Loudest shoes in the universe!

Remember the "Sunday Morning" quilt? A couple of posts back?

It is a low volume, soft, quiet quilt. Just about one of my favorite, definitely "me!"

So yesterday I went to Fleet Feet, where they help you find the best, most comfortable shoe for your foot and the way you walk. [I need these for work (on my feet all the time there, which is good, I like to keep moving!) and for shopping in large stores, walking around the farmer's market etc.]

Ta-da! this is the shoe which feels like a soft glove on my foot and cushions every step, it only comes in BRIGHT pink.....much brighter than this photo! My feet are SOOOO comfortable!

Now the question is, can an introvert enjoy wearing such shoes?!? It's OK as long as I don't look down!

 

Maybe they will make me more balanced in that way too, as I learn to tolerate enjoy the casual banter they will bring on! After all bright quilts can be wonderful too!

 

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The finished quilt and more!

Here is the Sunshine quilt...because it is so cheerful and sunny....just out of the dryer.

I love how it is puckered and soft now! It will be mailed off tomorrow to a cousin in Oklahoma!

Love to cook peach cobblers now ...gluten free of course! I always add butter and cinnamon and not too much sugar!

 

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I am SERIOUSLY trying to get an organized studio for sewing and artwork. Today I picked up this piece from Target. It is meant for a kitchen, but will be perfect to use for cutting and doing art work downstairs....it even has storage for rotary cutters, rulers and art supplies! [this work station is still in the box, needing a couple hours to assemble....soon!]

It is the right height for standing and working, or grabbing this new stool, for the perfect seating! ( also from Target! )

Sunny yellow like the "Sunshine" quilt!

 

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Have been quilting..that is making tops!

Several are from a book called Sunday Morning Quilts. They use strips or scraps of my fabric stash....I love quilts with lots of fabrics more than ones where the same fabrics are repeated block by block, 30 times!

 

This soft quilt is called "Sunday Morning", it is a "low volume" quilt.....quiet, shhhhh, it is Sunday morning.

 

Now, ready to machine quilt is this one with bright cheddar yellow, aqua and lime. Love how scrappy it is too!

This may be the next quilt top I do.....easy but interesting!

 

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I am so excited because I am going to an art workshop! Acrylic painting with Annie Tagg!

Here is a wonderful painting which Annie did called " Wanderlust", didn't she just capture the feeling?

It reminds me of my daughter, Laura, who is a travel agent. However, Laura could only have a quiet moment like this in a far away hotel room....at home, when she pauses for a moment on her bed, four children soon find her and are climbing up to join her! So many blessings, but it does cause those wanderlust moments to be real....we used to say, "Calgon, take me away!", from the TV commercial!

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The project of the day.......

 

To carry some of my art supplies to the workshop, I am up cycling a old picnic basket from the flea market.

I just painted the lid black ( not for a chalkboard though I thought about it ...) and have a remnant of decorator burlap with a French theme to use on the sides......good- bye retro basket!

Now to see how those paints, brushes etc. can fit! I do have a supply list to help me know what to bring to the workshop!

 

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I LOVE dresses....ESPECIALLY Retro dresses! Floaty dresses!

April Cornell's lovely frock, based on a 1920's design! Note the dropped curved waist and softly gathered skirt!

For everyday, a cotton calico print with a high waist...so comfortable! From April Cornell again, though on sale, these dresses are now only available in extra small....so I will sew some dresses myself!


Found some inspiration on THIS BLOG. And her most often used pattern....

Simplicity 1577 from 1956!

A dress a day, doing 100 dresses! Why not?

I found several retro patterns...real antiques now....and have ordered them!

I also found a web page of like-minded creative souls ....."We Sew Retro"! Fabulous!

I already have several dress lengths of wonderful cottons, so once my patterns arrive, I can begin these!

I won't be doing one every day though! LOL!

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Quilts find a home

My armoire is finished and ready to use! This is how it was, sitting my garage five days ago!

 

Now it is in the guest bedroom, filled with quilts large and small. Several are family antiques, flower garden quilts made by my mother and grandmother.

 

The others were made by me, everything from a hand-pieced and hand quilted red and white feathered star, to a recently made contemporary improvisational machine pieced and machine free motion quilted.

Currently, I am making several scrap quilts inspired by the "Sunday Morning Quilts" book. Scraps and strings of fabric make colorful quilts!

Now down to sew or organize my sewing space...maybe some of both!

Here is a photo of a quilt which showed up on my Facebook ....I may try one of these soon!

Nice and scrappy! Easy blocks too!

Now for a smile....

 

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Watercolor

I bought a beautiful bouquet of local flowers (our natural foods store sells these!)......

