Thread stitching Sea Life

What hot, muggy weather we’ve been having! We finally got some much needed rain on the weekend and I thought relief was coming but it’s been slowly heating up again. I go to the gym, come home and shower, water the necessary plants and stay inside to sew.

My daughter, her partner and little one were here for a visit over the weekend. We were able to get in some beach time. Anytime we were home, all he wanted to do was go ‘side’ and play with the water toys on the deck. I think he enjoyed that the most.

He watered everything in sight! It was hard to say goodbye but we will see him again in a couple weeks when we go to PEI for a weekend at the family cottage.

I’ve been so anxious to get back to some feee motion stitching and today I finally finished up the paint details on the undersea Gelli printed piece, so I could get to the machine. It’s hard to know when to stop with the paint (Neocolor II crayons). I want a little gradation in value but at the same time don’t want to lose the lightness against the darker water. I also added a few tiny fish if you look very closely.

The same applies to the stitching on the seaweeds. I want to add some definition and line without losing the lights. I may add a bit more gold stitching to the larger plant on the left. Then I will finish the background water which should help the fish pop a little.

It’s really fun to start pulling out some of my fibers for embellishing.

After I’ve machine coached a few of the fibers to look like seaweed, I’ll be ready for some hand embellishing, something I haven’t done in a while and I’ve been wishing for.

During none sewing times, often with a cup of tea after a meal, I’ve been drawing a few more designs using the Amaziograph APP. I print them out and use them to make foam stamps and sometimes screens for printing. I like to use them on journal pages and in combination with my sketches.

 

Ideas inspire new ideas. Next time, I would tear an uneven shape from the painted black and white design to soften the edge. 

I’ve been taking pictures of my garden to save for future inspiration in the winter.

Yesterday, I caught a family of grackles splashing about in one of my found glass bird baths that I’ve been making.

Finally some rain, but sauna like

On the weekend it was sunny and I spent time with hubby at the beach swimming and kayaking. We are so blessed to be near warm ocean waters. (The Bay of Chaleur)

And doing a little sketching in my journal later.

Oh my, it’s finally raining today; the gardens, lawns and forests desperately needed it. The humidity is so high, it feels positively sauna like out there. I went out for my Crossfiit and stayed inside for much of the day. I’ve been making stamps and stencils and painting on fabric.

I did some stencils with the glue gun this morning.

Using the end of my radishes from the garden, I made Vietnamese refrigerator radishes.

I’m not much for pickles; however, these are light and crisp. It just takes a few on a salad, a wrap or with meat.

This afternoon, I’ve been painting, stamping and printing fabric. I didn’t have to worry about my hubby for supper and this is what happens!

Some of the journal pages where I cleaned the brayers and leftover paints on stamps I like very much.

Makes me wish it was fabric!

Here are two more on fabric.

I’ve no idea yet how I will use them. I am itching to get to my machine though.

On the knitting/crocheting front, I finished this double stranded crocheted ripple.

My swoon quilt which is to go to my mom in assisted living came back to me from the machine quilter. 

The dragonfly pattern is sweet.



And finally, I picked up this little panel and pattern for a small quilt. I thought I’d make it baby Quilt size. My daughter though says  my grandson Ollie would like it so I’ve ordered the larger owl pictured in the lap size quilt.

If you’re in the heat wave areas, I hope you’re finding ways to cool off. Perhaps you’re inside creating?

(Columbine collage and Watercolor

Earlier this summer I picked a few columbine from my yard to make a small bouquet. I sketched them one morning and I’ve been hooked ever since. I only have the one variety in my yard and had previously considered them a bit of a nuisance as they self seed and spread anywhere. Then I started noticing some different ones around town and searched them out on line. As with most flowers there are so many different beautiful shapes and colors. I’m making it my mission to search out more for my gardens. 

This week, I pulled out my papers and paints and had some fun cutting and glueing onto pages where I’d previously cleaned brushes and brayers. I knew I’d make good use of them!

Once started it’s hard to stop.

The black and white scrap lower right is from an envelope that came in the mail that day.

