So I think what happens is…

Published on 18th September 201513th October 2015 by coldfeetstudio

I go go go go go on the creative front and then

I flop.

It’s probably that my brain needs a break and shuts down for a while.

It can be dangerous when that happens as you know it will just come back with a vengeance.

The funny thing is that I never thought of myself as being creative.

Someone had to tell me.

–

I’ve had a great run on sales just this past two weeks.

It’s incredible really.

Just when you start forgetting about what to do with all the ‘stuff’ you make it kind of starts taking care of itself.

I’m very lazy on the selling part though.

I don’t list as often as I could on Etsy or my website.

I’m liking my website a lot more than Etsy, but I don’t know if anyone really goes there. I’ll have to figure out the SEO stuff.

–

Soooo

(tapping the keyboard, eyes off to the left top corner…)

My brain’s still shut down and I don’t know what else to tell ya.

Except that I’m thinking ceramics, embroidery, and more sorting and throwing away the remnants of three grown and flown kids.

I’ve also started some more paintings.

No, not the paintings I was talking about in a previous post, but my fun, piddly ones.

I’ve resigned myself to just enjoying them for what they are and stop moaning about it.

That just gets boring and I have to lay down on the sofa again.

Not cool.

And here is a chunky chain I’m working on.

And I finished a pair of earrings.

And a bracelet.

And these.

All while Spud defends her sovereignty as Queen of The Table.

Don’t mess with the Spud.

–

Let the quilting begin…

Published on 3rd April 201513th October 2015 by coldfeetstudio

I had a bit of a slow day yesterday, but finally got the half-finished quilt out.

Here’s where I had left off.

About a year ago when I got bored with it.

Even though it was practically finished.

Sometimes it goes like that.

So I finished putting the red dots on the blue doowhats and have now baste the large middle part to the backing fabric. I’ll come back for the corners once the main section is sewn on.

I’m thinking about the border as I sew and for some reason am leaning toward big red triangles, but I’ll figure that out later.

The quilt was going to be for B, but I think it’s a bit old-fashioned looking for her. I’m not even sure I like it for me either.

So that’s it.

It’s early days, but… the quilteth is backeth (I think) and not before time either.

–

I’ve been thinking quilts…

Published on 2nd April 201513th October 2015 by coldfeetstudio

I refuse to think that I’m in a funk.

I choose to believe that I need a change of scenery.

(Thank you Cecilia, By the way, did your tank come yet?)

Beginnings…

Not sure how far I’ll get with this one for now as I’ve another one half finished, but it has got my quilt juices flowing. I have to admit that I feel as though I’m betraying the jewelry, but I’m just not going to tell it yet.

–

The quilt, Kumbaya, and, ‘why’ drawings.

Published on 24th November 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

The quilt is finished!

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And the back.

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I’ve enjoyed it.

Taken my time quilting it.

Decided I didn’t like the orange half way through.

Thought it would take forever about two thirds through.

Got fed up quilting it.

Felt sad when it was all over as now I have nothing to quilt.

Decided perhaps the orange was o.k. after all.

Thought it was a silly quilt and who the hell would want it in their house.

Realized it was for a five year old, and that perhaps she would like it.

Got told (several times) by that man who lives in the house with me that it would cost a fortune to post and that he’d take it back with him when he goes back to England in January for a business trip.

Got defensive about getting my Christmas gift there on time.

Got told again.

Decided that perhaps he was right.

And finally …

Bought this for Hope’s gift instead.

il_570xN.322186483 — click photo to get your own

(Come on. How cute is that!)

She’ll still get her quilt, but as a, because gift, instead of a, Christmas gift.

We all have to pick our battles.

–

In the meantime, I’ve still been drawing my ‘why’ drawings.

But I don’t know why.

Perhaps they need to be quilts.

Perhaps not.

–

And lastly.

I’m still worried about the Philippines 🙁

I go to bed every night loving how comfortable my bed is.

I wake up, amazed that I can shower every day in hot water.

The power went out the other day due to a storm, and I appreciated how lucky I am to have electricity.

Now. Believe me when I tell you that I’m not a sappy, let’s all hold hands together and sing Kumbaya in voices just off tune enough to make you want to throw up a little, sort of person. (Although that’s o.k. if you are) (Except for the throwing up bit) (And the fact that I might just have to leave you to it and run away from you quickly bit). I’m English for heaven’s sake. A true cynic if ever there was one. But perhaps I’m just getting a little soggy in my old age.

