one of those days!

I started off with some of the new things Jenn and I found at the local scrapbook store.  It is looking like I may get another girl so we will become the Three Mixateers!  :) 

I think the butterfly books  with corrugated covers and craft paper, from jillibean-soup will work well as we ease her into our messes.  I decided to try out the new stencils and stamps before I cleaned up for today's sewing.  I shoulda maybe continued to mess with the butterflies.  :(

Ya know...

when you wonder why 'these' patches are different than ALL the others!!!  There is a good reason.  A mistake.   duh!   It seems as if I have sewn these blocks three times.  They are starting to look as stressed as I feel!  If my math is right (and that is a big if ) then I will have about eight yellow pieces left over. So I need to pay attention tomorrow!
But the painters are having a good day!

No turning back.  The trim is being painted.  But I like it already.  The blue on the door jam is from old doors.  They really mess up furniture placement so we removed them LONG time ago.  Besides I got really tired of my kiddies running round and round and doors slamming!  Those were the days!

When the old windows were updated many years ago the old style had to go so the compromise was these wooden inserts.  They need to go back in as they are more in keeping with the style of the old farmhouse.

I am REALLY liking this!  The baseboards need to be eased off carefully as the fir is old and brittle, but the floors are going to be refinished.  :)  My textured walls are gone but they assure me they know how to bring it back.  ;) ;)  I do hope I picked the right colours!!!

Wow wips

Never mind the work table!  The whole house has become a worktable.

Furniture and accessories had to find new temporary residences! I tried to keep some paths clear!

I went to work on the wedding quilt blocks as the crew began to change the downstairs.  That back wall had been plywood with a very old wallpaper.  Drywall has been put in place.  The other walls are plaster with a sponge paint finish.  It all must be a good 20 years old.  ooh, embarrassing!

Look what a couple of hours produced.  I am really luving it.   This is a thin coating of mud (?) plaster (?) that is troweled sorta smooth.  The process will continue after everything nicely dries. 

The Rooster's eyebrows are up at his feather line.  lol  But the reality is that he wants to know when he gets his favourite chair back!  :)  I can't wait for the first coat of colour!

Meanwhile-

I am in the home stretch as far as the blocks go.  The trick is not confusing myself which is horribly easy as I look sideways, lay down the right, UHM! make that 'correct' piece!  Then transfer everything to the cutting table with the right piece on the left side 'cause I sew from the inside edge to the outside edge.  See what I mean! :O  Then I try not to mix up the pieces as they come back from the sewing machine.  I have part of the last row to piece and the three corners.  I did rip off the border I first did and now I have to rip some more as I need those yellow patches to finish as all my yardage has be cut and used.  It will be nip and tuck but I'm rooting for tuck!

I  had to carefully set everything aside because my gal came for creativity 101.  I try not to listen to Nina quivering under her protective cover as Jenn and I get kinda excited and abandon all caution.!  lol

But we held it down to white gesso and only a small digression for a pink flower on the paint shirt!  :) 

The painters return tomorrow and I shall be back listening to Nina hum as we get this top finished.  I am thinking it is looking all the better for all the snafoos! 

I hesitate to link to The Needle and Thread Network as I am still not finished this top.  :(  But I'm close, very close! 

Enjoying the view!

I have been trying not to do anything except the blocks for the wedding quilt but the painters arrived this morning for the paint selection.  I had spent the weekend clearing everything out.  It will be kinda exciting to start all over with a clean slate! 

Now after months of choosing and evaluating my colour choices they had offered me an amazing option and invited me over to see their house.  !!!  They have used an old world technique that I had admired in my aunt's old apartment.  I can have it! :) We will tweak it as they do it but I am quite excited and will post the progress.  Gosh, it'll be hard to stay focused on those darn blocks for the wedding quilt but I'm determined not to do ANYTHING else until they are done.  Well, except maybe watch the progress on my dryng paint!

Wow I think I've got it

I have misplaced the original book that had the winding ways wall hanging that was the inspiration for my DD's wedding quilt.  She married in South America so I decided to wait for the final borders until she came home.  Bad idea.  It has taken 3 children and a house remodel to get me back on the project.  Their bedroom finish is my new deadline!  :)

First I will go with the new floral and the paler green.  The solid pink is too bright so the diagonal tone on tone pink remains.  Because I prewash I needed to spray starch the fabrics as it just makes life so much easier.  The acrylic templates ensure accuracy which also makes life easier.  I started to pay better attention and it is not about which colour needs to be up but rather which curve, concave or convex. 

The C shape goes on top of the D shape. 

I don't pin since the the two end tips always match and the distance is short from the beginning tip to the end tip and I use my machine setting for needle down function if I stop to adjust anything.  The curve is really not too difficult.

So I get the first two tips matched perfectly and begin to sew.  I did all the centre with the regular 1/4 inch foot and this new foot has a guide which I didn't think I liked  but it is one less thing to consider when doing these curves so it has proved useful but not absolutely necessary.

After I 've done a few stitches I'll stop to line up the edges of the two pieces like in the photo with the C and D..

I find I am gently coaxing the bottom D to the left so it comes under the C which easily shapes to the bottom D. 

 Do NOT look ahead more than half to an whole inch.  Those little 'puckers' somehow ease themselves out of the way.  Really.  You can't sew at mach 1 speed but it all goes smoothly.

It comes out with a bit of a bowl shape but the iron folds that D piece right back and it is ready.

 I don't trim the ears as they are handy for joining everything together.  Note- I was so intent on the process I sewed the darn floral on with the back facing up.  :(

These are the pieces for this final round.  It is actually a block and an half as 'we' want a scalloped edge.

So here is that outside row coming together.  I am hitting my stride and I may even redo that first try.

The softer green, and the close match floral are passing the galloping horse test.  And I won't be slowing the horse until I'm done and I WILL be done by next WIP Wednesday at The Needle and Thread Network. Says she with fingers, toes and knees crossed!  lol

Sew much to do...

but so much fun!

Played some more with the March backgrounds for the calendar pages.

Snow is in the forecast and I got a new stencil!

Bizzardy but despite talk of the anniversary of the BIG one in 1966 it is not too much of  a worry.

This week starts with Daylight Savings time.

St. Patrick's Day starts the week off and the winter equinox is midweek.

Palm Sunday darkens down to Good Friday which leads to....

Ressurrection!

Now back to the present and my sewing!

Marching!

Looks like a winter blizzard is marching in but I'm not going anywhere for a few days and I have lots of things to do.  The first quarter of this year is in countdown.

The big project for this quarter is the front north rooms which consist of the front dining room, the sitting room and the bathroom.  It is taking a bit to actually get the contractor and get him started but I am hopeful that it can be all done this month.  I'm tweaking some of the colour choices which means I'm understanding better how they all play together, not to mention how I like to play. ;^)

Not necessarily a stylish photo but definitely a before photo.  The kitchen is to the right with the white china cabinet showing.  I left the bathroom door open to show it is aqua.  I thought about a frosted glass door. Then I remembered an extra door from the house that is a better and more stylish match.  Then I saw my DD's pantry and wondered why we didn't restore that bathroom back to its original purpose as a pantry with its cute kitchen door entrance.  I reassured the Rooster he won't be shoved in there to cook and he is game for putting the bathroom into the proposed utility room addition.  YipEEE!   So I will be keeping that bathroom door closed and as it is until the pantry is restored and operational.  That also means I would have one whole wall with no doors, windows or odd corners.  Possibilities are endless.  sorta!

I was thinking aqua would be my accent but I'm beginning to understand that the cranberry is really the accent colour so that just means my proportions will be a bit different and I may be rethinking the aqua ceiling! But this makes me happy. I like how it'll flow and I've discovered I am a low contrast person but I like a little POP!  So these are my options which I'll try when everything is patched and primed but once it is finalized and done I am going to throw all the samples away and not even look at other schemes for at least ten years!!!  Hold me to it puhleeze!

The books for this quarter are focused on decorating.  The last one I chose is Creating the French Look by Annie Sloan.  I don't want the French look but I am interested in redoing some of my furniture pieces and this would be a good month to tackle some of them.  :)  I'm thinking I may change that hutch in the dining room for starters.  Something to showcase my collection of pink transfer ware and pink glass dishes.

This month my class is all about Getting Started with Gesso.

 Last night I considered the March journal pages.  I will transition from cold blue to the warmer purple and Easter with a nod to St. Patrick.

They looked a bit dark and busy for journalling on so I slapped some watered down gesso over them.  It is very gritty but okay.  I probably should have reviewed the lessons first but then that would somewhat hamper my exuberance for leaping before I actually look!  lol
I also need to allow time for a class with Margaret Applin, Printing the Journal, which I'm taking through Joggles.  I really like Joggles.  Lots of things to see, and get, and learn.

This month's purge will be taking everything out of the rooms to be painted!  I also have the ongoing battle between me and the basement.  The Rooster says the potatoes in the cold room are ready for harvesting!  oops!

The Finish-a-long is Top Priority! I like the gelli plate and screen printing and stenciling.  I am keen to start printing on fabric and making quilts with my own fabric designs.  To do that I need to clear all the backlog of once great but old ideas.  :(  I plan on spending more time sewing and less time reading, day dreaming and generally goofing off!  Time is marching on!

The actual dragging of my thoughts back to the plan for this first quarter has been very beneficial.  It did cause me to think ahead a bit to the next quarter.  So I have a few possibles written down for consideration after Easter.  The Rooster will be turning his attention to the barn and my workroom and also to his fence and our landscape.  Those weeds won't be seen for a few months but when they come, they really come and this year we are determined that they won't be stealing the march on us! 

s'done

February, that is!

I found that deer that got away!

I spent more time on the backgrounds and that was good but I'm wondering why I am making notes on a calendar and then doing it again for the journal!  lol

Ha!  It is noticeable. I had some techie help from my good friend, Margi, as we addressed the crankiness of my 'puter'.  In my multi tasking, I pasted the photo in upside down but it just helps shake out the dust bunnies the photo was illustrating!    Thanks, Margi.  The 'puter is humming instead of growling!  :)

It really has not been cold, at least not as cold as the colours are portraying.  Time to march into some warmer colours!

I can't hardly believe after all the time wasting I have done this month, I have these pages done on time.

Hmm, winter is officially over in March and yes, we can get some nasty storms.  But daylight is lengthening and my hope for spring is blossoming.  What colour will the March pages be???

Finishing February

The lovely holiday is finished.  They have such colourful rosy grosbeaks in Ontario.  The hoar frost was amazing.

The 'puter is back from its spa and seems kinda cranky but it needs to have an attitude check as that is as good as it gets!  lol

I finished the No Compromise Decorating book and I have already been doing my decorating with 'out of the box' thinking and just need to translate some of that to my mixed media approach.  Lynette Jennings, the author, suggests getting to know your space and and your style.  This is an ongoing evolution that is part of life but sometimes it is good to stop and take stock of where one is.  "Your taste, what your eye sees as beauty, has a self-coordinating effect once you edit out the things you don't like."  Then sort, prioritize, rearrange, and recolour.  It is already there but the clutter creates confusion and the uglies will pull you/compromise you where you do not want to go. Your home is a collage of things you love, arranged comfortably and you do that to your own sensibilities.
So-
1) go with the flow (traffic patterns)
2) analyze how you live (remove the names of the rooms on the floor plan)
3) find where your very most favourite spot is and decorate from there (sofa corner with a window view)
4) realize that what you luv may not be feasible but it should be what you like, truly like  (luv modern but not neat)

I already switched my small dining room into a sitting room with no couch.  The living room is our dining room and the master bed room is the sewing room.  The kitchen is now under the spotlight!  De cluttering is happening and grouping similar things/colours is enlightening.

I now need to stop compromising with my art and apply these excellent principles to it!  

My class on Getting Started is up to date.  I finished the basics of gelli printing.  That is a LOT of fun.  I added paint, I subtracted paint.  I got layers happening but I think the biggest aha! was on the intentional gelli printing.

 I need to get better at it and the mono printing itself is very serendipitous but I liked it.  The left page is the painty paper shapes laid on a spare page.  The centre is my gelli printed paper with some layers on it.  The right paper is a catch all and the cut shapes are laid on it and can be collaged on.  :)

We are waiting on the contractor for the go ahead on the front rooms.  So our thoughts are turning to the kitchen.  A visit to the new IKEA in the city sparked all kinds of dialogue!  I want it pretty and 'he who cooks' wants to know where all the pots are going!  lol  

I had an aha! moment a week ago.  Life is far too short to stress over the past.  Reconcile and move on.  So this wedding quilt is a promise to be met and finished as best as I can make it.  After chatting with my DD we will go with the floral and the new green and asap!  I have one more month to complete my goals for the finish a long.  The dreaded coveralls are hemmed and it will be full steam ahead!

The light is going so perhaps I'll post the calendar journal another day.

February is finished and I am marching purposefully into the final month of winter!

Catching up!

I finally got my red acrylic paint to make my colour wheel for the Basics class that Balzer Designs offers. As I pursue my own way I have felt to get better grounded in the basics and this 12 month selection of various techniques sounded like a good start.  Getting Started!

Lesson one is about colour mixing.

Now I had actually given up on finding the Liquitex Basics primary red. So I bought the 3 primaries from Grumbacher's Academy Acrylics which the art store carried.  And of course, soon as I purchased them I found the missing tube at the next store!  :(   So I colour mixed both brands. :)  If some look similar to their neighbours it is probably because I don't have equal amounts of the necessary ingredients. First thing I leaned is I am not necessarily precise.  lol  But I am really leaning this colour wheel and I'm okay with 'close enough'!

This was loads of fun.  I had 12 different blues and I mixed them with a primary yellow.  Very cool!

The extra paints were all smeared into my journal for future development.

Then just as I was congratulating myself on finishing I clicked a little word- next!  :O

Tints, Tones, Shades

This was most enlightening.  I understood the principle but actually doing it was very worth while!

Neutrals!  Again, enlightening.  After finally getting it through my head that opposites make mud- don't do it! I made mud.  I didn't have time to mix my secondary colours so I decided to try my gouache colours. It turns out that opposites with lots of white make a whole range of browns that would be skin tones!  :O Now I can't imagine doing skins but...  My first try was not a brown but a grey. Blue red and blue green and that made grey.  So I found something else in the set.

Then the Duh!  Colour mixing works with things other than acrylics.  I knew that but now I KNOW that!  lol.  I had already diluted my spray inks but hadn't made the next step to making my own mixes.  Luv it!  I also learned it is best to buy good products.  Michael's pan pastels are so hard they don't hardly work.  :(  So I'll save my coupons for stamps, punches and fun foam.  I joined the Artist's Emporium in Winnipeg and I get a discount on everything and they will mail me stuff if I ever give up going to the city!  lol  They are very helpful, too!  No question too dumb!  Ask me how I know!

Now this is as things piled up on Tuesday.  Hopefully we have peaked and the piles will begin to subside soon.

I'll be back sometime next Tuesday; hopefully faster and well rested!  Me and the 'puter!

Can anyone sniff spring yet?