Happy Valentine's Day

It's only been a month since my last post...how did that happen?  I've been busy working on what seems like hundreds of things, just not taking pictures of anything.  Just wanted to give Elaine Quehl a big thanks for a giveaway on her blog that I won-- four gorgeous fat quarters she dyed--

I got to pick my colors, and these were the ones for me. 

I've started slicing them up and using them for a variation of a Darned Quilt that I made before.  I started with some gradient hand dyes in orange/browns that I cut in gentle curved pieces, sewed together, then fused to a really heavy piece of pellon stabilizer.

Then I cut strips of Elaine's beautiful fabric, and will sew them on from edge to edge.  I'll probably couch some yarns and ribbons, too.  After this foundation is all set, then I'll cut shapes (circles or maybe leaves?) and move them around, followed by sewing, or darning, them into the cutout opening.

Since this weekend is supposed to be cold (for here in NC, anyways!) I'll most likely stay in and sew and have more progress to show next week.

A couple of weeks ago I got this Liebster Award from Katherine McNeese at Blue Heron Quilts.

It was a nice surprise, but then I forgot all about it with everything that was going on at work.  

Here are "The rules":
1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate
4. Choose 11 blogs with less than 200 followers and link them in your post.

This was just too much information (TMI) for me to share, I'm just not the kind of person who is comfortable putting everything out there for others to read.  Thanks for thinking of me, Katherine!  But if you would like to check out some great blogs that I like (with less than 200 followers), check these out:

tiedyejudy.blogspot.com
multicoloredsnippets.blogspot.com
notesfromstudiob.blogspot.com
ellendacoop.blogspot.com
theredheadedmermaid.blogspot.com
explorationsinquilting.com
fiberartistjourney.blogspot.com

Oh, and finished up my hooked rug.  It measures around 24" x 36", and it was kind of fun to make.  Except for the binding on the edge, which hardly shows up here, but that took forever and was worse than hand sewing a binding on a quilt.

Also--we had a challenge unveiling on Art Quilts Around the World a few weeks ago, our self-portraits.  

Here's mine!