(not really)

But I

Can’t do the suffering any more.

Can’t do the, what the hell is happening here, any more.

And.

I’m just going to have to stop listening to stuff like this.

Because, no matter how much it has always been one of my favourite songs, it’s just not good for my mental health any more.

Oh well, that’s me bummed out for the day.

So what are you up to?

–

Happening stuff

Published on 14th November 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I’ve been adding new pieces of jewelry to my Tictail shop.

I’m quite pleased with Tictail. It’s easy to use and I think it looks nice. So far not many sales so I guess I’d better get my act together and take my chicken boots off and start handing out business cards. I was going to ask to leave some at the hairdressers this morning, but accidentally, on purpose, left them at home.

No hope for me yet.

But, I did send out postcards 🙂

I think they came out pretty good.

If you need some you can get them from vistaprint

I’ve haven’t seen one in person yet, but you can put the addresses on the card along with the postage which saves a lot of fussing and post officing later.

I’ve always worried about my photographs, but think they’re definitely getting better.

Oh the burdens of being a perfectionist …

I’ve also been working on some rack cards which are longer. I’ve been thinking of leaving them in shops for wholesale, but I haven’t quite got my head around the wholesale thing yet so I keep procrastinating.

brochure

They’re pretty much the same, but I thought I could get more information on the back.

I don’t know, I might just stick with the postcards.

So that’s what I’ve been up to.

That and finishing the quilt.

I think I’ve got about 36 stitches to go then I’m done. I’ve only been quilting in the evenings, but I’ve been dragging my feet over it a little. It’s still in time for Christmas though so I consider that a success 🙂

I also was just able to send $2,000 to Care for the Philippines. So I’m pleased about that.

Oh, and I’ve also been working on my mailing list.

Like a big girl.

HERE

It’s all happening at my house 🙂

What have you been doing?

–

Good Grief

Published on 9th October 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Just when I thought I was safe.

Just when I was going to buckle down and finish Hope’s quilt.

I had to go and watch this.

(here)

Man!

Well fortunately I’m just an evening quilter so once I get the back done and sandwiched I’ll be able to get back out to the jewelry studio.

Too much to do and not enough time.

Better get started …

–

Now …

Published on 6th October 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

The top is done eth …

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And I included her (secret) name.

Because it’s always fun to find something hidden.

Especially if you’re five years old 🙂

And so today.

Make the back.

Sandwich the batting.

Find some thick orange thread.

And quilt away.

–

This is today.

Published on 2nd October 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I finished sewing the flowers on the quilt last week, but then I just had to have a jewelry moment.

Also, a housecleaning moment!

Who knew that would happen. Have to take advantage of that when I can.

I changed my studio rooms around a couple of weeks ago, and am really enjoying not being so cramped.

Of course, I’ve still managed to fill every square inch of space.

I do try, every so often, to clean up a bit though.

See.

I found some old clay pieces.

I particularly like this out of shape, cellulite-y, lumpy woman.

Makes me feel normal.

And I leave you today with

True Love.

🙂

P.S. Off to tackle the quilt border this afternoon.

Happy Wednesday.

–

Let the cheating begin.

Published on 23rd September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

A trip to Joannes to buy thread.

Yes, I have a billion spools of thread, but of course, none the right colour.

And then, a date with the sewing machine.

Two flowers down.

Five to go.

See you on the other side.

–

The top is done eth …

Published on 23rd September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Well it’s all in place except for one or two final touches which I will do later.

Also it’s without its border, but, apart from that, the top is definitely, almost, just has to be sewn together, done eth.

Be sure to shield your eyes.

It’s blinding!

So, with sunglasses on, I peeled all the paper from the back of the Wonder Under and ironed the pieces in place. I then also pinned the ironed pieces to the backing fabric as I’ve found from previous experience that the Wonder Under isn’t that stickable under heavy use.

Usually I’m making blocks, one at a time, and the Wonder Under is fine, but I know that this quilt is all over the place with no particular rhyme nor reason, so I decided to pin the pieces also as a double back up plan. As and when I get around to sew each flower, I’ll take the pins out and re iron . Once that particular flower is completed I’ll move on to the next one.

Or so the plan goes.

I quickly remembered (once I began to sew) that I’d forgotten how painful those tiny white headed pins can be when you try to maneuver the fabric through the sewing machine, so, amidst pain and blood, I had to have a quick rethink.

I decided to baste the flowers to the backing fabric and remove all those pesky pins.

Now I’m ready to begin to sew.

Tomorrow …

–

And what exactly happened here?

Published on 21st September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

You went into the quilt shop for white background fabric, and?

So you’re trying to tell me that tangerine is the new white?

O.K.

I’ll buy that.

–

Amazingly tidy quilt table.

Look at it now, because it won’t last long.

–

First cup of tea.

(Actually my third. I’d already had two before I even made it to the quilt room).

Then I continued to make flowers and arrange them on the new white background.

I think it’s getting there, but the orange certainly surprised me.

So I had to have another cup of tea.

And I’m still not sure.

So I walked away for the day and went into the studio instead.

And made a bracelet.

I also found a (very) old photograph of me when I was at art school.

Could I look more grubby?

That jacket cost me 50p at the Help the Aged shop in Winchester. It was an old dustman’s jacket. My sister wouldn’t walk next to me when I wore it.

I have no idea why.

–

The line up – revealed.

Published on 18th September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

But first.

Today’s cup of tea.

Well, one of them. I’m usually a four cup a day girl.

So,

Here are the five great, Hope’s Quilt, bonanza flowers that have made the final cut.

Except maybe this green one.

Which might need a little something more.

See, compared to the others, it’s a little too green.

Then I got a little distressed with the state of the fabric stash. Because it was everywhere. So I took a break to clean up a bit.

I know, shocking.

Then I had to hide away in the studio because the a/c man was coming, and so I made a few pairs of earrings instead while P dealt with the man.

But not to fear.

Tomorrow I will be back on task.

–

So if you promise not to tell anyone …

Published on 17th September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I cheat when it comes to making my quilts.

BUT,

Really, what’s cheating anyway? It’s not like I’m taking an exam or anything.

My problem is, I’ve too many quilt designs inside of me, and not enough years in my life to get them all out.

I’ve made loads the conventional way, and now I just need to move on.

So, saying that, here’s day two of the great,

Hope’s Quilt Bonanza.

Tricks an’ all.

If you want to have a go, you’re welcome to take my drawings, or draw your own. You can either do it the cheat way, or the conventional way. Whatever’s good for you.

(E you should make one for Zara. You know you want to … )

–

First, get your cup of tea.

This cup would be perfect, but I don’t have one 🙁

So I’ll just have to resort to using old faithful.

Don’t leave your cup on your cutting board for too long, if at all, as the heat from the tea will warp it.

–

Here are some of the fabrics that I’ve chosen.

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Washed and ironed.

And, this is where the cheating begins …

Get out some Wonder Under, or something similar, just so long as the fusible web stuff is thin and has paper on one side.

Draw out each shape of your design onto the paper side of the wonder under. This will make a reverse of your original design, so you’ll have to compensate for that if you don’t want this.

Make sure you leave the shapes longer for those parts of the design that fit under other parts.

And,

Iron the shapes onto their chosen fabric.

And cut them out.

Then reassemble the pieces of your design to check out if you like it.

No peeling away of the paper backing today 🙁

I did buy one brand of paper back adhesive web stuff once that you could peel the paper from almost immediately, but the brand I have now has to cool completely.

I usually get too impatient and try to pull it off anyway, but the fusible web bit doesn’t want to stick to the fabric and keeps coming away and bunching up. This time I’m just giving in and waiting a whole night for it to do its magic.

It’s the only sensible thing to do.

So in the meantime, I continue to cut and pin together shapes to see how they’re working for me.

I keep thinking to myself that for this quilt I’ll just cut everything out first, but I know I won’t be able to stop myself from stitching them as I go along.

It’s all way too exciting.

Although I’m not sure how I want to handle attaching the shapes to the background fabric yet.

That will have to wait for now.

What can’t wait, however, is the fact that these flowers need more red friends as the blue and yellow ones are getting a little carried away with themselves.

I’m not a hundred percent on the background fabric yet. I did buy some off whites, but they’re not quite doing it for me. You can just see that little bit in the corner.

I’m thinking I might just need to break down and get white.

But that’s it for today.

Only three done. Five hundred and sixty-three to go …

–

Now we get to the part of the programme called, Tell me again. How exactly do you work like that?

Published on 16th September 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

(Or, Don’t worry E, I’ve started it now).

–

Since May I had decided to make Hope, my 5-year-old niece, a quilt, and, although I had started doodling ideas I never really got any further with it.

Well, as E pointed out, it needs to seriously get started if it’s going to get to Hope by Christmas.

How is it that all of a sudden it’s September already?

Man! Surely it was just April?

So, here we are now. A little on from doodling.

But not that much …

So, this is how my mind works. You’ve only seen the half of it, but it’s like a doodle showdown until I get all doodled out and simply can’t doodle any more.

O.K. so I can always doodle more, but you get my drift.

Then, everything else gets put on hold.

It doesn’t matter what was on the table before, now it’s swept to the floor to make room for the new project. It’s all very exciting, but in the back of my mind I’m a tad annoyed that the floor is a mess – again.

Oh well,

Best to ignore it really.

So,

forget the mess and carry on is all I can say.

This is how you should proceed if you ever encounter the same dilemma.

I taped together 12″ x 12″ newspaper print squares to replicate the grid in my latest quilt doodle.

Because I really am a hands on visual doer kind of person.

And then I re-sketched my pattern to the larger scale.

I prefer to use my thicker graphite pencils here.

Of course it’s vital to have a cup of tea before, during, and after you embark on this kind of creative venture.

And so the drawing grows.

As I recount the happenings of the day, and the amount of work that lays before me, I wonder.

Will Hope ever receive a quilt at all?

For Christmas, or, at any time?

We will have to see.

–

Everything going at once.

Published on 25th August 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

New quilt design for Hope.

My 5 year old niece.

It’s getting there.

–

Paintings.

Could they be more different from each other?

–

Jewelry.

Charms.

All of which created in a complete mess.

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But I fixed it.

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Now it’s boring.

Fortunately it won’t take me a nano second to get it back to normal.

–

Moving Becky into her new, horrible, gruesomely tiny, but she likes it, apartment in Austin.

It does have a canary yellow door so how bad can it be?

And,

Working on my website.

website

Didn’t need this in the end. Too much effort.

It isn’t up yet but I hope to launch it by the end of this century.

On top of that.

I made some art cards.

Did some doodles.

Drank a lot of tea.

AND

Discovered a jewelry injury in the shape of a question mark on my hand.

Weird, right?

My passing message to you.

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Happy Sunday.

–

I’ve been away.

Published on 22nd July 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

And it’s been great.

Refreshed, revamped, and re everything else that I can’t think of right now.

O.K. perhaps not exactly revamped, but I’m working on it. I’ve been thinking of going caveman again, except this time with a tiny amendment.

Only a tiny one though.

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Otherwise everything goes to pot and I’m not a happy camper.

Except I can’t start thinking about healthy eating until my sister goes home, because it’s fun to eat bad stuff with company, and today is P’s birthday and champagne and pizza just don’t go well with paleo.

–

Soooooooo,

My dad’s been here. He’s gone now which is a bit of a shame. My sister’s still here, she’s with us for a couple more days, and we just got back from Rockport, TX, which is not my favourite place in the world, (sorry Rockport), but it was quiet, it was cooler than Houston (by like a degree, but who’s complaining), and most important, it was completely relaxing.

Except for the swooping pterodactyls.

which were a bit freaky.

And don’t think those sweet little seagulls are as innocent as they look.

We threw some bread at them one afternoon and it was like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

We were lucky to escape with out lives.

seagull-flock-jj

NEVER look them in the eye.

I’ve not been in the studio since my family has been here so I’ve been quilting a piece that I’ve had hanging around for years, and aside from sweating to death under a heavy blanket in 90 degree weather, I’ve really enjoyed it. Except now I have a quilting injury, which might not look so bad to the uninitiated, but when you poke the eye end of a rather large sewing needle into the middle finger of your right hand, it really, really hurts and you get blood all over the quilt and you’ll probably end up getting a poison puss pocket on the end of your finger if you’re not careful and clean it properly (guilty) and so you have to screw your eyes up in pain and get really irritated that you’ve only got a scrappy old thimble that doesn’t work and that the shops are shut because it 9 o’clock at night so you can’t go out to buy a new one and now you have to soldier through the pain because you don’t want to stop quilting.

Why is my life so hard!

Anyway it’s almost finished it now and soon I can get back to the jewelry injuries which are far more impressive and tend to get a little more attention from the fam.

And I’m all for attention …

Happy Monday.

🙂

–

Sick and Sorrowful.

Published on 18th June 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

This is what happens when you’re sick.

But, because you still want to play you gouge yourself with one of these.

