A "Nonny" fix

I spent most of the weekend with Jonathan. At just over 2 1/2, he has become a very interesting little person.  His mom and dad gave him a haircut last month, so the baby curls are gone (much to my dismay at first!), and a little boy has suddenly appeared. 


When you tell him to smile he says "Cheese!" and you get a happy smiling face.

But since he's a little boy, it quickly becomes this face.









Isn't it odd how children have innate characteristics?  He likes to smash things, no matter what we're playing with.  When it's play-doh, as soon as I show him what I made, he asks if he can squish it.  I get out the blocks and he can barely wait until I declare my construction to be finished before he knocks it down.


He also likes to play with my camera.  He tries to look through the viewfinder for some reason, although I never use it that way.  He tells me to say cheese, but is usually pointing at the floor.  Once in a while, I make my way into the picture.


 Sometimes you can even see my face.

 I finished one of my January UFOs the other day.  This is from a kit of the month I bought years ago (more than ten, I think)  I'll have to find the book they came from.  This one is an anniversary quilt in the book, but I think it will work just fine for a valentine's day decoration. 
 

So, apparently the "president" thinks the ice is not melting, and polar bears are doing just fine.  There are people who believe what he says.  They think anything contrary to his words is fake news.  We can't be complacent.  We cannot say that he isn't hurting me personally and the next guy will just undo it all.  We have to speak up, make our voices heard.  There is one and only one issue that matters if we want our grandchildren to have any kind of life.  So we have to make sure those who put their own interests over that of the health of this planet don't shape the future!

I am grateful for:
Yummy cinnamon rolls!
My grandchildren, who bring joy to my life.
A bit of creative time here and there.
The ability to choose what to watch when I want to watch it (even without the ability to stream stuff on demand)
Sleep, when I can get it.

I'm still here

Obviously I was wrong when I said in my last post that I was adapting.  Maybe I was, but then the holidays came along and threw everything out of whack for weeks.  I had good intentions of getting an end of year post made- my usual reconciling of my accomplishments for the year.    My production was down last year, but I did finish  7 items off my UFO list!  Here is the whole list:
Quilted items: 18. This includes two sets of place mats*, a couple of pillows made from small sample quilts, and the purse I made from that challenge quilt I detested.
Knitted items: 14 This includes the 7 little birdies I made.
Garments: 6
Opulent ornaments: 5
Misc: 9 (I can't think of what these are off the top of my head!)
And, if I counted right, I fostered 20 kittens - also down from the average year.  I don't know why, other than getting the last litter when they were 3 days old meant I wasn't available for another batch until kitten season was over.

After the holidays, it was time to get my entries ready for the Guild's challenge. So that's where I'll start 2018.  This year's theme is "Naughty or Nice".  Anyone who knows me knew right away which way I would go!

First, I had been wanting to make this pattern, called Bad Hare Day, by Java House Quilts, for a very long time. (when I went to get the link, I see they have updated the pattern) It was meant to be a baby quilt, so I had to leave off a couple of borders.  I also cheated by using striped fabric. I made it extra naughty by making my log cabin blocks intuitively. 



The block Bunny has in his mouth was part of the quilt until after the quilting was done.  So there is chewed up batting where that block was.  (bunny was appliquéd afterward)
 I called my quilt "Wascally Wabbit"





















 My second entry uses a picture I took in my garden last spring.  I had it printed on Cotton sateen at Red Dog Enterprises.  Then I thread painted it to enhance the colors and add some texture.  This is the actual color of the flower.  Fans of Monty Python may remember the term  "naughty bits" .  I call this "The Naughty Bits of a Tulip".
 

 Other than those, I have been working on my embellishment projects from the ArtCGirlz.  One didn't get much more after the last time I showed it   my progress a while back.   I decided it didn't need more than a few beads. 

 
 The second one  got more beads and some couched eyelash yarn. 

 

 And I finished the socks it felt like I had worked on all year!  The tiny bit of yarn is all that was left of three different sock leftovers when I finished!
 

