My Little Wall

I arrived at the location for the Open Studios right on time. We were each given a "wall". An 8ft by 4ft space. I crammed everything into it that I could. I would like to add another table to my area, and some signs saying who I am. It doesnt look too bad. There weren't very many artist setting up today. There were two painters, and the woman next to me does printing on paper. Interesting stuff. The newspaper photographers were hovering around the few of us that were setting up. I'm really hopeing that I wasnt making weird faces or cursing too much as I attempted to use my husbands power drill to screw in wood screws.

Still working on the Mary Quilt

Im still plugging along on the Mary quilt. I added alot of beads and things to around the face, i now want to do some crazy quilt like stiching on the background. Meanwhile, I am still going to put it up for the Open Studios.

These beads are just under Mary's dress. I might add more dangling beads to other parts, but not in black, in the pastel colors. Funny thing i noticed today while packing up this quilt and one of my first quilts (i like to bring it when i go places, i thought i would cover my fold up chair with it.) the colors and fabric patterns in my first quilt are almost the same fabrics that are in the Mary quilt. So 20 years later my fabric choices have run full circle. Hopefully my taste in clothing wont go back to the 1980's too!

Last minute work

Well, being the Queen of the last minute, I am working hard to finish up all my pieces for the Open Studios. I have two days right?! plenty of time! I have to set up most of the work today and was feeling very good about it, untill I recieved a message with a list of all the things I should bring. Now I am nervous. I just want to survive the show and maybe get a few good job head nods.

Here is one of the pieces that i will be displaying. I made it a year or so back, but it has never been seen. I have a morbid fasination with cemetaries. Always have.

And for a change of pace, here is Rainbow Swamp. Another older piece, but never shown. I did have to rebind this piece, i had tried something new with a binding years ago and it has always looked terrible. i finally got around to fixing it.
This is the Wood Witch. You might remember the face from a few posts back. This is where she ended up. She is not as washed out in person. I actually added alot more paint and darkened her up from the last time she was shown on this blog.
This is a little piece I made for my husband's birthday. I features a stone he cut for me in the uppper left hand corner. The right side of the quilt is a close up look at the stone. Well, that is it for now, I have alote of packing to do and have to get to the site tonight to set up. Ill post photos of the set up when i get it together.

Journal Quilts returned

I just received my journal quilt back from Houston. I like somethings about it. But over all, not my favorite piece. I do like parts. The quilting is ok, the little circles and stiching i like. I dont like the words, or the skull. I liked it when it left here. Funny how one's view and direction changes so much in a year. Live and learn.

Painting the house

In the last few weeks, i have painted most of the trim of my house, painted a new table and the bookcase in my kitchen. My daughter has been watching and waiting patiently..... then she struck. "Mom, since you are painting things, how about painting my doll house". (please visualize, big blue puppy dog eyes). Sure. I bought this wooden doll house 8 years ago at a tag sale. The owner was mad, because her kids had decorated the entire house with crayons. So i scrubbed the crayons and primed it, it sat and sat in just a primed state until now. So here it is. All painted up. And yes, i know the deer is on the second floor, the first two floors are removable and she sometimes either just uses the top two floors or puts the other ones to the side. We have decided that there is a deck up there and he can jump to it!

Back to school, back to work.

It's that time of year, all the kids are heading back to school. I have three heading out. Chris, who is in 5th grade, Josh and Jessica who are both in 2nd grade. I have only one job lined up so far. I have to show up to teach music on Monday. So the rest of the week is mine to do what I have to get done, just as long as those three people don't get in my way. Now I don't mean my little darlings, I'm talking about ME, MYSELF and I. Terrible procrastinating beings that find excuses to do anything but what they are supposed to be doing. I can hear them now.... Clean the house, finish painting the porch, don't you have email to answer, what about going to the market, what's for dinner? I have to tell them to just step back. If i want to get all my quilting done, I have to approach it in more of a business manor. GET IT DONE.

Well, my little housewife can get her work done. I added the laundry basket and hanging dresses. I like it. Its a bit of a departure from my more dark subjects.

This is my Pair of Pears, just another fun piece. Looks like crap on the computer screen, I swear its much nicer in person!

This is a close up of the ribcace for the split personality quilt. There will be alot more stiching. Now i have to get my full body quilt started... I have put this one off for way to long. NO MORE PROCRASTINATING!

My new table

Freecycle is a wonderful thing. I recieved this wonderful tredle machine last weekend. It has been out in a barn or in a shed or something, and was looking a bit shabby. I removed the sewing machine and added a thin plywood top to the existing top (remember the top has a hole in it for the machine!). I painted it the light olive color on the top and left the drawers and metal work as is. I really like the look of it on my porch.