New Blog Address!!!

I have redesigned my blog at a new address. Please change your blog address for me to http://notgrandmasquilts.blogspot.com

Thank you to everyone who has visited me here

Some of my older work

These are a few of the pieces that I completed in 2006. The 1st one with the tulips was actually taken from a book on painting called, "The Sideload: Garden" by Sharyn Binam. The other two (2) I designed using the techniques in the book "Ghost Layers and Color Washes" by Katie Pasquini Masopust. Hope you all enjoy seeing them. I have the hardest time coming up with names for my quilts. Do any of you have that same problem?

My 1st 12x12x12 (Dainty Daisies)

I have posted my first 12x12x12 quilt page to the Fabric Quilt Studio blog. My theme for this challenge is flowers. I kind of took the easy way out with this theme because I absolutely love flowers. This is the first time I have participated in a challenge and so far it has been very satisfying. I have been motivated to get this project completed.

I am ready to begin my next page for February. I already have some ideas floating around in my head so I am off to get started!

I haven't posted during the last week because I have decided to clean and organize my studio! I have a class at QU scheduled, the first week in February, with Linda Schmidt called "Elements in Fabric". I am really looking forward to this class and have spent the better part of the week shopping for the supplies. I think I am now ready.



I have also made a decision to try (really hard) not to purchase any new fabric this year. At least, not until I use up some of the fabric I already have. I am a fabriholic! I have more fabric than I could ever use in a lifetime. I also have 100's of yards of pfd fabrics for painting and dyeing. Fabric dyes and paints in every color of the rainbow. Also I have every color of Shiva Paintstiks and Tsukineko Inks. My theory has always been that if I lost income for some reason at least I will be able to quilt! How's that for logic?

I have almost the complete collection of Quilters Newsletter Magazines and have decided that I don't need to keep them. I also have many of the Quiltmaker magazines. If anyone is interested I would be happy to send them to you for the cost of shipping. You can email me at bhaydel@bellsouth.net One of these days I will go through all of my quilting books and get rid of the ones that I know I will never need.



I have uploaded a few pictures of my small studio space which is the smallest but my favorite room in the house. I can spend up to 15 hours a day in here and never get bored.











I hope to soon get back to work on my new piece and also catch up on the challenge for Quilt Studio Web Ring 12x12x12. Until next time!!!

Okay....I have finally started. This is what I have so far. At this point nothing is permanently attached. I am not sure about this background. I do love the fabric but it may not be right for this particular quilt. I knew I wanted to do something with an image of a girl but that is about as far as it goes.

I drew the girl in Corel Draw X3 (my favorite graphic drawing program) where I draw most all of my quilt designs using a wacom tablet and stylus. Also, I received a tablet pc (laptop) for Christmas that I absolutely love. This makes drawing incredibly easy because you actually draw right on the screen using a stylus. It is very cool!

Happy New Year!

For the last couple of weeks I have been looking forward to the new year with excitement. Looking forward to having all the activities and visiting for the holidays done. I had been looking forward to getting in my studio and getting busy on a new project. I had dreamed of making a couple of portrait type quilts to start then machine quilting a whole cloth quilt with lots and lots of feathers. Well, Saturday the last of my visitors returned home. After dropping them off at the airport, I hurried home to quickly clean up the house from the holidays so that I could get in my studio guilt free and really get to work. Well, I have been sitting in front of the computer for the last three (3) days just staring at the screen. I just can't figure out where to start. Where is my Muse? What has happened to my creative juices? Why aren't they flowing? Well, tomorrow will be a new day and just maybe my muse will return.

I am going to try to post a photo of my last project for 2006. It is a wall quilt made for my SIL for a Christmas gift. I used the face from a stained glass pattern and the designed the background, bust and flowers. I machine quilted and also used Tsukineko inks and pencil colors for shading. I loved this quilt! I think I will have to make one for myself.

I have finally decided to join the blogosphere!

I look forward to sharing my art quilt adventures with everyone on my new blog! I will try to post at least once a week beginning in January 2007. I have never been very good about keeping a diary or journal but I will truly make an effort.

I am absolutely obsessed with quilt making. It consumes much of my thoughts every day. I started quilting (off and on) 21 years ago. Since my boys left for college, I have converted an extra room in my home just for me and my art making supplies. I started as a traditional quiltmaker then taught myself needle turn applique. I was hooked! But now my thoughts are moving toward art quilts. I have learned so much from reading the posts to the Quilt Art list and following the links to everyones blogs with all the wonderful pictures of their work. I have purchased just about every book ever mentioned on the list and many many more. I have also bought many CD/DVD classes that are available such as Gabrielle Swain, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Sharon Schamber, Lura Schwarz Smith, Ricky Tims and Pat Blair. I continue to learn more techniques every day. I will never have enough time left on this great earth to try all of the techniques that I am learning. I will try to post photos of a few of my favorite quilts soon.