The Final Sewing Work, and Installation!

I lied.

I said I would be posting this yesterday, but I had a visitor all day. "M. Migraine" came to call, repeatedly hit me in the head and decided to keep me company until dark. I asked him to leave several times, but I must be a good hostess.

Some visitor.......hmmph!

Well, here we go with the last of the banner stories! Below you will see one of them, with a guide and the letters laid out down the center. (yes, I was standing on the table. no, I shouldn't have been but...???) These all had to be glued with a flexible and strong fabric glue---which was almost toxic to breathe!--- first before they could be stitched. I think the following photos will explain why......

The fabric the letters were made from was the heaviest weight of linen canvas, painting canvas, that I could get. Then two coats of gesso to seal it, a gel medium for texture, acrylics and other medium for color and a few glazes. All that equals something harder than leather to sew through.

Seriously, I would have rather sewn leather by hand! It has more suppleness. This.....oy. All I can say is I pinched off a nerve in my thumb cutting the edges and it still is not right and giving me pain.......

The little bowls are between four and five inches across, so there is an idea of the size of each letter. Below, is a better image of the sewing process; bead by bead, a needle being pulled through with pliers due to the heaviness of the multiple layers. Kiddies, there was nothing FUN about this part!!!

Each single bead, one by one......seven huge letters on one banner, eight on the other.....soooooo much weight. So much time.

Breaks for sore hands, sometimes a day or so between sewing.

But in the end, it all turned out beautiful. The fringe, the tassels, the sheer trim with sequins that I was unsure of when I purchased but was perfect when applied.....it is always odd how these things work themselves out and when hung, look beautiful.

And the best part, of course, is the delivery! Getting them up on the church walls and seeing the reaction from the people who commissioned them, which I must say was very happy!!! (and me too!!!)

I am completely exhausted from this project, and will be on and off blog sporadically for a while. I hustled so much to finish this that there are many, many things around here unfinished, except ME, and I think I am completely finished!!! My body is just worn to a nub from this---too much in too little time.

Blogger has changed how they have their button for text justification, so naturally it has taken FOR EVER for me to get this post up, tinkering and saying naughty words early in the morning.....quite a few in fact. QUITE a few.

It's going to be a two-pot-of-coffee day........

I hope this was worth the wait! I know for me, it feels like one more step towards clearing out the ghosts of this last year. Now to allow myself some time for other things that are piled up, and I should be back to my abnormal acerbic self in no time soon!

Which may or may not be a good thing. I leave that for you to decide.  ;-)

Have a good creative day! Make something wonderful!!!

Pax.

Delivery Today

I will be off on the road today installing the church banners. This is just a quick teaser to show the tassels that I built for the center point of each of the pieces. I can't describe the weight on these alone; some of the beads don't show well in the photo. I'm going to have to remember to pick up some batteries before I hit the road too, as I am sure I have drained the set in the camera.

It was a great relief yesterday to complete this project that started before my fall last year. It was just one of those *utterly wipe you out* things......I got the inner portion of the car covered with a quilt, and gently lugged the behemoths out there, smoothing them so the canvas letters would not get curled, tucking them in so nothing got stuck when I closed the Cruiser hatchback.

It was odd because the fancy bottom edges were peeking out and I thought how it reminded me of an ornate wedding gown.

I am going to attempt to get up in the choir loft to get photos of these hanging, but then, it is not Easter yet so they may not put them up. If that is the case, I'll stretch them out on the floor and shoot down, to have a better visual record of them.

I think the desire to get them out had an effect on me not doing the usual photo-recording of the process along the way. I burned a couple of shots the other day when I was still stabbing the canvas letters into place, but overall, not much in the computer.

Perhaps that is okay....too many memories attached to this work, through no fault of their own.

I am completely mentally and physically exhausted, and also relieved that they are going. This may be, after the delivery, a great *nothing done day*......LOL!!! (and I feel like I am trying hard to catch cold too....pfffft!)

Tomorrow I'll get a better post of pics, etc up.

Today.......hmmmm.......I'm doing good to hammer keys and sort brain dribble.

So have a good one, enjoy your day whatever you do and remember.....Spring is somewhere out there (just not in Indiana yet!).

Pax.

Monday, Monday......and Welcomes too!

