UFO's

I just spent a few days with my sister and her family in Northampton, Mass., an interesting and unique town. But while I was there we decided to do a joint knitting project for our father's 80th birthday. We're each going to make one sock. Talk about interesting. Interpreting directions in our own particular style. He won't care if they don't look exactly the same, as long as they keep his feet warm.

Tricia decided to pull out her old knitting projects and I have to tell you, I felt more than a little glee at her unfinished projects, because, well, I have my share as I know many others do too.
The baby sweater was done, (so close to done!!), a while back. She didn't say how far back, but my guess it was at least 9 years ago. She calls it the sweater for the "baby with gorilla arms", which may be why she never completed it? The stripey blue mitten was for nephew Ian, who is now 24, started when he was maybe 9 or 10 I'm guessing. The solid blue is for nephew Stephen who turned 22 this year. Same story.

Need I say anymore about why she's only making one sock for dad's birthday?

Happy Valentines Day

We spent the night in Portland last night and woke up to a town decorated by a secret Cupid:

All the shop windows along Commercial Street in the Old Port were decorated, as well as
a big heart hanging from the roof of the Museum of Art,

a symbol of love in the window of the Children's Museum, and


love at Starbucks. Even our cups had pretty red hearts on them.

I can't say I get excited about Valentine's Day, but I do love hearts. And here are some more for you.


Hope you could spend the day with someone who means 'love' to you.

Walking

Every afternoon I try to get out and walk for an hour. Sometimes I walk along the road, but in the winter there's too much to explore. I'll be walking along the road and suddenly a snowmobile trail will shoot off across a field and disappear into the woods. Hmmm. It's like discovering a whole new world that was there all the time. And quiet. In Julia Cameron's book, Vein of Gold, she talks about walking meditation. It's just that, meditating while moving. I've solved a lot of design problems on this deserted narrow gauge railroad bed, leaving some work or another on my design wall in exchange for a breath of fresh air. I always come back refreshed and calm. A bit tired sometimes, but always a bit better than when I walked out the door.

Photo EZ

I've had this in my fridge for a while, quite afraid to use it...silly me. It's SO EZ! It's also expensive and I didn't want to waste it since I had no design in mind to try, but when I saw this leftover fennel frond sitting on my counter, it seemed like just the right thing to try it out on. Silkscreening has never been easier. I remember using time intensive and chemical-ly intensive materials in the past and never wanted to go there again. Follow the directions carefully and it's a piece of cake.
All you do is put your design, which can be printed on a transparency or regular piece of paper ("developing" times vary depending on which you use) on top of the film, sandwich it between plexiglass, and stand in the sun. If you can find some. Soak the film for 10 minutes in water and that's it. Ready to use.

She'll soon be 5....

..and will have a new dress to wear. As long as it's not TOO pokey, TOO itchy, TOO tight, or TOO buttony..too buttony?

Hot Cookies

Care to join me on this beautiful Sunday afternoon?

Surrounded by Beauty

And No School!

Photoshop 101

This is just me playing, not part of my class. I do like the idea of laying text on a background though. It gives the boring words a little kick in the butt. I can see at least three things I could improve next time...well, maybe more. Learning curve is BIG on this venture.

Sign seen during recent N'oreaster

ayuh.

Cousins

What could be better than three girls cousins waking up together after a great Christmas party the night before?!

Three postcards sent as a series, taking the idea from my good friend Deborah.

Red and Green

I've been working on something a little different for me. A small break from all the birds that are taking over my mind. I found inspiration by accident, at a local gallery in Portland. It was a full sized quilt, hanging on the wall, twenty large red squares with circles of green moving out from the center circle. Like a pebble dropped in the water. They were all machine sewn and mostly from solid fabrics. But it was red and green, complimentary colors that I think have gotten a bad rap. Christmas colors. But they are stunning together. You SHOULD be able to look at them and not start singing 'here comes Santa Claus' under your breath.
Random cuts, raw edge applique, hand sewn with embroidery floss. I think I'll sew them together without lattice and then machine quilt the red parts somehow.
My colors are a bit washed out, but you get the idea. This handwork is very relaxing, done while listening to Barbara Kingsolvers newest book, The Lacuna. A great read from a master wordsmith.

Bunnies

Made from a damaged quilt found at a local salvage store. They're multiplying. The little pocket in front will hold a small handmade journal soon. Hopefully.

Peg Bag

Made from old linens and hung from an antique wooden hanger. Cross stitch was already there. I know somone who will really appreciate this.

Vegetable Bags

I received a huge box of old linens from a friend who was on her way to Goodwill with them. Hand towels, napkins, tablecloths. I shared some with friends and then started using some to make bags like this. I sewed one of those green plastic bags inside, but then realized the limitations of that so next time no bag. Green bag can go inside pretty cotton bag, then the outside bag can be washed if needed. I also noticed Soulemama has made some cotton bags to store her homemade bread in. Today, another project and hopefully tomorrow, pictures.

Okay, Deborah. your turn.

Morning Weather Report

With 'suggested' overnight snow, this seemed appropriate.

Trouble Focusing

It's a rainy, dreary day here in Maine, the kind of day you hunker inside and keep the fire going. And take stock of all the projects one has going on. For instance, I have 4 new books that when I ordered them I VOWED to myself that I was going to go through them and DO THE EXERCISES. Have I? I've looked at them. The end.


So then, I find an old book of embroidery stitches at the library and think I'm going to make a sampler and LEARN these stitches once and for all....this is it so far.



So then, after not seeing the results I want, I have moved on to papier mache. Papier mache??? I have a lot to learn, but probably won't because I don't have the patience these days.

(I think it will be a pumpkin.)

So on to knitting. This has been very rewarding. I can sit and knit and watch an episode of Lost and before you know it I have a finished mitten. OR sock. Maybe I should just stick with that.

Short attention span. Wonder what it is I'm trying to avoid??? Need to think about this.

I'm back for a one night stand. I have something I want to share because it has come out great and I'm excited about it. This:


Despite the fact that I haven't been blogging,I HAVE been reading others and catching up on books and magazines. I find myself looking for blogs that are similar to Sara Lechter's and Jude Hill's, ones that reuse old and thrifted fabrics in a way that gives a rich new life to them. Not as new garments but little pieces here and there for arts sake. And the handwork element. The quilting stitch done by hand, sometimes with thread, sometimes with floss. The results are magical.

To me anyway. So this little bird for October is done with some curtains and old linens I had hanging around as well as a perfect nubby pair of drapes I found at Goodwill (all that of white in the background). THe pumpkin and table are bits and pieces of commercial and found stuff and the bird is all commercial fabric.

I found the frame at goodwill for $3. It framed some sort of heavy cardboard poster which I covered with gesso, glued the fabric around the edges, then glued the bird to the center after all the handwork was completed.

Bruce and I have been watching the first season of LOST for the past few weeks. We're a little behind the rest of the world it seems since season 6 is coming up in January. Anyway, for all you LOST fans out there, I'm calling this, 'John Locke' and hopefully you'll see the humor and remember HOW HARD he tried to get into that hatch.

Off to Freeport today to pick up my purse I left hanging on the back of my chair in the restaurant the other night...I hate it when that happens.

Leaving for a Bit

In case anyone has noticed, my attempts at blogging a bit more have failed, so I'm thinking I need to take a break for a little while and lessen the guilt of so much time between posts. I will be back, though. Sometime.