Saturday, March 7, 2026

Creativity this week... photo transfer of my painting onto fabric, hand stitches on top

 

Good to know my creativity is still here, whether you're making something or recharging, focused or distracted, it's always here waiting for us. 

This week Project Quilting's prompt was opposite colors on the color wheel. I had in mind using golden yellow and lavender with applique of a close up tulip. 

I got out my watercolor paint palette from Derwent and just painted from the pretty pan colors to warm up, using one round brush, a 6" square paper, and white ink pen

OH! I have to go with these colors! When I began to run out of time, it must be finished in 1 week, 
I decided to print my painting onto fabric
 cut around the image leaving a bit of white, like we used to leave when framing art
I layered batting under the image, hand stitched thick cotton embroidery threads on improv style. Some french knots, some lazy daisy on the hearts, straight stitch and parallel stitches for textured

then I decided to add a border of this lovely green and metallic gold fabric

layered the top onto peltex stiff foam, quilted it with metallic threads, look how pretty the petals came out with minimal machine stitching and hand embroidery

To bind the outside edge I used a fave green stripe fabric, and it's small but mighty at 9.5" square
perfect for an easel or leaning on a desk to enjoy the color and texture
My painting enhances my fabric art, my fabric art  is another outlet for creativity

Two colors of paint "Poppy Red and Kiwi"  and it has much depth because those two colors blend into a multitude of others... Color is GRAND isn't it? 

I started handstitching  my red scrap hexi spiral at night watching returning shows on TV 

and we finally had snow, 7.5-8" in Colorado... my snoopervisor loved it! 
I'm still enjoying the photo manipulation on my camera photos...


Then an impromtu visit with Elmere Fudd   just kidding but that hat my husband had on reminded me of the cartoon character, and just look at Dewi/Theo/Sundance  face here.... we are so lucky to have this pup in our home now! (we rescued him 3 weeks ago, he's 3 months shy of age 2)
all good snow play must come to a close, and we three came in for a cup of tea and snack before more creative play inside

linking with some of these folk

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

I Like Thursday # 494 best/worst haircuts... and a poodle

 

welcome to this week's list of likes... starting with we got a bit of rain, and the mountains got a bit of snow, nearly the first all winter. Check out that golf course grass... brown and fragile

so in keeping with the non winter we had, the winter that never was, it's hot walking...

pant, pant, pant and that's both of us!
Dewi/Arlo/Theo (We can't settle on a name) is settling in just fine, played with a toy this week, finally slept like he was safe, on his back with 4 poodle legs in the air, and became my studio helper allowing me to work again


St pat's day hexie spiral
and paint again

He helped in the kitchen when I made him treats

rice applesauce almond butter logs

and had fun watching the neighbor's dogs playing fetch

fun to see as long as I don't have to deal with them


He is interested in all wildlife, from a distance, and content to be just us for a while. (it's been hard to keep people from reaching for him, but he just hides behind me for now

Our conversation starter this week is:  what is the worst haircut you ever had? 

Let's see, starting with my 2nd baby picture at a few months old... they wet my "baby bird fluff" hair and pulled it into a curl on top of my nearly bald head (I don't have baby pics of me) 

kind of like this, who isn't me but looks like the pic I saw

I was adopted and the doctor told my Ad. mo. not to get attached since I wasn't going to make it

She had a big oil painting made of that baby picture. Next hair misdo was when I still had straight baby bird hair, that the mother pulled into the tightest smallest pigtails making me cry. 

Again not me but the hair is similar

then all elementary school pictures tried to be the MOST hideous .  I actually asked for a bob wig for my birthday and got it, and I looked like agent 99 from Get smart


Next I asked for electric curlers, and they had little plastic spikes which immediately got horribly tangled in my thin baby bird hair... needing to be cut out... oy vey  But by high school I was in!

Long straight hair was in vogue while I was in high school. Parted down the middle, and I was finally in my heyday! Au natural, long, straight, with no effort at all, no sleeping on big rollers. 


which I kept til mid university when I got a shag style.

