Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS! 

When you're bored it's hex time! Or is it knitting time!

I've been bored at night with no hand work so I pulled out some of my hex's I had packed away.  I just can't sit at night watching TV.  Have have to be busy.  HA

I am adding white and some pattern fabrics to this collection..what am I making, you ask?  Well, I have NO idea!  It's busy work!  I get bored, remember!

I have also been looking at a few knitting patterns....this is a really cute sweater on Craftsy.com. 

I would knit this in a cream or white...isn't it cute!!
The reviews are mixed on the instructions...some say even an experienced knitter had a problem with them.  Then another person will say "no problem...well written"....hmmmmm  I think it's a chart which may have caused issues with some...I'll wait until we get to Florida and I may just try to order the pattern. 

And, I wish I saved the blog where someone posted a link for these adorable knitted rabbits!  Thank you whoever!  How cute is she!!!  They have pigs, elephants and rabbits...so adorable!  I am going to purchase a pattern or two. 

I 've gone to the Little Cotton Rabbits web site and to her blog.  This is a link to her Facebook page...and here is her blog and then all the patterns for her little animals! 

I say "her" because I didn't find her name yet!  But it doesn't matter...her patterns are adorable and from the reviews, instructions are spot on!

I will definitely be making a few of these while in Florida...well, that's my plan...if I have time between buds, art work, dinners out, and of course, my margaritas! 

Another Throw Back Thursday Post!

 I honestly don't remember when I made these knitted bags...but it was YEARS ago...a around 2008-2009.  I only know that date because that's about the time I purchased the book, Embeadery, by Margaret Ball.  Margaret had a section on beading a mandala.  Where I found the knitted purse pattern I have NO idea!  This is the first one I made. 

I used hand dyed fabric to line the inside. 

The color is really prettier in person.  It's a dark green yarn which isn't showing up well here at all. 

I used Berroco Suede yarn to make two of the purses.  I'm sure the pattern was by Berroco but I'm too lazy to search for it! 

This is the second one I made.  This one is more square vs rectangle shape above. 

You can see the beaded  mandala better in this picture.

They are all wrinkled from laying under some other boxes I had in the closet!  Oops..guess I need to pack them better when they return to the closet!

The yellow one was made with a fabric yarn but I don't remember the name.  As with the green purse, the yellow is really so much brighter than this picture...kinda poor beading pattern but I was just getting into this embeadery business!  HA

Again, hand dyed fabric for the lining.  You can see the yellow is trying to get brighter!  HA 

I have used these purses but it also has been years!  Not sure what I'll do with them!  We don't go anywhere dressed up to carry them...so guess they'll stay up in my closet (that's where I found them!  ha).  Just something else the kids will say, when I'm gone..."what the heck are these?"  HA HA

Packing Up

Well, it's that time...winding down and packing up!  I think I mentioned before on a previous post I am not taking as much this year - sewing or art supply wise.  (yes, that's is my salad shooter bottom right!  I need shredded carrots, zucchini for the girls dog food I make!  Too hard to chop so this comes with me to Florida!). 

My Florida bud, Susan, suggested that I DO take my sewing machine...I had mentioned in a previous post I was thinking of not taking it...so it is packed up but I don't think I will set it up as I usually do...until I need it!  I also have my ironing pad and pad I use for painting/printing on fabric.

This is what the car back seat and floor looks like normally!  This was last year. 

 I won't pack up the back seat until this weekend but you can see how much I packed last year! 

This is the middle floor in the back....I just keep putting items on the floor to reach the top of the back seat(s). 

The seats have space saver bags on them to raise up the seats.  Dog crates go on top of the bags so girls can look out!  Gotta keep them happy traveling too!  Kalee sits behind drivers seat and Gigi behind my seat.

The dogs are usually sleeping for the most part!  Well, with the exception of Kalee (above)...she doesn't want to miss anything!  HA

I  have the 'girls' dog bags all packed up.  They have extra collars, harness', medicines, shampoo, towels, rain coats (always rains in Georgia!) and booties (their feet get so dirty if they don't wear them when we stop).     Gigi is ready to go!!!

So at least two in our family is packed up!  HA  Bob and I don't pack our clothes until the day before we leave!  I pack up bedding/towels/instant pot and our printer...easy to do those before hand.  I guess after 13 years I have this packing down!    Or at least I should, right!

A project from the past.....

Everyday I head downstairs to let the girls out (deck/stairs are too icy this time of year to go out patio door)...anyway, I see this quilt often throughout the day, which I have folded on one of the chairs!  I thought I'd take a picture of it and share it's story. 

I started working on this in 2000 while taking classes at our local quilt shop.  It's made up of scraps!  Lots of scraps...I think the 12" blocks were part of our local quilt shop designs they gave us.  I don't remember back that far!  But it is a big bugger that's for sure!!! 

And the backing is an old sheet I dyed with tea bags!  What did I know back then!  HA

This is a picture of me hand basting it downstairs!  This was taken October 8, 2000!  You can see the date, which is reversed in the picture.  That's because it's on the iron on photo transfer paper (by Ami Simms - remember that paper you would take to the local print shop!).  I was going to put this on the back of the quilt label.

The flowers and leaves/stems are machine applique.  I do know some of the fabric is from a graduation dress I made for my daughter back in '84.  Good way to use up scraps..that's for sure.  I know it's not a very pretty quilt but it looks old!  Isn't that worth something! 

That dark blue is from her graduation dress.  It's in the quilt on several flowers...not a lot of contrast on these flowers, is there!

I was going to hand quilt it and I did start!  Hence, it still sits downstairs and isn't finished!  You can see some of the hand quilting...

 I do pride myself on finishing my quilts and my UFO pile is almost nil...but this bugger is still there...perhaps I'll take this UFO and finish it this next summer.  But it will be finished by machine! 

 I honestly don't even think about this quilt..other than looking at it and thinking...nice scrap quilt!  HA  Until then...it makes a nice blanket for Santa! 

A little bragging....

OK, I'm not bragging but maybe I am!  This is a picture of me before I walked the girls today.  It's only 30 degrees out, so I put on my ski pants!

Now here comes the bragging part.....these ski pants are from a hundred years ago!!!  OK, maybe not one hundred years ago but close.

BB (before Bob) I had a farm and I wore these to feed and clean stalls (during that time, I was raising and showing horses).  Now we're talking back in the mid 70's until the mid 90's.  Before that I wore them to ski in!!!  Now, to be honest, I didn't ski that much so they didn't get a lot of wear that's for sure.  But they still fit today!!! 

EXCEPT...do you notice how much I've shrunk!  Looks like I used to be a tad taller!  HA

Yes, Gigi is looking at me wondering what the heck I'm doing!  I'm just happy I still fit in the buggers and have something to wear dog walking...I may look a little strange to the neighbors. 

I don't think they make them like this anymore.  Most are more slim fitting but I don't care...they still fit!  HA

WASTE NOT...WANT NOT, right!

Winding Down

I know ya all are tired of hearing the sentence "I can't believe it's December already"...well, I can't either!  I feel like we just got home from Florida and now it's time to start thinking about heading south again!  I'm not complaining, honest, and I'm so grateful that we are blessed with having the friends in Florida who allow us to stay at their 2nd home!  BUT....I hate leaving our house...I am getting to be such an 'old lady'...I don't want to leave home!  HA 

At least I got the tree up before December!  I told MaryJo (our DIL) that it was their fault I was later this year.  They usually come up for Thanksgiving so I like to have the tree up.  They didn't make it up this year and  I put off decorating.  But, it's all finished now.

These are snowflake stencils I've had for over 27 years!!!!  Amber always teases me about putting these on the dining room/patio doors..but they've held up all this time!  HA  I do have other decorations up throughout the house. 

Display at the knit shop

I finished my 2nd shrug called Summer Night on Ravelry.  I saw this at our local knit shop and she made it smaller than the pattern.  I followed the pattern but using a different weight yarn so mine came out smaller too but I like it better.  That's why I made 2 of them!

This was the first one I made

And my latest one finished.

