Well, it's that time of year again! Where we all bustle around and stress out because things aren't just right or this person or that person aren't coming or are and it is going to create this problem or that. You know what people, everything will happen how it will happen no matter what you do so just put the stress away and play it cool!
I am trying to make as many of my Christmas gifts as I can this year! For some that might seem like a daunting task and something that makes you very nervous but for me it puts my mind at ease because it is something I know I can do!
What am I making? I suit the gift to the person really. I have bought some things from friends that make their own natural products which I look at as an extension of myself since they are handmade things but something I don't make but something someone I know does and it furthers their business!
As not to reveal my gifts all over the Internet and let them remain a surprise at Christmas I can't exactly tell you what I am going to be doing. However, I could show you a range of things I am going to be making at the moment that some will become presents and some won't!
So since most of the are in the beginning stages, I will try to remember to take pictures as I go along and come back and post them so you can see the progress as they go.
See you soon with less stress! It's a good thing I promise!
Monday, November 23, 2015
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Life Takes a Turn
I have been remiss in blogging for quite some time and for that all I can say is that there have been many many things going on in my life!
I have moved and am in the process of selling the house I was living in before the move.
My wonderful little house that was built in 1928 with yellow siding and white windows will soon (I hope) belong to someone else!
While it wasn't the house that I no longer loved it was everything that came along with it, the LARGE yard, the daily upkeep of a house so large and just the responsibility of having to do everything myself.
With my back injury and nerve damage to my legs it was getting harder and harder for me to take care of the land that was with the house and I had have to give up my garden about three years ago. I was sad to see it go but it had become too much work for one person.
I have also started my own business in the midst of all of this as well! Named it after something my Father used to call ponytails on a little girl WhooTails after CindyLouHoo from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
There have been bumps in the road and I have had to adjust some plans like craft fairs and markets because of my injury but there are things that change with time and I have learned that I have to change with them.
Where one door closes another one opens. The Lord and I are working on this together. He has been teaching me things for a while now and told me starting about two years ago there were major changes coming in my life! There have been many and some of them I am still adjusting to!
I take each day as it comes and call upon him when I am in need and he helps me accordingly. The trials I have been through have made me stronger and I in turn have been able to help others become stronger.
I have had to learn that change is a good thing for without it we would never learn what was around the corner that was bigger and better than where we are at the moment!
It's a good thing! I promise!
Candie
I have moved and am in the process of selling the house I was living in before the move.
My wonderful little house that was built in 1928 with yellow siding and white windows will soon (I hope) belong to someone else!
While it wasn't the house that I no longer loved it was everything that came along with it, the LARGE yard, the daily upkeep of a house so large and just the responsibility of having to do everything myself.
With my back injury and nerve damage to my legs it was getting harder and harder for me to take care of the land that was with the house and I had have to give up my garden about three years ago. I was sad to see it go but it had become too much work for one person.
I have also started my own business in the midst of all of this as well! Named it after something my Father used to call ponytails on a little girl WhooTails after CindyLouHoo from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
There have been bumps in the road and I have had to adjust some plans like craft fairs and markets because of my injury but there are things that change with time and I have learned that I have to change with them.
Where one door closes another one opens. The Lord and I are working on this together. He has been teaching me things for a while now and told me starting about two years ago there were major changes coming in my life! There have been many and some of them I am still adjusting to!
I take each day as it comes and call upon him when I am in need and he helps me accordingly. The trials I have been through have made me stronger and I in turn have been able to help others become stronger.
I have had to learn that change is a good thing for without it we would never learn what was around the corner that was bigger and better than where we are at the moment!
It's a good thing! I promise!
Candie
Friday, November 15, 2013
Holidays are Upon US!
As the holidays approach it makes me think of the things I did as a child to prepare for the coming of the holiday season. First there was always the Christmas tree for the coming of my favorite holiday in the world! The decision was always whether we would use a "fake" tree to mine and my little sisters dismay or a fresh green one we had to go and pick out ourselves! Oh joy of joys! We loved getting to pick out our own tree! It was a family thing and we loved the day as much as the event and coming home with that beautiful tree and the smell in the house WOW there just aren't words to describe the feelings that it struck inside my heart!