 The first UFO I am working on this year is the "Paisley Zentangle" project I started in class with Laura Cunningham last fall.  Mine is bigger than she recommended because I didn't want to cut the piece of fabric I painted. I spent hours and hours on this, stopping often to ponder what to do next.  For now, it will get a binding (possibly purple?) and hang on the wall.  If I get sick of it, I may cut it up later and make a bag or something.  Zentangles aren't supposed to have a right side up, but I like it this way.

So that's some of what I'm working on.
I'll try to stop in more often.  I don't know how many people stop in here anymore, but I still want to try and do this an incentive for myself to finish things!

We are facing a huge opportunity this year to make changes to the balance of power in our government.  Pay attention, learn about the candidates in your area. Vote!  Resist!

I am grateful for:
My winter sewing time.
When Jonathan comes over to play.
My husband, for so many reasons.
Friends who laugh with me.
Letting go of things I never really needed.

*Is place mat one word or two???

I might finally be adapting!

After just over 4 months in the new job, with the new schedule, I might just be getting into a groove of sorts.  I still forget that my first day of work for the week is Monday, and my weekends are still evaporating (However, that might have nothing to do with the schedule change.) So I might be able to squeeze blogging back into my day here and there again.  (my vast audience will no doubt be thrilled)

This past weekend, I spent a great deal of time on the holiday decorations.  I don't know why I still do it; no one comes over for dinner or parties.  But I have boxes of stuff I like looking at for a  while every year, so I do it.


I put a tree up mostly so it would decorate the door.  It made adding ornaments easy, since I only had to fill one side of the tree!  This year it is decorated with a collection of ornaments that look like children's toys.  My brother gave them to me when I was first married.  They make the inner 6 year old smile.

















 The mantle always has the "opulent ornaments" on it, but this time of year, I add the ones that looks more Christmasy.  (Spell check doesn't like that word!)








The newest ones are two I had every intention of finishing last year, then ran out of time. 

 

   The medallions are a subtle silver metallic and soft gold design on cream fabric.  I used mostly silver beads and sequins on the, with gold accents. 
It's very  hard to get a picture that does them justice since you need to see them sparkle

I have had some issues with my sewing machine over the past few months, so I finally took it in for service last week (and that is another story, sadly.  I'll share it when I know how it ends).  The problems I've had had kind of taken the joy out of sewing.  So, even when I have a bit of time, I procrastinate.  

Yesterday I needed to quiet my mind for a bit, so I got out the random scraps bin and did some "therapy sewing" (Rayna Gillman's term)                                                                                              After a session, I end up with bits of patchwork like this. The fact that these almost coordinate is because I had a pile of strips and small pieces that apparently went together on top of the bin!                                

I have a few piles of these bits from other  therapy sewing sessions.  Someday there might be a quilt or two.

My other grand accomplishment for the weekend is making a no sew gift bag from the book below. (the blog isn't letting me move things today and I don't feel like fiddling with it)  It's not a hard process, although it can be time consuming if you're only doing one at a time.  Now that I've done one, maybe I'll get a few started.  It uses rather a lot of fabric, since the inside of the bag folds down to be the cuff.  I decided last year I'd try to make some fabric bags to avoid having to buy new ones or wrapping paper every year.

 

  

So we're back to needing to call write and protest over things like drilling in the ANWR and giving all of my money to the wealthiest Americans.  I feel a little sick and pretty hopeless again.  Keep shouting, making noise, contributing to the causes you support, sending letters and postcards.  Our voices MUST be heard!!

I am grateful for:
Little bits of creative time
As always, play time with the grands.
A really good night's sleep.
A boss who understands that some days I'll be reading the news (or shopping) at work.
Leftovers

Eventually, something will get finished, right?

 In an effort to post more often, I decided to show some of the many projects I'm working on.  But first, here's some of the precious little ones I get to spend my time with. 

Cait and the kids came over to play with the kittens the other day. John runs out of patience with the kittens faster than the girls do, so we went downstairs and played with play-doh for a while.  Papa was there, and helped Jon make an elephant.  Jon's favorite part was smushing it!

The kittens are growing up fast.  In another few weeks, they'll be ready for their furever homes- just in time to go into lucky little ones' stockings?


