Halloween Party 2008

The theme this year was the Great Pumpkin and the peanuts gang.

Here's little Logan as Woodstock...he was so good, and was very comfortable in the costume. Hmmmm! :)

Mom was Snoopy, in her handmade costume and head...it was awesome.

Raggedy Ann...aka Donna was there too.

Dad made a great Linus....hair and all!

This group was straight from the Venture Brothers...a TV cartoon.

Julie chose to be a pack of PEANUT m&m's...very creative!

Quynh tried Chinese cuisine for the night.



And from Sarasota came Jon and Dana as Anthony and Cleopatra.

And from Japan...Toyoko and Yoko, who happened to be leaving on a Disney Cruise the next morning, came to the party for a couple hours, wearing shirts designed by Keri for NYC Disney store a couple years ago.

We had a great time...the house was decorated to the hilt...and the company is always the best!

Busy...Busy....Busy...

Well....where has the time gone ? I went to Buffalo to close on our new cottage....then came home and got to work on making a costume for Logan....there wasn't a pattern available so I had to improvise....I think it's close enough :) Keri's Halloween party has a Peanuts theme....she will be Snoopy, Mike will be Linus and Logan will be Woodstock !

We also had new windows put in upstairs...FINALLY!!!! They were so bad...I am thrilled that I can actually wash them inside and out now....after 23 years in this house.

We also decided to have the upstairs 1/2 bath gutted and re-done....nothing fancy....just had to get rid of the pink plastic tiles and rusted sink and ever-broken toilet.

I'm off to Orlando tomorrow to see the kids and help prepare for the party. I'll have pics of all those crazy Disney artists and their great costumes when I get back.

Marcia

Dyed Ready-To-Wear

When Summer is over I like to look for some white linen or cotton tops that are severely reduced in price....I buy them one or two sizes larger (the process will usually shrink them a bit), and I dye them in favorite colors. Since they cost me less than $15 together I'm not afraid to take a chance on them. And they both came out great.

Well, I'm off to Buffalo tomorrow to close on our new cottage at the beach....very exciting new chapter in our lives. We're having some nasty weather on the East Coast, but I have to go....so I'm hoping for at least a decent travel day. I haven't been at the beach in late September, so it will be a new experience in that respect too.

Marcia

NYC

Nancy and I took the train in to the City on Saturday for the Atelier Show....it was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Midtown. We saw Doshi and her beautiful new collection of wearables...some new fabrics and designs.



From there we walked down past Bryant Park where they were dismantling the tents from Fashion Week (pic)...the Project Runway Show had been in there just the day before. Our next stop was M&J Trimming on 6th Ave and then Mood Fabrics on 37th. The weather was perfect and the City was crowded! We had a great time....then back on the LIRR.

This bag is from a pattern by The Sewing Workshop...it is the Daily News Bag. I used perforated ultrasuede, a commercial batik cotton lining and upholstery weight ultrasuede for the handle and binding.

Accessories

I love carrying bags like this...but the fact that they are open leaves the possibility that things can fall out easier, or someone could reach in and grab something. So I made some accessories that would address each item I would carry.

This pouch is attached to a chain that is permanently attached to the inside bottom of the bag...it will hold things like chap stick, aspirin, mints, pen, etc.

This pouch has a clip that can be removed from the bag to take separately...it will hold money, cards and license, and that sort of thing.

Then of course I need a place for a couple pairs of glasses so I attached a pocket.

This clip will hold my keys so they can't fall out, and so I can always find them quickly. The last thing I need is somewhere to clip my phone so I can get to it quickly and so it also can't fall out. I need to place it wisely so the weight of the phone doesn't distort the shape of the bag...gotta think of these things!

New Bag

A couple years I bought a box of scraps from Doshi...aren't they the most beautiful scraps! Nancy and I are going to NYC on Saturday to the Atelier show and I had the idea to make a bag to carry in that would be in keeping with the spirit of the show...just an excuse to play with some of the scraps. I had made the front panel piece a year ago so I built around that...click to see it better.
http://www.atelierdesigners.com/go/_showinfo2.cfm

The fabric is all silk/linen and is lined in the same...it sews beautifully. I cut the lining piece and ironed on lightweight interfacing for some body...then built the outside on that with sew and turn....then quilted it to hold in place, and bound the edges.

Logan

I'm having a wonderful week in Orlando....Logan is developing such a cute personality...can't stop kissing thise cheeks! We're planning his costume for Halloween (of course)....and I'll be back for the party next month :)

I'm going back home tomorrow.....no hurricane here this week, but Hanna did go up and dump a load of rain in New York yesterday...you never know!

Marcia

WOW...that was fast!

With Melody's gracious help I have sent all 5 quilts to new homes and admirers. Enjoy them!



Now I have the second bunch.



#1 MIGRATION # 5...by Caryl Bryer Fallert. 2000 22" x 18 This piece is awesome and I will miss it....but I know there is someone (probably many someones) out there who would love to have it and has the space to display it beautifully. SOLD

#2 COPING #VIII 1997 by Erika Carter 23" x 24" A beautiful art quilt.

#3 LADY by Dawn Rappold 25.5 x 26.5" 1985 Beautifully hand-appliqued and hand-quilted

#4 POTPOURRI by Gabrielle Swain 1996 Gorgeous! hand-appliqued and hand-quilted. SOLD

Detail of Potpourri

#5 CONEFLOWERS by Ellen Anne Eddy 1998 13" x 16.25". Wonderful threadwork on this.

