January Wrap Up

The last day of January and I'm wrapping it up. It wasn't a bad month creatively but I do know that I'm going to have to start focusing a bit more. I know I can do all I put my mind to and I have the time, I just have to manage it better.

Koji is done and several larger projects were worked on. I'm getting back to a past project that will have to get done very quickly. I have my major list to work from and several smaller ones. Big projects have been broken down into smaller pieces so I won't get overwhelmed by it all.

I'm quite pleased with my progress for the month but will have to (in the words of Emeril) kick it up a notch. Maybe four or five. What's on the docket for February? Marlow must be finished and a crazy quilt I made ages ago needs to be backed and a binding added. Another painting, several more dolls for the movie, more hand quilting on the bunny, editing of my kid's story and my sci-fi short story.

The big thing I have to do is to start getting ready for a three day show in October. It seems far away but it will be here sooner than I know it. That's a whole other list.

I am ready for spring and I want to go back to the coast. Maybe throw in some mountains this year and get back home for a visit. See old friends. I hope this month was productive for many of you.

Goodbye January!

Marlow

This is Marlow. I started her last year and put her aside. The fear of the unknown crept in and I put her aside. I liked her head, I knew she was going to be a girl but I am very new to needle felting and didn't think she was going the way I wanted her to. Oh the perfectionist. But I didn't throw her away, which I sometimes do with projects that just won't work.

I love Halloween and she was going to be my first needle felt Halloweener. Now, I will bring her to life. I'll take a pic of the sketch I had done. She's got a spider with a jeweled collar and on a leash. The spider might be turned into a rat. I don't normally like rats, but Halloween and rats seem to go together.

She will probably be on a stand, so I have to figure out her leg and make sure she gets another one. I've got some nice olive green and rust fabrics for her outfit and will probably needle felt stripes on her legs. She'll also have a nice black tulle crinoline. I'm getting excited.

Winslow & Jeffrey

I mentioned earlier that I was going to attempt a painting a month. The month is almost over and here is my painting. It's Winslow and his pal Jeffrey the Rat and they are sending a birthday greeting to a friend of mine. They'll probably end up being needle felted groupies.

This is my initial sketch. There are tombstones on the cake and 3 torches for candles. There is one bat balloon and an eyeball in the glass. Jeffrey was added in the finished painting. The painting is 4" x 5.5" and I think the smallest I've done to date. Done in acrylic and I had fun. We'll see what I come up with next month.

Koji

Here he is. Koji the Bear. I'm not the best photographer but here he is. He's sporting a faux under kimonos, altered hanten (jacket) and mompe (pants). His tabi and zori are needle felted.

I had a lot of fun making his clothing. There are some things that I will do different next time around but that's all a part of learning. I can't wait to get started on the next one.

I love how I made his tongue stick out. A little playful and mischievous he is. He will be heading for the Hampton House Gallery for the Small Art, Big Heart Show and Sale.

Had to get a back view too. Next time I will use wool batting to start the body and a bit of core wool and then the nicer, color wool. I didn't have problems with the armature that I thought I would, only with the awful material I used to pad it with. Learning all the time. I would like to find someone to make my stands and I'm still working on taking pics. Argh!

Koji Update

Koji is done. Woo hoo! He's quite the handsome guy. He is the first project I created in my new studio. I'm so excited and I'm tired. A good tired, one you get after being on one heck of a creative flow. I am quite impressed with me. I did something new and it turned out. I've got to start cutting myself some slack. One can only get better if they continue to try.

I'm working on his stand right now, it's in a drying stage. I'll have pics of the complete Koji tomorrow. I can bearly keep my eyes open. The wheels are turning for my next project.

Koji

I've gotten more done on my first needle felt bear. Here is the wool I used on him.

I posted this pic before but I wanted to show it again so you can see how far I've come. It's the pear with legs. I've wrapped batting around a wire armature.

Here he is with his padding and core wool. He's a little bow-legged. But getting cute.
I like needle felting but had to be careful around the wire. I have learned a few things with this bear, him being the first, but you can't grow unless you try.

I started putting wool on his head and he sort of has a Trump flip.

These are some of the fabrics I pulled for his outfit. I may or may not use all of them but I love the colors and patterns.

Here is Koji with his tongue sticking out. A playful hi. I don't know if I want his cheeks a bit bigger or not. Getting his head on with a neck make a heck of a difference in how he looked. With his parts going together a bit at a time and the head going on next to last, I've been having Dr. Frankenstein feelings.

Not a very good close up but I'm still working on it. Pics will not get the best of me. Or be the boss.

I think he's quite handsome.

Now he needs his outfit. I will needle felt his tabi and zori before making his outfit. Stay tuned.