When I was really young I can remember going "way down in the country" which as a child seemed like such a far distance! Now we can travel the same road and I am amazed at what a short time it takes to get there and am sometimes not sure we have come the correct way because we arrived too soon!
Anyway, there were times we would drive to the woods to harvest a cedar tree from our family "hunting" land for our Christmas tree. Of course I always wanted the biggest tree I could find and Mom and Dad would both tell me "We can't get that one it will be too tall to go in the house!" I would tell them "I can stand beside it and it is not bigger than me. That means it would be ok in the house!" I never won the argument and was very rarely happy with the tree we chopped down until we got home and I indeed saw how big it was once we got it in the house! Quite large and if we had picked the one I wanted it would have never gone in the door!
One particular year I look back on now, I was a teenager and voiced my opinion very rudely about the tree we went to the pasture at Mamaws to get. It was the top from a pine tree and I told Mama how ugly I thought it was going to be and pouted all the way home and fussed and fussed. We got it in the house and it was just the right size and the lights were so beautiful the way they played off the long pine needles. I think it was probably one of the prettiest trees we ever had! I think the Lord had a lesson in that one for me! I told Mom I was sorry for being so mean and the tree was very pretty and I was glad that we had gotten that one and not some other tree. I am not sure if it made her feel any better but I knew it was my place to try and make her feel better after I had been so mean.
There are things we never understand as children that we can look back on as adults and fully understand what they meant and feel such guilt at something we did or didn't do. Then other times we can gain a better understanding of something in our lives and do better by someone because of things we went through as a child and now see as an adult.
Not sure if that makes any sense if you have never had something like that happen to you but they say with age comes wisdom and never has a truer statement been spoken when you realize something from childhood and it becomes crystal clear as an adult.
Christmas memories, write them down before you forget them. One day they will be important to someone and be a part of history. Even if it is a history of you that history is no less important than the history recorded in books children learn from in school!
It's a good thing, I promise!
When I was really young I can remember going "way down in the country" which as a child seemed like such a far distance! Now we can travel the same road and I am amazed at what a short time it takes to get there and am sometimes not sure we have come the correct way because we arrived too soon!
Anyway, there were times we would drive to the woods to harvest a cedar tree from our family "hunting" land for our Christmas tree. Of course I always wanted the biggest tree I could find and Mom and Dad would both tell me "We can't get that one it will be too tall to go in the house!" I would tell them "I can stand beside it and it is not bigger than me. That means it would be ok in the house!" I never won the argument and was very rarely happy with the tree we chopped down until we got home and I indeed saw how big it was once we got it in the house! Quite large and if we had picked the one I wanted it would have never gone in the door!
One particular year I look back on now, I was a teenager and voiced my opinion very rudely about the tree we went to the pasture at Mamaws to get. It was the top from a pine tree and I told Mama how ugly I thought it was going to be and pouted all the way home and fussed and fussed. We got it in the house and it was just the right size and the lights were so beautiful the way they played off the long pine needles. I think it was probably one of the prettiest trees we ever had! I think the Lord had a lesson in that one for me! I told Mom I was sorry for being so mean and the tree was very pretty and I was glad that we had gotten that one and not some other tree. I am not sure if it made her feel any better but I knew it was my place to try and make her feel better after I had been so mean.
There are things we never understand as children that we can look back on as adults and fully understand what they meant and feel such guilt at something we did or didn't do. Then other times we can gain a better understanding of something in our lives and do better by someone because of things we went through as a child and now see as an adult.
Not sure if that makes any sense if you have never had something like that happen to you but they say with age comes wisdom and never has a truer statement been spoken when you realize something from childhood and it becomes crystal clear as an adult.
Christmas memories, write them down before you forget them. One day they will be important to someone and be a part of history. Even if it is a history of you that history is no less important than the history recorded in books children learn from in school!