A quick *Good Morning* before I hop off to finishing errands undone over the weekend, and putting the header hanging sleeves on the banners and then saying THEY ARE DONE!!!! (can you detect excitement here????)
I have had a lot of great comments here in the few days I took off; some my regular faces popping in, some new voices and new followers and I say WELCOME! I am sorry I am in the midst of this work-a-thon and cannot entertain you properly, but I am sure some of the previous comments would, should you choose to read.
I normally don't go MIA for a while, but it did yield some time for thought, creatively and also related to work and life.......so all in all, it was good.
Spring is still being a tease here. Mostly cold rain now that we are receiving and while there are leaves of things bulbous that will eventually bloom, nothing yet. I am far beyond impatient. My lone crocus appears to have become chipmunk food.......which does NOT make me happy! Mr. Chippy needs to go find another home, NOW.
Thankfully, the lilacs, magnolias and wisteria have not begun to bud out. Usually they do far too early and then are treated to the freezing wrath of the Last Indiana Cold Spell, thus ruining any hope of bloom.
And now I am off to the tables, to finish this daunting project. Yes, there will be photos.
I am thinking I should have done a *Before* and *After* photo of myself, as it would have been amusing to see the decline mentally and physically. I am at raving lunatic point at the moment! SNARF!!! "I have only one mind to lose......."
Hope y'all have a good week with lots of fun projects ahead.....that Spring gently arrives to your neighborhood and brings with it the delight of blossoms and sun.
I'll be back with the pith and humor you are accustomed to soon...
For now, I bid you.....

Pax.

Good Monday Morning......

A quick and late check in to Blogland; sorry this is a short one, and again I am behind visiting all y'alls blogs.....but this was too humorous not to pass along.

The other day in the throes of the worst of the IP problems, my friend Vicki posts the following photo on her blog.........just for ME! In fact, the caption below said photo was "Hi Anne!"

(copyright Vicki Miles, 2010. used with permission.)

I encourage you to take a quick click over......we both had a good laugh off it! I mean, at some point there has to be humor even in the worst of fit-throwing and connectivity issues!

I am off for another day of heavy studio work...If I don't check back in for a few days, well, they either tied me in a knot at PT or I have been swallowed by the carnivorous sewing machine, wrapped like a tasty Spring Roll in banner fabric and deep fried....sigh.....

I'd rather be blogging!

Have a good week, do something you love, laugh, enjoy Spring moments if you have them, and above all else.....

Pax.

The Easter Banners Have Officially.....

(part of the itchy offenders........sans beads....)

.....been started. I spent half a day getting foamcore up, fabric spread out, pinned, measured, etc etc........
I was only crawling on the table twice and a few trips on the floor from side to side. This is going to be interesting, to say the least! The spirit is willing and the body, well, the body has other ideas!LOL!
I also have discovered that *something* in the inported fringe is giving me allergy fits, and I have a LOT of fringe to handle yet. Buy me a 50 gallon drum of liquid Benadryl and dip me! (now I know how sheep feel being sent for their requisite *sheep dip*.......hmmmm.....)
On Sunday afternoon, when everyone else was watching pre-superbowl foo-foo I was starting the construction of the tassles, so I guess I have my Mojo back and somewhat working, or I am toeing the line of panic mode on getting these OUT in time for the holiday when they are to hang. My guess is panic.......and then there is the next large piece.....
At any rate, I may not have interesting things to post for a bit ("See, I sewed a seam"...."See, I sewed 6 billion beads"...."See, I sewed myself to the banner! HA!") unless the weather allows me to get some cool pics to post! And I am too lazy to go through my old photo files and find something.
So, y'all know where I will be, and what I'm up to.
Now, adding to the daunting studio task at hand, the fact that DH's work has already been delayed until 10 a.m. with snow that is coming down very fine and very fast says two things to me:

Quantity.
--&--
White-out blizzard conditions.

Quantity I can handle fairly well--there's food in the house and gas in the propane tank, there is gas in the small can for the snowblower, but blizzard conditions bring on power outtages, and when we lose power, we lose EVERYTHING. Lights, water, and even with a gas furnace, heat---as the days of the pilot light are long gone. So I will no doubt be doing my ritual reminiscent of that one Mel Gibson movie, where the little girl has glasses of water all over the house! I swear to you, I think of that when I start drawing up large buckets and baths and pots and pans of water.......
And of course, this being a home of around 17 years, there is NO alternate heat source. I have pushed for a  gas fireplace for the same amount of time, and the pleas fall upon deaf ears.
I know Indiana in the Winter, and she can be a real bitch when she wants to!
(ahem!)
Now that the *whine* is out of my system, I feel better, thank you! ;-)
So I am off for some extremely quiet moments of coffee and prep work and praying this storm passes quickly and with whatever level of safety is possible in such.
In the meantime, I hope all who read today are safe and warm, and please if you can, stay in and be creative! The weather is such a good excuse!

Pax.

Intra Muros....

.....which means "within the walls", where they should be, in the sanctuary of Grace UMC, Rochester Indiana, hanging and looking glorious!

