22 January, 2008

Aussie Jacket

I recently did a workshop with Elizabeth Mini. She uses the method I believe is called Stack & Whack for making some absolutely wonderful garments. I took some of my Australian print fabrics & started working on my own jacket. I loved working with this method. Instead of machine quilting the garment I am using beads. Here is a close up:


Aboriginies like to use a lot of dots in their paintings and as the fabrics I have are inspired or painted by aboriginals, I decided to sew the beads in a dot format.

In my quest to find out this year what it is that I want to do, I like this method. I like taking lots of different fabrics & making it into a jacket & I LOVE incorporating beads with it. Fingers crossed the finished product looks as good in person as it does in my head!

21 January, 2008

January Finished


OK, I was working on this piece & then realized that I don't have to fill every single bit of fabric with beads. I didn't want to take away from my heart tree on the left so I started sewing the large beads as dots & then realized it was perfect! They look like snow falling & as I was sewing them, it was snowing! So, August, October & December may not be done, but January is! And before the end of the month!!!!! :)
Of course, the biggest problem is getting a proper picture of it to show what it really looks like. I am open to suggestions if anyone has them. Thanks.


Working on January

I know I am behind with my other months but I had an idea for January & I just had to get it started! Hopefully by the end of the day it will be finished but as I have a few moments, I figured I could share so far.

It is cold & grey most of the time in January so I started with a fabric that felt like that. I then decided to do a monocromatic piece. Yes, the flowers look pink but in actual fact, in the right light they also look white. I pulled out all the beads from my white box & went to town. But this is the hardest thing to photo. The beads going around the edge are all the same, but they don't look it. They are more of a silver glow that really adds a sparkle to the whole piece.

What also makes this special is the heart shape beads on the left. A few years ago a close friend of mine died to cancer. Her husband passed onto me all her beads & buttons. As I was looking for white beads, I found the hearts in her stash & knew I had to use them.

So, I am feeling like I'm making something beautiful out of the awful cold weather we are having here in Chicago. Wow, when you get into a piece, it is hard to stop!

17 January, 2008

Painting on fabric


Over the Christmas break, I started trying to draw more. I have always thought of myself as someone who can't draw but I've been working through the book Drawing For The Right Side of the Brain & it is convincing me that I can do this! :)


Anyway, this started out as a doodle drawing - something I have never done before. I decided to transfer it to fabric & paint it like Judy Perez does. Now, I have a long, long way to go before I could ever do anything like Judy does, but I was very happy with the process. I have a lot to learn but I'm willing to try & figure it out!

15 January, 2008

November Page




Yes, I know this is a little behind but I haven't posted a picture of it yet. This piece is inspired by my trip to Shanghai. What struck me as we were landing was all straight rows of land with water canals on either side. These were obviously farming communities. Another thing that I also noticed - everywhere - was the bright blue roofs. Even from our hotel in the middle of Shanghai, looking out the window there were bright blue roofs everwhere!

07 January, 2008

Happy New Year

Well, I feel like life has taken over & I have no idea where it has gone! I was looking through my list of "Where We Have Been" & noticed that for the past year, our family as a whole has traveled so much that I'm surprised anyone was every home! It has been forever since I posted (although I have accomplished some things). On the other hand, your probably never noticed I was gone!

But it is a new year and, at the moment, I only have one trip planned for May for my son's graduation. So, for the moment, I have plenty of time in the house to get some changes done.

This is a big year. All of my kids graduate from their respective schools in May/June. But the biggest thing is that my husband retires at the end of the year. Yes, he will be a young retiree. I'm not that old! :)

I have decided that this is the year to figure out what it is that I want to do. Something I have already discovered this year is that I really do not want to be making large quilts, nor traditional quilts. I love the look of them & I always seem to get pulled in to making one. I feel that if I'm making a quilt, I have to quilt it & I hate that part. I hate having to fight with it to get it in the machine. I just do not enjoy the process. I'm also not enjoying the process of the 1/4" seam as it just doesn't always work for me!

So, for this new year, after I finish what I already have, I will no longer try working on a large traditional quilt. I still need to give small art quilts a shot but the large ones are out! Boy, feels good to finally have made that decision. Lets hope I can stick to it as I do love the look of these quilts!

I have been doing a lot of beading & will get some pictures taken soon. I finished my November Beaded Journal Page. I was having a bit of a problem with October & it was holding me back so I decided to put it aside for the moment & move on. I have not started December but I know what I'm doing. I also know what I'm doing for January, just need to get working on them.

So, I am here & I am working. This is the year to figure out what it is I really want to do & to put aside the things I really don't like doing. It is the year to organize, simplify and discover.