can you relate?

who am I?


I was just shopping at Khols for underwear, but as one does, I walked around the store to remind myself what else I "need''


Passing by the towel section, there were subtle Christmas towels calling to me like a hawker at an amusement fair. Oooo I say to husband, look at these Christmas towels.


They were thick, not threadbare, and subtly colored.


subtle... not a word usually connected with my design sense of the weird and eclectic world of a 4 year old girl. I would go for a towel with rudolph on it complete with red blinking nose, not these gray towels with a dark red streak running through, like a dirty tartan.

But... they called to me, they taunted me with being fashionable and new, and maybe if I got them I'd be considered fashionable.

"Come on, join the gray brigade!".... "everyone's doing it!"


I fingered the soft, thick towel edge, pausing sideways on my way to more important purchases, my husband trapped behind me now having towel choices thrust upon him.


I imagine he was thinking, "I was so close to the running shoes.... " but because he loves me and wants peace in his life, he answered my question with, "sure let's get two"


We had a coupon for $10 and a 30% off coupon so basically my "Spaving" (spending while saving) self was appeased with the fact that they would only cost $6 each if that!


HA! That cinched it... we'll now be fashionable and hip with gray.
For Christmas.

why are they on my cage?

sewing Saturday... abstracts, owls, and flamingos oh my

Well if it's Saturday, it's all about sewing!
The above abstract piece was a surprise. I was working on other projects, but found I needed some medicinal stitching. Last week I showed the little red piece,

I wondered what would become of it...
This week I got out purple tiny scraps and turquoise ones... and sewed while listening to the latest book.

I keep even tiny pieces as they look like cool mosaics sewn together. I also do not cut scraps into squares or strips... I don't work that way, and don't view scraps that way. The odder the better for me.
Look at the little curvy pieces here... they were scraps from cutting the snowball block pieces.... from scraps. Don't they look cool pieced in??? well I like them.

I LOVE the way this is coming along, with red, purple and turquoise sections. wonder if I'll keep going with other color, or a mix of these colors. It's a good way to view color and composition. A good study of how lines influence the balance of a piece.

It's soothing to put the puzzle of same size or angle pieces together.
It's not useful, it's pretty.
It's about the process of making, of creation.
That is valuable... my mental and emotional health is improved while making.
It pleases me too. why, just look at the curvy print repeating the curves of the snowball scraps.

While sorting this week, I came across this misplaced little piece

so different in composition, color and line, but the process was similar. This was much easier, just sew thin strips together.... over and over. I like it mis-shapen and stringy like it is but suspect I'll trim it off when making it into wall art.

When we create, when we make order of chaos, it is valuable time spent. It brings us joy, and joy is sorely lacking in our contentious atmosphere these days. It stops the noise for a bit, allowing me to just breathe for a bit.

I also made a final owl, or another one because they are so stinkin' cute I may make more.

maybe for my stash of fall blocks...
I went through purchases made over the last year, and washed the fabrics

which helped me to feel in control of things.
I found this little beaded flamingo in that pile, purchased at a quilting event! Glad someone knows a flamingo can go a long way to soothing the soul.

I wrote a tutorial on how I do a hanging sleeve, a very easy way, but maybe I'll write that up later... the sun is out, the temps are warmer, snow again tomorrow (6 th time this Fall) and we have places to go and things to do. Happy sewing to you all... go make art!
Love, LeeAnna

Linking to
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays 
 scrap happy Saturdays

Pen and Ink party Friday.... owls

"Sing your song"

It's been a slow painting week with my focus drawn on home issues instead. Learning waxes and wanes though doesn't it? I did watch two very good painting videos this week, and included them.

Instead of brushes and paints I played with my sketchbook, markers, the effects of lines, color changes in pens, to create the entire image.
I'm about to run out of pages in my sketchbook which is awesome! That means I'm really using it to learn this year!!

pen and ink are instant and permanent... no looking back!!!
(DH said, those are some mighty eyebrows on the bird!)
I thought, those are interesting beads on the sun! (which I don't like in the composition but being marker, it's there now, no going back.

I kept this page open all week, and added little lines now and then, I like the words on the branch... so small you'd have to accidentally see them but I know they're there to encourage me. It's obviously some kind of flying creature, leaves and mountains but still whimsical.

I think this little buddy, might become the next larger painting... sketchbooks are also for trying out what you might want to explore later. I googled owls and there are some lovely images to guide me.

a study of gesture

I watched Shayda Campbell sketch owls, and am always amazed at her ability to take a drawing down to simple component. A heart shaped face, rounded eyes... play with gesture, add in a branch.

silly owls

I just finished an owl quilt,  and I'm seeing them around the hood, so they are on my mind....

... I looked up their symbolism to humans
 The gist seems to be, feminism and change... with an element of mysticism. Perfect!
 I decided things have about as much power as we assign to them.

Here is the short video by shayda campbell on painting owls, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnVZ5pw7eE8) and tried her way, then moved to google images to sketch from the thumbnail images. It's good to really look at an image and see the components, the shadows, the highlights.

Now for a fun video on making cards... I love the materials she used, and ordered the metallic paint set, some white gouache and some maskit from Dick Blick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X3xLWKHQn0

Here's hoping we all have as much time as we need or want, to paint and draw this week!
Linking to:
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

I LIke Thursday #166

Welcome to this week's list of likes! The above artwork was for sale at the festival we attended Saturday.
Dia de los muertos festival at botanic gardens

1000 lb pumpkin with lots of painted pumpkins

 The Denver Botanic Gardens is one of our favorite places here, where we feel comfortable...

there were many activities and people dressed up... we looked at colorful pumpkins...

Near these were people painting in a watercolor class!!! I had a great time talking with the teacher and she told me there is a meet-up group in denver.

There were shrines to loved ones, or people who were admired

a big one where people could write a note in honor of loved ones... I wrote to my labradaughter chelsea and my poodle son Cole... rip my darlings, and we'll see you in Heaven

My message of love was tied to the shrine

we learned to make tissue flowers

Mine is left, Drew's is on the right

we looked at art booths

gemstone necklaces displayed on beaded sugar skulls!

music and dance in the amphitheater

It was sunny but cold, as we watched people rolling massive snowmen down the hill toward the musicians

Have you seen that guitar thing on the right?

the waterlilly basin was frozen over and there were big piles of snow everywhere thru the gardens but we sat in the sun to have a snack

with a new friend

yum! Sweet potato fries!!!

Hey! Giving me some fries doesn't give you the right to stare!

On the way out, we noticed this guy was chowing down on the festival pumpkins... ignoring the children who came too close, tails up in his foodie love!

Hey! Pumpkin seeds are really good for you!

On sunday we went to a craft show,

In a high school

where I wanted lots of things, but left with two Christmas presents

free.... then we own you

tried a lot of sauces and edibles, chatted with artists, and enjoyed the day

Other things to like this week:
The Durells in Corfu... (sad to see the finale of the show though)
sweet potatoes roasted  then mashed, with maple syrup, butter, and cinnamon
finishing up the Halloween quilt trimming it and sewing on the binding and hanging sleeve
talented kids on the Voice... I really like John Legend's comments, and Kelly Clarkson's
the T-Shirt sheets that are so stretchy and cozy in cold weather
Painting birds with watercolor and ink this week... post tomorrow!
working in the studio when I look up and see a pop-up snowstorm
listening to these two fun novels on disc this week, I'm a much faster listener than reader!

studio books

Did you know I grew up in Tampa? We have a latin quarter, where many Cuban workers had cigar factories, and they had a reader to read to them daily while they hand made the cigars?

Milo's Moments
seeing Murphy after a week of snow, running in it with him, then later in the week playing inside his family room! What fun to be in the house with a buddy, making his daddy laugh.
a new bag of kibble, all fresh!
sneaking onto Mama's chair, then hearing her squeak her anger(I'm going, I'm going)
having grass again to pee on again, as the snow is melting. Of course it snowed again yesterday... it might be a long winter y'all.

Now Sit! Stay! and after saying Hi to Mama, visit her friends keeping a list of likes too!

maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com 
https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/  
craftscaviescontras
https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
http://www.piecefulthoughts.com
http://littlepenguinquilts 

http://homesewnbyus 
https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com  
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/   

LINKING TO:
sundays in the city
https://magicalmysticalteacher.wordpress.com/
Pink Saturday!
viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/
 http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics  

Thursday Thirteen
 http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

sewing saturday

snowball blocks in different configurations

This week with it's snowstorms, was distracting for sewing. I have only three things to show...

I finished up some already cut snowball sections, and if you'll notice they are not all like the others!
Some have color in the corners, some have color in the center sections. I kind of like them together, especially in black and white. I might even have to do a little study of just black and white ones like this.

I got distracted by putting scraps away and sewed the smallest ones into this red piece... very soothing and meditative while listening to my book on disc.

it's about 10" square, maybe ones of different colors together?

 It was Halloween week,

"Mama! What's THAT?" barked Milo loudly

and despite the snow and extreme cold (the high today was under 30F) last night, we sat outside for a while remembering previous Halloweens where we dressed up and gave out candy from chairs out front of our MD house. We shared some red wine from Colorado, and Milo sat on DH's lap for a bit.
This year was the coldest, just after the 5th snow of October...

Mamas follow the kids sometimes driving them from house to house!

My favorite costume was the inflatable waving guy you see at car dealerships. My favorite comment was when I asked two little boys which candy was their favorite.
"this one, and this one,... ummmm and THIS one!" said the first
the second one needed encouragement to reach in and choose, and the first one said, 'I'm waiting for you derek!" (places to go, things to do...) I said, he'll be with you in a moment, he's making a decision! First boy looks around and says, "your house is not even a little bit scary!"
I don't know if that was good or bad but replied, " that's the way we like it"

plastic flamingo perished in the cold apparently

we sat and watched as kids went door to door, or sometimes, from the car to a door, then dashing back into the car. We looked at the changing sky as the moon came out

 and hoped those were not snow clouds again... OMG.

I pieced together a backing fabric (of martini's and pretzels... adult trick or treats) and found a batting stored in the closet. Unfortunately it's an annoying batting... mountain mist 100% cotton that falls apart when you breathe on it. It's snagging, wrinkling, puffing up, and getting fibers on the quilt.
I did all the straight line quilting with the walking foot, and am now filling in with free motion and metallic threads. the more I quilt the more it needs...

The quilting doesn't show up much, so I go around the motifs, and do some zig zags, some leaves around the owls after quilting around them. It could take a while.

I stopped and looked for a wild striped binding but nothing showed up well, so I settled on a mottled purple. It wants finishing.
I had to get out the big iron and thought I'd share how I control the chord... a fabric napkin holder!

so not much sewing, but the design wall was cleared of little threads with the lint roller (it took 4 sheets) and I feel a bit lost without a RSC color to look forward to. I counted on 11 colors when I added up how many blocks to make of each color so I must supplement them or make smaller quilts.

I have many tops to be quilted now, so that may be what takes up my sewing time, but the actual quilting has become a bit stressful physically, not as much fun as making blocks or designing a top.

linking to
Thursday art dates with Rain
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays 
 scrap happy Saturdays