Painting the Drawers

Quilt!

My first time using the long arm at my Mother-in-Law's sewing room with F.

Me and G unthreading/detaching the quilt from the edge, after completing the quilting.

G exploring the new quilt. Its almost finished, we just need to bind the edges!

The story of this quilt is:

My MIL is the admistrator at a nursing home and was handed off these quilt squares. (This happens quite often to my MIL. Some treasure quilt squares and want them made into quilts and some do not. To each his own and that is okay. One person's trash another's treasure and so forth.)

 First I arranged the squares, then sewed together, added borders, and then quilted on the long arm. This fabric is vintage, says my MIL! There are bits that say: "Apple juice" and "Cream" among others.

When I find my favorite Holly Hobbie coloring page that was my pride and joy when I was 8, you will see how much this quilt matches that coloring page! I can't believe it! I told myself then that when I grew up I would have a quilt just like the one on my coloring page. Dreams come true.

Mosaic Table coming along

Here it is with the grout in place. Now we are going to make a frame and pour a sealant on top, not only to seal it but also to make it level.

I am working on painting the drawers and sides to compliment the top. This was an old abandoned broken sewing table, as you can see by the drawers.

A few close ups. It makes me happy when I catch a few words in there. "Made in Scotland" and "flair" are some.

Mosaic Table in Process

I'm sure I broke every dish. I like to break things. Every dish holds a story. This is for my Clay, who was broken and beautiful, but everything is for him now.

Wrap Around Skirt-Shirt

 My friend Mary, made a pattern for this wrap around skirt/shirt. Its a skirt and its a shirt! She made the pattern by seeing something like it, going home and cutting tissue paper and measuring and marking with her pencil like a regular seamstress. I came over with my vintage fabric that I purchased at one of Aunt Jill's annual yard sales. You have to call her an Aunt Jill because she makes you cookies and tells you that you are doing great and that type of thing. But I hope she will not be horrified that I cut up this beautiful fabric. Speaking of Aunt Jill, do you see that beautiful chair in the background? Mmmm-hmmm. From Aunt Jill's yard sale. I moved it all the way from Indiana because I love it so.

Anyway, Mary had me bring over my sewing machine to her magical house and she showed me how to iron things neatly and cut a pattern carefully. I pretended to help by picking up loose pieces of fabric and tissue paper off of the floor and organizing sewing notions so that she couldn't find where she put things down a few seconds ago. Then I sewed it together while she cheered me on and coached me from behind.

Lessons learned: My sewing maching has a seam ripper attached! Who would have thought! And one must learn to find a good relationship with the sewing machine. Do not fight it. Slow down. Find your center.

I have sewn before. I have even made a pattern before, but never very well and never beside such a beautiful friend as Mary. See my shoes? Also from a beautiful friend, Candi, who shipped them to me because they are my Dorothy shoes. Not red, but silver and sparkly. All I have to do to feel I am at home is click them three times. You know the rest.

Unicorn Sketch

Here are sketches for the unicorn painting, inspired by a night light from my Mother when I was around 10 years old and a birthday cake topper from maybe a 2nd or 3rd birthday, that have somehow survived until now.

Dad in a Turquoise Suit Coat

My dad is the one in the turquoise suit coat. This photo was in the brochure for this year's show at the Indiana State Museum. That was him last year, during the opening. Look how nicely he is appreciating the Art! I am so proud of him. I think if I painted a portrait of him, I would ask him to wear the turquoise suit coat.