After I got home today and made raisin bran muffins, I sat down to ‘taste test’ one and play with some water colors in my mixed media sketchbook.

This is all leading to a piece of fiber art that I’m hoping to start next week. It’s too hot for me to spend much time outdoors unless I’m at the beach where I plan to be this weekend!

Less sewing, more gardening

An easing in the humidity meant more comfortable temps today. After making a beef barley soup and delivering it to an under the weather friend, I was able to  sew a sample block for an I Spy quilt before heading out to do a little gardening. 

I’m sure you could guess it will be for my grandson, Ollie. I’ve been waiting and collecting awhile to make one of these.

I noticed through my studio window that the raised bed was looked parched so I headed outside. My rain barrel levels are nearing the bottom. the thunder storms missed us last night. At least I’ve been using a bucket to fill my watering can from the kiddie pool rather than dump it out.

Since it was not as hot today, I took some time to do some much needed weeding near the veggies around the deck and around the apple tree.

I also did a little clean up in this new little space along the shed.

I really enjoy strolling around the yard to see how much the plants have grown and picking a few here and there, just enough for a delicate table top bouquet.

Grandsons visit

These past few days I’ve been busy with my daughter and 1 1/2yr old grandson Ollie who were visiting from Prince Edward Island. We spent a lot of the time outdoors—at the beach and in our yard, with a quick early morning trip to the park nearby. It was very hot and muggy.

A highlight for me was a CrossFit workout with my daughter yesterday. It was very hot though and we’d not had a lot of sleep the night before with Ollie up in the night. I had to have a nap mid afternoon when he did.

It was even too hot for too much outside water play. As I write this, I can scarcely believe the visit is over. They left this morning and I distracted myself by cleaning a bit, going to CrossFit at 11 and sewing this afternoon.

I’m putting together the 3 Swoon  blocks into a twin size quilt which I plan to give my mom to use in the home. I need to get it ready soon while she can still maybe remember I made it. She tells everyone that she made the pillows that I made.

The picture isn’t perfect as we haven’t yet hung my design wall. At the moment it will finish at 50 by 72” and I’m wondering about adding one more small strip to each side besides another blue one.

We’re looking forward already to our next visit but at the same time not wishing for summer to pass too quickly.

Summer days, gardening, pickling, sketching, stamp making, sewing, crocheting

I have been oh so busy and involved in my life — getting my mojo back. I’ve been gardening although I’m restricting my time outside in the heat and humidity. Gord put new rails on the deck (our little one is coming next week) and it looks so much better. It’s easier to see the garden too.

The radishes are one of my first harvests.

Yesterday, I made  a small jar of my favourite Vietnamese style pickled radish. Oh so good.

This week I started my 5th week at Crossfit  and so far I’m really enjoying it. The workouts are adapted for beginners and everyday is different with such a variety of exercises.  Fun! I went today at 12 and then had this for lunch.

This morning, I made a few large flying geese (5 by 10” ) to go in the side panels of the twin size swoon quilt. The design  wall is not yet hung and I’m only able to show the central part for now. As it gets further along I’ll try to get a picture with it laid out flat.

The bag with my Gelli print Artwork on front is done except for the top stitching along the outer rim.

Since my garden is central to my days right now, I’m thinking about some artwork using some of my flower motifs. With my tea after lunch, I started making some foam stamps using the Columbine motif that I’ve been using recently. This is a recent paper collage with stitching added.

For the first stamp I drew into craft foam with a pencil. This will make great background texture both for printing on a painted piece of muslin and for Gelli printing.

I tried another one using a low temp glue gun but the paint wouldn’t stay on the ridges.

I’ve done it before. It must have been the hot glue gun as it works great. I’ll try a very fine sanding and a coat of gesso to see what happens.

All these things I will slowly gather to use as texture on painted muslin backgrounds. Here I’ve cut a couple of motifs from fusible backed fabrics, auditioning them on a small piece of a Gelli print.

Last but not least a new crochet project — a throw in my bedroom and living room colors. It’s done double with Red Heart so goes quickly.

The colors are actually a little softer than the picture. It’s been a while since I crocheted anything and I’m quite enjoying it.