Not Afraid of Color

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Sewing Saturday

Isn't she lovely? Welcome to this week's sewing round up!
(Listen to Stevie sing while you read https://www.youtube.com/)

This week I finished the binding, and the beading on her.
It's all scraps, laid over each other with no fusible. Raw edged applique, machine stitched, hand painted face with prisma pencils.

the flowers are paper with rhinestones.

The color of the month at Rainbow Scrap Challenge is pink, and it's a happy color to me.

The design wall is pretty

This week I sewed the lozenge blocks I've done in each color of the month. The tiny HST's made the little pinwheel piece to the right.

these are all larger scraps and I used them to create the sashing and borders. The pinwheels are improv, not measured or fussed with to make them match, so they are a bit wonky.

like my picture! With digital if you don't position yourself exactly right it looks skewed. I like how fussy cutting that scrap got me the little scallop. The whole piece is 11" X 20"

I don't know what will become of these tiny quilts, but they feel good to make

I finished up the embroidery lessons with Sue Spargo... I liked many of them including the palestrina knot down the middle of butterfly, and the turkey work that makes fringe down the middle of wings.

I used a metallic thick thread that ravels, perfect. You stitch loops securely then cut them and rough them up!

I added little embellishments to the learning piece. I tried doing a knot at the top of the buttonhole stitch, straight stitches for grass and along the hexie edge.

Someone mentioned they have her book, the wool, and want to learn but they are scared to mess up the wool.

click to enlarge

I just pulled out the wool scraps, free form cut components for a flower and butterfly, 5 small hexies and started. This is my learning piece... I expected it to be really rough but it turned out kind of pretty. Now how do people quilt and finish these?

I finished knitting DH's socks, and am knitting a shorter pair out of the scraps for me. Knitting is nice handwork for TV time

I zoomed with my art quilt group this week. We are all having a hard time being creative now. The uncertainty of life, and the lack of leadership through this health crisis has caused all of us to flounder. It's good for me to do weekly round ups for painting and sewing. It shows me I've accomplished something. Tell me how you are coping... I'd love to know...

LInking to

wendysquiltsandmore peacock party (quilts)
http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.com/
off the wall Fridays
http://busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com/
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays
tgiffriday

http://www.inquiringquilter.com/ Wednesday wait loss

Midweek makers wednesdays

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

slow stitching Sundays

oh Scrap Sundays

scrap happy Saturdays

Friday, June 19, 2020

paint party Friday

Let's talk paint!

I'll show you what I painted this week, shall I? The first picture was in my mandala series. Circular, repetitive, meaningful.

I started with the pink/orange flower and like how the paint is lighter toward the centers.

I did another mandala here...

purple tombow marker, and black pigma pen.
Around and around, shapes and symbols.

I just wanted to see paint move around on paper, and it became this

It was much nicer before I started with pens... oy... not everything works out

One evening I decided to do a splatter work, intuitive, just pick colors you enjoy and splatter them.

then swipe yellow, pink, etc... ink with pigma and brush, dots and symbols and lines
I painted it this horizontal way, but like it better as a vertical piece

I painted as DH played his guitar, and noticed the shape on the left looks like a guitar! This one I like

Milo insisted on looking at it closer... said it's "okay but doesn't really smell like anything"
Then he looked at the other one

This one should smell but doesn't

Which I painted horizontally too, and show here vertical but not the best way to view it.

Swipes of color started it, then inks, lines, white and black pens... not my favorite but I like it okay.

I can't seem to capture things unless I'm looking at them, or a photo of them.

Still, there's just something soothing about putting color on paper, right?

What's your favorite watercolor paint to use?
What's your favorite thing about painting?

Linking to
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 18, 2020

I Like Thursday #198

Feeling a bit frazzled? Join me for this week's list of likes!
1.That is a wild woman pin purchased years ago in MD. That's what my hair looks like most of the time! (And I just had to superglue her head back on, she lost it in the move) (me too)

2. I liked setting our fountain back up for summer, so do the birds

3. I like birds just not on my patio furniture!

4. I liked that this little fellow landed right next to the giant poodle on our morning walk, just looked at him, Milo looked back, it was all good. I don't think he could fly well yet.

5.This was a week where it was much easier to make a long long list of I Don't Like's.
This TED talk kind of explained why I'm not unusual, and also gave me motivation to think about and write an
"I LIKE" list

https://www.ted.com/talks

6.I liked finishing the pink flower lady this week, story on Saturday with whole pictures!

7. Does anybody really know what time it is? (full shots on Saturday's sewing round-up)

I liked the hand embroidery class I took with Sue Spargo and love the finished sample piece I designed! It's time to dig out my bead stash and start using them a lot!

8.I liked this post on the wisdom of aging https://meditationsinmotion.wordpress.com

9. I like Poodles on a Patio

10. I liked making pancakes one morning then having leftovers to warm up the next morning

pretty colors in measuring tools

I liked making up a recipe this week: olive oil and a butter pat in a saute pan. Frozen turkey burgers, and a simmer sauce of 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup cooking sherry, tsp minced garlic, sliced lemon poured on top, sliced mushrooms (I had to use a jar). Simmer til done Yum.

11.I painted several pictures for tomorrow's Paint Party Friday post

another mandala

12. I like baby elephants a lot...Ever wonder how I continue on, despite the current health crisis and our government that feels foreign to me?
one word:
elephants
think you're tired of entertaining your kids? watch this

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

13. I love Milo... each morning when I get up, he snuggles with me as I sit at the computer

yes, my haircut is new, thank you lots!

I liked that my husband gave me a nice compliment this week, when I brushed/plucked/shaved and scissored Milo on the grooming table. He said," how wonderful you know how to cut his hair, my hair and your hair during this pandemic!"

Always willing to lend a paw to you Mama!

Always on the lookout to protect!

Milo's Moments of gratitude this week

Hi Y'all! Guess what? I followed the Mama up to the poodle gift room this week
Editor's note: it's the guest room
and Mama gave me a new toy! Fresh, not a bit of spit on it, still in it's wrapper I got off quick like, with 8 legs ready to be chewed off!
Mama: um... why don't you just shake and squeak it for a night instead of tearing it right up?
Milo: what fun is that?

now sit! stay! visit Mama's friends and read their lists of likes! Join us anytime!

craftscaviescontras

https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
http://littlepenguinquilts
http://homesewnbyus

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/
http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com

http://daybyday12101.blogspot.com/
https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/
https://lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com/
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/
http://www.piecefulthoughts.com

part of the group but might not be posting today:
https://quiltschmilt.wordpress.com/
https://www.justletmequilt.com/
https://www.mmmquilts.com/
https://100sweets.blogspot.com/

LINKING WITH

https://comedy-plus.com/ Awe Mondays
viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics

http://newthursday13.blogspot.com/
http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

Thankful Thursdays pet parade

https://www.myslicesoflife.com/

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Getting to know you

Another Meme this time from Sunday Stealing blog, thanks Bev!
These are like a party conversation, a fun party!

1. How many gravy boats do you have in your kitchen?
A: none! If we have gravy we'd put it in the cow creamer where the liquid pours out the cow's mouth

2. Do the clothes in your laundry basket need ironing?
A: they might NEED ironing but...what's so bad about wearing textured clothes?

3. What is the last thing you wallpapered?
wow, in order to continue being married, one must NEVER wallpaper together.

4. Wooden floors or carpet?
A: both

5. Why do we put out guest towels if no one is supposed to use them?
A: everything in this house can and should be used! Useful and pretty are my goals

6. If your spatula could talk, what would it say about your duvet?
A: well after the great duvet wars of aught 9 we separated them and the spatula is no longer allowed into the bedroom. Blissful peace reigns now

7. Have you replaced the batteries in your smoke alarms this year?
A: we had to replace ALL of them two months after we moved in, because ALL of them started chirping, then screaming at the same time. It was not pretty!

8. If you could put thyme in a bottle, what is the first thing that you'd like to do?
A: I don't even know how to crack wise at this one

9. Do eggs really crack or do they merely have a nervous breakdown?
A: oh they crack all right, under pressure everyone cracks. Why I'm cracking up right now!

10. Why are you whipping the butter? What did it ever do to you?
A: I suppose those extra 20 lbs mean nothing to you?

11. Do your spoons spoon in the drawer? Have you ever noticed? And more importantly, if wooden spoons spoon do they get splinters?
A: the spoons do spoon, and I'm a believer in let sleeping spoons lie

12. You hear: "Dumpling, my Dumpling, come hither." The candles are lit, the fondue is dipping, the Godiva is pouring, the scallions are steaming and the music is playing.....but wait, the windows are open. Why did you close them?
A: what?

13. Do you need a recipe to cook or are you a bohemian chef?
A: definitely bohemian, if that means finding a way to use the four ingredients on hand

14. Is your pot black?
A: Our pots are all stainless steel and reflect whatever color I'm wearing
A: from my husband: we live in Colorado, the pot is always green here

15. What is the sexiest spice or condiment in your cabinet? What makes it so?
A: dh and I debated this one... Salt and Peppa are pretty racy, Rosemary and BAsil played around for a while, but we think it might be Heinz 57 sauce... er... no that would have to be Heinze 69 sauce wouldn't it?
nevermind...
Linking to
https://sundaystealing.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Saturday 9

Whoopie! Another meme to answer... these are like conversations at a party!

  1) The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles. Can you name another group of popular singing siblings?
A:My first thought was Donny and Marie, but someone mentioned the Carpenters.... how I loved Karen's voice!

2) This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer." What's your favorite Monkees song?
A: For sure, Last train to Clarksville.
I always loved Mickie not Davy... then liked Peter. I prefer character in faces to pretty boys and always have

 3) After seeing the Cowsill brothers perform with their mother and sister, TV producers were inspired to create the sitcom, The Partridge Family. Did you ever watch it?

A: Oh yes. I saw it again recently and hooboy... it's the 70's for sure

4) In the song, the narrator takes a flower from a girl in the park. Are there flowers in your home right now?
A: Sadly no. So I'm painting them a lot lately! And making quilts of them!

5) He isn't sure if the girl was real, or if he dreamed her. Tell us about a recent dream you had.
A: I've had the most vivid dreams lately, then can't remember them!!

6) At the height of the Cowsills' popularity, they were hired by the American Dairy Association to promote drinking milk. If we were to peek into your refrigerator right now, would we find any milk?
A: you'd find Horizon organic milk, whole for my coffee, skm for nightime drinking before bed, and cream for dh's coffee. Plus yogurt

7) After the band stopped performing together, John Cowsill went on to become a back up musician for the Beach Boys. His job has kept him on the road much of the time. When you travel, do you enjoy staying in hotels, or would you rather stay with friends/family?
A: my family is not that friendly but hotels usually are!

8) In 1967, the year this song was popular, Elvis married Priscilla in Las Vegas. Have you attended any weddings yet this year? Are there any weddings in your future?
A: with the pandemic? nope

9) Random question: Are the bottoms of your feet ticklish?
A: poor bottoms of my feet are so dry now, they used to be ticklish but thank goodness no one tickles them these days!

LInking to
http://samanthasaturday9.blogspot.com/

sewing saturday round-up of the week

My painting is leading to sewing...
It all started with the pink flower painting, printed three times on fabric.

Left: paper print
middle: color fabric print
Right: lightly shaded black and white with pencil color

In order to pencil color on, I printed a black and white washed out shadow version. Prismacolor pencils blend well on fabric, then heat set with iron.

I finished the black and white version earlier,

When the color of the month at RSC turned to pink, I took out my pink scrap bin, and noted some rounded pieces left from cutting some blocks last year.

Hmmmm, they kind of reminded me of my paintings... what if...

which led to this... almost finished piece.

in process of adding stamens of beads all around her face

now the fourth in series of pink flowers. I'll give details of that when she's done.
If I can come up with 8 more designs I have the year's worth of 12" art quilts for my local group challenge.

palestrina knot stitch

I have spent a lot of time learning new complex embroidery stitches thru the online course with Sue Spargo... I ended up ordering her manual because my head is so full of stress these days I can't remember how I did the stitches and blueprint is going away soon.
detail pics of embroidery HERE

I also finished Life Is Messy

If you remember, I made it from a day's exercise to collage fusible backed strips and pieces. It was quilted, bound and embellished this week.

details of embellishments

On a more trivial point, I figured out a way to secure a tablecloth to my patio table this week. I never had this issue in MD but here in windy, blustery, wind-blowing-down-the-plains Colorado where the actual metal furniture is often blown off the patio, I needed a solution. I quickly sewed bias binding strips (old coats and clark) to four corners of the cloth, tied opposite corners together under the table, and voila! It stays on!