Keeping it simple...

I've spent the past several hours finishing these two blocks.  It seems ridiculous that it should have taken me months to get to them.  They have been on the back burners of my mind calling to me like whispers in the wind.  (A totally irritating experience.)

 They are 6 1/2 inches square and for my round robin friends - we're on our 4th  robin together.  This time we each chose a theme and the others were to make a block to be included in our centers.

The first one is for my friend Julie in Bethesda, MD.  Her theme is "Under the Sea."  Julie provided scraps for us.  I used them to create the nine patch backdrop for my applique coral and the cute little crab.  He is a happy little fellow that I found at Joanne Fabric store.   I feel a bit odd including a prepackaged iron-on in my quilt block...but he is darling and my skills could produce nothing so sweet.  I hope she likes it.

My second block is for Kimmie in Bandon, OR.  Her theme - "The Wizard of Oz Quotations."   There are so many good lines.   I had ideas spinning in my head like the chickens and cows in Dorothy's dream.  "There's no place like home," in my mind I saw a cross stitched sampler framed with sticks, and red checked curtains.  I liked the simplicity of the idea...but it wasn't working for me on paper.  Then I found the monkey fabric, "Oh my!"  Isn't it perfect.  How do you add wings to it?

Here is the end of my ruminations... the simple words are trapped in the whirl-wind with the house.  Both words and wind are embroidered with plain sewing thread.  The flying monkey panel is made of a fussy cut bit of  Monkey Stripe by David Walker for FreeSpirit.  I gave them wings by threading a piece of sheer ribbon behind the images.  And the red check...well, it just seemed like Kansas to me.

In both cases, "Under the Sea" and "Wizard of Oz Quotations," I was having difficulty with the complexity of my ideas.  I couldn't figure out how to tell my story within the confines of  a 6 1/2 inch square.  In the end I tried to keep it simple and straight forward and not over thought.  I'm pleased with my days work. 

Now I'm off to the post office to send these beauties on their way.

Have a great weekend!