I'm thinking of making another sweater type shrug from Sally Melville's book written with her daughter.  It's the cape/shrug on the top right.  I made one in beige (go figure!)  with brown trim.  I have some yarn in a beige (I know...the same yarn as the two shrugs so, I might see if I have enough yarn to finish.  I bought two extra skeins in beige when I bought this latest yarn.  I wear this cape/shrug often with a brown top under it.  Looks cute!


I've also been working on the Christmas list...we have 13 to buy for (Bob and I don't exchange gifts) so there's a lot of thought process on what to give who!  Geeezzzz  Gets harder each year!  I want to make sure the kids get something they can use or want...it's getting more and more that gift cards to special places works best. 
So that's what I'm up to now!  I have some items already packed up for sewing and for dyeing/painting/etc. to take to Florida.  I've really cut back big time on what I'm taking this year.  But my BFF, Susan, from Florida did encourage me to bring my sewing machine.  I almost didn't......

Look what's in our own house!

Last month I did a post  talking about the talent around us.  In that post I showcased one of our neighbors who is a talented artist (you can see that post here).  Well, for some reason, I didn't even think about the talented hubby I have!!!  Bob painted back in the '80's and we have several of those  paintings hung in our house (along with my art quilts..HA). 

I thought I would showcase some of his excellent work!  I've tried to encourage him to get back into painting with oils but he said it made him a nervous wreck.  He is quite the perfectionist so I can understand how it would make him crazy!  But who knows...maybe when his golfing days are over he'll actually get back into painting!  My fingers are crossed! 

Hope you enjoy Bob's paintings as much as I have over the years.

I've always loved this simple oil painting of an apple.  It hangs in our dining/kitchen area so I get to look at it daily.

I  recently hung this picture in our bedroom.  It was hung up for several weeks before Bob even realized it was in the room!   Another painting I enjoy daily.

This is one of my favorites...the depth and colors are beautiful.  It hangs in our master bath.  So another daily painting I get to enjoy!

A closeup of the mountains.  Aren't they beautiful.  Even the sky is so natural!

This one hangs over the fireplace in our family room. 

This one is now in our work room where I dye/paint and where Bob does all his "Mr. Fix It" projects!

I didn't take a very good picture of this snow scene.  Love his water and the reflection.

Another winter scene....my favorite winter scene.

A closeup of the trees and water.  Bob is a pretty talented guy, isn't he!!! 

I have asked Bob to help me when I've been quilting portraits, which I don't do often!  I'm just not good at it but he's helped me out to show me shadows and depth I need to quilt to get the thread work just right.  Guess I'll keep him around another 27 years!

Honest, I'm still here!

This is always a busy time for me (and others!  HA)....not a lot of art work being produced but I will find time to knit....

or hand sew hex's (what else!)...I have two projects in the works...I get bored working in one colorway!  HA

Not sure what I'll do with these hex's...but it will be fun to have for a project, right! 

and I  played with a quick technique....my bud, Carol, gave me the current/winter copy of Cloth-Paper Scissors magazine.  She thought I'd be interested in the article by Birgit Koopson on Resist Gel-Plate printing.  Birgit has written posts for the Geli Arts blog as well as her own blog/magazines/etc. 

This are Birgit's results.....

And mine...not so great but it was fun to try....


This was just a picture of landscape from a Nat Geo magazine

This was a picture of a Tiger from Nat Geo...you can see some of his stripes on the right side and his whiskers!! 

Again, fun to try and who knows I might give it a go this winter and try printing on fabric.



This particular article was also on the Geli Art blog written by Birgit...you have to fast forward to get to the magazine transfer part but it's an interesting video. 





And I did bake for Thanksgiving dinner at my son's house, which was wonderful. Got to see and talk with Amber.  She was home for a few days from college.

I have finished a MAJOR project I've been working on over the summer/fall for a special Christmas gift...but I can't show it until after Christmas!  I am so happy with the results and can't wait to gift it!!!  So now it's time for decorations to be up, Christmas cards to mail, packing of my art supplies and time to shop for gifts!  I am behind with gifts this year but most will be getting gift cards....kids buy what they want so hard to surprise them!