It Makes me a Little Sad

I haven't posted much lately. I've been trying to figure out how to handle my new routine since hubby got his new job. At first I was sleeping fairly late because I wasn't sleeping much at night. This week I finally seem to be settling in to a more daytime friendly schedule. I've gotten up at 7 for the last couple of mornings and it feels right. I'm in bed by midnight, if I need to be or not. Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I don't. I think that's just an age thing and I'll probably get used to it a few decades from now when it finally stops.

I've been working on my projects for the Dallas Quilt Celebration that takes place March 12 - 14 at Market Hall in Dallas, Texas. I put a label on Rage, so it's completed and ready to send off.

I had lost the binding fabric that I had set aside for Happy, so I looked for it or the scraps from the quilt for about three days before totally giving up on them. After looking through every box of fabric that I own, I found three fabrics to try out for the binding. I picked one of them, that as it happened, I really like and I bound it. Then I put a label on it and a hanging sleeve. But -- I'm not happy with Happy any longer. She's wavy! I'm usually pretty careful with the technical stuff, but that wasn't my focus on this quilt. I was experimenting and playing with color -- with fabrics. I wanted to be free! I wanted to whack and sew. I pretty much did everything I wanted to do, but even as I did it, I thought I would end up with a quilt that would be technically fine also. I didn't pay any attention to straight of grain or bias although I'm pretty sure I didn't cut anything on the true bias, it looks like I didn't cut everything on the straight of grain either. It's not so off the straight of grain that it shows that it was done on purpose. It looks like an accident. Like a lack of skill. That's it. It should have been made more purposefully curved instead of haphazardly wavy. It looks like I don't know what I'm doing and I'm not happy with that look for the edges of my quilt. I still like the colors and layout and I like the binding I ended up with.

Now, I need to concentrate on the miniature quilt I'll donate to the live auction that will take place on the 13th during the show. I have one almost complete that I took the quilting out of because I didn't like the way it was looking and I have one that was barely started. I'm sure one will go to the show auction and then the other will be auctioned here on my blog for Haiti. I'll tell you more about that later.

None of this is what makes me a little sad though. I'm a little sad because Captain Phil Harris of Deadliest Catch died today. I like that show and I enjoyed watching him on it. I'll miss him.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 22

I didn't have the time or energy to post yesterday. First day I've missed posting all month, I do believe. I did have lots of art fun though. I went into Dallas and bought supplies to water color. I've wanted to learn to water color for so many years! I have signed up for a couple of classes over the years, but for one reason or another, it never happened. Now, I know nothing about water color, but I plan to jump in and paint anyway!

Then I went to my quilt class. It's really more of a sit and sew with good friends now. It was fun. It was relaxing. It was inspiring. I got the "Happy" quilt quilted. Or I thought I did. With the help of my friends, I decided to add more quilting to it, so I'm now nowhere near done, but it was fun when I thought I was finished. I know I'll like the quilt much more with the additional quilting on it too.

After all was said and done, I went to Barnes and Noble and got some magazines to feed my soul and need for art. After this post, I plan to sit in bed and read through them until I want to get up and sew or paint. If that doesn't happen today, it's OK. I'll be soaking up inspiration and getting some much needed down time.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 20

I did a little something different today for my art. I took a break from it. I went to a movie, at the theater. Haven't been in ages. This does not mean that I won't work on something later, but for now, I just let my mind go and experienced something through someone else. Kind of an artist's date, with my husband.

I went to see The Blind Side. I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this movie! It was funny. It was heartwarming. It made me want to meet the people it was based on because it was indeed based on real people and a true story. It made me want to be a better person. I can't remember the last movie that made me feel that! I puddled up a time or two, but I don't think everyone would. Even though my hubby classified it as a "chick flick" he liked it too. I found great pleasure in that fact and since he laughed many times out loud, he could not deny that he liked it.

After the movie, we went to the grocery store together. I hate to grocery shop, but it's much more enjoyable with a companion. I tried to get the things we would need through Thanksgiving. I truly hate to shop with huge crowds. I got my fill of that during our military days when the commissary was always packed. Anyway, one of the things I got was low fat crunchy peanut butter. I prefer the lower fat to the regular and we were out of crunchy. I splurged on croissants too. When I got home, I decided to make a peanut butter sandwich on a croissant. I thought it was great and a bit artful. My hubby thought I was slightly insane.