It's a good thing, I promise!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Out with the Old...
A new day....a new year!
As I am sure many did we had our green leaf veggie for wealth and our peas for health.
Or at least I think that is why you do those two things.
Not really much going on other than the things remaining undone that need to be DONE!
But I will leave you with a couple of pictures of things that I have done in the past.
No details just pictures. If you want to know more you will have to ask to find out!
As I am sure many did we had our green leaf veggie for wealth and our peas for health.
Or at least I think that is why you do those two things.
Not really much going on other than the things remaining undone that need to be DONE!
But I will leave you with a couple of pictures of things that I have done in the past.
No details just pictures. If you want to know more you will have to ask to find out!
Hot from the oven!
One slice cut!
A little closer look at the goodness inside! Yep mmmm again!
Enjoy!!!
Now, I am going to sit back and wait to see if anyone wants, needs, desires or cares to know what this is or how I did it!
Trust me though, it is good! I promise!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
It's Over Now We Rest!
I am sure I like many find it a bit of a comfort and at the same time a bit of a let down that Christmas is over.
What even some of my close friends and family do not know about me is that I love to write rhyming poetry.
I do write and have written ones that do not rhyme but my most favorite are the ones that make you think and ponder upon something said that is....
Oh, quite familiar something you might hear coming from that cat with a hat and funny feet, the one that has stories about every thing you can think!
Who is he?
What is his name?
Well if you don't know you might not like what I write.
If you don't like! I'll make you a deal.
You can shut your eyes tight!
Oh, yes I am for real!
I would never make you read something you did not like.
But if you are ready, hold on tight for a rhyming we go to a place many know!
A Christmas Sigh:
We have put it behind us.
The holiday that started with one small babe
That for some has become a day they would trade.
Mary and Joseph traveled far and in GOD did trust.
To bring the greatest gift to all of us!
CHRISTmas what does it mean now?
It used to be something for which all bowed
Has it become something we dread?
Or does it come from a list in your head?
Is this what christmas has become?
We will no longer worry which gift is right for whom.
Or which one would like bottle of sweet perfume.
The tree stands bare, with no presents under there.
The time to finish it was close with not much to spare.
The holiday tables were gracious.
Gathering with family in places so spacious.
The children are happy.
Santa came and made it snappy.
They got what they wanted most
And now for the adults its time for a post
Very long Christmas nap!
No need to disturb with a tap.
Your toys you have to keep you busy
If I don't get a nap I shall become quite dizzy!
It's over,
It's done,
The clean up has begun,
Put things away for next years day
With hopes that we celebrate in a whole different way!
This year has really made me stop and think about some of the things we all rush around and do for Christmas. I have made a promise to myself that I will not do to myself what I did this year and run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to finish things at the last minute. Most of those being things I was making for people.
I have decided what I am making already for several people and I am going to do them, get them finished so when it comes that time of year I can sit back and enjoy putting up my tree and everything else I enjoy about Christmas!
I think for me it was stressful and hard because I didn't leave enough time to do something I love dearly, cooking! I have all the ingredients for several things I wanted to make and did not allow the time to do them. Some might not understand this but for me it is very important to be able to get my holiday cooking done. Without it I feel "my" Christmas was incomplete. Another thing that blocks what it really means? Maybe but it if is what makes me happy and it takes away my joy of Christmas, I view it not as something that takes the place of but adds to what Christmas means to me! I will change what I can change and what I can't GOD will help me through. I miss you Daddy! Christmas is not the same without you!
Thanks for reading.
What even some of my close friends and family do not know about me is that I love to write rhyming poetry.
I do write and have written ones that do not rhyme but my most favorite are the ones that make you think and ponder upon something said that is....
Oh, quite familiar something you might hear coming from that cat with a hat and funny feet, the one that has stories about every thing you can think!
Who is he?
What is his name?
Well if you don't know you might not like what I write.
If you don't like! I'll make you a deal.
You can shut your eyes tight!
Oh, yes I am for real!
I would never make you read something you did not like.
