My daughter's recital!!

Welcome back to both you and me!

I'm really behind in my posting.  I know that.  I've been very busy this past school year.

I'd like to dedicate this post to my daughter's recital.  She is the FIRST female and the YOUNGEST to ever have a musical recital through the Oud Hobbyists Association.  I have taken the liberty to use a lot of their photos and am using my own as well.  

Sit back and enjoy the many photos.  I'm trying to figure out how to get a clip on here so you can hear her but am having the hardest time, man.

AMAL'S RECITAL

APRIL 9, 2014

MUSCAT, OMAN

Amal and Asaad, Radhiya and Idris before the concert, relaxing.  I doubt Amal was relaxing, she was nervous as heck!

The other half, Semantha, Craig and Adam...

Picture of the crowd gathering...

Fethi, the Director of the Oud Hobbyists Association, introducing Amal.  You see her father then me; but before her dad in the doorway you see her!

Another crowd shot.  That's me!!  I see Riyad next to me and my BIL behind him, in the brown dishdasha is Yusuf, a local artist and big supporter of the music scene and he has seen Amal's very first concert three years ago!

More audience members.  Lots of people I do not recognize and lots that I do!  In the inner most corner, bottom right is Wael.  A very kind man that works at the Royal Opera House!  He was very and is very supportive of Amal's musical endeavors!

Adam, Amal, Elisha and Momoko...

Idris, Asaad, Weheb, Amal, Radhiya...

Looks like Amal is introducing a piece (they are called 'pieces' not 'songs').

I just like this picture...

Jammin'....(Bob Marley singing in the back of my head)...

Eek!  Her Daddy and Me!

Idris, the percussionist.  He is such a nice young man and so incredibly talented.

I took this shot of Amal's favorite teacher Mr Frederickson.  Now that she has graduated High School, we 'call' him, TY.  His wife, Marcie, also at school is neck stretching to see something.  Love this shot!

I like this shot too...

I like how she cues and checks on her musicians.  Here we see from the left, Adam on bass, Asaad on guitar, Amal on the oud, Semantha on the flute and Craig on the bass clarinet.

The concert is finished and Amal is thanking everyone...

Amal receiving flowers from her Dad.

After a Recital, the Association gives certificates...  Amal receiving hers.

Amal:  Played the Oud.  She performed three original compositions.

Radhiya, violinist

Walid, Qanoonist

Idris, Percussionist

Asaad, Guitarist

Semantha, Flautist

Adam, Bassist

Craig, Bass Clarinetist (?)

Elisha, Clarinetist

Momoko, Pianist

All the musicians and Amal with Fethi..

Radhiya and Amal.  She has been so lovely to work with.

This was an interview that never saw print.  That is, my part of the interview.

Fethi and Amal...

Amal, Idris, Me and Asaad...

Amal with an oud instructor, Samih.

Here are Rayyan, Shubham and Amal, her friends.  I missed the other two!

Here is myself, my friend Maria, Amal and Shubham..

It's been a pleasure being part of this journey with my beautiful daughter Amal.  She is flying the coop for the States and I wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.

ALWAYS remember your Momma

Thanks for stopping by.

Here is the video.  I hope it works...

I participated in my first 'real time' sew along!

Sew Together Bag Sew Along

Pattern written by:  sew demented.wordpress.com

Sew Along Hosted by:  The Quilt Barn

Hi!  It's been a while again that I have been here.  I don't have many followers and less people commenting, but still I enjoy working on my blog.  

I have made some changes in my life and those changes will enable me to be more active on my blog.  I think.  I hope.

I don't do anything like my favorite ladies in blogland; such as produce A LOT and FAST.  I don't write patterns.  I don't write books.

I'm just a little ole gal that likes to create and talk about my kids, crafts, cooking, quilting, cats and whatever else is going on in my life.

So, thank you for stopping by; it would be really nice for my ego if you commented here!

I am pretty active on Instagram.  I saw a sew along for the Sew Together Bag that I bought off of Craftsy.  Oh Em Gee!  It is the coolest bag!

I did not take step by step photos but I have taken a bunch of my finished bag!  I really liked this project and had to figure out an easier way to do some of the steps.  Having said that, the directions are very well written and the sew along online gave the many visuals that was highly appreciated by me!!

I hope you enjoy the photos.

Both the kids said I used too many colors that don't 'belong' together.  I disagree.  I love the splash of color!  I like that they don't 'belong' together!!

My husband said I did a great job and gave me a suggestion.  This dude is really critical and brutally honest.

My Sew Together Masterpiece!

I chose this scrap and then read the directions many times and still did not understand.  Thank you, again, Heather and your Quilt Barn Chics for the detailed photos.  That helped me a lot.  I made a template of the one template because I plan to make more...

I was playing around with zippers.  Who knew that buying and playing with zippers would provide me with a 'high' so profound??!!...  

At one point, Uki demanded some attention so I started playing with her until she snagged my beloved zipper!

