Travel Log – Northern Arizona

The last week in October Queenie and Honey May hit the road and headed north to Saint George, Utah.

While most folks will take the shortest route through Las Vegas.

We decided on the scenic route through the Navajo Reservation.

And, boy oh boy are we glad we did!

The scenery was beyond beautiful!!!

In the studio, the Queenie Mother’s Blue Birds quilt is all quilted up and off Sir Owen the Innova.

I’m even really pleased with the back of this beauty.

Until next time.

Have a great day!

Fall 2013 Blogger’s Quilt Festival

Welcome intrepid travelers from Amy’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival and regular visitors. I’m Queenie, welcome to my wee blog.  October 25 through November 8 are the dates of this fine festival of quilting adventures. It is truly a treat for the eyes and inspiring beyond belief.  AND! There are prizes galore!

For this festival I’m entering my Mom’s Arabian Nights quilt in the ROYGBIV (color wheel) Quilt category. Please click on any and all photos for a bigger, upclose view.

The Queenie Mother designed this quilt around a charm pack of beautiful batiks which she joined together  with interlocking gold and lavender sashing.

The charms are framed with three golden boarders of pink, lavender and purple.

Upon completion of the top, Queenie took the quilty reins and quilted it on my Innova longarm, Sir Owen.

I filled the boarders with undulating feathers and Greek keys with each charm filed with a quilting design I call halved papaya.

I selected a beautiful teal and brown batik for the backing and inserted a piping of it in the binding. 

Quilt stats: Full size, pieced batiks, hand guilded custom quilting with 50 weight Aurafil cotton thread, 80/20 batting.

Thanks for stopping by Queenie’s wee blog.  Please click here to go to Amy’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival (and vote for me).

Thank you Amy for another outstanding Quilt Festival!!

Until next time…

Have a great day!

Fall 2013 Blogger’s Quilt Festival-Part II

Welcome intrepid travelers from Amy’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival and regular visitor’s to Queenie’s wee blog.

Amy graciously allows each person to enter 2 quilts per show and this is my second, a quilted pillow top called “Wonky Dice” which I’m entering in the Doll/Mini Quilt category.  Please click on any and all photos for an up-close view.

Oh, about a month or so ago I took a workshop from the extremely talented Sharon Schamber and learned her amazing Piec-lique technique which makes complex and curved piecing very approachable.  The next day I adventured (as Queenie has been known to do) with this newly learned technique and created this fun little wonky dice block.

I then snuggled it next to another project on Sir Owen the Innova for some quick quilting of bubbly pebbles.

I added extra batting/trapunto to the round pieced shapes creating a  petite pillow for each.

I finished Wonky Dice with a flanged binding and a lapped back for easy insertion of a pillow form.

Quilt Stats:

Size: 18” x 18”

Fabric: Various and assorted from the vast Queenie stash

Quilting: Hand guided custom quilting, 40 weight polly thread

Batting: 80/20

Please click here to see my other quilt in the festival “Arabian Nights”

A hardy round of applause, standing ovation and many thanks to Amy for another outstanding Blogger’s Quilt Festival.  Please click here to see other beautiful quilts… and… pssst* vote for me starting November 1 ;o)

Until next time,

Have a great day!

Vigilant in the Backyard Kingdom

In Arizona we are in that glorious time of year when the back of monsoon triple digit, humidity is finally broken. This weekend saw temps in the high 80sF, dry and crystal clear blue skies. Perfect weather for seeding the Delicious’s Backyard Kingdom.  You see, Arizona has two seasons for grass and we are quickly approaching the winter rye season.

First the lawn is scalped down to a wee buzz cut which was not hard as the summer grass starts to make it’s retreat. Next the fertilizer is broadcast and then the seed.

Last but not least our ever vigilant guard tiger is enthroned to keep guard against winged thieves known to flock and gobble all the seed away.

And, yes our vigilant tiger really does do the trick in staving off the doves who especially love the seed.  Queenie believes this courageous tiger needs a name… What say thee?  Suggestions?

 

Until next time,

Have a great day!

 

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy…

This past Saturday Queenie attended Sharon Schamber’s NewYork Beauty workshop.  It was sponsored by the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild.  Boy, oh boy, was it fun!!!  This is my finished block.

Sharon’s Piec-lique technique makes complex and curved piecing very approachable. So much so the next day I adventured (as Queenie has been known to do) with this newly learned technique and created this fun little wonky dice block.

I will definitely keep this technique in my bag of tricks going forward!!!

Here is a sneak peak of the Queenie Mother’s quilt I quilted with Sir Owen the Innova.  I will do a whole post on this beauty later this month.  The Queenie Mother has named it “Arabian Nights” - a fine name indeed.

Next up on Sir Owen is the Queenie Mother’s Blue Birds quilt.

 I’m experimenting with some abstract Queen Anne’s Lace in the boarders…

And foaming surf in the multi-purple squares.

Here's a shot from the back of the quilt... 

I took this shot from underneath Sir Owen and the machine’s light from the other side is glowing through… A little pre-Halloween vibe in the studio. (insert Bwahahaha)

 

Whilst composing this post Queenie drew a complete blank regarding a title. So, I took this wee snap…  

… and there you have it, Fishy-s!

Until next time.

Have a great day!

Cure for Fireworks

You helllou, Delicious here!

Today we're standing (actually, pretty sitting) in solidarity with this wee girlish in staving off the fear of fireworks.  The parental units (Queenie and HoneyMan) showed us this faboo YouTube knowing we could relate...

Was that cute or WHAT!!  Made our tails wag!!!

Until next time from the backyard kingdom…

Many doggy kisses and big furry love,

The Delicious

One Word Wednesday – Reflect

Queenie has found it a good and healthy practice to strive toward the positive. One thing that helps is to purposely look for beauty and whimsy in the mundane. In Arizona we are in the last throws of the monsoon end of summer… Heat and humidity steam rolling on and a constant cascade of sweat making it a challenge to walk in a positive light.  Last evening, while in line at the drive through at our favorite Mom and Pop Mexican food place, I spied a wonderful sunset in my side rearview.

As the line was long and the wait long too (for great Mexican food cannot be rushed) Queenie got out her trusty smart phone and had a little impromptu photo session.

The review mirror reflecting the magnificence of the glories shining through the clouds the star of the show.  

I’ve notice of late a neighborhood cat has taken to tiptoeing across the top of Bruce (my auto); padding along the roof, sliding down the front windshield and dashing down the hood of the car.

This morning Queenie tried to capture the cute little tippy toe prints of the trespassing kitty but instead

Captured the beautiful blue Arizona sky.

Until next time.

Have a great day!