Things then go from bad to worse until you give it up and go lay down on the sofa to feel super sorry for yourself yet thankful you haven’t cut your fingers off completely.

After a week of putting up with the coughing and aching and nose blowing I eventually braved all the sick people at the doctor’s office and got myself some antibiotics. You know you can get really sick waiting in that waiting room.

Here are some things I attempted to work on in the meantime.

You know, all I can say about the painting is that I really enjoy it.

There’s nothing more redeeming in it than that. My hopes of becoming a good painter are fading fast and I’ll just have to give up hoping to become brilliant at it for Lent.

Oh. That’s passed hasn’t it? So O.K. next Lent.

And here is Spencer protecting the quilt table.

Just when I decide the quilt is back on I find the room filled with kids back home from college stuff. Including a queen sized mattress belonging to the kid that quit her job and decided to come home.

Man. Will I ever get rid of them!

So, mattress picked up and leant against the wall I buckle down to picking up my quilt from where I left off, but Spencer has other plans.

It’s one obstacle after another in this house.

Good job I love him.

–

So I’ve been sick and very homesick. Fairly depressed really. But deep down I know that if I just stopped thinking about what I don’t have I would be able to see what I do have, and start living my life here as if it were my home.

After all it has been twenty-four years now.

Maybe I should stamp this on my forehead.

–

Oh, I made $500 this week for Africa 🙂 Now, that puts feeling sorry for myself into some perspective.

Happy Tuesday.

–

That boy did a fine job …

Published on 28th February 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

The Union Jack pattern has arrived!

victory-garden — Click image to go to pattern

I haven’t forgotten about the quilt I was working on before Christmas – or the five hundred and sixty three others that are waiting patiently for me to finish.

If you remember, this is where I left it. On the floor, alone, wondering when I would return … if I would return …

But now the Union Jack is here.

Will there be war between the two quilts? Somehow I think the Empire might well win …

–

Talking of the Empire, (for which I have regret and apologize profusely),

on to the movie.

It was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. To be honest though I didn’t know what I expected. I think the hype got the better of it for me.

That said, someone please explain to me why that boy didn’t even get a nomination for his role?

He was brilliant in my opinion, and not bad to look at either, but I wont say that as that would make me want to be 19 again and I just couldn’t go through all that teenage angst again. Once was more than enough for me thank you very much.

I loved the book. One of my favourites. I found it shocking and heart wrenching, and thought-provoking – and, I love to think and be shocked, it makes you sit up and take notice in a, more often than not, mundane existence.

I read it a long time ago and had forgotten about the violence. I hate watching all that lion chasing gazelle David Attenborough stuff and get upset when it comes on the t.v. so the parts in the movie that touched upon that almost made me regret watching it. I had to look away a few times, but I got over it, and am pleased that I did.

I seem to have a love affair with all things Indian. I think it began with, A Passage to India, and continued from there. For some reason, everything I have ever watched or read that is Indian in nature touches me. For me there is something magical about their culture, their myths, their art. Perhaps it’s their spirituality, what ever it is I somehow have always felt a connection.

Who knows, perhaps I was Indian in another life.

So, if you were to ask my opinion, I would probably say the movie was certainly good, but read the book if you only have one option.

Although that boy did a fine job …

–

Just when is one more too many?

Published on 19th February 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Tired and fed up and a little low this morning.

Want to stay in bed.

Like Wally.

It’s not cold. The time for fires and quilts is over for us now.

But I still have one of mine on the bed.

Well, on my side of the bed. P doesn’t seem to have the same appreciation for these things as I do.

Saw this quilt in the Sundance Catalogue for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

So I made my own.

It’s a little old granny-ish, but it’s one of my favourites.

Actually, don’t tell P, but I have another quilt under this one also.

It’s a Drunkard’s Path.

This is probably why I’m feeling low.

Too many darn blankets holding me down.

I was searching for a link for the Drunkard’s Path pattern, when I came across this.

So (for heaven’s sake) now I’ve got to make one.

Like I haven’t enough U.F.O’s (unfinished object) on my plate.

S’pose I should get out of bed and get going then …

–

Just some doodles today.

Published on 8th February 201313th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

bird1

This one cracks me up. He looks so frightened.

–

I made this one into a rubber stamp. He also looks a little worried.

He’s friends with the banner bird in my title.

It’s safe to say, we have overload again. So much fun to make all of these things, and so little time to get them all out.