The above photo is taken from the choir loft, so you can get some sense of their size. This is a deceptively large sanctuary when you first walk in.....it seems smaller, then you start seeing there is a LOT of wall space!

This is the full length view, hanging. I have reduced the photo size so if you click it, it will only go so large.  I had to zoom from the choir loft to get this; I was lucky to get the amount of resolution I did!

And now for how big they really are.......the lady standing in front is just a few inches shorter than me, so this truly shows the length of the pieces. And this is why it is so hard to get them sewn and straight and looking right.

Everyone was quite happy with them; they were having fun finding all the little beads and pearls that were sewn on, and how the flames reflected light different in different areas of the church, how the background fabric had pattern, how things glowed, etc. etc. Which was precisely what I was hoping for!!!

It was fun; sort of like a "Where's Waldo?".......except with banners......LOL!!!

Hope you enjoy these and understand why I am as crazy as I am on a good day!

Now......go have some fun, or enjoy family that has come in, or rest! (I vote for the last!) As for me, I am not leaving the house today, and may just retreat to the studio, not to resurface for a bit....   ;-)

Pax.

A Lovely Ending.........

(ran out in the cold to shoot this the other evening; one short moment of completely exquisite glow & then gone)

.......to a long and arduous project. Yesterday, early in the afternoon, the banners were safely moved to the living room, the tables knocked down in the studio, messes in the process of being cleaned up and sorted, and me.....not knowing exactly what to do with myself!
I will, before e-mailing the church, do one more look over for loose threads, anything that is not quite perfect and then, when sure and happy, send that e-mail out asking for a delivery time!
It is odd, because even when I did Advent banners for my church, they were strenuous and gave me grief. Most people like that set the best, yet I have the same feelings about them as I do these; I am glad the project is done. At the time I did ours, I had no budget for them, no heat in my newly built studio, and as I recall, about the same amount of time to get them completed. I vividly remember miserably cold fingers that could not grasp pins even with a tiny heater going full bore. (we were in the process of getting someone to install a furnace and hit an early cold spell for the year--typical Indiana)
It seems that I always like the Lent banners the best. I don't know if it is the time of year I work on them or if it is the difference in how they are constructed. Easter is usually pretty easy and my feelings are ambivilant on those; I just want the letters balanced evenly on the two pieces. I enjoy creating the letters, that is what captures my attention and after that, it's just grunt-work.
I am happy that I now have a little breathing room, that I have time to clean in the studio, or go lounge a bit and knit. I can set up my most nonprofessional camera background and have things easier to photograph for the blog. I can consider rearranging some of the furniture in here. I've been going through that in my head since I first started these and could not move a thing. I also need a big studio purge, and I don't have the time I need for THAT! Does anyone have a spare year they would like to donate to a good cause???
I sort of feel like I have just received a release from prison! And that is not right to feel that way about paying work! But I felt exactly the same when I was working on the first set of Advent banners, in the cold.
Maybe it's just ME.
Maybe I am remembering the other set.
Maybe there were too many distressing events going on during the construction process this time.
Maybe I'm thinking way too much again.....  ;-)
At any rate, I have no idea what I want to do creatively at the moment, and that is just plain ODD!!! And give me a day or two to get my acerbic humor back; I think it's buried in the studio somewhere......!
So I will leave you with a wish for a beautiful creative day, with ideas abounding, and no housework, and something good to relax with as the sun sinks this evening.

Pax.

Soooooo Close......

(the photo has nothing to do with the post.......I just love ginkos and they make me happy!)

.....I can almost taste---yes, taste!---these banners being complete! Yesterday yielded more good work, even with a surprise visit from a cranky DH, who had to attend a luncheon with the boss. While he expressed himself, I cooked.
Do you know how nice it is to eat real food? Not something frozen or dehydrated? Put together a pretty spectacular crab, shrimp and corn chowder, french bread and then whipped up a carrot cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting that almost went down my gullet instead of onto the cake. I am a sugar freak......it's not good.
Still, even with the *hubby-break*, all the candles are freemotioned on, the iron on stars were pinned, the basting for the hanging sleeve done and no blood on anything! (yes, there is Anne-specific DNA in every set of these I make; it's just worse with white....)
Today will be a challenge to see if I can get these one step closer to a Monday delivery. I'm waiting before I e-mail......I just want to be sure they are done. Right.
And then I swear I will not know what to do with myself.
Cry?
Run naked?
Go buy shoes? (always a good option!)
Bang my head against the keyboard?
Or get online and order the braid I would like for the Easter banners, which were half done back in March.
Decisions, decisions........
I am hoping, when the banners are delivered, they will hang them so I can try and get at least one shot of one full length. The lighting there is soft, the sanctuary huge, so it is not going to be a good pic, but sufficient so you can really appreciate the size.
Okay, time to go hide behind one of the two machines and slam the pedal to the floor. Yes, I sew like I drive......look out...... ;-)
Hope you all are having fun creative time and not too much housework before the impending Turkey-Day!

