Post #395

I am up to 395 posts on this blog. When I reach #400, I should do a giveaway, don't you think?

Copper Kitty

This kitty (along with everything else I post on this blog) was made from fabric from my huge stash of cotton scraps, thanks to the generosity of my friends. Once they learn that I can put a little bit of fabric to good use, they are more than happy to feed my fabric obsession. And when I say "huge stash", I am not talking about the metres and metres of fabrics I have purchased over the years with the intention of sewing clothing for myself.

I do manage to sew a few garments every year. I do not allow myself to cut into the fabrics meant for clothes unless I am actually making a article of clothing. Those fabrics are only fair game once they become scraps leftover from garment projects.

The fabric acquisition thing is escalating now. I realized that I don't necessarily have to shop in fabric stores anymore. Scouting thrift stores for used clothing has opened up a new world for me. I admit the thought of cutting up perfectly good clothes somehow seems wasteful, but if they're petite sizes, I don't feel so bad. :)

A friend of mine who is an art professor and likes my "art" and is very encouraging to me, just gave me bagfuls of discarded clothing and jewelry and has commanded me to go forth and create. There are some really wild things there that just might steer me into a different direction.

Cat #2 (From Favourite Upholstery Fabric)

This is the second in the series of cats made from a favourite upholstery fabric. :)

Showbiz

WIP










We spent a most interesting afternoon at a local community theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Hubby and I got to see the show for free because we were asked to volunteer. We handed out programs and showed folks to their seats.

Simple enough, but things never go quite like you expect them too. We were up in the balcony. First, we had to ask people if they wouldn't mind sharing programs because we didn't have enough for everybody. Second, the numbers on the seats were not well marked and so we were fumbling around with flashlights trying to get everyone seated before the curtain went up. :)

We were also told that if anyone left their seat during the performance, we had to escort them down the stairs with a flashlight. Apparently there had been previous mishaps with the stairs. Hubby got to see the whole show without interruption. I had to see three people down the stairs and so I missed a few bits.

One thing that surprised me was that nowhere in the program could I find credit given to Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice, you know, the writers of the show. Everyone else right down to the janitor got a mention. Well, no, I tell a lie. Hubby and I weren't mentioned. :)

Actually, it was pretty good. The actor who played Joseph was charismatic and energetic with a smooth voice. Actors are chameleonic as the picture in the lobby of "Joseph" wearing civilian clothes looked like an ordinary guy with a receding hairline. After the show when we were leaving the theatre, I noticed that one of the chorus girls without her Liz Taylor Cleopatra wig was in fact a middle aged gray haired woman.

That's showbiz. :)

A Favourite Upholstery Fabric

Here is what I was working on today using some gorgeous upholstery fabric I found in a bargain bin. I like it so much that I'm going to do a series of cats with this fabric at the risk of getting bored. I usually like to change colours from one project to the next.

One World One Heart Winner

Congratulations to Jingle, who is the winner of my One World One Heart door prize.

Jingle, I have contacted you by Email and look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Thanks to all who took the time to stop by and leave a comment. :)

Anniversary

My mother passed away four years ago today.

One thing I will always remember about her is that she never, ever, wore pants. She was always in a dress or a skirt. I find that inspiring and would like to shift towards wearing more dresses myself.

Ema (which means mother in her native Estonian).
1920-2007

Thinking About Dad

Today my thoughts go out to my dad who would have celebrated his 96th birthday. He passed away in November 2007.

Two days from now will mark the 4th anniversary of my mother's death.

Sweet Heart (But Not For Me)

Not every one has a sweetheart or a Valentine. That’s what I had in mind when I made this piece. The text:

“Sweet Heart, but it doesn’t beat for me
It beats softly in love but not for me
Sweet lips I know I’ll never kiss
You’re what I’m afraid I must miss”

is from a song found on a favourite Maria Muldaur LP recorded way back in 1974. The song always stuck with me.

I used the same template I created for my Evil Cat. The printed cottons are various shades of red and pink, the usual colours we associate with Valentine’s Day. The heart is broken because she has no sweetheart.

Early Valentine

Hubby gave me a few little chocolate treats today. He couldn't wait until Valentine's Day and neither can I.

I scarfed down the chocolates and now I'm posting a preview of my Valentine's creation. The whole thing can be seen here on Monday February 14th. (Edit: February 13th - OR SOONER).
:)

Miss Kitty Dragonfly

Miss Kitty Dragonfly acquired her name from the dragonfly cotton print that adorns her body.

I started working on her last November and finally finished her today.

I have lots of works in progress. I get to lose myself in thought and good music while painting and stitching. Evenings are reserved for old movies from the 40s and 50s. It sure makes the winter fly by.

First Attempt at Assembling "Junk"

Remember this post? I admit I have been a bit scared to start my first junk doll. What if it really turned out to look like a piece of junk? :)

I will say that it certainly is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I only used four pieces of the stuff Carla sent me - a paint brush, two scrabble letters and a wooden bingo number.

The face is my own creation. While I was arranging and rearranging the pieces on my work table, I noticed some crumpled cardboard with printing on it. It is actually the tag from a pair of cargo pants that I recently hemmed for hubby. I cut out a shape similar to the paint brush and glued it onto the brush.

I really am a minimalist. I thought about adding more to it, but no. This is as good as it's going to get. I plan to glue the piece to a background of painted black plywood and hang it on a wall. :)

I have a lot more "junk" so check back for more dolls.

Looking Ahead To Spring

Although it's only February 1st and we are warned to expect a severe snowstorm tomorrow, I am looking ahead to spring. At the same time, I am also thinking ahead to tomorrow and seeing myself moving a mountain of snow. :(

What you see below are details of a work in progress with a spring theme. I am making a spring banner. I had to think about it for a week before I began and then suddenly, in our local thrift shop, I found inspiration - a single white tie dyed pillow case with a rainbow of light and bright colours. Perfect. I spent a whopping 75¢.

More inspiration last night as I was trying to decide what text to use. Searching for spring themed poems on the internet was not producing any results that I thought were right until I remembered a song I heard years ago. I could only remember a couple of lines and managed to find it based on my memory. I even found a few performances of it on YouTube. Not all songs translate well when read as a poem, but I think this one does. Anyway, that I will share in a later post. In the meantime, there's a lot of work yet to be done on the banner.