In the 80's I spiked the top of the shag then... every time some hairdresser suggested a perm, it fell out straight before she could even wash it. They always wanted me to cut it short, which looked wrong on my round face. 

Nowadays I cut my own, and it generally looks flattering til the last one.... it went from bad to worse when I kept trying to layer it and now.. only the gracious few get to see me til it grows out a bit!!! 

I just wish I hadn't become allergic to hair dye as it's at least 50/50 brown and grey now 

 Books

reading the next museum mystery by Sheila Connoly, 


and listening to next Hanna mystery by joanne fluke  while sewing

watching Survivor, Am. Idol, and just finished this season of Darby and Joan (Australian) on TV


LOVE cows and this video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1f9b7sX_XY&list=RDldOBXLcsZjs&index=4

Please visit these folk to see what they liked, and let me know if you wrote a post to include here!
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Saturday, February 28, 2026

still creating with color! Distracted but still stitching

 


I've been spending my creative time sewing on two projects this week... 

The first is my hexie spiral in green scraps... and this year I'm trying to do blocks based on holidays or seasons, 

This time I am trying to make a St. Patrick's Day theme... I couldn't find one print I know I have, but did find two clover prints. and there is gold on one spiral fabric for the pot of gold, and a worm dressed up on clovers and some clovers blowing in the wind! 


I quite like this one, it's so bright and happy. Note the yellow green one next to the blowing clover has printed spiral dots when you see it close up

I took a moment to think about the prompt for this row of Stay at home Round Robin... maker's choice

it's gonna be much larger than I originally thought. All of it has grown from the dragonflies, outward
I did 4 patches of two color White with glitter and blue sky  continuing last week's prompt, and then for my block choice I thought a row of flying geese would be good above

I cut the dark blue dragonfly fabric into 2" squares, then in half diagonally, for the centers 

and used sky fabric/ light blue sparkles/ and medium blue sparkles for the side triangles and like the movement using the three fabrics gave me
I am not sure how I will place the two geese sections yet, but suspect I will fill in sky fabrics , and put a row of light sky between the hourglass blocks and geese

I think I want to find a place for this lovely two color checkerboard print... and I will go ahead and use the "two fabric not two color" circles someplace


oh and I want to find a place for these leftover pinwheels too...

I love this challenge, check it out at Quiltinggail  (https://quiltinggail.com/)

I'm happy to note my new snoopervisor was a fabulous studio companion this week. It's week two of his being with us, and he has slept long and hard this week.... and scampered around some, and played with a toy. 

drying off after a bath, and seeing the Vet this morning. 
Dewi says, I'm artistic too!!! look at the abstract I did with water...
Hee hee! It comes naturally to me like having curly hairs! 
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Thursday, February 26, 2026

I Like Thursday # 493 Week two of the adjustment.... life is so daily!

 

welcome to this week's list of likes, starting with walking with my dog again. Dewi is up for any length of walk with me too! It's all new to him, so we stop and he sniffs often. 

I want to keep going at a high speed, so now when he stops, I stop and pull my abdomen in and practice good posture til he's done. Since it's been just over a week now, I am seeing him walk longer between sniffs

He is conquering fears too... plastic bags or leaves blowing in the wind, people walking on the other side, garage doors opening or closing as we pass, and Wed we passed a half of a bunny, (we also have coyote, and other large critters like Eagles here who hunt at night) (yikes) 

a friend stopped by our fence this week, and Dewi stopped. Statue. She has a golden doodle and Dewi was apparently traumatized by the ones in his first house. (12 + dogs) So he did not want to go over, say hi or even stay in the yard, and long after she left he stared down the street to make sure her lovely dog was gone. 
Dewi: "Mama, just you and me, just us is good and I need peace and quiet"

He is a kind and welcome partner in my walks, mostly staying right by my side. 
I think I need to change his name but none of the ones I want seem right. ( Arlo, Angus, Dylan, Luca, Astro, Theo) 
I seldom have to call him anyway since he makes it his mission to stay by my side. I am no longer snoopervised in the shower at least, lol, he usually lies in his bedroom kennel til I'm dressed now. 

