Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Technicolor Galaxy Progress

After a MUCH needed retreat - I've made some progress on Technicolor Galaxy - not much... but some!

They thought it was hilarious that I brought a printer with me....but lo and behold, several people used it!!  I needed to print\cut petals and hexies on water soluble stabilizer.  And I also wanted to get out my colored pencils and color my center!   I wanted to add hot pink\magenta to the wheel, so I needed to figure out how to work it in there.


I had pulled a LAUNDRY basket of scraps and fat quarters of everything I thought might go into this quilt.  


 I played with color almost all weekend.


Using a portable design wall (small one) I started throwing colors down.   I kept looking at the cover for reference of how I wanted to the colors to blend.

Color Wheel!!!  Weeeee...
It felt so good to cut the first pieces and COMMIT to making this quilt.   Lots and lots of starch, careful cutting.   I made my first pass at the center....
First Pass
Then I started throwing down fabrics to move out into the quilt.   I struggled with this!  I couldn't figure out why the colors I kept trying to achieve and color wheels I was googling on my laptop were NOT meshing with what I was visualizing.

Working Outward
After doing this for most of the weekend - there was LOTS of ironing and starching going on too...trust me, I DID make progress....kind of...

THEN I finally figured out what was screwing me up!   The cover photo of the quilt was MIRRORED.   The colors were going the wrong way around the wheel!    Made some adjustments and settled with this rendition.

Final?   Maybe?
Then the weekend ended...and I had to pile it all back in the laundry basket.   I was so hoping I would get all the bags filled for all the months at least.    Going to have to unpack it all and spread it out at home.    Once all the pieces parts are in their bags - it will be easy peasy to carry along to sew days!






Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Bionic Gear Bag for Rose

Have I mentioned my dear friend Rosie Posie?   She's a hoot.   I gotta keep it brief though, because she gets very upset about being put "On the Internet without her permission" (giggle).   She's so cute.

Anyway.....MISS Rose... has that perfect puppy dog look along with a whine that will put the most enthusiastic 4 year old to shame.    Sometimes this works for Rose.... Guilt.  HAHAHA.   Trust me, I'm laughing here.    I brought some things to "Show and Tell" at guild over the past 6 months and each time I proudly showed my completed bags: (Retreat Bag posted here and Bionic Gear Bag posted here, and Toiletry bag posted here) I heard this little whimper from the back row....that got kinda screechy....   and while I thought I dodged them, smiled, and forgot about it...she was slowly whittling away at my armor...  

" Wherrrreee'sss Miiinnnnnneeee??? "

I'd smile....  laugh uncomfortably...    "You gotta make one if you want one Rose...."  and she would show the most dramatic look of shock she could muster....followed by a pout.   Now Rose is about 4 foot something, cute as a button, EIGHTY-ONE years old and has a tendency to come along on my Craig's List adventures, wearing her Eeyore pajamas,  pretending to be a pain-in-the-ass granny that can't make up her mind.   Sometimes, the seller will feel that guilty twinge that I thought (foolishly) that I was immune to.... and give us a good price just to get rid of us....

Mental Note #1 - Gotta make Rosie a retreat bag with Halloween fabrics, she would just love that.

Mental Note #2 - Gotta make Rosie a toiletries bag, she would just love that.

Mental Note #3 - Gotta make Rosie a Bionic Gear Bag, maybe with those purplish leftovers I have from another project, she would just love that.

So I would mention these mental notes to other friends, and thus committing in my mind that I'm going to do it....right??   WRONG.

I texted her one weekend when all these mental notes were flying around in my head and made it down on paper.    I was like.....what happened here???   How did she do that????

The text went something like this - "Let's talk bags for a minute missy..   You've asked me for a Toiletry Bag, a Chubby Charmer bad AND a Bionic Gear bag.    Guilt is weighing on me bad here...   can you pick a favorite or something? "

So I'm waiting for her response right.....   I'm waiting to be released from my guilt with something like "Oh my goodness...I was just kidding, you don't have to make me a bag...."   right?    WRONG.

She comes back with "Is the Bionic Bag the one u showed on Tues night?

.................. yes......... (as I'm hanging my guilt ridden head in my hands watching my phone)....

"I would love that one." she says.

Oh man......

So away I go to my stash and get cutting.    I want to get this thing done and OUT of my head!!!

Purplish HST's left over from another project
LITTLE purplish HST's too!


My handy Dandy Notecards for cutting

The inside structure - mirrored

Sized the piece I sewed together for the outside

Pieced together the inside

Viola!    a Purpley Bag for Rosie!
I like how the pieced outside turned out!

Little Dumpling dish in there to match
So I sneak up behind her at the next guild meeting and hand her the bag.    She squeels with delight! Gives me a hug and a kiss and I announce.....   "I love you Rosie...and I am NOW guilt free".

She proceeds to show off her bag as HER show and tell.....giggling the whole way.

While this post is dated Sept 13 - I'm actually writing it in January 2017 and back dating it.   I've been meaning to sit still for a night and post a bunch of different things that I've been doing.   I tell you this only because it is relevant to the story here.    EVERY single time I have seen Rose since.....there is that whimper, then whine, then shock, then pout about something.   Anything, you pick.    And I look at her, point my finger and tell her...  "Oh no you don't!!    I'm immune!!    You go find someone else to pick on!   I've got at least a year before that crap works on me again....".     And she smiles and laughs and crosses her arms and wanders away...      She knows I've got her number now.    bwahahahahahahaha....