Works in Progress: Bear and Figure

I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I would start showing pics of work in progress. I'll start with 2 new pieces. The first one above is going to be the head of a faerie. I will needle felt her and I have a wonderful Corriedale wool that is light blue with parts of a darker blue and bit of pink in it. I think once felted up she'll be a great water faerie.
This little guy is going to be a bear dressed in a kimono. Because I have some Japanese print fabric that's screaming at me to use it. He kind of looks like a pear with legs. That will all change, very soon. He will also be needle felted.

UFP Project: Bird Pincushion

This wasn't on my huge UFP list but it is in that category of unfinished projects. My new studio is shaping up and I've moved in my sewing machine and table. I have stacks of stuff, magazines, and unfinished works. I believe that stuff is blocking my creativity, so I've decided to start to go through the stuff and start tossing. Any projects found not completed, I would have to make a choice to either finish it or get rid of it.

This little guy was started in my applique class and was suppose to be a X-Mas gift for my mom. It didn't make it for whatever reason. I really liked it, it is a stuffed applique technique that we learned. I had so many wonderful ideas of what to do with the top, that I ended up not doing anything at all.

So today, I pulled out the rest of the project and primitive quilted the top. Sewed it together and stuffed it, adding the buttons last. It is pincushion #4 -2010, I'm taking count of how many I make. I'm glad I finished it and it will now go into a gift container to await the appropriate time for giving. To stuff it, I used stuffing that someone had given me and I didn't want to throw out.

Autumn Sprites

Here are two more creations. Autumn Sprites because I started them before last fall. Yes, it's a little late, but better than never and I got tired of them staring me down. It is so refreshing when projects are done. They are made of cloth and are approximately 15". These two will make it into the film.

Quilting Projects

I was going to start another blog for my writing, so then I would have two, but I have a hard enough time right now keeping up with this one along with Twitter and Facebook. So everything for the time being will stay together. I've noticed in other blogs that I like, they mix several things together, so I think I'm in great company. Good thing for labels. :D

Last year I worked on several quilt/applique projects but only got two done. A nine patch wall hanging for my mom and a lap quilt for my aunt. That was it, along with a couple of other small class projects. I'm afraid to take count of my UFP's (unfinished projects) but it needs to be done. There are so many more cool projects out there to do, or at least start. I am a true crafter/quilter.

This year I will up the ante and complete three quilt projects. Anything above that will be a bonus. Here's my list of UFP's, at least what I can remember. LOL

- Bunny wall hanging (one section is pictured above, designed by Robin Pandolph)
- Southern Album quilt
- Wild Blue Berries wall hanging
- Black & White quilt (block-of-the-month)
- Block-of-the-month applique quilt
- Homage to Matisse
- Celtic wall hanging
- Birdie quilt
- Crazy quilt

I'm doing a Snoopy laugh now, but my list is mild compared to others. Some of my classmates have closets full of UFP's. I shouldn't feel bad because some of these are quite complicated and time involved. I can't seem to do anything easy. Oh well! This year should be an interesting year.

Prairie Girls

These are my Prairie Girls. I think they turned out quite well and I had a great time making them. I hadn't made anything that big in a long time(18") and I found myself giving them hugs when they were done. They are also for the film. I think I'll have to make some just for me. :)

I think they look cuter and different on my sofa. The bodices have pin tucks and their bloomers have either pin tucks or lace. Their shoes are painted on with acrylic paints. I used regular yarn for their hair instead of fancy yarn for most of my dolls. These were also done the end of December. That was a good month. Keep checking back.

Gingy Girls

These are my Gingy Girls. Gingy because before they got dressed, they looked like gingerbread cookies. Big ones. They will be in with the others for the independent film that is still in pre-production. They were finished the last week in December and the boys will be following soon.

Happy New Year

It is a new year. How fast the time flew by. 2009 was a decent year, I learned a lot about myself. I pushed myself into doing things out of my comfort zone, I finally made it to the NC coast and started my lighthouse hunting, and I made it to Pilot Mountain. I've made new friends, lost one and made many wonderful contacts. I met Faith Ringgold, one of my favorite artists/writers and I was a participant in my town's Holiday Parade. That was so much fun.

2010
I am ready and excited for the New Year. I am not making resolutions, I have goals and I'm open for cool and unusual surprises. I am working in a new art medium, needle felting and will have something to show at the end of the month. There will be bears, pirates, merfolk, faefolk, oh my!

I have rearranged my living quarters, so I now have a bonafide art/workroom. I can close the door on hurricane activities.

Along with getting rid of holiday weight, some of my other goals are:
-complete edit of my kid's manuscript
-edit a sci-fi story and enter it into a competition
-create more pieces of art
-be more frequent with my blog postings
-finish more of my unfinished quilt projects
-travel more
-laugh more

and

-a painting a month

Crazy? Yeah, but you only go around once and I'm going to have a blast this year. I am going to make my life, wild, crazy and exciting along with all my creative endeavors. I am so excited, I can't sit still.

I do hope you'll come back.