Quilting and Life Updates

 I have continued my index card a day project, usually making many more than one a day. This drawing is based on a photo I took during the first neighborhood tour we went to. Most of the videos I have watched about drawing say to start with a photo or actual items instead of using your imagination. It lets you really see the shapes and the shading when you have something real in front of you. 

I am really happy with this drawing because it does look like a person and a dog, even though I do need to work with my shading to make it look like shading and not underarm sweat.

 

My work will be winding down soon, which means that I am getting excited about having more sewing time. The clematis flowers don't look very healthy, but I really like how they look painterly.

We went on another neighborhood tour with the library. This sculpture was moved from the library to a park.

15 Minutes to Stitch Week 27 and 28

 

I didn't get a chance to do any quilting on week 27 as I put everything away to get ready for a fourth of July gathering, but on week 28, I took out the Spicy Stars quilt and took an inventory of what is done and what the next steps are. I figured out the measurements for the side triangles and corner triangles. I

15 minute days these weeks --7 out of 14

15 minute days this year -- 155 out of 197 days

Success rate  = 79%

 

 

Linked with:

 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

Index Cards

 

 

I have continued to participate in the Index Card a Day challenge. I am having so much fun with these portraits that I may have made all of these on the same day, Saturday. They are so fun to make, it is hard to stop at just one.

 

15 Minutes to Stitch Week 25 and 26

 

Zoey understands that when I am painting, I am not quilting. 

15 minute days these weeks --0 out of 14

15 minute days this year -- 148 out of 183 days

Success rate  = 81%

 

 

Linked with:

 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

More Index Cards

 

 

When I showed you my box of index cards in my last post, Rose asked me to show more of my index cards, and since I don't have much to show you quilting wise, I am happy to oblige.

It is a good thing it has been a while since I posted these, because I am able to show you the ones I made last year.

There were a few that weren't worth the effort to photograph and put in a collage but these are most of them.

I haven't done very many this year, although I am starting to resume again. I have been working in a mixed media journal which gives me more space.  I have learned that it is better to have something in front of me as an inspiration instead of relying on memory, even if it is a photo or another drawing. I will eventually learn how to draw and be better at drawing them.

Thanks, Rose, for being interested in seeing them.

2023: 15 Minutes to Stitch Week 17

 

Tanya shared her watercolor paintings about her trip to see the cherry blossoms and I was inspired to make my own painting on an index card based on her trip. 

I am still decorating the index cards from time to time. The thing in the back that holds the cards has broken so I am going to have to fill up the box to keep everything intact. 

The last time I showed you the box is 2020. Here is what the box looks like now. I have a lot done, but I don't make them every day, and as you can see, there are plenty of blank index cards left to decorate.

2023: 15 Minutes to Stitch Week 17

 

I have started making the parts for the stars of the Spicy Stars blocks, even though the Overtime has started. I worked during my breaks, which is a great bonus for working from home. It is so much fun to see how the flavor of the block changes as I stack more blocks on top of the layout.

15 minute days this week --7 out of 7

15 minute days this year -- 120 out of 120 days

Success rate  = 100%

 

 

Linked with:

 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

Second Half of the Year Begins

 

 

It's the second half of the year already! I recently took a class with Dayton Art Institute where you made a drawing to replicate the style of Julian Stamczak. You draw straight lines, then you overlay them with curvy lines, and you color them in a checkerboard style. My curtains with the curves formed by the mini blinds shadows remind me of that style. 

This is an index card reproduction. I think it would be great to try to replicate that in a small quilt. In this card, I made the diagonal lines after coloring so the checkerboard isn't right. I should have left it alone when it looked like the curtains. I messed up the checkerboard in the original drawing I did also.  The instructor did say that it would be best to mark the spaces before shading in pencil to make sure you have them right. You are also supposed to color inside the lines and not have stray marks outside.

The week started out really hot, but the weather has cooled off to be more seasonable.  I have air conditioning so I am not complaining. I feel for other parts of the world are having such trouble with their towns burning down and buildings collapsing.

2021:  Week 27 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

I spent another week of quilting the Quote Quilt, refilling the bobbin, and resisting the urge to start other quilts. I used up the stencil shapes on the top part of the quilt, so I am looking through my old books for other templates I can use for the quilt.

15 minute days this week --7 out of 7

15 minute days this year -- 170 out of 185 days

Success rate  = 92%

 

Linked with:

15 Minutes to Stitch

Index Cards Progress

Once upon a time, there was an Index Card a Day follow-along that happens from time to time, and I joined it.  It was a 60 day challenge, and still continues from time to time. I started early because I didn't want to wait until the start date, and didn't stop when the 60 days were up, because I was having too much fun.

