PILLOWS FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER

Our granddaughter loves her room at our home. (right)

She especially loves the pillows on the bed. It's interesting how they are such an important memory for her. 

Sometimes when we Skype, she wants to see 'her' room and the pillows on the bed. There they are!  

For Christmas, I decided to make her 4 colorful pillows for her own bed at home.

On the work wall (right) designing 4 pillows with a different design on the back and front.  I asked what are her favorite colors? Her answer: turquoise, purple and black.  Surprisingly not pink.  I used mostly Marimekko fabrics from Finland.

THE DOLLS

I have been saving this torn out craft page of rag dolls from the December 1970 issue Woman's Day Magazine for 43 years!  

(top 2 photos from magazine page)

With my granddaughter and Christmas in mind, I finally tried to make one of these cute things! I kept no directions but did have patterns I made years ago, but never used. 

I started. These dolls are harder to make than I expected. I'm not showing the failed experiments! Like any other art form,
you have to put time in, experimenting 
with the process. This could take some time.
(below - pondering the process) 

I have an awesome collection of fabric from years of quiltmaking so if I ever figure out how to make one of these dolls successfully,  I think this could be something fun to get into!

'IN HIM' SET ASIDE

 Quilt inspired by Paul's words in Athens. Acts 17:28 

'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' 

                                    Added the buttons yesterday.  Maybe it is finished.  

Will set the quilt aside for now. I have some Christmas presents to design. 

DROPPING ART FOR FRIENDS

Friends coming and going last week.  I dropped artmaking and enjoyed the gift of friendship.

Artist Jens (left) and photographer Florian (right), both from Berlin, came after doing performance art in NYC at the Met, Grand Central Station, Times Square and Rockerfeller Center.  I knew conversations would be centered around faith issues and full of intensity and humor so I invited Martha to come on over from Hartford. Martha would have a lot to contribute. Jens comes every couple of years.  I first got to know him through his amazing story of creating and sharing his art in the village in Niger.  Jonathan and Eileen, Sokol and Kari and family, all living nearby, rounded out the Sunday dinner table. Table set with the batik table cloth I bought in Cameroon last May.  

Photos: top 2: Martha, inspired by Jen's latest performance videos, has us posing in performance mode.  bottom: Sunday dinner with friends and family. Click photos to enlarge.

for Jens website      to see Jens performance art in NYC 2013 - Shifting Weight

OVER THE WEEKEND

Sewed on binding.
Cleaned up studio. 
Ahead - sewing on buttons.

click on studio photo to enlarge. 
'In Him' quilt on work-wall.

BINDING ON

Binding on and golden cord tacked down. Process continues.