But if you are ready, hold on tight for a rhyming we go to a place many know!
A Christmas Sigh:
We have put it behind us.
The holiday that started with one small babe
That for some has become a day they would trade.
Mary and Joseph traveled far and in GOD did trust.
To bring the greatest gift to all of us!
CHRISTmas what does it mean now?
It used to be something for which all bowed
Has it become something we dread?
Or does it come from a list in your head?
Is this what christmas has become?
We will no longer worry which gift is right for whom.
Or which one would like bottle of sweet perfume.
The tree stands bare, with no presents under there.
The time to finish it was close with not much to spare.
The holiday tables were gracious.
Gathering with family in places so spacious.
The children are happy.
Santa came and made it snappy.
They got what they wanted most
And now for the adults its time for a post
Very long Christmas nap!
No need to disturb with a tap.
Your toys you have to keep you busy
If I don't get a nap I shall become quite dizzy!
It's over,
It's done,
The clean up has begun,
Put things away for next years day
With hopes that we celebrate in a whole different way!
This year has really made me stop and think about some of the things we all rush around and do for Christmas. I have made a promise to myself that I will not do to myself what I did this year and run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to finish things at the last minute. Most of those being things I was making for people.
I have decided what I am making already for several people and I am going to do them, get them finished so when it comes that time of year I can sit back and enjoy putting up my tree and everything else I enjoy about Christmas!
I think for me it was stressful and hard because I didn't leave enough time to do something I love dearly, cooking! I have all the ingredients for several things I wanted to make and did not allow the time to do them. Some might not understand this but for me it is very important to be able to get my holiday cooking done. Without it I feel "my" Christmas was incomplete. Another thing that blocks what it really means? Maybe but it if is what makes me happy and it takes away my joy of Christmas, I view it not as something that takes the place of but adds to what Christmas means to me! I will change what I can change and what I can't GOD will help me through. I miss you Daddy! Christmas is not the same without you!
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Those Hours You Never Get Back!
Those hours you never get back!!! Ahhhh...if only we could list those with our days.
Woke up early this morning with the world full of good intentions.
HA you know the saying about those though!
I thought I would take a few moments to write a short blog since I didn't leave you anything yesterday.
I was wrapping presents all day. And no I am NOT done! I barely made a dent!
But anyway, I sat down, cup of coffee in hand and clicked on the Internet only to find that things had gone array! I could bring up one page but then not the second!
Well I am working on only barely a six month old computer! So whatever was wrong was a gonna be fixed toot sweet! Considering what I paid and how many pages I was used to having up at a time to do what I normally do.
Well after an eight page long chat (I know this because I printed it out) with HP I thought the problem was fixed! Well guess what, there the bugger goes again! Oh, I couldn't get that ID # typed into a new chat window fast enough! After about another hour, a new browser and what seemed like a person on the other end that had better things to do I can now pull up multiple pages at one time and not have them all appear in a different window instead of along the same tab!
So now that I have left you with that to ponder and have wasted 3 hours of my day I suppose I should get up and WOW it is 10:25 am more like time for lunch instead of time for breakfast!
Oh well, I am starving so I am going to find sustenance and get on with the tasks at hand.
Oh, and I have batteries for my camera again so I can take pictures of what I do today and show you all what I am making while I am working! Aren't you just so excited you could jump for joy? Don't answer that because I am not sure I can handle the honest answer after the morning I have had. lol
More later.....
Woke up early this morning with the world full of good intentions.
HA you know the saying about those though!
I thought I would take a few moments to write a short blog since I didn't leave you anything yesterday.
I was wrapping presents all day. And no I am NOT done! I barely made a dent!
But anyway, I sat down, cup of coffee in hand and clicked on the Internet only to find that things had gone array! I could bring up one page but then not the second!
Well I am working on only barely a six month old computer! So whatever was wrong was a gonna be fixed toot sweet! Considering what I paid and how many pages I was used to having up at a time to do what I normally do.
