Bee Happy Blocks - the last few months

While the bee was busy all year working on Yolanda's quilts, we really put our monthly block assignments to the back burner. But then in September, the overwhelming feeling for me of being behind just got to the point where I HAD to catch up. I set aside a few nights to sit down and crank out some blocks for the girls who I care so much for.
 Forgive me if I managed to post about these before and didn't actually realize it... but here are a bunch of bee blocks from 2012.

Nicole asked us to make blocks inspired by Gees Bend. I love the quilts of Gees Bend and loved this project. I took special inspiration from a well known quilt made by Annie Mae Young.

Alison was inspired by her collection of vintage sheets and also the idea of spelling pieced words with fabric. She asked each of us to do our name and also a word that described our bee and our amazing friendship. I picked the word "FRIENDS"

Kelly asked for an improv block and gave us a great palette of colors to play with. I chose one of her inspiration pic on Flickr as my starting point, making sure to include curved piecing, since that's my fave.

Melissa wanted help finishing up a rainbow mod mosaic...

Natalie wanted a bookshelf.

Then it was time for a new round and Natalie wanted for year 3 to begin with a wonky star.

Earlier in the year, Rosanna had asked for hearts for a Valentine quilt.

Blossom had us do a string square.

Lori asked for a large square in square. She was the one that seemed to get us trending in the direction of making one big 18" square and not two 12" squares as often as we used to.

Janice also had us work on two separate projects within the same color family for two family members. One was a set in circle and one was to have triangles.

Most recently, Ramona asked for us to work on a series of little quilt squares that she will piece together to create a maze. (can't wait to see this one all done...)

I apologize for the poor quality of pics - I often take these images around midnight when I am finished with them and then I pack them up with little goodies and treats for the friends and I mail them off the next day.  During year 2, I sent nearly every square (I think I did every square!) with a handmade project bag or zipper pouch. I forgot to take pics of some of them, but you can see some here...

I even probably still missed some blocks, but had to do some quick homework even to make this post!
I think I am mostly caught up now though, showing you these.

Last minute Halloween costume - channelling Frida Kahlo

We are getting ready to host about 40 families on our front lawn for pizza before trick-or-treating. I just realized that I didn't have a costume, so I copied an idea I'd seen earlier in the day... Drew in a unibrow and part of a mustache... Put all of my flower clips on top of braids, got big jewelry and a long skirt and I was Frida.

It was either that or "tired" - wearing my pajamas. This was more fun.  I'll post pics of the kids later, but didn't want to forget what Z said... I texted it to Jay:

Best comment yet is that Zane says, "mom, when you are dressed like that, if you want to speak hard to me, you already have your eyebrows in the right place"

Sent from my iPhone

Improv quilt

 
It doesn't yet have a binding on it, but the quilt I started over a year ago in the workshop I took with Denyse Schmidt is finally finished being quilted by hand. I'm usually so much faster in projects, but this one doesn't have a recipient or goal as for now... And I'm slower when I don't know who I am quilting for.
I really love it though and can't wait to put the binding on it.

Healing quilt for Dad

It was an idea for a while, since Dad has had prostate cancer longer than I have been quilting.... But I didn't quite know what to do. It was the amazing combo of making a healing quilt for Yolanda, then some bee blocks for Alison that had words pieced into them, some awesome fabric scraps Ramona gave me from a new line called "Architextures" (which reminded me of my designer dad), and then Latifah's script quilt which had a beautiful quote written in fabric marker as the main piece... All those ideas came together to become this Healing Quilt for my dad.

I do wish I had the ideas all earlier to give it finished to him when he was going through radiation all summer, but now he will receive it as a celebration and a hug from me for weathering this ugly cancer storm. (Ugh, I hate cancer).

The back is a compilation of verses from the Old Testament in the Bible which speak of how God will heal us... I asked my mom some of Dad's favorites through this ordeal and she coached me.

Thank you to all my inspiring and generous friends... Now I get to give this to Dad.

Locks of Love

Mercy decided it was time to cut her hair and donate her ponytail to locks of love for wigs for sick children.

We went to Mommy's favorite stylist and Mercy got an adorable bob cut.

We are so proud of her!

It's been a bag kind of week

We've been into making tote bags around here this week.

I had some moms over from our school for a morning lesson one day - It had actually been an auction item that I had put up for bid ... "come have snacks and a sewing lesson!" - so we made some gorgeous totes for them - but I forgot to take pics of theirs. Here's mine.

Then Mimi got really inspired and wanted to make some, so she and her little buddy made matching ones at a playdate.

I also finally got around to finishing up some library bags for the kids made out of Dr. Suess fabric that my generous friend Ramona passed off to me after she was done with her project. I'm not really one for buying character fabric, but since this came into my possession - it seemed perfectly appropriate for some bags to take to the library. The kids love them.

Collage class update

So another Tuesday night spent in my collage studio class yielded more work to share this week. The top picture is a "fragment" - not a finished piece, but one that might either become a finished piece or might be torn up and cannibalized for other pieces.

I had a long talk with my teacher about how we have ebbs and flows in art-making. There have been years of art-making where I wouldn't dare post what I was making... I hated the work. Much of it is stacked up and piled in back corners of my garage... But this series... This is a sweet spot. It's happening so fast and heartily. It's very vulnerable. I'm putting in pages of questioning and tears from my journals these past few years... Lots of hidden images of important moments and references to very painful memories are mixed into these. (Why does it seem that the best art often comes from the worst pain?) Anyhow, I don't expect this tide to remain the same forever, but I am for sure riding this wave out... It's also so very cathartic for me. I am healing as I make this work.

The second piece shown is a tribute to my friendship with Yolanda. I think I'll probably call it, "goodnight, my friend".

Family portraits with Mimi Haddon

I recently asked a bunch of local moms if they knew of a great photographer. I got a recommendation from a neighbor to look up Mimi Haddon. I was completely blown away by her work. It was so untraditional and fun and wild that I couldn't imagine what she would come up with for family photos.

She and I had the best time planning the shoot over the phone and email. It was idea after idea after idea. We settled on taking pics in her studio with a backdrop that we would draw ourselves (based on the sketches from my sketchbooks that my kids often have me draw for them to color in). These images may look like they are very "libby" - but the kids and Jay for sure feel like they belong to them as well.

You know that we are big on non-traditional photo shoots - this one is our wildest yet. I am dying to get the rest of the pics back from Mimi later this week - but here is a sneak peek into the fun that was our Saturday....

coloring in enormous red polka dots the night before

jay snapped this pic while we were setting up

Mimi sent me these two that she took as a sneak preview. I nearly died with excitement to see the rest of the pics.

Mimi's tea party

I was beside myself happy when Mimi decided she wanted a fancy tea party for her 8th birthday this year. It seemed so fun and "simple" to do - okay, it was NOT simple, even a little bit, but it was a lot of fun. The eight year old loved it and so did all of her friends. (She's had tea every day since)

Here are some pics.