Baguettes Getaway, part 3

 This is a football quilt I made for my grandson, Thomas. It is a late birthday present. I was determined to finish the top at our getaway, so I can get it quilted and give it to him a month late. I had all the fabrics chosen, and the design, but was waffling about doing the work. Having my friends to talk with made it go so much faster.

This quilt was all done but the binding, so I finished it up. Usually I sell quilts, or make them as gifts. So I seldom get to keep the prettiest ones. But I feel a need for some pink in my life, so this is on my reading chair.

I missed getting a picture of Deb's tablerunner, in red and white. Maybe she'll post a picture of it on her blog. Take a look here.

The time we spent together showed us again how we value our friends. We have been meeting regularly for 9 years now. We have shared weddings of our children, births of our grandchildren, aging and deaths of our parents, illnesses, fears,  tears and joys. And we share a love of creating art and beauty, the work of our hands. We are woven into the fabric of each others' lives.
This brings my count to 60 things made this year.

Baguettes Getaway, continued

 After taking care of business the first day, we felt like playing. So, inspired by a picture in a magazine, we decided to each make a small quilt using circles appliqued to a pieced background.
Julie is good at staying on task, and made this lovely little panel.

 Deb changed her mind about the circles, and put squares on hers first, topped with circles.

 I started out okay, with some bright fabrics. But they were chattering at me, so they turned into Monsters In Love.

Then, because I had strayed so far from my intent, I made another one. But after all the piecing and recutting and more piecing, I wanted to quilt designs on it, instead of applique circles.

Baguettes Getaway, 2012

 These are some of the Baguettes. We had our semi-annual artist's getaway this weekend. Only 4 of us could make it, due to illness. But we had enough fun for the whole group of 8.

Nan worked on making beautiful beaded designs, that will eventually be on a fabric box. She also did more on her counted cross stitch photo of her nephew and his baby. She was a sparkler the whole time. You can she how she brought light into the room.






Julie and Deb and I worked on sewing projects.

This is the quilt top I finished for a friends' new grandbaby. She loves antiques, and romantic florals.

 Deb sewed a border on this quilt, a group effort of Running With Scissors Fiberartists'.

 Here is Nan, diligently working on her portrait.

Julie put together this quilt, called Short Stacks, using Kaffee Fassett fabrics.

Peeps

These are my peeps. We got together for an artists' getaway on the weekend. It's a semi-annual event for us.

Catch-up pictures

 This is my granddaughters' dresser. The painting is done, but it needs to be sealed, when the weather is warm enough to spray. It has flowers, bluebirds and a fairy on the front...

 a palm tree and monkey on the left side...

 a tree, puffy clouds and bumblebees on the right side...

 a happy moon and stars, and fairies on top...

and a bluebird and fairies on the back. Number 55.

Alphabet Kat

This is KAT, number 54. She is holding a tag that says 212.

New floor

This is the new floor, with old husband and dog.

Lights!

 Ooh! By 3 p.m. I had new lights. Still have to get the right bulbs for the cans, and fix ceiling, but it looks good. A few holes won't bother us while we work.
My number of items made this year count is suffering from all the house renovations. But I am so glad to be doing this.

Big Surprise

I woke up today to the sound of holes being sawed in the kitchen ceiling. Now we have 5 of them. Rick decided to put up the new ceiling light, and 2 recessed can lights. He has to drill through 3 joists to do the wiring, and mount the new electrical box, and run wires to the new can lights. I have 5 women coming for a three day sewing and art adventure on Thursday.
I'm sure it will be usable before then. I am confident that we wouldn't have stayed married for 42 years, if he didn't know it had to be usable by then. Not completely finished. It takes time to repair holes in drywall. And it will look great when it's all done. The fixture he's replacing is a fluorescent square, mounted on the ceiling. Now we'll have a lovely curvy fixture over the island, and 2 cans. So the floor looks great, and soon the ceiling will too.
Also, my daughter, who is off work this week, brought over paczkis today. They were from Benny's' Bakery, and were quite delicious. That was a nice surprise.

Dining room done

It takes much longer to put things back, than it does to empty a room. In an hour or less yesterday, we removed everything. Today I have worked for 3 hours putting it back. I must have had 30 things hanging on the wall. There are a couple places that I clustered a bunch of small things. Foolishly deciding that it would all look fresh if I changed the positions of things, I rehung them differently. There are a few unhidden small nail spots now, too bad. I'm tired.
And because stuffing everything in the living room overnight made it a big mess, I have been trying to rearrange all the decorative stuff there too. I missed my calling. I should have been a museum coordinator, I have all the exhibits to fill a large warehouse. It takes years to cull the tchatchkes from a collection. You know how 3 items of one theme make it a collection? I unwittingly have collected collections. More purging is on the way. And you know as soon as I get rid of it, I'll want it for a good reason.