Well after an eight page long chat (I know this because I printed it out) with HP I thought the problem was fixed! Well guess what, there the bugger goes again! Oh, I couldn't get that ID # typed into a new chat window fast enough! After about another hour, a new browser and what seemed like a person on the other end that had better things to do I can now pull up multiple pages at one time and not have them all appear in a different window instead of along the same tab!
So now that I have left you with that to ponder and have wasted 3 hours of my day I suppose I should get up and WOW it is 10:25 am more like time for lunch instead of time for breakfast!
Oh well, I am starving so I am going to find sustenance and get on with the tasks at hand.
Oh, and I have batteries for my camera again so I can take pictures of what I do today and show you all what I am making while I am working! Aren't you just so excited you could jump for joy? Don't answer that because I am not sure I can handle the honest answer after the morning I have had. lol
More later.....
Monday, December 19, 2011
Blue Jean Jesus: A Jesus For Today's World
I have a picture of this quilt on a post I made a WHILE back but I never really told too much about it. I have more pictures of it now and thought I would give you all a better idea of what was going on and where it came from.
It came as a result of a gift that was given to me by my cousin Lacey while she was attending college. She was in a theatrical group at the time and a Jesus like my quilt was part of that "show".
She made a smaller version of that Jesus for my Grandmother for Christmas that year and everyone had a total fit over it and asked her to make them one. Including me!
So the next year to all of our surprise we got them for Christmas! I cried much as writing the story makes me do now. I am not sure if she will ever know how much that small gift meant to me and I keep it where I can see it daily and can think of her each time! She has married and moved to Tennessee now and it is all the more important to have something close to me to remind me of her. Now all I have to do is get at least one piece of Ashly's work!
The next year I had her name for Christmas and since she was still in college I thought I would make a blue jean version that she could hang on her wall. Imade it on a 16"x20" canvas. It was a lot of work but turned out better than I had hoped it would. I hope she really liked it.
From there I started thinking larger and decided I wanted to make that same design into an art quilt.
Hence Blue Jean Jesus: A Jesus For The World Today's World.
I had already made two blue jean quilts one Queen sized and the other a King. We weighed the King size and I was wrestling 10lbs worth of fabric under the sewing machine each time I sewed a new row of stitching. That project spanned two Christmases for my Sister and BROTHER-in-law and then the next Christmas they asked would I make one for his parents. So I had plenty of scraps to choose from to begin. Not only that but I had jeans donated to me as well from a lady my BROTHER-in-law had coming in his place of business that was a missionary to Mexico. They had gotten a bunch of blue jeans they couldn't use for whatever reason and she knew he was looking for more because of the project I was working on so she brought them to him! It was great because then I even had some different shades mixed in! And although I have not shared a lot of it on here those who are close to me know that I am a big recycler or anything I can make into anything else! So this kind of re-purposing was right up my alley!
Story aside now that I have rambled forever! I will tell you how I started the quilt.
I started with a HUGE piece of poster paper I acquired from somewhere and began to draw.
After that I started cutting away the parts I would not need to leave only the parts I would need in the darker part of the blue jean.
Sew them together to form a sheet of blue jean fabric. Follow the natural placement of how the fabric is wanting to go together, in other words do not force seams. You will have puckers and have to go back and take them out. If you have a ruler and a marker you can avoid this happening by drawing straight lines along the edges of all your pieces before sewing them together.
Another step but worth the hassle in the long run.
After everything is sewn make sure all seams are ironed flat on the back and then turn over on the front and press well with a heavy starch. You can follow this same method for constructing the sheet for the lighter colored jean material.
By trial and error I can help you out a little. I tried to adhere the darker to the lighter with fusible web. This is too hard! It doesn't want to stick simply because you are dealing with too thick of materials for the heat to transfer either one together well.
I recommend you pin and pin GOOD! If you have enough pins in something it is not going anywhere.
I have so many friends that tell me "I don't even own pins!" I ask them how do they possibly ever sew anything straight?
Adopt the mantra "Pins are your friends!"