#6 LUNA by Ellen Anne Eddy 1998 13' x 14" More wonderful threadwork.

#7 CHAIR MAIL by Laura Wasilowski 1997 10.5" x 12.75" Laura is a master at what she does...this is a really cute and fun piece.

Click on the pics to get a better look. And email me if interested. marciamurf@aol.com

Marcia

Downsizing...............

Over many years I have accumulated some wonderful quilted pieces from my favorite artists. I have decided to now let a bunch of them go to new homes to be enjoyed by other admirers. I will keep some and the rest will go on ebay in the next couple weeks. I am posting pictures today of the first bunch, all from Melody Johnson (with her blessing), here on the blog. If something strikes your fancy, email me and we will talk about it. They will be a fraction of the original cost...and they are all in great condition. Click on pictures for a better look.



#1 ABACUS 9.75" x 12.75" fused & beaded...can be slipped over a plexi frame to stand, or can hang on wall... SOLD

#2 JUNE BLOOMS 11" x 14" fused and embroidered SOLD

#3 WINDOW 21" x 9" fused and quilted SOLD

#4 SAMPLER 12.25" x 8.5" pieced and quilted with a sampler of stitches and decorative threads SOLD

#5 NINEPATCH PIAZZA 25" x 27" This is a beauty...I remember Melody telling a story about seeing a pattern on the ground at QBL one year and interpreting it in this quilt in 1997. Fused. SOLD

Marcia

marciamurf@aol.com

More Fabric Dyeing

I've only managed to get a few pieces of fabric dyed...this silk/linen was done over the rack. I'm working on making a shirt from the last piece I did....not the easiest fabric to sew on...but not bad. That's what's been keeping me busy the last few nights while cheering on our athletes.



Time to wash windows...ugh...I am not the happy homemaker....housework stinks.

Itchin' to Sew

I cut out a bunch of bags yesterday and made this one last night while watching the Olympics again. This is fabric designed by Amy Butler and sold commercially. This is the heavier-weight home-dec fabric....it's so nice to work with and makes a substantial bag.

More Summer 2008

Well....this summer included, unfortunately, a couple falls for members of my family. My Mom fell off the stairs on the deck at the cottage and bruised her head...she is recovering nicely...what a scare that was...and 5 days in the hospital. A couple weeks later I get a call from my daughter...she fell with Logan and the dog gate hit his face....airlifted....catscan... stitches ....questions....he's doing great...we were all a mess. I have since learned that everyone I talk to has a story.......

The last couple days of my trip were spent with my friend Marcia at her beautiful studio and home, and a class of seven others where they were making wonderful jackets. This is one of the teacher's (Priscilla Kibbee) samples that I loved.

While watching the Olympics last night I had the urge to make a bag from a favorite old pattern....couldn't find the pattern so I called Nancy who found hers and measured it for me so I could make a pattern on graph paper. This is made from old bark cloth and a new lining.

I also had a chance to dye a couple pieces of silk/linen gauze. I used procion MX dyes and I'm quite happy with the pieces.

This is just eye candy...camp shirts made by Doshi...she dyes the fabric and it's spectacular.

Marcia

I'm Back!!!!

Well...where did the last three months go? I've been to Orlando three times to see my little grandson, Logan....can't get enough of him!

And I've been to my beloved cottage on Lake Erie...this is the view from our beach every night....not always so spectacular, but part of the experience.

And as I walked on the beach almost every morning for my exercize....I bent to pick up as much beach glass as possible...to be saved for a future project. :)

A number of years ago, Terry and I decided to put our name on the list for a cottage at the beach. Well....we were given the opportunity to look at one this year and loved it...so....

This will be our future cottage....we plan to spend alot of time there in years to come...especially once we hit retirement....this will be our 6 month summer home.

More about my trips to come in next post.

Marcia

This was Prom weekend in Port Jeff....the parent's pick a theme and decorate the outside of the building, the gym, and the bathrooms....it's the 50th year this has been done. I've done it twice...I know how hard it is!
The theme was A Night at the Royal Museum (Port Jeff Royals!)....these two girls were great....posing like statues, then all of a sudden moving in dance and back to a pose. This was during the public showing, four hours before the prom.

This is ALL painted cardboard ....it's the outside of the gym entrance. The whole lobby inside and the gym walls are covered in painted cardboard. It really is quite a feat!

The senior class was small this year...only 85....(usually about 100). But I'm sure they had a great time. I love Port Jeff.

I'm hoping to get to some fabric this weekend and next week before I go away again...phew!

Marcia

One more day......

Well...I have to go home tomorrow and leave this little guy for a few weeks...till I'm back again! This has been an amazing experience for me....since I didn't do the childbirth thing I was never really exposed to a newborn for any length of time. IT'S HARD!!!! The lack of sleep for the Mom and Dad is of course offset by this precious little boy coming into their lives...but it's hard on them. Now add three dogs into the mix! They are doing a great job....I'm glad I could be here to help...and spoil, and cuddle and smother with kisses :)

Three hours before my flight leaves, his Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan arrive for another week of spoiling!

Marcia

Logan James

Here's our little guy....an angel, of course. I'm having such a good time!



The theme of his bedroom is Franklin the Turtle....Keri loves turtles and loves the Franklin books. She painted this one on Logan's wall.

I love this picture....aren't all sleeping babies just so precious?

This little guy....what a miracle....our lives will never be the same....aren't we lucky.

Marcia