"I like" Thursdays #5

Funny, my waist is not that small but I could rock that hat

Welcome to another week of "I like" posts!
This week I like:
1. Barbie. specifically this Barbie at the beach with her buds. From a shop in Rehoboth last week. I got my first Barbie about the time she came out and noone was concerned about body image in little girls.
It started quite a love of Barbies and I collected not only variations of her, clothes and shoes (those little stilettos) but her friend Midge, her boyfriend and his friend, her house, car, wardrobe, and lots more. I used to go into my own little world and build a town with little houses so they had somewhere to drive in that convertible.

 can you read these?
You're never too old to try something stupid  and who is this "moderation" we're supposed to be drinking with??"

Do you ever miss 'playing'?
The feeling of being immersed in your imagination? Making art has taken Barbie's place for me. It still feels great to enter my playroom and sew.
Speaking of which, I used to make her clothes with little fusible tabs to connect the sections. Remember those?

2. Essie Nail polish. I'm a girly girl, I like make up, jewelry, new clothes etc. As a little girl one of my fave gifts was a new pair of plastic high heels, the kind with elastic to hold them on. And pretend lipstick.
Well, I have so much fun these days, old as I am, with all the available colors of nail polish. Essie is made well, long lasting and without the dire chemicals cheaper brands have. It treats my fragile nails great and lasts a long time.
 I'm having a ball playing with color! This periwinkle color is titled 'pret-a-surfer'
I usually wear lavender or pink but thought I need to branch out! It fun to work with your hands, look down and see a bright color!

3. This Mayo is made with avocados. That's healthy. The really great thing is what it's not made with especially soybean oil.  Soy products make me sick, make me swell, and make me gain weight. They seem to be the new American obsession, stepping right up along side corn syrup. I'm allergic to corn too.
Soybean oil seems to be in almost every product at the store now which has caused us trouble since I like to eat.
Don't even suggest making my own Mayo. As much as I love it, and I do, I am not interested in cooking.
Anyway, if you have trouble with soy, check out this brand, it's good. And now I can have tuna salad again!

4. Entertainment wise.... I will share a guilty pleasure with you my friends... I love TV.
Apologies now for those of you who can't get these shows outside the US. I feel your pain as I want to watch the Great British Sewing Bee and can't.

Right now, I would love to start a discussion group with others who like what I like, specifically
a) Dancing with the stars  ( I so enjoy the race car driver, and never heard of him before this) I am a dancer, studied ballet for years along with ballroom, zydeco, contra, latin dances. Do you watch? write me
b) Survivor  This is one of the most fun seasons to me, Generation X vs Millenials. Oh how deliciously fun.
c) Bravo's housewives series, all of them but especially Beverly Hills and NY
d) Project Runway. Omg, I so wish there was a PR for quilters. I'd so do it! A group of clothing designers have to follow guildlines for a weekly challenge. They not only choose fabrics in a rush, but make their own patterns, fit the models, style the models hair and makeup and accessories, but construct the clothing well.

Anyone watch these, and want to compare notes?

5. Creativity- wise I love reading blogs. Not sound bites, or just pictures, but blogs that show the real person behind the art.  One I recently discovered is Soma's ( http://www.whimsandfancies.com/)
Wandering Camera link party. I just have the best time with my camera, and appreciate the effort to make a beautiful photo. She attracts a lovely set of bloggers who take some awesome pictures for this party. Check her out.

6. Decorating for Halloween and I'll post a video of our decorations next week.
For some reason I am just in "like" with Halloween lights & silly decorations.

7. I'm reading a Rhys Bowen mystery in the Molly Murphy series. This is set in early 1900 with a female detective. I got behind in the series so I am catching up with  City of Darkness and Light  
I am enjoying it a lot. Her characters are developed and plots fun to read. I like her Royal Spyness series as well.


( Last week I did a post (here) on recent purchase which was similar to I Like posts for more likes)

If anyone else did an I Like post this week, tell me and I'll add it to the bottom of this one. 
Also sharing good things posts this week are:
3poodlesandanana 

I have not heard back from the rescue group... wah! but I am not giving up. I'll find a pup with whom to share my love. Meanwhile I am petting just about every pup I run across... fur therapy
It may go without saying I like you all. I like the community of fun people that come to visit me here. I look forward to your comments and learn so much from you. I Like you! LeeAnna

From throwaways to treasures working with components

This picture kind of shows it all. A remote to listen to a book on tape. Turning cutting board with sharp rotary cutter and square to cut against.

The little blocks are 1 3/4 inches now, finishing at 1 1/4 inches. A bee mate gave me a bunch of throwaway triangles, too small to use, but they knew I have fun with that kind of thing. Well, I didn't bother to measure anything, just fed them to the hungry sewing machine in a chain.

Then press the tiny seam open, and they really didn't need trimming.
For newbies, you place the diagonal (45*) line on the sewn line, decide the finished size, and trim as needed.
Recently I told you about a studio sweep around here. I gathered the bits and bobs, the components I've made but have no immediate job to do, and placed them in a drawer to simmer.
There are times you just want to sew.
So that's what I do, and friend's throwaways are perfect for play without worry. I don't care how they turn out, I don't have an investment in a finish, I just make components and they always, eventually, turn into something cool.

Make the components, say little hexie units, or fused circles, experimental blocks,  leftover leaves, etc.
When you want to stretch yourself, or play with fabric, open that drawer or box, and do it!

I don't exactly know what to do with these pretties. I want to just turn them into something. Ideas???
Add a nice autumn print? Stay with tan or brown? Turn them into feathered star? Keep them like this?

Purchases from Beach and Beyond

How cute is this handpainted wooden mermaid?!
This could be another "I Like" post. I like a mermaid. I've done several mermaid quilts, I have mermaid ornaments, and now a wooden one. Found at a tourist trap store in Rehoboth this week. Treasure!!

While we're at it, " I like" cows! Yep. Love cows.
 Black and white cows. On bikes who's wheels spin in the wind...

And had to get these readers even though they are stronger than my usual because they were colorful, and sunglasses. Now I can be in the sun AND read. Win win.

Hey... what's behind those glasses?

Fabric. Specifically batiks from Bear's Paw quilt store in Towson MD. I LOVE this store. They have it all and are friendly too. Some of these are gonna be gifts, not sayin' for who yet, and the striated one is for a beach quilt I've been making for years. The thread is DMC broder cotton 50 weight, 2 strand. Very fine, and great in a bobbin to disappear into quilting, or hand applique, or basting, or for tiny paper piecing so it takes up less room in the seam line. I love this thread.

This Halloween fab from Timeless Treasures is so moody and dramatic, bought at my recent trip to Peggys Sewing center. Very nice shop and so friendly. They have so many gadgets, tools and organizers like this one that I could not leave without...

Stands up on a table, purple around clear plastic. It has pockets, it has a large open area, and a zippered compartment on the other side.

I saw this in action used by people at a retreat in the shop, their Sassy Tote was stuffed and very useful.

Plus, when you want to go somewhere... it folds up and has a shoulder strap!

LOVE! "I Like" an organizer!

Here it is in action, slung on a shoulder.
This studio belongs to a working artist.
It does not belong to a "Martha Stewart" style sewist.
I work in here, and things get messy and that's just my normal. There I admit to not being extremely tidy.
I mostly know where things are. Mostly. And if I can't find it, well, couldn't hurt to have a spare, right?

Linking to Mollie Sparkles today

Golden Prism Topaz!

The color at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge  is Yellow. I made this one with dark gold contrast.

I know I just did a post on the red prism but this is my kind of sewing right now. This block is
gentle. I'm just required to play with color and tone, and arrange strips.

Forgiving, no fussy points to match or seams to rip out.

Just choose strips in yellow from the overflowing scrap bin of strips, and straighten up the edges a bit, then sew them together.
Trim to 15" as usual, using the seam lines to stay on the straight and narrow...

Here are the two squares trimmed up and waiting to be sewn around, then cut and resewn.

The only tricky part is getting the cut squares in the correct orientation.
I need easy sewing at the moment. I just finished  my challenge quilt for next week so my leeetle bit of creativity and originality was used up.

The block reminds me of this inspiration finding-muse  post here
 

Right now this is about 60" Square.
There are some colors left in the year, and my make up color will maybe be black and white.
I'm thinking of quilting them in squares, then joining with quick sashing units. I kind of like them bumped up next to each other though.

I am fresh out of decision making ability at the moment, so that can wait for tomorrow.
Aren't they like genstones? Today's is Topaz.

Dancing Foam

Dancing foam. 
We escaped to the Beach for two days, hoping to reboot and find PEACE. 

Strong winds curtailed our plans to sit outside, me painting while Drew played the guitar. We got there Monday afternoon and it was still sunny, so we took a long walk along the shoreline and it was renewing to our spirits. I have more pictures and thoughts on that for future posts. 

I grew up in Florida walking on beaches, sitting and watching the waves roll in, hearing the swoosh of the water and cries of gulls. Smelling Coppertone lotion. Feeling sand sift through your fingertips. Breathing clean air. Seeing clouds change shape as the light changes thru the day. The soft tickle of sand eroding under your feet as the water comes and goes. 

Nothing stays the same really, and nothing changes.

We did not know the weather would take a decided change by the following morning.

The video (bottom of page) is of dancing foam at the shore line on Rehoboth Beach DE this week.
They were just cleaning up from a storm the weekend before and are facing landfall of Hurricane Mathew. Big tonka trucks were removing huge benches as we walked along the shoreline. Metal shutters were being lowered onto windows.

We managed to take several long walks around town, and on the boardwalk but it was tough. The wind whistled through our room when the door opened.

 These kites were tugging at their moorings... look closer... see the one near the bottom? Wonder why it caught my eye...

 We watched as the wind created something akin to tumbleweeds with sea foam too.


I tried to capture it in the following video. I don't know why it formatted into such a narrow frame, but try watching it from youtube ( LINK) where you can put it on full screen.

By the time I taped it, the foam was rolling along in slightly smaller units but about midway you can see them rolling along if you look closely.

It's oddly relaxing to watch the video and see the waves repeatedly building and crashing. I caught a brave gull trying to find a snack, and  toward the end, I pan full circle to give you a sense of place.

I hope you get a feel for that moment.

We visited the beach, Wish you were here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o109Y5Gg94I

linking among others to
wandering-camera-

"Things I Like" Thursdays #4

Welcome to "things I like" Thursdays! Glad you are here, pull up a chair, choose a nice cup of something comforting to sip, and see if you relate to my list this week. (As usual, I haven't set up a link party yet as we were gone, but let me know if you do a "like"  post and I'll link to your blog)

1. The beach. Just about any beach.
Walking on the beach, the feel of sand under your toes, the breeze and clean air, the sound of waves in rhythm as well as calling gulls. Cool damp sand giving your feet a spa treatment for free. And as of this weekend, dogs sharing the beach with their people, all very well behaved, all finding peace and something to sniff.

I have several posts coming on our little beach experience including a cool video tomorrow.

2. Dogs at the beach, sharing the experience with their people and each other. It's sort of Heavenly to me, seeing all the different groups under the spell of a beach, getting along only pausing to acknowledge each other with a nod.

This dog and his person stopped for a little snack, just to keep up their energy you know...

"...nothing special, just one of those shrimps, thanks!!"

You'll be happy to know a morsel was given to the pup.

3. Hand sewing and finishing something even if it's small....

I juggled this challenge piece, for an upcoming hop done by Alida, with beads and threaded needle on our car ride to the beach and home. I was happily able to finish it including hand couching the specialty trim, beading the poodle feet, and adding embellishments. Yea! I love my traveling bag of goodies, several hand sewing projects all tidy in their little containers, all tidy in the green bag ready to make me happy on a trip.

4. A breakfast I can live with...

See the little note? DH leave me one each morning, love

I know, I know breakfast is the most important meal... yeah, yeah. Ever since I became unable to digest eggs and pork it lost it's appeal. I am always on the hunt for a protein I can digest, and often fall to a banana with organic peanut butter and cinnamon. I am currently in love with green tea, actually gunpowder green from NUMI. I think my inflammation reduces after a cup. I heard a doctor on TV say to drink more green tea.

at the Thai restaurant... loved the presentation

I grew up in Florida to Southern parents and iced tea. I didn't learn to drink hot tea til I lived in Canada but am having a moment now of a cup of hot green tea on my breaks. I still keep a container of cold tea in the fridge all year long, and make the iced tea from constant comment (or other flavored teas) and green tea bags steeped strong enough to mix in filtered water. The quart of tea usually lasts me 5-7 days. The cold tea has a lot of flavor.
   4.2. Food. Specifically Thai.

Oh, sorry, ate it so fast I forgot to show you the lovely presentation. We haven't had Thai in a long time, and I don't know what magic they use to flavor it, but I wanted to lick the plate. Really. The lunch special was salad with the best EVER dressing, and a plate of spring roll (delicate vegetables and crispy), sticky rice, and a glorious concoction of chicken and eggplant with other vege.
I don't enjoy cooking lately but still enjoy eating!

5. Stopping along the way on a road trip
I love a car trip and we like to stop in little towns to walk around. This time we stopped in Centerville to visit a quilt store. (http://peggysewing.com/) 
What a find!! Make sure to visit if you can.
When I went in, a lovely woman named Ellen came up to introduce herself. She and I have exchanged emails about our dogs, and specifically my recent loss but we had never met in person.
What a life gift!! It totally lifted my spirits and gave me a sense of connection.
We are all connected. It's a good thing. Now that we have hugged, it will mean even more when we email.
(I forgot in my shopping excitement to get a picture of us)

Then we stopped in historic Denton for a walkabout and lunch. The art galleries were closed but we had lunch outdoors in fine Fall weather. I like fish and chips, fried and probably not good for me...

The thing is, we were together, we got to learn about another place and it's history, I got to look at gorgeous old houses and imagine what life was like back then, and I was with my sweetie.


Kind of amazing that less than an hour from home, it felt like a very different world. I asked my husband what he would have been doing in 1750 Denton. He said it all depended on his station in life but I imagine we would have owned a store, like shoe making or clothing, and lived over the storefront.
I suppose travel opens your mind, even local travel. I suppose creating a story of "what if..." is creative too.

This is the short list, with more good things to follow in the next couple days.
What have you found to like this week??
Love, LeeAnna

contributing to Things I Like are:
3P & N  miki

Red Prisms

The color of the month at RSC is red.
Well, rosy red with gold accents, not my favorite combination but I'm trying to play along. My block has rosy red and orange red mixed together to sparkle. That bit of gold is cherub hair and a mod print, heh heh.

I admit I am not back to living the creative life yet.

I am in the studio a little bit, and decided some nearly mindless strip sewing might be possible. I pulled out strips of varying widths at least 15 " long. I sewed the light ones together and trimmed to 15" square

and the dark ones together, trimming to 15" square

Place the squares RST with one set horizontal and one vertical and sew all the way around.
Cut on the diagonal both directions. Sew these squares together to make the block

My strips weren't strongly contrasting, but they were in the scrap box, and I used them. Not every block needs to be high contrast, and there is enough to make it interesting.

I considered going back and doing last month's color but it's grayish purple and that is not happening. Too depressing. At the end I will have to see what color I feel is called for to stand in for the grayish purple month.

These blocks finish at 20" square. Here are they are together...