Saturday, September 23, 2023

quilting art... this week's creativity round

 

welcome to this week's creativity round up... I spent more time with needle and thread this week. 

The turquoise/aqua color palette sang to me, of peace, comfort, soft beauty and clear skies. This little improvisational piece is finished, and fits my bedside table beautifully. 

it started with the 4 log cabin blocks... tiny scraps and color variations, one sewn to another, round and round then trim and sew the 4 blocks together. I had little triangles in the box, so those were done in an improvisational way. Flying Geese.

I wanted color balance  so I continued to add triangles from the white/beige box. There! They are just about long enough to go with the center. Add in two turquoise scraps following the curves of the geese

lots probably too much quilting for a 12" X 20" piece and it's done. Bind with another strip from scrap box...

I also nearly finished the quilting on the other turquoise piece too...

The challenge color of the month at RSC is to use Aqua scraps this month... and I'm happy to say I sewed  and sewed and the level of scraps left is still high! 

I am always amazed at the beauty in tiny pieces of fabric sewn next to each other. 

Little steps... add this to that, vary the lines, use all shades together, vary the sizes and this piece turned into a landscape to me...reminding me of lakes and mountains, of grassy banks, and gentle breezes...

Like putting together a puzzle, like fitting in mosaic tiles, like dabbing on dots of color....

I am deciding if to add or where to place the bits of blowing petals. I'll stitch over them with a gold metallic thread. Both pieces were totally quilted with sulky mylar hologram thread and they gently sparkle when the light hits it. 

I just need to put on the binding, and finish (over-)quilting it and this will be finished. 

I was inspired to use my yo yo tools this week by a free workshop this week...

I had them for years...Y E A R S !! and finally used them... and am working on putting them onto this: 

so many decisions when you work in an additive way. Design as you go along. 

I think some beaded beads in the centers would be nice. Maybe antique buttons to tack them down to a quilted tree... 

Zen stitch starts next week, alongside a painting workshop. I am mid abstract painting workshop now with Laly Maille, so I'm putting down my needle for today and going to paint. 

And bake bread. The temps are predicted to be 77F instead of 85F like it's been and will be for weeks because it's now hot in the front range of Colorado. When we moved here a few years ago it cooled off first of Sept and snowed by Halloween. I think, if we are kind to Mother Earth she'll be kind to us. I want to protect nature, it gives so much to me.

here's to lots of time to create this week for all... getting lost in creation makes me a better person

Zen stitch workshop (free) through Kate Ward coming the following week

you can get all the details over here

and painting workshop thru Tamara La Porte (free ) overlapping the same week

linking with

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-26-23/ 

finished or not

off the wall Fridays


Thursday, September 21, 2023

I Like Thursday # 368 spices poppies and a poodle

Welcome to this week's list of likes... starting with flowers

My wildflowers didn't really bloom well this year but look what just showed up! A poppy in the most glamorous shade of salmon pink! Ooooo I want a dress this color, and a garden full of them this color

I like to paint, I shall attempt to paint this soon! 

The prompt for the I Like Thursday people this week is: 

"Favorite herbs/spices    Your most used spices or herbs... what do you seem to use over and over?

how do you store spices and herbs? jars they come in, special holders, etc.

I LOVE fresh ginger, and keep the root in our fridge, along with fresh garlic cloves, and love Basil especially home grown


Milo: Mama! I sniffed it, it's not my fault you couldn't take the picture quickly enough!"

 I mostly store them in original jars, in a drawer near the stove. I use them in lots of dishes, and now that I cook all the time, they are up to date and fresh! I often use garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil, cinnamon, and pepper.

Our prompts for the next coming weeks involve how we use them, what we make with them, and if we make more exotic dishes that we didn't grow up eating. Stay tuned and join us if you want to, I can send you the upcoming prompt list! 

Fine Dining

We still get grocery delivery, and there is always something sent out of it's expiration date, this week it was egg whites with only one week to go. Crikey, lots of eggs to use in one week, so I baked dog cookies, and made a quiche. We had lunches for 3 days and it was great! I used this simple crust recipe from Nana...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHUwGaJD2pw&t=76s 

and this recipe with more veggies added, for the quiche: https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/213138/egg-white-quiche-with-spinach-mushrooms-and-feta

TV is about to be great... coming soon, The bachelor is 72 years old this time! and dating age appropriate women, Bachelor in Paradise, Survivor, Amazing Race, Halloween baking show, and more!

