May Crazy Quilt Journal Project Block

I love May.  Besides being my birth month, it's not too hot, not too cold, the flowers are blooming, and the garden has new things to discover every day.
Have you ever found that with a crazy quilt you made?  Whenever I look back at a block, I "discover" something new.
This is my 5th block for the 2013 CQJP:

The little girl is my grandmother, circa 1918. As you can see, I tatted a tiny flower for her and embroidered a duck pull toy.  The frame was pinked with my awesome vintage pinking machine and embroidered in an aesthetic style. 

I also tatted the cross from a pattern in Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers.  I had originally planned to put it below the picture, but it was too dark.  The lace that it landed on is from my stash of antiques, as is the flower and leaf surrounded by silk ribbon french knots.  Check my etsy page for an awesome holder for your tatting needles, hand made out of Texas mesquite.

The mixing bowl and rolling pin are my own design.  And yes, I do use a vintage wooden rolling pin with green handles.  I think old things should also have a function.  The mixing bowl reminds me of some of the Pyrex bowls that have been passed down to me.

 

Last but not least, my little tractor.  We do not use John Deere, but love International Harvester.  The design is from an Aunt Martha.  I had to shrink it quite a bit to fit, but it was a lot easier than trying to draw one.

Drum Roll, Please!

I entered my crazy quilt in the Victoria (Texas) quilt show this last weekend.  It is non-judged show, but does have Viewer's Choice.

And I got first place in the Wall Hanging (smaller quilts) division!!!  I still can't believe it because I never win anything.  It is so gratifying that my fellow quilters appreciate the work that went in to this quilt.  Especially since my heart (and inspiration!) is truly in this labor of love.  I wasn't able to attend the show this year because of commitments here in town with my children and I really missed it.  I have seen a few pictures and the quilts were beautiful.  Hopefully next year I will be able to go.

And here is block #3 for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project. 

The picture is my grandparents, dad, and aunt.  The frame is wool felt with the outer edges pinked with my awesome pinking machine.  The surface work I just made up as I sewed.  I think it looks very sweet.  The laces are all from my stash of vintage stuff, except for the floral motif that is new and tea dyed.

The tricycle I drew on freehand with an air soluble marker.  I think it turned out cute.The green seam to the right still needs some work, though.

 

The lamp is a copy of the antique lamp in my living room that belonged to my husband's grandmother.  

 

Last but not least, the Virgin Mary.  She is framed with gathered gold ribbon.  I was trying to make it look like an ornate, heavy old frame.  I think that worked rather well.  I originally had some silk ribbon embroidery in this spot, but I really didn't like it. 

 

New Loves

Oh, my.  Oh, my.  Oh, my!!  Why didn't someone tell me about silk embroidery floss before?  Santa brought me a couple of the small Kreinik Silk Mori sampler packs and I just tried them out on the drum.  Wow.  I am in love.  I really expected it to be like the DMC satin floss.  Pretty, but entirely too much trouble.  If you haven't tried this stuff, take it from someone who is really impatient with stubborn threads, fabrics, and needles.  Silk Mori is like the proverbial knife through butter.  If this is the kind of floss our Victorian ancestors sat around using, I understand why they were always acting so dainty.  It was so they could embroider all of the time!!!
Don't get me wrong, I still love my plain Jane DMC that I've been playing with for more than a few years (read:  decades).  And I have an awful lot of that to use up.  But I will definitely be saving up my fun money for more Silk Mori. 
This is my new toy:

It is a circa 1931 Singer Hand Operated Pinker and was a gift from a very good friend and her brother.  Because it was their mother's, they shall remain nameless because I don't want any children getting bent out of shape.  Why did I get it?  Because I appreciate such awesome sewing paraphernalia. I also appreciate awesome friends, and not for the cool stuff.  
This is what it does:

Don't you love my daughter's pink toenails in the picture?  I was going to crop it, but changed my mind.  This is the true story of where we live.  It was the middle of January and we were barefoot on the porch taking pictures.  Now it's cold again, though. 

This thing will reportedly cut through fabric, paper, and leather.  It has dials you change to adjust for the thickness of what you are cutting.  As my son said, it looks like an "old" pencil sharpener.  I remember when those pencil sharpeners weren't "old," but you get the idea.  There are other blades for the pinker, but they are a tad expensive and difficult to come by.  Hopefully some day I will get others.