From PHD to FP

So . . . the other day I was thinking about this blog . . . and wondering why I don’t seem to have anything to say lately.  I mean, it’s not like I’m not doing anything “blogworthy.”  I have dozens of project in the works.  Then I realized that while I’m very good at starting interesting projects . . .  I don’t seem to be very good at finishing many of them!

So, you could say I have a lot of PHDs – or Projects Half Done!

Once I realized how bad it has gotten (there really are a lot. of. phds!), I had a stern talk with myself.  (Yes, I do talk to myself quite a bit – doesn’t everyone?)  And we (myself and I) agreed that I must try harder to finish something.  Maybe a lot of somethings!  And I got to work.  And lo, it was good!

You might recognize the legs from one of my (rare) recent posts.  This project was an online class by Deb Wood on A-for-Artistic.  Such a lot of fun to do.

I had some learning experiences, of course.  I love the way her nose has extra color – but it isn’t from painting/blushing it.  It’s from burning!  The oven got a little too warm – it does that sometimes – and the nose and top of head got darker than the rest of her.  Hair and the hat took care of the top of her head.  And I could not have done such a good job if I’d painted the nose!

Here’s the hat waiting to be donned.  Behind it, you can see extra hands.  There were some problems there, as well, but eventually a pair turned out how I wanted.  Anyone need an extra hand?  It’s green, but still useful!

OK.  So that’s one Finished project (FP).  I will be searching through PHDs for something else suitable for finishing.  I think I’ll follow Mary Corbet’s guidelines for deciding.  You can read her thoughts on UFOs on Needle n Thread.

Hopefully, I will be back soon with more FPs!

The Quilt I Forgot

It was pointed out to me that I have not posted a final picture of this quilt:

I had to dig waaaay back in my photos to find when I made the blocks for this quilt.  It was a Block of the Month at my local quilt shop and it ran from July 2006 to June 2007! 

 

The name of the BOM was Almost Amish. 

 

 

 

It was inspired by the Amish quilts and used solid fabrics, but with a more updated look.

 

 

 

I finished all of the blocks, bought fabric to finish it . . . and put it aside!  You don’t ever do that, do you?  So, here we are – four years later (!) and I finally pulled it all out from the pile of UFOs and put the top together.

I think Jake approves.  LOL!

Now, I just need to get it quilted.  Oh no!  Not another four years!!

What is it with Me and Finishes?

I have a terrible time with getting projects finished.  I really don't know what the problem is.  My cupboards are full of projects that are almost done . . . and quite a few that are not even close!

I know that I am easily distracted (can you say short attention span?), but I wonder if something else is at work here.  So, I am going to start studying why projects are left undone.  As well as try to finish some of them!

Creative Box Making from March 2009

  I took this class from Sue Bleiweiss last spring and did pretty well for the first four (out of five) lessons.  As I look back at the calendar and this blog, I noticed I was involved in several swaps in April.  Then I took a quilting class in May, we had water come into the basement, . . . and it appears that life began to get in the way.  

I'm thinking, too, that the Lesson 4 box was not exactly my style (see above and right).  It is a game box and I can't think of a reason to make another one.  We are just not big gamers at our house.

Which is a shame, because I really love the boxes in Lesson 5!  And this week I finally completed that lesson.  A seven month recess - not bad!

The first container was a teapot - for holding tea, of course!  No, not the liquid stuff - tea bags!  Deviating somewhat from Sue's directions, I dribbled fabric paint onto a plate and then scrunched used Shout Color Catchers around in it to come up with a background for motifs cut from a tea box.   I am already using it to store the collection of tea bags near my worktable.

 

For the last box, I made a pyramid container.  I needed to make a collage piece for postcard backgrounds and just increased the size to include this.  The box is about 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide at the bottom.

 

 

When you look on the bottom, you can see that I used a "reject" doll arm in the collage.  Interesting idea.  I will have to do that again sometime!

 

And the box is just right to hold thumbtacks or paperclips or perhaps coins. 

So how come I waited so long to make these?  And why wasn't I working on the challenge due next month?

L'Amour, l'amour . . .

That is one of the songs that Carmen sings in the opera bearing her name.  And here she is . . .

For those that read my question of a couple of weeks ago, you can see I went with the hair all down - and mildly tamed! 

Carmen is wearing two ruffled petticoats.  I really gave my ruffler attachment a workout with these!  Yes, I'm still loving that toy!! 

Carmen was made using Arley Berryhill's Le Femme pattern.  She is actually one of my UFOs, since I made her for a class I took from Arley several years ago (six?  seven?).  This pattern is one that my doll club chose to make this year and I decided now was the time to finally get busy and finish this doll! 

Now, Carmen and Aengus are off to the State Fair.  Wish them luck!  (Don't they make a pair?)

Aengus

Meet my latest doll, Aengus.  He was a UFO - Un-Finished Object - but not any longer!

There are two stories about this Aengus.  One real and one make-believe.  Of course there's a make-believe story!  That is what it's all about, isn't it?

In this reality, Aengus began about seven years ago (I can't believe that - 7???).  The very first time I took a face-to-face doll class, one of them was from Jill Hamilton (the other was from Sally Lampi, but that's a story for another day).  We made paperclay heads in Jill's class.

  This photo was taken at the end of the day with everyone holding their head mounted on a stick!  (I am front row, left and Jill is front row, right).  Jill made some amazing part human/part animal figures and she was a great teacher.  Unfortunately, her web site has been "disabled" so I cannot point you to a place to see them just now.  Maybe later.

But, back to Aengus.  I painted his head and mounted it on a body shortly after coming home from the class.  I added arms and legs a bit later.  Oh, I had wonderful ideas about what I wanted this doll to be!!

But first, I needed to learn to make a hat.  Then, I needed to make boots.  Those called for more classes and books.  At one point I wanted an authentic early European look, so lots of research went into that idea.  Then I fell in love with The Lord of The Rings (LOTR) movies, and he must be a character from that tale.  How can I add hair?  What about a cape?  Of course, real life got in the way as well.  Things like retiring and moving half way cross the country!  Yes, all that time, this poor guy sat on the shelf.  Patiently waiting his day in the sun - or something like that.

This is the face of a patient man!

Last month, my doll club's project was to bring an unfinished doll and work on finishing it.  So, his time has finally come.  I think I might have the experience now to give him a proper costume.   I dusted him off, and gathered fabrics and tools.  At club meeting, I made his hat!  Woohoo!  Of course, once I got started, it was hard to stop!  Over the next two weeks I spent every available minute working - and planning when I couldn't be in the workroom.  When I next surfaced for air, there he was!  Obviously on some kind of quest.  But who is he?

Part of the fun of making dolls is researching and choosing a name.  I wanted something Celtic.  When I read the story of Aengus from Irish mythology, it seemed to be just right.  The part I like is about Aengus falling in love with a girl (in his dream in some versions) but not knowing who she is.  His family searched all over for her (at least three years, depending on the version again) until she was found at the lake of the Dragon's Mouth.  There is more to the tale - magic and enchantment - so you may want to follow the link above.  It has a happy ending!

I think this doll looks as if he is traveling afar, trying to find a lost lover.  Although that doesn't quite fit into the myth, I think it's close enough! 

I have made other heads from paperclay, but I guess there will always be something special about this first one.  The others have not had that amazing nose, for one thing! 

Now to clear away the debris from this creating frenzy and choose my next project.  Quilt blocks, I think.

How About A Hand?

Sorry.  I couldn't resist some kind of pun!

Believe it or not - this is a pincushion!  Mostly for show, I guess, but pins and needles can be stashed just about anywhere on the ball or the hand itself.

This is my latest UFO-to-FO . . .Unfinished Object to Finished Object!  For those of you who have forgotten, I joined a group last fall called "UFOs Uncovered" (look here).  It has taken several months, but I now have completed two UFOs!  And feeling pretty proud of myself, too!  LOL!

