Meandering Frogs and Kitty Outlines

This market year, I've added a new craft/product line:  Quilting!  And it will tie in with my glass art. 

I fussy-cut this cute poison-dart-frog fabric to make mug rugs, and decided to try my hand at free-style quilting, that is, meandering.  It's easier than I imagined and I LOVE doing it!  

Poison dart frogs come in a myriad of varieties and colors, all bright and bold!

At the torch, I created a similar frog bead for the teaspoon.

 The leftover kitty fabric from making Christmas presents presented another challenge for a bead:

For this one, I just quilted an outline around each kitty...another first for me!

Tickertape mug rugs are so fun to make!

And ok, just one more frog:

Thanks for looking and your feedback is always appreciated!

Three of My Favorite Things

Without trying, I somehow managed to combine three of my favorite past-times/passions/pleasures:

1) Glass Bead Making,

2) Quilting,

and

3) Tea Parties!

Before I reveal this new set, a visit with a few of my tea buddies.

 Carol and me at a local tea room in Wilmy.

THIS is the ever-famous Lomonosov Factory in St. Petersberg, Russia:  The bomb-diggity, the motherlode, the creme-de-la-crem of tea sets.  I had the thrilling pleasure of browsing these shelves of Imperial China in 2005. 


My sweet husband had visited Russia in 1993 (before we moved there in 1994), and brought home to me a tea set of 6 Lomonosov cups and saucers, carefully in his backpack. 

How did he know?  Out of all the patterns, THIS would be the one I adore!?!

 

I took this photo at The Hermitage in St. Pete.  More Imperial China, the "porcelain of the Tzars".

 My Russian friends, celebrating my birthday with a tea.  They always know how to tea party!

 My tea buddies in Wilmy.  We love to dress up -hats and gloves- and priss about.

 Good times!

For a few years, I enjoyed catering tea parties. 

 

I also used to make these adorable teapot earrings.  Just might have to make a few more.

And now THE perfect gift for your BFF: 

Mug rug, teacup, and sweet little teaspoon with coordinating beads.

 It makes me happy!  I have tea EVERY day, and I hope my customers will find some joy at tea time!

Mug Rugs

I finally jumped in and made my first mug rug, using direction from several blogs, including I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts;  Impera Magna; and a Video Tutorial for binding.  My first mug rug was an experiment in quilting:  I used a continuous quilting pattern, starting on the outer edge and working to the center.

Side A

If you click to enlarge, you can see the quilting pattern (of sorts).
Don't look TOO closely though.

 Side B

This one went to my Sis, who for years collected Cherished Teddies, and also an excellent seamstress, created specialty Teddy Bears for her loved ones.  She must have made 60 or more.  Here's mine:

( I heart you Sis)

The 2nd mug rug attempt was made in the ticker tape design, and since I love puzzles, I thought it might be an enjoyable challenge.  I made a scrappy one, using Stitched in Color's Bottled Rainbow directions as a guide.  What fun!  Since my scraps were limited, I created some from yardage and a couple of precut squares.

Front

Back

My first 2 times of actually quilting!  I know, they don't look very professional, but I had fun in the process.

A fellow vendor at the market, creates new styles from vintage clothing, and over the weekend she  gave me some of her scraps:  I see more ticker tape mug rugs in my future!