After you have amply pinned all your pieces together, take a deep breath, sit down at the sewing machine and conquer that monster of fear that says "You can't do this and I WIN!". I say, "Stomp that monster like it is under your foot between your pedal and your foot!" And in my case my bare foot. I can't stand to sew with shoes on! I joked and said I was going to call my business Barefoot Sewing: Curl Your Toes Around Some String!!! I thought it was funny anyway!
Now for another picture!!!!
It came as a result of a gift that was given to me by my cousin Lacey while she was attending college. She was in a theatrical group at the time and a Jesus like my quilt was part of that "show".
She made a smaller version of that Jesus for my Grandmother for Christmas that year and everyone had a total fit over it and asked her to make them one. Including me!
So the next year to all of our surprise we got them for Christmas! I cried much as writing the story makes me do now. I am not sure if she will ever know how much that small gift meant to me and I keep it where I can see it daily and can think of her each time! She has married and moved to Tennessee now and it is all the more important to have something close to me to remind me of her. Now all I have to do is get at least one piece of Ashly's work!
The next year I had her name for Christmas and since she was still in college I thought I would make a blue jean version that she could hang on her wall. Imade it on a 16"x20" canvas. It was a lot of work but turned out better than I had hoped it would. I hope she really liked it.
From there I started thinking larger and decided I wanted to make that same design into an art quilt.
Hence Blue Jean Jesus: A Jesus For The World Today's World.
I had already made two blue jean quilts one Queen sized and the other a King. We weighed the King size and I was wrestling 10lbs worth of fabric under the sewing machine each time I sewed a new row of stitching. That project spanned two Christmases for my Sister and BROTHER-in-law and then the next Christmas they asked would I make one for his parents. So I had plenty of scraps to choose from to begin. Not only that but I had jeans donated to me as well from a lady my BROTHER-in-law had coming in his place of business that was a missionary to Mexico. They had gotten a bunch of blue jeans they couldn't use for whatever reason and she knew he was looking for more because of the project I was working on so she brought them to him! It was great because then I even had some different shades mixed in! And although I have not shared a lot of it on here those who are close to me know that I am a big recycler or anything I can make into anything else! So this kind of re-purposing was right up my alley!
Story aside now that I have rambled forever! I will tell you how I started the quilt.
I started with a HUGE piece of poster paper I acquired from somewhere and began to draw.
After that I started cutting away the parts I would not need to leave only the parts I would need in the darker part of the blue jean.
This is the image I drew and cut out from poster paper to transfer to my pieced blue jean that was darker in color. This is what layers over the lighter on the back.
Before I post another picture let me tell you how you need to construct your sheet or full piece of fabric from scraps. Selecg colors darker than what you will use for the background of the face, as close to the same tone as you can. It will make a difference in how it looks in the finished project.
Before you begin cutting these pieces from the blue jeans I recommend you buy a cheaper pair or scissors like the $1.99 pairs you can normally find at Hobby Lobby because when you get done with this project you will be lucky if they cut paper!
Another hint is get the heaviest needles you can. There are jean needles but for this you may find you will have to use what they call duct needles or leather needles. The heavier duty the better as long as your machine can handle them.
Also you need to get the orange/brown thread used in blue jean sewing. It will cost more and there is less on a spool but after sewing as much as I have on jean material I count this as a valuable hint that no one ever gave me!
Trust me you will be better off! I promise! You know this is what I always say so it must be true!
Before you begin cutting these pieces from the blue jeans I recommend you buy a cheaper pair or scissors like the $1.99 pairs you can normally find at Hobby Lobby because when you get done with this project you will be lucky if they cut paper!
Another hint is get the heaviest needles you can. There are jean needles but for this you may find you will have to use what they call duct needles or leather needles. The heavier duty the better as long as your machine can handle them.
Also you need to get the orange/brown thread used in blue jean sewing. It will cost more and there is less on a spool but after sewing as much as I have on jean material I count this as a valuable hint that no one ever gave me!
Trust me you will be better off! I promise! You know this is what I always say so it must be true!