The bag is meant for your sewing items.  On one side of the inside main part; you can put a felt needle landing.  Yeah, a FELT NEEDLE LANDING.  I have never heard it called that before!  I call it the 'needle thingy'.

On the other side, you are meant to put a pin cushion but I put one of my brand spanking new LABELS!  

So, this project taught me new quilty terminology and inspired me to make my own labels.  Yay!!

Here I unzipped the zippers and yes, there is more color!  I love all my fabrics I used so it makes me happy to look at it!

And...ta-dah!!!  My finished Sew Together Bag from my participation on the sew along!

Thanks for stopping by!!

I joined a Flickr Bee a while ago and we are almost finished with the first round of 12 ladies.  We have been making two blocks a month and for some reason; my camera downloads black images and I think that is where some of the photos have gone.  For now, I'll show these:

Alice:  Swoon

This block was fun to make.  Lots of pieces.  The overall original design by Thimble Blossoms by Camille Roskelley,  is 24"!  That is one large block!  Alice made hers smaller at around 16.5" following Amy over at here.

Wendy:  Anything Goes

For Wendy we had to use Heritage colors.  That was a challenge for me.  I saw that some of her other blocks had purple and blue so I had been dying to make a spool block and did so.  She says she loves it.  So, I am happy.

Linda:  Depression Block

Linda chose the Depression Block.  I really enjoyed making this one.  I made two and therefore have started another scrappy quilt!!  You can find the block here.

Odette:  Dresden Plate using 30's Reproduction fabrics

Odette asked for this block to be made by hand as that is the majority of the work she does, using this tutorial.  She also requested that we use 30's reproduction fabrics.  Thank you Alice for bailing me out on this one!  I enjoyed this block.

Iris:  Friendship Circle Block

I have to be honest.  This block was my most difficult one.  I did not enjoy making it.  However, I really like the outcome and seeing the rest of the groups'.  Iris chose this block using this tutorial.

Eva-Marie:  Economy Eye-Spy

This was easy and fun.  The block is called Economy Block I Spy.  It is by red pepper quilts.

Kathi:  Circles with Asian fabrics

No pattern.  Just wanted circles with Asian fabrics.

Jo:  Chain

Jo wanted the Chain block from Quilters Cache.  She wanted purples (her favorite color) and black and grey.  This was a very easy block to put together.

Pam:  Right Hand of Friendship

Pam wrote out the directions for this block.  I, however, googled it and found a pattern for it that followed Pam's; but finishes at 8" versus the 12".   It was a little difficult to work with the floral print.  It looks great; but it only finished at 12" instead of 12.5" so I have to go back and see what I did wrong.

I'm so intrigued by this story.  It took place partly in my hometown of St. Louis.

Corinne:  Winged Square

Corinne chose a really cool block that is in one of my block books and I never looked at it twice.  She had us follow Amy Friends' During Quiet Time blog tutorial.  She provided us with the linen background and it was just lovely.  I screwed up and had some doubles next to each other.  Bummer.

Me:  Alia:  I chose the Scrappy Trip Around the World

I had been seeing this STATW for ages and loved it.  I love the technique and was piqued to try it one day.  This way, on a Bee, it should be easy for everyone.  I used the quilt ville tutorial for the Scrappy Trip Around the World.  My evil plan is to receive 11 from my Bee members and make a million more myself!!  Ok.  I have 20 up here on the design wall and 12 more blocks on my table plus I don't know how many more with strips I have yet to put together.  I like the effect but as I cut more scraps; it changes color ways which adds to the charm!  I'm so pleased!!

I just have one more to make but I am so busy making a million of my own!  I will get to hers.  Stay tuned!!!

Guess where I am headed!!

FINALLY!!  I'm going to Japan!!  Stay tuned!

From this to this!!

This coming Sunday marks the new season for the Muscat Quilt Guild!  We are to make a new name tag no larger than 4x6".  I thought this would be the perfect time to try out one of those techniques on my long list.  It frees me up from dreaming of making a larger quilt!

So, I love it when it goes from here:

I wanted to use my coveted last printing of Flea Market Fancy.  I wanted to use the entire line.  So I DID!  I started with a sketch.

Then cut into these beauties.  I positioned them where I wanted and tried not to cut too much more off.

Then I freehand quilted my name and the year.  I had white thread in the bobbin and black on top.  It came out mixed, which I like the look.

I used the rest of the line on the back.  I also used a stiffener as that is what I wanted.

All the glorious threads!!

All quilted and cleaned up!!

I did not want to cut further into any of the fabrics so I used a scrap piece for the binding in my scrap box.  I liked the yellow and as the white background has polka dots; I chose this one for the same reason and it matched!

I tried to sew the finished seam on the bias.  It was really, really hard.  I persevered and did it!  Perfection!!!

I am sewing on the binding.

TO HERE!!!!

Ta-dah!!!!

Proper little Ticker Tape quilt!  Thank you Amanda Jean for the inspiration!

This is the backing.  I can't wait to show the ladies and see what they made!!

Thanks for stopping by.