 

Plop them in an antique enamel pitcher and try a painting.....using a huge brush and working wet into wet at first...to stay loose. Then back I'm to sketch with an ink pen. All working on my kitchen counter....with the clutter.

Some days creativity is more important than tidyness!

 

However, I really WOULD like to have a light, simple, clean studio to work in. (My basement sewing room is too dark for art, and the back porch is too hot or too cold....and really not just MY space....)...Maybe i should get my own little airsteam trailer set up in the backyard....?????? A girl can dream, right?!!!!

I found this image in tumblr from midwestmanhattan.....she loved it first!

Looks like the good life to me!!!!

Now back to painting in the kitchen....really painting will come soon....when I have to repaint all the cabinets in here! Hmmm, chalk paint could be good for them too!

Speaking of chalk paint (thanks again Sally for telling me about it!),here is the armoire, all painted and waxed and ready to move in and fill with quilts! It was late afternoon sun, casting shadows ( of me too) on the piece....I'll go take a better morning photo now.....

The greenish color so good in this photo above. The morning photos below are greyed down....

Interior is painted with egg shell latex, exterior with that same paint made into chalk paint by adding calcium carbonate....exterior is waxed with two coats of furniture paste wax...

Before waxing, the exterior was lightly distressed using sandpaper!

I will post about it again when I move it in and stack quilts inside! Something like this!

 

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Another new thrift store "toy" finds its way to my home...

I do LOVE coffee and many teas! One of my favorite things when I travel is the little machine to make coffee ( or tea) in your hotel room. Now this one was RED, how could I resist????

Love at first sight it was!..never mind that I have a coffee maker already...this one will be for my studio (there is a sink and counter down there!).

I can now easily make my favorite coffee, Organo Gold or a cup of tea! (Still working on counter set up and organization, messy in photo but I got a wonderful melamine tray for all these to be collected!)

I order Organo gold coffee from my son, a chiropractor who believes it has good things to offer!
Here is the new coffee service tray...[order the coffee ---you will love it!]

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More projects...in progress

Last weekend my friend Sally told me a little about chalk paint. After listening to what she told me, it seemed like it was worth investigating, as I do need to repaint my kitchen cabinets in this 1970's house. [I had painted them about 18 years ago, in the 1990's and of course, an update is in order!]

Meanwhile, at a local thrift store, I spotted a TV armoire, very good condition....and thought it would make a great home either for some of my finished quilts, or for my best fabrics in the stash....leaving the bins of scraps in the open wire shelving.........but I left the armoire in the store...not sure. [ besides, Mr. P was along and he has no patience for this sort of dreaming!]

I started reading about chalk paint including this web post,....she tells a great story!

Monday morning ( yesterday) my sister came by early and as we sat in the cool back garden, drinking our coffee, I told her about the armoire. She drives a Chevy Astro van. "Let's go get it!", she said!
(That's where sisters and girlfriends are so much better than husbands....enthusiasm for shopping and for making changes!)
A few hours later my garage had these items...

A table and a small chair for my studio downstairs and the armoire!

We had also picked up Behr eggshell paint in a lovely hue, so I could start the project!

I did more research regarding homemade chalk paint recipes and found that several favored the calcium carbonate version. Though hard to find in a retail store, it is sometimes carried by health supplement stores.
Well, I needed some of my supplements anyway, and I love visiting with the owner of our local store, so off I went this morning....AND she did have it! Keeps it in stock just for making chalk paint! LOL!
Now, home and mixing it all up, just a little water with the powered calcium, to make it blend well.....
Dusting off the armoire, NOT sanding!!!! And it is time to paint....

Looking great so far....time to stop for today as it is too hot to keep painting and my friend, Gayle, is coming so we can go to lunch!
Updates to follow!

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Back after a long afternoon, another coat of paint to the sides and beginning to paint the front!

This chalk painting could be addicting....will have to hunt for more things which NEED to be painted!

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That class reunion! We were tardy....

The setting and the weather were perfect! (Note the unidentified class member on the zip line!)

Our host and hostess, Donna and Stan! They live next door to this Christian youth camp, which is a lovely facility!

 

My friend Sally encouraged me to come, we drove down together!

Missed all the group photos as we were delayed on the interstate!

We did make the "Here is the microphone, tell us about yourself these days" activity!

 

Then it was time for our fabulous meal (fried catfish, etc)...a gift from an anonymous class member!

Some folks went on the zip line (after eating no less!), some of us just watched, others went down a big slide (kids at heart!) and some found the rockers on the front porch!

 

Our efficient and persistent volunteer photographer, Lynn, rounded up those of us who had missed the earlier group shot and we posed on the rock steps.....

Wonderful weather, wonderful people!

And especially wonderful Cheryl (wearing black in the center) and her "little sister" Lynn (in the chevron stripe) who took most of these photos! Thank-you!

 

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