Sew them together to form a sheet of blue jean fabric. Follow the natural placement of how the fabric is wanting to go together, in other words do not force seams. You will have puckers and have to go back and take them out. If you have a ruler and a marker you can avoid this happening by drawing straight lines along the edges of all your pieces before sewing them together.
Another step but worth the hassle in the long run.
After everything is sewn make sure all seams are ironed flat on the back and then turn over on the front and press well with a heavy starch. You can follow this same method for constructing the sheet for the lighter colored jean material.
Now you are ready to get started with the drawing of the face onto the back side of your sheet of fabric.
Whichever way you decide for you Jesus to go remember when you turn it over on the back to flip the image over to trace it or it will not face in the direction you had intended.
After the image is transferred you can begin cutting the image from the fabric.
This image will then be placed over the lighter sheet of jean.
By trial and error I can help you out a little. I tried to adhere the darker to the lighter with fusible web. This is too hard! It doesn't want to stick simply because you are dealing with too thick of materials for the heat to transfer either one together well.
I recommend you pin and pin GOOD! If you have enough pins in something it is not going anywhere.
I have so many friends that tell me "I don't even own pins!" I ask them how do they possibly ever sew anything straight?
Adopt the mantra "Pins are your friends!"
After you have amply pinned all your pieces together, take a deep breath, sit down at the sewing machine and conquer that monster of fear that says "You can't do this and I WIN!". I say, "Stomp that monster like it is under your foot between your pedal and your foot!" And in my case my bare foot. I can't stand to sew with shoes on! I joked and said I was going to call my business Barefoot Sewing: Curl Your Toes Around Some String!!! I thought it was funny anyway!
Now for another picture!!!!
Since I wasn't smart enough to take pictures of this project as I went and I am not about to make another one right now for blog purposes you will have to imagine each piece as it goes together.
This picture is at the stage where the back is sewn to the front and the crown has been cut, sewn and the beads have been glued on. Actually if you get right down to it, everything was done because this is the finished project.
The crown of thorns was cut from random cuttings of a small piece of very light jean I had. All I did to achieve this was take a pair of scissors to it and start hacking away in a wavy pattern. Then I laid them where I wanted them in a haphazardly manner and then ran them back and forth under the sewing machine doing forward and backwards stitches to keep from having to take it in and out. I made long rows of stitches where I could as it made it easier to get more of the strips sewn down so there were less to worry about holding down or getting tangled in directions I didn't want them going in. After I cut all my strings where I had picked up the presser foot and moved to another area and assessed where I needed to stitch more. You can tell there are areas that have no stitching except for where they intersected another piece. You want this so it looks more natural like the actual crown of thorns would have looked. It was rough and jagged. That is how Jesus got all the cuts on his head and why we see him with blood trailing down his face in pictures.
I chose to use glass beads for my blood. I had every intention of sewing them on by hand so they would never come off. But as luck would have it by the time I got to that part of things there were too many layers of jean to put a needle through to sew them on. So I went and found a good fabric glue and used it VERY generously and so far I have had no problem with it staying put! I have taken this to several shows and it has hung on exhibit. So if you do it right with glue I think it should be pretty durable. This is only if it is to be used as a show or art quilt. I can't vouch for it as a usable quilt.
These are all close up looks at how I did the bead work and the crown of thorns.
I faced out the sides with pillow ticking in a red color and around the patch with the actual Jesus on it I have some very dark jean material that it was placed on to stabilize the entire piece of work.
For the backing fabric that I cut big enough to be my binding for the front I chose Augsburg. I stitched from the front to the back around the facial features to give the face more dimension. This is not something you have to do but you do need to find a way to adhere the front to the back since this will not be quilted.
This is the picture you saw in the other blog I included it in. This is how the face looked when it was done.
I hope you have gotten something out of this today and if you have any questions about how any part of this was done please ask and I will be happy to answer your questions!
Also be sure to look for me on Pinterest. @ http://pinterest.com/candielous/
Something was wrong with the HTML so I wasn't able to place a button. Hopefully the link will work instead! If not you can find me by candielous!
Happy Crafting!
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