A 6" Finish

After yesterday's post about stripping wallpaper, I felt guilty.  I should be sewing something, anything.  I want to be sewing something, anything.  Our Itty Bitty friendship group met at my house yesterday morning, so this time, I pulled out a piece of handwork.  It is the recent edition of our 6" mounted quilt challenge.

 I finished the beading on the piece, then painted another group of canvases black.  I use glossy paint, and let them dry overnight before attaching the quilt.

 Here is the finished piece.  It has quickly become a favorite.  Actually, I like most of the little pieces quite a bit.  There's only one that I'm not happy with.  I may have to do another improved version of that particular one.

 In the meantime, I've moved into the last room.  Yesterday, I made it past the door on the right, and one third of the way across the adjacent 8' wall.  Today's goal is to finish that 8' wall, turn the corner, and make it up to the last remaining 14' peak.  I will be SO glad when this project comes to an end!

If nothing else, having to move every piece of furniture and every piece of clutter in 4 rooms has been enough to convince me that I either need to have a serious yard sale, or take a major donation trip to Rescued Treasures.  Goals are good!

Two Tiny Finishes

Last week, when I dug into my card-making box, I found a second tree piece that I'd begun to quilt.  It was long and narrow, and primarily river.  I didn't know what I wanted to do with it, other than to finish it.  I doubled the quilting in the water, then thread-painted the batik trees.  Then I set it aside.

When I came back to it, I measured it. 6.25" tall.  Not large enough to face it, if I wanted to cut off a 6" finished piece, but binding?  That would work.  I'd already sliced it off and trimmed it, before I remembered my camera.

 What do you think?  Is it better as two pieces?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  As two pieces, it fulfills two requirements.

 I finished the 6" piece by binding, adding a fish, and mounting it on canvas.  This is #7, of the 6" mounted pieces for Sew Eclectic.  I'm pretty pleased with the way my collection is coming together.

 This larger piece is for my niece.  I didn't have any appropriate animal charms, but she's a big fan of steam punk.  I'd purchased these gears and sequins, thinking that I would use them on something for her.  I think it's kind of fun, in a funky sort of way.

I've also been out to the walnuts, to check the trees and walk the dogs.  I don't know if I've introduced you to my son's new dog, Sandy.  She's a hoot, still in the puppy stage.  She has a sweet disposition, which offsets her mediocre brain capacity.  She's definitely not as smart as Roscoe or Pixel.

 My son makes them sit, before letting them loose in the orchard.  They can barely keep their bottoms on the ground, they are SO excited.

 And once in the orchard?  They hunt for nuts.  They LOVE walnuts.  Look at Roscoe.  "I spy!!"  And then he cracks it open in his jaws and gulp!  All gone.

And I guess that's it...oh wait!  That's not it.  I've made great progress on my quilt from the David Taylor class I took three years ago.  I have soaked the finished applique in the tub, which was a very good move.  Both the red and the black bled heavily, despite prewashing.  Here is the quilt, as it soaks in the tub.  Thank you, Vicki Welsh, for your cure for bleeding fabrics!!

 I then hung the top to dry.  I am SO glad I covered it with this sheet.  I left it out overnight, and a gust of wind caught it and sent it crashing to the ground.  The quilt itself stayed clean.  whew!

I have one more little bit to add to the top.  Once I make a decision, I will be able to baste it and begin quilting. 

This year's quilting goals have fallen by the wayside.  If I can just finish this quilt, it will be enough for 2017.  I know that I am running out of time, but I'm going to give it a valiant effort.  Goals are good, and all that.  Putting them in writing?  Even better.  Here's hoping that I've got something to show you in the not-too-distant future.

6" Quilt...and a Baby!

My youngest son and his wife have been expecting for the past nine months.  The official due date was October 4.  Little Addison Marilyn made her arrival on Thursday, September 28.  My husband and I were blessed to be allowed in the delivery room for the birth.  It was an absolute miracle, an experience I will never forget.

