Manic Springtime

I'm not sure if it's just the long daylight hours (the sun is still lighting the western sky & it's almost 10 p.m.), or if it's just that the past few days have been such sunny beautiful days. Or maybe it's because I've only worked one day a week for the past few weeks because people just aren't having surgery if they don't really have to right now. I just seem to have more creative energy flowing. I also feel quite driven to make things to try & sell, since I'm not making much money at the hospital right now. I am working on a bunch of fiber-art jewelry. I made a pin & pair of earrings for myself to wear to my class, to show my students. I haven't taken pictures of them yet, but will soon.
I also pulled this piece out, that I quilted on Lily last summer in June. I wanted to do more 3-D embellishing on it.

It was OK like this, but I wanted it to have more texture & dimension,
so I added 3-D petals, & leaves,

& white "stamens" with Perle cotton thread.

I'm much happier with it now.

I had to hand paint the fabric for the leaves, because I just couldn't find a green in my stash to match.

On Saturday, in one of my embellishment classes, we had fun burning & tormenting fabric,

& made fabric beads a variety of different ways. Each student had a different favorite way by the end. One liked the fusible web method, one like the fabric glue (wet glue), & the other liked the glue stick. We also played with Xpandaprint, & I liked how this bead of Rosanne's turned out with the white Xpandaprint.

We met again today, & did ATC's, & explored couching, sacking needles, designing Collage style.

These 3 ladies (Beth, Rene, & Roseanne) were just delightful, & pleased as punch with their first ATC's.

Beth used some of her Copper painted fusible web behind a couple of dried leaves, topped with antique gold tulle, & stitched the hairy yarn around the edge. She did a good job going against the grain so the fluffy stuff would stick out instead being stitched flat.

Rene used some of her hand painted fabric,with mesh from & onion bag, & Tyvek (which she also painted in the class), then topped it with a cute little bunch of yarn & twisted the yarn & a ribbon together to form the edge.

Roseanne broke away from the ATC format, & made hers square (which was fine with me, I encourage students to do what ever they want). She had a pretty piece of black fabric that she had stamped & embossed with a snowflake, & she built on that with multiple layers of sheers & some Angelina. She opted to not do yarn & instead satin stitch with Yenmet thread around the edge. She said she will probably turn it into a card for her mom, who would love it.

I was thrilled with how this class progressed, & the fact that we had so much fun together. These 3 are now added to my list of friends, & I hope to get together with them again just to play!

I've been overstaffed again tomorrow, but got a quilt top from another of my students tonight, so tomorrow I will be warming Lily back up, & doing a real customer quilt!