Finished January Block

Here is my finished block for January for CQJP 2012. This block is for the 25th wedding anniversary crazy quilt I'm working on. To see other blocks I've made, click on the "Anniversary Quilt" label at the end of this post.

This block commemorates the two trips my husband and I have taken to Canada, in 1994 and in 2011. The first trip was without kids and the second was with kids and with another family who we're close friends with.

Awhile ago, I thought I saw some small number beads at one of the local craft stores, but when I was working on this block, I couldn't find them! So I decided to just use a thin Pigma pen to write the two years. From now on, I guess I need to just buy things for this quilt when I see them. There's nothing wrong with a big stash, right?

When we were in Toronto last summer, we went to the top of the CN Tower. Since I had already made some of the other blocks for this quilt, I bought a tie tack to go on this block. I think it looks great in the triangle-shaped fabric:

At Niagara Falls, I couldn't find a charm or tie tack that was specific to the Falls, so I bought this Canadian Maple Leaf:

January block continues...

I've got most of my beading done on my January block for CQJP 2012. Here's how the whole block looks:Here's the seam by the lace on the left side. Besides the clusters of 3 seed beads, I put a larger clear bead on the lace in the center of each motif:

Here's the seam on the far right side of the block. I used sead beads, bugle beads, and large beads that look like donuts:

On the ribbon/trim on the right side of the block, I sewed a mother of pearl button with three gold seed beads inside each of the three shapes that I had previously outlined in embroidery:

Finally, I added seed beads to this seam treatment on the left side of that ribbon/trim. I just love that hand-dyed silk ribbon I used in this seam. The variegated colors are so pretty:

That's it for now. Have a fantastic week!

January progress

I've got all the embroidery done on my January block for CQJP. On the white trim on the right side of the triangle, I outlined three of the designs to make them stand out more.

For the velvet piece in this picture, I did a design similar to one on the Maria Wilson Beardsley quilt on page 92 of Penny McMorris' book, Crazy Quilts. Yep, I told you I love those antique CQs!

Some of the other stitches are ones I saw in Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting book and some are from Sharon Boggon's Encrusted Crazy Quilting online class.

I've started beading this block, and I'll get pictures of that up soon.

January CQ Block beginning

Happy New Year! Here's what my January block looks like without any embellishments.

Although I like to make some CQ blocks the "stitch and flip" method, I also love the way antique crazqy quilt blocks are very unique and individual. A few years ago, I found a copy of the wonderful book Crazy Quiltsby Penny McMorris at an antique shop for $5.00. Of course I snatched it right up! I love to get inspiration from there for some of my blocks. My January block was inspired by one of my favorite quilts in that book. It was made by Maria Wilson Beardsley, circa 1883, featured on pages 92 - 93. Although my block is different from hers, the block I modeled this after is on the top row, the second from the right.