Finishing Lines by K. Sperino: November 2012

November 28, 2012

every tree needs a skirt

so I made one.

Then I made more hearts.

The heart tree will be part of a fundraising raffle for

The Trees for Hope Festival.

The Trees for Hope Festival

If you live in and around the Blackstone Valley,

I hope you will consider making the Tree festival a part of your Holiday traditions.

The event will feature beautifully decorated trees which will be raffled.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the

Oliva Patient Comfort Fund at the

Milford Regional Medical Center.

Trees for Hope

December 1, 2012 9am-7pm

December 2, 9am-1pm

Saint Gabriel's Church Upton

Admission: Adults-$2 Children 12 and under free

Ticket: 1/$1, 3/$2, 10/$5

Raffle tickets will be picked December 2

(you do not have to be present to win)

Our donated tree is "Patchwork Holidays"

In support of Moms and Dads who have lost a child.

November 27, 2012

giving new life to old stuff

Somehow my take no days off November turned into take a week + off.

. . . was away for a few days, then out of town friends were in, then the visiting, then the holiday, then the sick kid . . . all left no time for posting,

but

there still was a little time everyday for creating.

So I did.

And all was good.

Something I've wanted to do for awhile is make a bracelet from one of the old spoons in my collection.

I used one of the smaller spoons that was well used and had a lot of scratches.

I love how it came out.

Dad always tells me "don't throw the good stuff out." I usually do anyway and he knows it.

But, I'm glad I listened this time -

a quick trip to the garage provided the kid's old wooden bat and it worked perfectly as a bracelet mandrel.

Then I came across my husband's old Little League bat . . . which really has nothing to do with anything other than -

I guess back then a new bat meant some wood glue and a screw.

And finally, none of this has anything to do with quilting,

although, the pretty designs on the spoon and wood grain of the bats would make pretty stitching patterns.

It's all how you look at things.

November 16, 2012

I bought a pattern ....

..... and in typical Kathy fashion - didn't follow it.

I made some adjustments here, there and everywhere.

And because I didn't buy enough fabric, my coat is also shorter than the pattern indicated.

I lined my coat with silk, gave it pockets . . .

bought some really cool looking buttons . . .

then pinned them on the coat.

There the coat sits (collecting lint).

All this happened in September when it was 80. . .

Now that it is 30 . . . button holes need to be made and buttons attached.

And on a side note, last night was guild night and members brought in first quilts. I love hearing about how friends evolve into their passion. Lots of puffy, tied, template cut quilts.

Great quilts and great stories about learning to sew.

I'm thankful I learned to sew. Mother taught me on the old singer in the cabinet.

We made matching green 'shifts'.

I loved it.

So much so, that I kept sewing clothes for myself for a long time. Mom, remember all those clothes? And the prom dresses?!??!?!?!

I was lucky- I used to sew in the spare bedroom, or Grandpa's room we called it. You could say I had my own sewing room back then, because I basically took it over. There were many times that Grampa would come stay with us and surely he had to step over my piles of stuff. I distinctly remember mother telling me to "PICK THIS PLACE UP", then she decided shutting the door was a better option.

I am thankful I was allowed to foster my love of the art and craft of sewing.

Happy Weekend before Thanksgiving.

Thanks for stopping by during my

Take No Days Off November blogging challenge.

XXOO

November 15, 2012

neutral ground

Today is the Fiberactions group challenge reveal.

Our theme this time was neutral, limiting our palette to whites, blacks, grays and browns.

My piece started as tattered, vintage quilt squares which were stitched together and given a good press. The stitched blocks were layered with batting and backing, then quilted lightly with a freehand open swirl design.

The quilted blocks were then painted with gesso and various textile paints

I made a pattern to imitate a milk weed pod.

The pods were made with two layers so both the inside and outside of the pod showed the 'right side' of the fabric.

Wire was stitched into the front seam, the pods could be molded into shape.

Embroidery and fancy threads were used to decorate the pods with french knots of pearl cotton.

Clothes line covered in fabric made the stems.

Silk rods and roving were used inside of the pods.

And the seeds are real seeds from a milk weed.

I have been wanting to make a piece inspired from milk weed and this challenge seemed like the perfect platform to do so.

Check out the Fiberatctions site and see all the neutral works.

November 13, 2012

seeing things as they are

I've enjoyed taking a drawing class this fall.

It's the first drawing class I've taken since being in high school.

It's been good.

This is Norman's barn. It's sort of a landmark where I live. When you give directions to someone in the area you always ask, "Do you know Norman's house?, then go from there...."

I love it.

If I were a painter I'd paint it.

I'm thinking of making a thread sketch on a piece of silk I've been rust dying.

We'll see.