He is so funny to me. We have a sort of catwalk upstairs that connects the bedroom and my studio, the laundry room, second bathroom. At first he would go up, look at me thru the rails and cry til I came up to get him. Over and over. Now he understands he can just turn around and come back down.
the sun is so bright, and the wind so strong here mama
Oh happy day ! Once he got that, he repeated going up, looking at me, turning around and barreling down the stairs running to me and poking me with his nose!!! (pet pet pet), he turned around and did it all again! about 20 times! 
sometimes I swear he's laughing! 
I worried we would bore him, but he does not want to meet dogs, or people yet. He said he's got plenty to adjust to already, loves mama, is learning the Daddy can take him out to pee and poop. He finally slept completely on day 8, by my chair in his super comfy bed, .. on his side. 
B I G dog S I G H

I totally love him


mighty sunset

diamonds on the water in morning light


sewing on three challenges, all at the same time and with my homelife changing, it's too much but I want to do it all

phone./camera bag 



latest block to dragonfly quilt

friends:

Talking with friends has been a treat this week, Joy, Diane, Pat in NM  thank you all

TV

 Glad the olympics are over.... weird to admit that but I felt obligated to watch them all the time, now I'm glad to see some regular shows returning to TV. 

 Fun Videos

I SO want to try this but have never tried piping icing... 

link: https://youtube.com/shorts/Zb9jEd5Ul2k?si=4RWfk6FglmduNSvV


link https://youtube.com/shorts/Owy0uh3NbV0?si=UbZ3ZA0b-KXw4jNJ

In love with Alyssa Lui's attitude and skating ability. Grace and charm

link if you need it: skate

Conversation starter this week: most adventurous thing you've ever done

well, marriage is adventurous LOL

I'd have to say going to Europe on my own was scary plus exciting. I had a Eurail pass so I could travel lots of places, and did go to a new area daily to explore. I stayed in B &B's (often over a pub), or in a person's home. I'd find a safe place to stay, then take off on exploration. Having a moderate understanding of French, and German helped but at the time each country had it's own money, so I also needed to change money a lot too. 

I met new people each day, and often visited sites with them, had dinners alone however, and had the most adventure of a lifetime. 

linking with this fine group, forgive me for not commenting on visits lately 

Knitty Quilter 

https://brianshomeblog.com/  

http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/   

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com

https://llbinourbackyard.blogspot.com/ 

https://frenchethereal.net/


night time finishing the walk late 


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Monday, February 23, 2026

Stay at home round robin next row, two colors

 


it's too much this year, adding in a row each week is frantic to me.... 

we brought this lovely boy into our home on Sunday... a  one and a half year old standard rescue.... 
today he was perfect, he's been here 8 days and perfect. 

This evening I ran up to make a block for the SAHRR... I had wanted ,and pulled fabric, to make two color 4 patches.  One would go above, one below the center...

I couldn't kick into design work this week. Then tonight, 
In my rush to make something, and exhausted, I decided one block with a circle. 
I cut two circles out to put on the background

LOVELY! exciting! 
then  I realized the prompt is 2 colors, not two fabrics... 
oh my heck
and while I was upstairs making something two color to add in, hurting my shoulder, my new dog who doesn't know how to ask to go out, peed on the LR carpet. 
God Bless Him, He was with dh when it happened and I'm the one who usually notices him getting frantic.... 
anyway.... we are finding the experience a very real but worthy challenge. Dewi has brought love back to my life, and laughter, so this is more our fault but we are very tired.... 
I betcha when I sew the whole quilt together in the end, this block will get another applique of a lily

or the two other circles will join the party.... at that point I've met the challenges, but have to make the quilt that's in my mind also.... so for now, finally at 8pm dinner, rest my eyes, pet my puppy and remember my life includes more than creativity even though sometimes it takes over! lol   
mama, put down the fabric and come pet me now






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