My camera

FYI, I again apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I'm using a rather archaic Sony Mavica, so what you see is what you get. If you want a more detailed look at anything I've published, let me know and I'll see what I can do based on the camera's temperment. I think I'm going to get a new camera with my next bonus....

Crazy for bags

It's Sunday and I've been hit hard this weekend with the sinus issues -- I should be used to it by now. Yesterday when I was still thinking I might possibly think about sewing a Halloween costume, I started sorting through one of my tubs looking for velvet and pulled out a bunch of velvets, brocades and silks. This morning when it became apparent I wasn't going to have much of anything to do with operating heavy machinery, I pulled these fabrics together for making a "crazy bag".


The brocade in the top left is something my grandmother had while the floral fabric on the right originally covered a Jacobean reproduction armchair. The other bits and pieces are fairly recent purchases of my own.








As I was checking out the usual blogs earlier today, I saw that Allison Aller has just scored big with a very nice purchase of lace. Coincidentally, she's got it displayed on a nice piece of green dupioni. As promised, here is what I was thinking of adding to this little number lace-wise:

Besides the lace, I think I'll use a bit of metallic thread and perhaps a very light touch with the beading.

SOMETHING TO SAY: Wicked Little Pumpkin

SOMETHING TO SAY: Wicked Little Pumpkin


Its this not just the best?!?

And so this morning I dragged out the iron

And did all the fiddly bits on my little garden wall hanging:

I want to embellish it with embroidery like that in one of Bella Dia's latest finds....

The Italian Job

A bit further on, I came to the Italian Garden which was in a riot of late summer/early fall colour. One of the pics I took was of some tall spiky flowers. Not sure what variety they are as they were so profuse they covered up the marker. They reminded me of one of the bits of fabric I paint-dyed the other evening. Now I'm really getting ideas....

The bit where I got a sunburn on my nose

Yesterday I went to Maymont. I don't ever remember a time when I didn't thoroughly enjoy going there and when all is said and done, it's one of my favourite places in the world. I'm very glad it's here in Richmond. Anywho, I took my trusty little digital camera and got a few shots just for ideas.

Just above the hill where the black bears live, I found a ginko which was starting to turn. I played around with the leaves like so:

What I did otherwise....

I've got a head cold so I skipped Joyce's hand dying class but since I had a nice little chunk of me time in my day, I hauled out some old fabric paint - the 99cent variety which Sonji says are the bee's knees - and did a bit of experimenting. So far, so good. They're not 100% dry yet, but I can envision creating a moon out of this one:




And perhaps a lovely little spring garden out of this one:


















As a side note, I'd like to let everyone know that Charlie the kitten is so pleased as Punch with all of this that he has fallen asleep with his little chin on my right hand. I guess I'm not going anywhere for a while....

Almost there

Remember this one from way back when? One big square and a pile of bits and pieces? I'm almost finished.... really. All that remains is for me to figure out how to set my sewing machine properly to do free-motion stiching and I'll have it quilted before you can say Malibu sunset. I'd practice doing it today, but I think I've had enough of the sewing room for now.

40 shades of green....

And this is "my" colour? Ye gads....... I would have thought something more along the lines of a nice leaf green.

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?"

What's" Your Power Color?

A wrinkle in the cyberspace continuum

As you may have noticed, I've changed my template and I apologize if things seem a bit wrinkled. That is, some do and some don't and if I change to another template, things start floating all over tarnation... Grrrrr.... I'll deal with the "ironing" another day.

Another good reason the housework is not done...

I've been working on this little wall hanging for the past week:



















I'm sorry you can't see the colours better as that's what this whole exercise is about. I've used a design in Gai Perry's book 'Color From The Heart'. I finished sewing all the nine-patches and later today I'll start putting it together.

I also started making a pillow for my living room by couching some of my novelty yarns to a piece of striped fabric:


















ARRRRRRRGH!!!! I so need a new digital camera! One that can capture the colour of life and not leave it looking like something molding in a corner under the bookcase.

Speaking of books, I'm off to read Elizabeth Aston's 'The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy' and later I'm hopefully going over to UR to see "Art's Around the Lake".

Tootles!

I hung this on my living room wall last week. My mom made this back in the 70's and it hung in our den for the longest time. My favourite has always been the thistle. :)

Like brothers...

So here they are being just as sweet as can be....
















When they decide to see who's taller.....




















And wouldn't you know.... a fight breaks out!

Woof Nanny

From Woof Nanny

Check out Woof Nanny's new book! I gotta make me a pair o' them knickers!

What it is.....

Well folks, a number of you responded to the post I made last spring about my wall-hanging and here it is.... my inspiration:







In case you're unfamiliar with it (and I suspect most folks in the US aren't), this is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "gem". To me, it just looks like the most splended quilt pattern. This just goes to show how you can get inspiration from the most mundane, everyday things. I've got a larger quilt charted out which I may make someday. Unfortunately, one of the problems of being surrounded by everyday things that inspire is that I've got way too much inspiration and not enough hours in the day to quilt!

You are Lauren Bacall. You started off as very shy
but with a little help, your roots come out.
You're an honest person and your values,
beliefs and convictions are very clear. You
love a good time, and you want security at
heart but you're ready for anything that comes
your way. You may also have an air of grace
about you, and more beauty than you'll ever
realize. But others will see it.


Which vintage movie star are you most like?(For girls)
brought to you by Quizilla

Quite the handful

The main reason I haven't updated my blog much for the past couple of weeks despite finding my digital camera amongst the packing AND the floppy disks that go with it.......

American Red Cross - Preparing for and Responding to Hurricane Katrina

Need I say more?

The bit about artists I promised...

I've got a friend whose grandfather was, in his heyday, a famous muralist. As an aside, I've never met him but I did work with his wife for a semester when I was at school. My friend is a very accomplished sculptor who has also studied painting and printmaking but I think he still somewhat lives in the shadow of his grandfather. At any rate, he's never quite completed a degree although he probably has more than enough coursework under his belt. He told me he really only took the classes he wanted to take -- the classes he thought he'd get something out of. However, he did share this piece of advice with me which his grandfather told him some time ago. If you're going to make a masterpiece, plan it out. Have a good idea of what you want it to look like and then make it look like your idea -- no happy accidents along the way. Once you've made one, make another to prove that wasn't just a one off. After you've made a second, make a third to prove you can do it any time you darn well please. Then you can do pretty much whatever you darn well please.

Needless to say, he was rather amused at me one day when he was over at my house and I was rather busy making happy accidents. Can't help it.... they're so much fun!!!

Patience

Just to let you know, I've got a ton of stuff in the works but I'll be moving in the next couple of weeks so I'll be off-line for a while. On the plus side, I'll have my own sewing room when I move. YEEEEEEEHAW! On the down side, I hate moving. Oh well... I'm really looking forward to having my own space so that alone ought to see me through.