Oh, the bitter-sweet joy of it all.

(I feel a melodramatic moment coming on).

So, what to do today?

I want to plant herbs.

I want to make jewelry.

I want to finish glazing my pots.

AND

I feel a, let’s get on with finishing this quilt then shall we, coming on.

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This is where I left off just after Christmas.

Due to my MIL visiting.

I took it off the boil and never got back to it.

–

And, just because I think you need one, here’s a cheerful little Triffid doing the happy dance.

Happy Friday.

–

Well gosh.

Published on 29th December 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Now I think I need one.

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–

In other news …

The quilt is back on.

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The corners are all but done. I decided to add a little red to the prongy bits, and the background is complete. Still not sure if the whole thing is drab, and, have to admit I felt a little disappointed with it yesterday when I laid it out on the floor, but I’m going to work on filling in the background a little more and see if that brings it back.

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But, now it’s back off again.

My MIL is arriving today from London and will be staying with us for two weeks. I’ll find it really hard to shut myself away in the quilt room while she’s here, because, once I’m gone, I’m gone. My quilt room, and studio come to that, are like black holes. Not the bad kind that sucks everything up and disappears it, but more the kind that stops time completely and allows you to immerse yourself in lovely stuff and not remember that there’s a whole life out there waiting for you to be responsible in some cooking, cleaning, boring way.

But, I will survive. I have a few back up plans which I’ll show you later. For now, however, I’m going to make her bed up fresh, find some books she might like to read, buy a little pot plant and box of tissues, (you know, those nice little square boxes with pretty patterns on them), to place on her nightstand. The boy tends to not want flowers in his room, and as he’s always the one to have to vacate when relatives come, the room needed a little de-boyifying, and, as we’re on it, re painting as he’d royally messed up one of his walls. Don’t ask but it involved white paint on dark blue and just wasn’t in keeping with the whole look I was going for. What can I say, he’s 19, he’ll be gone soon, and, there’s nothing wrong with self expression so long as you keep it in your room I say – except when visitors come

–

I told Siri that my MIL was coming.

Me: My MIL is coming.

Siri: I don’t know who your MIL is. In fact I don’t know who you are. But you can tell me …

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I can see we’re going to need to have a sirious sit down. She should know this stuff …

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No pressies for us … or, why don’t you put the reindeer outside already …

Published on 5th December 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

No time to write today.

Probably a good thing, yes?

So instead.

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Yes, I really do work like this. Once a project’s on, it’s on.

See those reindeer? They’ve been waiting to be taken to the garden to cheer on Santa to our house, but, every time I walk into the room I get distracted, then forget. Probably no pressies for us this year.

Like I said, once a project’s on …

Tell me.

Does anyone else work like this?

Or is it just me?

There is a little bit of clean shelf.

See it?

So, the middle is done, now onto the corners.

I’ve always loved how order comes from chaos but I think my chaos needs a bit of a pick up today.

Probably wont happen, but, there’s always hope.

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It took me a while, but,

Published on 28th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I finally decided where to send my money.

I sold a bracelet at the beginning of the week and it geed me up to make a decision. It was beginning to niggle me. I know my money doesn’t make that much of a difference, but, I was beginning to feel bad about all the people with no food, living in horrible conditions, and, with me just taking my time.

I usually try to send the money I make to programmes that help people sustain themselves, but, as I was browsing around I came across this picture.

L_OrphanCare_116256 — Save the Children – orphan care.
Click photo to go to site.

I’m not going to say anymore except that this is where the money I made selling my jewelry went to this month.

Look at him.

O.K. don’t, because I might have to cry now…

So, thank you to everyone who bought a piece of jewelry from me, either at the art festival or through Etsy. I really appreciate it.

$9,000 now. Only one more thousand to reach my Wanna Do. Guess then I’ll have to change my goal.

Onwards and upwards people 🙂

And, in case you thought I wasn’t paying attention, no,

I didn’t forget the quilt 😉

One day I might try to sell these as well.

What do you think?

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Don’t forget to warm your cockles …

Published on 27th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I know you’ve been worried about the progression of the quilt, so here’s an update.

I take these photographs after each session because sometimes it’s clearer to see what needs to be changed by looking at them. I find this is the same for painting also. Sometimes when a portrait, for instance, is off, and, you just can’t see what’s wrong with it, a photograph will point out the problem straight away. It gives you some distance. Removes you somewhat from the process.

I can also walk away from it and look at the photographs later. Creep up on it when it’s not expecting it. Catch the quilt off guard. Makes it easier to figure out a problem without the guilt of looking it straight in the face.

Quilts have feelings too you know.

So, it looks like it’s going to be a dark, moody, day. I hope so anyway. A good day to lock myself away in the quilt room and play around some more. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with the middle, but, I think I’m getting there.

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N and I made a good beef bourguignon last night.

I woke up knowing that’s what I wanted to eat. Always a relief to get that little problem out of the way. We ate it over little fingerling potatoes with french beans. I love these little beans the most. You wont go back to the dark side once you’ve eaten them. Same with petit pois, regular old peas just wont be the same after you’ve tried the small ones.

So …

If it’s dark and wintery where you are and you’ve got a nice fire in the grate going on and wooly socks on your feet, give this recipe a try and let me know if it doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart. Only don’t tell me about the dark wintery bit with the fire and wooly socks because I live in Houston, remember, and although it’s definitely a shade darker than normal out there, I’d have to strip down to have the fire going.

Bummer.

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Modigliani, James Bond, and, giant apes.

Published on 25th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Modigliani is one of my favourite artists.

I have quite a lot of favourite artists, but, his work gets me every time.

I have a huge poster of one of his paintings in my quilt room, and, now this is my phone wallpaper.

Makes me want to use my phone all of the time.

Do I have enough minutes?

Man, I need to check.

Did you know that his, I don’t think she was his wife, threw herself out of the window after his death. She was nine months pregnant.

You should watch the movie.

It’s full of bits like that.

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It was nice to have B back for Thanksgiving, she seems to have recovered nicely from her accident.

She’ll drive back to Austin today in our nice BIG land cruiser which, hopefully, will come back to us in one piece as she waits to get herself a new car.

But, before that.

Bond, James Bond is calling us.

I have to wait until a movie’s been out for a few weeks before I go as I can’t stand the idea that if I don’t get there early enough I might have to sit too close to the screen. Remember the days when that was the thing? The closer the better. The last time I had to sit way in the front was when we went to see Congo (I know, don’t ask), and, aside from the neck ache, the Indian meal we had eaten prior to the movies just didn’t seem to sit well, what with the huge decapitated head rolling towards me and almost landing in my lap. It was touch and go, I’ll tell you. I kept having to check out the distance to the nearest restroom – just in case.

No, it’s the back of the cinema for me thank you very much.

Also, one of the many benefits of waiting to see a movie is that the likely hood of sitting right next to the woman chomping down on her mountain of popcorn is reduced to one in ten thousand.

King George was already having trouble with his speech. I could hardly stand it.

And, don’t get me going on germs.

Have these people not seen Outbreak?

Ebola is the last thing I need before Christmas!

So, B’s off later this afternoon. James will hopefully save the world – again. And, as for me, it’s back to the quilt.

Much safer considering.

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Shake it off already.

Published on 18th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I’ve got 563 books to read and I’m stuck on the, House of Sand and Fog.

Every time I pick it up I enjoy it, but, I just don’t think to pick it up. I want to know what happens to the people – although the girl’s a bit annoying if you ask me. I want to watch the movie, which I wont let myself do until I’ve finished the book. And, more importantly, I’ve got loads and loads of murder mysteries just sitting there waiting to feed my need to brutally murder someone.

Actually, that’s not strictly true, but, I do often wonder why I like to read them so much. Maybe it’s my need for justice. Let’s hope so anyway. Bottom line, we might never know …

So I’ve been reading this one book for months and months now and it’s beginning to annoy me. It’s like a sore tooth, niggling away at me. I can’t abandon it though as it will forever haunt me.

My task for this coming week.

Finish the darn book why don’t you!

I woke up today thinking about an old friend. Someone I met in high school and who is godmother to two of my children. We lost touch a very long time ago. I came to live in America and she is still (I’m thinking) back in England. I wanted the internet to help me find her. It can find other things, why not her. Darn Internet.

You know in England, when people write letters, well my people anyway, they don’t put their address on the envelope, or on the top of the letter. I suppose they just think you will always know where they live, even if you haven’t heard from them for years and have forgotten their address.

I feel as though I’m losing my life.

I can’t find my friends. My eldest child is grown up and gone. Spencer One Eye is getting really, really, old. I’m getting old. And those old peeps who live in my family and who are parents and uncles and aunts and those kind of things are just up and dying, or going into those horrible old people homes to live out their days eating mushed food, surrounded by other old people, wondering what the h#@^ happened.

And, to top it all off, I’m worried about who ends up with the d^#* fog house.

And, all Spencer’s worried about is getting me to stop writing this drivel.

Maybe he’s got a point.

So, mooovin’ on –

here’s a quilt update.

And, surprisingly,

I’m thinking green.

Not any old green.

Lime green. (Don’t worry I’m probably just channeling my psychotic side – again).

But, I don’t want to give it a Christmassy feel so I’m going to hold out on that thought.

O.K.

Time to shake it off and rock the world.

Get up, get out, and, get going.

There are people out there losing their foggy houses people ..

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The cat and the quilt.

Published on 17th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

The beginning of the middle.

I’m still a bit worried that it will be dull but there’s a long way to go yet.

Of course Wally is here.

Keeping an eye on things.

He takes no prisoners.

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Next up.

Published on 14th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

Cut out all of the pieces for the four corners, just so you don’t have to freak out later when you discover you’ve run out of a particular fabric and the store hasn’t got any more and you spend fruitless hours on-line looking for someone, somewhere, who can help you, all the while knowing that you are going to have to rework the quilt altogether because you made a big, fat, mistake …

It happens.

Now you can go on to perfecting the middle design knowing you can change it up a bit if you haven’t got enough of one fabric as long as the center coordinates with the corners.

That’s if Wally lets you at the fabric.

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Out with the old and in with the new.

Published on 13th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

It turns out, if you have to drop your mac, make sure it doesn’t fall on its hinge else it severs your wi fi connection, or, on its front left hand side as, apparently, that’s where the hard drive is. I know this because B spilled a whole can of coke on her one last year and she was barely able to retrieve all of her class work from it.

Fortunately, as most of it spilled on the right hand side, we were able to copy her hard drive and she was able to graduate, but, the whole thing could have gone terribly wrong. Don’t let this happen to you. Always drop to the front right.

That said, mine dropped to the back left, which is no good, whatsoever, for the airport card, which is located in the middle hinge area, (according to the nice apple lady), and which, as a consequence, eventually died a slow, drawn-out, death from its wounds. And, as the ethernet socket was completely smooshed also, it was goodbye internet and all you have to offer.

The I pad, bless its heart, was o.k. but, for me, not so good. No offense I pad, you did your best under the circumstances, but, you wouldn’t let me center my paragraphs and I just couldn’t cope with not having control over my blog layout.

I haven’t quite laid my old laptop to rest as it has loads and loads of, I don’t know why I even kept it all, stuff on it. Mostly I saved things I never once looked at again and it became more and more stuffed with stuff. I’ve slowly come to realise that I am an internet hoarder. But. No more! I am cured of all that and have vowed never to stuff this, my new laptop, with stuff. That meant getting rid of 6000 e mails. Yes, 6000! Every day I said, today’s the day I will sort through my e mails, but they just kept coming.

It was a nightmare.

Now they are gone and I feel remarkably relieved.

So to celebrate I bring to you the beginning process of B’s quilt.

First you work on the pattern. Figuring out the size, etc.,

Then you draw it out full scale.

(Well, I do anyway).

And, then you continue to cut out the templates.

At this point you realize, (although really you suspected from the beginning), that there is a lot of background showing and that threatens to bring the whole quilt down. So, you decide that perhaps the background would look better broken up a bit.

But, you’re still not sure.

Then you practice fiddling around with all the other fabrics you have.

(Of course, Wally has to be there every step of the way).

And although you really like the fabrics, are they too dull? Is the background too dark? Will everything look blah? Am I wasting my time?

Here it is, well, one corner of it, but it is instagrammed, (don’t ask me why except I’m still a little fascinated by it), so the colours are a bit off, but you can still get a good idea of the block, if not the colours.

And, despite all the worries, I think I’m liking it.

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Getting there

Published on 9th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I think.

This is a little more traditional that I was thinking. Sometimes I really just want to make things out of the box, but,

I don’t know.

What do you think K?

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I’ll be back ….

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Every so often

Published on 8th November 201213th October 2015 by coldfeetstudioblog

I get the quilting bug.

Hence the trip to the quilt festival at the weekend.

I finished N’s quilt quite a long time ago now, but, because of the jewelry making, painting, etc., I’ve not felt as though I’ve had enough time for quilt making for some time.

But it’s always there, in the back of my mind.