Sketches, A Doll and Other Stuff

The Tuesday Painters group has been at a friend’s cottage overlooking Lake Michigan.  We’ve gone two weeks in a row and may go again this week…. If she’ll have us.  The cottage was her sister’s, another friend who lost her battle with cancer a few years back.  Four sisters had cottages on the ridge,  When Elaine died the other sisters fixed up her cottage and use it as a rental or for friends.  

There are great views of the lake, the beach and the pier from there and in this between season it’s an ideal place to paint and sketch.  It’s too cold to be outside and though the cottage has no heat we are protected from the elements and we dress warm.  We are taking advantage of it while we can; it will be closed up once winter comes.  

Last week I showed you the start of my Catrina for the Day of the Dead exhibit coming to the Gallery Uptown in November.  Here she is… finished and ready to be delivered.

And I got a few more of the small boiled paper pieces done.  These are fun little pieces to do and I still haven't decided what to do with them.

They make nice little gift tags but could also look nice as a little framed piece, or on a note card.  Does anyone have any other thoughts?

Finally Finished

It took me 6 years but it was worth it.  No, I didn't work on it regularly, in fact I believe there was actually a year when I didn't work on it at all.  I had it done once, decided it was too small so put it away for a very long time. The idea of more blocks didn't appeal.  This is my 2nd quilt.  I made the first one 40 years ago.  Decided then it wasn't my thing, too many rules and too many exact measurements so the blocks go together.

 

Finally I decided I didn't need to do blocks, I could do whatever I wanted.  After all it is my quilt.  So I took it apart and started over and I love the result.  Once done it had to be quilted, that was going to be another problem, who or how?  Enter my friends Betty Boyink Roberts who owns a long arm and Beth Hwacinski who wanted to learn how to use Betty's long arm. 

Beth used my quilt to practice.  I don't think she needs anymore practice.  Here are some examples of what she did. 

Coffee and books (we read a lot)

A hat, there are more, I do love hats

 

Another love, oars from an old rowboat

No need to explain this one.

 

I haven't done much painting this week, binding this to finish it took much of my time.  And I may think about making another quilt one of these days.

 

And the flu hit our grandson so we had him for a couple days.  He's well now and rested.

Trying Some Freeform Crochet... And A Bit Of Mixed Media work

I learned basic crochet from my grandmother, embroidery too, but didn't really take to either of them as a child.  I preferred knitting and needlepoint.  Many years later when my aunt and I had a Knit shop we both taught knitting, she taught crochet.  I still wasn't to taken with it though I did have her give me some lessons so I could help customers who had a problem.

A few years ago I saw a piece of freeform crochet and thought that was something I would like to do, definately not my grandmother's crocheting.  However, I didn't do anything about it since my skill was limited. I could do your basic single, double, triple and make a granny square.  In fact I have a lovely ruana that I made back when we had the shop and I still love it.  I've also made a couple granny square lap robes and given them away.  

Recently I saw a class on the internet.... Freeform Crochet.  Guess it was time to learn  I was suppose to get all the same yarn in 5 or 6 colors.  I think I once posted about giving up sewing but still buying fabric.  Well I still have a stash of yarn too even though I no longer knit anything more than a scarf. So I'm using what I have and already knowing I like doing this and I have some ideas for other things.  What we are suppose to be working toward now is a purse.  I've also discovered that crocheting doesn't cause my hand to go numb as knitting did.  The numbness is the reason I quit knitting.  The pieces I've done so far aren't blocked because I still plan to add more color and stitches to some of them. 

A plus to taking up something new... again. This time I really don't have to go out and buy all of the equipment.  I already have most of what I need.

I've also been doing a bit more in my studio.  In the process of clearning piles I came across some monoprints that were waiting for me to go in with the collage elements.  This one is a start.  I don't like the dark blue and I think I'd like more green, partly in the bush on the left.

 Photoshop lets me play a bit and see what would happen if I lighten and add... here is that version

Now I need to see if I can do it on the actual piece.

Sun Moon and Stars Progress and some Christmas

A bit more on this one and then a break to do some Christmas stitching while I consider where this is going.

I usually make a table runner for Christmas but one can only use so many table runners and I've already given enough away; it's time to do something different.  I saw this wreath in a fabric store and thought it would make a nice centerpiece with a candle.  I  bought some very nice Christmas fabric but couldn't get a pattern so I took a photo and bought some not so good Christmas fabric to try and figure it out.  This is the not so nice though it isn't too bad.  I think it will work just fine in the middle of our kitchen table.

