die, adjust or migrate

Where have the days gone?

I haven't written for awhile. I would love to say that I have been very busy with an assortment of exciting events but....really it has just been the regular, ordinary days of my life that have been keeping me from the computer. Here are a few photos from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

 

Can you say ironic?
 
 
 

We had some snowy days a couple of weeks ago. Thank goodness the snow is gone now.
 
 
 
 These last two are the blankets and bags (with donated handmade teddies) that I sent off to CraftHope for mothers in Haiti.

Not very much to say...

except that I have nearly completed two bags for CraftHope and will try to make a third one before sending them off. My camera is dead so I can't show you pictures...yet!

Also, had a lovely day with my friend, Carol. A pre-birthday (mine) lunch and then making jewelry using a kit she got at the bead show in Tucson. So fun!!!! Will take photos of it asap as well. Oh, and my mailed thank you card to Carol puts me at 3 pieces of mail hand written and 49 to go!

UFO's in 2011

 I have been going through all of the projects in my house that are in various stages of completion. I said almost a month ago that I was going to work on finishing up projects this year and I meant it. I am hoping to finish 11 (one for every  month left) but would love to get even more done.

I don't know about you but I have lots of interests. I start one thing and then learn about something else. Well, the something else is always so interesting that I can't wait to start doing it. So, I leave project 1 and start on the new project until....I learn about something new and the cycle starts again. Now, I don't do this with everything but I have enough unfinished projects that I feel like they are cluttering my space.

Here are the projects I have found so far that I want to finish. Most are actually sewing projects (some started and left, others never going past the buying the pattern stage), a couple are painting projects plus an assortment of other things.

 
 I have the fabric for this trench coat. It is water resistant and a much nicer teal than the picture shows. I haven't started it yet because I have been mulling changing the collar. Of course, knowing how well I do at altering patterns, I probably should just leave it as is and add embellishments with ribbon flowers or something.
 
 
 
 

All four of these patterns make my heart go pitter-patter. They are the kind of clothes that I wish I could find off the rack but never do. Clothes that are interesting and unique. The third one is going to be done in a tangerine linen with a silk inset in the back (I have the fabric tucked away somewhere!) Not sure yet what fabric the others will be made out of - I am leaning towards linen blends or raw silks. Once I get sewing these will come together pretty quickly. I will probably start on these during Spring Break in March. Two weeks and a sewing machine. Can hardly wait!
 
This purple skirt was once my mother's. She wore it back in the 50's. I have been altering it. I did okay until I got to the waistband. I tried it twice and both time it sucked. Maybe third time will be the charm?

 
This is going to be a Christmas tree skirt. It is made from an old red wool coat of my mother's and a green wool skirt. I tried to do it without a pattern. Note to self: Always use a pattern! So, it is not exactly round!!!! I need to take it apart, create a pattern, recut, resew and then embellish it. Maybe by Christmas 2011?!?!

 
I've talked about this project before. I am determined that it will not sit in its small suitcase for another year!

 
This one shouldn't be too hard to finish. I want to turn it into a prayer box. I will fill it with my wishes for myself and others.

 
This one will be hard to finish. It is a painting I started when my Dad died. I was literally at the art store the day after he passed buying supplies. Some people cry, some clean, some stare into space. When I grieve, I make art. I have some ideas about what I want to do but have been stuck for awhile. Of all the UFO's this one is the nearest and dearest to my heart.

 
This is a set of 9 small canvases. Each one 3x3 in size. They were once another UFO which I finally gave up on finishing and painted over in black. Now they have sat like this for a couple of months. What will they be? One piece of art? 9 pieces of small art? Hmmmm...the possibilities have me frozen in indecision.

 
This lady has been in a semi state of decoupage for at least 2 years. My hubby brought her home to me one day (I told you before that he is a crow and always finding me interesting things!) I started decoupaging her with old pattern pieces but then wasn't sure that I wanted that look for her. So, she has sat like this in my studio ever since. I think it is about time that I give her some closure. Don't you?

Well, there are so many more UFO's that I could show you but those will do for now. I was only going to choose 11 but there are 12 there. Do you have any UFO"s sitting around? I am pretty sure that you do. I mean, what artist doesn't? Why don't you join me in cleaning out some of those UFO's from your studio space? Come on. It is just like exercising. You dread it until you are doing it and then are so glad you did!

My New Discovery

I have been using my Pfaff again. I got it years ago but have pretty much stuck with my old 1982 Kenmore because the Pfaff kept getting the thread tangled. After two $80 bills for 5 minutes of a technician's time detangling thread from the innards of the Pfaff, I gave up and put it away.

But then my trusty Kenmore decided to stop winding bobbins. Not wanting to pay to have it serviced, I pulled out the Pfaff and used it instead. It has been working great and I feel like I just got the gift of a new sewing machine all over again.

So, yesterday, I discovered that my Pfaff has a free motion foot. Yippee!!!! I have been wanting to try this out for ages. I was intrigued by the technique when looking at Ruth Rae's site and her amazing poetry stitching. 

So, today, I played. I cut out a bunch of felt leaves in three shades of green and two of red (you can't see it but there is a dark green on the far left side:

 

And then I randomly sewed them together like this:

 

I am not done yet and am discovering that felt leaves do not necessarily like to keep lying flat BUT I am hopeful that it will come together in the end to turn into a table runner of sorts. I saw this idea on someone else's blog (wish I could remember who so that I could give them credit where credit is due). Hopefully, it will grace my table on Boxing Day when my girlfriend and her husband come for breakfast with their daughter. I will post the finished product when I get there.