Painted lady #1

My sewing machine was in the shop for 3 months, my camera broke, my printer/scanner was dying. The machine is now fixed, I'm borrowing dd's camera when needed, and I have a new scanner/printer (they are really getting cheap).

What I have been doing is painting, collaging, stamping, layering, generally just messing around. Here's a painted and collaged piece I did in April. More vibrant in real life, it started out as a page meant to be folded into a journal book but turned into a piece in itself. The back, now forgotten, was painted and collaged too.

 

Santa... finished!

 
 

Did you guess what it was going to be? It's a shelf scarf. It was intended by the designer, Nancy Halvorsen, to be used on your fireplace mantle. I had a long 60"x6" shelf that I hang quilts and linens on that needed something for Christmas. I cut it to fit my shelf width and had to add one extra Santa. It was relatively fast. The part that took too much time was sewing on the buttons for eyes, between the blocks, and on the holly. And you can see that not all Santas have holly leaves on their hat. They will... eventually.

I couldn't take a pic on the shelf because my light was right in the way so I had to put it on the sofa. (It really is straight across the back.) Really! Now to place it on the shelf with a few of my Christmas cutesies and the kitchen area is dressed up.

Oh, and everything was from my fabric stash. The best kind of project!

Santa what?

I have a semi-quickie project underway that is almost finished.
This is a portion of it.
It's a decorating item.
Can you guess what it will be? 

Now off to see if I can find some velcro, 12 buttons for eyes, and to blush up some cheeks. I'd like to finish it up tonight or tomorrow.

Why the heck did I do this?

Have you ever gone to the store for just one quick item and come out with something you didn't plan to buy? Hah! What a nutty question. I KNOW you have.

Yesterday, I ran to the quilt shop for just a couple of quarter yard pieces to use for  Santa faces. I was supposed to be at Mom's for dinner in less than one hour so I knew I'd only have 15 or 20 minutes to get in and out. I did it on purpose so I wouldn't look... much. Didn't help. Didn't work. Should have gone straight to the section I needed. In my defense what I needed was way back in the corner. But I erred in my quest and took the long way round past the holiday fabrics.

And what to my wondering eye should appear? A fun retro style holiday fabric I'd been drooling over online right there in non-online reality. How could I resist. I tried. I really did. I hesitated. Then I looked up and saw that holiday fabrics were 25% off.  Then I looked at that sweet little reindeer, the fabulous colors, and felt the flood of memories it conjured up of Christmas's past. It teased me, taunted me, I picked up a fat quarter "just to look a bit closer", then another, and another, and... well you can see where this is headed. Just a few fat quarters I thought.

Then YIKES there wasn't a fat quarter for that sweet little reindeer so I had to grab the bolt. Then I thought what if I don't make something holidayish and these fabrics could be non-holidayish so I had to grab the floral bolt. I wanted this so badly that I didn't even want to set it on the table and put a don't touch my stash card on it for fear someone would. I carried it with me to try to talk myself out of it. Then an employee saw me and said why don't you set them down and put a card on it. They will be okay. Well! Once they were on that table how could I back out? So.....

It's by Sheri Berry Designs.

Now, what to make? What to make? I have time to decide because I'm going to wrap it and put from Santa and stash it under the tree Christmas eve in a paper I use for no other gifts. Then I can keep (innocently) asking who got it for me? Bwaaa ha ha ha. I'll never tell.

Hmmm, think that would work with quilt store gift cards?

p.s. i got this too, but, hey, it was 25% off! and I love Mary Engelbreit too.

 

Not quilt related but I haven't posted in ages. So, I thought I'd put a picture I painted in my journal of my daughter. Well, she really came out looking like an older version of my daughter.

Getting back in the swing and will be back blogging regularly soon I think.

Yes, I am pro universal health care - H.R. 676

In college 35 years ago I had an instructor in sociology that opened my eyes to the basic needs of human beings. As a 17 year old I can't say that I actually thought about it before then, but we all need our basic needs met as humans. People seem quite willing to help with the basic needs of food, clothing and housing. I don't understand why so many don't want to give medical care for all. You never know when you could be one of the 47 million people without insurance and in desperate need of care.

Please take a moment to watch this video on HR 676 (click on the link). Also, consider checking out the documentary "Sicko" which can often be found at your library.

Beeswax collage

I enjoyed a beeswax collage class at Frenzy Stamper last Saturday given by Michael Putman and Lesley Fisher. You can check them out at jackandcatcurio.blogspot.com or jackandcatcurio.com. There were many techniques and products included in this class and they will add so much to future projects. Michael and Lesley teach at several locations and everything needed for the project was included in the class fee so give it a try.

It's still somehow odd to me that I can take a few unrelated bits and pieces and turn it into something I want to say. When it comes together so easily and seems like it has to be then I feel strangely satisfied. That's the way I felt about this piece. Do you know what I mean? I feel pleased with the outcome for my first try.

Heal

From the instructions given by Chrysti Hydeck in the Jul/Aug 2009 issue of Somerset Studio. I (finally) had success with transferring text. Coating with a glaze, letting it dry, then using the gel did the trick. It is so hard to be patient and let each layer dry but I forced myself and it paid off. I like the way it turned out.

The color is so much better in real life than this photo. I really want (need) a new camera.

 

Come out and play - signature block swap

Melissa at Cornbread and Beans is having a block swap using civil war reproduction fabrics. If you'd like to play go to her blog and drop her a comment.

4th of July quilt on the 8th

I'd forgotten about this little quilt I'd made and thought I'd share it since it's still so close to the 4th. It was given to a friend who collects Americana so it has a good home.

It was paper pieced, quilted in the ditch, and has an Uncle Sam panel for the backing. The little blocks were 3" finished so the piece measures around 14x20.

I have a green-red version in my UFO box that I might just have to finish up.



Save those scraps!