Tiny Trees

I'm reinventing the "tiny trees" for the show...they were well received last time. The frame is just 3 x 5 and the opening is just 2 x 3....I still love them. 

The starry sky fabric is actually from an ombre scarf I got for free with another order. I never wore it because it was printed on just one side so was awkward.  It was an infinity scarf so there's a lot of fabric....so it will appear in more projects throughout this show as I head into December.  It's a little hard to work with....but I'll figure it out.  I love the color and texture.


I had an assembly line going....

...and have six to start with and more to come.

Today was all about the last minute details...printing, tweaking, and packing things up. My stacks go up tomorrow. 

I love this little stone stand for my calling cards....it was Connie's.

Grout Lessons

I spent all morning cleaning up and polishing my glass projects.  The goal was to get the grout off the glass leaving it just in the gaps. 

Mostly I used this stiff brush...but I also used a knife for a little scraping and fine sandpaper.  It was tedious and messy.  The grout comes off in a fine black powder....it was everywhere. Remember...I'm learning as I go. This is my first crack at mosaic.



When I made that first glass piece....I wasn't happy with the off white grout.  After doing some research I found some helpful tips.

1.  Contrast is key...you want the glass to stand out and the individual pieces to stand apart.
2.  Think of it as an outline.
3.  When in doubt...use black.
4.  Avoid colors....leave that for the glass.
5.  Avoid white...unless you want it to look like a summer camp project.

So I bought a dark charcoal gray grout for the rest of the projects and....I'm sold!

I was a little worried about this one after it was all glued down....but dark grout made a big difference.

And that first one I wasn't happy with...

...the grout sunk in enough so I was able to add a thin layer of the dark gray grout and it's much better now. 

Contrast, definition, outline....lessons learned.

Fall Sumac

Ever since I brought home the sumac leaves from a walk a few weeks ago....I've been thinking about this project. 

When I brought them in...I put the wet leaves on a dark blue cutting mat to dry and I thought the contrast was striking. The wheels started turning.



It was this photograph below I took on an old table that inspired the arrangement....the branches coming in from all directions.

 

I used hand dyed fabric because it fuses so well. In hindsight I might have liked a more textured fabric....maybe a tone on tone batik look.  But this is what I chose...so be it.

I cut out leaves and stems from all the colors.  

Starting with the light green branch I fused them one at a time, top stitched...then fused the next one. You can see that I lightly marked my canvas lines with a sliver of soap....I wanted to see where the branches would  wrap around the edges.
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I could have used thread with a little more contrast....for interest.  But again....we have to live with the choices we make.  The stitching shows up better in person.  

  

Margie's Trees

I enjoyed every minute of my very busy day. I accomplished quite a lot.

I stopped in to see Margie this afternoon and her maple trees out her balcony window are in their full glory.  She's enjoyed watching them change throughout the season.

Some big events are on the horizon for her....I'll share them soon.

Nothing brings me more joy than helping Margie with whatever is on her list.  Today I delivered a pile of her coloring pages all cut up and ready to mount on cards....there are 8 or 10 total.  I attached them to a piece of card stock and included another coordinating color for a second frame that she will mount onto her blank cards. Margie is a good note write and what's more special than an original little snippet of her coloring.   

Since this post is mostly about Margie....why not include a curious picture her son sent me from a walk that matches her trees.  I'm guessing it's sap....it's pretty cool don't you think?  One chunk looks like a little heart. Thanks Paul. 💛

And speaking of walks....I started and finished a project today inspired from one of our walks.  These are the trimmings of the fused hand dyed fabrics I used...I'll share the project tomorrow. 

Reworked

Somewhat the same...yet a little different.

Yesterday I started fusing some of the stripe strips with a little bit of a curve...and with some solids mixed in. My intention was to do a whole piece this way.

The more I fused the more unhappy I became...so I let it sit.  The minute I looked at it again this morning I knew it was too much. So I sliced it apart and reworked it and this is where I ended up.

The solids are Kaffe Fassett shot cottons which are woven with two different colors for the warp and weft making the fabric rich and textural.

 

I used the dark gray thread that I've been liking for my top stitching....and again used simple wavy lines. I always fuse it to a piece stabilizer the size of the front of canvas. The top gets glued on and the sides get fused around the canvas.

Reinventing

Paul brings home some interesting things from his walks....he knows how much I love found objects.  Today it was a lovely aqua lacrosse ball.  Lucky me!

A while back I worked on a long quilt piece that I wasn't happy with.  I used some wild fabric...which happened to also be Kaffe Fassett fabric...but it just wasn't working for me. It didn't fit in. I had done all the top stitching and I kept trying to add elements to make it work....but there is sat in the reject pile.  Yes...there's a pile.

But this one had hope. I liked the top and the bottom...so I sliced it apart and am reinventing it to be more in keeping with the rest of the pieces.

 

I thought it needed something to make it a little more interesting...so I'm going to add fibers. Now I just have to figure out exactly how.

More Textures

Paul and I had a date this evening at the "Top of the East"at the Eastland Hotel with a lovely sunset and sweeping views of Portland and Casco Bay. 

Spectacular fall color along our walk....Portland is a beautiful city! 

                                                                              

In an attempt to use a variety of media....and the desire for still more textures I spent some time today working with wool.  Here's my first wool stack. 

I started by attaching vertical strips to fusible stabilizer to create the focal stripe stack.

 

Before top stitching I added fuzzy yarns in between the strips...again to add texture and to fill in the gap.

 

I used the same technique for the rest of the piece...cutting...fusing...stitching...trimming.

 

I picked up three of these 6 1/2 x 12 1/2 "Fine Wine" signs at a resale shop for a few dollars years ago and I finally have a use for them.  They are the perfect nest for the wool and the dark green weathered wood makes a nice frame.  I glued the piece in with gel medium.  I hope to make more.                                                                              

                                                                        

I'm Back!

It was both good and bad to be without my computer for a few days.  It was kind of nice being unplugged for a bit...but I missed the ease of connecting with people and my creative computer routines....including my evening blog post. So for better or worse I'm back.

It's hard to know where to start....so I'll begin at the end and work backwards over the last few days. While I was in Lexington I was busy with more glass projects.  I will likely write more about the process in another post but today you just get an overview...it's already late.

I had taken most of my fabric projects home so was able to spread them out on the dining room table with the new glass stacks. I think they are a good addition to the collection and something totally new for this third show.

I like this view below mostly because of a few things in the background....like the large foxtail fern I brought in from the back patio. I will winter it inside and take it back out in the spring. There is a lovely Rex Begonia there on the floor too.  It's good to have some of the fall chores done and my plants inside safe from frost.  And don't you love the little high chair?  I sat in that as a child as did my eight siblings.

The other thing in the background is my wabi-sabi wreath that I haven't had the heart to take apart.  I do really love it.  It's been sitting on the dining room table for all this time so had to be moved out of the way...maybe it's time take it apart. I'll save all the part...so they'll be back sometime too.