Three fried eggs

I know....I know.... I am my very own worst critic Lesley, but once I saw three fried eggs it had to be fixed...I did enlarge and vary the shapes of the main mums, varied the positions and shapes of the centers and made the bud smaller.. It's subtle but I'm hoping you can see the difference and improvement between the before and after. I continually critique what I'm working on to be aware of all the elements I talk about such as repetition, balance, direction, etc. I've pointed out the directional elements in this block and if you do it yourself often, pretty soon it becomes instinctive to move the eye around the block.... Since this block is all about love, I'm adding more hearts rather than buttons.....

Urgent changes needed!!!

Did the mums last thing before I went to bed last night and when I looked at them this morning my first thought was "OMG what was I thinking or not thinking as the case my be?"

• They are all the same size ...


• The centers are too centered...


• They look like 3 fried eggs sitting there..


• The bud is way too big.

My first urge was to tear them out and the second urge was to put the block away and work on Nicki's block... But as I look at it longer, it is salvageable by enlarging the 3 large mums which will make the bud smaller. And while enlarging I can reposition the centers... So I will try that first and if I still don't like it THEN it's back too urge one and two...I need some very dark green but waiting to dye some ribbon......

Self portrait

Several years ago I decided to make a doll in my own image for my son and here it is. I actually had a mirror on the table as I sculpted the face... Again the head is sculpted from paperclay... I love wearing red and probably have more red coats and red shoes than any normal person should have. So of course a doll in my own image had to have red shoes...

Here's a close up of the gourmet cake......not going to win any blue ribbon at the fair!!!! I'm making great headway on the Singer blocks and finished the mums tonight...

Retreat Aftermath

Of course one of the risks I take going to the retreat is seeing lots of things I JUST have to have so have been busy shopping online... First I absolutely have to have a subscription to Inspirations magazine... You can get a subscription through Amazon but it is much cheaper getting it directly from the magazine itself.... so https://countrybumpkin.com.au/subscription.php?country=223

If you've read my blog at all you know how I struggle with seams but at the retreat I was borrowing Tiger Tape from everyone and may indeed become a seam queen after all. So I ordered the regular AND the flexible for going around curves. http://www.oldmadequilts.com/tiger_tape.html

Someone recommended this site for spider charms so I ordered some and also some bird charms that look like some Pat Winter uses that I admire. http://www.alphastamps.com/collageitemsmetal3.html#crossbones

I adore alcohol inks and have the entire set of earthy colors but Leslie brought the new Light and Bright colors and I have to have them too. http://www.nonadesigns.com/alcohol.htm

Claudina Hruby guided me to a source for my favorite matte antique-gold seed beads and graciously sent me a hank... http://www.orrs.com/ The beads are not on the website but I emailed them to nail down the name etc. for when I want to order more.

Of course I wanted Cindy Brick's hanky panky quilt book... In fact I wanted 2 copies, one for myself and one for my bestest friend... That has been a big search.... Karrin H has offered to trade for one and I finally found one at ecampus.com. I thought I had one ordered from England but like all other listings they responded that they were sold out. But I have my two and am very happy.

Then I got all the books at Crafters Book Club. So finally I am down to what I think is the last order and that is white ribbon from Ribbonsmyth so I can dye my own ribbon..... But all this, with what I bought while there, will deplete all my needlework funds for the the entire next year.... But what fun I will have through the winter....and winter is eminent...It is supposed to get 22 degrees F. tonight so will be draining and coiling hoses today and winterizing outside water taps and finding the electric water heaters for stock tanks.

Doll making

Emmeline Pankhurst 1858-1928

I stopped making dolls because I had become absolutely obsessed with detail. This is one of the last dolls I made and it was inspired by Emmeline Pankhurst, a famous English suffragette. She was an activist and often chained herself to Parliment doors and to posts in front of men's club (hence the chain and padlock). Not only was she a vital force in England, she raised 2 daughters who were active in the American suffragette movement. I made this doll for myself and she is one of my very favorites. .only 18" tall More about her: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WpankhurstE.mmeline

I sculpted her head with paperclay. I loved working with paperclay and the soft look of a finished piece ..very different from the plastic look using polymer clays... I researched costumes, beaded the purse, make the shoes with silver buckles, and even collected hundreds of quotes by famous women and made the leather bound book with 6 point type. Is that obsessive or what..? This is for you Carolyn Rapstine