StitchTherapy

It's Gumbo Weather

2007-11-26T21:42:00.000-06:00

I've tried to correct the links from the last post. But I think it's time to move on. Do you think Typepad is any more "link-friendlier" than blogger? I dislike cutting and pasting html code. Must find a quicker way to blog.

Speaking of a bowl of spicy gumbo, did ya'll happen catch the hottest quilt at festival?
A stunning piece in person! Breathtaking details on this baby.

Please comment or email me if you know this artists name as I was too awe-inspired to keep good records. The light effect shooting off his upper cheek is....well, breath-taking!

What a raging time I had with the X-tremely talented, Sue B, Terri S, Vicki and Iris, who happens to be The BFF of my former boss, Dr. Ellen Friedman. I vow to take a week off next year to be the http://www.mistyfuse.com/ and http://www.fibre&stitch.com/ helper/floor sales girl extraordinaire! :)

I've missed doll club for the last 2 mos. We didn't decorate for Halloween and I haven't had lunch with my baby once this year. My DH was off for the week and studied for his certification and little else. I did happen to cook & clean like a wench all weekend over Thanksgiving...and a Bonus: I made gumbo to share with you.....oh, and I'm almost finished with this interesting piece of something to become a future...Katy Bag by http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/ or something. This technique is a mixture of Sue Bleiweiss' silk flower/Mistyfused layered collage with an article from Quilting Arts about weaved strips fused, stamped layered w/organza and stitched into cool fabric.

Like a freak, I documented my 2-day Gumbo expedition below. I've made gumbo 3 or 4 times in my life and each process has been completely different. I've always thought that to do it right, it takes a damned long time, from 2 days to 5 hours. You decide. It's all comes down to the roux Shah!

not quite Maw Mawz Gumbo

Measurements do not have to be exact. I wing it here.

1 fryer chicken cut 'gumbo' style by your butcher.
1 link of smoked sausage sliced into round pieces.

Fresh peeled shrimp - lump crab - not included in this batch but highly recommended!

2 cups chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1 whole fresh garlic

1 cup chopped parsley

red pepper - cayenne

black pepper, oregano,

Cooked white rice

Filet gumbo spice and chopped green onion(chives) garnish

Louisianna Hot Sauce *requirement

I've used pre-made chicken stock with chicken bouillons etc. but this time I wanted to avoid the heavy salt in bouillion and wanted the flavor of my own stock.

Sear that chicken in a pan w/oil.

Add chicken to a big pot of water, add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then turn heat down to a simmer for 4 plus hours. Add salt and seasonings to taste. Add 1/2 cup celery and some onion in the last hour of simmer session.

This time I added little (tea-dyed) cheese cloth wrapped balls of spice to the simmering stock and let seep for a couple of hours. In the cheesecloth bundles I enclosed red pepper, black whole pepper corns, oregano, basil, fennel...go crazy...and tied the mix up with string. Mucho flavor infused brew.

Allow finished pot of stock and chicken to cool. Separate into a couple of containers and submerge in ice water in sink. This will cool faster to avoid bacteria growth as you refrigerate overnight. Skim the solidified fat from the top of containers and discard.

Time to get your Roux on.

Combine equal parts vegetable oil and white flour in a heavy skillet. I used a cup of flour and a 1 1/4 veg oil. Stir with wooden spoon to smash clumps until even and smooth. Turn fire to about medium low. Don't leave it! If specks of black appear, throw the whole damn thing out and start over. Okay stir frequently and have a glass of wine with music in the kitchenwhile you stir. No other humans are allowed in the kitchen during this phase. Watch as the roux gets darker and toasty looking. STIR!

The phases of the roux! A dark chocolate or chicory coffee color is my goal here.

Mmm, dark chocolate! Purrrfect.

NOW

Add chopped celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic to the hot roux and STIR and fry till onions are clear. Careful! It's very hot.

Start the roux in a nice deep dutch oven if you have one and pour in your warmed chicken stock. My method, transfer the roux in big spoonfuls to your simmering chicken and stock gumbo pot. Bring it all to a low boil and stir. Add peeled raw shrimp, crab, oysters, squirrel, gator, duck, possum, hamster, okra <-YUCK! i hate okra.

Pour over white rice, sprinkle with green onion, hot sauce and enjoy with your favorite beverage.

Ewwww Wheee! There are quicker ways to make this but they ain't as good. :)

Wow. Where have I been?!!

2007-11-18T22:33:00.000-06:00

Hello!

Gosh, i've been a bad blog mom. It's been weeks since my last post. Let's get the excuses out of the way shall we?

I'm a workaholic. I sell, write ads and upload photos all day and all night so I've had less time and desire to be in front of a screen. I've been O.D.ing on the computer. It's my contribution to the credit card and gasoline debt.

I've started running again and I'm feeling stronger, sleeping better and able to handle the stress. I've even lost a couple of pounds. I can wear my jeans.

Hey, remember Houston Quilt Festival? http://www.quilts.com/home/

Oh, I met so many famous fiber people!

Now don't be hatin' but I met SueB TerriS, Iris from http://www.mistyfuse.com/ The FIBER AND STITCH http://www.fiberandstitch.com/

What a wonderful evening! I met SueB and TerriS at the http://www.mistyfuse.com/ booth!

From the left Iris http://www.mistifuse.com/, Sue Bleiweiss http://www.sueb.typepad.com/, Terri www.stegart.blogspot.com, Vicky http://www.fieldtripsinfiber.blogspot.com/, Vicki's mom, and Me at Cheesecake Factory in Houston. What a wonderful night! I will be back to update tonights post. Happy THANKSGIVING!!

ATCs(Artist Trading Cards)

2007-10-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

A few ATCs I made at my local monthly Texas Mixed Medians Yahoo group. The members brought a huge selection of papers, found objects and just cool stuff to use and they shared their wonderful ATCs and inspirations. I think I've made maybe one atc in the past.

This series was inspired by the green stamps they shared that immediately struck a nastalgic grandmaw maw memory nerve in me. These atc's are inspired by my little Maw Maw who paper pieced quilts with newspaper on her technically challenging (for me) pink Nicci sewing machine. She'd take us to the TG&Y dime store where she'd buy notions and fabrics and of course treats for us. She and my mom saved up those green stamps and redeemed them for goodies. To me my ATCs mean Port Arthur in the 1970's, thick chicory coffee shots, zydeco music and my precious little cajun Maw Maw dancing in her slippers while she cooked us up rice and gravy. I couldn't wait to get out of Sunday Mass to dig into her roast and dirty rice! Ewwhewwwweeee!!

And an atc made from my lutradur and lace piece.

William Tell Overture

2007-10-03T22:48:00.001-05:00

To all the moms! What a mom would say in 24hrs condensed to 2 min and 55seconds. SHE IS THE BOMB.

Altered Books of Susan Lenz

2007-09-30T00:46:00.000-05:00

Have you experienced The Altered Book Videos of Susan Lenz? You must. I'm speechless. My favorite of hers so far: Becoming an Artist and "Black God" is just incredible too. * Have your sound ON as the music is part of the 'experience'. Susan is a prolific, extremely talented, emotionally-jarring fiber and mixed media artist!

Lutradur and Lace

2007-09-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

The newest online zine for fiber, paper, mixed media maniacs Fibre & Stitch is LOADED with step-by-step innovative fibre and mixed media techniques! Like this lutradur & lace technique made with scraps of cotton lace, lutradur, and scrim (a glamorous name for cheesecloth) I had so much fun laying elements out and going Luminier paint crazy with this one. The fabric makes lovely postcards, book covers, elegant bags and who knows what else. I needed postcards to catch up pcs for swaps and this makes lovely cards! Carol is an F&S artist and shares her wonderful technique in the premier issue.F&S is full of Free Projects like the one I really want to make next..... Mag's Flexi Bag! Lutradur and lace may be too stiff for that project but www.textiletales.blogspot.com gives other Beautiful bag projects in F&S to make with Lutradur & Lace. The full piece before I fashioned postcards from it. I will be making much more of this!

Love it!

Denim Postcards

2007-09-24T19:41:00.000-05:00

A denim postcard for a Fiber Art Friend. Those are leaves, not rotten banana peels like lil stitch thinks. This was my 2nd attempt and who ever thought fiber postcards could be so hard to come up with? I didn't, but they are sometimes! This girly one was going to be SO cool and I was so excited that i chopped her perfect chin off with the rotary cutter making her nowhere near the 4x6' needed. I didn't cry but i wanted to...

Hair Cut

2007-09-19T20:46:00.001-05:00

I cut my hair so I thought it was time to update my blog profile pic! Or should I use this one? Hmm...i dunno. I look a little intense. Ew or like my first attempt at a polymer clay doll head. I'm saving this guy for Halloween!!

Dolling Up the Divas!

2007-09-16T00:25:00.001-05:00

Trudi putting on her lips in mi casa at our MaterialGirls NW Playgroup. It was more of a "spa" experience!

Mary getting beautimus at our monthly hair-therapy happy hour and HairSay! You are so foxy AND famous now Mary!

Laura performs a manicure and creates real nails on her hot-lookin gypsy challenge doll using Diamond Glaze by Judikins, then glitzes them up!
Neva teaches us how to improve our soles at Material Girls this morning. She gave us secrets of making feet and some of them are pretty crafty...like look at the bare-towed foot. Looks real huh!

PSYCH!!! It's an amputee and I now have the confidence to try a foot like hers, no that I know Neva's Sole Secrets : 0!
Laura's incredible doll made with multiple techniques. She used Paverpol, Luminier Metallic paints, over a crocheted piece to create the texture on her lower body. Just a gorgeous doll and talented artist!

Susan's Motown Mermaid stretched right out on the my coffee table and crunked up the jams while we admired her extreme divaness! After dollclub, Mary and I headed over to Archiver's Stamping Mecca in Katy which you can see on my new blog, Retail Therapy

Texas 1015 Onion Nirvana & Mango Salsa Recipe

2007-09-14T20:44:00.000-05:00

As a young thing, I worked as a Salad Bar Manager in a grocery store just after moving from Nederland, Tx to the big ole city of Houston. Armondo, my boss asked me to prepare "Pico de gallo" with the old tomatoes that our customers wouldn't buy. "What?!" I'd never heard of such a dish. "You want me to chop up tomatoes, onion, cilantro and serano peppers and then people eat that?!" I had grown up just 88 miles from Houston and the closest thing to Mexican food I'd ever gotten was Casa Ole. Houston has better Mexican, Latin, Cuban, South American....you name it restaurants than anywhere I've eaten in Mexico or the US (that I've been to anyway).

So, tonight I bit right into a sweet Texas 1015 onion and my whole life passed before me. 1015s taste as close to candy as an onion can get and mixed in my mango pico, well it was truly orgasmic. Grandmas and aunts would freeze them in bunches and use them in their holiday dishes they're so good. This recipe is basic Pico de gallo but with mango and jicima and Texas 1015s. Great on fajitas, as a salad with cucumber, or straight out of the bowl with chips!
Chopped Ripe Tomatoes - 8

Texas 1015 onion - (or white onion, Vidalia onions a great substitution)- 1 or 2

One Medium Jicama - peeled and chopped (The jícama [hee-kuh-muh, hik-uh-] (or yam bean) plant is a vine native to the tropical Americas . The root's exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles that of a raw potato or pear. The flavour is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples. It is usually eaten raw, sometimes with salt, lemon or lime juice and powdered chili.

3/4 cup Cilantro - chopped

2-3 Serrano peppers chopped - or jalapenos chopped to taste

1 big mango. Peeled and chopped

Juice of 1 fresh squeezed lime.

I prepare this the night before serving and add chopped avocado just before eating.

Mui Bien!!!