Painting workshop online from Laly Maille starts Friday... I'm not comfortable with abstracts but looking forward to this one.


something I painted last week:

and sewing is always fun, what I'm working on at the moment

Reading on audio books:


 while waiting for her 3rd in the school by the sea series, I'm listening to this wonderful story of a woman who is a 3rd generation pilot in Scotland... and the interactions and demands she has in life, Read in a charming Scottish accent, I now talk like her!!!

just finished a LOVELY novel of two girls who try to reclaim a life after Nazi's ruined theirs... and then found out the author mentioned it's about her mother's life. Recommend.

 

On E Book... still reading at night...love the series of Beryl and Edwina mysteries

Murder Cuts the Mustard - Ellicott, Jessica 

Watching on Youtube... yea! Time Team has a whole new series on youtube! Watched three so far. 

I love history so I really liked the way this was filmed, and the content, and went on to watch some others after it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MHIjO2aaWU
 what was everyday life like during the time of Jesus

Milo's Moment:

Milo: my ears are still hurting and Mama is trying to be a nurse. I told her even if I'm allergic to some foods, give me what I want, since my ears hurting so much all the time anyway. She says, it could be even worse buddy, I mean. What kind of logic is that?? We is all hurting some ways, so might as well have some cookies, right? amiright? 

now please visit these friends to see what they like this week. I hope to see Wilbur, and Brian, and Pixie and some critters who I don't know their names...all the fun friends here!

grammajudyb.blogspot.com

 
               friday smiles at a stitch in time

 


Saturday, September 16, 2023

My creative week... watching paint dry, and sewing, and taking a workshop

 

welcome to this week's creativity round up! I finished up the painting workshop with two portraits. I feel I learned so much and like both my paintings a lot. Thank you to our teachers!

this was a lesson of layering. It's a version of Gaia... and I love it. It reminds me of paintings on the plaster walls of Herculaneum in Italy, and I only hope I can remember the steps to try it again. I took some screen shots of the process, so... I like the color blending, the way her shirt looks, the stenciled flowers in the background, that is gold and pink blended on the paper. This is how it started, with the resource image, and a neocolor pink crayon on watercolor paper

it looked like a man to me... what makes a portrait look like male or female?

My friend said she looks sad... I don't know, they just show up, I hold the brush and they appear! 

In different lighting...

I also tried the "green lady" class... but didn't have the supplies called for, so I used what I had, prisma color pencils and watercolor paint, 

time, and little additions and inks, and care in where the water went... How lovely she is!

resource image, transfered image on paper, and used SARAL paper

the given image is on the left, I transferred it to watercolor paper using yellow SARAL paper, and it worked so well. 

saral on paper after tracing image


the used saral paper after tracing. It is still good for lots more tracings!

water soluble prismacolors need care in how the lines are placed, and how much water to add

On the sewing front: Turquoise/Aqua scraps took center stage

the larger flying geese units from last week moved to the improv log cabin block, made from random aqua/turquoise strips.4 log cabin blocks half light, half dark, sewn togetheer make the large block.


 then, who could resist these flamingo ladies, in hats, meeting for lunch...












The smaller geese units were sewn together to go on the other strip unit...

some block units were made, some triangle units with white to balance the geese unit colors
all of it done by the improv method of curves. Overlap the two pieces to be joined, face up. rotary cut the curve thru both pieces, then do a thin seam to join them as usual. sprinkle with water, and iron flat.

what if I add in some improve raw edge flowers?

I see it... sort of a landscape abstract growing here. Order of the blocks on one side, like buildings, kind of a waterfall on the right.

what about overlaying a sheer with glitter on it? 

oh dear, now I'm moving the flowers all around

This is about the size to go on my bedside table. But where to put the flowers? and do I put the glittery sheer on top before quilting? Ahhhh, decisions decisions. If you need me, I'll be puttering around in the studio.
Workshop alert: 

quilting workshop starting soon (free) offered by Rebecca Page

 

Zen stitch workshop (free) through Kate Ward coming the following week

you can get all the details over here

and painting workshop thru Tamara La Porte (free ) overlapping the same week

linking with

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-26-23/ 

finished or not

off the wall Fridays 

https://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/