Friday, February 28, 2014

TIT FOR TAT



Today I had a really fun day.  Today I played all day with a new friend.  My new friend's name is Joyce and I met her at the artist's reception for the Botanical show at the West Valley Art Council.  I was riding high because I had just won second place, had a glass of wine, and I was very talkable.  Is that a word?  I don't think so but that's alright.

Joyce was there with a friend and she told me she wanted to learn art quilting.  She is a web designer and since you know how much I know about computers, it seemed like a match made in Heaven.  So we made date.  I'd show her how to make a quilt and she would help me design a web page...

                           TIT FOR TAT

Today was her first lesson.  She brought a notebook to take notes and I decided she should just jump in and I provided her with some fabric.

SHE JUMPED IN
  She learned many new things:

1.   HOW TO CUT PERFECTLY GOOD FABRIC INTO 
       LITTLE BITS.

2.   HOW TO CUT 1IN STRIPS FOR INSERTS.

3.   HOW TO SEW ALL THE LITTLE BITS BACK
       TOGETHER.

4.   HOW TO MAKE CIRCLES, AND

5.   WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CLOSE YOUR ROTERY
       CUTTER WHEN NOT IN USE.

OH, SHE LEARNED A 6TH THING TOO...

         HOW TO BANDAGE A FINGER SO YOU DON'T GET BLOOD ON YOUR QUILT.


POPPY JOY 




This is the quilt that I had in the show and we decided to do one using all the techniques that I had used in this one.


She did a really great job, and it's not easy to use someone else's sewing machine.


     

We were so excited that we forgot to take a picture.  She is coming back next week with all the embellishments done.  That is really what makes a quilt come to life.

So if everything goes well, Joyce will have a beautiful art quilt and I will have a beautiful art quilt web page.                                                   
  

AND REALLY, SHE DIDN'T REALLY NEED THAT TENTH FINGER ANYWAY.
                                            ... REDFOX  
  

                      TIT FOR TAT.     

Thursday, February 27, 2014

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK.


Today I Put this photo of my red yarn up on Facebook.  I was really scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as adventures to GW go.  This is that picture.



It is a rather nice picture, but nothing to get excited about...
           UNTIL YOU NOTICE THE CHAIR.

DIVORCE CHAIR?
  This is the chair that almost got me a divorce.  I mentioned in my last blog that I hid it from my husband in my sewing room.....

The chair was in my sewing room, not my husband.

IT TURNS OUT THAT SOMETIMES MY HUSBAND DOES READ MY BLOG...BUSTED!


I can't understand why Husbands don't want us going to Goodwill.  Betty's hubby Jerry doesn't love it either.  With him it's not chairs, it's PURSES.  Right Betty?

I try to tell my Jerry that it is my job to go to GW.  It is a tough job, but somebody has to do it.  He's not buying.
         (oh, but he is, he just doesn't know it.  I'm thinking the reading the blog thing was just a fluke.)

 This chair that I dragged home was a real steal...$2.99

I used a rather pricy finish on it.  I used Silver leaf. but it looked great.  The fabric was not cheap either.  It was $49.00 a yard, but it was well worth it.  It is silver leaf on a burlap-like linen.

Jerry didn't like the fabric either, so I really hope he doesn't read this. 


 
 I found another chair, but I paid a high price...$4.99.

I got another yard of the fabric and more silver leaf.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
MY CHAIRS.

I use both of them in my living room and my Jerry doesn't go in there...NO TV.


2's COMPANY, 3's A CROWD


 I wonder what you call it when there's five?

I HOPE IT'S NOT DIVORCE...Redfox

Oh well, it's all in a day's work.


 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

A CHAIR IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO CHAIRS IN THE BUSH, OR AM I CONFUSED?



                  CONFUSED?  ME TOO.

I didn't need another chair.  I don't have room for another chair.  And my husband really hates that I have another chair.

                         BUT IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE ANOTHER CHAIR.....CONFUSED?

