Hearts and Hands For Sendai

As many of you know from my crazy quilting group, CQI, I am promoting, coordinating...ummmm......putting together, LOL, an exhibit in coordination with Patchwork Tsushin. This exhibit will be for the purpose of generating donations for the re-building of Japan. If you are participating in this project and are not a member of CQI, would you please email me privately to let me know that you are stitching a block and how many you are making, please? My email is pinyoncreekq@q.com . Thank you ALL, once again for jumping in with both feet and helping with this terrific project!!!

Hearts and Hands For Sendai

As many know, I have started a project, named Hearts and Hands For Sendai!  The purpose is to open this project up to the quilting community at large and have blocks made in any quilting medium.  These blocks will then be assembled into wall hangings and sent to Japan to be displayed in the International Quilt Show in coordination with Patchwork Tsushin as a fund raiser when viewed.  I have created a logo, such as my first attempt with photoshop goes, and anyone is welcome to use the logo to advertise this project on their own blog or in their own quilt organization.  I greatly appreciate everyones participation in this event!

4th Annual Sept Stitch Shenanigans

I wanted to re-post a reminder about our 4th Annual Sept. Stitch Shenanigans crazy quilt retreat!  We are accepting deposits now to hold your spot!!!  This promises to be a very fun time!

2011 September Stitch Shenanigans

Where:  Estes Park, Colorado

When: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 5:00 PM to Monday, September 26 at 11:00 AM

Please join us for our FOURTH ANNUAL CQI crazy quilted gathering!! This year is jam packed with

teachers Martha Green (Carny Roadside Attraction School of Crazy Quilting) and Gerry Krueger, a

vendor mall, mini tutorials and CQ fun! A sampling of past activities includes Chinese Auction, Stash

Dash, Ugly Tie Swap along with a variety of mini tutorials and LOTS of technique shared amongst the

members!! Approximate costs are $255 for lodging, $100 for food and $100 for our teachers and of

course shopping funds! Spaces are limited, so be sure to make YOUR reservation now!!! Day rates are

available for those wishing to attend a class only.

For more information, please contact Leslie Ehrlich at pinyoncreekq@q.com

Hearts & Hands For Sendai

Hi everyone!  I have just created a Flickr group for those that are participating in the Hearts and Hands for Sendai project.  Everyone is welcome to share their blocks from their "naked" beginnings to completion!  Thank you ALL once again for your heartfelt participation!

Hearts and Hands For Sendai!

I am coordinating a project to raise funds for the recovery of Japan. The quilting community as a whole is welcome to participate!  Traditional and crazy quilt blocks will be accepted!  I am posting the guidelines below for those that are interested in joining in.  Please contact me with any questions you may have. I look forward to working with everyone!  I know this will be a fabulous project upon completion!  Stay tuned here or at the CQI blog for updates on blocks as they come in!!  Please feel free to utilize this post on your own blog to help in spreading the word!!!


Hearts and Hands For Sendai


This project will be dedicated to helping those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster in Japan. Per Hideko Ishida's request, all quilts will become a part of an exhibit in Japan where money will be raised by viewing the quilts. Ultimately, these quilts may be auctioned and the proceeds given to a charity designated by Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister! We will keep everyone informed as time progresses. This project is open to the quilting community at large! You may track details on the Crazy Quilting International blog, http://crazyquiltinginternational.blogspot.com or the ICQA Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/4h3x28a .

Guidelines are as follows:

Theme: Friendship and re-building of a country

Finished block size: 8 inches

Colors: Jewel Tones

Style: traditional or crazy quilt blocks will be accepted

For traditional quilt blocks, there are no pattern restrictions. The only requirements are the size and the colors. Finished size is to be 8 inches (20.32 cm). Please allow a half inch seam allowance. Colors are jewel tones. No restrictions to the type of fabric used.


For crazy quilt blocks:

_ Cut foundation at 9 inches (22.86 cm), piece the entire foundation.

