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This Is What Can Happen

I went to the thrift shop to buy more jeans for my unintentional quilt.  I got ten pair (I have nine to work with since one pair fits my son).  But, that’s not all I brought home.
For, you see;  I have a dark, thrift shop secret.
My love of horrifying ceramics.
I cannot pass this kind of stuff up.  Look:  That girl is totally orange.  And, that’s not only a  pastel train it’s also a glaring, hypnotist bunny.  And, someone thought it was a good idea to stick a huge hole for a candle in the head of a cloying cute little girl.
But, wait.  There’s more.
I have more than this.  I took about this size of a pile to the library in the hopes that someone would use them for garden art but they were passed up.  Probably too terrifying.
 Here’s a small portion which, for my family’s sake, I’ve put in the garage. I don’t know which one I love the most, the dolphins swimming in water made of glitter?  Maybe the prairie girl with the bonnet that hides her enormous alien brain?  No, it’s gotta be the tall headed girl in jammies carrying her evil puppy overlord in her arms.  The part that’s even scarier is that I’ve only just begun taking them home.  This collection is the result of only two thrift shop runs.  …blush..
 This came home with me, too.  But, somehow, this lives in a different kitschy section of my brain.  It’s added to my odd bird corner of the basement.
 The collection I only realized was a collection during the last time I cleaned up my studio and found I had, like, a million stupid bird things.  This is what can happen when you strive let the unconscious, creative part of your brain take over.
More birds.  Just sayin’
On the other hand, I got some pretty paper
and some fun and interesting stuff to collage with (Wartburg…teehee).
SHE CAN SEE YOU THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN!
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It Snuck Up On Me

Oops, I made most of a quilt by mistake.  I didn’t mean to. 
It was just really hot out so I was staying inside and I have this pile of denim and I started cutting it up and next thing you know, I have the majority of a quilt top finished.  
You can see how that could happen, right?
 
 
It went down like this:
Push all the paper stuff out of the way (thereby effectively putting my binding machine problems on hold.)
Cut cut cut, think think think…
Iron iron iron…OH, I know…
What if I cut them into strips and sorted them by size and color….
Well, that’s kinda cool…
 
Let’s see what happens if I sew them up that way…
Not bad.  Now if I iron that…
 
Like this…
Hmmm.  
Let me just break in here to say that this is when I stopped taking pictures because I hit some kind of flow.  Next time I looked up from my sewing machine. I had this:
I drove my family a little nuts by taking over the living room floor with it and making them admire each tiny detail look at it from different angles.
 
 I’m all aflutter and in love…also out of denim. 
I picture red backing.  Maybe some gold or orange in there for wild and crazy contrast.  
Then again, I could stick with denim and just quilt it up with colorful thread. 
I love this stage of a project and I’m even happier because it’s a stealth project that snuck up on me when I was distracted. 
This bin of “Crotch and Butt Buckets” is all I have left of the many many nasty old used pants I’ve bought over the years.  I can’t picture what to do with them but maybe, if I’m lucky, a project will leap out at me when I’m doing something else.
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Rant

I am a homeschooling mom.  Up until last September, my kids had never gone to school.  That’s when my daughter decided she wanted to try sixth grade.  I am not a fan of school generally.  I could go on and on about that and maybe I will one day but this isn’t that kind of blog.  
When she started school I ended up with this ocean of free time.  I have a son who was still home but he often slept in and is more of an introvert so really didn’t drag me around town the way she had when she was home all day.  That’s when I started making stuff.  Actually, for the first couple of months, I sat around wishing she was home.  BUT…I have never been very good at moping for any length of time, I just don’t have the attention span for it.  

I’ve been knitting for years and started sewing a bit before she started school but only here and there when time permitted.  Now, I had lots of time so I tried to put it to some use.  She came back home after six months; she said she liked school but it was not interesting enough to justify the early wake up.  I have had to juggle my time more but I’m still deep into making stuff and haven’t stopped.

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One More Problem

Whining Mode Activated:

It’s hot out.

My toe hurts.

My neck has a crick in it.

We need rain.

You would think that would get all of the whining out of me but, no.  One more problem:

Check out that under bite.

I can’t figure out how to bind my books.  I’m not finding much help when I google around either.  I’ll have to figure it out ALL BY MYSELF!

……..sigh….back to the binder……

Whining Mode Deactivated:

Actually, I may just take a little time off and play with my ink stone.