2011 Crazy Quilt Retreat

This is what I made for the Chinese Auction this year. It's an altered wooden cigar box. I'm a huge Mary Engelbreit fan, so I tried to make this in HER style.

In this collage we see (working from left top to bottom) the front with tassel and closure, the back, and the side. The bottom view is with the closure unhinged. It pops open slightly automatically. On the right hand side we see the top and then the box fully opened.



Since this was just a 'empty box' to begin with, I had to add a lining and side pieces to attach the lining to. I lined the box with a really pretty green colored, soft and cuddly fabric. The dividers and liner pieces are cut from foam core board. The foam core board on the inside top cover was attached so that it would pivot and work like a hinge without actually having one.  And gives the inside of the box the look of a jewelry box.

The trim used are those that I would normally use in any crazy quilting project. The butterfly on the top of the box was a gift from a swap awhile back. I think this was the perfect use for it!

The top and sides of the box are slightly padded with a thin cotton quilt batting to help add some dimension to it. The closure/clasp is just a screw and round metal jewelry findings circle. The little jewels are scrapbook embellishments, and the legs are painted pieces of wood drilled out and attached with screws to the box. The adhesives used are a combination of fabric glue and hot glue.

And since you just can't give someone an empty box, these are the goodies that I managed to STUFF in to it!



I walked away from the Chinese auction with one of Gerry Krueger's fabulous Victorian Pincushions. Isn't it gorgeous? Look at the base...so very Celtic like! Love it, Gerry :-)



All in all the retreat was a great time. It was so wonderful to see old friends again, to make new friends, and to share several days with a truly talented bunch of MAD STITCHERS. I'm looking forward to future retreats. Especially, since there will be some long over due and much needed changes.


Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry