Off the Wall Friday

Finally! I have started working on something again, my MoJo took a vacation and now it is back.

This one is a 10 X 10 and as you can see, it is a poppy. I struggled getting this going, then after I went to a museum and got an infusion of friendship, came back and started this. (and a handbag, another piece that will be 9 X 11 and a challenge piece that is 12X12. The last three are in piles right now. :)

It may have some buds or not, no decision on that yet. As most people, I need to work as I go and do what "feels right."

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The last two weeks

Here's what I have been doing in between things the last two weeks. I made a handbag for a friend as a Christmas gift. I haven't made gifts in years, but this one was fun as I didn't have any pressure to finish for any reason and gave myself plenty of time. Making this bag was more relaxing than most bags I've made, and fun too.
It could be because I'm done crawling around under the house with electrical wire - that puts a damper on your day :)

We got our generator hook up all finished last week, but my body is still sore from the unused muscles it took to do it. Recovery is slow, but it is coming along.
We also picked up some windows to finish the barn's second floor next spring.

I did a doodle on my new polarfleece sweater-thing. Is this too weird?

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Can't seem to settle down!

Since my surgery, I have come back making hand bags. Well, I also made a small cocktail type hat and wore that to the wedding in June.
My latest problem is that I want to DO EVERYTHING at once. I just got this fabulous millinery book and want to dive right in, but my other self (Gemini) says to finish up what you started and then go forward with the applique plan for my spring League jury, etc.

I think I have ADHD! I am now looking at my silk vessels as possible hats. I'm just not sure how to make them into hats yet. Once sewn all over, they are still catchy - like spider web feel - and snag easily. If I use stabilizer, they are a bit stiffer and don't snag, but do need to be shaped.

Any input from any friends would be appreciated. I think one of my friends understands how this do everything feels. I think 'm following in her footsteps. Yipes!

Handbags and Hatboxes and Stiff Neck - Oh My!

Yesterday morning, stiff neck ignored (bad idea, by the way) I sent off my Bohemian Waxwing to NY for the exhibit. That is a milestone for me - never sent any of my work away except to the jewelry publisher - but that doesn't count. This is for a real genuine exhibit and I hope I sell it too!

I finished my hatbox I was working on for my red feather hat I had made for the wedding. Now it has a home.







I have also been working on another handbag which is my own design - I call it Squares and Sticks. It is in a fairly vibrant color scheme. I will do the next one in the orangy/greeny/browny colors of the squares and sticks - 'cause I like it. This bag is smaller than the others I have been making. I was getting the feeling that I had been making suitcases (LOL!) not really, but being a small person, I usually like smaller sized/scaled things, so here you have it.

I also have a black and tan/gold one, a multi-color one, another purple one, brown and teal and blue. I don't think I have enough time though.

Today I plan on getting out some silk scarves and dyeing them. We will see how the dye fairies think of me being so absent :)

Nothing much

Waiting for the storm and nothing is moving out there! NOTHING - not a leaf is twitching, kind of creepy. Of course, my DH wants to go to the trail and clean the culverts.......guess who his non-volunteer buddy is? I get to stay at the top of this embankment (= huge drop off) and hang around while he goes into the culvert to clean out whatever is blocking it. On a normal day this is not too boring, today I would rather stay home.
I put away all my charming garden ornaments so they won't blow away or get broken. What a good girl.


Since last posting, I made a lightweight jacket. I have had this fabric for a while and just love it (rayon batik,) so thought I would take a break from hand bags.  


Today I am making another handbag in a teal/blue/green family. I am using one of the vintage trims I bought at the show as well as my potter friends buttons.

A New Red and Black Bag

Here's the latest! I finished it the other day but have been busy doing non-art things. So far all my bags are derived from patterns with my own twist. I plan on continuing this - the patterns are for the basic shape, but the artistic stuff is all me :) Doing this while my hand recovers and gets strength back - that is doing good, but not up to par yet.

Purple Clutch Bag

Here's the second bag I just finished. It has a silk flower too!

This one was interesting to make too. It will be at the Merrimack Valley Artisans display in Andover, MA and Chelmsford, MA  libraries from August through September along with a couple of other things I have.

Thread and how it reproduces?

I got a load of thread yesterday in the mail. NICE! I am very happy and just need to use it and test it to see the quality - or not quality that is to be determined. Actually it woulld be more like does it work of me or not?

One is Egyptian Cotton, one is Polyester and then I got a sample spool of Trilobal Polyester. Colors? I got blues and greens and imagined I got purples, but that was just my imagination.

Today I will be staying in again - too humid for me - and trying to finish up my second purple bag. I started this one a couple of weeks ago and kept putting it aside to do something more interesting :)   Like buy thread.

We have two fun things coming up in the next few weeks here. The League of NH Craftsmen's Fair at Sunapee, NH and the Mancuso Quilt Show in Manchester, NH. I plan on going to both.
Actually can't wait, but will have to as that is how time goes.

I have become addicted to two tv shows on BBC America. Top Gear and Chef Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. Top Gear, BBC, is just interesting and funny (Top Gear America is just boring) I like that English humor rather than the old boy stuff.
Chef Ramsey.........well, there is a certain fascination with how some restaurants are run that interests me. Now, I try not to think about it when I eat out. AND, I do like cooking shows, so it sort of clicks. Better than watching Say Yes to the Dress.

I am still limited on what I can do with my hand. I started making some silk flower corsages. Those are fun, but tire my hand muscles out fast, so those are slow.

The call of the dye is in the air though.

Really Purple Bag With Many Mistakes

After many weeks of a lot of inactivity, I have finally returned to the sewing machine (hand sewing is still limited, but I can do that too.)
So I started a handbag of my own design, using purple fabrics I had and a fat quarter or two I picked up at the store.

Sewed the outside all together. Didn't like it - took it apart. Cut the support stuff out and then free motion stitched a story on the bag - very short, but words none the less. Sewed it together again with the support stuff so it doesn't flop around. Added the bottom.

It is sitting there right now waiting for me to finish attaching the bottom support stuff. Then I will cut out the lining, make the handle and add that, turn it all right side out and voila!
I will have: A Really Purple Bag With Many Mistakes! Yes, that is what I stitched on it.

I suppose I could have used a pattern, but I just plowed ahead like usual and I know I will like it when it is done. This is my test bag - to test the stiff stuff that is in the middle to see if I like it or not. So far.............I like it. It makes the bag stand up nicely. It's called Soft & Stable and it is a foam core lined material. It sews nicely and free motions great.

Next to try on another bag is Texture Magic - we'll see how that performs too.