Sunday, May 14, 2006

My Weekend

Friday's collage. Made up of those postcards that fall out of magazines, tracing paper, envelope lining, some ink. I kept it simple and stopped myself from going any further with additional materials or techniques.

My visit from the "past" with some of my crazy quilt embroidery (framed) got me to thinking about these unfinished pieces. This looks like interesting television watching work. Keep the hands and mind busy. (And out of the candy jar)

Kathy's cards (Marden's) got me hunting for my own stash of cards. I have to cut the square hole in the cards for the little quiltlet but why not. I made this tiny (2.5 by 2.5 inches) tulip for my card. I'm all about the dotz. Yesterday my daughter and I "hunted" for a cutting template for these squares in a scrapbook store, Joann's and Staples. Then we had lunch. Last night I tried to cut the squares with the tool we purchased. I'm returning it this week. I did better with a ruler and mat knife.

A commission quilt in progress. We have a set price and I am keeping track of my time and do not want to spend more than 10 hours on the whole process. So far, at four hours, we have this. She wanted something *exactly* ( don't you love that?) like the large jungle quilt I made for the library, with all the same animals. Of course, I had to re-draw them, freehand --smaller. And I had to make a REAL EFFORT to get the value thing down. So all my additions to the very busy background (made from the scraps of the original quilt) had to be either light or dark. No medium. Still have to topstitch all edges and make more leaves and flowers. The other tiger needs the rest of his legs and they both need faces. The giraffe needs a tail and those nobby things (horns) on his head. Everyone gets eyes at the end. The clock is ticking.

Editor's Note: I don't use WU. I cut and glue plain old fabric and it takes less time than ironing WU on the backs of all the fabric etc. Plus, the fabric feels like fabric. Not stiff.

Because I woke up Saturday with a terrible pain in my back which limited my activity to sitting, I finally got to read a book, Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews. This is a follow up book to her first novel (my favorite) Savannah Blues. It's a good read, for me, and has romance, junking, decorating and some cooking. What's not to like? She's also written "Hissy Fit" and "Itty Bitty Lies". My next read is "Don't Look Down" by Jennifer Cruisie and some guy. Not sure I'm going to like *tag team* writing but I'll give it a try. I now have a stack of five books to read--after what seems like months with nothing good to read. And I'm working every stinking day next week. What was I thinking??????? My husband purchased some of those "Therma Care" heatwraps for my back so I can get through my shifts at the library without crying. When I get home I can take two Aleeve and space out on the couch.

Today, it's not raining YET. Maybe we can plant trees (two)--I guess I'll be watching my husband plant the trees -- and for supper, at last, the homemade pizza I've been promising to make since Thursday. There's beer to go with the pizza! Happy Mother's Day!

1 comment:

kathy said...

I must have been zoned out these past few days because I've missed so many good posts from you and others. The cards are great and I love the dots too. I know about those cutters..like something from the dark ages? Big and heavy and push as hard as you can? Can't wait to see how long it takes you to do the jungle quilt...ten hours isn't that long when you add up design time, drafting time and THEN you get to touch fabric!