_ Baste a line at 8 inches (20.32 cm) to stop embroidering

_ Do not add beads or charms past 7 ½ inches (19.05 cm)

_ Zig zag edges to prevent edges from fraying.

_ Add your name and address on the back of the block.

_ Mark the block with “UP” to show which side is the top

_ Prefer all fabrics used be “fancies” (ie: silk, satin, taffeta, velvet) but if you have

some kimono fabrics or other oriental themed fabrics in your stash you are

welcome to use them.

_ All beading MUST be double stitched and knotted with BEADING THREAD!!!

NO exceptions!!! These items will be handled a great deal and beads, buttons,

charms are among the first to begin to loosen. Embellishments – may be done

by machine or by hand.

_ Lace and other motifs are acceptable and must be securely attached

_ Trims are acceptable and must be securely attached

_ SRE is acceptable

_ Tatting and crocheted butterflies and dragonflys, etc are acceptable and must

be securely attached

_ Please sign the back of your block

Please refrain from using any reference to the rising sun as this has political connotations in Japan.

If you have any questions, at any time, please just email me or call me; Leslie pinyoncreekq@q.com . All completed projects will be mailed to me no later than June 30, 2011. Please contact me for mailing address information.

We are asking for an entry fee of $10.00 dollars for each block. This fee will be accrued and forwarded to either Hideko or a charity of her choosing. This is to generate funds to help Japan as much as possible.

Funds can be sent vis a vis check, money order (payable to ICQA) or Paypal, icqa4u@yahoo.com. Please check gift for the donation. I appreciate everyone’s participation and look forward to seeing all the fabulous creations!

4th Annual September Stitch Shenanigans

Please join us for our fourth annual Crazy Quilting International gathering, SEPTEMBER STITCH SHENANIGANS!!

WHEN: Wednesday, Sept 21, 2011 (5:00 pm) to Mon, Sept 26, 2011 (11:00 am) 5 nights  accommodation, Classes Thurs - Sun

WHERE: Estes Park, CO YMCA - large private cabin

WHO: YOU are invited to join in the crazy, creative, stiching fun!

This year is jam packed with lots of fun activities, classes and workshops, and much more!!!
TEACHERS:                    De Crow  AND  Gerry Krueger

We will also feature:

Crazy Gift Exchange Game - sometimes called a Chinese Auction
Stash Dash - tables-full of stash, yours for the taking!
Show & Tell - everyone can share their own CQ work
A Vendor Mall - inquire how you can sell your wares!
Ugly Tie Swap - an optional way to build your tie stash
Round-tables - where members share favorite stitches with each other
Workshops - dyeing, beading cabochons, Angelina fibers and more

Approximate costs are $255 for lodging, $100 to cover teachers and, of course, your own funds for shopping and meals. This is a phenomenal deal!!  Spaces are limited, so be sure to make YOUR reservation now!!!

For more information, contact Leslie Ehrlich,  pinyoncreekq@q.com

Breast Cancer Charity Wall Hangings!

Every year at Crazy Quilting International, we have a charity project for breast cancer. These are the wall hangings, made out of the blocks contributed this year! Beautiful work is to be seen here! Soon, I will get these up on Ebay to auction for charity! Stay tuned for more details on that!!  This next year our theme will be a "Tribute To Mothers"!  I cannot wait to see what everyone conjures for this!

New addition

I feel like a crack in my heart is beginning to mend a bit now.  a batch of pups was born just after Sheeba passed away.  may sound a little corney, bit I feel like she has come back home now with this babe.  Snores, longer tail and all! 

Snow Day!

Its a wonderful snow day!!  The dogs are LOVING the white stuff!!!  Great day for stitching!

Special Christmas Gift

I got SUCH a surprise in the mail today!! A wonnnnderful cq ornie with a picture of my "girl" Sheeba along wiith a "silkie" that I can use in another project! Cathy Kitzerian, created a wonderful this wonderful ornament of my treasured friend that I lost a couple of months ago to cancer. Cathy......i'm in tears! You are so generos and thoughtful. This is a gift that will be treasured forever!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my cq'd heart!!  VBG!!

