Finally...

Several friends asked me to post a how-to for my little Christmas trees made from chenille stems (f/k/a pipe cleaners).  I tried to find instructions for a tiny tree like this but the only one I found was about 10-12 inches tall and took about 24 chenille stems.  The assembly was awkward, too, so I decided to try to make my own version.  This tree measures about 4 1/2" with the stand. 

Supplies:  Needle-nose pliers, wire snippers, eight chenille stems, ruler. 

1.  Fold one chenille stem in half, wrapping it around the tip of the needle-nose pliers to form a tiny loop at the middle (in case you want to hang the tree on a tree).  Make a couple of twists.  This is the "trunk."

2.  Cut two 1" pieces.  Arrange into an "X" and twist half a turn.

3.  Hold the trunk with the two loose ends up and place the "X" over the two chenille stems.  Push the "X" snugly toward the top and hold it there while you twist the stems one time.

4.  Cut two 1 1/2" pieces of chenille stem.  Hold in an "X" shape and make a half twist.  As you did in step 3, place the "X" between the two stems of the trunk, then twist the trunk tightly once or twice.

5.  Cut three 2" pieces and six 1" pieces of chenille stem.  Twist a 1" piece about 1/2" from both ends of each 2" piece.  Pinch the twisted spot with the needle-nose pliers to secure.  Hold all three of the completed 2" pieces together so that they cross at the middle (looks like a snowflake).  Hold with both hands (three pieces in one hand, three in the other) and make a half twist .  Place over the two stems of the trunk as before, and twist the trunk stems twice.

6.  Cut three 2 1/2" pieces, six 2" pieces and six 1 1/2" pieces.  Near both ends of each 2 1/2" piece, twist a 2" and a 1 1/2" piece (the shorter pieces nearer the tips).  As in step 5, pinch each twist with the pliers, arrange as a snowflake, make a half-twist, place on the trunk, and twist the trunk twice.

7.  Last set of branches:  Cut three 3" pieces and twelve 2" pieces.  Twist two 2" pieces near both ends of each 3" piece, pinch with pliers, arrange as a snowflake, half-twist, place on trunk, twist twice.

8.  The tree stand:  Mike cut slices (about 5/8" thick) of large dowel rod (1 1/2" diameter) and drilled a small hole in the center.  I painted them white, poured a puddle of glue onto a piece of aluminum foil, plus a pile of white glitter nearby, placed the point of a pencil in the hole and rolled the outer edges of the dowel in the glue and then in the glitter and placed it on another piece of foil to dry.  After the edges dried, I put glue on the top and sprinkled more glitter on.  The hole is just large enough for me to push the trunk of the tree into it, but if necessary, you could glue the tree trunk into the hole.  The trunk will be a little bit too long when you finish.  I usually trim it about 1".

Arrange the branches realistically (HA HA) and you're done.  I found it easier to arrange and bend the branches with the needle-nose pliers.  If you're really obsessive, you can make teensy beaded ornaments for your tree, or how about a garland of seed beads?  Fun!  One last word of advice:  I have used lots of different types of chenille stems.  If you use the metallic, sparkly ones--they remind me of vintage aluminum trees--wear gloves while you are making them.  That stuff is hard on your skin!

I Hope It's Not Genetic

While organizing some things, I came upon a box of "treasures" that my mother had packed when my grandmother moved.  I have many such boxes and sometimes I go through them and sometimes I just pack them away.  This particular box--a tiny one--contained the following:  a rusted sewing machine needle, a two-inch long pencil, a one-inch red crayon, and two notes written by my grandmother.  One of the notes is written on a small piece of an envelope postmarked 1979 and the other is on the back of a receipt dated 1986.  My grandmother set the standard for recycling.  The notes contain information about yardage for pillows and the number of squares needed for, presumably, a pieced quilt.  These items have been sitting on my bathroom vanity for at least two weeks, and I fear I can't throw them away.  Apparently, it IS genetic.

Two down...

Two blocks down, eleven to go. Yep, I'm working on a new block of the month pattern for Quilt Market next spring. I know--two plus eleven is thirteen, not twelve, as in months in the year, but trust me on this.

I'm still obsessed with the 2 1/2" strips (won another five or six yards of them, which makes over 20 yards that I've won playing Left Center Right). My friends are definitely getting suspicious, but really, you can't "fix" the game. Just lucky, I guess.

There has been some on-line discussion about non-traditional family trees, so I'm posting a photo of my grandson's family tree quilt that my daughter and I designed earlier this year. It's now one of my patterns (http://www.ocaroldesigns.com ), and we named it "Whooo's Your Granddaddy?". The close-up shows Jake as the baby bird in the nest, with mom and dad nearby, and on the branches are the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, with their relationship and name written on the leaves. We have a very non-traditional family, so this worked well because you can add as many birds and leaves as you want.

Socks!

I like to hand-dye socks and sometimes I give them to my friends just for fun. Eight of us are going to Anna Maria Island, Florida, today and I dyed a batch aqua because that seemed beachy.