This is the good fabric

And some detail...

The one I saw had little star buttons  holding the tips together where I have the butterfly pin.  I don't know if I'm going to add those or not.  There's time to decide.  Meanwhile I have some of this fabric left, lots of the flap fabric and a bit of the stripe,  Maybe another table runner after all.  We shall see.

Bookmarks, More Sun Moon Stars & A Fish

I finished this one today, This one is 9" x 4".  The rest are about the same + or - a bit. Here are 4 more.  They can act as a mug rug while you are reading or they can hang on your wall.  They'll be at the Gallery Uptown along with the wine bags.

So back to Sun, Moon and Stars.  I've stitched the 9 patch to a larger piece and printed it so I can play with what to do next.

Meanwhile, I've passed this fish on the sidewalk every weekday morning walking our grandson to the bus.  Finally as I walked back home today I decided I had to take a photo and use it somehow.  I'm not sure how for certain but I love it enough, it may end up in several works, fiber and paint.

Fall & Another Wine Bag

Every year for the past several I've made a Christmas table runner.  This year I decided to do one for Fall.  I still have some hand stitching to do to finish but it's close to done.

A design wall would be helpful.  Now that this is all together I can see that I should have put the top one the other way around and on the bottom.  Oh well, most that see it won't notice.  Perhaps I'll do another one next fall.  One can only use so many Christmas table runners.  On the other hand, there is still time... maybe there is room for one more for Christmas. But first, more wine bags.

This one is denim with ribbon from my grandmother's knit shop and tatting done by my mother.  The ribbon is an indication of how long I keep things.  My grandmother has been gone since 1958.  It's taffeta and pretty sturdy but just in case, I put a fusible backing on it before adding it to the bag.

I've used the ribbon on wreaths and lots of other holiday decorations and think of her every time I use it.  This is the first time I've used it on something that may go away.  Still plenty left though so I'm not feeling a loss.

I recently saw a knit wall hanging where the person used a lot of her grandmother's knitting tools to make it an art piece.  I have been thinking about doing something similar though not a knit wall hanging. While I was once an avid knitter, my fingers no longer enjoy it so I do another type of stitching.  I have some of Grandma's tools, some of my mother's, and some parts of quilts done by my great, great grandmother.  One of these days I'll figure out a way to put them all together in a piece of art.  Maybe that will be my project for the January exhibit at the Gallery.  We're suppose to do a work of art that is totally different than anything else we have done.... maybe an assemblage?  Have to talk with my friend Annie Morgan... the assemblage expert.

Halloween & More Sun, Moon, Stars

This is the start of my Halloween decorating, it will hold the glowstick bracelets we give out.  I think I'll put a black cloth on the table; no idea yet what else will be there but it's a start.  the crow is one I made with another idea in mind.  He was sitting unfinished in my studio, he still needed legs.  I saw him and one of those AHA moments came... went out and bought a pail, sprayed it black and attached the crow.

I also did a bit more stitching on the Sun, Moon and Stars project...

The top three stars I was lucky enough to be able to buy from Jude Hill (Spirit Cloth.)  Things in her store go as quickly as she puts them there.  I have 9 of these little stars but I don't want to use them all in the same piece.  The rest are mine.  Harvest moon and the sun are appliqued as is the little boat.  

For the boat I was thinking Winkin' Blinkin' and Nod; however, they aren't in a wooden shoe. 

And I this is our little guy, I got there just as the photographer was about to snap his photo for the team pictures so I was able to get a shot too. 

More Bookmarks

It's been a busy month and still not much time but I did want to show you some of what I've been stitching.... Three new ones, two done and ready to use as bookmarks or small hanging pieces.  The middle one is still in process. 

Sorting & Thinking

No, I didn't make the banner.  In fact, there isn't much art work getting done here this week.  My spouse had back surgery on Monday, came home on Tuesday and I am his nurse.  He is making good progress in spite of my lack of nursing skills, we manage. The photo is a banner that was in the chapel at the hospital.  I liked the various neutrals the artist used.

This is another work that was in the chapel.  Thinking of irregular squares, a grid as a possible banner.  I like the neutral and the irregularity of the shapes.