Tomorrow, I'll be going to Dallas to Quilter's Connection for a miniature class. It's more of a sit and sew that costs us $10 a month. We've been together forever and basically work on our own projects now. I'll take both of my quilts that I've shown you all recently. If I'm lucky enough to finish "Happy", I'll start quilting on the pecan quilt. I'll show photos when I return.

Later: I've been looking through bags of fabric and projects for things to take with me tomorrow. I found 5 completed miniature pineapple blocks. I remember that I did not have enough of the fabric to use the primary fabric in the other 4 blocks I wanted to make. I have fabric that I could use for whole cloth blocks or maybe I could do something else. Regardless, I'm excited about that project again. It's going with me and you'll be seeing it soon.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 19

I'm almost finished quilting "Happy". I'm at the point where I've had to add fabric to the edges to be able to continue to quilt in the hoop. The darker photo of the quilt is of the backing, showing the quilting I've done. My quilting on this quilt is not as fine (or small) as I normally like to quilt.




Unfortun-ately, the fabric in the top is more loosely woven than I'm used to. I like for my quilting to actually show in addition to it being small. I couldn't have both in this project. Smaller stitches hid in the fabric. So, I went with larger stitches.

I also finished up the stitches on my latest door hangers and made the braided hangers for each. In the next few days, I plan to sew them all together. I also need to make another mini for a gift exchange coming up soon.

This is a photo of one of the lady bugs that have invaded my bedroom recently. One woke me up the other day crawling all over my leg under the covers. It was a lot nicer feeling than when a scorpion wakes me in the same way. This little fellow helped me quilt for some time.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 18

I hand quilt my small quilt projects in a 14" hoop. I have a large hoop stand that I prefer to use, but it's really too big for something this small. Even if I added fabric to all four of the sides, it would still be awkward and uncomfortable to work on something this small in it. I think that may be why I made large quilts for so long.

Most of my quilts have been given away as gifts. I have many less quilts in my home than most quilters do. That's just the way it is. And now that I've finally, finally started to make art quilts, I may never make another large bed quilt again.

I don't know if "art" quilt is even the right term to use for my newest quilts. I know that they are totally my own creation. They are one of a kind, even if I use the quotes again, the fabrics will be different and more than likely the way it's quilted will be different also. Pattern will be different. I know that these quilts are creative and come from what I feel. Maybe that is an art quilt.

This photo shows me quilting on "Happy". I'm sitting at my sewing/computer table. My sewing machine can be been pushed to the side. The computer key board is under the quilt. If you look closely, under the light, you can see the door hangers I've been working on occasionally also. My needle threaders are on and near the sewing machine, along with various sewing paraphernalia. These are the things that make me happy.

Art Every Day Month -- Day 12

Today's art has been, what I consider, grunt work. I finished basting the two new art quilts. Then I picked out the embroidery floss that I'll quilt the "Thou shalt NOT steal pecans!" quilt with. I was lucky to have colors very similar to the fabrics, so that the kantha stitching will blend in and highlight the fabrics instead of taking away from the words written on it. Just what I planned on this one. Next I finished ripping out the hand quilting on Stormy Weather. After taking out the basting, it was a breeze. Wish I had started the ripping in that manner.

I've decided to try to machine quilt Stormy Weather. Since I'm too tired and head-achy to attempt machine quilting tonight, which I'm not very good at in the first place, I won't do that right now.

I want to hand quilt Happy (the orange and blue quilt) but I don't have the color thread on hand that I want to use. So, that one is out until I can get to a quilt shop or order some thread by mail.

That leaves the pecan quilt. I think I'll pull out some of the floss and get to work on it. I love kantha stitching. It's relaxing and fun. I'll show you the progress tomorrow.

A New Art Quilt

I think the top is done, but I'm not totally sure. There are three of the fabrics I purchased from Marcia Derse in this one. I'm debating names for it too. With any luck, I'll have it complete in time for Dallas Quilt Celebration 2010.