This hand is life-sized (read more about it here) and so the ball is about 4" across - give or take.  I embellished each seam on the ball, which was slow going.  I think one of my next goals will need to be to find time to devote to hand stitching! 

I used fake nails from the dime store.  I love these beautiful designs, but my hands are in too much clay and paint and take too much rough use to ever wear false nails myself.   Sometimes I'll cut them down for a doll, but it's not quite the same, is it? 

OK, this picture looks a bit creepy!  Hmm.  I do have some black nails.  Plenty of time before Halloween, huh?

Working on Another UFO

What good is a UFO Challenge if you don't finish any UFOs?  I finished my first project - even though it took two months! - and it's time to choose another.

Here is the before picture:

I can hear you all asking - what the heck is that?  Looks like a hand, huh?  Well, this is a life-size hand and it was part of an online class on making doll hands.  Judi Ward has a short class to help beginners cope with the ins and outs of stuffing fingers and all.  The first step was to trace around your own hand, stitch in cloth, turn, and stuff.  Well, I got to the last step and skipped ahead to itty bitty fingers!  That was - oh - probably about 7 years ago!

I always planned to do something with this hand - some day.  Guess the day has come.  Yesterday I stuffed.

Now I plan to do some needle sculpting and decorating.  I'm thinking wicked long fingernails!  And a beaded bracelet of some kind.  Then it will have to hold something.  That blue and green to the right is a ball that is about the right size.  Kinda plain, though.

For a quick project this is starting to sound complicated!  Another two months?

This Little Piggie . . .

. . . is a Finished UFO!! (UFO=UnFinished Object)

Along with his somewhat larger pal . . .

 

These porcine buddies are from a McCall's pattern that I cut out many, many years ago.   Exactly how long is lost in the mists of time (or my mind!).  I would have guessed late 70's or early 80's, but the pattern is copyright 1992.  My goodness time flies!

One of the groups I have joined on Stitchin' Fingers is called "UFOs Uncovered".  We try to encourage each other to dig through that pile of long ago projects and pull out our enthusiasm and get that aardvaark* completed!!

*An aardvaark is a term I picked up from a former co-worker, meaning any project or equipment that has been giving you fits and resisting your efforts to fix, finish, or install.   Better than the words some of the other co-workers use!

 

 

 

 

 

I did not manage to get these done for the first month, but looking good for the second go 'round.  This pair is now ready to join my Piggie collection and I am ready to pull out another forgotten project.  This is almost like a Treasure Hunt - except for the fact that there was usually a reason why I didn't finish the piece in the first place - and I'm sure to discover what it was shortly!

UFOs Uncovered

That's the name of a group I've joined on Stitchin' Fingers.  I would guess that every sewer, crafter, stitcher, whatever has some projects that just get stalled.  For a variety of reasons, progress will halt and it gets pushed to the back of the closet.

Yes, I know there are people out there who actually finish everything they start.  Not in my family, though!  And certainly not ME!  I can never really forget the UFOs, either.  We have moved quite often and every time, those Projects in Boxes (PIBs) get packed up again and transported to the new house.  Usually to be pushed to the back of the closet again!

Well, one of this year's goals was to start using books and tools that have accumulated over the years and you could say the underlying push is to clean up the studio.  That would include all those UFOs.

The SF group has decided to start today by "declaring" the UFO that is to be finished this month.  We are to post pictures of our progress (or not) so here is my starting point:

I have had these little Piggies cut out for too many years.  I have no idea how long, but the fabric is scraps from some projects in the 1980's.  Um, 20 years? 

Some of you are probably thinking "why pigs?"  One of my personal quirks is that I adore pigs!  Their rubbery noses and funny snorting noises really delight me.  This may also explain my love for my little pug dog, Jake.  

I have collected all manner of pig-ish figures and decorations for years.  Can you imagine how odd it feels to have a co-worker come in and say "I saw the funniest pig this weekend and I thought of you, Liz!"  Uh, thanks - I think!

Well, I think it is time these little stuffed pigs join the collection, don't you?  Wish me luck.