Almost there...

Another room nearly done! I just finished the bed skirt for the guest room. I intended to staple it to the box springs, since I hate the way skirts slide around. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the box springs is all metal! No stapling. So, I sewed it on. My fingers are sore tonight.
I went out to get matching fabric for curtains. I have just enough to make them, if I use spring clips on top, and hem them by sewing the lining on, and turning right side out. There is not an inch to spare. One piece is 60+3/4" long, the other is 72". If I don't mind the look of an added piece, I can cut a bit from the long one and add it to the shorter, which will barely be long enough as is. The old curtains are 60+ 1/2" long.
My brain is tired, so I'll think about it tomorrow.
In the meantime, we painted the dining room today. I should say my dear sweetie did.  And he cleaned the carpet, in guest room and dining room. It will be dry in the morning, and ready to reassemble. Right now, I have 2 bookshelves, all my beads, (15 boxes!) 6 chairs, 2 plants, 3 lamps,  the drapes, 2 large pictures, a clock, and numerous treasures strewn around the living room.
And I did some more work on the dresser I am painting for my granddaughter. I thought I was done, but tomorrow I must add fairies to the top and front. I showed her pictures, and got the request.

Painting this time!

In the never ending saga of cleaning out my house, in which we have lived for 21 years, we have entered the painting phase. The guest bedroom, formerly known as sons' room, is getting a face lift. It will change from medium sage green, to pale lime sherbet. If you added a bunch of white to lime sherbet.
There is only 1 small window, and I expect the room will be much lighter with this color. I am also making a new bedskirt, in a grass green and cream vine print. All the queen size quilts I have will look nice with this fabric, I hope. Green is a neutral color, and most of my quilts have flowers in them, so it works. And I hope to do a window treatment too.
 Next week the room will house a good friend as first guest sleeper in the new decor. Maybe I should make her a sash, like Miss America wears....Miss First Guest!!!

Running with Scissors

 Running With Scissors invited me to teach a Folk Art Quilt class on Sunday. Our theme was Secret Life. We had 16 people, all working hard and playing with their stashes of fabric.

 They were portraying a Secret Life, a fantasy vision of a possibly different reality.

 Some people chose to show a personal story.

 Others made a memory quilt, ( of the time when she was a Viking!)

 They were colorful.

 And imaginative.

 There were animals...

 some of them studying to be professors.

 Others were just showing off their cute personalities.

 Some people showed a personal dream of success.

 Others were mind readers, showing the dreams of their pets.

 Great artists of the past were inspirational.

 Symbolism came into play with a couple quilts.

 Admiration of other cultures made a good subject.

 Communication between species was a theme of one or more.

And it was an opportunity to play with new styles.
I have unfortunately missed a picture of one quilt which depicted an ideal dream of the future. Maybe if Mary sees this, she can send me one??
We had a good time.

Art CLoth

 These are Art Cloths. I made them in Art Salad class. The first technique last month was screen printing with a paper resist.
This month we did texture rubbing with Shiva Oil Paint Sticks, on the same fabric. The cool circles are from a Lego base plate. We also used glass mosaics, faux leather, corrugated cardboard, twill fabric, a sink mat, and other household things.
Some of the oil sticks are metallic.
Numbers 51-53.

Heart Felt

 This little felt heart is number 50, see the flip side too.

Paintstick on pumpkins

First I want to show you some older pieces. I made these more than a year ago, but just added oil paint sticks to help define them. I like them better now.

Home maintenance

We are having our kitchen/laundry floor replaced with hardwood, a very long overdue necessity. It looks fabulous already. But I can't work in the resulting disarray. The refrigerator is next to the front door, the washer is in the family room, everything from the laundry room and closet and pantry is in the living and dining rooms. My little old dog needs to sit on my lap, he is blind and fearful of the noise. And he can't navigate anywhere, all his normal paths are blocked.
So I am playing on Pinterest, reading magazines, making phone calls, and providing a lap for him to make his nest. I expect to be moving everything back into place late today, and able to make something tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Closet

I am so sorry to be boring again, but I am reorganizing another closet today. We installed 3-20" deep shelves in my sewing room closet. My husband cleaned the carpet, so I can't yet put everything away. But I have made a start. The bolts of fabric and fleece, and batting I had on the floor are now on a shelf. There is room on the floor for 4 very large plastic boxes, holding fabric sample books, or other genres of fabric.
I have 2-12" deep shelves above for plastic shoeboxes holding trims, zippers, and other bits. My 2 sewing tables are piled high with fabric bundles of unfinished projects, soon to be put away. Some of the sweater size boxes full of sparkle tulle, lame, dazzle fabrics, and sheers will be put away soon too. I hope to have the floor clear! No more stacks. Wish I could count this as a finished artwork.