goldendog55 you've have some gorgeous goodies there and I hope you sell them all quickly. (More $$ for more fabric for more experiments, right?)

Here I have been told we will be getting some hemp fabric available soon. The laws here are more sensible than elsewhere and since it is has the feel of cotton but wears even better I am hoping it will make a good tourist item. I would like to dye, paint and generally play with yards of it.

(VBG) Since it is a different subspecies of plant for fabric and obviously unsmoke-able I am wondering what if anything customs would do at the US border. Should be interesting for the brave. Since it wouldn't smell like dope I doubt if it would even register for the dope sniffing dogs...but one never knows.

When it shows up rest assured there will be full reports and photos to match.

I can order hemp here.

Thanks for the info Judy! I'm guessing the slanted surface is the key here and will have to mess around with that when the weather's warm enough to get out the dyes again.

That was not actually not slanted, it is entirely vertically. Though, that does give me ideas!

It just dawned on me that I am doing something for December's challenge after all. I am in the process of making a quilt and it is a gift, just not a Christmas gift. It is a wedding gift for a friend getting married in January. It is all in yellows and purples and lavenders. Since it is a queen size quilt, not my usual art quilt offering. I will post some picture tomorrow of some of the completed blocks.

jb

Hi all,

I know I've been MIA for quite awhile, but I've been following along and enjoying all of your work immensely! I've been busy with my day-job and also working on a lot of outdoor projects while the weather has been so nice here. We've had an unusually nice fall, and it's only just starting to feel a little like winter outside now.

Anyway, I have managed to find a little time to work on some gift items and I think they may fit nicely into the December challenge. I've been making eyeglass and smartphone cases and have been adding some depth to the FMQing usingShiva Paintstiks for shading and highlighting.

Here are a few pics...

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how beautiful!! i am in the process of making christmas stockings. not sure they are art items but i'm having fun designing them as i go. it is what everyone wanted this year. that and boom blocks are keeping me busy and trying not to go crazy as time runs out! once i started quilting the list of "i wants" became quite long! too many quilts to make and not enough time and energy to do them all. i have decided not to buy any more fabric in 2013. i have too many kits and groups of fabrics ready to be made into quilts!! in fact, i'm back to it now.

nancia~I'll bet those Christmas stockings you are working on will be art items when you are finished with them! I'd love to see pics. I've been mulling over some stocking ideas myself, but time is so short now that I believe they'll have to wait until next year. I did 4 large quilts for family last Christmas, so this year I have focused on other projects, mostly playing with new techniques and working to expand my skill set.

Yay! Sounds like a contender to me. Anything you are lavishing artistic time and attention on, especially if you are bravely trying some new things, qualifies!

Can't wait for the photos!!

thanks, suzie! they are all pieced on a foundation , then i added a piece of heavy flannel, and quilted. i added a back , and now i'm working on the linings. technically they are reversible. i have only one quilted side per stocking, they need to be sent before the 25th so time crunch!! do you think it's too presumptive to send a 4th one to each family of three? hate to seem pushy!:) haven't finished, but will post pics as-is. i have almost convinced myself not to put the white cuff on them. what do you think? opinions, please,people!