Marsbarn Designs...

To Do, To Be Done, Doing, Done

It has been a busy week (and yes, there are non-busy 
ones.  The must exist, like baby pigeons.  They are out
there, we just don't see them.).  This past week was
one that was full of little things, errands, tasks, projects
that all add up to exhaustion at the end of ones day.

It was also one of those weeks where I didn't make lists.
The end of the day would leave me exhausted, and
wondering why.  What did I do?  Surely I Did something.
Why did I not sit down and write a list? Then, I could
have had the deep satisfaction of gazing contentedly at
crossed off items.  Those hard black lines through carefully
curated items written on thriftily gathered used envelopes
and third grade homework sheets give such a sense of
satisfaction.  But no, I did not. 

And now, at the end of the week, I feel that I've shorted
myself. Still, things got done, and the holiday weekend
is almost here where all of those tasks should shine.
Right?

Painting on cotton

In between sewing and general life, I've been playing
with something a bit new to me.  Well, that kind of "new"
that comes from things you have on hand and inspiration
from Quilting Arts Magazine. 

This was made using the water based resist I've used
with silk scarves, but this painting is on cotton which 
makes the finished work more versatile. Quilt panels
anyone? 

Working on cotton, the resist takes a little differently.
It spreads a little less, but the biggest difference is that
when the resist dries all the way, it becomes invisible.
With silk, you can see the resist, even days later, but 
with cotton you have to add your color while the resist
is still a bit tacky so you can see your lines. (This was
learned the hard way.It was like doing one of those
"magic" paintings you do as a child.  "Oh, look! It's a house!")

Instead of using liquid dye, I've used a watered down 
fabric paint.  This gives the finished work a watercolor
look, and the fabric keeps a soft hand. I had a lot of
fun blending the colors.  There's a lot more control with
the fabric paint versus dye.

So much to play with, so many possibilities.

Summer workshops

I can't wait for school to get out so art can take a bigger place in  our daily lives.  As usual, it has taken me longer than I'd hoped, but my June Summer Workshops are finally put together.

As usual, click to bring the image to a readable size.

The Gods of Snot are never appeased.

I've been doodling, and being sick.
The gods of snot should be quite pleased with my
offerings in the past week... but of course those gods
would be the live sacrifice, and we're still not happy
kinds.  I'm not sure mucus gods could every really
be pleased. 

The rest of the family decided to become worshipers
on Saturday, which meant Mother's Day weekend had 
a lot more laying around and nose blowing than is
normally good.  The Big Guy pulled himself out of
his sickbed to make me coffee in bed and I was given
some wonderful cards.  The upside to all of this is
that when I get my raincheck Mother's Day (the one
where my family is not devoring kleenex), I will have
coffee in bed AGAIN.  That will mean three times this
year, which is triple the times of last year. Yay, me!

I am back on my feet, which means that I spent the
weekend painting the back porch.  With every brush
stroke I was casting a spell, "This will be a nice place,
and not storage."  We'll see how this goes.  Anyhoo,
back to the painting. 

how projects grow, and become long term WIPs

I've restarted work on a long-in-process quilt.
It's an evolutional sort of project, nothing has been
clear, simple, or direct. 

This quilt has been such a slow moving project
that I think it's been in the background for as long as
Little e can remember. Sweet G looked at it and said,
"Oh, that again." But, I have to say that this weekend
I made more headway than I've ever managed before. 
... and then I thought.. oh, if I move this bit over there,
I could make it a much bigger quilt.  Or not.  Hmmm. 
That intersection between Getting It Done, and Getting
It Right is a hard one to get through. 

April into May. Projects finished, projects planned.

Here we are, at the end of April...
My big Gen Con order is done and gone. (Exhale.)
I've started working on a quilt which feels good.
This quilt is a legendary WIP, so that makes progress
feel twice as juicy. 

I'm starting a new project with Little e's class, another
quilt, but this one is driven by the kids and I am just
the fascilitator.   I'm toying with the idea of having
a potluck/work party of Mom's to come and help with
the assembly.

 We can see the end of the school year coming up on us
like a stateline on a road trip.  It's been a good year,
full of lessons and progress.  The quilting project with
Little e's class will be a teacher gift.  I'd like to do 
a similar project for Sweet G's block teacher, but I'm
not sure if it will happen or not.

Summer.  There's a thought for the brain to mull over.
Summer workshops, summer trips, summer plans.
So many possibilities.  

A gift for my elephant loving girl

For Little e's birthday, I made her a little messenger

with a decidedly Little e flair.

Sew much

I've been sewing like a mad woman this
past week.  24 dice bags have been completed,
13 more are almost finished, and an additional
9 need to be cut out.  I also made a messenger tote
for Little e's birthday.  And, yes, I can feel it all
in my arms and hands.  Hello, ice, my dearest Frienenemy.

Work is good; busy is good.  And seeing the growing piles
of finished bags is very good.  

This grand push of Getting It Done is part of my annual
Gen Con order.  The black and white reversible bags
will be decorated by artists and then sold at a charity
auction.  There is another big order waiting in the wings
so I want to have clear decks before I get buried. 

I haven't been able to start any of the quilt projects 
that have been lurking in my brain, but I do have a
school quilting project that might just quench my
my need to quilt.   

And then you realize you need more math

So there I am living my geeky life, 
thinking that my math world is fairly healthy
and alive.. and then.. then I meet a new muse,
and I realize my math life is sad, and I need more
math, and more creativity, and I am in fact stunted.

I need more math, all the time.
What could make me say this?

Vi could make me say this.
Do you know Vi?  You should.
She is a goddess of creative math, and I am unworthy.

You can find her here.
She even has a mathematical food section here. 

I feel a nearly uncontrollable urge to start crocheting mathematical sequences or doodling.  Doodling would be good.  

Happy Birthday, Little e

Little e is 9.  

My sunshine girl is no longer my little, little girl.
She's in that funny place between being little and being
big.  She is still full of smiles and joy, but there is a
new push-back, a new willfulness.

There have been many debates, as of late.  Everything
is a process, a conversation, a bargain, and sometimes,
an argument.  It's a new adventure, living with our
girl.

I think there will be a lot of growth in this coming 
year.  This time between 8 and 10 is a big jump;
so much is going to happen.  

Here's to a good year full of growth and transformation.
Happy birthday, my sweet Little e.