Sunday, May 31, 2015

May 31, 2015

I've been steadily working on designing and hand appliqueing borders for my guild's 2016 raffle quilt.


These are the blocks. I started with the large blocks, which are approximately 20 years old. After I picked a setting I like, I asked current guild members to make the smaller setting blocks.

I designed top and bottom borders based on elements in the blocks.




A guild member used her Accuquilt die cutter to cut out scrappy flowers and leaves for us. 


top

 bottom


The applique is coming along nicely. 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

May 12, 2015

Tomorrow is my 41st birthday. I'm seeing all those crow's feet and age spots and gray hairs. I'm dreaming of the summer I was 22 and was able to wear a bikini with a pierced navel in public.

With these thoughts I created "Fleeting Beauty."


The root system is based on a human spinal column. It is made from couched thread and embroidery.


I used huge pieces of gorgeous hand-dyed fabric from Carol Eaton. This piece really looked like a rose garden to me the moment I saw it. I mixed in some commercial fabrics.


The quote comes from the Rubaiyat, Verse XXVIII.
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies; 
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies; 
The Flower that once has blown forever dies. 


I really liked the zig zag edges when I had finished piecing the diagonal rows so I decided to try and keep them. I thought facing them would be too difficult. So I sewed the quilt together like a pillowcase and flipped it right side out, pushed out all the corners as best I could, then quilted it.


Yes, I am painting the finished quilt. I thought those white roots needed a little extra strength to show up better, so I went over them with some pearly white Tsukineko ink using a fantastik.

Here's to 41, and another trip around the sun.


Thursday, May 7, 2015

Spring Clean Your Studio Bloghop

When Cheryl Sleboda put out a call for spring cleaning volunteers, I jumped at the chance! I'm such a deadline driven person, I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to get my space cleaned up.

My sewing space is actually in the master bedroom of our teeny townhome. All the more reason to clean it up...I know it drives my husband nuts when it's a mess.


Oh my gosh, ya'll. This is pretty embarrassing. Under that table is all my UFOs in a total jumble. I can barely see that work table anymore, it's a dumping ground. It would be nice to be able to sit down and work at it again.



My poor bookshelf has buckled under the weight of quilting books and magazines. It needs some TLC!


A peek under my sewing table. That strange pile of stuff on the left? Clothes and household stuff that needs mending. My box of scraps is overflowing.


 It's a big board of JUNK! Having to move this onto the bed each time I need to iron is NOT working.


 Can you see the boxes of CHRISTMAS cards on top of my sewing table?? Sew embarrassing!


If I clean off the top of this chest of drawers, it's the perfect place for my cutting mat. So I can get the cutting mat off the ironing board.

My broad goals before starting the clean up were:
1. Put away anything that already had a designated place.
2. Repair my bookshelf and install a new shelf that has been waiting for two years.
3. Use an almost empty drawer to hold some of my overflow.
4. Deep clean! Everything needed dusting, wiping and a thorough vacuuming.
5. Redecorate! Use that new shelf to display some of my favorite things and make my sewing space cozy. I spend a lot of time in here!


Tip: Enlist help! Hubby helped repair my bookshelf and he installed my new shelf. What a great quilter husband! Also a reminder that it always gets a lot worse before it gets better. Ack, that floor gives me heart palpitations.


My faithful Mike the Tiger held my fascinator for me. I didn't get a photo but my eight year old hot-glued a favorite piece of art that needed repair for me.


New Shelf of Awesomeness!! It makes me happy every time I walk in this room now. Why, yes, that is a shirtless Daniel Craig smiling right back at me.


Most of the work involved sorting stuff and putting it where it belongs!! Once it was put away in my kids' rooms, in the trash can, or in its designated place, my stuff is manageable! TBD Bee represent!


My bookshelf has been repaired, and lightened of some of its load.


*Big Sigh* of happiness. I feel better just looking at this clean space! And I work so much more efficiently when everything is easy to find.


Boxes of stuff to leave my house!!!!

Another cleaning list:
2 days
8 hours
3 swiffer duster refills
1 box tissues (Oh the dust!! Woe my allergies...)
1 emptied vacuum canister
3 boxes of items to be passed on to others
5 bags of trash/recycles
1 happy husband
1 Really Happy Sewist

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll be back to see my creations.


Now go see everyone else's studio transformations!

May 7 Kathy Matthews http://www.chicagonow.com/quilting-sewing-creating/
May 8 Misty Cole Http://www.dailydesignwall.blogspot.com
May 9 Heather Kinion http://heatherkinion.com/
May 10 Jessica Darling http://jessicakdarling.com/
May 11 Lisa Blevis Filion http://upstatelisa.blogspot.com/
May 12 Peta Minerof-Bartos http://www.thenotsewguiltyquilter.blogspot.com/
May 13 Mandy Leins http://mandalei.com/
May 14 Amalia Teresa Parra Morusiewicz http://funfromatoz.com/
May 15 Sam Hunter http://huntersdesignstudio.com/
May 16 Debby Ritenbaugh Brown http://higheredhands.blogspot.com/
May 17 Debbie Kleve Berkebile http://www.mountaintrailquilttreasure.blogspot.com/
May 18 Michelle Mattingly http://stitchesofjoi.blogspot.com/
May 19 Cheryl Sleboda http://blog.muppin.com


Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop starts today!

Spring Clean Your Studio!

I'm so excited to be part of a blog hop for the first time!

This is the brain child of Cheryl Sleboda and it was the kick in the pants I needed to get my studio space in top shape. Come back tomorrow to check out my before and after photos!

In the meantime, you can see Kathy's post today!

Here's the Spring Cleaners!
May 7 Kathy Matthews http://www.chicagonow.com/quilting-sewing-creating/
May 8 Misty Cole Http://www.dailydesignwall.blogspot.com
May 9 Heather Kinion http://heatherkinion.com/
May 10 Jessica Darling http://jessicakdarling.com/
May 11 Lisa Blevis Filion http://upstatelisa.blogspot.com/
May 12 Peta Minerof-Bartos http://www.thenotsewguiltyquilter.blogspot.com/
May 13 Mandy Leins http://mandalei.com/
May 14 Amalia Teresa Parra Morusiewicz http://funfromatoz.com/
May 15 Sam Hunter http://huntersdesignstudio.com/
May 16 Debby Ritenbaugh Brown http://higheredhands.blogspot.com/
May 17 Debbie Kleve Berkebile http://www.mountaintrailquilttreasure.blogspot.com/
May 18 Michelle Mattingly http://stitchesofjoi.blogspot.com/
May 19 Cheryl Sleboda http://blog.muppin.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

May 6, 2015

I am finishing up my last assignment for Katiepm's color and composition course.

It's an abstraction of a photo of my sons on a playground.






Saturday, May 2, 2015

May 2nd, 2015

I'm in the midst of my second online drawing course with Susan Shie. It's so much fun! I started with Lucky Drawing 102, and talked my sister into joining me for Lucky Drawing 203.

If you want to try it out, she is about to start a Lucky Drawing 104.

Here are a few of my assigned weekly drawings.


















May 1st, 2015

Wow, I feel like April (and March and February) just flew right by without my noticing.

I've been taking an online course on color and composition with Katie Pasquini Masopust. We get an assignment every two weeks, and get her personalized critique on our work.

Here are some of my projects for this course: