Monday, May 21, 2012

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. .


Sunday, May 20, 2012

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

Friday, May 18, 2012

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.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

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...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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!