9 Patch Gone Crazy!

9 Patch Gone Crazy!
Originally uploaded by Pinyon Creek Stitchin'

What do you do with a bunch of 9 patch blocks when you're a crazy quilter? Welllllll, i've pondered on these for, oh......well.......four or five years and finally played with them. I first cut them in half diagonally and attached a beige print then I stacked several full blocks and chopped them up at various angles and re-sorted them and stitched them. Not the most wonderful cq in the world, but for a bed quilt, this will work out great! I've just done machine embroidered feather stitch so it will be washable and fairly durable. Once its complete, i'll get better pics. Any suggestions on quilting this sucker? LOL!!

Margreet's Art Noveau Block

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Originally uploaded by Pinyon Creek Stitchin'

I have just finished up the final block for the art noveau round robin for CQI. This is Margreet's block and the design is based on an art noveau tile. I hope you enjoy the block Margreet!

New Etsy Shop!!!

I have opened a new Etsy shop along with a dear friend Kerry!   We are stocking up many unique and wonderful items!  Come and take a peek!!!

New Kid On The Block

Introducing, Zipper!!!  Interesting name, eh?  LOL!!  She came with it.........not sure if she reallllllly will keep it though!  LOL!!  She's a gorgeous rottie pup that is incredibly loving!  Very much a big teddy bear!   I'm hoping that she will enjoy living with the my husband and the rest of our "kids"!  :)

As you can see.......that is snow!!  We are having our very first, "sticky" snow storm today!  YEAH!!!!  We really needed the moisture and its finally beginning to feel like November!  :)

Here are a few more pics of my other "kids"....... 

Koda with Zipper

Sukha - she's happily supervising! 

CQ Christmas Wreath Wall Hanging

Another ufo bites the dust!!  YEAH!  This humongous wreath made the rounds to Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Maine before coming home!  Its a bit wonky......but so am I so I'll hang it for the season and enjoy!  :)  Thanks again to Kerry, Jo, Hideko and Debbie for allo your wonderful work!!!

Small Giftie

I recently found out that a dear cyber friend has cancer and is to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  I decided to make her a little shawl with a face beaded face pin, to help warm her during her treatments and hopefully remind her that she is being thought of and loved.  She also has rheumatoid arthritis so I made her some wrist warmers to help keep the cold air at bay on her hands.

Enjoy dear friend!!!

Farewell to a dear, dear friend

I am sadly typing that I had to say good bye to my very best girlfriend today.  She is/was such a fantastic girl.  We had been fighting a battle with cancer and had thought she would overcome the hurdles presented to her.  Unfortuneately, she could not and became quite sick from post operative complications.  Good bye sweet girl..........I will miss you soooooo very much!  I love you.........be happy and pain free with your brothers and sister now.  I don't know what i'll do without you sweet pea...........

UFO completed!

fans wall hanging
Originally uploaded by Pinyon Creek Stitchin'

This is a little wall hanging I made with the blocks from a crazy quilting international round robin, Fans. The stars here are the stitchers, Cathy Kizerian, Jo Nesham, Gerry Krueger, Bonnie Witt and Cobi Wittkoek. I trimmed them then set them in a border with a rich velvet. I hand dyed the lace......no, its not reallyyyy that orange.... and now have it happily displayed! Yeahhh!! Thanks again ladies for sharing of your wonderful talent!

Garden lily

7-10 flowers
Originally uploaded by Pinyon Creek Stitchin'

I just thought I'd share a pic of the gorgeous lilies I harvested from the garden today! Gorgeous, me thinks!

Cats wool block

Cats wool block
Originally uploaded by Pinyon Creek Stitchin'

This is Cathy's block from the wool rr. She requested a christmas theme, so I gave her a winter tree, holly bush, bird and nest with stocking in the tree, a bird house with the wreath and a little forest decorated with cranberry garlands under the winter moon. I hope you enjoy it, Cat!