Trees 2012

Perched nearby the computer is this creative nudge

"Go to your studio and make stuff"

little snippet courtesy buddy Eliza

(the card from Fred Babb at stumptownartstudio.org)

Last year about this time I was constructing 3D trees

Looks like I'm making trees again this year!

Starting with batik'ed fleece from SewBatik.com,

 randomly strip-pieced together on a felt background.

Then I tested out many of the built in machine embroidery stitches with variegated rayon threads.

(The resulting back texture is interesting all by itself!)

Cut the triangle tree shapes

Added a quick trapezoid for a tree trunk and stitched around the edges.

Voila!

A forest of cheerful trees.

There.

I made stuff.

All Day Thrifting - Thrift Share Monday

Blue's Clues water toy, Winnie the Pooh latch hook kit, Mickey n Minnie corn holders

Saturday was a 6 thrift shop, all day treasure hunting excursion!

Daughter along - so bright character items came home too.

Tablecloths: Yellow and purple flower mod , pulled work white linen, bright floral Japan

Several big tablecloths turned up too. The white linen pulled work cloth is gorgeous - haven't found a stain on it yet, surprisingly. 

Anchor Hocking Garden Meadows oval plate, Sylvania Magic Cubes, Shiny Brite ornament box

Tucked inside that vintage Shiny Brite ornament box were these Sylvania Magic Cube flash bulbs. Remember them? Instant 70's nostalgia. The Anchor Hocking Garden Meadows plate is in lovely condition. 

Mystery teapot, Royal Adderley tartan cup/saucer, Royal Albert flower of month November mug

I recognize this teapot design but there are no marks and I'm drawing a complete blank. Help me i.d. this if you can. (My eyes are blurred from scanning 1000's of teapot images on ebay!!

We always grab the 25cent silverplate items in the silver ware tubs. There's knowledge learned researching every item!!

Fun nibbles were available at several of the thrifts celebrating their birthday's or other events.

Birthday cake - italian pastries from neighboring businesses - sips of cider.

Did we find anything we're keeping?

Sure!

A Monty Python DVD set for me

a creativity notebook and prompt card set to share with my Odd Tuesday creative group

and Pokemon vintage game gear for the daughter.

(She's so proud of picking the Nintendo Game Boy Color and the Pokedex out of 50 cent grab bags!!)

Intending to share today with:

Apron Thrift Girl

Flea Market Finds

Penny Worthy Project

Wednesday morning Quarterback

Bag Imperfections

 I was glad to  finish something yesterday, having had trouble with starting, let alone completing, ANYTHING creative lately. Imperfections be danged - let me complete SOMETHING!!

And now the Monday Wednesday Morning Quarterback-ing begins.

(Of course)

Hand Stitched Edge Finishes - Embroiderer's Guild lessons

I'm scarred-for-life (KIDDING!!!)
with the lessons learned in details from The Embroiderer's Guild.

It does make me painfully aware of what I can do when I focus and allow myself the time to work.

I've not let myself time for either lately!

Strap enhancement

 But anyway -

Two things bother me about the bag construction

1) The tucking/pinching at one of the corners - simple to remedy with more pinning during stitching to ease in excess fabrics.

2) The rumply, bumpy handle.

Strap top view

 This morning after school dropoff (and before I head out for a run) I had a go at the strap leftovers from yesterday.

Strap edge view

A bit of overlocking has tamed the lumpy bumpy edges.

It's a more finished appearance.

And done with relative ease.

I like that!!!

(Ignore the cat hairs - Dewey slept on the pieces last night!!)



Wishful Thinking Tote

Forgive me the garish background

it was conveniently available

Repurposing textiles today

This time it's the never completed crewel embroidery kits

(hence the Wishful Thinking name for this tote)

These were someone else's kits - found at thrift for 50 cents each.

Inside lined with cleaned yet use-stained embroidered tablecloth segments.

And the handles cut from "tourist textiles"

those weavings often sold on the docks of cruise ports in the Caribbean.

Sweet!!

World Quilt Show Florida - Drawn to Details

Sally Scott - Towards Infinity - South Africa

Managed to wrest a visit in to the World Quilt Show in West Palm Beach,

 somewhat reluctant pre-teen in tow.

