Work or Play Day?

We had a special work day at Rhona's Sat...One of the interesting things we learned...is that Cindy is glue impaired....it seems she get glue every where besides where she wants it...In the SoTA 's we allow each person to evolve on her own unique path to the finished product, even if it is not the traditional route.... She does clean up after herself....and imagine we thought she was perfect.....



The Elder is an artist with scissors...a beautician..... so we take advantage of her talent as you can see by this picture Sherry caught...I got my hair trimmed...We do many different things...no talent is wasted with this group...giggles...Thank you again...Jody....Didn't think I would put it on here...did you all??:0) By the way where is Rhona's picture of her hair trim?
Thanks to Tony and Rhona for a wonderful day....Tony made chili soup that was out of this world, Rhona had made homemade chicken and noodle soup and corn muffins hmmmm....We were treated with a persimmon dessert that Cindy made...heavenly is all I can say about it.....the food and company was great....more later...

Finished Scarves

Some of Cindy's scarves...these are beautiful...
These are a must for enlarging...she has used stamps of words and leaves...on some she over dyed....after rusting... She plan's on giving these for Christmas gifts...

Happy, Happy, Happy

Happy, Happy, Happy...that describes the atmosphere Saturday when the girls met at The Elders to divide our winnings from the Hoffman Challenge...
Ready Set Go....let the fun begin....

Kathy preparing a piece of fabric for separation...Notice the discharged shirt she has on..Nice....
Neat bundles for the six of us...Kathy has challenged us to all use a small piece of our winning fabric with next years Hoffman Challenge Fabric, with each enter our own exhibit...its a thought....Would be taking most of us too another level with our quilting...Outside our comfort level of having each other to work with....The Ol'Blogger

Shoe Sculpture

A person with a fetish for something is attracted to the object of that fetish.....did you every wonder how someone interested in these things actively live out their fantasies?

Well lets look to the Elder...she has a shoe fetish....the farther out the better...the problem...she can't wear those out laddish shoes....Her feet just won't squeeze into them anymore...or maybe it is she is too wobbly for them ... I would say its an age thingy but.....she might band me from Chocolate Night...so I am not going there....giggles

Anyway she didn't get rid of her fetish.....as you can see pic above she took all those shoes she loves and created a Shoe Sculpture..It is hanging on the stair wall that leads to her Sewing Studio....Somehow she mounted them to a board and painted them....sitting on the ledge are some more of the shoes she loves....We must watch our shoes when she is around....How about a shoe tree instead of bead tree....The Ol Blogger....

Drunkards Path

Jody is creating this quilt for grandson, Benjamin. With different animal and African prints she has used the Drunkards Path design....For the back.. she rusted white fabric by wrapping it on a large tube.... A perfect quilt for rusted fabric....and a very manly quilt for her little man....This is a quilt you need to click on and see up close...The fabric are Yummy....by scrolling all the way to the right you will be able to see an edge of the rusted fabric, it is gorgeous... I will try and get a back pic and add later...take the extra time and enjoy...The Ol'Blogger

Allen & Walters

Fons & Porter can move on over....Allen & Walters...have begun....giggles... Geri (my youngest daughter) had brought me a picture of a purse she wanted...along with the fabric she wanted it made from...Now my Grandma may have made things by looking at the Sears & Roebuck Catalog but not me....
Sherry came over today and with her guiding me every inch of the way...We made our own pattern...pictured above is the front view, next is the side view, and last the back...The picture of the purse given us showed it tapered at the top....no pockets we could see...really not a good picture... Oh, lets begin.....we created our front and back...sides and bottom...how about some pockets outside?...and maybe some piping?....we discussed....next we cut out the lining pieces.....pockets inside of course...okay how we going to taper?....lets try cutting, tapering from bottom to top ...one inch....pinning together....looking at.....another inch....pinning again....till we liked what we saw...same to lining....Bottom on first or sides?....mark 1/2 inch start and stop spots....Hey this works....Sherry writing, erasing on paper as we progressed....Yes, we have it on paper and with drawings.......All we need is a name.....:0)
This meant so much to me...while my family is going through a bump in the road....it is so nice to have a day of being preoccupied with a dear friend to share the day with...to experience a challenge never before undertaken of making a purse with no pattern...creating our own... Chattering back and forth.....ideas flowing...ahhhh

There was ripping out involved for me...:0) With Sherry around checking your work.....that won't surprise anyone....of course when I sewed a piece that didn't even belong.....well....But it was worth ever stitch I removed....

I am just wonder if the Elder had any idea (so many years ago) when she was mentoring Sherry by teaching her to sew....How her gift of teaching was going to bring pleasure to so many..."it is just fabric not brain surgery" was heard being whispered in our ears by that Inter Elder Voice that follows us all around...:0)

Thanks Sherry and Jody...you made my day...The Ol'Blogger

Funday at the Elder's

We met at the Elder's house last Saturday to work on a project and to divide our latest treasures. MJ joined us and brought this beautiful beautiful Triple Chocolate Tort to us to eat. It was almost too beautiful to cut into, but we managed. Sometimes you just have to do things you don't want to do!

Here is some of the treasure - We divided up our fabric winnings from the Hoffman 2009 Challenge. Altogether we received 13 different batik fabrics, each one beautiful in it's own unique way.

We worked on bead trees at Kathy's recently and this is one the Elder made. We decided that we needed more bead trees, as 1 just wasn't enough, so Cindy and Kathy had ordered glass bead and we divided those up as well.

Our dear friend Judith joined us about this time, so we trooped across the street to see the Bead tree that the Bill had created for Marie. Our husbands are amazing - they sit down, start working on a creation, and put us all to shame.

While admiring Marie's bead tree, we spied the wine bottles decorated with glass beads - (the kind you put in flower vases). Now I want to go home and glue glass beads on empty wine bottles - like we all need another hobby!

After another busy, productive laugh filled day, we all headed home. Thanks to Rhona for this posting....Great, way to go girl...

Weekend Quilting with Sulky

One of the books we won from Sulky "Quick & Easy Weekend Quilting with Sulky" had the directions for making Fabric Rag Bowls...pictured is my first try....of course Harold's is better than my first...but I knew what to tell him to do and not do...anyway that's my story and I am sticking with to it...giggles

It is a perfect place to keep my quilt clips.....

My middle daughter Jamie on her first attempt at sewing...(Several years back Harold and I had gifted each of our girls with their own sewing machines).....all she had done was break the needle...:0)...after lesson on removing broken needle and replacing with good one...winding bobbin and threading machine....off she went....Yes, she is making a Sulky Fabric Rag Bowl....Said Mom I will be back next Sat...Husband and boys are camping out....
In the back ground is our baby daughter Geri's friend Shantel...they are beading....although you can't see Geri in this pic she is working away....

Here are the two "BNL Bling Scarves" Gaudy, yes but that is what they wanted...hehehehe.....they do look better for real as you can see all the Sulky threads,beads and fun fur....As I was pulling out red, blue, white seed beads, stars, footballs buttons, fun fur yarn, sulky threads etc......Will be worn for the football game on Friday....They decided it was a good thing I had my own craft shoppe....See we never know when we will need all that stuff we hang on to....
Was ready to drop when they all left but we had a great day together....The Ol'Blogger

Ol'Blogger's Favorite Room

Time for me to post pic of my sewing room....I do have things labeled so I will know what is in the boxes.. Still have to seach some, but the quest is easier than when I had to lift ever lid...:0)..From the first time I laid eyes on Sherry's peg board I wanted one....great for keeping those everyday used items in plain view...
So many piece of furniture I have, was throw aways from school...
I love this piece...it had a leg broken on it...put works perfect for me..this was a library file cabinet.....but then I don't have to worry about children running into and it falling on them...
My cutting table and more of my stuff....

Lots more goodies...Entertainment center...

*

My sewing machines.... am able to lower the last table and then I have a large enough area to sandwich my quilts...... after I clean them all off..hehehehe I am working on Harold's quilt in picture on left.......he keeps asking about it....one of these days it will be complete...now the only sewing studio I have left to do is The Elder's...coming soon....

SoTA Hats

Today I am posting about our SoTA Hats..First pic has the doll pin Cindy and Jody made for each over /or 50 ...all now have these...the pin on the side is from our first group winning Hoffman Challenge 2008.
Forepart has a tomato pin cushion I embroidered on each hat....Tiara on the top is ....oops I forgot why we put them on there...giggles...I will have to check with the girls....sometimes my brainpower gets stuck on pause when trying to recall a past knowledge....:0)
Of course on this side I have this years pin from the Hoffman Challenge Group Winner....I know... I already told you all "We Won"....I have always said I am like a little child praise me and I will do more to get another pat on the back.......Being a part of the SoTA Sisters has made me impossible....They are so great they make me look good...I am so proud of our accomplishment....I just can't keep quite....give me a little time I will move on I am sure....At my age I am absorbing all that life has to offer...As a child I never won a trophy, award or prize....So bare with me...I am celebrating the youth and the senior in me...:0)

On the embroidery machine I placed our SoTA name and what the letters stand for under the letters...."Society of Textile Artisans"....We also have our own cards..... although we have been a group long before 2007 that is the year we selected the SoTA name....The Ol'Blogger

Baby Quilt

Some precious baby will someday be cuddling in this darling baby quilt Kathy sewed....She had this for show-n-tell at our last monthly "Fun Meter Fill Up Meeting".
Nothing could ever be more special than gifting your loved ones with a handmade baby quilt. Kathy always has one ready for such an event...

