New Bumper Sticker!

A new bumper sticker develops from the mother of necessity! 

The other day I was talking to several people visiting my art studio and the standard questions and my replies occurred...

1.  Why didn't you do this in your house?  What made you move to a studio?

Alexa answer:  Do you see this 500+/- sq. ft. of stuff surrounding you?  This was all oozing out of my extra bedroom into every portion of my house.  If I worked at home....I would take little projects everywhere I was doing another chore..(i.e. near the kitchen when doing the laundry, in the den when Honey was home, etc.)  Plus, my Honey was near the 'boiling point' with the STUFF!

2.  Where did you get all this stuff?

Alexa answer:  Everywhere!  I am a picker of yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, dumpsters and free piles on the road.

3.  Do you come here every day?

Alexa answer:  I try!  It is my favorite place to be.  It is my safe haven.  It is my therapist...and it is much cheaper, plus, I can hold something I made at the end of the day.  I have learned that, "a stitch a day keeps the crazy away".

Thus, how this bumper sticker came to be!!

Available here!

Painting!

The sewing machine has been laid to rest.  It has finally pierced its last piece of who knows what.  The awesome little Project Runway Brother machine could no longer bring me joy without costing me massive economic heartbreak.  Plus, it was barely three figures at the initial purchase 8 years ago.  It seemed a bit idiotic to drop $200 on a $99 machine.  Thus, the need to do a little research....test driving of the many options out there....and find a machine that can take the abuse I'm apt to give it.

All this to say, I had to feel my creative time with painting in lieu of the demised machine.  So, with a stack of paint drying up in their bottles and canvas' gathering dust...I broke it all out!  I am not a painter....AT ALL.  But, I do like color...and I like the idea of color on canvas like quilts..so......

“A picture of many colors proclaims images 

of many thoughts.”

-Donna A. Favors

Free Motion Stitching!

Free motion stitching has become one of my new favorite things to do.  I've watched people...seen beautiful things made....but I was a little reluctant to try something new...my error, this is a blast!!

For these reasons:

1.  you can't hardly mess it up

2.  with minimal effort you can't make an error

3.  there is no reason to be concerned about details

4.  just sew for the sake of sewing (detect a recurring theme?)

5.  massively fun!

This shade of green is one of my favorites...and I had a little piece of quilt in the same color family....a collision of great fabric. I started another one...then I bent the needle and I had to quit.  Bummer.  But, tomorrow back on to dress making....can't wait.....

"The new year will be like the old one  

if you keep on doing the same old things."  

-Jean-Paul Malfatti

Embroidery, Quilt, Stitchy Goodness!

I found this precious worn out quilt at the thrift store.  The pieced top was literally threads only.  But, the backing of the quilt was this great striped denim type fabric.  I loved it....makes everything look good on it.  It has the quilty texture and look of a quilt, but no piecing visible.  

I absolutely HATE perfection....obviously not a problem with anything I do or create.  The sails on the boat initially looked too contrived...see below.  So, I ripped a hole in one of them...see above.

I may rip it up a wee bit more....not sure.

#artsymerchant  #embroidery #vintagequilt

Quilt Pin!

Today was little quilt pin day in the studio!  This tiny little piece of linen was hand whipped and a tiny little vintage quilt swatch was sewn on as the focal point!  Plus, I added a tiny little metal ladder to dangle from it all.  And....who doesn't love a skirt pin?  Oh...they are my fave!!!

In a meeting today it was brought up as any true, red blooded, card carrying, stitch making quilter type should know...the American Quilter's Society will have one of its many conventions in our fair city of Chattanooga, TN in September.  I am giddy with disbelief and enthusiasm.  I will be but a 2 mile drive to one of the best quilting shows....EVER!  Check out their website here.

"A stitch a day...keeps the crazies away!"

-B. Pittard

Quilt Charm Necklace!

Digging through my suitcases of made jewelry and found these necklaces I used to make.  Teeny tiny frames with little piece of vintage back cloth or hand pieced quilt in each one.  Haven't seen these in a while....this was back in the day!  May start listing some of these goodies in my Etsy store....?

Not sure it is worth the effort....

Handmade Jewelry!

I found a box of poker chips last summer at the ga-zillion mile yard sale.  They have the really clicky sounding plastic type texture...almost like bakelite (but they are not)...only a little larger than a nickel in size.  So today, I drilled little stacks of chips and made them into a bauble for a necklace.  Plus, I added some vintage beads and presto change-o....a neck garnish.  

Vintage Table Cloth Scarf!

Before we describe what I'm wearing...let us all take note of how I am glowing!  About 15 photos were made and every single one had this same result. I relocated to various places...different times of day...weirdo angles...and the scarf continued to glow.  

This could be why...

a.  too white....too much white color for camera (very technical camera speak)

b.  my photography skills stink

c.  my angelic effervescence is radiating via this scarf (argh)

d.  the giver of the scarf's angelic effervescence is radiating via this scarf (Joy)

Hmmm?  Mull an appropriate amount of time....now....

This was a Christmas gift from my junking gal pal, Joy, of United Gifts of Ringgold (one of my favorite junking haunts).  She created this little fashion accessory from a vintage crochet table cloth.  Obviously, many meals have been blessed over this cloth prior to my gift.  I loved it.

Great repurposing of a lovely item.

Thank you Joy!

Vintage Coin Purses!

Vintage coin purses are a weakness.  My husband says it is directly associated with my need to have money.  I feel there could be some type of mental connection....but, I would only use my money to buy more coin purses....seems like an endless loop in the making.  Not sure how definitive this psychology analysis would hold up in the court of "cray cray".  But, this little pile came into my greedy little hands a couple of months ago.

*note:  I find cool stuff at estate sales and they make it into my studio, then I find them again a few months later when I clean up.  It is like I find it twice.  Fun!

I wish they could talk...tell a few tales...spin a couple of stories.  What fun would that be?

This was my favorite!  Obviously, this little purse attended the 1904 Worlds Fair.  Very cool!  

"As the purse is emptied, the head is filled."

-Victor Hugo

Studio Space!

This is such a cool photo of my studio...captured by one of the many creative types in the Chattanooga Workspace!  Steven Llorca a fantastic photographer!  He somehow captured my "more is more" style in an ever so minimalistic way.  How do you like that sentence?  Make sense?

It takes a pretty clever and skilled eye to include all my stuff in an attractive way!  My haven....my home away from home! Thank you Steven!

Join Me On Instagram!

I am now a FREAK for Instagram!  It is so easy to post cool things you see, experience, learn and create!  It is a quick read and fast!  Love my blog...but, it requires a wee bit more premeditation.  Plus, I get to ramble at my leisure and use the information highway as my personal therapist.

Any who....join me on Instagram with the icon to your right!!

FYI:  just snagged me some yummy grey...old....binding tape.  It is like food of the god's to me. 

Now, I'm on this 'grey' phase of life.  I'm so into this color!  No clue where this will land....but it currently is mine...all mine!

#bindingtape

Join INSTAGRAM!

Too fun!

The Merger Of All Things Handcrafted!

I've been working on new project ....kind of quilty....involves a little needle point....felting....applique...and embroidery!  The merger of old, new, recycled, and the work of others!  Kind of cool!!!