Opal People

2007-09-12T20:37:00.000-05:00

Sponsored by After Midnight! (opens in new window)
Tarkine Olive Green

There's something about foreign landscapes that draws you in. The gorgeous colors of an Indian sari, the soft sands of the desert, the red of a monk's robe and the blue of a tropical ocean, the green and purple of a grapevine and the golden fur of a lion's mane, you revel in it all. Even when you're at home, you bring the many beautiful parts of the world to you, surrounding yourself with glimpses of exotic places.

To take this quiz yourself, just click'>http://www.amstamps.com/quiz/quizindex.html">click here!

Studio Chaos

2007-09-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

I'm in need of serious organizational therapy. This sewing/collage/altered book/utee burning studio has gotten WAY outa control. I'm only sharing this with you because it will motivate me to post an 'after' picture. My Material Girls Doll Club NW Playgroup ladies are coming over for a playgroup Sunday and the studio tour will be closed for repairs unless I get my stitch together and whip it in shape. Let me know if you can spot a very expensive Bernina anywhere in here. Buddy, the dolled-up feline wearing a designer build-a-bear gown...

UTEE and Opals attempt on Fabric

2007-09-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

I started experimenting with opalettes from After Midnight Stamps and thought i'd melt some onto fabric and stamp a design into it. The design didn't show up, so I melted it again and again and threw one of the UTEE faces on and tried to adhere it with more heat. The face melted and distorted so I'm considering heating it up and trying something again. This was going to be a postcard for a Fiber Art Friend but i think it's too weird. We were having Akumal Beach withdrawals so yesterday we headed to Galveston for a beach, fried oyster, shrimp and Shiner Bock fix.

And a quick tour of Galveston's oldest cemetary.
And I've started a new blog called RetailTherapy for chronicling Houston area local artsy supply haunts and included Galveston's Hendley Market as the first stop.

Mean Ole Dean and our Blissful Akumal, Mexican Get-A-Way

2007-08-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

Daddy Stitch, Lil Stitch and I had planned to leave for Mexico yesterday for a little Caribbean family fun. But a little ole Cat 5 named Dean convinced us to leave early last week with hopes of returning before the storm's expected arrival in Cancun yesterday. We landed safely in Houston Monday while our fellow Akumal Beach Resort guests were evacuated to a hotel in Merida. We are of course so relieved that this beautiful little beach village was not destroyed though damaged from the storm. We want to go back tonight. It was the best vacation we've ever had!

Cordelia and Esmerelda joined us for a much deserved girl's trip! They had many fans watching their poses and photo shoots.

Beautiful beaches of Tulum. I think in a hurricane, I would like to stay in one of these Mayan temples. They're pretty tough!

Lil Stitch snorkeling her first reef in Akumal Bay! Daddy stitch and I adore diving but this trip was all about snorkeling with her. We saw the famous "wall of fish" in the bay, a cloud of thousands of slivery fish that swim together in near the same spot. LilStitch wanted to dive down into them but i was nervous as I who've dove to 100ft have never seen such a massive swarm of fish! The fish parted revealing the biggest baracuda we've EVER seen as well. I thought it was a shark he was so big. Baracuda are normally harmless in clear water as long as you don't mess with their food. We left the wall of fish.

Akumal is the village of turtles and the locals take great care of the wildlife. In August, baby sea turtles hatch in their nests on the beach and run for the ocean. On our last night we were treated to hundreds of babies saved by the resort staff and brought to the ocean. The turtles get confused by the restaurant lights and run toward it! The staff surrounded and gathered the turtles in baskets. One of them was wearing a chef's hat which prompted my daughter to shout, "Mommy! Are they going to cook them?"

Holiday?!!

2007-08-16T00:50:00.000-05:00

I will be out of the zone for a few days on Holiday. Wah? With no access to phones, puters, email or anything! Bliss.

The Adventures of Cordelia

2007-08-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

Check out the adventures of Cordelia, a living art doll and the brainchild of my friend Mary. Cordelia is a world traveler and has a full spread in this month's Art Doll Quarterly . She is off to a much deserved Mexican Caribbean vacation next week so look for her "waistin away again in margaritaville" updates. And just like all of us living dolls, Cordelia thrives on comments and compliments so leave a couple on her blog; Cordelia's Adventures .

PostSecret

2007-08-13T22:32:00.001-05:00

Real human secrets. Gut-wrenching and real. I'm sending mine on in. What about you?

A little someting I'm working on for someone

2007-08-12T02:27:00.000-05:00

I think she's pretty. It's just that she had to apply her lipstick from the rearview mirror, while in the car and flying down the freeway with a mocha grande lodged between her legs. Sure, she can easily fix the lips with a little pencil at the red light. Or, the next time traffic comes to a grinding hault for no freakin reason.

More UTEE Madness

2007-08-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

Little tin pins, fibers and beads encased in clear ultra thick embossing enamel. This time I poured the molten utee into silicone ice cube trays. I learned this from The Artful Mama's "Seaglass and Utee" post 5/25. The silicone ice cube trays easily release the UTEE unlike the candy foils from my first attempt.But wait. There's more...

I'm often asked, "so, what are you going to do with all of that...stuff?" love that one. I have however been asking myself the same question about my collection of utees. Many pieces have been incorporated in the altered book box for Emmy. I'm loving making the altered book. And the utee, well if it involves heat, burning and melting stuff, great!

i really like this piece. i poured clear utee into a metal cookie cutter laid over the image. after the utee set, i let the piece soak in water and rubbed the back of the paper image until it was translucent but retained pieces of the image.

Scary stamp! This is SO creepy. I made a stamp from that "magic foam" stuff you heat and press any old three diminsional object into it make a stamp. This doll made the freakiest stamp! pretty cool. My daughter was scared of the image but happy i didn't encase the doll in utee! None of her toys are safe,

My World

2007-07-31T21:11:00.001-05:00

no, they can't even act natural for a second when i'm trying to capture a beautiful daddy-daughter storytime moment. i'm the luckiest lady in the world.

Altered Book & UTEE Embellishes

2007-07-28T23:09:00.000-05:00

Tin dragonfly encased in UTEE.

Use caution when playing with the UTEE because when it's hot it may drip on your hand. It gets so hot. It then hardens on your flesh immediately and when you go to rip it off, the top layer of skin goes with it. It really hurts and doesn't make a cute embellishment for your altered book.

Cute tin things seconds from being drowned in hot utte. This experiment didn't work out too well since the foil candy wrappers do not release the UTTE. Only the dragonfly made it out okay. My hand was saved by alovera and ice.

So I made UTEE girl-faced embellishments. I'm using many of these pieces in the altered book I'm making for a swap with Emmy . This book should have been completed last month. I will be very proud to send it once it's done though and I think she will like it.

A Big thank you to everyone who commented on my first utee's! Mary will be getting antique utee keys delivered since she's right around the corner and Karoda's will be sent along with a few fun charms.

OMG I bought a Melting Pot

2007-07-22T01:42:00.000-05:00

if i were a criminal, i'd bumb off Texas Art Supply and go straight for the UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel). like i needed another obsession over a medium and a very expensive one at that. not that fabric ,embellishments and all that that entails are cheap. oh no. just don't buy the ultra thick embossing enamel thinking it's your moma's powder. get ready to break out that mastercard. i'm sure crack is cheaper and not as addictive. my problem began with the desire to make those painted washers you may have seen in cloth paper scissors with the glass paints and sprinkles of metallic UTEE. I made 30 of them and just found them where i suspected. My child had them hidden in her room as they make glorious play monies.

then i sprung for this contraption:that is not blood or an illicit drug, it's the UTEE. those old keys are not keys at all, they're UTEE that i poured into the "mouldy pour" and they look just like the real old keys i bought at art and soul. if you'd like some of these old keys, email me and i'll send you some. i have a plenty of utee in several colors. i rounded down the cost of everything you need for your melting utee adventure because my accountant reads this. btw i used a 40% off michaels coupon for the melting pot itself. everything else was just necessary...

$ melting pot 35 bucks but hey 40% off!
$ clear utee <-the big jar 11

$ flex 11 <--something i didn't know i needed until i bought...

$ the suze weinberg melt art video 18

$ bronze utee 7.99

$ pearl utee 7.99

$ black utee <--can make faux dicronic glass with it 7.99

$ gold utee 7.99

$ to dye for colorants 7.99

$ moldy pour mold compound 9ish

$ the plastic tools that won't melt like the ones i melted, 5.99

$ craft sheet - had it!

$ perfect pearls - 11ish

$ bees wax - 7.99 <---cool project on the video

$ memory glass 4.99

$ rubber art doll face mold 5.99

$ project pan for melting the beeswax 6.99

oh i'm sure there's more. why didn't i marry tim holtz? then i could have a direct link to ranger. and that suze weinberg is a genious and must be a brazilionaire. pretty awesome stuff! pay no attention to the time stamp of this post. it's the utee and i need help.

Schmooze with Suze Website

Fibre Cards Finally Finished

2007-07-18T23:42:00.000-05:00

I'm really happy with the way my Greek ocean fantasy vacation fiber postcards came out. Above is the fantasy villa my husband and I are staying in for the month while we're on Holiday in Greece. We'll have a fully loaded bar and Bernina in the dressing room - i wish. I included pressed wood ferns from my backyard and hope they'll hold up.

These cards are extremely tardy and heading overnight to a couple of very talented fiber artists in the UK. I wanted something special for them since I'm so late with the June Birthday swap and even July is now over....according to my boss. SO, I'm including some of my dyed silk, little Utee faces, nuno felt, and maybe some nice dyed silk velvet in my FAF swap birthday friend's envelopes to make up for my slacker swaptality.

I call this one Sea Garden because it looks like my scuba diving adventures in the Caribbean. The fern looks just like kelp. Apparently in the UK, it has been raining and hailing for something like 80 days and they've had absolutely no summer. In fact, it's been pretty cold there! We've had rains daily in Texas for over 40 days but at least it's hot and we can pretend it's summer and really going on a "holiday"

And the newest addition to our family "Buddy"!

Belated Blog Birthday

2007-07-16T16:32:00.001-05:00

Stitchtherapy turned 1 on July 2 so I'm wishing it a belated birthday blog! and many more...on channel 4: My first Post:

My first post is born!
Creativity IS my recovery and my joy.
Recovering from what you ask?
Laundry List of stuff I'm Recovering From:
The daily grind, wretched grief, past traumas.
I began sewing a few months after the death of our infant son Weston in April 2003. An urge to sew things compelled me. I saved up and bought a computerized sewing machine. I made a few dresses for my then 3-year-old and made myself a few blouses. Once I innocently attended Houston Quilt Festival in 2003....I went completely insane....but in a good way. I've always been creative but never committed to it on a regular basis until I realized the healing I gain and the joy it brings me. I've since converted my son's nursery into my art studio where I now spend glorious hours creating.
I believe the creative act fills a missing/damaged piece of me and helps get the pain out and into something positive and beautiful....exept for those "dark" works which are beautiful but in a scary way!OK...What I like to make so far: quilts, collage, and the latest...artdolls.
*NOTE: I did not make the butterfly. Walt Whitman did.
On with the show....

Dark clouds go away

2007-07-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's been one week tonight since the last tragedy and I seriously considered never mentioning it here. It's just so horrible and i like my people to be happy. Do not read on if you want happy news.....

Well the new kitten, Muffin, met a quick but tragic death last Monday night. My darling husband stepped on her accidentally while carrying his computer and killed her. I feel for the poor guy, the husband I mean. I was hard on him. We all took it hard..myself being the most hysterical.

We adopted a new kitten from the shelter named "Lucky" well, that's what i wanted to name the new little guy. He has been named "Buddy" by my daughter however.

I am finishing up my altered book for Emmy but I'm late with it because I get so carried away....and it's my first altered book. Tonight I used Ultra Thick Embossing Powders and glass paint on several new washers I bought at the hardware store. They are very shiny but I'm not sure how to incorporate them. I will finish this book box and It will be wonderful.

