Skelly #2 done!

Once done with all that beading I needed to decide how to mount the piece on a backing, 

so after staring at it for a day or two, decided on an oval. 

Cardboard boxes are endlessly accommodating!

I also decided to add some quick embroidery to the seams

The CQ around the edges looked really empty.

So I slapped on some simple seams in plain black size 8 DMC just enough to be there but not enough to distract from the rest

With all the busy, busy of about a bazillion black charlotte's  and all the flowers, how could you tell? 

Idunno, I just could.

I also needed to place the sre flowers and beads

I had fun with this part

All of the silk ribbon flowers are put on individually  

each one is made on single 1" bits of  light non-woven interfacing (NWI) 

I do this by placing a lager piece of NWI in a small hoop, tacking down a 1" square and sewing the individual silk ribbon flower to that 

This makes it easier for me to handle than each individual 1"sq piece free hand

You can then cut them out of the hoop and cut away or fold  the edges under and sew them down more precisely.

Here are both my Skellies together for the first time!

I will probably have this one framed eventually also

But I think she came out well.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

Skelly #2 more progress

Almost There

 

I'm Theeisss close!

It might look like progress!

          

Start the music!

You know the one I mean,

the one that starts with the brass section and the drums

At 4 or so beads at a time this is going to take a while

So I'm allowed to have a sense of humor about it

Anyway I had an epiphany of sorts, while in mega circular hell

That if I didn't want to work on this thing 

because sewing one large concentric circle 

is boring as fuck. 

Not only is it boring to work on

It's boring to look at

 So................You know

Maybe, don't do that?

So here I am not doing that

Because what could be less boring than one LARGE concentric circle?

A zillion smaller ones!

Ok so maybe not a Zillion

There are like 30, 

Yes I counted. 

I'm already counting beads 4 at a time, so why not?

I'ts not going to make me any crazier..................Right?

And what do you know!

Not boring any more!

Skelly 2

When You start a project with no clear idea of what you are going to do with it 

You tend to go back to it and wonder "What was I thinking?"

I started Skellie 2 over a year ago and got the sudden urge to work on it again.

So I set up a frame, found the parts, discovered I need more beads for it, Again.

Really looked at it 

aaand ripped a bunch of it out.

I decided to put in an actual zipper with teeth so accommodations must be made.

So now I have a plan.........

A plannie plan, to plan, a plan, planingly....

OK

I've got nothing

But I'm making progress!

Sidetracked

 Just a little bit.

OK, a lot.

 

But in my defense it has been a busy few months, 

 

with doctors appointments for the whole family to coordinate, 

 

 

yardwork to avoid, Ahem, do.

 

and then t

here is this pesky new hobby

 

 

I seem to have picked up and obsessed over for the past month

 

Like I need another one.

 

I must admit making tiny furniture for a dollhouse, 

 

I probably will never get around to making, has been curiously satisfying. 

It's also excellent avoidance material, 

turn on the music 

 or your favorite audio book,  

Try to find some semblance of peace While your government is 

trying to burn down the world around our ears

ignore the chaos that is created by men of no conscience

 

and create.

 

Who's hiding?

 

 Isn't that what I originally started crazy quilting for? 

hmmmm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know how you start a project,

 

then you start another project and the first project never seems to get done?

 

 

 

 

 

Then suddenly you 10 projects scattered around the house.

And just as suddenly they are all done?

I'm not there yet, 

 

to the done point, that is.

If it weren't for the whiskers I would not have seen her this morning!

but I will be

If only Molly would stop poning my chair.......

 

A new blue project

Ive started a new project

Because why not

Its not like I have 3 dozen other projects to work on

Or do I?

Yes, this is the creatives paradox

Are you a creative who needs to finish what you started before going on to the next project or are you like me and try to do  everything all at once?

Because I have so many ideas, I feel I have to draw it, write it down, or start it before they float away

Can you tell what This one is about?

This Fellow has an opinion I'll tell you!

At first his jacket was not quite right

so I had to add more color

Then his waist coat was not quite right

His ears were not big enough

And I fluffed his tail too much!

What a fussy rabbit!

This fellow was much better behaved

Though he is a bit messy

There is progress over here also

But I need more charlotts!

Kitten says it's time to relax

Doesn't she look regal!

Molly concurs, it's relaxing time

Today It's too hot to do more

A new Skellie

I started another Skellie last year

If you thought couching was dull,

Wait till you try stumpwork!

For those who don't know

Stumpwork is the fine art of wrapping floss around a base.

The base in question here is differing thicknesses of thread

I have a plan

Beads are now involved

And I chose a size 11 faceted seed beads

because I'm insane

This is going to take a vEry long time

Skelly is done!

 When I finish a project like this its always a relief.

after months of slogging through the design phase,
the picking and choosing phase,
the initial sewing and blocking phase, the "oh my god, I'm stuck!" phase,

the going in another direction phase, followed by more design, picking and choosing, sewing and blocking....


more "oh my god, I'm stuck!"
then the final inspiration, that gets you unstuck and across the finish line .

 phew!

by that time you are either sick to death of the final piece,

 or it has grown on you,
like moss.





it's a part of you now. Indelible.



I always have trouble with the next phase.



the taking pictures phase.




how many do you take?





at what angle?

close ups?










how close up?




 Indoors or out?




how much detail?



 Natural light or flash?




do I examine every part of the piece?






 Do I go through every little nuance







how throughly?



in the end I take a lot of pictures.


 I don't usually show them all at once like this





I pick the best ones and showcase them

I try not to go overboard

but sometimes it's nice to see a persons process in these things.

it helps us make our own Phases easier to deal with.


More comprehensible.



you can see the progress here, here and here