Pax.

Minutia Of The Moment

Yesterday was a work-a-thon in the studio. I think I spent at least ten hours out here, which, with my decrepitude, is a lot......  ;-) 

So today I thought it appropriate to post a few detail photos of what has been going on.

Each of the tassels is cut from regular fringe, making sure not to nip important threads holding the top together. Then a bead and a sequin are added as a visual stop where it joins the bullion fringe. These all have to be pinned in place in advance so the spacing is right, then hand sewn tightly.

Rosettes were constructed from two lengths of ribbon, sewn atop each other and then gathered, steamed and sewn to the backing. (the camera, or maybe the operator, was having a hard time focusing this morning) Of course, this is by hand too.....

The main candle has pearls and tiny gold beads sewn at intervals on every woven repeat of the fabric; the white cross is purchased then applied to the gold backing and all the gold stitching is freemotion, built up layer after layer until there was enough gold to be visible. That, in itself, was a daunting task, as it is being sewn directly TO THE LARGE CANDLE with the freemotion......

                                              

All the candles have to be basted by hand to the backing and batting before going under the machine for freemotion attachment. I got wise and found a huge hooked upholstery needle that made the work easier and a bit quicker. These blasted things are always a learning curve....by the time you've figured out how to do them  in a manner that is time efficient or better on the body, they are done. (and so are you!)

                                           

Then, when the large tassels are attached, you get to use the needle that could sew up a cow....because the cording is such that it requires both needle and pliers to get the thing through. Again and again and again. There is a lot of weight, they will hang a goodly while and it has to all be very secure.

That's enough for now. I was having a heck of a time loading these pics for some reason this morning so I have no idea what Blogger is going to do with the post......it may be quite abstract! It may be all over the place! Which is kind of how I feel at the moment, physically. Mentally I am focused, but boy, I should have been out of here earlier, and I probably should have laid off the knitting last evening? Perhaps?

Common sense was never one of my better features......

Sorry for the late post and lack of humor in this one. I think I stitched my funny bone underneath something. I need to find it again before they are delivered because I cannot function without it, and no one would read if it was the whiny brain dribble of the past few posts. ;-)

And I really like having you read....and laugh.....

Laughter is a gift to give ourselves every day. Unfortunately, I seem to be in situations frequently where I tend to get overdoses via my own lack of forethought, stupidity and just plain not paying attention to my surroundings.

And no, I have not crawled on the table or stood up on top of the tall stool of late.

Maybe today.......just for the heck of it! LOL!
Go make something, and have fun!

Pax.

Of Better Humors and Health

Well, sometimes it takes just a bit to shake off the crud and get life back on a managable path. For me, it was purging on blog. For DH, it was finally feeling like he was at the end of whatever it is he has had to suffer through. Thankfully, nothing resembling pneumonia this time around....  <:-)

I am sewing, or doing errands. Both have to be done today and it is just a matter of which is going to fall where. You know; the typical artist juggling act. Should we EAT and have MONEY in the bank or should I work in the STUDIO? (we all would pick the second choice, I know...)
Decisions, decisions.
HA.
The second banner is progressing and I must admit the voices of friends make the work easier and more managable. Like, I can believe I will have both done! Barring illness or the complete collapse of the universe as we know it...and then it wouldn't matter.
Later I will have to post the pics of the finished "Socks-From-Hell" and the "Almost-Stockings" I have toiled away at in the spare resting moments of evening, sitting with DH. The "Almost-Stockings" are almost done, needing a ribbed top, which could take a while, or until the yarn runs out....whichever comes first!
And now I am off to become Wonder Woman and get everything done today.
(I hear you laughing....)
May you have a great week and may you be creative!

Pax.

Welcomes and Work

I've been remiss in welcoming new followers to the blog, so here is the official WELCOME!!! I'm glad everyone is here and bit by bit, others pop in. I am very bad about updating the blog list on the sidebar, and if you aren't on there and want to be, just let me know. Some things I'm right on top of (like the table when taking above photo....) and other things just sort of slip into the ether....

After fighting with the 12 feet of lined fabric and the weight of it all, it was time for a break, so here we are and yes, I am still looking for a Studio Pixie who just wants to help and enjoy the company.......LOL!!!

Posting a few photos so you can get an idea of what I have been dealing with, such as the above tassels. They started out being only the small purple part, without beads, trim, or bullion fringe. I basically build them for each set of banners. Premade tassels the size needed are far too expensive and never match anything I'm working on.....such is this life!