 In the morning, as momma labored, I was meeting with my Itty Bitty quiltie group.  I had gone through a box of spare parts, and unearthed a leftover block from my 2012 Hoffman Challenge.  You can see that quilt here. 

I spent Thursday morning adding embellishments, as well as Friday.  Miss Addison spent two days in NICU, so she was off limits to Grammie.  Seemed like a good idea to put my extra energy to good use.  The 6" finished block is mounted on canvas.  (The green background is not part of the quilt.)

And there you go.  I have other things underway, but I suspect that my quilting time is going to be squeezed once again.  Knowing me, I would rather play with a baby than needle and thread.

Oh happy day!

A Wee Quilt, and Helsinki, Finland

I think I said we were headed to Latvia from St. Petersburg.  oops.  That was incorrect.  Our next stop was Helsinki, Finland.  It's been more than a month, so I guess I can excuse the slip.

I have to say that the thing that shocked me the most about Sweden, Finland, and Denmark was the filth.  Litter, graffiti, cigarette butts EVERYWHERE - I don't have any desire to return.  I had great hopes for Finland...after all, Marimekko, right?  I saw one sign advertising it, but nary a thread during our 3 hours on shore.

Like the other port towns, the view on approach is filled with cranes.

 When we docked, I was surprised to see this athletic facility, complete with two pools built right out to the sea.  To the right of the photo was a large ferris wheel, and in the distance is a marketplace.

 Here is a better view of the market, with the orange and white tents.  The buildings in the background are town hall and other government buildings.  I believe they were originally built as palaces, under the direction of Peter the Great.

There really wasn't much to see during our three hour bus tour.  We stopped to visit this sculpture, celebrating their most famous composer.  I've since forgotten his name.  She told us to, "come back and tell me what you saw.  One person told me it looks like angel wings!"  Well, other than the obvious "organ pipes," it looks a lot like a mop head to me.  Can you tell I'm in my fourth decade as a housewife?

 We also stopped to see their "famous" Church of the Rock.  Have you heard of it?  I had not.  We marched up this narrow cigarette butt-littered sidewalk to the top of the block.

 This is the entrance to the church.  It was built in a crater, blasted out of the rock.  They charge admission to enter.

 Here is the interior.  The dome is made from woven copper wire, which I have to admit was pretty amazing.  The slats around the dome admit natural light.

Our last stop was Parliament Square, which was preparing for a garden event.  They were in the process of rolling sod onto the concrete plaza.  The church overlooking the square is a replica of St. Isaacs in St. Petersburg.  The stairway leading up to the church is quite steep, and not recommended if you are at all out of shape.

 Up we climbed.  Here is the view looking down towards the harbor.  It's past the buildings behind hubby.  On the right is a university, and behind him, you can see the fresh sod.  The light poles were hung with giant bluebells.

 We went down to the marketplace, but did not buy anything.  I didn't really want anything to remind me of Finland.  Why?  Because, unfortunately, this was my takeaway: 

After seeing Estonia and St. Petersburg, where the people have a sense of national pride, everything was well cared for...Helsinki?  Not so much.  Or maybe we were on the graffiti/litter tour?  Who knows?  I just know that if I were going to drive a busload of tourists around my town for three hours, I would make a concerted effort to show beautiful highlights.  Wouldn't you?

Last week, I was productive.  Oh, it feels good to say that!

I may not have made anything large or impressive, but for me?  Quilting is about creating and the process.  And last week?  I really needed to finish something.  Anything.

A few years ago, I made a 12" quilt for the SAQA online auction, which coincidentally is going on as I type.  You can buy an auction quilt from this website.  I've purchased many quilts from this auction over the years, and have never been disappointed.  I receive a beautiful 12" quilt; SAQA receives money to fund their programs.  This is our primary fundraiser of the year.  (I'm telling you, as much as I am reminding myself.)

Anyway, I made this little quilt, back in 2014, and called it, "Sing Praise."

