Working and Playing!

Yes, I still have to do laundry, cooking (instant pot mostly!), cleaning and grocery shopping while in Florida.   So it's a 'semi' vacation!  HA 

I did take some time out this week to do some fun things...met Marcia for lunch and walking around the town on Friday;  Saturday, Peggy and I headed to a local craft/art show and had a coffee at Barnes & Noble..both were nice afternoons! 

I also made some deconstructed screens last weekend so I can print some fabric...hopefully today!  Or another day this week!  Depends on how I feel. 

I'm happy with how the screens turned out and anxious to print with them. I soaked my fabric in soda ash water and its all ready to go.  I may even print on some small scrap pieces I have with me. 

I'm also over half way finished with my 'scarf from H_L_...ha...it really will be a nice addition to a blouse for fall or spring.  I only knit at night and with the fingering yarn it does take forever..especially when you rip out and start over!  HA

We did have a really nice dinner this past week with 'the gang'.  We ate at SKY restaurant which is a mixture of Asian Fusion dining.  Bob had Orange Chicken and I have Coconut Shrimp (10 of them!  And yes, I brought half home!). 

Food was quite good and atmosphere was really beautiful.  Another nice evening of dinner out with buds.  We had a round table which also added to the pleasant evening.  So much easier to talk to each other! 

Temps have been in the high 80s for over two weeks.  OK, I'm over it so let's get back to the low/mid 70's...that would be fine with me.  Although, I have to say, walking dogs at night hasn't been that hot.  I'm walking girls separate so we're all getting exercise! 

Tyvek 2 - Play Day Show and Tell

My last post showed a couple of us playing with Tyvek.  After all that burning we were pretty hungry, but Nancy fed us a delicious tuna salad and strawberries, along with Beth's fruit salad.  My contribution were cupcakes from Betty Cakes (yum!).  Then it was time for show and tell.  I'm just showing what the ladies brought.  The project I'm working on can't be posted so enjoy the show and tell from Nancy and Beth!

First up...Beth made both Nancy and I each a fiber covered journal!!  I love my journals and this one is just beautiful with the dyed/printed fabric and weaving Beth did.  And of course a chocolate sucker!!!  Thanks again, Beth!!!!!

This is Beth modeling her felted Calley Lilly rope/scarf.   She also beaded the center of the Lilly!!

This is a needle/sewing case Beth made using her own dyed/painted fabric.  And check out the beading she did to enhance the fabric! 

This is the inside where she added bugle beads.  I thought I had a picture of the back of the bag but guess not.  It's just as pretty with all the beading as the front.

And another journal Beth made (back side has a butterfly on it too).  She used oil pastel crayons to color the butterfly and fabric.

Another journal Beth covered with fabric.  This one she bleached the fabric over a stencil. 

And this is the back of the journal!  Isn't it adorable!!!  I'm impressed with the clean lines Beth got over the stencil. 

This is a book Beth also brought.  I'm not familiar with Valerie's work but will check her out.
















Next up is Nancy and what she's been up to this past few months!  Talk about fabric being an inspiration!  Actually, this pic is upside down!  But the fabric is so awesome I don't think it matters!  Nancy stamped, dyed, painted and did shibori just to name a few techniques to create these pieces.  They are hung on a design wall in her wonderful studio.  Talk about inspiration!!

Check out Nancy's shibori pieces.  I think they are wonderful.  Something about black and white!

These are some deconstructed screen printing Nancy did last winter.  They too are stunning. 


















Nancy's current project.  There will be a large sunflower added onto this background.  I love the colors!

This was a 'kinda' what I call crazy quilt Nancy was auditioning sashing on.  I think the black is outstanding for this piece! 

Hope you enjoyed my two buds show and tell!!  So nice to be inspired by your friends!

Tyvek/Play Day 1

This past Saturday Nancy, Beth and I got together to play with burning Tyvek.  We used Lynda Monk's process from her book Fabulous Surfaces.  You can see on this post that shows how I've used tyvek in my art work, which was quite different from Lynda's process.  But it was still a fun day.  We learned quite a bit and the ladies created some cool pieces!  Enjoy day 1 - Day 2 will be show and tell from the ladies!

My samples - fabric tyvek on left - paper tyvek on right

I used acrylic paint on paper tyvek and Procion dyes on fabric tyvek

Nancy painting tyvek

Beth painting tyvek bubble envelope - didn't burn!  Good test!

More of Nancy's painted tyvek paper

Beth getting ready to burn tyvek

Nancy burning away!

Beth's burnt piece!  She ironed different painted strips.