So, some of the things I'm working on...

The floors are cold in my house and visitors don't always have slippers.  So I decided to make a few pairs using an easy pattern and some odd balls of yarn I have sitting around.  These are the smallest ones, but they still look big for Jon.

I started these socks months ago.  They are a mix of leftovers from several  pairs of socks I have made in the past.  (Actually the yellow is from a skein I bought to make tiny bumble bees) I thought using the chevron pattern would highlight the stripes.  Someday they'll be done. 

I'm still stitching on my embellishment projects now and then.  This one is going to get lots of stuff added to it, I think.  For now I'm using this sort of knitted thread I got in one of those "Oliver twists"  and adding some more circles to the background. 

This is the one I have worked on the most, obviously.  It's almost ready for beads!  I was really pleased with the way the maidenhair stitch turned out!













I'm also trying to work on my "naughty or nice" challenge pieces.  My machine is still being hinky.  I have an appointment to have it looked at in a couple of weeks.  It hasn't been my month for machinery.  I'm pretty sure lightning hit very near my house.  My computer area was affected, and the computer probably has to be replaced.  The printer wouldn't even turn on.  I don't know if it was too much for the surge protector, or if the surge protector had been damaged in a previous power outage.  There is no way to test them that I know of.

There is so much in the news that is upsetting that I don't even want to know anymore.  But we can't let them get away with any of it.  Choose one thing if it's as upsetting and overwhelming to as it is to me. One group or organization to be your information portal, your issue to support, your opportunity to raise your voice.  Don't give in, don't give up!

I am grateful for:
A room full of kittens for the days I'm feeling magenta
Cold weather = more sewing time
Jonathan giving me big hugs and saying he loves me.
Soup in a bread bowl
Extra sewing machines!

I'm busy, but nothing gets done!

Wow!  Has it really been this long since I've posted???
I know I've been busy, but when it comes time to think about a post, I neer seem to have much to show. 


 A couple of weeks after my last post, I had minor surgery to remove and repair a basal cell carcinoma from right next to my nose.  I had this once before but had a simpler procedure to remove it.  This time I opted for the one that ensures the cancer is all gone.  It's comforting to know that, but it leaves a larger wound, and requires a lot more time to heal.  I still look like an accident victim a month later.    I joked the day I went to work after removing the bandages that I could be the poster child for wearing sunscreen.


One thing I did get done this month was this dress for Kiara to wear for Halloween.  She said she dreamed about it when she first asked me to make it for her.  We went together to the fabric store and picked out the pattern and the fabrics.  (Thank goodness I had a coupon for that brocade!)  When we got back from the store, she declared she would be the queen of Halloween!

 I was invited to join the fun at the Hallowen "dance" at school, which is really a bit of a free for all for the kids.  I revived my Corpse Bride costume for the occasion.  I had to wonder how many people thought my scar was make-up.

I have also spent quite a lot of wonderful time with my Jonathan!



 Whenever he comes over, the first stop is the "nursery" to see the little kitties.  They weren't quite sure what to make of him this time.



















He likes to look at all the junk in the sewing room.  Today he spent some time " stabbing the bunny" with pins.  He had at first been trying to put them in a hole in the acrylic table, which would have put them on the floor.  The bunny seemed a safer choice.

 We played with play-doh for a bit.  I make animals for him to smash flat.

The week of October 21, the Museum Quilt Guild enjoyed a visit with award winning teacher, Laura Cunningham.  I took both classes, which you can read about at the guild's blog.

The first day was a beginner class for free motion quilting.  In spite of my machine not playing nicely, I was very pleased with what I did as practice.

Laura calls these practice pieces "dirty laundry".  I think I'll use it as my warm up piece for a while, filling in and doodling around what I did in class.  Then I can refer to it for examples of designs, or even make it into something useful!






On the second day the class was called Paisley feather zentangle fusion.  Laura liked the look of the zentangle art form and wanted to use it in her free motion quilting.  Her sample piece is still not quite finished, but was still an inspiration to us all! 

While she explained the process to us, I saw the large paisley with the spiral in my head as the basis for my own design. 