Fiber Postcards from Emmy and Angela!

2007-06-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

I've received two beautiful postcards recently and they have encouraged me to put my sewing room back in functioning order and get caught up!

This is a fancifully beautiful piece made with embellished wools, couched fibers and wonderful handwork from Emmy at Cramzy ! Thank you Emmy I truly love it!!

This colorful stitched card is sewn with varigated colors and pieced byAngela at Angelcat. I just love it!

I'm trying to come up with a way to display all of the beautiful cards I've received in these months. First though, I'm finishing up projects for swaps and I'm sorely behind. I need a vacation!!

Computer Recovery!

2007-06-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

Oh my I am back on! The pc crashed then died and my hub thought he could fix it and he certainly has, sort of but apparently it's my fault for blogging w/the pc on the couch or lap. So, I apologize to everyone as I've not been able to check all 576 emails on my sbcglobal.net until tonight! If happens in the future I will endeavor to communicate this to everyone. I will dedicate myself to returning your emails this weekend. Now i must figure out how to restore my word document that has all 50 passwords to various groups and things and figure out what all has changed since I've been in oblivion.

Crazy days and computer viruses

2007-06-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

Life things have gotten in the way of my sewing and blogging. For one, my home pc is down with a nasty virus. I'm managing to blog from my work laptop tonight.

I thought my next post would be to announce our move from Houston to Dallas because of a career opportunity for DH. The offer has since turned out not to be worth uprooting everyone and moving up north. Ah but in preparation for quick home sale, we had our sagging ceiling lifted, painted the living room, fixed the dripping sinks after 10 years and re-sodded parts of the backyard.

We were going to sell our little old house and buy a bigger old house in our outragously over-priced neighborhood. I've been packing clutter and storing to "stage" the place for quick sale. Now it looks like we will stay here and remodel the kitchen and maybe a bathroom while my husband studies for a certification that will surely allow us to safely buy a bigger house.... one day! Good news is after all of this unsettledness, I have a nicer looking old house and I'm getting a new kitchen remodel and maybe a bathroom. The best is that I get to keep my wonderful Houston friends and my daughter hers.

I've received some beautiful postcards this week and will get them posted in the next couple of days! Once I get my half-staged sewing room I will get back to creating.

New Baby Kitten!

2007-05-26T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here she is! She doesn't have a name yet though my daughter calls her "Skittles" Thank you all so much for your comments of comfort after our Tera's loss.

Tera has passed away to Kitty Heaven

2007-05-22T20:25:00.001-05:00

My white kitty Tera was run over by a car in front of our house Sunday. Tera would have been 16 years old in June and a part of our family. She was getting on in years and in the past few months had suffered a few minor health issues. Tera was an "inside" cat but loved to sit in the backyard and roll in dry dirt on sunny days. I never once saw her cross the street but she did like to play in the neighbor's backyard occasionally. I was shocked to hear my cell message that she was run over and killed. I found her laying just near the curb in front of our neighbor's house on the most beautiful Sunday evening when everything seemed to be rolling along so smoothly.

So, I've been shaken with tears of painful grief the past two evenings. We buried her in our backyard. I'd named her Tera when my husband and I were dating because of the the sheer "terror" she'd caused as a kitten when she'd bite all who she'd meet but always in a nice way. Tera always pp'd and pooped where she was suppose to and was an affectionate little white ball of hairy love. Tera has seen us through many years of the best and has certainly comforted me through the very worst.

My daughter had a field trip to Kemah Boardwalk scheduled this morning and I was to be a 2nd grade parent chaperon. Yucky early morning thunderstorms struck anxiety in all of our stomachs by 7am, forewarning that our much awaited field trip might be cancelled. It eventually was cancelled but I managed to contact a few of my daughter's friend's parents to get permission to take the girls bowling, swimming and then to Houston SPCA to pick a new kitten. We bring "Speckles" or maybe"Rebecca" home Thursday and our day was saved.

Rest in Peace Tera Kitty and may there be plenty of bite-able morsels and sunny dirt piles for rolling into PetErnity.

The Secret update and a new Fiber Art Postcard!!!

2007-05-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

A received a beautiful fiber art postcard from Francoise in Belgium! It's wonderfully designed with her hand-dyed fabrics and a secret tiny heart that makes the whole piece even more personal. Check out her rust dyeing pieces! I really want to try that!

Remember yesterday when I said I would not sell The Secret? Hahahaa! Well, I've actually sent like 8 people to the bookstore with my over-enthusiastic promotions. I sent 3 fresh new converts to Borders today after I gushed about my $3000 sell this morning. Hahahhaahha! I asked my boss to come with to the appointment. I was actually feeling anxiety and not feeling "the Secret" love. But then my lovely boss used her "secret" power for the both of us! Do do ddodododo...(twilight zone music)

The Secret

2007-05-16T20:21:00.000-05:00

The job has gotten in the way of my sewing lately. But here's a fascinating Oprah book review for ya....
I'm a sales rep for an internet advertising company. I've been a "hunter" sales rep for the last 4 years and I've read the gamut of sales books and self-helps. Last Friday afternoon, I'm sitting in our cramped depressing office cold-calling the yellow pages when a faxed contract comes in for $18,000 mo for another crazy rep in our office. That amount isn't unheard of in this business but it's WAY out of the ordinary. Our quota is $5,000 monthly total. She calls me "Hey, did I get a fax?" Uhh, yep. How in the hell did you do this girl??? "How much is it?" Oh...just $18Gs! "Aw man, it was supposed to be $25000." Me: HOW did you do it???!!! She's says, "You're going to think this is weird girl. It's that book...."The Secret" Me: Come on....how'd you do it really? Her: "Just read it girl. It's freaky and all about the universe and thoughts...it's really weird but it works." Let's just say, I read it that weekend and last week I exceeded quota in 5 days. I didn't sell one $18,000 deal but I made quota in one week and I'm usually busting it the last days of the month. It worked again today....maybe it's just my more positive thinking or could it be.....the seeeecret......shhhh!

Then for Mother's Day...I got the dvd. I made the family watch it since we have one tv so too bad it's my day and I'm watching it. 10 minutes into it my daughter says, "Mommy, it's not working. I'm thinking I want it to be over and it's not ending!" The next evening we're doing our mom walks around the block while she skates on her Razor...."Oh Mommy, The Secret WORKS! It really does! At school I was thinking "I want to pass my spelling and math tests and thinking in my mind that I passed them and I did! And then, and then....I wanted to do "color poetry" and my teacher has never let us do it and I thought about it and we did it! Then we had tamales for lunch and I wanted tamales!"

But I'm NOT going to sell the SECRET start a website nor do i want any "free articles by the Secret teachers" And my child will still get math tutoring this summer!

Houston Art Car Parade & my 100th Post!

2007-05-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

Houston invented the art car Did George Clinton invent funk? Why yes I would say so!

Ahhh! A quilted truck! Tennis balls...and there were also condiment and condom-covered rides. How i feel during rush hour:

Political statements about fruits and presidents...Can a car be OVER-embellished? You really need to click on this one to experience the embellitude!

Singing fish and lobsters.

I wish I could post the other 273 cars!

Beach Day and Mandala

2007-05-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

I finally painted my mandala. It's the first creation from "The Artist's Muse" book and Yahoo group.

We took our daughter and her girlfriend to Crystal Beach at High Island, TX. It's the beach I grew up hanging out at during my wild adolescences near Winnie, Tx. It's a very "country beach" vs. Galveston, the "city beach". So as Jim and the girls trapped over 35 hermit crabs and jumped in the surf, I worked on my Mandala using water soluble oil pastels and gulf coast seawater. Before I can post it, I want to stitch it.

I'm just not going to stress about getting the mandala finished because my mandala is about serenity and peace in a chaotic world. When I look at my mandala I want only beach, seawater and tranquility karma coming from it.

Go Girl Bag by Terri

2007-04-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

I bought this beautifully crafted Go Girl Bag from Terri at StegArt the day she posted that it was finished. Terri's bags are featured in this month's Belle Amoire's "Haute Bags" and they're stitched perfectly with her signature girl drawings which you can also buy separately from Joggles (if you're so inclined to make your own bag!)
It's so roomy and has three side pockets, a zippered compartment and a magnetic closure.

I wasn't planning on posting the altered book that I'm working on for a swap with Emmy from Cramzy . But if I don't post this project in progress....well I will have to continue buying art to post and I don't have the budget left for that.

So, what the hey...

I knew I'd need these Kleenex's soaked with the exploded HP Ink Jet cartridge from my desk for something one day. Here they are ModPodged to the pages of the altered book.

I'm loving this project because I have no fear. If I mess up, I can either rip that sucker out or collage over it! Here's another peak at a fearless page in progress:

This is plastic wrap stuffed with fibers, crayola pieces and shredded sheet music that heated then 0006 glued to the page. This book will have several textured experiments included and is a constantly evolving piece of work.

Purple Missus' Postfolio and Wild Woman Pin!!!

2007-04-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

Words cannot describe my reaction when after a long day and night at work tonight, I opened this:

Lynda from Purple Missus really has delighted the April (and me the March late joiner) FAF birthday ladies with these postcard-sized padfolios! And since I'm so wild: I'm totally going to wear this on my sales calls. She sent me the PURPLE one....YES! Thank you SO much Lynda! I'm extremely in LOVE them!!

SueB's Padfolios are a bit of a worldwide phenomenon. Go make one!

OK. I'm really going to practice improving my postcard-making. All of these gifts have just amazed and inspired me. sniff sniff

Thinkin' Blogs and Altering Books instead of Reading Em!

2007-04-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

Sue B nominated me for this thinking blogger meme and I'm very proud she picked me. Sue 's been a consistent art-thinking blogger with innovative techniques, online classes and tutorials. Why just this afternoon as I was fusing Misti fuse (which she taught me) I was thinking, "Sue Bleiweiss has totally transformed my mixed media life!"

I tend to just do without thinking more than anything. I'm no precise stitcher. But I do like to try new techniques because tomorrow isn't promised. Carpe Diem !

Now, I am to tag 5 bloggers that make me think! Tough challenge with So many to chose from. Here they go in no particular order of "thinkingness":

Not a walking Encyclopedia - (but i think she is)
Candy really makes me think. I often have to research her political topics so I don't sound like a complete hillbilly moron when I comment. I like to find sore spots in her blog to fight with my conservative husband about! : ) Candy is a passionate quilter but she's also a highly intelligent, prolific writer who brings to the forefront serious social and political issues and is often my only news channel. I couldn't sleep last night because the freaking bees are all DYEING and it's our CELL phones causing the death of everything! This is SERIOUS ya'll! I turned my apocalyptic phone off this morning because I want to LIVE! Let's do something about it! Fiber Art For BEES! Turn off the dang TV Jim! And Oh MG, Candy is also a gourmet chef/foodie and offers deliciouso recipes!

Fembellish: N Rene West has an embellishing blog that makes you feel like you're hanging at her house and you're just gonna sit down and eat a scrumptious cinnamon scone. Then she's going to crank up one of her 50 top-o-the line sewing machines and clearly show you step-by-step how easy it is to make a professionally embellished piece of fiber art! Hoffman Challenge? Hah! No problem! She's there to help you out and you are about to see things that normally you would need your credit card for. Her blog is chock full of the most gorgeous, generous, helpful tutorials and she updates very frequently. I totally subscribe.

The Fabric of Meditation : Sara's work touches me. Spiritual, emotional, beautiful pieces with ethereal images. I love everything she does. See her Carpe Diem Embellished Angels! If you ever see something in her Etsy, just clickit darnit! Her work is one of a kind and I believe all of her pieces have special healing powers. I must own something she's made!

