Finished

 The last lesson's teacher is all about slowing down and details.  Neither are my modus operandi!  However I do see the value in it.  He also touched on the idea of stealing/copying work that one finds appealing.  It is a way to learn.  So I copied and included the detail.   It is all part of finding my style.  This I kinda liked but I would definitely make it more cheerful.  I think for learning a neutral colour scheme helps.

The second last class was about capturing animals, live animals.  Again, not my forte even if I do live on a farm.  I chose a stationary bunny.  ;~)  I actually was ready to rip but went ahead and added colour.  That added something surprising.

I am not planning on becoming a sketcher of all things natural and decorative.  But it is a tool and certainly is a useful one for my creative tool box.  I learned all kinds of useful things and most importantly, an artist must connect to the stimuli and then please him/her self.  I also learned that an exact replica is not often the goal and it is the 'mistakes' that give it character and define the artists style.

I am delighted that I really did finish.  I have one or two parts I want to review but I have only a final comment to add and then school will be out!  :)

Lo the winter is past...

Remember that buried fence!  The snow has been moving down and back pretty rapidly this week.  Some snow and rain forecast for tomorrow but I'm believing we are over the hump.  Welcome Spring!

I am away at Sketchbook Skool and it is not too bad.  No detentions and I'm trying to do all my home work.  We aren't allowed to rip out any pages but I'm hopeful that the end the book will be better than the front.  ;^)  I am no sketcher but I'm finding that everyone has their own unique way of seeing, interpreting and then expressing what appeals and it can be very ordinary things but they need to be something the sketcher actually connects with-  my doll's glasses,  my very comfortable flip flops.

 (I understand 'thongs' is no longer politically correct).

I'm starting to make the DYLP my own and finding my groove.  This week was monochromatic.

The April showers wall hanging is about ready to have the strips attached.  I wonder how much it'll shrink on the sides.  :O

I have long wanted to do something with my grandmother's book that she pasted newspaper clippings of poems into.  I also found a sure fire cure for diptheria!  I found some newspaper quilt block patterns also.  I thought they were my mum's but she'd have been seven years old when they first began to be published and my mum didn't make any quilts.  My grandmother again.  She died when my mother was a teenager.  I wonder if she took this suitcase with her when she was in the hospital?   The wooden stationary box was my mum's and I always coveted it.  She kept odds and ends of old jewelry in it and obituary notices.  ??? Anyway, I'm combining an old idea and some new insight with a new to me technique and I'll be posting all about it next month. 

So as you can see, I have lots of reasons to spring ahead!

Take a deep breath!

First I will exhale and catch up on the finding outs and the finishing ups.

I am happy to report I have edited out two pieces of furniture and I have some bare walls and better yet bare floors.  The dust bunnies that were reading my books have to find another library. lol  I dispersed the books to pertinent rooms, put brown paper covers on some to eliminate visual clutter and boxed up those who might better bless somebody else.

Disregarding the future of  'when we...',  I repositioned the stove for an outside vent,  made the fridge a bit handier and have commissioned a long rolling counter that the kitchen table can butt up to or run alongside.  Best event was adding some more colour.  Who knew the Rooster's red coffee pot would be so affirming!  I'll refinish the wee coffee bar and make a more colourful teacup wall hanging!  I'll leave some space between the upper cabinets and above the big farm sink (which is patiently waiting in the basement)  for a colourful apple or two! ;^)

I think I need a couple more glass shelves for glasses.  They aren't so handy to the fridge anymore but what the hey!  I can possibly spruce up the aqua paint on that old cafeteria table and refinish this old wood unit a similar red to the hutch or even an espresso stain.  I'm short and pouring water down into the coffee pot without standing on tippy toes is a bonus!  lol

I did work on the Irish Chain and as I was finishing up the straight line quilting I got to thinking that I might want to consider the less is more principle.  I think the curved echo in the coloured triangles would be too much.  But I went ahead and I practiced some free motion leaves.  When I drew in the actual area I saw how small it was.   Hmm, maybe a shamrock?  Four leaf clovers were too big and the three leafed clover was pretty tight.  Sew...

I bound it up. I'll throw it in the wash, add a hanging sleeve and call it done.  I have my fabric cut for April Showers so as to be ready for next week.  Perhaps it will more readily accept some free motion stitching but I'm thinking rain is kinda linear.  oops!  May Flowers are coming!  ;~)

The block of the month called for more little yoyo flowers.  Not.  I was checking out old shows on The Quilt Show and Judith Montano inspired me to do some silk ribbon flowers.  I'd forgotten how much fun silk ribbon embroidery is!  :)

I have been kinda busy doing the cleaning and not writing about it but the DYLP is caught up for this week.  It has finally dawned on me that the extra leaf on the right should be flipped to the next set of pages. Oh well.  I'm starting to get the hang of layering.  Phew!  Good thing because...

I started Sketchbook Skool this morning with much fear and trembling.  A waste of time because of course the whole faculty and the classmates are very affirming and encouraging.  I do think these next six weeks will be life changing!  :O  I may change my sketchbook to a soft cover and a lighter weight paper as we'll be near Staples tomorrow.  The size is good.  I learned cursive with a dip pen but if the skill needs revisiting I'll stick with the uniball or pigma pens.  Pencils are not allowed as we need to really commit to the line.  eek! 

There is a hint of spring in the air.  I'm hoping winter doesn't blow back with any kind of bluster. We had snow last night.  But I won't be holding my breath!  ;^)