Tweaked

A tweaked design, and a tweaked-out color experiment.

Creating upon creating

The neat thing I am discovering about art is that the more I do, the more creativity I seem to have. It's not like physical energy that gets depleted by exertion. Rather my passion for creating seems to grow every time I create. It's like if I were to pick one flower and two more were to spring up in its place, and then two more under each of those.
This picture was done while listening to one of my very favorite songs.

More Fabric

Here's another design with that bird...

Crispy Cajun Crickets

In my sophomore year of college, I had to give a "persuasive" speech, and I wanted to choose a topic that nobody else would pick. So I did "Why people should insects". In my research I came upon a recipe for "Crispy Cajun Crickets". I thought I had better try eating insects if I was going to talk other people into eating them, so I caught a bunch in the yard and made them and actually they weren't that bad. The spices kind of overwhelmed the cricket flavor, and after being roasted, they had a pretty nice crunch. Here's the recipe in case there's anyone out there who wants to try it, and some artwork inspired by the handout I made for that class.

Psalm 139:5

This fabric design was inspired by Psalm 139:5...

You have enclosed me behind and before and laid your hand upon me.

To heck with fusible interfacing!

I've always been obedient to sewing patterns (mostly) but this time I said, "To heck with fusible interfacing!" After making this dress, now I see why it's so important. But I had to be a naughty sewing rebel just once, to see what it was like...

Blessing

If you click on the image it will open up and show different colors.

Addicted

Since Rachel's blog introduced me to Spoonflower, I am totally addicted to designing fabrics. I want to do a new one every day. Maybe I will. I'll keep adding them as inspiration comes.

The tiling can be pretty tricky when the images are complex...but it's a fun challenge.

Art Night

Every Sunday night my husband has graciously agreed to watch our little ones and let me have an uninterrupted (sort of) art night. Sometimes I sew, sometimes I paint, sometimes I write songs, and sometimes I just goof off. Here's something I made with no other purpose than that.

The Bulb of Eternity

My brother, who is now about 36 or so, made a lamp in college. He was an industrial design major. In its original form, it was a white square with a big half-sphere sticking out the front, covered with what looks like eggs. One of the eggs at the bottom is secretly a dimmer switch that turns it on and off. He gave it to me when I was 16 or 17 and I always used it as a decoration everywhere I've lived. It looked kind of Star-Trekky. Last year I converted it into a huge flower via foam and pipecleaners for my little girl's obnoxiously lively bedroom. Okay, but listen to this. I have never ever changed the light bulb in it. This light bulb has been going for 16 years! Isn't that totally crazy?

Spoonflower

I found out about a new website called Spoonflower.com through the Mamma Made blog (a great read for sewing enthusiasts,) in which you can print your own designs on fabric. I've been pondering for about two weeks what to make. Sometimes having so much creative opportunity can be overwhelming! Today at dinner, I had the perfect idea. Many years ago I made my husband sit down and paint pictures with me one night (NOT his cup of tea), and he painted the cutest little picture of a bunch of Chinese men with those little pointy hats riding bikes through a village. It's all one dimensional, kind of like a little kid would paint. I LOVE it and he HATES it, and through the years, I always bring it up and threaten to do different things to display it (i.e., making t-shirts out of it) and he always gets so mad! So I had this great idea tonight: I will have it put on fabric and make a garment out of it! It is like the ultimate idea! So I went up to my attic to find it and oh no! Alas, I can't find it! So, sadly, I quit looking and decided to just make some kind of design. So here it is. It's no Chinese village, but it will have to do.

Smiley

Here's a romper and cap I made for some special friends of ours who are about to have a little boy. He will be growing up in the mission field in the Middle East.

Pink Shirt

Here's Heidi in a pink shirt I made for her, which was my second attempt at sewing something without a pattern, using another garment for a guide. It turned out pretty well except it seems to have too much extra material at her chest and I had originally planned the sleeves to be longer. I'll have to adjust for next time - I plan on making a bunch more of these out of some sweet old baby blankets that we aren't using anymore.

What would this sound like if it were a song?

Harrison

Here's little Harrison in the outfit I made for him.

Sucker for Ric-Rac

I am totally a sucker for ric-rac. I love the stuff. This is the first time I have ever sewed a garment where I picked material that looks almost exactly like the one on the pattern package.

The lollipop has become a necessity, in Elsie's mind, for taking photographs in dresses. I made her first dress last week and gave her a yellow lollipop when we took the photo, and this time she was like, where's the lollipop? So here it is.

Tree Swing 2

Here is the after and before of this painting. It was fun painting the dots. I think I like the style overall, but it made the sky a little too crazy. Next time I do this I will try to make the dots smaller and much subtler.

Nesting Dolls Dress

I loved this material and I had to do something with it. The pattern I chose looked incredibly easy, but the neck turned out to be highly confusing. I don't think I did it right. But she likes it and that's all that matters.

Another Baby Outfit

This one is for my friend's little boy in Georgia.

Wedding Dress

I wanted to make my own wedding dress, and I did. Mainly because my mom made her own, and I always thought that was really neat. Now I had always thought, since I was little, that she had sewed it from a tablecloth. I told people this, all my life, whenever the subject of wedding dresses came up. After my wedding we were discussing it, and it turns out that she did not make her wedding dress out of a tablecloth. Or anything abnormal. This story has no founding in truth whatsoever. Why did I think this? I could have sworn she told me! Did I dream it? Who knows! Sorry mom!