Fiber Art: If I create it will they come? Hell yes they will! I met Micki in a Quilt U class several months ago. Since then, I've reviewed her blog from beginning to end. This is one blog that I can say, I have not missed a post! Micki has experimented with everything and she is not done yet! She shares her successes and even near-success. She's clear and tells it like it is. I really wish Micki would teach classes.

I have questions : This is a friend of mine here in Houston and I hope she doesn't get mad at me for publishing her because she's a bit private about her blog. But it's a Blog Natalie! It's on the Internet and Al Gore meant for these topics to be for all of mankind. I Have Questions is the ongoing memoirs of a single Houston mom who loves life, music, her kids most of all , and even her stupid ex. She raises questions and even makes old married quilting-types like me think. Natalie is an excellent, humorous writer who paints word pictures and makes me laugh hysterically even though it really should not be funny. Natalie is destined to write books.

Whew! Now that that's done, here's my Altered Book in Progress! My kitties are in the background for the pretty element. This book is going to be fabulous! Secret ATC drawers, a nitch full of Seamrippstress fabric extravaganzas, just very very cool. It will be sent to the Netherlands in a few weeks to a talented fiber artist in FAF. Take a good look because the next time you see it, it will be a day before I mail it overseas! This project is SO much fun and my first finished Altered book. I found this wonderful site for images, ephemera, vintage and incredible paper/fabric swaps: Art-e-zine

Uhhh Oh? Is that a library book????

Mail Motherload!

2007-04-19T22:54:00.000-05:00

Ready for this week's over-the-top mail? I'll have to keep words short since I really need to be working on job things....like sleep.

So let's start with this stunning postcard from the whimsically talented Diane (FaeryDi's Feats or Fiascos). It is so dang beautiful that when I opened it, it made me queasy wishing I had made it. Simply amazing....thank you FaeryDi!!!

And can someone please explain to me: What's the deal with the Aussies? Is it the water they drink or the art Karma spewing on them from the Great Barrier Reef? Why is there such a large concentration of extremely talented fiber artists in Australia?

Moving along, I was perusing blogs instead of sleeping when I saw where SueB had one of her silk fusion padfolio's for sale! Wah? That's when my Automatic BUYNOW Click Reflex took over before anyone else snagged it!

and inside she included a handmade bookmark:
Sue's off-the-hook talented! Thanks Sue!

And this postcard by Joanna just mesmerizes me. I bought it from the Ebay Earth Day auction since I had admired it on Joanna's Serenity is Bliss blog. Just look at those perfect mitered corners on the boxes. How'd she do that?

And finally, what I'm reading: "The Artist's Muse" arrived yesterday and I've joined a very active Yahoo group where we're unlocking our creative doors together. I'll share my nuggets as they manifest!

New Postcard Creations!

2007-04-15T00:49:00.000-05:00

I'm wicked proud of this weekend's postcard making. My friend Mary's birthday was Monday so better late then never, I'm giving her this tomorrow at our Doll Club playgroup. The Wild Woman Brooch Idea is from Purple Missus! Lynda picked up the idea from Sarah Lawrence of Crafty Notions . I knew when I saw wild women on Lynda's blog that I HAD to make one for Mary. Click the pic for an "in your face" view : )

This is a Post Card for a special FAF April Birthday Girl that I made tonight from the wild flower fabric I fused, painted, layered, burned and stitched.

I'll make a few more from this loud fun flower power fabric. I've finished my postcards for April and just need to get them into the mail!

Without the wild woman pin. You can see my first attempts at the "garlic" freemotioning. (The happy loopies growing off of each other)

Delicious Fiber Art Cards Galore!

2007-04-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

I 've been showered with fiber love again! ...don't be hatin'

Lookie what I got this week!

This postcard from Mags! arrived early in the week and was the dose of gorgeous that I needed to get through the week! Gotta retake this pic with natural light once the weekend arrives. The Ott lighting doesn't do these ethereal graphic images justice. She's embroidered "Happy Birthday" on the piece as well. I'm dying to learn how to do this! It's shimery and wonderful! Thank you so much Mags!

and there's more....Yesterday, when I returned from work, Jim came up with something behind his back . "I have something that will make you happy!" This beautiful, delicate, beaded masterpiece from Helen! I read on her blog, that she learned this technique from Sue Brittingham Quilt University!. It's a neatly krinkled cotton, stitched with varigated metallic and a hand-dyed silk flower with beaded center. "Goodie!" Thank you Helen!
And today! This awesome 3-d flower card from Kim!This is Chloe's favorite

What an awesome idea! Thank you Kim. This card is so unique and vibrant!

I just love this FAF Postcard swap! Especially since I just so happened to sign up during the month of my birthday and these works of art from fiber friends from all over the world just thrill me! I'm getting a bit, (ok no other word to use) intimidated by the craftmanship and design of these cards I've received. They're the easiest project I've ever made yet, not really after I've seen these art pieces.

Carmen's Knitted Gift

2007-04-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

My darling sister sent me this hand knitted, felted and crocheted bag for my birthday! I just love the colors and the design she chose. She's recently picked up knitting after years of crocheted blankets. She's created a series of beautiful "filet" designs for our home over the years (and I don't mean filet gumbo).

The colors on her new bag are so me and I'm truly impressed that she crafted such a complicated bag!Fiber runs in our family. Even our mom started quilting this year now that she's inherited (by writing me a check) my Brother NX400.

Check out the backside! I just love the design!

Thank you Carmen. I absolutely love it!

Chloe's Wrapped Doll

2007-04-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

My daughter wanted to make her daddy a doll for his birthday tomorrow. She kept asking for a wooden ball for the head but all I could find was a styrofoam ball. She wrapped the head in yarn, attached the face charm with pins and stuck a stick from the yard into the head. She wound yarn around the stick and pinned the hair. I helped her attach the hands and feet. She is very proud of her wrapped doll and I think it should be in an art museum. Won't daddy be surprised!

Almost met my Funky Postcard Quota

2007-04-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

I've converted some of my past experiments into postcards.

Hey, I'm all about recycling and "Working smarter not harder"

Here's a nuno felted pelt on cheesecloth from way back in January that I've reinvented into a fabric postcard. The added beadwork idea is one I totally lifted from SuZ's incredible flower card last week. Beading takes me a looong time but doesn't it add that extra Umphh and twinkle!
I swear this card really is square. No really! But the dang thing is warped after my wonky satin stitchting and doesn't lie flat for picture day. Maybe if I sandwiched within a big book for a couple days?

And this happy little card has been selected (and begged for) as a special gift for the Easter Bunny himself, along with brownies, iced tea, and an originial E Bunny portrait all gift-wrapped in a Texas Tamale drawstring sack. (BTW: Mr. E Bunny is also an adhoc member of Fiber Art Friends).

This card was made from my recent past layering fabric experiments. I especially like this one below since it includes my painted lavender velvet. The "beads" on these are not beads at all but drips of bead-like paint.Mr E Bunny on a good day. Check out those UPS driver calves!
In her 7th year, our child is dedicated to giving back to the Easter Bunny, to Santa and to the extravagantly generous Toothfairy for all of their dedicated years of selfless giving to her. "They've given so much and have asked so little of me" she says dramatically tonight. Every holiday is now a full day of creations, gift wrapping and special presentations to these wondeful characters. That bunny mobile better make it happen through our unseasonably frigid flooded weekend.

Happy Easter Dolls!

Postcard from SuZ!

2007-04-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

Wow! I must be psychic because I felt a stirring in my stomach on my way to the mailbox today. "There's something very cool in there for you Elaine!" What a gorgeous postcard from SuZ. I've admired her painted fabric work on her blog. I almost wish this was a handbag swap - Just go see her magnificent totes and little stitched bags! Thanks SuZ!

Freemotion Couching Foot

2007-04-02T22:49:00.000-05:00

I finally broke out the Bernina Freemotion Couching foot. It came with a little hook that I attached to the thread cutter and a long wire threader to run whatever cord I want to couch. I just plugged it all in, stepped on the foot petal and it worked like a charm! Now I can couch cords into looptie loops and I'm finding all kinds of things that need couching around here!

I've been tackling orange flower petals for the FAF flower swap and things just are NOT working out! Tonight I was having trouble moving the hooped Solvy topped with basted pedals under the dropped feed dogs. I thought I'd slip my handy dandy $20 Freemotion Slider (aka a piece of plastic with a hole in it) to help me with the movement. I immediately sewed that sucker to my pedals. Drats! They don't call me Seamrippstress for nuthin!

I've had more technical problems and physical injuries with this project! My FAF's may end up with felted flowers!

Beautiful Postcard From Micki!

2007-03-31T15:19:00.000-05:00

Yaay! This beautiful card finally arrived from Micki! I've been worried about it making it here. I don't know what the material is she used for the center buy I'm dying to find out. And it's GREEN like I like it! Thank you Micki, it is wonderfully made! I have renewed faith in our postal service and I take back what I said about our mailperson. Click on pic for a closer view! I'm working on multiple postcards for the swaps I'm in with Fiber Art Friends and also making flower petals for an April swap. Here are some of my embellishing projects in progress:

Postcard from SueB!

2007-03-30T17:54:00.000-05:00

A Birthday Postcard from the world famous SueB!Thank you Sue! This one is silk fusion base with dabs of silk covered with clear plastic! My child thinks it will make a neato Barbie Twister game! Love it!

An ArtCard made my me

2007-03-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

My first postcard!I mailed it yesterday but it took me 20 minutes to gather the nerve to release it into the blackhole of the mailbox. I didn't have the Kahoonas to send it "naked" like you artists gone wild I hear about. It's on its way to an extremely talented someone who shall remain anonymous until received since I don't think I'm supposed to post it until he or she receives it. Shhh! **Update: She got it! My first postcard went to SuZ W!!

I embellished wool and dyed silk onto painted lutradur during my experiments with the new embellisher foot. Then I laid it over a turquoise cotton and freemotioned everything down. You can't tell from the pic but I used pretty metallic threads on the petals. My satin stitching is getting better but I see where I need to invest in thousands of dollars worth of thread. I'm going to print a photo of all my threads to take along to my next thread shopping excursion.

I plan to make my next series of postcards using the techniques I'm learning from Fembellish Journal Gilded Garden Tutorial. If you haven't seen N.Rene West's blog, she offers a wealth of techniques explained step-by-step and her talent will blow you away. I've learned more about my Bernina 440 and it's accessories from her site than from my dealer or the manual. Each entry is daily eye-candy fabric therapy!

Remembering Our Weston on his 4th Birthday

2007-03-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

This is a tougher post than I thought it would be. Every year on this day, I think maybe it will be easier but it never is. In fact, I think it's even harder as time passes since I'm the one who knows when his birthday is coming. This year I waited until this morning to alert my husband and child of the day and prepare for our annual release of the balloons for what would be our deceased son's 4th birthday. I know it's so hard for people because they just don't know what to say. I don't know the right thing to say to someone suffering grief after the loss of a loved one and you would think I'd be qualified. Sometimes I worry that maybe I should be further along in the whole damned grief process.

During the first couple of years after his death, when I was asked about my children, I'd tell them one living daughter and that we lost our son. Talk about make them uncomfortable and avoid me like the plague afterwards! Now I find myself saying, "We have one daughter, that's it just one daughter."

Today's birthday balloons with our love notes written and sent to Weston.

We're still a family and I have so much to be so grateful for! A precious daughter, a loving husband of 16 years and good friends who I might have never known. I think it's ironic that I read about so many fiber artists who started quilting after the birth of their child. I started sewing after the death of mine. As obsessed as I am about quilting, dollmaking and all things fabrilicious, it truly gets me through each day.

I Got ART Mail!!

2007-03-23T18:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a good week! Easy for me to say now that it's Friday. I've worked my behind off nite & day at The Job. Then I managed to mame myself one last time with the Bernina while satin stitching fabric flower petal edges. But I'll spear you the bloody details this time.