I did luck out on the candles not looking lost on the large background fabric and also, in the never-ending stash of fabric, found a sheer for the stars that allows the pattern of the b.g. fabric to show through subtly. I was afraid I was going to have to SHOP for something, and with my recent luck in getting junk, I was not looking forward to it.

Here are a couple of the other candles; the color is fairly accurate on them, though the fourth darker purple is out of the picture frame.

Physically and mentally, I will be glad when these are done as I am exhausted from the weight of all the fabric and batting. These have turned out to be pretty much like working with a stubborn quilt, especially the freemotion work required to put the candles on.

On the other hand, I like the design as it reminds me of some of the work I saw when I was a child in Europe, and there is a nice, reminiscing quality to dealing with them. Stars on Christmas cards were almost always the six pointed variety over there. It seemed a natural to do the same on these.

Well, enough......there's fabric calling me, and it's not calling me nice names! LOL! Yes, that's where we're at in this project relationship---calling each other names. Baptism by fire.......

I really do like them. Shhhhh........don't tell!!!

Hope everyone is having a good time and working on something that is not trying to throttle them! Have a good one; I bid you all......

Pax.

Quick PEEP!!!!

Bear with me....I am in the throes of actual sewing and WORK! Yesterday was productive, today will be too and it seems like finally I am making headway on this project.
I will be back when I have a spare moment but if I don't strike while the iron is hot, well, you know how that goes. And my iron goes cold quick!
I envy folks with an attention span longer than a piss-ant........
You can guess which I have.   >:-\
Okay, time to make the banners, time to make the banners, time to make the banners......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL!

Pax.

P.S. Feeling well. Amazing when you take your meds like you're supposed to! SNARF!!!

A Quick and Late Good Morning......(it is still morning, right?)

Before I forget......the delight of a few more WELCOMES to new followers!

Happy y'all are here!

A bit of an admission to start......I have a friend who feels the need to call me at unholy hours of the morning. Lately I have told her I need SLEEP, thinking that would sink in....... Now, don't get me wrong. I love my friends, I love being up for sunrise photos like the one above, but ever since the surgery last March, there are days when I need rest and lots of sleep, then I am up and at 'em and doing exciting things like fighting with the hand mixer and dreaming of posting some ART here again! (yes, I have some in the cellar studio....) Of course, that admission pretty well sums up my lack of a social life, but we're all friends here.....we run in our pajamas with wild abandon!!!
Anyway, I holed up in the family room, shut the door last night, made the big leather sofa into a comfy bed with hand made quilts and a down pillow and turned off the ringer on the phone.
And I slept.
A whole night of uninterrupted sleep. Utter bliss...........
That's why this is a quickie this morning because I am back to banner number two today, and need to get a lot done. I still have neglected to check the liturgical calender to see what Sunday these must be done for....I am thinking it is a week earlier than what I thought previously, which would be par for the course! So while you enjoy the lovely photo of a sunrise across the fields behind my house, know that my studio faces that field and that's where I am, stitching away like a mad woman!
I did get some couch time yesterday and knitting on the current socks; the wool, bamboo, nylon blend that I lovingly refer to as *the socks from HELL*. What is odd is once the yarn is off the needles, the fabric is soft and stretchy....just no negative ease. I think I will like them, but not sure if I will like them enough to knit with it again. They feel like they would be very good warm weather socks......kind of soft and breathy----that's a word, yes? And the blueberry/soft sky color is exceptionally appealing, so I keep knitting. They'll be posted here.
I also had someone ask about the jeans I wore in the virtual Studio Tour, and when I get a spare moment, I want to photograph them and post them.
Not today......or this weekend. Monday (or possibly Sunday---I need to check!) is DH's birthday and you girls know what I'll be doing....in the kitchen again! Maybe crawfish and jambalaya!!!
And now, to the salt mines I go.......I hope you all have a fun, productive, creative day!!!

Pax.

Work, work, work.......mini-rant.......work, work.....

Breaking News! Go to yoborobo for a delightful Halloween giveaway! Now!

(and now, back to scheduled rant....)

