15, 2009. We always have a Miniature Quilt Silent Charity Auction with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Camp Bright Feathers...a camp for Kids with or affected by HIV/AIDS that lets them forget the disease for a little while and just be kids. All the Mini Quilts are made and donated by guild members or friends of the guild. These are two (with at least one more following) are the ones I am donating to this worthy cause.

Black Eye Susans were my wedding flower and I've loved them since I was a child and picked them roadside while walking to/from the beach in Kitty Hawk, N.C. as a child. This quilt is machine embroidered and the two focal flowers are 3D. The main design was embroidered on the beige fabric and the 3D flowers were embroidered on water soluable fabric that melted away leaving only the stitched design.

I have a treasure trove practically of oriental fabrics and decided to use some of them. I have a pattern for a 3D folded Kimono that I used to make the Kimono and I randomly placed the squares and rectangles so that they pleased my eye and appliqued them in place. They were both fun projects that I did over the course of one weekend! P.S. If the mini quilts look crooked or misshapen in the pictures it's only the perspective as I quick snapped the pictures before running to work and used the nearest available chair back to prop them up (a curved chairback!!!).

Completed: November 1-2, 2008

Last Jewelry Birthday Gift of the Year!

Piece Name: Argentium Silver/Freshwater Pearls Pendant and Earrings Set

My youngest sister's birthday is this month. I wanted to make her some earrings using silver and these really nice oval shaped pinkish/purplish freshwater pearls. I actually made the pendant first and didn't like it for an earring and set it aside thinking I wasn't going to use it. I experimented and came up with these earrings. They aren't from any designer in particular, but they are inspired by earrings I've seen in my books and magazines. I am mostly happy with them and would do things a little differently on second implementation, but they turned out nice enough to use for a gift. Heck I'd wear them! I looked back at my first aborted earring attempt and thought that would make a nice matching pendant...and so it now is. I hope my sister likes these. She is PICKY!

These are made with Argentium Silver wire in gauges 18, 22, and 24 in dead soft. The freshwater pearls are pinkish/purplish in color and measure about 7mm, maybe 7.5mm.

Completed October 17, 2008.

One Melissa, Two Melissa!

Piece Name: "Golden Scrolls Paisley"

I belong to a lot of Yahoo groups dedicated to various methods of handmade jewelry making. An artist by the name of Melissa Muir was mentioned. I visited her website. Her jewelry is just exquisite. I was taken with many of her pieces, but this one inspired me and just stayed on my mind. Later on I sat down in my studio and started doodling with that piece in memory. I don't use the same techniques as Melissa used to make her piece, but knew I could make something inspired by that piece using the techniques I do employ. And so after much doodling, "Golden Scrolls Paisley" was born. It is almost identical to the final doodle except I removed one scroll.

This one is a keeper and I envision putting it on a burgandy cord of some sort. It is quite large...but I LOVE large jewelry that makes a statement. It is made with rolled gold in wire gauges 16, 18, and 24. The frame and center scroll are 16 gauge half hard. The other scrolls are 18 guage dead soft, and the coiling is 24 gauge dead soft. I worked on this piece on and off for three days. I'd work until I got sick of it!!! Those scrolls were fiddly to attach and the coiling was tedious! But I was diligent and I always returned to make a little more progress. I am quite proud of the result and that it was my very own design from start to finish thanks to Melissa's inspiration pendant! Thanks Melissa! Please do visit Melissa's website.

Completed: Early October 2008

Jewelry Gifties A Plenty!

Piece Name: "Smokey Pearls" Earrings and "Liquid Links" Bracelet

Like I said in the previous post, September is a big jewelry gifting month for me. This post discusses the gifties I gave my sister for her birthday. My sister adores pearls and has several pieces of purchased pearl jewelry from her trips to Hawaii. I figured she'd like one more! So I created these earrings for her. They are made with Argentium Silver, Freshwater Pearls, and Smokey Quartz. The design inspiration is from Marie Lee Carter in the Winter 2006 "Step by Step Wire" Magazine. These use 18 amd 24 guage round Argentium silver wire, 7mm freshwater pearls, and 7.5mm smokey quartz faceted briolettes. These went together in 45 minutes and wear very nicely. They flounce and dazzle with body movement. My sister loves the length and has already requested a duplicate using blues and greens so they have a ocean feeling to them. I'll be happy to oblige!

I love jewelry sets so I just had to create an accompanying bracelet. So this Argentium Silver bracelet was born. The design is by Pepper Mentz in the Fall 2005 "Step by Step Wire" Magazine. The bracelet measures 8 inches and uses 18 guage round argentium silver wire. This one took me about an hour and a half or so. It is easy to make but a bit fiddly so you have to be friends with your tools or if you're a newbie have patience. I'd love to do this bracelet again in a hunky guage of wire. I am happy to report that these gifties were well received!

Both pieces Completed late September 2008.