Grasshoppers & Yard Work...

We spent the day getting the flowerbeds cleaned out and put to bed for the winter months...

Here is a little journal quilt I put together with

Neocolor II Crayons

It is a sample for a class later this month.

Click Images to Enlarge:

Grasshopper

Brad got busy this morning giving the Thread Shed a good trimming

The ivy and vines were taking over!

The flower bed in front of the house...

The flower bed in back of the house...

Hollyhock.......Seeds

Those little round pods are full of seeds.

I pull them apart and the seeds fall out.

I air dry them for a week or so, then put them in a container for planting in the spring.

Cleaning out the front flower bed.

We filled the pick up bed twice!

Front flower bed cleaned out.

When the leaves fall off those trees...

We rake them onto the flower beds for mulch.

Thread Shed

All trimmed up...

I will miss the flowers this winter...

But without yard work to do, there will be lots of time to spend INSIDE the Thread Shed this winter.

Once these October Glory maple leaves are pressed in the phone book...

I will be able to use them over the winter months for jello printing, leaf printing, foiling and lots more......fun!

The best part of all this yard work is...

I trim all the fresh flowers and bring them indoors to enjoy.

Dahlias & Hydrangeas

I rarely cut fresh flowers in the summer months,

so this is a real treat to enjoy these flowers indoors for the next few days.

Pink Dinner Plate Dahlia

My Grampa told me, "When you work, you find money".

It was true, when I would clean out the couch cushions, I would find money!

I also believe, "When you work, you find beauty".

I am a little tired and sore tonight, but I am enjoying the flower bouquets in the house.

CLICK HERE to view my Art Quilts

CLICK HERE to view the Cattle

CLICK HERE to view my Design Wall

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full of Flowers,

LuAnn

Summer is winding down...

Summer is quickly getting away from us here in Western Oregon

I thought I would share a few photos of the flowers that are still blooming here...

Hollyhocks growing along side the Thread Shed

The Hen House is the little Red building on the right

Painted Metal Bed frames make a great fence to hold up the hollyhocks

Trio of Hollyhocks

Hollyhock Close-Up-View

Hollyhock Detail View

Sweet Peas blooming behind the Thread Shed

Oregon Wheat Field

We stopped by a friends farm last week.

We watched him cut the last of this wheat field.

I picked the Queen Anne's Lace in the foreground of this photo.

I pressed them in a phone book.

I have already sun dyed with them, and will use them this winter for jello printing.

Get your botanicals pressed before winter sets in!

As always, I am happy to share my photography with you.

Please use it in your personal art work if you are so inspired!

CLICK HERE to view more of the Thread Shed

CLICK HERE to view my Woven Quilts

CLICK HERE to view what's on the Design Wall

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full of Summer,

LuAnn

Unpacking......Continues

I am still unpacking from our trip...

Below is a demo piece I created in a rust dyeing class in Idaho

I demonstrated soaking the fabric in vinegar, how to wrap up the rusty object, then packed this up in a plastic bag...

It brewed in the heat in the back of the pick up for nearly a week while we traveled.

Absolutely perfect conditions for rust dyeing!

I unwrapped the bundle, removed the rusty metal, then soaked it in baking soda for a few hours...

It is now washed, dried and pressed...

I will add this to my rust dyed fabric collection!

CLICK HERE to view more Rust Dyeing

One of the pit falls of traveling with your teaching equipment:

Things can really take a beating, packing and unpacking.

I travel with 4 of these thread boxes that I use in my machine quilting demos.

This box just didn't quite do the job keeping the threads in order...

Lucky for me I had a birthday recently...

My Anny Donna surprised me with new thread boxes:

When I arrived in Idaho, she had these boxes waiting for me!

The dividers hold the spools in place beautifully.

She found these in the fishing department of her local hardware store.

CLICK HERE to view more on the Threads I use

I unpacked a few demo pieces I created in classes during our trip:

Gel Glue Resist

Class Sample from Idaho Class

The paint is now cured and I can throw this piece in the washing machine to remove the glue...

CLICK HERE to view more on Gel Glue Resist

Painted Cheesecloth

A by-product of sun dyeing...

Cheesecloth on Painted Fabric

Class Sample from Idaho class

Upper portion is the cheesecloth, lifted off the fabric, after drying in the sun

CLICK HERE to view more on Sun Dyeing

Sun Dyeing - Leaf

Class Sample Print

I created this as a demo in Idaho in a Sun Dyeing Class

I really like it, but I think I have made more work for myself...

I do believe I will have to finish this piece at some point.

Paint Testing Cloth

When painting fabric, I test the colors of paint on a cloth.

This is the result of testing setacolor paints.

I see Monet's Flower Garden in this cloth...

The Glads are in bloom by the Thread Shed

CLICK HERE to view more FLOWER images

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Unpacking...

If there is a glamorous side to traveling and teaching...

Unpacking when you get home...

has to be the un-glamorous side~

I spent the day in the Thread Shed

Trying to get unpacked, organized & ready for my next class

Remember this photo from my travels in Idaho?

It takes a 4 wheel drive pick up to get all my teaching gear on the road to teach 5 classes in two weeks.

Now that I am home...

All that "stuff" has to go back where it belongs.

The first step was to take it out of the pick up...

And, unload it all in the Thread Shed...

Come on in and see what I have ahead of me today

Yes, it was difficult just getting inside...

This view really gets your blood pumping...

At this point, I was ready to run out of the room screaming...

But, I remembered a few fun things, packed in those containers, that I found treasure hunting in our travels....

I am a strong advocate of shopping at thrift stores & garage sales.

Here is what I brought home on this trip:

Vintage Metal Tool Boxes

These are incredible for storing and organizing small supplies & notions in your sewing room...

CLICK HERE to see what I use them for

Botanicals

Leaf Wall Paper & Copper Leaf Light switch Plates

These will find their way into Mixed Media Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Mixed Media work

Scraping Tools

These will scrape paint off fabric & paper

Wooden Letters

I plan to use these for sun dyeing on fabric

CLICK HERE to view sun dyeing

Quilt Pounce.....Iron-Off Powder

For Marking your Quilting Lines on Fabric

CLICK HERE to see how I use Quilt Pounce

Silicone Bake Ware

The Thrift Stores are flooded with this stuff

I don't plan to bake with it...

I plan to stamp with it...

When you turn it over, there is a flat surface to apply paint, then stamp on fabric or paper.

CLICK HERE to view stamping

Metal Iron Trivet

Found at an Antique Store in Idaho for $1

When I teach, I carry my travel iron.

This metal trivet is lightweight and can travel with the iron.

Peacock Feathers

Perfect for Jello Printing & Sun Dyeing

CLICK HERE to see Jello Printing

CLICK HERE to see sun Dyeing

Bass Rubber Fish

This was easily my favorite treasure of the trip!

I plan to use it for jello printing and stamping...

Found at garage sale for 50 cents

It was one of those talking fish mounted on a wooden board.

Brad removed it from the board for me!

So.....I spent my day, cleaning, organizing and finding treasures.

Not such a bad day after all...

This is how Gunnr spent his day...

Gunnr & The Hens

Gunnr is the very best entertainment for the chickens!

The rooster plays hide 'n seek with Gunnr...

Gunnr spends his days captivated by the chickens!

I made time to enjoy the Hollyhocks now in bloom!

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn