January 2006 Challenge: Idioms/Expressions! (Page 1)

Quilt 1

Quilt 2

Quilt 3

Quilt 4

Barb Vlack
Under the Weather

Barb Vlack
It Bears Repeating

Andrea Poulimenos
Not My Cup of Tea

Andrea Poulimenos
Parrot Fashion

I used blocks with weather-related names: Storm at Sea, Kansas Dust Storm, Storm Signal, and Weathervane. The Man silhouette block from the EQ5 Block Library is now dressed and has an embroidered face. I figured that if you're "under the weather," you might also be "blue," so the color scheme is monochromatic.

St. Charles, Illinois USA

The bear from an appliqué block in the EQ5 Block Library was wreathed to create the "repeat." "I love you" is a phrase that always "bears repeating," so it's in the center of this quilt, which could easily be for a baby.

St. Charles, Illinois USA

I thought this idiom was appropriate for me because I am known to misplace my cup at least once a week. For a while there I was just forgetting it in the microwave... sometimes overnight.

The teacup is drawn in PatchDraw (gray rectangle first, then the cup and steam). The block is set in Layer 1 and the colors are changed. The names are set in Layer 2 of the quilt and are just the ones from Library 6 - Motifs.

Bowling Green, OH

If you learn something parrot fashion, you learn it word for word. I couldn't resist when I saw this one. Drawing parrots is hard though. I wanted to put them in full tuxedos, but I just ran out of time.

Bowling Green, OH

Quilt 5

Quilt 6

Quilt 7

Quilt 8

Abbi Lamb
Between You, Me, and the Gatepost

Alecia Gentry
Blowing Hot and Cold

Alecia Gentry
Back to Square One

Andrea Mills
Big Apple

Custom set. Used blocks from EQ library. DH and I had a great time coming up with old expressions. He is 83 and knows a lot of them. I asked him for some and got him started and I still can't get him to stop. As of 1-18 I have two pages (double column) of them and he is still adding to my list "now and then".

Hobbs, NM

Researching idioms I found one that said Blow Hot and Cold, at that moment I was having, for sensitive readers, what may be termed a "Power Surge". I used the red/orange tones to represent my "hot" moments and the blue/turqoise for the chill I feel afterwards. The Storm at Sea block represents the raging hormones associated with this mid-life change.

This idiom was almost too easy. The design should be obvious.

I always wanted to visit NYC so I thought the Big Apple was a nice idiom to use. The center block is borrowed from the library and I added the skyscrapers. I thought the New York Beauties were a nice addition to support the Big Apple. The sashings represent NY's busy streets, the sparkling stars in the fabrics stand for the Stars on Broadway while the different colors showcase the multi cultural aspect of the city.
This challenge was a lot of fun!!!

Avon Park, FL

Quilt 9

Quilt 10

Quilt 11

Quilt 12

Berit Pramm
Time Flies

Berit Pramm
Raining Cats and Dogs

Barbara Gilstad
Sometimes I'm All Thumbs

Brenda Kendall
Kitty Corner

The scraps of a calender are like the time.
And for fun I let the witch be a symbol
of something that flies over the earth and
heaven.

Norway

I think this is a wild weather,and I used
appliques and motifs from the library.
For my two designs I used Custom Set
Layout.

Norway

Originated from "catercorner" meaning diagonal. Later became catty-corner and evolved into kitty-corner.

I just had to put my kitty in the corner. Nothing original here, all found in EQ.

Quilt 13

Quilt 14

Quilt 15

Quilt 16

Brenda Kendall
Kitty Corner

Brenda Stultz
Starry Eyed

Carien Verbiest
That is Gritt to His Mill

Carien Verbiest
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Originated from "catercorner" meaning diagonal. Later became catty-corner and evolved in to kitty-corner.

These corners just seemed to be made for kitties. I found everything in EQ, nothing original.

I used the Abbey's Eyes block from EQ5 placed in the star quilt from the quilt layout library.

Fairmount, IL

Rotterdam
the Netherlands

Rotterdam
the Netherlands

Quilt 17

Quilt 18

Quilt 19

Quilt 20

Charlene Bowman
I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover

Cindy Clark
Lost in the Shuffle I

Cindy Clark
Lost in the Shuffle II

Claudia Chang
Hearts in Full Bloom

The clover block is from the EQ5 library. When they are used in a quilt it is known by several names, including "wheel of mystery" & "winding ways".

Although my entry quilt is designed to be made with templates I've also made it with clover leaf appliques.

Oregon

I used card themed blocks for this quilt,
also kept the coloring to the coloring of playing cards.

This quilt works beautifully in other colors.

Another quilt using the same card themed blocks.

Hearts in full bloom is a chinese idiom,
means to burst with joy.

Taiwan

Quilt 21

Quilt 22

Quilt 23

Quilt 24

Charlotte Rose
To Bear Fruit

Charlotte Rose
Put a Sock In It

Daphne Stewart
Roll With the Punches Tongue-In-Cheek Style

Daphne Stewart
Painting the Town Red AKA The Birds!

This is another quilt that (a) was a whale of a lot of fun to draw, and (b) looks pretty nifty when it fills the screen but just so-so in a tiny size.

All motifs, from the pastry to the 'glass' punch bowls, were drawn and set in two or three layers and their edges are softened with the thread color tool. The letters in the border are the Cooper Black font from the most recent letter drawing project. Thanks, Gordon and everyone who took part!

Sunnyside, Washington

Fun with custom set and paper-pieced birds. All blocks and motifs below the 'Shoo Fly' and 'Greek Square' divide are straight from EQ's library. The bird looking over his shoulder is my own creation.

Why are there big red birds in the upper part of this quilt? Because I felt like trying my hand at drawing a paper-pieced block and I think a challenge for that will not be coming very soon.

Sunnyside, Washington

Quilt 25

Quilt 26

Quilt 27

Quilt 28

Audrey Smith
A Little Bird Told Me

Anna Scott
Put the Cart Before the Horse

Donna Brisbin
Kitty Cornered

Donna Brisbin
High Five

I had quite a lot of fun with this one. The traditional blocks from EQ have 'bird' in their names.
I wouldn't necessarily use these colours but they contrast well enough to be clear on the challenge screen.
I am very fond of my sheep. and of Sue ( you either love her or hate her).

The horse is from EQ's library and the cart is EQ's car redone to make the cart.
The border is a block from another challenge that I just set my block into the middle of.

Arkansas USA

We have 2 crazy kitties (one black, one orange). The flying geese blocks show them running around the house, especially the sewing room. The log cabin blocks in different layouts are the cats turning the house inside out, and the flowers represent all the houseplants that have been eaten over the years!

Winter Garden, FL

The "High Five" are the 5 blocks in the top border.

Winter Garden, FL

Quilt 29

Quilt 30

Quilt 31

Quilt 32

Eyglo Fridriksdottir
Dance Someone a Merry Dance

Elaine Grasher
Swan Song

Gabi Juettner
Jack and Jill

Grace Blanchard
Seeing Stars

I had to go online to find some English idioms because all the idioms I know are in Icelandic.

I wanted this quilt to be colourfull and merry, and I think I made that happen.

Iceland

Whew, So many choices. After looking at 209 pages of idioms in my daughters "Scholastic Dictionary of IDIOMS" for two weeks, I finally narrowed my choice to "Swan Song". I love nature and music so this was a good combination for me to stretch my wings - er -artistic talent. "Swan Song" means the final, farewell performance of an actor or singer:one's last words or actions. I wanted wild, crazy, and bright. For quilting motifs, musical notes and swans could be used in the borders.

Texas

Every Jack will find his Jill.

Germany
Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar

Stevens Point, WI