Ah, but what special surprises from a couple of awesome fiber friends I'd like to share!

OMG - Terri at StegArt sent me this BEAUTIFUL fabric birthday postcard!!!. I just joined Fiber Art Friends ring and we have a birthday card swap going that I have not even yet signed up for but she sent me this! It MADE my DAY yesterday and I've carried it to work and played with it every time I needed a smile. I've got to make some of these! I love them because they're bigger than an ATC and you can mail them! What a thrill to get it in the MAIL....THANKS so much TERRI ! It's so beautiful and I will cherish this and get my rear in gear to spread the fiber love!

Tonight we ate my favorite Mexican restaurant and I had just one Margaritas. Once home we discovered my friend Mary left me a couple of lovely surprises!!! Hehehe...

First, this "Fiber Art Art For A Cause" Postcard called "Mom and Cat" by Jan Rowan Miller:

I Googled the artist Jan Miller and found her email address to let her know I had received her Fiber Art For A Cause card. She responded and said that she was inspired to create this piece when her good friend's mother was suffering from Altheimer's. Ms. Roark held and caressed this kitty because it gave her comfort. How wonderful to know the human emotional story that inspires great art.

Two of my very first Fiber Art postcards in one week must be a sign from God! Gorgeous. And also this Must-Have on every dollmaker's wish list: Ssweet! Look inside and get it here: JOGGLES

This means that the only Patti Culea book that I now do not own is Cloth Doll Couture" ....hint hint. : ) Thank you Mary!!!!!! I Totally Love Them!

Ok, as mentioned I injured myself in a horrifying way earlier this week late at night...sewing. Who knew sewing was a dangerous sport. As Judy in the Dyes husband had commented something like, "It's a damned good thing my hobby isn't Archery"

So last night I was scared of the Bernina and wanted to catch up on safe non-needle-related activities. The Fiber Art Friends technique to try this month is Tyvek. Luckily I've been saving DHL envelopes because I knew I'd want to paint and melt them one day. I tried heating them over stamps but it just didn't work out at all like Micki's lacey pieces or Terri's cool pebbled tile look. So, I went for the super easy Tyvek beads:

Then I put a piece of painted Tyvek over the face of a Sculpey mold from my Barbara Willis class and created this lovely scary mummy doll mask! Pretty scary but in an artsy fartsy kinda way. And these pieces of...um well I call these colorful melted DHL envelope pieces:

And guess what? Not one 3rd degree burn from the heat gun!

Houston! We have Woodknot!

2007-03-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

I'm calling the woodknot finished! And the same goes for his or her little wooded world of puffy painted poison mushrooms, hand-wired dyed fabric ferns and embellisher punched, silk infused with sprinklings of roving through her tunic and hat. Oh, and the gathered hand-dyed moss and homemade tree trunk.

During this project I made the first perfect stitch with the Bernina through my index finger. Mmmhmm.....I'm recovering and it will not happen again! Then tonight I injected a darning needle between my thumb and nail. Good times! But as I the blood pooled beneath my nail, I just kept going.... not stopping to care, laser focused on the birth of the woodknotress. As much as I wanted to be done with the woodnut, I'm actually considering starting a mermaid doll. This doll thing is addicting and for someone who flits from one technique to another or one class to the next it's just what the doctor ordered for me! Isn't she photogenic!

Probably the best doll I've made so far! (hmm...I say that with each successive doll)

My supervisor was my major motivation to complete this project in a timely manner:

Goodnight lil' critter. I forgive you for the punctures and lacerations. You've made me proud and a little child happy to share her mom's art with her friends.
This pattern and complete dvd instructions available from Allison Marano Faewyck Studios

Happy BirthDots 2 Me

2007-03-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

Like me, my dolls get better with age and practice. My boy woodknot has experienced a sex change and after a few finishing details, she should be finished by Sunday. I stayed up late late last night trying to finish her so I could bring her to my doll club's show & tell this morning. But by 2 am, I accepted that she would not be finished by morning but I will definitely make it to the 10am doll meeting regardless. Nope. I slept through the snooze button and Mary's 3 phone calls and missed doll club completely. Then I remembered that today is my birthday and I'm old and mornings like this are perfectly legal.

Me and the family packed it up and headed off to Galveston for a beautiful Saturday at Moody Gardens. Because it was my birthday, I forced them stop at Quilts by the Bay. This was my husband's VERY first time physically inside a quilt shop! They were good sports and I bought some birthday Solvy stabilizer, 7 spools of Medeira and Sulky metallic threads for a $1 each, and an assortment of other necessities. Later I took the above close-up of my daughter's rainbow dippin dots because I think they're just the coolest thing.

My published commitment: I will Post a Finished Woodknotress by end of day tomorrow!

All Dolls All Weekend - The Material Girls Doll Retreat

2007-03-12T19:13:00.000-05:00

What a lovely weekend we had at Camp Lonestar in LaGrange with fabulous doll artists and friends. I'm pretty exhausted with the time change and having to go back to work after such a creative weekend filled with wine, women and dolls!
(See Trudi's beautiful woodland critter pictured above)

I will not post my Wood Knot until he's finished and he's very close. I have no problem posting others unfinished wood knots however. We LOVED Allison Marano and she loved us Material Girls too! (though we freaked her out with our red-eyed, leprosy-spreading Texas armadillo stories)

Mary W working her whimsical magic on her psychedelic rebel wood knot: Trudi and Liz working their doll mojo

Mary and Kathy's Wood Knot Happy HourMy Retreat Roomies left to right Kathy, Me (I'm not drunk it's just morning) and Mary

My next post will be my finished Wood Knot darnit! It is complete with fabric moss, bark, ferns and Woody the Wood Knot. My biggest challenges this weekend 1) sleeping 2) sculpting 3)staying up with these doll-maniacs.

Doll Retreat Weekend and No Blogging?

2007-03-08T22:54:00.000-06:00

I'll be in La Grange with the Material Girls all weekend so I won't be posting until I return. I hope I don't do anything embarrasing at the retreat because I'll will be photographed and I will be compelled to post it. I'm bringing silk fusion pieces, my homework woodknot, and plenty of other items to play with. I'm too excited about hanging out in the woods with my doll-homies and Allison Morano, doll creator and workshop host. I didn't finish the flower pin doll and that's just how I am. I will finish her and maybe put her up for trade here! Thank you all for your comments - they all ways make me smile! Ya'll have a great weekend!

Shiny Happy Pin Doll in Progress

2007-03-05T22:49:00.000-06:00

One of my many practice doll heads resting among pretty petals stitched with Ricky Timms metallic threads through the bobbin. The stringie things are hand felted somethings that will be put to a specific/undetermined use. Cloth Paper Scissors offered a great article this month on fabric flower bouquets so I'm turning that into something I need by Friday! I'm optimistic that she'll become a lovely pin doll for a beloved Material Girl this weekend at our doll retreat in La Grange., TX. The theme is "all natural" and I could have made a naked hippie doll swinging from a river rope...but nah....I'm going with Spring flowers! Be sure that the finished flower girl will be posted before I leave for sewing Nirvana this weekend. No Internet connection in the woods??? Now that's roughing it!

Silk Fused Padfolio and Teddy the Yorkie

2007-03-03T19:37:00.000-06:00

Something positive evolved from my silk fusion breakdown! This wonderful little padfolio/worry journal/artistic sketchbook/to-do-list keeper. I've had padfolio envy since I've seen so many of these SueB Padfolio's blogged around the world. I could surely use more satin stitching on the edge practice but I really like how it turned out. I may change the cording and make a few silk fusion beads from Sue's latest lesson. This week's project is a silk fusion box and who knows, I may wake up at dawn Sunday and marathon box sew until noon like I did today. "What's for breakfast Honey?" uhhmm...hot pockets...

There are two inside pockets and it's satin stitched and fused together. My colors look a whole lot like Sue's blog header in fact! Such a cool easy-to follow project by the magnificant Fibre Artiste and Textile Art Educator Extrordinaire, Sue Bleiweiss
On Thursday, a little Yorkie dog came at me head-on in the middle of the street. No collar and no one chasing him. I stopped of course, got out of the car as he jumped into my arms. So what else could I do but take the little guy home and try to find his owner? We all fell in love with the little pooch, though he "loved" on my child's Hello Kitty toy just a bit too much! We found his owner Friday night and after many heartbroken tears and seeing him returned to his happy mom, we're now talking Yorkie shopping..... Goodbye Teddy! We all missed you this morning! Everyone except for our cats and Hello Kitty.

Seamrippstress Breakdown = 200 mgs of Silk Fusion Prescribed

2007-02-28T20:45:00.000-06:00

And here we have a representation of the beautiful liquid essence of a woman's once colorful spirit dripping from her soul to the dirty garage floor. Good thing paper towels (dyed rubbish that she hordes like a crazy loon) are being splattered with her misfortune so that they may qualify for her job when she gets whacked. It's been a rough month. The thing is, I'm one of those welcomed folks who call you out of the blue to sell you advertising. And when I really get on your nerves, well that would be toward the end of the month and this one has ended short, very short of my goal.

I wonder how all of you x-corporate cogs turned your fabric fetishes into careers? Was it Etsy or teaching or are you just so talented that you knew you could make a go of it. Because I'm about to go to "It's a Stitch" and ask them if I can sell sewing machines! My DH wouldn't care for the pay but wouldn't I be a happy little retail girl!

Here is my map of Houston sales targets, maybe this will explain my numbers this month. Look at the pretty WIPs! Wouldn't it be nice if they were finished or made into something useful? Or even better, if they could generate revenue!

Thanks sincerely for coming to visit and inspiring me with your comments and prayers of joy, hope and divine peace : )

Doll Therapy Retreat: Allison Marano Woodknots Homework

2007-02-25T22:30:00.000-06:00

I was happy to learn recently that I'd made the waiting list to join the Material Girl's Doll Retreat to be held in LaGrange, Tx March 9,10 and 11! Wow, but there's homework that must be completed and the retreat, well it's now only two weeks away! I spent Friday and Sat nights finishing the little guy's wired hands, feet, strange little head and pointed ears. He's a cute little "woodknot". (well he WILL be cute) I've promised him to my daughter who wants me to add a secret letterbox to go in his hollowed log. I also have to make a pin doll for trade! All of this in the midst of my Silk Fusion Joggles Class, the last lesson of Silk Dyeing and my Bernina Stitch Regulator Delight class at It's A Stitch tomorrow night! Thinking of using silk fusion pieces to make his little costume. I can't wait to hang out with the Material Girls and learn from Allison Marano at the retreat!

2007-02-23T18:38:00.000-06:00

http://haha.nu/creative/creative-photos-by-chema-madoz
My darling husband sent me this cool link today. Go see the very creative shots of plain ole things.

My American Idol Prediction- Blake Lewis

2007-02-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

Announcing the next American Idol....Blake Lewis. He's the beatboxer but the kid was the best tonight. Very DepecheMode meets U2...or NO the Smiths yeah the Smiths. Blake Nation wewwwhoo! I've wanted to see a rock/alternative win since Daughtry lost to...who'd America kick him off for? Anyway, so if you really wanted an update on another TV reality show you'd have tuned into your TV instead of my blog!

Letterboxing "Chloe's Hide"

2007-02-18T19:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago, Chloe reached into a tree trunk hole in our neighborhood park and discovered an airtight box that contained a tiny booklet full of stamped images, dates, messages, a stamp and pad, as well as a web address: www.letterboxing.org. What a thrill to find that these little treasures are hidden in cities and towns all over the world with secret directions posted on the website. She and her dad hid their own Letterbox this summer and this morning received an email from a family that had found Chloe's Letterbox at Herman Park. Today we decided to visit the museum's new Frog Exhibit and check out her little letterbox. WELL, over 11 families have found her box, stamped and dated it and tucked it safely away within the tree! I can't tell you how fun it was to look through her letterbox and see all of the personal stamps, dates, names and ages of children who've found it! The last entry was from an Austin family that had just found it today!