Picture the baby shower...The excited Mother-to-be carefully unwraps each present, thanks the giver of each, and receives and expresses a kind of sentiment of how the new baby may look or feel with the newest unwrapped gift... The box next in the pile of presents to be unwrapped, not only draws special attention of the new mother-to-be, but Kathy's handmade baby quilt inside is passed around for all in the room to get a closer look, commenting on the unique handmade baby shower gift and the time and care that must have gone into creating such a beautiful and special handmade gift...

Sewing or Supper

Today I was watching Sewing with Nancy, a program I had recorded....Harold was reading or so I thought...till he began asking me questions about machine embroidery and how it works....The man doesn't do well with ..all.. the remote controls needed to turn the TV, Direct Satellite, and Surround Sound on or off...I told him he had no idea how much he was missing out by not possessing the new world of technology ....I invited him in to my studio with the intent of teaching him how to make a bowl...by wrapping strips of fabric around a clothesline and sewing together by machine...High Tech...giggles....

As you can see in this picture he is attentive about what he is doing...

I begin to get a little apprehensive....he has done the cooking in this house since the last child moved out... which I had done for 30 plus years previously to that event! I am now contemplating ... "is he so engrossed in sewing he's not going to cook supper tonight"...all the while my stomach is broadcasting hunger ...he seems not to hear...

He did wrap up (pun intended) his bowl in short time...took me all day to make my first one...and wasn't as good as his... Did the same thing with cooking .... started and is really good at it...Oh, yes he did cook fish and fries for our supper..Sigh of relief...The Ol'Blogger

Weekend with Ma-maw

It is wonderful to have our little ones take interest in our crafts....and want to give a try with their own creations...Sherry's grandchildren did just that this weekend...

Kendra is placing steel wool on her wet scarf getting ready for rusting..

Bryce spraying his wet scarf with vinegar to start the rusting process....

Nathan didn't care much for the smell of vinegar... if you click on his picture you can tell by his face...as he holds his scarf wrapped bottle.... giggles...But he liked the results when finished...enough he is going to give his scarf to his art teacher....I wonder would that be Debbie Crane or Tracy Isom....both are wonderful teachers...

Nathan also tried his hand at painting with the paint sticks and rubbing plates on a black silk scarf......Sherry is going to make a purse flap with this. Looking forward to seeing it...

The finished projects....Three happy grandchildren...A great weekend with Ma-maw....The Ol' Blogger

Hoffman Winnings

Such a treat....to be selected as group winners thrilled us beyond words...then our prize arrived...Smiles are warming our part of the world around us....The letter pictured here from Tony Hoffman sent our hearts soaring....What a compliment..Click on letter to read...

Another pin to add to our collection....Isn't it just gorgeous....
THE HOFFMAN FABRIC.....we all had the pleasure of running our hands over Thursday when we gathered for lunch....Cindy brought all with her....you should have seen us...in the parking lot...fondling, smiling, drooling, oh ah......we will be dividing Sat. at Jody's...
We had received our Sulky gifts when we were at Kathy's....sorry I didn't get pic....but the prize was awesome.. Lots of Thread, stabilizers, books, spray adhesive, notions....
THANK YOU, HOFFMAN AND SULKY....

Sherry the Potter

A few months back we made a trip to Nashville, In...while there Sherry, Rhona and Cindy gave a try at throwing clay on a pottery wheel.... Sherry was bit by the pottery bug..and is taking a class at Bloomington...Pictured above are her first two items...
These four she has created since taking the class and are waiting patiently till she fills up her shelf...Then they will be glazed and fired...I have already spoken for the saucer....She just laughed...wonder what that means?.....
Like the other girls what ever they lay their hand to is amazing.....The Ol' Blogger

Yard Trees

Cindy and a cousin saw "Yard Trees" on a trip to Nashville, In.. They were priced around $100.00 at that time...They decided to make one...of course when we saw it we began talking about each making our own...While in Texas Cindy ran across a great buy on glass beads and purchased them...She divided these up and brought them to Kathy's for our monthly "Fun Meter Fill Up Meeting".

I would like to introduce our very own "Yard Tree Hero"...Pictured with his version of our "Yard Trees" is Jody's husband Bill... He always has a smile for us and a willing hand..We would need our trees to wrap the beads....So Kent, Cindy's husband cut the copper pipe for them. Cindy then took these to Bill who had made the tree branches and soldered them together for us... Bill and Kent had ready us with one for Jody, Kathy, Cindy, Rhona and Sherry...I had decided not to make one then....:0(
Jody giving instructions on how to create the trees..

The girls working on theirs.

The finished tree....all day I sat there thinking wish I hadn't passed....I wanted a tree...well was I ever please when I found out they wanted more...orders place...Kent back to cutting copper poles and Bill back in his work shop making 10 tops ready for us to bead...and yes I am getting one this time...We are truly blessed women to have such wonderful men in our lives...The Ol'Blogger