.....ACK! I am in a state of getting further behind rather than any ahead, though I must admit yesterday had it's UP moments.
Like when I was UP crawling on the cutting tables, trying to get the batting and fabric all in order, marking edges and then hitting everything with the temporary adhesive, that I am quite sure will require another can for the completion of the second banner. And did I mention that only half of the work surface is real table? The rest is home exterior foam insulation on two rickety metal ironing boards. That works fine when one stands at the sides and works, but crawling atop it.....no. Bad idea.
I am back to the exercise of crawling UNDER the table to get from one side to the other to work, which seems safer at the moment than trying to flop myself over the top. This hip business is, well, a great nuisance! And a pain in the arse...and groin too. I know, way to much info....la, la, la, la, la.......
I also had the dubious *pleasure* of spending (wasting?) I don't know how much time on the phone with a customer service rep from one of the very MAJOR credit card companies, who got themselves in deep financial ca-ca, so to bail themselves out, they have passed it on to the honest, paying users of said card, to the tune of 29.9% interest rate. Yep. Loan Sharking is legal kiddies! If you're corporate, and you've screwed up, you just pass it on to people who have done right by you since 1990. The person at the other end---and I do mean OTHER END, because he could barely understand my language and I could barely understand him!--- kept trying to get me to transfer a CC balance onto said Loan Shark Card. I kept telling him I wanted a lower interest rate and I did not carry a balance!!! He was clueless.........it was a perfect case of Catch 22.......around and around. I hung up. This was just a broad, across the board interest rate raise before laws come into effect to STOP stuff like this. Ai-Yi-Yi. Where is my USA???? Who abducted the Country I so loved growing up? The honesty? The work ethic? Oy.........
Anyway, back to the work.......I guess, in protest of said company and their policies, that I will have to ask more up front from churches I work for, to make sure all the costs are covered and use a debit card, thus avoiding adding another third onto a commission price. See, this was all going somewhere. Everything I order or consider will have to be firm in stone, which hurts my clients as well as my creativity.........I really, really detest big business. May they have the fleas and fire ants from a thousand sandy acres firmly take up residence in their nether regions. >:-)
So I'm back to the banners, which thankfully all the supplies are paid for, and the second set too, where I have paid for everything needed. Then when delivered, the cash into the account to be saved for the newest commission, a lovely wallhanging for a more modern church......I'll post the sketch when everything is finalized.
Okay, I'm off my high horse now. Or low jack-ass, as the case may be.
That wasn't even a rant......how pitiful!
I am definitely aging....... >:-(
Off with ye---find people to enter the big milagro box give away. We might as well have a little fun from the good old days of CC purchases, which are, officially, no more.
As always.....

Pax.

Busy As A Bee......

(Leslie, this one is for both of us Celts!!!)

Yesterday was pretty much a blur. I was hopping from the moment I got up but again, by days end I was scratching my head as to what I had accomplished.

Dishes--done. Twice.

Cooking--homemade soup and a delightful coconut cake from scratch.

A bit of cleaning.

Computer work.

Basement work.

Trying to glue angelina onto the candle flames of the church banners. That should have been on video, because what I thought would be quick and easy was a slow, delicate, questionable process. I also spent a good deal of time attempting to locate the proper glue.

Spent time picking out beads for the banners.

Also spent time finding the bowl of beads for the banners....

Finally gave up in the early afternoon and retreated to the chair for some knitting and rest. Feet up time.

I started another pair of socks, this time knitting Noro. It is the first time I have knit a one ply wool, and if the colors weren't so absolutely scrumptious, I would throw it out the window! I have spun and tried to deal with one ply not twisting back upon itself, but socks on---again, stupid pill time---size ONE needles with the squirmy, twisty stuff........whole nuther realm. But the tiny bit of the toes that are finished are lovely....the color flow......oh yes, I think I can tolerate the demands of the wool!

So since basically today may be a *sock knitting day* we have the thistle pic in honor of Leslie and all the knitting she does, although I believe she actually enjoys more of hers..... ;-)

I'm not making any promises on accomplishments today; what gets done, gets done. I have a reception I have to attend tomorrow evening and need to rest up for that---Monday's hospital adventures sort of took it out of me!

Therefore, I give you all my blessing for a day of something easy and fun! That way my guilt-trip doesn't kick in.....

At least not too hard!

Pax.

P.S. I woke to discover not only my Facebook badge screwed up and useless but also one of my other sidebar apps that lets me help keep track of comments so I don't miss anything. Another blogger lost all the pics of her followers....what is going on???? Now I get to go BACK into Facebook and try and rebuild my badge, which has gotten picky and I guess just wants wall photos........someone hit me NOW. It's too early for all this thinking....... >:-(

Last Green of Summer; A Productive Day

Random thoughts from a lovely, sunny Fall day........

It seems of late I have posted about a lot of things NOT getting done or going well. Yesterday was one of those rare days you get many things done, but it feels like it went quick and easy.

First off, I love this heart shaped leaf from a volunteer Redbud tree. We have lost a lot in Indiana to some blight brought in from out of state trees sold at cheap discounters. Bleah! This one was so perfect.......that bit of bronzey-red atop the large green leaves. Click the pic for better detail; I left the size fairly large.

The Rose Live Forever along the drive has managed to survive quite well. I've run over the edges a few times with the car, the raccoons had a hey-day in it, the bunnies *prune* it. It just grows. And blooms. I can ask for nothing better!

I spent most of the day checking things off my to-do list:

Car tire fixed.

Grocery shopping done.

Laundry in some stage of *done-ness*.

Changed settings on FaceBook Apps.

Worked a lot in the studio on the church banners......though, again, that doesn't *show*.

Cleaned the kitchen, somewhat.

Had time to sit and laugh with hubby.

Did some lengthy art related research online for a possible purchase.

Spent time doing some heavy decision making.

Took a break to wander through the yard for a moment and enjoy the last of the green.

Finally, sat to deal with e-mails, etc. that had piled up and print out some necessary paperwork.

Avoided the dreaded cleaning out of photos from the blog folder and also other places on my computer, as that is a two day process and I needed to sew. That's okay.

My post count is rising and it seems that just yesterday I was setting the blog up, wondering what to write, or who would read. What was the purpose? Was it for my own benefit? In the interim, I have found out otherwise. I've found my voice again, I have found delightful friends, I have learned, I have shared my knowledge, I have shared laughter and tears and triumphs and the skinned knees of life. I've become part of a larger vocal and visual chorus that I enjoy immensely. Heading into the dark of the year is not as daunting with my network of fellow followers and casual readers, and those whose blogs I visit regularly. I wish (selfishly) that those who visit, even once, would post just a hello to have an idea how far this reaches. But it's okay anyway.....

Thank you. We are each a link in a long line of voices and visions. Let's keep it unbroken.

And now, I am off to work, sewing most likely, though something else always seems to get thrown into the mix. I think there is a cake that needs baking too.......

Pax.

Candles All Aglow....or....I Sew, Therefore, I Am

Well, after waking sick yesterday and deciding that the dreaded "Allergy-From-Hades" season was upon me, instead of giving up, I managed to get some serious work done in the studio. Not nearly as much as I would have liked, but when your left ear and sinus cavity are pounding out a thumping rhythm that would propel a proper Conga-Line........there is only so much that is going to get done. At least, done where it is acceptable to those who are paying for said banners.
Sometimes, you have to know when to stop and take a break.
I did.

If you look closely at the reddish violet candles, second set up, you can see they have had the first round of zig zag with the rayon thread. I don't care HOW MUCH I have sinned in the past, this is penance above and beyond. Plain and simple. Don't move, don't twitch, don't take your eye off the needle, thread, where the whole thing is headed........there is nothing fun about this part! It is just necessary, and needs to be close to perfect. (and after all my whining, it usually is....)

The metal gold organza halos turned out nicely, even after considerable fighting with the thread in the machine. I hate stitching with metallic thread; they all act different and generally have me saying bad words......... I was, though, completely pleased with the iridescent *wax drips* on the white fabric. It shows up enough without being overpowering. These, the Christ Candles, will have beads or pearls sewn on at regular intervals, following the pattern of the fabric. This is what I had used in the altar cloth and stole----I love it much as it is not too bad to work with and is still affordable, which is becoming a thing of the past with traditional liturgical fabrics.

Finally a close up of the vintage Korean silk I used for the rose colored candles, since the other I ordered was sold out by the time the company was informed they had sent me sheer olive green??? I was a bit hesitant to use this; it was a gift to my mother from a friend but hey---it's perfect. You can see the holographic fabric for the flames a bit better here. I think, when it is all put together it will be gorgeous from a distance! And the B.G. fabric is in the shipping process so I am a-okay! (well, other than the allergies....and the mental stability is questionable too, but you knew that!)
So, hopefully today will be a bit more productive! Morning is such a peculiar time as I am not sure what state I'm in until a copious quantity of caffeine has entered my system and awakened the vital organs.......
Hope there is something out there that awakens your creativity today and gives you the punch to make art!

Pax.

P.S. I think, sadly the bug has it's grips on me. Posted this yesterday after working.......today I can neither talk nor breathe, so it is NOT going to be a fun Labor Day weekend here. I may be off-blog for a few days of R&R.
At least at this point I can still knit.

Church Banners, and Why They Are So Time Consuming

I have to admit that anything that starts from a sketch so simple should not end up using such a large portion of your life to produce. However, in my area, the problem has been finding supplies, as I have stated before, and after numerous (way too numerous) hours on the internet searching for background fabrics, and candle fabrics, everything is beginning to be a bit closer to coming together. And boy am I relieved!

