Charms from a charming friend....

As I continue to go thru fabrics and organize the Art Barn, I discover things! This week I discovered a big fat ziplock FULL of charm squares sent to me eons ago by a great quilting friend, Anastasia (just like my own dear daughter, and HER daughter!).

Looking at all those tidy little stacks really took me back...different decade, different style of quilting, fabrics I remember and they don't make any more. They called out to be useful, so I spent the weekend sewing over half of them together. I finished 2 nice big blocks, one in mostly yellows and purples, the other brights. The rectangular bright block I think I will quilt up and sew into a nice tote bag. The yellow & purple block is asking for a nice dark border, possibly some more blocks or applique. Perhaps it will end up a lap quilt, more probably a wall hanging.

I also pieced together a stack to be saved as a bright, random border for a project in the future...here they are all nicely pressed. Now they are neatly rolled and tucked into the drawer with other blocks that are waiting for their moment. It's nice to have a pieced border all ready to go, so when that urge hits me, I won't have to stop and fuss with it!

Thank you so much for the sweet memories, Anastasia!

So I took a class....

at QSDS last weekend! (Quilt Surface Design Symposium) with Melanie Testa. Very sweet instructor, great work, and we got stuff done.

We were taught to use thickened dye to monoprint and stamp on soda-ash soaked cloth. I wish I had finished more, but 2 days just isn't very long! But it's so fun to go to QSDS; gets your creative juices flowing again, or pouring out of you if you weren't stuck.

I still have some prepped blank fabric, and I brought home some of the gooey algaenate thickener, so I guess I need to do some more! It's a little messy, but that's what the Art Barn is for.
We had limited time, so we needed to stick to a single motif. I chose some gears; I cut some out of freezer paper to act as a resist, then I created my own positive and negative stamp with sticky back fun foam & acetate. Quick and easy techniques, and with more time and planning, I can imagine some really great results.

New plush Pattern Results!

So last week I shared my thrift shop score of cashmere sweaters, and the new patterns for soft toys that I'm working on....you saw the sad little "skins" laying on my worktable, ready to be stuffed and embellished!

Here they are! a lovely argyle Owl.....




a sweet little pale blue Lamb!! (I like his little gray face, don't ewe?)







and HERE is what happens when you use a ribbed sweater to try and make a lamb...the stretch is out of balance! I was so disappointed, and also it cracked me up, but I think it looks like a pink hammerhead shark! I debated just pulling the stuffing out and tossing the thing, but it's grown on me...I'm going to make a little shark face!

Working and loving it!

Busy working in the gorgeous studio.....I have a pile of cashmere sweaters from the thrift shop all washed and ready!

See the pile? so pretty!

I'm scheduled to do some arts & crafts type festivals this May & July, so I'm concentrating right now on increasing my inventory of super-soft and cuddly Kashmere Kitties....not only are they cute, but they're environmentally-friendly!


See the cut & sewn up "skins" that I made next?? They look a little creepy and forlorn like that, I know.


I've also drafted NEW patterns for cashmere plushness! I've got a pattern that doubles as either a lamb or a puppy (see the pink & blue skins lower left) and I re-patterned an Owl, mostly for Dear Daughter. That will be the argyle "skin" on the bottom right!

Stay tuned, I'll post pics as I get them all stuffed and pretty!

It's the new & improved Art Barn!

When we first moved in, the poor place was a disaster! If we weren't sure where to put it, it ended up in the barn. Piles and stacks and bins, oh my! See the Disaster Site.

I did finally get a bit of organization going, setting up a sewing area...see, it was my Little Slice of Heaven!

Well, things have REALLY changed! Last Black Friday-day after Thanksgiving, my baby brother pulled up with his truck & trailer and unloaded a ton of wood & tools. We built a loft! Or as he calls it, a mezzanine. It is gorgeous! Sturdy, BIG, proper stairs, tons of space for storage!
>
Dear daughter & I spent the next 6 weeks hauling stuff to Goodwill, to the trash, organizing, emptying bags, boxes, tubs and bins. Hubby installed the new eco florescent fixtures baby brother gave me for Christmas, and a great shop fan. And now.....


Unveiling the new & improved Art Barn!! There is a lovely seating area, with a coffee pot next to the furnace & fridge. There is Floor Space! There is organization! I actually KNOW where things are, and more importantly, can GET to them! Storage bins are upstairs, labelled. The only bins I still need to empty & organize are the fabrics, although those are semi-sorted already.



Room for cutting tables, all the supplies sorted and grouped together, Ana has her own area, plenty of room to move stuff around! My jewelry bench is finally put back together. Okay, so that area still needs sorted out, but at least it's all in one place! Stereo equipment & speakers are hooked up, and the CDs are actually right next door. I can put things AWAY and find them again the next time! Room for visitors, classes, parties, it's so wonderful!



Yes, I have been working, although most of what I've been sewing are UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) getting them done and tagged & properly put away. It has been really great to work in the new space, and I kind of hate to mess it up! That pile of tubs in the back, near the overhead door?? Empty!! There are still a couple items that need to go to Goodwill (anyone want some GIANT speakers?) but my, it is so awesome!

Smarty pants with no smart phone

I don't have a smart phone....I'm not really smart enough! But I have been fascinated with the cool-looking photos people post on Facebook, taken with Instagram. I like moody, misty, washed out, photos. Romantic, spooky, they just speak to me. But Instagram is only for Iphones, and I don't have any cool graphic design programs like Adobe or Photoshop, so what's a girl to do?

My favorite tool that comes with PCs is the Microsoft picture manager program; I like it alot better than the Windows manager that comes up on my home PC; I end up opening Microsoft manager there, too. It's easy, basic, I feel like I can handle it!

Sooooo.....I thought I'd explore a little more. I mean, I've used the tools to increase brightness, contrast, color on photos that I'm using for my Etsy shop, to enhance or correct. But I thought I would take it even further, and see what happens!

So let me show you:

Here is the original pic of my Kashmere Kitties, made from recycled thrift shop cashmere sweaters. I think it's sweet and endearing!

and Here is the pic with a bunch of the contrast and color taken out.

And the Last shot, I took the washed out version, and slid the hue and intensity over to the blue side! I think I like the middle version; it reminds me of a black and white photo with just a shot of color!

Ha! Now I can instagram, too!

First day of Autumn (where did my summer go?)

I don't know about you, but it almost seems as though I completely missed this summer. June went by in a blur, July was a week long, and I don't even remember there being an August! And now, it is Equinox, and the leaves are falling, and I dumped out my leggy petunia pots to get ready for pumpkins.

I have been busy, though, and it looks like I'll be stitching night and day from now until New Year's!

Beehive Bookstore is now selling "D-Town Totes...locally made bags for local folks"; yes, Red Panty tote bags, mostly made from scraps of upholstery fabrics given to me by an interior designer friend.

December First Friday here in town will be the opening night of a joint art effort between myself and supremely talented Cyrus Fire. I'm created plushies based on his paintings. The first is a character he painted as a label for a new, local beer brewer. Evil Cupcake Ale! See the pointy teeth?? See the disgruntled cherry on top?? Bad cupcake! I'm going to sneak some of my own plushies into the show, too, especially the Li'l Devils and Ghost Kitties. Maybe they will feast on zombie santa??