Chloe's Hide: http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=25785&boxname=Herman_Park_-_Chloe

We plan to make a silk fusion booklet and hide another!!

And the frogs were lovely and resting warmly......zzzzzz

It was such a lovely day in the Chinese Gardens...

And look at these painted cowboy boots!

MAP to Chloe's Hide in Herman Park. Email me if you find it!!

http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=25785&boxname=Herman_Park_-_Chloe

Silk Fusion Envelope

2007-02-16T19:17:00.000-06:00

A little silk envelope for keeping....well... Notions maybe? Innocent enough. (Click on top pic to see my embossed script stamp extravaganza)
...Hmmmm...Secret love notes? Not that I know a thing about anything like that. Fabric cash stash you don't want your DH to find? Don't be ridiculous we don't need no stinkin cash stash. What-nots might you consider keeping in here?

This is our first project from SueB's Silk Fusion. I stamped the silk fusion piece with embossing powders and turned the heat gun on. Then, I didn't like the off-white cloth buttons I chose so I embossed them with metallic powder too. Next, we'll make a bag and I will start on a http://suebleiweiss.typepad.com/padfolio/

Silk Fusion!

2007-02-14T21:26:00.000-06:00

Guess what... I'm taking another class! Sue Bleiweiss Silk Fusion from Joggles and it is really really cool! Just go see her blog. It's helped get me off the embellisher binge if for a fleeting moment. The process is similar to nuno-felting except textile medium is used to stick it all together instead of beating and rolling it 1000 times as needed for nuno-felting. The picture really doesn't do it justice but just wait until you see what I can make out of it!

Happy Love Day!

2007-02-13T21:48:00.000-06:00

Made by my daughter with the embellisher.

"Mommy, this is so much easier than drawing!"

Embellished silk and whatnots evolving

2007-02-11T23:49:00.000-06:00

My little Sunday experiment has moved into Monday night with hand-dyed silk habotai base over water-soluble Sulky stabilizer. Mmm I love how the silk rousches under the needles. I didn't like the red wool stripes yesterday but I'm feelin them tonight. I may cover them tomorrow. Funny how that happens. I'm infatuated with this needle embellisher but it sure helps to perpetuate my hermit-like tendencies.

I've started covering the silk in fiberish delicacies. I'll stitch a few wavies and loop-tee-loops to keep it together then soak to dissolve solvy and the little puncture holes. Then, I'll make something really damned fabulous...a little bag perhaps? Or wait! It's evolving into a web-eaten wacky apartment building from a dream.

I'm so having Manhattan fiberflashbacks. It could take a while but now I must need to needle-embellish the whole rest of the Big Apple. I embellished little ribbon curtains and webbies galore once the velvet windows materialized. Do you see an apartment building in there or is it just me? Not like a real one, more like a Dr. Seuss dream NYC apartment that's been eaten by colorful webs and a swarm of purple cotton candy? I could happen in NYC.

Sure, but now look at the mound of rubbish piled on my Quilter's Dream table. "Lucy! Juewgatta Lotta Cleanin to DO!"

Embellisher Foot Installed and I may never leave the house

2007-02-10T19:01:00.000-06:00

Oh man, this is too much fun! I finally installed the switch plate and multi-needled contraption on my machine and here's my first experiment. I used wool rovings including the Angelina/wool mixture and whatever else I could find next to the kitty's fur. More 2 COME!

How to Discharge Instead of Washing Dishes and Other Important Shopping Events

2007-02-09T18:40:00.000-06:00

Several of you've asked how I discharged the Bob Marley lyrics and it is very complicated but allow me to demonstrate:

First, you need these expensive supplies:

That's off-brand liquid dish gel with spot fighter (bleach) and a plastic bottle with a metal tip. Find the bottles in art supply stores where fabric, batik and dyeing supplies are sold or order online from Dharma Trading. Pour the liquid dish gel into the little bottle and write on your fabric. (Darker over-dyed fabrics work best or any dark commercially dyed fabrics work well too but only NATURAL fibers, ie cotton, silk)

Now for the fun part. Let it sit for a while flat and watch the chemical reaction! The dish gel will wick into the channels of the fabric. Leave it for as long or a little as you'd like and hold the fabric up to the light and check the bleaching from the backside to see your script or design materialize. I usually can't wait longer than 20 minutes or so. Rinse REAL good and wear GLOVES to maintain your dainty moisurized hands. Dry, press and Wahlaa!

NOT that you can really READ it but doesn't it look cool! And here are a few complicated designs I've played around with:(I can't stick to one topic or technique for long) Just LOOK what I found today while on my round of sales calls at The Hen House , a quilting, felting AND knitting shop! Combed dyed wool with flippin Angelina Fibers mixed in it! It Screamed my name so I bought 3 of the 6 hanks left:

That Famous Lazy Girl Bag!!

2007-02-05T20:42:00.000-06:00

So, do ya'll remember that little "burning layers" Lazy Girl Designs pattern purse I did way back - last week? Well, my new friend and awesome pattern designer Joan Hawley has made it the new lazy feature at Show Us Your Lazy! Hehehehe - love it! See all of Joan's incredible patterns at Lazy Girl Designs or ask any quilt shop for the latest....I've seen them at JoAnns Fabrics too.

A Big Texas Welcome to all of you lovely Lazies who've come to visit me here! Make yourself at home and do look around. This was my first Lazy and once you go Lazy, well heh...you know what they say! Any recommendations on patterns you've tried Lazies? Please leave me a comment...look I know you're pretty lazy, I am too but it's just a comment...it's not like making a dart or a flikin lining for heavens sakes! I think I'll make a burned or even a nuno-felted Wonder Wallet next...after a very long nap.

Discharged Redemption Song

2007-02-03T22:05:00.000-06:00

I've been jammin to the soothing "electro-bossa songbook of Bob Marley" and I keep singing the Amazonics rendition of his classic "Redemption Song" over in my head. I told you I was planning on discharging the lyrics with liquid dish detergent onto over-dyed cottons! I stared at it watching the chemical reaction for a good 30 minutes while dinner burned.After I rinsed, parts of lit up. Bob Marley would be 62 years old this Tuesday and I just found out after I posted this. Has Bob been singing to me to post his message? Don't laugh....I wonder if I could liven up the lyrics with stitching. I think this piece of cotton was bright orange with red undissolved dye specks before I overdyed with black...or was it red....I really should keep track of dye recipies in case I ever want to reproduce something.

Not yer Granny's Quilted Hand Bag

2007-01-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

This is what's become of my "Burning Layers" homemade fabric experiment! I used Lazy Girl Designs easy purse pattern that called for added embellishments. I think the fabric I made is embellished enough! I'm really proud of it as it's only my 2nd little purse. Aint it kewl!

It's lined with little pockets and I even used a magnet closure instead of velcro.

Move over Luis Vuitton!

Click Here to see the whole evolution of this project.
Check out textile seahorse and Lisette's facinating burned art pieces and a very good tutorial that i can't make the link work. www.thequiltingweb.com/Free%20pro%204.htm

Chocolat Centerfold in Art Doll Quarterly!!!!!

2007-01-28T19:50:00.000-06:00

Click on to actually Read Mary's Article!

Yesterday my daughter and I wandered into Texas Art Supply looking for a few dyeing supplies (...ew and I found some Lutradur for $9 per giant roll yard). ANYWAY, I picked up the latest "Art Doll Quarterly" issue for the first time ever. I went about my evening of dyeing silk and velvets and at bedtime reading I'm casually thumbing through the pages, admiring the fabulous artist's dolls.... when WHAT to my flickin amazement....CHOCOLAT! I know that DOLL!!!! That's my friend MARY'S chocolate wrapper collage doll in a 3-page spread...all glammed out!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Mary on Chocolat and for another published article of your amazing work and your ability to make art out of ANYTHING. You are so famous.

Rough week. I think I'm gonna DYE

2007-01-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

Nothing like a little dye-therapy to relieve the tension of working until 10pm every night this week. No worries, I'm close to quota and I still have a 3 whole business days left. Ew, that's stressful. Let's talk about dyeing silk.

I'm taking my favorite dye teacher, Marjie McWilliams http://www.fabricdesigns.com QuiltU silk dyeing class. The silk pieces are covered in plastic for the next 6 hours but you can bet they'll be posted by tonight. Since I'm not one to waste procion soup what with all those starving artists and all - I've stuffed and dumped silk velvets and silk gauze to see how they turn out. I'm overdyeing a few pieces of cotton and added salt to the left over dyes because I think I'm supposed to for cottons. Then, I plan to discharge with liquid dish soap and I think I'll write the words to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" on the over-dyed cottons.

I'm so not excited about how my painted on and "blended" silk habotai lesson 1 turned out. My colors didn't really blend but looks like a pastely rainbow. This will be over-dyed next weekend:

This is how it's supposed to "blend" into orange and purples:

But the velvet and silk gauze that I immersed came out beautiful!

I have broken the blog

2007-01-23T00:13:00.000-06:00

Like a fool i moved my template over to the new customizable whatever template. I've lost my archives. The blogroll has magically appeared....now it's gone!!! Why OH Why did I do it?? I hope when i wake up everything will be back to normal.. This is a bad dream!

*Update - it was a bad blogmare after all! Everything has magically returned...it just looks a little different. I'm already liking the these movable page elements!

Artists Gone Wild at Great Expectations Creativity Center in LaGrange, TX!!

2007-01-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

You've gotta check out Liz Berg and Virginia Spiegel, artists in residence in LaGrange, TX!! OOhhh mi gaawddd....the incredible fabrics they're dyeing and painting and their unleashed creativity gone wild!!! Scroll ALL the way down through to day 10 at least! They have this GIANT space in LaGrange and they're eating fried shrimp and catfish like- every night, taking pics of icicles and creating complete masterpieces! I'm mean they're working their hearts out but really, they are having a blast! Sheer Heaven. I think they can get locked up for life with that wanton behavior down there ya'll!

Burning Layers Piece

2007-01-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

I'm going to cut it up into postcards since I prefer quadrants rather than the whole crazy thing at once! Hmmm or maybe a Lazy Girl Purse. But what a great experiment. There does come a time when I have to stop it with the stitching and burning already! The cards will have a funky fiber "art binding"
(Click on pics for details)

I considered metallic threads but synthetics would melt away with the heat so I used varigated cotton threads. The various textures of Deb's Scraps from my stamped acrylics on her hand-dyed flannel and stitching over her red velvets give the piece interesting textures!

Frozen Texas Bush - not a political statement but could be! : )

2007-01-17T19:12:00.000-06:00

At 5:30 am this morning we received a recorded call from Houston School District,

"HISD schools are closed today due to dangerous weather conditions"

My 7-year old sprouted up from the deepest dream, rapidly dressed and began euphorically chattering through the house. That recording would make a great child alarm clock. Later we explored our slushy "winter wonderland" as she called it, searching for tiny frozen leaf drips. Her excitement made me wish for snow....oh but for just for one day. By 2pm she was wishing she could go to school.

So while I worked, I let her make Martian cake out of whatever she wanted in the kitchen and we baked it. Yum...we're saving a bunch for Daddy when he returns from NY. Then she wanted to explore my blog. As innocent as I thought my blog was... she pointed out quite seriously that I use bad words in my blog. Oh no! So it is my goal and promise to you all to clean up my blog language and use care in my expressions and choice of word pictures from now on. The BAQ has been officially renamed to BOQ- Big OLE Quilt - kid friendly bloggin ya'll! Peace -

More Experimentation with Left Oeuvers

2007-01-15T21:57:00.000-06:00

This time I took a little more time (not much) to come up with a more organized color scheme. I'm planning the same technique of overlaying with sheers and burning (yes, I bought a burning tool from Home Depot) I almost want to leave it alone at this point because Deb's scraps are just delicious as they are. Most of these are her hand-dyed flannel and cottons and do you see that deep red dyed velvet she included? -Yummy.
Want some? Hurry up, I think they're going Like Hotcakes!