The fabric is one I painted with either setacolor or dye-na-flow paints.  I am using mostly purple rayon thread for my designs. 
Once again my machine balked a bit so the back has a few snarls on it.  




This is how it looks right now.    In the critique session, it was a greed I should enhance with turquoise and chartreuse threads as I continue.  I didn't agree, but do like the added layer of interest the different colors add now that I've done it. 





I mention my machine because I am pondering switching machines for my FMQ.  I loved the elna 740 when I got it- thought it was the answer to my prayers.  But over time it has gotten fussier and fussier regarding what threads and what designs it will accept.  I do the quilting myself in part to have the satisfaction of doing it myself, in part to save money and mostly to be able to choose to do exactly what I want on my quilts- using the quilting to enhance or add to the pieced designs.  It should not be a battle. 
Stay tuned...


Please continue to resist.  Call, email and write to your representatives, and the president.  Sign petitions.  Donate to causes you support.  And stay informed, as painful as that can be at times.  This administration's actions could have long lasting impact on our environment, our rights, our world.   We have to try and limit it!

I am grateful for:
Being so close to my grandchildren!
Being able to laugh at myself while I looked like the bride of frankenstein
Working in an office where people enjoy my silliness
The times when my machine and I get along.
Tomorrow I get my hour back!

Where have "you" been???

So- you may have been asking yourself what happened to "Merth"?  The truth is, the past few weeks have just flown by here and I have had nothing to show on a blog I have maintained as a way to share my "art". But, so you know I haven't been abducted by aliens, or suffered a catastrophic illness, I will share bits of my life. 
First- at work, we had what is called a "site visit".  This is usually done by an accrediting body to inspect an educational or health program to make sure the standards are being met and maintained.  Needless to say, there is a lot to do to prepare for one of these visits.  That is mostly how I spent my days at work, including working "extra" days due to things like the Labor Day holiday and upcoming time off.  During that same period of time, I was doing what I call a "company cleaning" at my house, in anticipation of Guy bringing home his fiancée!!  It was her first visit to our home, and I wasn't about to let her see the dust bunnies in the corners!

In the moments I found for creative endeavors, I managed to finish a pair of socks I've been working on for the whole year- or so it seems.















 I also took apart one of my UFOs.  It was a mix of blocks from other projects- and it was really ugly.  The frog blocks I kept (yes, I threw some away!) look kind of nice with the blocks from another UFO, so I may revisit that idea later.












And of course, I spend as much time as I can with these wonderful kids!  Now that school has started, I feel like I need an appointment to see Kiara!








At last, the day arrived, and Guy and Anna were home!!  We were busy the whole time they were here, and got the whole family together as much as possible while they were here.

The guys spent a day out in the boat (I can't say fishing because they didn't even see a fish!), so Anna and I went to the Genesee Country Village and Museum.  I'd never have thought of it if Anna hadn't been fascinated by the old houses we passed as we drove home from the airport. 

She just loves old things, and history so this was a perfect outing for us!

 In one of the houses, the interpreter was working with this tool, making cording to be used as ties, or drawstring.  It's called a Lucet. 








It turned out they sell a much less attractive version of this in the gift shop, so I am now "lucetting" myself.  I'll find uses for the cords, I'm sure. 

Anna is from California, and had never visited our part of New York before, so of course we went to Niagara Falls.














It was summery while they were here, so we had a family picnic, complete with a bonfire.

We were all fascinated by the blue/ green flames.








Another "Of Course" was going to Letchworth State Park- always a great day! 

And, all to soon, they were gone. 



The day before they left, I was asked if I would  be willing to foster a mom and 7 newborn kittens.  I said, Yes Please!
 It was the perfect remedy to the sense of loss I feel every time Guy comes for a visit, and goes back to his home. 

Who could be sad, looking at these little faces?











I am grateful for:
Having my family all together for a few days.
How much I love Anna. (Did I mention she asked me to help her learn to make a quilt?)
Jonathan's talking.
Sweet baby kitties.
Catching up with a friend I have missed.

I will try to stop in more often.