Doggone it.  I don't know why it's turned on its ear!  You're going to have to tilt your heat to see it properly.  As with many of my projects, I had trims and leftovers.  I'd sewed the trims together, and have had a 7" x 6" piece of green scraps floating around the studio for three years.  Three years!  It was time to do something with it, or dump it.

Well, I don't dump anything.  I trimmed 1/2" from one side, and stitched it to the other, making a 6.5" square.  I then appliqued a couple of birdies.  hmmm.  I had little birdie templates on my sewing table.  I don't even remember what they are from, maybe postcards?

They needed some feather-stitched wings, and some greenery to hide beneath.

 Here's a bit of a close-up.  I could have done a better job with value, but then birdies don't like to be too obvious when they're on the ground, right?

When finished, I faced the quilt and mounted it on stretched canvas (which had been painted black).  I need to get more hooks and wire to hang them, but I think I'm pretty happy with the end result.  They now are in the stack of 6" mounted quilts made for our 2017 Sew Eclectic Challenge.  Now that I've finished another one?  I want to do a sixth.  These things are addictive!

And I've sewn more than this, but I'll save it for another post.  Happy Stitching!!

6" Cutie

Little bit of lace, a row of French knots & beads, and a few more beads for good measure.  I'm calling this one DONE. 

Too much fun!!  :D

This n That

The Studio continues to be in disarray.  Or not.  I guess it depends upon one's point of view.  I've been gradually sorting through things, bringing them back into the Studio.  If I can't find a place for it, back it goes into The Annex.  I'll make a decision later.

But I've made enough progress that I've been able to sew a bit.  Last week (or was it the week before?) I made a little 6" quilt.  But I'm getting ahead of my story.

Months ago, I bought a quilt, from New Zealand quilter Lisa Call.  It was one of 100 6" quilts that she made in 100 days.  I can't find a picture of the installation, but here are the quilts, as offered for sale.  I bought "Stillness."  I love it.  It is mounted on stretched canvas, which has been painted black.

I showed it to my Art Group, Sew Eclectic, and we challenged ourselves to create a 6" quilt each month, until the end of the year.  It's a lot of fun, and it goes quickly, if one can only get started.

Last week, I finished my first and second 6" pieces.  I've yet to mount them on canvas.  I bought the canvas, I just can't seem to remember where I put the bag containing it.  yep.  It's been one of those weeks.

Here are Study in Green #1, and Study in Green #2:

Both were made from bits and snippets leftover from "The Early and The Late Rain."

I thought it would be boring if I continued to make green pieces...then again, that could be the title of the series:  Greenpiece.  hahaha.  I crack myself up. 

Anyway, I remembered stashes here and there, of leftovers from this project and that project.  I dug through a bin, and found pieces from Lesson#3, Abstract Still Life, from the Katie Pasquini Masopust class that I took last year.  I quickly pieced them together, appliqued leftover seaweed, and began embellishing.  It took a while, to remember where I'd stashed my fish buttons, but eventually I was successful in unearthing them.

I love this little quilt!!  Look at the goodies I stitched along the bottom.

This was great fun, and just what the doctor ordered.  It makes a mess, but not like the messes made from working on a large quilt.  Or is it?  Here is my workspace, upon completion of Study in Fish.

 (The mug rug by the machine was made by Jan Krentz.  The matching mug is in the dishwasher.)

So, the studio may be a mess, but it's a healthy, controlled mess.  Or so I tell myself.  I can still see carpet, so that's something!!

And I've been busy outside, as well.  My old patio chairs have been sandblasted and powder coated, and look amazing.

The result inspired me to spiff up my yard flamingos.

I suspect that what is really going on is that dealing with my dad and his home of 53 years is daunting.  I can't do much for him right now, but I can take care of the things right here.  These things are under my control, and it's up to me whether or not I control them, or allow entropy to reign. 
Down with entropy!
Up with organization!

Goals are good!