....and here it is covered up with organzas and sheers. I've started stitching around the motifs and I can Hardly wait to finish the stitching and burn baby burn with my new hot tool! Throw fresh batteries in the smoke detector baby, moms cookin again! Click on the picture and feel the excitement I'm feeling with this technique!

I hope no one gets hurt during the frozen tundra of Houston Texas tomorrow. But I also wouldn't mind one single bit if we had to be shut in our homes for fear of being slammed by amature ice speeders. Just keep my power and heat on! ** Update! See above post- the power was on, the heat on, the sewing machine on, schools closed (oh well, can't have everything)

Layering Whiffs n Leftovers

2007-01-13T23:39:00.000-06:00

I ordered a bunch of Deb Lactiva's fabric scraps from her ::More Whiffs, Glimmers and Left Oeuvres:: studio cleanup. Sampling these bits of funky shimmers and hand-dyed morsels is like eating someone else's cooking. It tastes just a little bit better! (Not that I really NEEDED more scraps) Then I read an article from Quilting Arts Fall 2005 issue where Annette Morgan shows us how to "Layer it On: Making New Fabric From Scraps"

I laid out pieces of Deb's stash mixed with painted velvet and silk pieces of my own onto Pellon stabilizer.

I fused used them down to the stabilizer. Then sandwiched onto a backing and batting. I stamped on acrylics and metallic lumieres. I worked fast.

Next I covered the piece with multi-colored organza and tulle and freemotioned around the stamped motifs and over the whole piece. I then cut/burned of the top layer of sheers within the stamped motifs.

I'm still in the process of snipping tulle and organza to reveal areas underneath. Next I need either a souldering iron or the nifty Textile Tool burning thingamagig. This piece will be a little wall hanging. The homemade fabric can be used to make little bags, wine holders, ATCs or whatever!

Bernina 440 Quilter's Edition is Da Bomb Baby

2007-01-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

I've not sufficiently showcased this massive investment on the old "Bee Ell Oh Gee" (plus a lack of finished bloggable projects and the need to post drove me to this tonight) And I don't know bout you but I'm recovering from my sitemeter additction and it thrills the cheese outame to see fellow fiber junkies from across the US and Europe to Southern Australia find lil ole "StitchTherapy" when they search "nuno felting" or "doll therapy". I figure " Bernina 440 qe" is good for a couple of googling stitchmaniacs. Welcome Beautifuls! No offense. Do leave me a comment. It's free ya'll and they make me happy.

I know I've searched Bernina 440 a billion times and I think it should be mandatory for all of you fabulous studio quilt artists to tell us newbies what kind of machine you drive. We really want to know.

I bought this hunk of machineness after the Houston Int Quilt Festival this year because I was ticked I couldn't take pictures of the quilts and hang out like the rest of the ladies. I should be happy I live in Houston and there's always next year to hang out. Anyway I drove the thing full throttle until the Bernina ladies asked me to buy or leave and though it was priced WAY out of my budget (and I had no budget) I HAD TO Have IT. Not only because I fancy myself an emerging fiber artist who was in need of good equipment. Yo, this baby slices through big fat layers of fabs like buttah...but the deal maker was THIS:

Yeah, it's the stitch regulator that sucked me in. Accomplished freemotioners may not need a piece of technology like this but I DO! I finished the BAQ in no time with it

This humongus quilt was entirely free-motioned on my sewing machine. I didn't get the Bernina until the giant borders were to be quilted and I finished all four sides within a week with a day job. Big Ole Quilt in Progres

The regulator by no means makes perfect stitches without a little skill. It feels like a long-arm (another ride I've test driven at festival) and I can be more exact with it. With the Bernina, all of my stitches are MUCH more exact and pretty.

I also received -eh hum...for free- the 5 needle"embellisher" foot that works just like Babylock's Embellisher only it's a $120 foot for the Aurora. I'll post once I get around to embellishing with my 1000 pounds of merino wool that just came in. AND I have the freemotion coucher foot which I have no idea what to do with but I'm sure someone around here will need some couching soon.

BUT contrary to popular word of mouth propaganda about "Quilt Fest is the Best Place to buy a Machine" I wondered over to Houston's own
It's A Stitch Booth and asked them if I could get a better deal from my local quilt shop. Not yes, but Hell Yes! I booked it out of the George R Brown and blew off precious moments at Sacred Quilt
Cathedral to get over to Humble and buy it. I left in big debt but ecstatic. Not only did I get a better deal but I got the embellisher foot and couching foot for free, and a new machine vs a demo oh ...AND excellent classes galore.

Mainly I wanted a quality exact stitch and I got it. My Brother NX400 was fine and all, no major problems and decent stitches. But it ain't a Bernina. Plus the Brother had a drop in bobbin and was easier, but I couldn't do any bobbin work or adjust the tension like the real artists do. You know those beeotches I'm talkin about.

Love, love, LOVE this machine. If you've googled me because you're shopping, drop me an email and I'd be happy to share my sewing machine research with you!

Peace ya'll!

Nuno Felting Fun

2007-01-01T15:50:00.000-06:00

Getting ready to nuno felt onto pieces of dyed cheese cloth. I'll also over-felt the pre-nuno'd long piece across top of photo. Cheesecloth pieces are laid out on pool-supply bubble wrap with tufts of combed wool, mohair and silk rovings arranged however you want. I have to remember to lay bits of wool on top of each piece of yarn, silk or mohair embellishment to felt it down to the base.
I've got a pitcher of warm ivory soaped water and use a plastic baggy glove to drip and rub with water. Then I roll them up rather tightly in the bubble wrap a few hundred times. Drop the wet bundle 10 times opening it up so I don't felt the edges together. Then, I chunk them down hard on the table about 10000 times for an hour until they shrink about 1/3 of the original size. ** Update - my arms are sore! Nuno-felting should be the new arm workout trend! (Click on the photo to see a close up.)

A couple of wet pieces after I've rolled and chunked them a few thousand times. They've started to shrink and the wool is coming through the wholes in back of the cheesecloth. It's finished when it's shrunk to about 1/3 of the size I started with

A few finished and dried Nuno pelts. (Click on Picture)

They remind me of fabric animal hides but without the killin and skinnin.

So far, I've only made doll clothes from nuno felt but I'm thinking of a small wall quilt or whatever else comes up. A few close ups:

eeew! I bought a bunch more felt, silk roving and a few yards of silk gauze from Wild Turkey Feltmakers and Polly Stirling. Polly is a magnificent fiber artist who developed the whole nuno felting process in Australia!

How to get good heads

2006-12-29T23:02:00.000-06:00

So I became obsessed this week about sculpting and painting doll heads. Pretty Doll Heads (hey what a great girl band name don't ya think?) anyway...decent looking doll heads are the most challenging part of a cloth doll and the most important. I know, because I've made a few freakish damned dolls with fat crooked lips that take away from their whole "cool art doll" image. So I resolved to whip up a bunch of heads and go to town until two or three dollfaces were at least "attractive" by art doll standards. BTW you cannot rip out sculpting if you perform a bad nose job. The head just has to live with it. Make a pindoll out of it and move on.

Carmen Collage

2006-12-26T16:14:00.000-06:00

Collage art book pages in progress for my sister. I used techniques from Traci Bautista's Retro-rags class from Art and Soul http://www.treicdesigns.com/ I used stamped and painted paper towels, papers and cloth with childhood photo transfers.

BAQ (Big OLE Quilt) Is Done and On The Bed!

Santa Temple

2006-12-26T15:46:00.000-06:00

Bow down, Bow down before the power of Santa

Or Be Crushed

Be Crushed

By
his

...............jolly boots of doom.

Sung by Chloe pre Christmas silliness

I Got a lot a Catchin up 2 Do!

2006-12-21T20:20:00.000-06:00

This is Trudi, my Secret Sister Doll. She was - a secret - and I couldn't post her but now I can. Trudi's gone. I've given her to an adoptive Material Girl mommy. I will miss you my Trudi and your one-of-a-kind nuno-felted dress, oh your crooked oversized eyes adding to your crazed doll look. I wish I had an itsy margarita glass to send you off with a toast. sniff sniff

You must see all of the Secret Sister dolls in the "Gallery" Secret Sister 06
Material Girls Cloth Doll Club

Go straight to the photos by copying this direct link:
http://materialgirlsdollclub.com/Challenges/SSDec2006.html

Ah but a beautiful new doll-child has come to live with me! Her name is Kathy and her real mom is...Kathy from Material Girls! Kathy made her lace ethereal wings from scratch...and her multimillion dollar embroidery machine. Kathy is just beautiful and I love her so much! She also has nice breasts! I've yet to make a doll with decent breasts.

Oh the shoes! I love little handcrafted doll shoes! She has feet just like mine :)

My doll Trudi went to the maker of the above artist...Trudi! I love the colors and the preciseness and ...check out that leaf!!! WOW. I was pretty intimidated about making a beginner doll like Trudi to Trudi. She's so talented and exact in her designs. I may be te most amaeuturist doll artist in the club but I get to learn from the VERY best. THE most talented doll artists...in the damned world I tell you! SS Challenged me to FINISH Art (something I'm a tad challenged by) while doing my best work at a deadline and STILL keep my new day job!

Here is my 7-year-old freemotioning her whole cloth flannel using the patented stitch regulator. "Mommy, this is FUN!" Look for her at Houston Quilt Fest Best in Show 2020.

Berninas and Quilt Festival Dreams

2006-11-04T22:20:00.000-06:00

I made it to Houston Quilt Festival for my Hollis Chatelain "Painting with Procion Dyes" class and my day was absolutely sweet. After working my money-maker to death since returning from training/vacation, I've not touched my machine since Sept 25. Had to sell my Carolyn Fallert class to a wonderful Material Girl member because of the new job. I'm going back in the mornig to buy a freakin Bernina 440qe with a stitch regulator! Have you ever driven one of those? It was a religious experience. Anyone want to buy an awesome Brother NX400 w/large table and 30 feet included?

Last of NYC Fav Pics then back to Texas... promise

2006-10-16T20:31:00.000-05:00

Can you tell me how to get....how to get to Sesame Street?

Little Jenny Balls from Hoboken NJ: This is a bonafide a NYC Rep with Balls! Love you Jenny Ball Bags! Come see me in Texas girl!

My Little Manhattan

From the top of a Chelsea Pub on my last night

I'm back!

2006-10-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm home from NYC -damn-...and i forgot how to sew! I'm sure I'll figure it out now that I have some fresh fabs from The City Quilter

I wish I had bought some of the very cool fabrics I saw that they didn't offer on their website. It seems I only bought the touristy city scene stuff. It's ok, I WILL BE BACK!

On Wednesday I freaked when I saw the horrible news about Yankee's pitcher flying into an East Manhattan apartment building. It brought back those wretched memories of 9/11 and I can't imagine the feeling of Manhattan dwellers watching the scene Wednesday. I couldn't even bring myself to photograph the site at Ground Zero directly but took these photos from the water taxi.

There's just this giant hole of emptiness and goneness of World Trade Center. I met so many people who lost their loved ones in NYC and told me their stories. One young gentleman and his family told me of their grandparents who had been eating breakfast at Windows on the World and were gone in seconds. Families go there to grieve and remember, everyday.

So it angered me to see the "Truthers" protesting in front of sacred ground about the CIA conspiring to destroy the World Trade Center. I told the boy he was dillusional and to stick his flier up his....but this is the USA and we have the freedom of expression. Could they just show a drop of respect for these families and go somewhere else with their moronic crap? It was all I could do not the slap the little bastard.

