Hello,
I hope everyone is doing their best to stay safe in these trying times.
The days are in deed getting longer and the nights shorter with today being the real start of that effect in a way we can really mark as the equinox is the time when the day and night are the same leanth .     Enjoy the awakening of spring.
I did go and visit with Liz and Angela last Friday. We all sat across the room from one another, talked and shared our work and worries. Liz is doing lots of hand work in preparation for a class in Ohio later this spring.

 

 

Angela is working on a piece where she is using quotes from folks about memories where they wish they were invisible or felt that way.

Progress Report: China Exchange This work is 15″w X 21.5″ l. It is the first of the challenges that Regina and I are doing. We traded three works we had started but did not know how to finish. Regina sent me this one with only the background done. I added the glove and gold work, plus the Chinese coins.

 

 

 

Beyond This work is 39″w X 35″ t. It too is part of the exchange with Regina too. She sent me the printed pink  dyed fabric with the lace pattern. I added the curvy cut fabrics to create the background. Then I embellished with the pink circles that were added with free motion work in a metallic thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talisman Pouch: This work is going well and I am almost done adding handwork on the outside. I will add a lining and close the sides and then  be done.

The stone button is the closure.

 

 

 

 

Cowls I just seem to keep creating these guys. I think I am done and then I find I have pulled out a new mixture of yarns to try. I did send two off to some friends this week as well.   I am enjoying the process .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring Blue This project is nearly done. I have been adding buttons to break up the surface a bit. I am at the “look carefully” stage  toi see if I am done.  Then I will  I do the final work.

 

Thread Painted birds. I have added the birds to a background now and I am just about ready to stretch the work. I do not have the correct size stretchers so I will put it on hold until I get them.

 

 

 

 

Felt Dryer Balls I saw an article on line about how to build these guys. I have three of my own and I love how they work so I am trying to see if I can use up some of my roving to create some for my friends. These still need a lot of rolling and “water shocking ” to get to the stage of completion.

 

Painting  Fabric    This is the last piece of fabric from the Regina exchange.   It was too plane for me so I added paint yesterday.    Now to use it as a jumping off place for the last piece.

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories-  My Bed Room  in Carroll

The House in Carroll was designed by Mom and Dad. They did research in the form of visiting lots of open houses and collecting lots of house plans from magazines. They then drew up their own plans based on what they liked and what they wanted.    It was a great house for us.
To approach the house,  you would climb the stairs on the north end of the lot and follow the cement path to the small  poach and front door. The house was sided in cedar shake shingles. I loved the smell and even though they were stained red they faded to a beautiful rusty gray color with time. Upon entering the front door one would see a door to the left that opened onto a cloths closet for coats. The next opening  was an entry  to the den where Dad had a built in desk and we kept the new stereo. The third opening on the left lead to the kitchen. If you continued froward past the piano you would enter the living room. Opposite the piano was the door to the basement stairs followed by a hall that lead to the back of the house and the bed rooms. Gene’s room was the first room on the right. The next door was to Mom’s sewing closet and that was followed by the door to my room on the front north corner of the house. If you continued to walk forward you entered the bath room. Across the hall from the bathroom door was the door to the attic stairs. Lastly  and on teh right,  was the door to my parents room. They included a small bathroom with a shower in there plans and it was rather cool I thought.
My bed room was above the garage so I always heard Dad come home late at night when the electric door went up and down. My room had light yellow walls with a coral red ceiling. I loved it. I had a corner room and had corner windows looks east and north . The east window look out a cross the front yard and across Adams Street to an apple orchard. The north window looked out across our dive, the ceder trees and the picket fence to the Lightings house. They continued to live in the finished basement for many years and I had an unrestricted view down the street past two houses and onto an open field.   Mom made curtains with ruffles for the windows in a pink and whited stripped fabric. The bed spread was made with the same fabric. She also make pillow shams with a solid pink center and the ruffles there were in the pink stripe. That bed was long the left wall as you entered the room. Next was the book case, under the north window. My chest of drawers was along the east wall. Dolls had a place of honor on top as well as a black lacquer musical  jewelry box that I had gotten for Christmas. The closet was around  the corner followed by Dads old desk. It got a coat of yellow Emanuel for my room. I loved the desk and did my homework there. I stored lots of paper doll in one of the four   file drawers. The desk had a center compartment where Dad’s typewriter had been stored.   I used that secret compartment to hid my candy from Easter and Halloween there. It was a room where I did a lot of day dreaming too.

Stay healthy and keep creating

Carol