Playing with Dolls

One of my favorite things to do when I was growing up was to play with paper dolls. We didn't even have to get the
store bought ones as any old catalog would do. My sisters and I would delight in the fact that it was another year when we could Claim the Sears and Pennys catalogs. We would cut to our hearts content for hours trying to find that just
right paper doll that was full bodied. The ones with the legs cut off got to be the clothing. (or at least the blouse or dress) We would match up outfits for each of them and have the dolls all lined up with their wardrobes. Then we would have the task of grouping the dolls into families and make up conversations. Making up the names was the fun part. I would have Kelly, Jennifer and Debbie, etc... Well now that I am older, I seemed yearn to hang onto youth and childhood. I still play in groups, but this time not with my sisters, but my cyber friends. I'm getting ready to do a flat doll trade. I'm facinated by faeries and mermaids and settled on doing mermaids as my first set in the trade. I set off looking for women in magazines for their body positions and then added my interpretation of how the tail and their hair should be underwater. Their inside structure I had used pelltex and fused on flesh colored fabric. I drew and cut out each piece, painted the hair and tails with set a color in a pearl finish and some lumiere. Each were given a personality,some shading and highlights, embellished and finally added a coat of glitter to really make them shine. Their dimensional tails were a result of adding a piece of wire wrapped ribbon. I had initially thought of adding sea shells to finish of their tops but had none that were somewhat of the same size. I had purchased some beaded wire some time back and started playing with it and was pleased with the results despite their time consuming efforts at that in putting it together. I want to make another set for the trade but think that I would like to work on another style so I shall do some new sketches and jump on the next ones as soon as I finish with the @#%@ taxes!

You can't judge a book by it's cover???

This week I have been making ATC books! They can be so addicting with the many possibilities of design and construction. I was First awestruck with a small journal that belonged to Gretchen. The interior had the most intriging fold, rather origami style like the one in the third photo above. (You can click on any photo to make it larger.) I couldn't resist making my own in a miniature version which was my 1st piece. I have since made 9 of them. It's like potato chips and cats, you can't have just one! I love the construction process of something small and can hold in the palm of your hand. I know it is over kill, but I actually machine quilted my tiny book designs on a long arm machine! lol I used a thin cotton batting and cut the outside covers into 2 1/2"X 3 1/2" pieces. To finish the edge, I added a chenille stem. (you could use a wire or a fine cording) and then satin stitched all around to make it a little stiffer and prevent it from curling and a little more of an edging. I also cut two pieces the same size as the book cover out of artists matt board to be used on the inside to attach the inside pages together.



I added a fringe around the book with a bead of Fabri-Tac glue, only adding it to the edges that weren't going to be at the book's spine. I also added a metallic cord about 25 inches long and glued horizontally in the center of the inside of the back cover. Lastly I glued down the inside matt covers.

To make the inside pages, I used white kraft paper that you buy on the roll. I cut the width of the roll X 3 -1/2 inches. Then I fold accordion pleats 2 1/2 inches wide. You can make as many pages as you wish. With this one I had 25 " of paper and by the time I was finished I had added 10 pages quickly to my book.



To make the pages, you have a series of mountain and valley folds. Under the mountain areas, you will use a glue stick to glue the pages together.
You will see a few already done on the right in the below photo. Continue until all are paired together except you will have a a single sheet remaining on each side to glue down to the inside cover mat board. Because of the size of these booklets, I don't even find it necessary to put a spine on the back of them. Now your little book is complete! Add words of wisdom, addresses, journal thoughts and musings!

New in the New Year!

I made a fun discovery with this new slide show feature and decided to add my latest pattern offerings. The brochure is in the works so be sure to stop back or email me at needlewings@yahoo.com and I will be sure to get one sent to you. If you prefer to add a little music with your viewing pleasure, enjoy the selections at your right. SEW until next time!

The Mistle Toad

O.K. here I am better late than never. Last month I kept myself busy trying to catch up with my commissions and I managed to teach a quick dye transfer class in Columbus last month. Christmas came upon us so fast that I could barely get time to put up a tree for the holidays. The stockings didn't get hung.... come to think of it where were they this year? Probably in the dirty laundry! I seem to cut things down to the wire and even got my customer quilts done two days before Christmas. Whew!!! Now for a few days to relax and regroup again. My fiberart group in Columbus had a Christmas get together at an Italian Restaurant, Buca Di Beppo. My favorite of all was the Dolce with a sampling of a lot of desserts! We had Italian again the following week. My daughter and her husband took us to the ShadowBox in Columbus for a show and then we went to Easton to have a fabulous Italian dinner at Brios. Of the two, I can undoubtedly say that this one was my favorite! Afterwards, we did some last minute Christmas shopping, enjoyed the singing on the streets and the magic of Christmas with all of the lights. I only wished that I would have brought my camera with me to share some photos. Speaking of photos, I really didn't have much to share this time and it dawned on me that I haven't had one photo of me on the blogspot! So here I am decking the halls with the after effects of Christmas Cheer. With a few glasses of wine below my belt, I am able to sing any Christmas song I want and feel pretty good about it and of course kiss the Mistle Toad for good luck!

Feathered Friends and Sunflowers

Today I finished machine quiting a top quite fitting and appropriate while I watched the birds outside feasting on the sunflowers. Feathering the background reminds me of all of the fluttering going on with the finch amongst the 7 feeders. It seems there are more than usual. I always thought the expression "eating like a bird" meant that you didn't eat much at all, but it doesn't take them long to empty the feeders. If I were a bird, I think the warmer weather migrating south, would attract me more! Last October we were off in the Carribean. Ah, to have the option of having wings and fly there when we want to soak up the sun and drink exotic alcoholic fruit drinks!

Wings Of An Angel

It's been awhile since I have posted as I have spent much time with a dear friend who is terminally ill. It's just been so hard to believe that someone that shares the same interests with you, will be gone soon, so I have spent a lot of time quilting her quilts to leave reminders to her family of her behind. Besides her quilts it seems that every thing I have touched lately has turned to feathers as symbols of angels that lurk among us. May there be a quilted heaven.

How to have a meltdown

At the request of another quilting art friend, I have decided to post the makings of one of my postcards that I had entered into the art card event. It was a fun process and can be quite addicting in experimentation. Below are the steps I did to make the post card. I am missing a few steps but you will soon figure it out when I explain it. I started with drawing out a design on a recycled tyvek envelope that I marked with a water soluable marker. Then I cut out a peltex piece post card size and fused on black fabric as my background. (a step not photographed) I laid the tyvek on top and stitched through all layers. Then I used Dye Na Flo and colored in the areas with a mop brush. I let it dry and then took a heat gun and melted away as much as I wanted to and even some as much as I didn't want to! lol (Notice I was too busy melting away to get a photo of this step!) I also melted angelina between teflon sheets and cut out any extra designs I wanted to add and stitched them with metallic thread. Lastly I fused crystals on and satin stitched the edges with rayon thread. I entitled this piece Galactic Melt down.