Thursday, June 13, 2013

Sugar Blocks and a Shirt


 I've been doing more sewing than collaging lately. I thought I would share my last three blocks for the Sugar Block Club. This sunny block is the April block.


I love this May block. It is a gorgeous pattern! I had to make the smaller blocks with the pink stripe twice because they came out too small the first time. That is so frustrating ! I'm so happy they turned out right on the second try. 

This is the June block. I had to make one of the corner blocks twice. I'm not sure why only one decided not to work. Ha! I like how I'm blaming it on the block and not the seamstress. Not my fault!

This is a knit shirt I made.

I studied fashion design and dressmaking when I was young and then didn't use the education for anything but making pillows or curtains. I feel so rusty so I've signed up for several Craftsy sewing classes. This shirt is from a Sewing With Knits class. I really enjoyed it and now I am going to learn how to fit patterns for my curvier self. I made that skinny mannequin that is wearing the purple shirt back in design school. She is my exact measurements for when I was 21. That was 30 years ago. What??? I guess you can't really see how skinny it is under that baggy shirt. I have a photo of me wearing it but the censor didn't approve it so my mannequin modeled it instead. Tee hee!



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

My Paper Family



Hi!!  I haven't been giving enough attention to my little blog lately.  I would like to be here more often but it is not working out that way.   This is the only collage I've made in a long time. It was a gift for my mom for Mother's Day.
First I glued an old map to a large book cover. I copied old school photos of my brother, sisters and me. Then I attached our heads to Claudine Hellmuth's paper dolls and dressed them with the cute clothes that come with the dolls.
I even included our old boxer, Gypsy.

  This is me from third grade. The color on our faces got a little strange when I added the decoupage medium on top. I knew that could happen but I thought it would be worse if water got on the collage and ruined it instead.  Is there a way to cover things you printed without the ink running?? 
I added some clouds and a sun made from checkered card stock. Then I made a hanger with a doubled piece of wire and colorful buttons.
It was a fun project and my mom loved it.

Claudine Hellmuth has the cutest darn things in her Etsy shop . You must check it out!