Cross Timbers Artists Guild Tour

I was forced to do some panic cleaning for the tour that took place last weekend. What a fun experience! I almost hate to start a project because my sewing room is tidy for once. If you want to look at some more photos of my quilts and other things that I set up for the tour, go here: http://ocarol.smugmug.com/Other/CTSA-Tour-2009-Carol-Morrissey/10265658_VSGT6#708459798_DmbHP

And the Roses Just Keep Blooming!

The roses are still putting on a pretty good show. Le Marne, Knockout, Penelope, Iceberg and Graham Thomas are shown here. You can see King sitting in front of the Knockout. That bush is about eight feet tall.

It seems later in the year than it really is. My schedule is all mixed up because Quilt Market and Festival were two weeks early this year. I'm accustomed to loading everything into the greenhouse before I leave for Quilt Market but I didn't have to this time.

Sunset!

It seems like the best sunsets happen this time of year. We made it home from El Fenix last night just in time for me to run outside with my camera.

Asters

Every year I intend to prune the asters during the summer so they won't be so leggy and every year I forget. By the time I think about it, the flower buds are already forming. I couldn't bear to throw away this old wicker chair that is rotten, so I put it in the flower bed, just below the little rock wall where the asters grow. I just love the way they look growing through the chair. I'm glad I didn't cut them back this year!

My Assistant

I was trying to photograph a new pattern model. My assistant, Kingston, isn't all that helpful, but he IS handsome.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Quilt Market was lots of fun and so inspiring. It's always exciting to see all the vendors with their new merchandise. It just sets your head to spinning! The creativity is contagious, I'm sure. This year's IQA show is amazing, as always. I was excited and humbled to have two of my quilts in the show. Here I am with my Iguana. I do love those Tsukineko inks that I used to paint him. The other quilt that is in the show is my Carrot Farm--a very different look than the Iguana. I made it in response to Judy Kriehn's challenge to make a "long skinny" quilt for the Dallas Quilt Celebration. It seems that the "large applique" category only specified a 72" dimension on one side, so the other side...

Quilts and Dogs

Every time I try to photograph a quilt, EVERY time, one of the dogs has to help.

Spider Lilies!

Just when you think there will be no new blooms until next spring...SPIDER LILIES! I love their color. It's like the inside of a watermelon. They are popping up in places I don't even remember planting them. And the garlic chives bloomed with a vengeance this year. The bees loved it. I wonder if the chives make the honey taste funny.

A Great Day For Dyeing!

I hadn't planned to dye today but a girl's just GOT to sometimes. I pulled out a couple of extra-wide pieces that were already dyed light green and decided to overdye them to use for some quilt backs. A little fuchsia, a batch of golden yellow--let the dyeing begin.

It's a beautiful day in Double Oak, Texas, and only 85 degrees at 11:00 a.m., but it only takes a few minutes to break out in a sweat, or a "glow" for those who prefer a more ladylike term. As we Texans say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."

Along comes one of my best helpers to inspect the work.













He leaves behind a mud resist.













Can't waste leftover dye! Toss a little turquoise into the fuchsia, maybe a little more turquoise...













Now I MUST get back to the sewing machine--quilt binding's a'waitin'.

The Last Time I Saw Them...

By August 22 the caterpillars had grown a lot. In the morning, they looked like this. By evening, they had disappeared. I'm hoping the birds didn't get them.

It Bloomed!

I repotted this orchid a few months ago because it looked so pitiful. It has been resting in a happy place all summer next to the little pond in front of the kitchen window. A few days ago I spotted what looked like flower buds and this morning...

More Caterpillar Happenings

The black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars have at least doubled in size in 48 hours. It makes me laugh when they put up their little orange "horns" to try and scare me away. It's hard to capture that in a photo, though, because they stay up for only a few seconds and by the time I focus, the "horns" are gone.

Caterpillars, Day One

Exciting stuff! It looks like the black swallowtail butterfly I spotted in the back yard last week laid eggs. Today I saw some teeny caterpillars on the parsley. Stay tuned for caterpillar updates. Yeah, big times in Double Oak.

Love That Sewline Pencil!

I was at Quilt Country today and saw Sandy's display of the Sewline pencils. Everybody has been raving about them but I kept forgetting to get one. I knew that I was going to have to draw the butterflies in the corner triangles of the Make A Wish quilt because there was no way I could just freehand them and keep them fairly symmetrical.

This pencil is THE BEST! Several colors of lead are available--I bought green and white. I used the green on the blue fabric to draw the butterflies and I was surprised how easily it went on--no dragging and pulling the fabric. The fine line is perfect and the lead is very strong, although you don't have to apply much pressure to make a mark. The marks stay on long enough to get the quilting done, but they are easy to remove (there is a special eraser on the pencil, but I just rubbed the lead off with cloth--okay, it was the sleeve of my T-shirt).
Top photo: lines drawn on fabric
Second photo: right half of butterfly quilted
Last photo: butterfly completed

Here is our new, gigantic puppy. Kingston (a/k/a King, or The King as we fear he will become) is only four months old but he is almost too big for me to pick up. If the loose skin and gargantuan feet are any indication, he will be approximately the size of a cow someday. Dolly is bossing him around and he is taking it well. Cici the cat is still in hiding.