Family Pic Time!

I just have to  share some family pics!  First off, look at how big Rilynn (great grand daughter) is getting!  Is she a little beauty or what!  Grandma MaryJo got to hold and hug her while her parents had a date night this weekend!


I sure know what a wonderful feeling it is to be a grandma for the first time....and for the 2nd time and even having those 'bonus' grands!  It's a wonderful relationship to embrace!

MaryJo took a picture of Rilynn laying on the quilt I made her!!  How sweet!!!!  Thanks, MJ!!  Just love seeing how this beautiful baby is growing!!
















Next is my daughter and grand daughter this past weekend.  Sienna Heights girls Lacrosse team played three games on Saturday at Grand Valley (GVSU).  It was a bit breezy to say the least!!   The team won 2 out of the 3 games!  So proud of Amber and her dedication to this sport.  Go Saints!

When I'm in my dye room playing with my 'toys', the girls are always with me.  Normally, Kalee lays in the bed and Gigi lays by the sliding door next to my table looking for birds in the yard!  This past week, I couldn't find Gigi until I looked at their dog bed!  Hard to see at first, but there are two dogs in there.  And there's another bed next to this one!!

I was walking Kalee and Gigi and a neighbor  had just put out a Halloween decoration and the girls just had to stop and stare!!!  So funny!!

Woodpecker beading project, continues

I posted last week a woodpecker quilt my friend, Mary, finished.  You can read about the history behind the  woodpecker project here.   

This is the picture of the woodpecker, I'm working from. 











I've been beading in between working on my daughter's table topper (post here).  I dye painted the bird using thickened dyes.  After beading, I'll cut out and stitch down on a quilted background.

I started to outline the bird and filling in when I have time in between the topper.

I actually filled in the beak but I wasn't happy with it so what to do..............

Yep...it's called unbeading....my first issue was when I dye painted the bead, I didn't put a point at the end...so when I was beading, I just followed the paint.  I was using size 11 delicas and I switched to seed bead #15's.

I'm still not totally happy with his beak so it might get 'unbeaded' again!  I'll wait until I'm ready to cut the beading out and applique down.   It will be easier then to get the point for the beak. 

In between, the topper project and woodpecker project,  I've just watched our lesson from last Monday this past weekend.  We're in the process of 'drawing and composition'.  Drawing isn't my strong suit by any means, but I have to say Hilary is making is actually fun to do!









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I have some more drawings I'm working on then I'll be coloring/shading each piece.  That should be fun!


This past week was our library book sale so I was busy helping set up from Tuesday thru Thursday then working the book sale on Saturday afternoon.  Lots of work but we had a good turn out and made some money, which is good for the needs of our small library.   Now to get back to my art work!

Unbeading...is that like unsewing! YEP!

Working away on my beading and finally remembered that I wasn't using my hoop!  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't!  In this case I needed to be using a hoop!  I could see the piece was started to pucker.  Not real clear in this photo but trust me...it was...I think the next picture shows it better.





So, after adding some material to all four side so I can place my piece in a hoop, I started to 'unbead'!

So, after adding some material (yellow fabric on top left edge) to all four side so I can place my piece in a hoop, I started to 'unbead'!



What fun!  NOT!  Although, the beads come out easily, it's all the little threads that are a pain to get rid of!  HA







So now I'm back using the hoop and enjoying the process.

Something for me to do when I'm not packing up to head back home!!!  We leave on the 28th so I need to get busy!