Block 16: My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

 The lyrics of "My Hope" are based on Matthew 7:24-27 the parable of the wise and foolish builders.  Did my bird pick a good foundation for her birdhouse?

Block 15: Because He Lives

 I want to add more crosses to this block, but need to wait and see how much I will need to cut off to make it fit.  The background is eco printed on a bag from my dad's stash.  He had a number of these little bags in his desk and I am happy to include little bits of my dad in my artwork.

Block 14: Old Rugged Cross

 Is this not a favorite of everyone? The little rose beads were found at Hobby Lobby.  I like how they look in the corners and must go back for more to add to other blocks in the quilt.  The yo yo in the center is from my grandmother's stash.

Button Art

 This week I had an appointment with my cancer doctor. I was delighted to find art in the room that I had not seen before. When I commented on it, I learned that there are more by the same artist in another room.  With any luck, next time I will be assigned that room!

Block #13: Morning Has Broken

 When assigned, the block was to be "I Know That My Redeemer Lives".  To fit my idea of using family members favorite hymns, the block was changed to "Morning Has Broken", my mom's pick for the quilt.  She told me that it is her favorite and wants it sung at her funeral.

VanGogh Quilting

 It may be warm outside today, but the wind is just too strong to even think about going out. I would love a nice walk in the forest.  The fear of a tree or branch falling on me or my dog will keep me inside.  It has given me time to work on the VanGogh.  Most of the quilting was done while I visited my son.  Today is the perfect stitching day and just maybe I will finish the quilting.  The binding can wait a day or two.  Why is binding always so difficult to finish?

October / Art Journaling Challenge

 Beth and I decided to challenge ourselves to daily art journaling during the month of October.  What a great way to be creative without stress

More yummy fabric

 I stuck to a limited colour palette on Thursday.  It seems that it may be time to try some new colour combinations.  Am I stuck in a rut?

I found this "stencil on a roll" at Hobby Lobby in the clearance section.  Figured I couldn't go wrong for 2.59 for 5 yards.  It has adhesive on one side and stuck nicely to the fabric. I think I can reuse the pieces a few times.  This is an exciting test that needs more exploration:

The bird cage is a wooden cutout from my stash.  I used it as a stamp with the thickened dyes:

Dye play at Diana's

 On Thursday I spent a few hours in a friends garage playing with dyes.  She had tables set up for 8 people to join us.  Masks were worn and we kept our distance.... This is getting a little old.

Anyway, I played with thickened dyes and stencils.  At one point I missed the cloth and had stenciled on the plastic covering the table.  Light bulb moment! I didn't take a picture of the dyes on the plastic, but did get a pic of the ghost.  I see that I need more play with this method.

Home again

 I had a wonderful time with my son.  He fed me well, made my tea/coffee each morning, walked with me each day in the park, etc.  Hard to leave for home when being so well taken care of.  

One of the things we worked on each evening was a puzzle.  1000 pieces.  I have not done a puzzle in years.  It was a delight to sit down and watch British baking and work on a puzzle.  I look forward to continuing this ritual the next time I go back.

I was telling him that I have names for the various puzzle pieces:

This one is just plain basic:

This one is "starfish":

We agreed that this one is "rock star"!  It really does look like a band member dancing about on the stage while performing:

I didn't take pictures of the other pieces, but was able to snap a shot of the finished puzzle and my little boy....