Nancy's painted tyvek.  Cool!

Hard to see but I stamped and rolled Gesso on my piece

Another of my pieces with foiling and burnt tyvek fabric

Nancy's tyvek with foiling on borders

More of Beth using pieces of tyvek

Another of Beth's burning!

A great piece by Nancy!

More of Nancy's finished pieces!

All in all we had a great day and great tuna salad provided by Nancy!  Of course, dessert was waiting for us too!  Next post will show some of the work ladies have done!

Handy Sewing Tools

This past weekend, Susan and I headed to the Suwanee Valley Quilt shop.  While there I mentioned to Susan that I had the 3 1/2 inch forceps they had for sale.  Only difference, Bob bought them for me at Harbor Freight!  And they were  only $2.99!

In fact, I like them so much I have two pair and we bought a pair for my bud back in Michigan.  They are great to use for pulling heavy threads through projects or even to use in your beading! 

So while looking at the forceps, I also looked for a leather thimble.  I keep forgetting to pick one up at JoAnn's.   Last year, my online bud, Mary Stori, had a post on leather thimbles.  I forgot all about the one I had and so I looked in my needle bag and sure enough there was the little bugger.  I forgot how much I liked using it!   Hence, I've been using it whenever I'm working on my hex's or sewing on bindings. 

 Well, you can see by the pics below how worn it is!  So I bought one while at the quilt shop!   $4.99 not that bad.

So while looking at the forceps, I also looked for a leather thimble.  I keep forgetting to pick one up at JoAnn's.   Last year, my online bud, Mary Stori, had a post on leather thimbles.  I forgot all about the one I had and so I looked in my needle bag and sure enough there was the little bugger.  I forgot how much I liked using it!   Hence, I've been using it whenever I'm working on my hex's or sewing on bindings. 

 Well, you can see by the pics below how worn it is!  So I bought one while at the quilt shop!   $4.99 not that bad.

It may take awhile to break it in but I'm glad to have a new one!  Thanks, Mary, for the post back in 2016!

And last but not least!  If you're in the market for a new quilting ruler you have to get one of these!!!  They are made by Quilters Select and they are wonderful! 

I was gifted one by my bud, Carol T. back in Michigan for my birthday and it's one of those gifts that 'keeps on giving'!!!  It has a unique non-slip surface that really is non-slip!  It's wonderful!  I have used it so often and just told Bob I need to buy some other sizes.  Hint, hint! 

Happy Valentine's Day

So this year instead of making 50 Valentine fiber cards, I decided to take a tip from my friend, Mary A., back in Michigan!  I turned Betty Boop into a postcard!  Yes, it was cheating but gave me a year off  and refreshed my brain for next year!

I made Betty back in 2011 (you can read about her here).  At the time, we had a yearly exhibit called Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational and that year's theme was Art of the Kitchen.  I found a coloring page of Betty and thought it was perfect!   Yep, there is beading on this piece (post link above shows closeup). 

I  gave this quilt to one of my Florida buds, Betty, who I met at the Warped Weaver's group we were both in.  Betty is a Betty Boop fan and has been called Betty Boop from time to time.  so I'm glad my Betty has a good home with Betty!

And Happy Valentine's Day to you all! 

Inspired by the Masters Exhibit

Jane Dunnewold's latest email newsletter has a really interesting YouTube link for The exhibition, Inspired by the Masters, which opened at the Texas Quilt Museum this month.  It is now available for viewing. 

 It's a rather long video but so, so interesting!  Jane purchased over 100 crewel, embroidery and hand stitched pieces that she has incorporated into textile works of art! Fascinating!!!  ENJOY!!!

A friend's show and tell

I mentioned in my last post I had some buds up to do beading.  One of the ladies, Beth, brought some great show and tell for us!  So I guess I could have called this post BETH's Show and Tell!  Beth was playing with layering some 'ugly' fabrics (her name for them!) using stamping and stenciling.    I think they are each unique . Sit back and enjoy the show!

Beth carved the leaf stamp she used in this piece.

This was stenciling on top of stamped work

Colors are great on this 'ugly background.  How cool is this!

This is a quilted piece Beth did a few years ago.  It's fabulous in person!  She added all the beads by hand.

This is another stamped fabric Beth sewed on to the front and back of this bag.

 The center piece was discharged with a tree stencil, paint added and Beth made all the beads and attached to the black bag.  Some of the beads were given to her and some she made.  Cool!

This was a Cyano fabric Beth stenciled.  It is so crisp and just beautiful!



Hope you enjoyed seeing some of Beth's work!