(Read that as 5.2 seconds per quilt between whiney noises.)

The lighting in the convention center was typically poor for capturing good photos of these quilts, yet some of my images are passable!  My flickr slideshow here.

I was drawn to texture details yesterday.

Sally Scott's work (above) using zigzagged cording in bold color combinations  - a technique I have some affinity with!

Melyn Robinson - Sabratha - United Kingdom

Melyn Robinson's method of zigzagging over yarn then applique by hand in the spaces formed, beautiful!

This muted colorway is one I relate to the UK. Not sure if it's a memory trigger from colors my relatives use in their homes, or if it's happenstance. It feels softly unusual to my technicolor Florida trained eyeballs!

Irene MacWilliam - You Can't Put Hole Where A Hole Don't Belong - United Kingdom

Color plus texture in Irene MacWilliam's quilt above. The layered swiss cheese effect with big stitch circles - effervescent!

Fumiko Tanabe - Square Dance - Japan

Fumiko Tanabe's ruffle-y F yo-yo's - some type of square yo-yo's with which I am unfamiliar. Engineer brain is mulling about the construction process every time I look at it! She attributes the F Yo-yo to Mrs. Chuck Nohara.

(Do you make a topless cube in fabric then gather in the edges???)

Joanne Reigh - Kaleidoscope of Hearts - Canada

Color was the draw on Joanne Reigh's applique entry as well as the handwork scrolling tendrils stitched on each square. (Full quilt image on my slideshow)

Greit Lombard - Block-a-Day Therapy - New Zealand

Certainly one of my favorites of the day - Greit Lombard's hand and machine stitched squares joined by herringbone stitch. I'm very impressed if these are truly one-a-day creations. How many hours sat per square???

Pre-teen survived the quilt show torture session - whines were minimized after food consumed (chicken gumbo got a thumbs up, chicken salad sandwich a bit salty)

And some retail therapy in the vendor booths when a yard of anime/manga figured fabric was discovered in amongst other Japanese fabric offerings - and she had allowance left - mood was lifted!!

Then on seeing this quilt she said she'd like to take an image in to her Civics teacher...

Shirley E Kerstetter - Presidents of the U.S. of America - United States

A 10 year labor of love - featuring a NEEDLEPOINT (and small count canvas, too) portrait of each president. The maker is 82 years old and says she has room at the top to add any more presidents she may be around for.

Astounding.

Beautiful.

A cheery hello to those linking in from Craftgossip.com today.

Thanks, Denise!!

Six dollars later...Thrift Share Monday

In aqua and red, a cheerful Fire King Stuckey's Coffee Club mug.

Milk Glass in that stackable form -  nostalgic galore!

The bulk of spending on this display shelf unit with pierced ends and photo slots. Previous owner quickly sprayed it red - I think we'll quickly spray it robin's egg blue!!

I wonder what product it originally promoted? Soaps? Lotions? Food stuff? Scrapbooky stuff?

Small and sweet Georges Briard bent glass tray/dish.

And a perky pair of bichon frises salt and pepper shakers - Blue Witch designs.

Just a bit of thrifting this week - more things for using than for resale. The shelf for our daughters room (all things manga/anime go on there soon) and (not pictured) a Farberware Percolator for my nostalgic coffee addiction.

Sharing this week with:

Apron Thrift Girl

Assisi Work Pincushion

Yesterday, Nick in Australia blogged about rescuing an old assisi-work pincushion at an estate sale.

Beautiful work on that pincushion - with lovely bobbly bits at the corners.

(Good story too - go have a read!!)

And doncha'-know I had an old assisi-work linen hand towel sitting in the 'probably should donate' pile. So I set to work trimming off the bottom part and stitching sides together and across the top.

Stuffed and then squinting in the quasi-light of a 15 watt CFL bulb proceeded to grumble my way through tying the bottom with little tassels and twisting a cord for the top.

Yep - keeping floss on those little bobbins "irons in" the creases.

I'll need to do some wetting and flattening to get the threads to look less like tangled 'morning hair'.

Still - not too bad for a instantaneous finish.

(Here's the glamor shot with the blue background - oooooo)

Back's almost matching up too.