While this does not show the wonderful shimmering quality of the flame fabric, trust me when I say it will be seen from afar! Trying to photograph the holographic pieces are hit and miss. I also plan to put a bit of angelina in the very center of the flames when everything is attached, as I will have to use fabric glue and don't want to reheat the fiber again. It's right where I want it color wise and one more hit with the iron and who knows???

And this is what appears to be a small amount of work, the candles cut, the *glow* of the flame and flame proper fused together......how deceiving. This was an amazing amount of time! Since it's almost all silk, it has to be handled with extreme care and everything has to be perfectly on-grain.

And the little *wax drips*? They can't be just fused, but zigzagged around all the way to make sure they stay on. After three backing support products, I finally discovered that tissue paper works the best.......grrrrrrrrr.......let's see, eight small candles, two large candles, and I am pretty sure that equals Anne losing her mind!
The next step is getting these onto felt, then a slow, broad zigzag all around the edges to secure everything so it doesn't ravel out!
And that's the Monday update on the monsters---stay tuned for more of my perils and adventures right here on El Milagro!!!
And I hope you have a wonderful, easy-going type week, and think of me slaaaaaaaving at the sewing machine! ;-) LOL!!!!!

Pax.

Day out for lunch........

"Oh my! This is sooooooo tasty!"

A quick PEEP from me before I have to go get *beautiful* (quit laughing.......) for a lunch out with a friend.
And WELCOME to another follower, though she's been a lurker I love her anyway! heehee!
Spent most of the day yesterday in the studio actually getting some work done on the Advent banners, but it's nothing I can photograph at this point. Still just pattern making, readjusting sizes, adhering fusible to fabrics, ironing (lots of that)....I mean, this is the not-at-all exciting part as far as photos go, but it IS exciting for me because this is when I start firming up in my mind's eye how they will look. Rooting through my massive stash of fabrics for a few shimmery pieces to highlight the silks......it's beginning to get a little interesting.
Plus I was able to find some fringe to complement the BOLT of fringe I bought already that I was not satisfied with.
My profit margin on this project????? I'm thinking zero. Just as long as I don't go in the hole......and they'll look good, and that's all that matters. Grace UMC's sanctuary will be beautiful for Christmas!
So little Ms. Socialite is outta here to start fixing her feathers and do the complete make over thing before stepping out into public. I don't want to be arrested for indecent exposure; i.e. face sans make-up!!!!
Have a good day, and yes, that's my sweet little Joey in the pic, not the blue-demon-fireball Johnny who tries to take a slab out of me every time I clean his cage.
Sigh.
Children.
With or without feathers.......... ;-)

Pax.

Calm Before The Storm (or; the bedlam before the banners)

(click these pics to see the MESS I work in while trying to get it all together in my skull....)

I have to admit that I thought all the different pieces I had ordered for the banners would be here today, I would be able to bridge the gap between the worktable (disaster you see above) and the sewing table--which you don't see, and be semi-happily cutting lengths of fabric.
Hmmph! Not so.
The three purple fabrics for the candles arrived, along with a sheer olive embroidery.....???? To which I might add I did not order that. So that forced some rooting on my part and thankfully I found some beautiful rose vintage silk for the fourth candle. Yes, I ordered pink sturdy silk and got olive......sheer.......embroidered. Oy.
The jacquard for the Christ Candle has not arrived but I ordered it a day later, so that's okay. The two of those will probably be the last two I do since they will have beads sewn on. The other candles (two of each color) will be quicker. And remember those words because I will be eating them at some point in the construction. I'll keep the hot sauce handy......

I'm still looking for fringe, even though if you click on this photo, you'll see fringe. That was the Easter Banners that got waylaid due to me having to play mosh pit with the garage floor.
Oh! This is all too confusing!
So, since I don't have any progress to post on this project, I decided to take enough photos of doing a paper background like I did with the Madonna artwork and will try and post a quick tutorial on here. Uh huh, like I don't have enough going on as is, but I feel the need to get work done, and there is little I can do on the sewing now.
Also, and more importantly, today I received the darling painting I ordered from Pam over at yoborobo and she put in a delightful little print of *The Bird Lady*...which I swear is ME----one parakeet on each side! (except the printed ones are well behaved, and mine are not......) If you've not checked her store---and I'm pulling a blank here---it's on her blog, run over and have a look-see. There are exceptionally nice quality Halloweeny items and Day of the Dead; fine executed work and no detail missed in the packing. I should have photographed THAT but I was too busy tearing open my package, like a little kid at Christmas! What fun!
So in the mean time, as I sit and tap my foot trying to think up things to get into that won't get me arrested or thrown into a very hot place for a long long time, let's all go enjoy our day ahead.
Have fun, work hard, let your creative spirit soar on little parakeet wings!
And as always, from my heart, I bid you all,

Pax.