Making Messes

The local Thrift Store had a special on jeans the other day so I bought seven pairs at $.50 apiece. They’ve been washed, cut up, pieces serged, sewn together, and a jacket pattern cut out. This pattern has been residing in the pattern drawer for about 10 years or more. Now I have an idea to make one of them out of denim.

This one:

It’s taken several days to prepare the fabric and cut it out, leaving this mess:

And now, not only do I have to clean this up but I think I should tackle the “precious” mess at the end of the work table. I thought no scrap was too small or precious to throw away. Maybe I should rethink that.

four-new-chairs

There are four new chairs residing around the dinning table

Here you can see more detail

And here’s the back:

Don’t they make you feel good? The chairs were bought at a flea market kind of store, I stripped them, then painted them red but they needed more. I met Ann Marie Rausch and when I saw her fanciful furniture I knew her painting was the answer. You can see more of her work here.

In the background of the top picture you see a basket. That was made by Chris Schwartz, a local artist who lives on the other side of the lake. Beads in the center and beaded handles. The pot on the left was made by Sheldon Carey who taught at University of Kansas back in the ’60s. I’ve managed to keep it intact for all these years. Yay for Art. I live in a happy house.

Abundance/Indulgence

My art quilt group, Uncommon Threads, started a bi-monthly challenge of making a 12″ x 12″ art quilt with the inspiration being chosen by a member. Merrilee Tieche was the first leader choosing the word “Abundance.” For some reason I came home with the word “Indulgence.” (I’ve been accused of not being a good listener.) She further furnished the image below to strengthen her choice.  Merrilee says she came up with this idea after our retreat where we ate too much and drank too much!

st

This was my offering. The Goddess of Wilhelmsdorf with an abstraction of my face in place of hers. Sadly, this is the way I felt after the retreat!

And here is a group shot of all of the pieces. Note the upper left. Lettie Blackburn also used the Goddess.

Our next challenge, chosen by Diane Steffen and due at the March meeting,  are two words:  “Winter, White.”

Holiday Greetings 2010

As usual I’m late with Season’s Greetings but they are no less sincere. The very best to everyone.

May – cool and wet

Perhaps this picture of a beautiful reddish clematis will help me get through this cold, wet, and very windy day.

I’m not feeling particularly creative today, so I direct you to the blog site of Uncommon Threads,  the art quilt group to which I belong and to the Etsy shop of my friend Nancy.

Talk About Serendipity!

I’ve just returned from attending the wonderful wedding of my son, Jamie and his new wife, Natascha, in Florida. While there I visited an old quilting friend, Ellen White, who told me about the following events that occurred to her.

About a year and a half ago, she took the Fantasy Flower Workshop from me (actually she arranged the workshop) and made this small wall quilt inspired by a photograph of an amaryllis.

Ellen took the quilt to the Bead Chick bead shop in St. Augustine to look for beads to add as embellishment and became friends with the owner who asked her to join Ancient City Artisans Guild. She did. The Guild had a booth at RAM, Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville in which she sold large, beautiful quilted purses. Along came the shop buyer from the Cummer Museum, who saw the purses and Ellen now sells her art, purses, and small quilts, at the museum shop.

Ellen says that just by taking my workshop she owes it all to me. I say it’s serendipity. But Ellen, your work is great and your rewards are well deserved. Keep up the good work. (I should have photographed one of the purses. Phooey!)

UPDATE: Ellen sent some pictures of her purses. So cool.

Flavors of Spring

My multiple circle attempt is a disappointment. The more I work on it, the more I dislike it. Merrilee called it “Fried Eggs” but she didn’t make a comment for fear of hurting my feelings. HA! I love her title and think it’s fitting. It’s time to just put it away or maybe burn it. Yes,I have done that to other pieces.

Waverly House, in Springfield, is having a new exhibit in April entitled Flavors of the Season. I’m still hung up on the circles and made another one but cut it in half. This is pinned to the design wall and is still open to editing. To me, this is the sun feeding the earth as we all, gain nourishment. It’s going to demand some good quilting. Oh-oh.

What Was I Thinking?

Maybe I should have used the title, “Can This Be Saved?”  This  small art quilt is of an exotic amaryllis. I like the flower. It’s a good flower. But-OMG! The background! I started it last spring. For some reason I wasn’t happy with the background and I put paint on it. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I was ready to throw it away, but just put it away for the summer. Pulled it out again last month and took it to the UT retreat where it was suggested that I paint the whole background. So, I have. But there is still much work to do. More later.

B&W

The first, larger black and white study is finished. Not sure I’m happy with the shape. In my mind, I thought of it as a rectangle but it ended as a 24″ square. Photography and Photoshop are so great. I can photograph it, crop it, and see it both ways. Instant gratification! Which do you like better? The square or the rectangle? Let me know.

SQUARE

RECTANGLE

California

I spent a week in California with a dear, dear friend. We did little except talk, read, talk, knit, and talk some more. There was a lot of catching up to do. Besides, we were sitting in front of an incredible view. Our one big excursion was to the Getty Villa Malibu, a museum of art and culture from ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Here are a few pictures.

California Coast Line

Bucket Full of Guava Fruit

Recycling Plastic On The Beach

The End