Instead of making art I’ve been doing some sorting and wondering thinking, putting some scraps together as I sort.  I have more blue scraps than any other simply because I love blue.  Here’s a basket of scraps, I See The Moon in process and some little pieces pinned together that may become something… or not...

Trying to keep my mind occupied with something other than what happened in France.

Some Stitching

I worked on this while we were floating up the Rhone, practicing the Kantha stitch.

And this one which I am still working on; the middle I'm thinking of as spirit intertwined.  The other two are from designs I saw in Arles and Avignon.  I'm adding one more design from the Pope's Palace in Avignon to this one; then it will be time to start another blue strip.

Another Square for the blanket

The more I looked at him the more I thought he ought to be the center block.  I may end up making this block larger than the others.  I'll have to look at it for awhile before I decide.

Last post I said I need to get back to color.  This is a piece of pillow ticking that I'm using to practice some stitches that I like but need to practice more and to add some color.  It may become a small bag to carry my stitching tools in.  Once again, we shall see.

And I haven't given up painting entirely.  I still paint with my Tuesday Morning group and I plan to take a sketchbook with me to France.  This is yesterday's effort.  It was a grey day but I added color in the name, we were at a local restaurant, Jelly's.

It's Derby Time

Our Main Street DDA is doing a Derby Day party and has asked artists to decorate a hat which will be raffled off at the event.  I delivered mine today.  The hat had a plain black ribbon band so I went to my fabric stash to see what I had.  I found something black and white with a touch of red and blue that had horses on it.  

Okay, that's it; however, all I had were small scraps. So more digging, lots of black and white scraps, some heavy duty interfacing make a pretty nice bow.  The center, a rhinestone pin... did I mention I sometimes think maybe I'm a hoarder.  My house doesn't look like it but my studio sure does.  I have never been one to wear a rhinestone pin yet I have several, probably my mother's or my grandmother's or Ed's mother's... who knows.  I have them and one worked perfectly as the center of that black and white bow.  

That's why I save all that stuff, one never knows when one may need it.

Once the hat was delivered I did some more stitching and thinking about stitching.  Actually I was thinking about something I read that Dee Thomas said about contemporary embroidering and her stitching, "Perhaps it is decorative, a damning term in the art world, but I would rather people liked it for what they see and what they think about it, rather than as a concept that needs explaining."  

She also mentioned not thinking she wanted to stitch because when she was learning she never did it perfectly and hated it.  I could relate which got me to thinking about Mother.  And the more I thought about it the more I realize that given time, she would have been in the contemporary camp. 

Yes, her stitches where perfect, she was a certified Master Embroiderer.  However, her work wasn't traditional... Instead of flowers of a white pillow case, she did perfect stitches between the lines of the pillow ticking and stitched it into a purse.  I have no desire to do those perfect stitches, I am not nearly as patient as she was; however, I don't think she'd mind if she was still with us.  

Stitching in Circles

This is a little piece I stitched yesterday.  Looking at it this morning I see that it is exactly where I was, lacking focus, wandering in circles.  I'm still there but recognizing it helps I think.  At least I hope.  We shall see what today brings.  I may do more on this but for now I'm calling it done.  It's about 3 x 7 inches, a bookmark I think.

The Winter Quilt continues

I posted this a couple days ago.

I did a bit more stitching and decided to go in a different direction.  Another small piece I was working on seemed like it just might fit over the dark doors.  This is a close-up of part of it.

And here it is in place

..I'm not calling the block done yet but for now, that's as far as I'm going.  And since I seem to be in a mood for circles and moons I decided to do a moon in honor of my sister's birthday yesterday .... it was a half moon so here is my March 2nd moon..

I don't know how far I will go with this moon theme but it seems appropriate, the quilt is going to be a blanket after all.

And as I am looking at this work I am thinking of my mother.  She was a master embroiderer as in The Embroiderers Guild of America certified  master surface embroiderer.  Her work was perfect.  Maybe that's why I didn't like doing it.  At any rate, she's not looking over my shoulder so I can do it any way I want and I suppose, if I keep at it, I might get close to perfect.  I really don't care, I'm just having fun playing with fabric and thread.  

An aside about my mother.  I did a piece of needlepoint that I wanted made into a glasses case for my reading glasses.  I asked her to put it togher for me.  She did and when she gave it to me I looked and asked why she made it so much bigger.  Her response... glasses wouldn't fit in what you gave me.  I got my glasses out, showed them to her and said "do you honestly think I don't know what size to make something to fit my own glasses?" Needless to say, I was upset because the case was so big that there was no way I could use it.  I told her she could keep it since her glasses fit in it just fine.  That's a vent that needed to get out I guess.