The "a day" part of the challenge is flexible, since some days I make more than one, and many days, I don't make one at all. Did you notice that when I created a label for these, I called it "index card drawing" and not "index card a day"?  Thinking ahead. I know me.

I am enjoying making these small little works of art. They don't take a lot of time to make, and are a good way to use up small bits of scraps torn from advertisements, junk mail, and magazines.

I last showed you my cards in January, so I figured it was time for an update. First up, I've added more decoration to the outside of the box. When I first found the box at the office supply store, I was disappointed that it was so plain and ugly, and there were no other choices of designs. Now I am glad it was ugly so I didn't feel bad in covering it up right away. It is a work in process so it will continue to change.

In January, I made some collages to give you a random sample of the cards that I have made, and I think that worked much better than showing you the cards individually.

The purpose of the cards is to try out new materials and techniques, and just add a little bit of fun to the day.

You will see duplicates in these collages since I had to start over with each collage, and I grabbed cards at random and didn't try to make sure I didn't have duplicates.

There isn't pressure to make art - simply decorate the card. Some are more successful as art than others.

I did a quick count, and it looks like I have made 33 since the last collage post.

Index Card Portrait

I am still making the index cards and wanted to show you the one I made yesterday. It's made with fabric scraps from the yo-yo coverlet. I used a marker to draw the glasses.

When cutting the circles, I was cutting over a recently-emptied shoebox so that the fabric trash would fall into it. I've been really good with throwing out the fabric trash lately, but the holiday moved trash day from Friday to Monday, so the box is really full. I think I may use more of these pieces before next trash day.

Index Card a Day

I told you that I have been making the Index Card a Day (ICAD) for many days this year, beyond the 60 days in the original challenge. I showed you the first 60 cards, but then I slacked off. They only take a few minutes a day and I wasn't sure they were worthy of showing them to you. 

But now as we are close to the end of the year, I figured they would be worthy as a group, so I made a few collages for you.  I basically made one card a day, except for those days where I made none, and except for those days where I made more than one.

I wasn't patient enough with Picasa to make sure they showed all the photos and definitely didn't put them in chronological order. It kept duplicating some and not showing others. And there were too many for me to keep track of which ones were in a collage and which ones weren't.

I thought they would give you a good taste of the rest of the cards.

Daily Index Cards

I just wanted to let you know that I am still doing the "daily" index cards. Just don't look up the definition of "daily" in the dictionary if you still want to be my friend.

Yes, I do realize that the index card in the photo above is made with markers and not the watercolor paints or the marker shown in the picture. I'd show you my artistic license if I had one.

I bought some colored index cards at the back to school sale. The blank ones are in the front and the daily cards are in the back of the box. I've added more tabs because I like the way they look in the box.

I've kept collaging [apparently this word is not in the dictionary either] more things to the outside of the box. These colorful flowers cut out of a magazine make me happy.

15 Minutes to Stitch: Week 43

This week, I spent my time turning my living room / dining room back to a sewing room. I also cut down some more scraps for the courthouse steps.  It doesn't seem very productive overall but it will help in the future.  I realized that these supplies that are being moved back downstairs need a more permanent space in the Cave of Wonders upstairs. More like a vacation home and less begging for a space on the floor. I've done a lot of work in the upstairs bedrooms this summer, but that process will continue for the rest of the year.

• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this week: 14 out of 14 
• 15 Minute sessions of stitching this year: 261 out of 300 sessions
• Success Rate: 87%

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15 Minutes to Stitch

Batch of Index Card a Day Cards

Here's another batch of cards I made for Index Card a Day (ICAD). This time, I tried thinking of words to add - some came from advertisements, while others came from art journaling tutorials I watched.

Even though I think I have 60 cards now, I plan to continue making these.

More Index Cards

I have been trying to follow Daisy Yellow's challenge to decorate an Index Card a Day (ICAD). You may be wondering why, and I thought I would give some of the reasons.

It gives me a chance / reason / excuse to do something creative every day.

 It is fun.

It lets me try out techniques in a way that does not intimidate.

It lets me use my art supplies and see how they interact with each other.

It lets me figure out what I like to do and what I don't.

It gives me permission to make mistakes.

And combine markers and paint and paper and fabric.

In case you are wondering what I plan to do with them, I am showing you an index card holder I bought this week.  They only had one design, but I figure that can be part of the challenge to keep adding to the outside as well as the inside of the box.

I bought some more index cards at the back to school sales!

I started this index cards challenge before the start date and plan to continue after the end date and plan to make a whole collection.