Speaking of expression...tonight Jim and I caught a great Texas performance by Carolyn Wonderland at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar. I haven't seen her perform in at least 8 years. It was the Texas dose of bluesy, beautiful music and beer I needed!

Come Back to Texas

2006-10-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've done what I came here to do. I miss my hubby and baby. I've forgotten how to drive or cook. I want to slow down and sit in my backyard. I want to see Mary who's husband Bruce in ICU right by our homes. I miss my big hot Houston city and my humungous but affordable 1800 sq foot home. I especially miss my family....don't make me cry. :)

Tonight was nice though. I took the subway all by myself all the way from midtown to downtown and found Century 21 (bargain shopping NY-style) I made a pitstop at The City Quilter and bought several cityfied fabrics that I'll post soon. I also bought a very simple cityscape pattern to mark my NY memories. After trying to follow the girl from City Quilter's FIT directions, I gave up and decided to head the Century 21 via subway and the E train. I got off at the Chambers stop and what do you know!!! I didn't end up in Brooklyn! So, I'm walking fast in God know's where Hell's Revenge NY when a nice Polish exchange student asks, "Mam, can you tell me how to get to Century 21?" I laughed, only because he was asking me and that meant my calm dramatical interpretration of a hurried New Yorker worked. I told him, "Darlin, God must have brought you to me so we can find it together!" We were one block from Ground Zero and Century 21 and had no idea. I bought a pair of flats and a top and booked it back to the E train home. .... welll not home by any means. I then had nice late dinner at a corner french restaurant where I ordered their special martini and chicken crepes with "green wisps" aka Salad in an outdoor cafe while I watched the never ending foot and auto traffic of Manhattan at night.

My Favorite Places in New York City

2006-10-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

My absolute favorite place in NYC is definitely Central Park! This is by far the most beautiful park I've ever seen. It's so well kept and built for everyone in the city. I could devote an entire blog to Central Park. I will miss Central Park the most.
Chloe in the City! She really enjoyed the trip though her daddy ran us ragged in the 2 1/2 day time span. We saw Miss Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Natural Science, FAO Schwartz, ToysRUs, Greenwich Village, Times Square, The Manhattan Children's Museum (not for big kids) a cool restaurant called Mars 2112 where you dine on Mars, and taaa daaa... Chloe's favorite "Central Park" !

The MET! Tears come to my eyes when I think of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was like Disney Land f0r me. Except if you could only stay at Disney Land for 4 hours and have to leave. I need at least a full day in here....but the place closes at 5:30 during the week. Think original Chagall, Degas, Picasso, Renoir, Monet, and the list goes on and on. I took about 45 pics of original art here. We saw maybe 1/4 of the museum.
The Views! This was taken from the top of the Empire State Building!

BTW: this city has the best sushi in the world. Ruby Foo's in Times Square was great and cheap! Koi was a little more and out of this world!!!! I tended to eat a LOT of friggn sushi ya'll! So here I am at Ruby Foos eatin the Sushie.....

Oh! and here I am again with...could it be sushi!!!

2006-09-27T21:58:00.000-05:00

hmmmm.... see if you can find anything wrong with the above statement under the photo. win a free trip to Manhattan if you figure it out and comment me. I also have 1/2 price tickets tonight at the Comedy Club times square. ....tonight only

Bright Lights Big City

2006-09-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

I finally made it to Times Square tonight. Snapped a few pics, ate some bad pizza and went to the Gap. Blogger and hotel slow-speed internet not letting me post pics.

I did check out the MTV store and watched a few "movies in the making" on the street. My hotel is about 3 blocks from Times Square and 4 from our office, but the blocks here are looooong! I've only seen the Meat Packing District, Times Square and a bit of Greenwich Village and had a $15 coctail with my training buds on top of hotel. More pics of my adventures to come but Blogger or this hotel high speed aint all that.

Here are a few of my observations so far:

1) New Yorkers Really do speed walk...everywhere. Perfect for me since I already walk like I'm late.

2) In every shoe store I see, I love all of the shoes. There are no ugly shoes here.

3) They wear black because every thing is dirty. I went to work today with black smudgies on my grey slacks.

4) People here are not at all mean or rude. They're just late and we visitors take too damned long.

5) The women here are beautiful, young and dressed perfectly. Even the no-so-attractive women are stylish. Classy bitches are everywhere. I've not seen one blinged out redneck. Well, I'm in a disguise to blend in.

6) Cabbies will kill you. They don't care, get the hell out of their way!

More later with pics from last nights happy hour and tomorrow nights happy hours!!

Peace ya'll

Big Buttons in the Big Apple Baby!

2006-09-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

da da dada dum...
sssstart spreadin' the neeews
...I'm leavin Mondaaaay.
I've -
got -
to
- be a part of it.....NEW YORK NEW YORK!!

My darling new company is sending me to Manhattan for a couple of weeks. I can finally check off one of those "places 2 go before I die." Before I knew which city I'd be sent, I thought I'd need to find a mini sewing machine for hotel evenings but...FuuughGet About IT! I'll be too busy shopping in the Garment District. They have entire stores that only sell...imported ribbons, or just trims. There's even one specializing in feathers. There's only one quilt store called The City Quilter but at least the place is open until 7! And a block away is The Fashion Institute of Technology which is open until 8:30pm. That's all exciting in itself, but also worthy: Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Timesquare, Central Park..blah blah blah. I just hope I don't act like a crazy country girl in the big ole city! Yeehaw Ya'll!!! My family will join me for the weekend and I think they're even more excited than I am! Look for pictures and a posts as I'm sure to be bloggin-in-thecity...baby!

Chloe's Art Quilt & Jim to be Immortalized in Fabric

2006-09-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

Chloe wondered why I hadn't yet published this work of her's so here it is. She chose all of the fabrics and yarn for this project and she did the freemotion stitching while sitting in my lap.

And my current QuiltU class, Realistic Fabric Portraits, is not so easy. I'm debating on the right photo and made Jim brush his hair and change shirts for these pic today. Ain't he handsome! It was a struggle but who wouldn't want to be immortalized in a family heirloom forever? Our instructor, Marilyn Belford encouraged us to use a "mature" photo rather than a child because of the thread painting. Mature faces are more forgiving for beginners.

mmmmm...is it me or does he look a tad like the deliciously evil Dr. Christian Troy from Nip Tuck baby!

Why blog?

2006-09-09T19:12:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...wish I had made this....but alas- taken from an artist's exhibit from a Quilt Guild show a couple of years ago. Dang beautiful!

And today I found

an Artist's perspective on blog rationale

that I can totally relate to.

By anonymously stalking their blogs for quite some time, I've been filled with knowledge, inspiration and awe... but have quite often suffered intimidation by these incredibly talented women.

Sharonb's "In A Minute Ago" Blog

is one of them. So while surfing stichery blogs across the world, I was sewn through her's again and to her excellent perspective. She discusses the community of blog creator's, the reasons we blog, and how blogging motivates us to finish all of those UFOs. Maybe this will help some of my peeps understand why I do this! Read it ya'll!

Abstract Emotional Attempt

2006-09-07T22:57:00.000-05:00

Still in the midst of my Art for Quilter's class and I'm way behind. I forced myself to do the abstract challenge tonight. I just hope they don't vote me off. (watching too many Project Runway DVDs lately)

We were to use geometric shapes to create an abstract in fabric that represents a feeling or tells an emotional story. How you do that with abstracts? I still don't know. I kept finding myself wanting to paint a full-blown picture of Lucifer in the corner. Ok, now you can guess my "feeling" was not happy! Actually, looking at it on my black blog, it does kinda convey the sorrowful tone I was aiming for! Good times.

My original "emotion" was too ugly to even post so here is the lightened up version: This is about grief and the loss of a loved one. Kind of a snapshot of early grief and pain of loss shooting in. For the longest time you feel as if a spear is stuck in your middle...very deep and it may never come out. Then, the grieving squeezes tears out and the long healing process begins. The blue circle represented the lost love in the beginning but transformed into myself. I wanted to depict the lost one disappearing into oblivion but my skills lack and I wanted to finish and move on. Before I started I kept saying to myself, "Do something pretty and soothing and fun....come on you don't have to go THERE." Then It just wouldn't go away and hey it works, it's done and out.

This is my original sketch. The results are similar but I just couldn't pull my "vision" off since 1) I'll never have enough fabrics 2) I really wanted to get her done and move on from this unhappy place.

My extremely talented instructor
Marilyn Belford
wrote:

This is a strong piece. It is well thought out and the eye moves around the work perfectly. It expresses everything you said, and more. Those red arrows moving in, changing direction and getting smaller, add great depth and suggest the three-dimensional roundness of the circle, as well as the transition to tears. The whole piece evokes a feeling of healing. Nice going! I notice in the lower left some squiggles in red. Is that a compositional ploy (which, by the way, works)? Or a symbol, or letters... or?

But I just had to respond,
could it be....Satan?

I was thrilled she got the "healing" aspect of the piece!

Project Studio Make Over

2006-09-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

Taaa Daaa! Internet magic makes it look like just yesterday this place was a mess. Now I can easily pull my cutting table to the middle of the room and rock-n-roll that rotary all day baby!

I bought two sets of clear drawers and arranged my cottons by color and tone. I even reserved a drawer for "Chloe's Scraps" so my daughter can be allowed access to ONE drawer only. (But really, I'd stay out of mom's sewing room you know because of all those sharp pins sticking up from the carpet.)

No more Fortunes and Business Weekly's to chop up! I can also sleep soundly knowing my Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors issues are present, together and arranged chronologically.

I have room for more stuff and at this moment in time, I pretty much know where everything is! Time to make something.

Clearing the Clutter

2006-08-31T13:21:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm revealing too much here. I don't care anymore. Something about turning 40 - yeah I said it. I am it.

Picture this: I'm between jobs for the next couple of weeks and have just begun to relish in the delight of time. Get Thee Behind Me Clutter! Here's my sewing/studio room now. Consider it a "before" photo.

Hmmm...let's see, where did I put that...uumm..what was I looking for again?
I cannot bring myself to enter any of these sacred tools into the garage sale next weekend. I think I'll just sell the bed to make more room!

Never know when I might might need to cut pictures and words out of Fortune magazines.

For Mom: My "doll-in-progress" you asked about. She's not "hoed up" enough yet but I will try to keep her tasteful.

Happy Birthday Mom! We made it through Monday!

2006-08-28T16:56:00.000-05:00

I had lunch with my mom today and it is her birthday! I thought this day deserved over-running that ugly anxiety fabric below with an empty tequila bottle on a Mexican beach! Since my mom encompasses about 98% of my readership I don't want her subjected to my stressed out brain below. (: I love you Mom!!! : )

Anxiety Art

2006-08-27T18:19:00.000-05:00

I painted this chunk of fabric with straight black dyes the other night. It's a good picture of Sunday night anxiety. Since it bothers me to look at, I'll post a prettier piece once Monday has come and gone so as not to bum anyone out all week. I painted left-over ebony dye onto dry fabric thinking I'd get black on white but the red traveled out of the black. Maybe this is what my brain looks like when stressing out. Not pretty.

Actually, this weekend turned out several twisted pieces of ugly things and I can't post them because I abandoned them at a friend's house. I'm sure she appreciates that!

Art for Quilters

2006-08-20T18:11:00.000-05:00

It's been another over-creating weekend. I nuno-felted onto cheese cloth, the little corset for my latest doll - it is perfect. I dyed clouds, a stormy day and two sunsets in multiple colors last night. And this morning, the above Lesson 1 from Art for Quilters online class! Somebody stop me!

The good news is that I used my plethora of hand-dyed pieces for the background (stormy skies) the leaves and the pear.