Hibernation

It's January, time for rest and quiet. I've learned to appreciate this dark winter month and utilize the slower days for projects that I don't have time for during busier seasons. These last two weeks I have also been slowed considerably by back problems. The projects I have done are what can be accomplished with little movement.


After my last quilt guild meeting I brought home two "comfort" (charity) quilts that needed binding to be completely finished. They were both pieced and machine quilted by other guild members. I enjoy the soothing hand work of attaching binding which requires no agonizing over designs and piecing techniques.

This little quilt is a log cabin pattern and is made with lovely flannel fabrics. It is just the right size for a lap quilt for someone in a wheel chair and will probably be donated to an elderly care center.

I have one more edge to complete which will take about an hour to do.

This one is a twin sized bed quilt. I sewed the pink binding onto it. It is such a simple, straight-forward pattern but the beautiful batik fabrics in the bright colors (a combination I would have never thought to use!) make it so unique and fun. Why don't I think of things like this?

The machine quilting is very pretty in turquoise colored thread. I'm wondering if the design was pre-programed in the machine because it is so perfectly executed.

The best project this week was a painting! I had the urge to do something completely different from the still lifes I was laboring over. I started this painting Monday evening using a Youtube video lesson from a Hispanic artist with an amusing way of speaking. Between his accent and his use of the word "guys" at the end of every statement, I chuckled many times. ("a little blue and a little yellow, here, guys." "just follow what I'm doing, guys" "okay, guys?" Imagine it with a spanish accent )

I worked on this every evening for two or three hours and finished by Thursday! I had a lot of fun working with the dramatic lighting. I repainted the right corner foreground numerous times until I finally had flowers that looked realistic, making them my own way and not like the teacher in the video did. I feel I also overworked the grassy path. There are things that need improvement for the next time but I learned a lot and really enjoyed the process.