Figge / The Throne and the Kingdom

The last time I visited the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, I took some pics of the painting, The Throne and the Kingdom, by Haitian artist Paul Claude Gardere.

A long time ago some friends and I painted small chairs at a library program.  It was very interesting to see how different each chair was.  It may be time to encourage a project like this once again.

#mendmarch

The month is nearly over, and I am pleased to say that I've kept up each day with a project for #mendmarch.  I may not keep up with my blogging goals, but that is another issue for another day...

This small mend is on a pair of pants.  The prompt was "Got the Blues.  Denim seemed like the logical mend for this day.  I'm always happy to use a little butterfly fabric for a project.

A hoard of french knots for "texture".

"Mixture"

It may be messy, but it was quick and easy!

"Childish".  This mend is on a pair of my son's pants and he said he would never wear the pants again! Imagine that?!  (He is 28).

The prompt was "radical".  This isn't actually a mend, but instead a group of dyed radicals marching to a demonstration in a field of french knots.  

I clearly didn't get the idea of the prompt "tee time".  My mind went to golf, not t-shirts.  I had a good laugh at myself after seeing what others were posting!  I struggled with a golf theme, but was given a list of golf terms by a good friend (my muse).  My explanation for this mend:  The fabric was dyed with rust (IRON= golf club).  The HOLE IN ONE corner of the fabric has been mended with GREENS.   The fabric is actually rotting away, so this mend will not last long.  May need to make a prayer FLAG from the fabric.  Next time I will mend a t-shirt and not agonize over the prompt.

Birthday fun / part 2

Working on the digital art for the birthday party was much more fun than baking a cake.

Birthday fun

I had so much fun helping with my nieces 16th birthday party. Using an art theme was the perfect brainstorm.  Corinne is quite the artist.  I was given the job of putting pictures of her into famous paintings and making a "Scream" cake.

I decided that the cake needed 4 layers to really make a statement.  After it cooled I put the layers together and iced it with a base layer of white.  The next day, I used a skewer to draw the figure. I used a combination of knife and cosmetic sponges to apply the colours.

The cake inspector at work.

Finished cake.  It looks more like ET.

Corinne loved it!

This will probably be my last birthday cake for a long time.  No grandchildren in the future for many years and none of us really eat much cake anyway.  I think our family eats the cake just for the ice cream!

Traditions - Aqua dress

I think that family traditions are fabulous.  One tradition that began almost 60 years ago was a first year picture taken in a dress made by my aunt carol.   The dress is aqua with smocking that was very typical of the time.  It is easy to pick me out in pictures with my curly hair:

My sister is eleven years younger than me:

Her daughter, Corinne, turned 16 this week.  She was a fun model to work with:

Unfortunately, my step daughter was 7 when she entered the family and obviously couldn't wear the dress.  Maybe someday a granddaughter will carry on the tradition.

Mending March / Neat

A "neat" mend is certainly not my thing.  Me, neat and tidy?  I am striving for messy stitching, although hard at times when I realize I was conditioned early on to make straight even stitches.  

A quick google search sent me a different direction.  A neat is also an old term for horned oxen!  I also learned that it is a bartenders term for a drink with no ice.  I went with the oxen.

The fabrics are all natural dyed using willow leaves, tansy flowers, walnuts, and black beans.  The little piece of blue is indigo. 

#mendmarch / Mend and Make Friends

I've almost run out of little French Man fabric.  Not sure what I'll sew this little patch on to, but it will be something special.  

#mendmarch

So far I've been keeping up with #mendmarch. 

Cross:

Tiny:

Shiny:

Haberdashery Porn:

Morning Tea

After a wonderful week at my son's, it's time to catch up on some blogging.  I stitched every day while at his place, waiting for sleepy head to get up. The quiet mornings to myself were lovely.

#mendmarch / "pits"

I couldn't find a shirt that needed armpit mending.  So a little play on words?  Dye made from avocado pits on rescued lace.  Someday it will grace a lovely re-purposed garment.

#mendmarch / gusset

I have to admit, I had to google gusset to see what it was.  Now I know.  I also know that I did a horrible job putting them into this little canvas bag. Not my thing.

#mendmarch