Yep, I am back, my cold has run its course. Thank Goodness that is over and it was a relatively light one.
Since I was stuck at home yesterday recuperating I was able to work on a project I have had rattling around in my brain for awhile now. I bought the flour sack towels over a month ago and the acrylic paints I have on hand for the signs I paint. I also used some textile medium mixed in with the paint.
I bought a set of these flour sack towels at Target and another set at Wal-Mart, they seem to be comparable in quality so take your pick. I washed, dried then pressed them well. I found the center for placement of the chicken or rooster motif and marked it with a water soluble marker.
I cut to size and ironed on the the back of a towel a piece of butcher paper to prevent the paint from bleeding thru.
I only needed a piece a bit larger than the motif to be painted on. I cut a stencil in the basic shape of the motif using an old file folder. I just ran it thru the copy machine and another I traced over a piece of graphite paper. Both worked fine. Painting on fabric takes a good base coat and stenciling it on is easier than trying to brush it on. This is the stencil of one of the roosters.
Here it is after brushing the paint inside the stencil area. I brush inward from the edges to prevent too much bleed under the edges. I good fabric adhesive would work great too but I did not have any.
This is the drawing I made my stencil from. I refer to it for placement of the feet and beak.
I brush in the details.
I rip 3 inch wide strips of this red ticking fabric to make ruffles. I leave the edges raw for a primitive look. I sew several strips together so I have plenty of length for 2 towels.
Since I messed up the timing on my fancy dancy Bernina Artista 180 sewing “computer” I had to resort to my trusty plain old Wards zig zag sewing machine I have had since the 70's.
My mom gave it to me when she upgraded to a fancier machine, I love this old heavy as stone machine and sewed on it for 20 years, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I will never give it up even though I do love my new machine as well. But I am getting side tracked here, back to my story...
Since my ruffling foot only fits my Bernina I had to resort to one of my older methods for ruffling the strip. I use a long piece of crochet cotton thread and I zig zag over it. I pull one end (secure the other end first) of the cotton thread to draw up and ruffle the material.
For me it is faster than sewing to rows of basting thread, I have done miles of ruffles when my daughters were young and I sewed their dresses and this method worked great for me.
I lined up the edge of the ruffled material a half inch above the towel edge and I stitch on the ruffle.
I trimmed up the threads and there you have it, hand painted chicken kitchen towels! I painted a hen to match and added the ruffle.
A matched set.
I also painted two more sets of towels. I have yet to decide on the ruffle for these.
I have to admit I enjoyed working on these despite the hiccups with my sewing machine. That reminds me, I need to call the sewing machine shop and find out what it is going to set me back to get mine fixed. I will put it on my Monday list.
It was a lovely afternoon here. Mild temps in the 50’s with glorious sunshine. My husband and I took advantage of the fine weather to take a walk to the lake and back. After all the sitting I have done since coming down with this cold I desperately needed to stretch my legs.
enjoy your evening all…
Happy Friday!
I thought I would start with a positive note since this day has been rather a wash.
I have come down with a cold and that makes for a fuzzy brain and a fuzzy brain = stupid mistakes. Despite feeling like going to bed with a book and reading the day away I have attempted to press on with getting my scheduled tasks completed.
Bad idea.
I did get some signs finished yesterday though I was stuffy and sniffily. Not until I went to send photos to the customers did I realize I had painted the wording wrong on one of them.
This was supposed to say Beach Stone Cottage…now I have to sand it off and do it again.
But I am thankful that the wording was above the painting and not on it, fixing it is much easier this way. I also finished a couple other signs.
At least I did not err on these. Two out of three isn’t bad.
Last week my husband and I finally made the trip to the DMV to renew our California drivers licenses after moving back over a year ago. We received our new drivers licenses in the mail yesterday and to say my photo is disappointing is an understatement. Quite frankly I look like I should be riding a broom.
Seriously!
But on the up side, my husband’s looks worse. He usually takes a decent photo but this one is BAD. We both got a good laugh out of them.
Today has turned rainy, it is melting the residual snow on my back deck so I am all for a rainy day. I should park my sorry self on the couch and crochet or something that I can’t mess up too royally. The past few evenings I have crocheted up quite a few flower motifs for my scarf. Here is some getting blocked.
I attempted to get another kitchen cabinet door painted but in my brainlessness I slapped on a coat of Devon Cream color instead of White. No worries, I was going to do a couple coats anyways so this one will be the undercoat.
I did decide to call it a day in trying to accomplish anything more after that one. So now I am lounging on my couch, writing you all a note as I sniffle and sneeze. I really should get up and take a Sudafed, I think it would help.
Oh, I remember something I got done today with success. I was able to base paint my work table legs…you remember my worktable project..
This photo only shows three but I do have all four legs cut and base painted.
Progress!
I have to reorganize my studio to be able to build the rest of the table, I have things in such a chaotic muddle there is no room to move around much. I may have to build it in the living room like we did our Farm Table.
The other successful endeavor has been making chicken in gravy over mashed potatoes for lunch. Comfort food sounded heavenly and it sure was. Dinner will be my husbands job and knowing him he will make spaghetti, he loves spaghetti and he does a fine job making it.
So I shall sit back here, dig up my crochet hook and work on either my shawl or the flower scarf. The shawl pattern requires more brain power so I may have to default to the easier flower motif.
Happy Rainy Friday all….until next time!
Another day is ending. I have painted signs and sent photos to customers, this is one I was stuck on and got some direction from the customer.
Vacuum and mopped my entire house (love my Shark steam mop!) That was my workout today.
I photographed my scarf for the website, I am not sure if I want to add the flower or leave it off.
I rather like the flower, I can offer it on the scarf but make it removable. Still debating that one…
I made the starter for my Cheddar Crusty loaves first thing so it would be ready by dinner time. They turned out even better than I had hoped. I am enjoying my new ($4 thrift store) bread machine. I wore out my last one.
The recipe is linked below, I shaped the bread incorrectly, the recipe was on the back of the King Arthur bread flour sack (I use King Arthur exclusively, it is pricier but the flavor is well worth the added expense) so I did not see photos until I went to their site.
Recipe for this bread, I used cheddar and no pizza flavoring.
I have been trying to work on projects for me or I should say for our house, I have to fit it in around all the sign orders.
My kitchen cabinets are in desperate need of repainting. They are not stained, the original paint has just worn completely off in high usage areas like around the knobs.
Yes, they do look this bad. Several of the cabinet doors that are used frequently look like this. Thankfully I have the low odor no VOCs paint so I can paint some in place and not have to contend with the nasty paint fumes. I have one door started, one I cannot really remove easily, it is the trash drawer door. The rest I can remove and take to the studio to paint. I will finish them off with a couple coats of varathane for greater longevity.
But to be honest these have not been painted for 5 years and we do use the kitchen heavily so I have to say this first paint job held up well. Especially in light of all the scrubbing they have received.
We also made a trip to the chiropractor, I was in desperate need of an adjustment, I have been combating a nasty headache for 3 weeks and finally took care of the cause. On our way we stopped to get feed for my chickens so a dual purpose trip. So a full day for me.
At least it was sunny today. My sweet husband chipped all the ice from the back steps so now I can jog up and down them all day from the studio and not worry about landing on my patootie. The temps were just not warming enough to do the job at all.
Goodnight to all…
