Stitching squares

 

The days go by, the unfinished projects linger, and the recliner calls.  Maybe I'll sew some 2" squares together....by hand.  With the stack o' squares given away as a promotional item by my local fabric store a couple of years ago.  Maybe I'll stop in and ask if they have any more stashed in the storeroom. Maybe not.  After all, I have those lingering unfinished projects.  Now, what to do with them.  Possibly a zippered bag.

So, we had a very nice visit with Big City Girl over the weekend.  Mr. Gadget and I drove to Brooklyn to deliver a new big-screen TV.  Mr. Gadget is known to spring a surprise gift on her every now and then....even one that has to be schlepped up a rickety narrow staircase to the third floor.  She came back to Connecticut with us for a couple of days and returned home by train....with mask on, hand sanitizer at the ready, and fingers crossed.  Train to Grand Central was not crowded; subway to Brooklyn was.  Hoping she stays well, but if not at least she has a nice TV to watch.

I just finished a good book and have started another.  Similar, yet different.  Meet me at the Museum by Anne Youngson and Mrs. Bridge by Evan Connell.  My book selections vary, but I'm mostly a fan of memoirs and books about people--the quirkier the better.

Now I should get back to work on a needle-felted commission piece.  I usually don't do those--especially a duplicate--but this is for a friend who wants to gift it to a friend who she says will REALLY appreciate it.  How could I say no?  I will share it later.  Best to keep it under wraps for now.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying somewhat sane in these almost too-crazy-to-believe times.  I'm grateful for the Treehouse where I can stay safely above the monkeys.

Pencils on pencils

 It's not easy to make a decision when you have 72 colors to choose from, but I made an attempt on my black and white pencil mask.

I managed to get the last small bottle of textile medium at Joann's which, when brushed over the colors, kept my coloring crisply inside the lines.  While water works fine when coloring on paper, it doesn't do the job on fabric.  The colors wander outside the lines.  I think that's called wicking.  I am very happy with the vibrant colors I'm getting.

Here is a first attempt on paper.  My drawing isn't the greatest but I love the colors. I did this rather hurriedly so didn't worry too much about staying inside the lines, but it is do-able.  I used a fine point black pen after the page was dry.

It's a beautiful day in Connecticut and the weather is getting cooler.  Some of the trees are dropping their leaves, but there's no noticeable color change yet.  It won't be long until road trips will be in order.

Strut your stuff!

I promise this will be my last chicken post.

He's pretty much done, but I'm sure I'll add more fiber.  I'm happy with the way he turned out, and very appreciative of Mr. Gadget's engineering knowledge to insure he stays upright.  That's the chicken I mean.  Mr. Gadget is still upright....even though this is a holiday weekend and he's well-supplied with wine.

Here's something from my sketchbook.

Not a chicken, but close enough.  And good words to live by.

Now I'm moving on to play with my new toys.  A 72-pencil set of Inktense colored pencils.  Color, then brush with water to get very vibrant colors.  Or, color on fabric and brush with textile medium.  You can probably guess which of those options I will be using the most.  The pencils and I are still getting acquainted, but once I've gotten to know them I'll share the results.

Happy weekend everyone.  It's beautiful here in Connecticut, and the motorcyclists are strutting their stuff!