The Winter Quilt

Just a quick post to show some progress.  I did a little work on this piece yesterday, weaving to see if I can make it a bit lighter in value.

It looks like it will help some but it will take more than just the doors.  I'll do a little more this afternoon and see how it goes. 

Thoughts about art and stitching and more on the Moon and Stars

I think I'll call this done for now.  I may cut off the part to the right of the black line I drew, not sure yet.  As I worked on this more I thought about stitching and painting and which I enjoy more.

No conclusions, I seem to enjoy the one I am doing at the moment.  And at the moment it seems to be stitching.  While sorting through fabrics I came back to a quilt I started a few years back. Each block was different and I wanted to keep it that way but was out of ideas.  I had all the squares done, strips put together and laid out ready to put it all together.  I realized two things... it wasn't big enough and I didn't like the center block.  So, it was set aside.

I'm not a quilter, I made one when we first got married and the teacher was an excellent quilter but also one who insisted on perfect.  I don't do perfect.  I finished the quilt and it became a blanket but that was almost 40 years ago and it's a bit worn.

That is what prompted the new one but once done and not really ready to be finished, I just couldn't work up the enthusiasm to do more blocks.   It was to be a blanket for our bed and since my thinking was winter, it was (is) whites and off whites.  The strips have been sitting unfinished in my sewing room ever since.


 This is the Center block,..

Much too dark for for the rest of the quilt.  I got to thinking about it and first thought, cut it our of the strip and arrange the rest of the strips around it instead of just long strips.  I cut it out.  Then decided I could probably do some embroidery using lighter floss and see how that works.  I may also just applique a piece over the top of it.  We'll see.  Doesn't matter, my mind is in motion and I'm inspired to take up this quilt again.  Hopefully I will be able to finish it this time.

And just to give you an example of how I stray from medium to medium, this is a ccokie jar I made a few years back.  I love it but we don't do cookies in our house so it sits on a shelf in our dining room.

The color doesn't show up in this photo but you can see there is a lot of texture.  I love texture!

The Moon and Stars

Yesterday I did a little more work on this little one.  I have no idea where it's going to end up but for now, it's fun going.

A little sketching and a lot of stitching

It's part of my DNA; stitching.  And for a long time I denied it. "No, I do not like to stitch."  Yes, I can do it but I don't like too.  But I kept buying fabric and embroidery floss and yarn, and I didn't get rid of all of the leftover fabric, yarn and equipment from earlier days -- way earlier.  Comparing a package of my embroidery needles with some I looked at last week -- the package of Boye needles I have, still marked 15 cents and it's just one of many.  The package of the cheaper brand I looked at... $2.49.

So why am I writing about this you ask.  Because I've discovered that I truly do like to stitch, what I didn't like was having to do it perfectly.  Yes, there are some things that I'd like to do better and I'm willing to practice those things so I know I will get better -- again.  A blog I enjoy is Jude Hill's Spirit Cloth, she practices on small pieces and keeps them, sometimes using them later in larger works.  I like that idea.  I also like Jude's classes and started to watch videos of a heart class.  I thought I'd do the heart thing so started with this one...

But realized I seemed to be doing more circles. Hmmm, is that because I seem to run in circles at times or at least feel like I am. Perhaps.  Anyway circles became moons became faces.  Here are a few...

 This one is a piece of discharged denim, I added stitch to the center trying repeat sizes.

then another discharged piece that still needs something

 This one got a face

So did this one though not a happy one.

And this one

Then I decided to try printing a face on fabric and adding it to other fabric.  This is a Christy Girl from a very old book I have.  If the book where in good shape it would be something to sell but it isn't so I use the pages.

And then just faces that may end up as circles but at the moment, just features

 

And then I had to practice some stitches I like to do.  The woven picot forms the petals and french knots fill the center.

The woven spider web is another one I love to do.

And an open circle, something Jude posted that I had to try

Jude also does a lot of feathers so I had to try one of those too.

But still painting as well.  Here are a couple sketches done with my Tuesday Painters.

Beth's Bonsai

and Connie's Coffee Grinder that isn't functional.

Now I'm off to do more work on that first piece I posted today.  I need to finish the satin stitch and then put it away for awhile.