bag change time

My summer tote, which started life as a Vera Bradley dufflebag (back when she was wallowing in monochromatic paisleys). I never  took a picture of it then. The overall yellow with acid green was not easy on the eyes but, hey, it was half off.

 It had a rough ride in the commercial washing machine recently - a lot of the small pieces of damask completely disintegrated - so I spent a few days repaving it with a stronger, more vibrant set of scraps.   It's not as candy box pretty as it used to be but still sturdy and full of years of service so I'm giving my good leather bag the summer off.

sitting still..not

I was working last night and, between calls, picking idly through a large basket of miscellaneous scraps. I came across a large piece of  linen (?) that had been a garment of some sort but was so deconstructed all that was left were the back yoke and two sleeves.

Suddenly I was seized by the need to thread up a needle and do some hand work.

I'm off today and you would think I'd pounce on the impulse to sit and sew but I have to ration my chair time carefully. Since getting back from NY I'm having a hard time spending my eight hour  shift sitting anywhere, even with breaks and stretching. .

progress

I finally feel like I am getting somewhere in this room and it feels great.

Jake came by yesterday and removed the useless wire racks that we installed in the closet. They were perfect back when this was a bedroom. I have learned that you can stack plastic tubs full of cloth only four high so I'm still thinking traditional wooden shelving (built to accommodate the storage I already have) will be the answer. I will be consulting my personal master carpenter. He loves it when I owe him favors.

This is one of my first "Flings" - a summer weight quilt, just top and back. All cotton, the top is machine pieced hand dyes with inset vintage cotton embroidered bits, also dyed. The back is plain muslin and joined to the top with wandering scrolls and paths of hand quilting. The tongues on the edges, just for fun.


I am napping under Ocean Homes (below) these days so Blue Fling  is up for sale in the store.

Ocean Homes

beautiful friday

While I was waiting for the sun to get in through the morning window I took a little quiet time to wrangle a few stones for Jude's project. This is harder than it looks because I seemed to have picked the most rebellious pieces of cloth in the basket for the needle turning.

This room is only 10'x11' and I keep shuffling piles of things and boxes from one quadrant to the next but don't seem to be making any progress or order. The real problem - the one I have been avoiding - is tackling the closet.

There is lot's of help with the cleaning.

 The Lord of the Lounge is recovering from a catnip hangover this morning. This part of the work table will be avoided entirely which means no machine stitching until he relocates. That's okay, there's plenty else to do.

 Digging through boxes, an old favorite was unearthed-

 This small machine built and hand quilted piece is called "Moon Music" from back in 2006. There was some acrylic and paint and a little bit of embroidery. It was one of the first pieces that I permanently mounted to a painted canvas.

I'm not happy about so much wonkiness on such a small piece and have removed it from the canvas and will wash and block the piece and remount it over the weekend. Updates on Monday.

Have a great weekend.

transformed!

This piece was machine appliqued back when I was still enthralled by a bizarre array of commercial cotton prints and just breaking in the Janome 6500.

 It also has some hand stitching and a signature! One has to wonder what one was thinking. Possessed by Aliens? Most likely.

Now it's a nice little go bag. About 14"x12" with a trixie little inner pocket for a cell phone and a pen or two. Not heavy weight for toting canned goods but easily a book or a nook, wallet, keys and your Groucho disguise.

This is fun and it will get easier as I wade through that stack of slackers.

Oh did you want it? Check the store...

metamorphosis

Now that I have the trick of boxed corners down pat, each one of these experimental quilts is going to become two or three art quilt totes. Time to stop languishing and get to work my darlings!

beach cleaning

Further excavations in the studio uncover more treasures like this nasty beach.  Here and there  are stains from when this hapless stitcher dropped a half eaten plum which rolled merrily across the surface. Now I have fruity little stains to treat and will toss it in the wash and see what happens.

This piece, "Walker"  (from '08 I think) moves over into the store.

wrapping up

One more day off and I'm  happy to have pushed on  through the final construction steps of this quilt for my friend Janice.


It got bogged down a while ago when I got carried away making the top so large  there wasn't enough of the green jungle leaf cloth for the back.

Just the other day I was delighted  to find another print that was the perfect compliment to her first choice for backing. 
All that remains is a day or two of machine quilting..some more great leaves I think and it will be good to go.

It's so nice to work on something that will have a long life of service.

"Lavanderia" in Philly

I just got a phone call informing me that my piece in Art Quilt Elements 2012  at the Wayne Art Center was sold last night..the last night of the show!

My heart caught in my throat for just a moment. What strange and wonderful feeling.

Mother's Day 2012

I had my Mother's day gift yesterday..both sons here at the same time for an hours worth of companionable conversation.  Since I get my props from my family all year long I really don't feel the need for a big fuss one day out of the year.

I've decided on my project for Jude's Contemporary Boro class. Most everyone will be working on some sort of garment but I'm just not feeling wearables right now so I decided to make a replica of my favorite grocery tote. It was plain canvas once upon a time but I dyed it and added the print inner pocket.

 I can put twenty pound of stuff in it easily but it would be better for the bag and my body if I had two bags with ten pounds in each.

[[Slept badly last night due to the Samuel L. Jackson of tree frogs taking up belligerent bellowing in one of my potted tropical plants right outside the door to the deck off the bedroom. Twice I got up and tried to find and relocate him without success. Just now by daylight I found him, hunkered down SLEEPING! Bastard. EVICTED!!]]

I can blame my slow brain today on Mr. Frog and  will take the in's, out's and reverses of this mitered corner technique one slow and sure step at a time so I don't have to rip out any machine stitching. The Janome is set up for sail-making right now..vicious.

 A while ago I purchased a yard of this ridiculously overpriced artist's canvas at Binders with the intention of actually painting on it. The idea of using it to make something serviceable is much more satisfying at the moment. There will be enhancements of course.