A CHAIR IN PARTS
   I didn't go to Goodwill looking for a chair.  I never go to GW looking for anything in particular.  But there it was... a swivel chair in dirty white fake leather.  I forgot to take a picture when it was dirty and in one piece.  I was too excited to get working on it, you see I thought it had POTENTIAL. 

I didn't see the potential on that first trip to GW.  In fact I left that dirty chair there in the store and only went home with two purses and a hot pink jacket.  But I kept thinking about that chair.  You see it had a very heavy cast aluminum frame and I knew it had been a happy chair in its better days.


 So the next morning I drove back to the store, marched in, heels clicking, and pulled out my card...

     CHARGE

GW does not take checks.  That $4.99 went right on my card.   THE CHAIR WAS MINE.

I stripped it down and just look at those beautiful bones.

Now I needed just the right fabric to bring it into its new age.  I could barely contain my excitement as I hid it in my studio so Jerry wouldn't know there was another chair.

  Have you ever seen such perfect fabric?  The only problem is that it was $39.00 a yard.

If you know me, you know I would never pay $39.00 for fabric, but      
         WAIT.

I never pay full price, I must have a coupon somewhere.  Yes, I had 50% off.  I think I can, I THINK I CAN, I CAN.


I  CAN
  Now isn't that the cutest chair you have ever seen?  What did Jerry say?, you ask.

  " WHERE DID THAT #!!@%$^*# CHAIR COME FROM?"

        
        YOU ASKED.
                                                         ...REDFOX

Saturday, February 22, 2014

WE CAN'T ALL BE STARS, BUT WE CAN ALL TWINKLE



I KNOW, I KNOW.....IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME.  And yes, I know I have used this title before...  I'm sure that I was bragging about something or other the last time I wrote, but lately I've really been tooting my own horn.

MOM, BETTY, AND I HAVE BEEN DOING A REGULAR SONG AND DANCE.

We have been doing trunk shows.  We really didn't sing, but I think we might have danced a little.  And I know we did twinkle
           ..............................A LOT!

Thursday night Mom, Betty, and I drove a very long ways and arrived to put on a trunk show for the PRICKLY PIECERS.  It was a lovely time and they were not a bit prickly....Yes Lynnita, I am talking to you.  It was a great group and I think we all enjoyed each other. 


Mom enjoyed showing off the felting pictures that she has had shown at the WEST VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL shows.

Perhaps that is where Betty and I get the urge to twinkle.  When you are 97 years young and you still have that twinkle in your eye, that is a very strong trait.

                     THANK YOU MOM.

WORDS IN THE FOREST
 
   WORDS IN THE FOREST is one of the many pieces that Betty had to twinkle about.  She had just gotten that piece back from the AQS show in Phoenix and she couldn't wait to tell the ladies that she got two pieces in and YOURS TRULY got one in.  Part of our trunk show is the back and forth that Betty and I have in our little sibling rivalry.  I couldn't resist telling about the time I got two ribbons at state and she didn't get any.  That only happened once, but .......

          I TWINKLED BIG TIME.

FRECKLES

 When it was Mom's turn to show another piece she had a story to twinkle about herself.  She told about the Phoenix Airport exhibit that she got two pieces in and Betty and I both got 
          REJECT LETTERS.   We were properly put in our places.  At least we didn't have to sit in the corner....THIS TIME!

LA FETE
 
 I had to show you the ONE piece I had in the AQS show.  This piece traveled for two years in the SAQA show SENSE OF ADVENTURE.  When I talk about this piece I don't just twinkle,  I SHINE.





I think we put on a pretty good show for the PRICKLY PIECERS.  I got a very nice thankyou letter from Lynnita Knoch, past chair.

She also paid a visit to my blog and said very nice things.  She said she felt like I was talking right to her.  I was, I am.

                                                                            


I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I AM TALKING WITH THE FRIENDS THAT DO ME THE HONOR OF READING THIS BLOG.  WITHOUT YOU READING THIS, THERE WOULD BE NO BLOG.

SO WE MAY NOT BE STARS, BUT WE SURE HAVE FUN TWINKLING...REDFOX