Necklace on a budget

I was in desperate need of a 'statement' piece to wear to a fancy party (for more info on that... go to www.debhathaway.com). With a very limited budget and only 24 hours... I was able to throw together a 'knock 'em dead' necklace for a total cost of $14!!!

Here's how...

First stop... Charming Charlie's. If you haven't been to one of their stores yet... I urge you to track one down in your area and go check it out. They have inexpensive costume jewelry and more... all color co-ordinated!!!

I found a bracelet for $10 that I thought would make a great necklace. So I bought it... then headed to Michael's Arts and Crafts and purchased extra chain for $3.99. Grabbing a pair of needle nose pliers... I combined the two.

Using the pliers I simply disconnected the excess chain on either end of the bracelet... setting aside the clasp. 

Next, using a tape measure, decide how long you need your necklace to be. Subtract the length of the beading. Cut new chain to the resulting measurement... then cut that into two equal lengths.

Attach a piece of new chain to each side of beads. Reuse the clasp... and attach to one end. Use one of the larger links from the original chain and attach to other end. Ta-Dah!!! A brand new fabulous necklace for the price of a bracelet!!!

Two Hours With A Stranger

I'm just zooming along with this needlepoint stuff! I actually finished this ornament in a reasonable amount of time. I guess getting stuck on a tarmac in Atlanta for two hours, with nothing else to do helped.

A-ha! Another reason to have a real book with you when traveling!! The captain pulled the airplane out from the building and got a warning light that the brakes were malfunctioning. Since we were no longer at the gate, no one was allowed to use their mechanical devices (anything with an ON/OFF switch). Not only did I have a book to read... while others could not use their eBook... but I had this needlepoint in my bag to finish.

Since the guy sitting next to me had nothing to do, I decided to stitch while he talked. Interesting fella!!! He flew into Atlanta from NJ for only one day. He hadn't seen his girlfriend in a few weeks... she was flying into Atlanta from Costa Rica... so he flew in to surprise her and take her out to dinner!!! Wow!!! Speak about a display of affection!!! Be still my beating heart!!!

Anyway... any time I look at this piece I will remember this guy and how sweet he was to make such a grand gesture... AND to tell me about it. He's such a 'peach'. Now... tell me... where can I find a guy like that?

Finally Finished!!!

A few years ago I took a trip to Hilton Head, SC and was so excited to see the Harbour Light... the iconic symbol of Sea Pines.

Imagine my surprise when I learned the lighthouse was not an old relic who helped navigate war ships at sea. There was never a light house keeper, or any stories of maintaining the light during storms. No, this lighthouse was built with private funding, started in 1969 and finished in 1970.

I'll admit, I was disappointed. I have seen so many 'real' lighthouses up and down the coast... and after paying a small fee to even enter the area, I was really taken aback when they charged yet another fee to walk to the top of the lighthouse to look out over the shops. Actually... I laughed. It was ridiculous!

Later that week I was in a  needlepoint shop searching for a canvas that was local to the area. I settled on the Harbour Town Lighthouse as a reminder of how funny I thought the whole thing was. When I got home I tucked it away to do 'later'.

So much happened since that day... including selling most of my possessions and packing up the rest to move. I honestly thought I lost the canvas in the move. I was bummed.

A few months ago I unearthed it... and let out a cheer! Whoop! I brought it along with me on my trip south and worked diligently until it was finished. I finished it TONIGHT!!! Take a look!

If you look very, very close you will notice I used beads on the star, and sparkly thread to help make the lighthouse shine. Now I have to finish it off into a pillow.

Now that THAT'S done... I'm on to my next project.

I-Scream!

I-Scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!

I wanted to become proficient at painting birthday cards with birthday cakes on them... but after only painting a few cards I got bored... so I reverted back to my comfort zone. Birthday candles and Balloons were the designs that flowed freely from my brush.

Until I got bored... Again.

I had to ask myself... what do I think of when I think of birthdays??? The answer was clear as day...

ICE CREAM!

So I put my mind on cruise control and let the scoops flow off my brush. Maybe it was just that it was hot outside... but I think I did a pretty good job.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Challenge

It's time to do something I have NEVER done before... enter a QUILT CHALLENGE!

The New York City Metro Modern Quilt Guild (say THAT three times fast) AKA... NYC MOD
is hosting a Quilt Challenge using the traditional block Double Wedding Ring. The challenge is affectionately called... DWR Challenge and you can find the 'rules' HERE.

Housesitting in the south for the past month has left me at a bit of a disadvantage. All of my tools, fabric stash and supplies are back home... but I didn't let that deter me from starting the challenge. As a matter of fact... it forced me to search out quilt shops in an area I wasn't familiar with. Oh SHUCKS!!!

It took three shops to find my mecca. The first two shops were great... but focused more on traditional quilting like Civil War fabrics and such. Totally not me. The third shop was the charm!

From the moment I checked out their website I knew I had found my 'happy place'. The actual store is just as thrilling!  Intown Quilters located in Decatur, GA carry an entire section of my beloved designer Kaffe Fassett... and if that alone wasn't enough to get my creative juices flowing... then the adjoining wall displaying almost every Kona Cotton color certainly had me doing cartwheels!!

In my dreams... if I ever owned a quilt shop...this is EXACTLY the one I would have. Bright, cherry, full of fun fabrics... and a wonderful staff!

So... I'm drooling all over the Kaffe Fassett fabrics and the light bulb pops on... I'll make the Double Wedding Ring Challenge out of Kaffe's fabric!!! Yes!!!! Mixing traditional blocks with new ideas is what Modern Quilting is all about!!!

I rushed back to the house and just couldn't go to sleep (or eat) until I cut out my blocks. It took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to position the design in the same manner as what was in my head. Finally by midnight I was happy with the design. Now... to sew it all together.

Here is the beginning of the layout.

A bit bright huh! Well... that's Kaffe for you. 

Keep an eye on this site for updates. There are three different categories for the challenge and I intend to submit in each of them. I'll post pictures as I move along.

You can read the original post on my other blog... Deb Hathaway.

Painting 'loosey goosey'

I woke up yesterday with the urge to dust off my watercolor paints, shake out my brushes and hunt down some watercolor paper... and paint the day away. I'm pretty excited about the results.

Once I started I easily got in the 'zone'.













Normally I am very controlled and tight with my art work. It takes me a lot to loosen up. My sister-in-law once advised to drink a glass of wine before I started to paint. It was too early in the morning to drink... so I decided to think 'painterly' and just let the paint flow.

I have alway drooled at how easy other artists made it look. A dab of color here, a drawn line there and ta-dah... a beautiful painting. I struggle to make my art look so carefree. I find I grip the brush too tight, get hunched up too close to my work and pre think every stroke I make. If I play some classical music and not think about what I'm doing, the art paints itself.

Go ahead... give it a try!!!

Insane?

Sometimes I worry about my sanity. No, seriously, I do!! As I get older I find it more difficult to concentrate on one specific thing. My brain cells have either decided it's time to take a well deserved vacation, or they are dying off one by one.

Here's a case in point...

I sew as easily as most people breathe. At the tender age of twelve my mom taught me to sew an A-Line skirt. I remember my excitement at the fabric store. Madras plaid was all the fashion back then... patchwork madras to be exact! I loved the colors, the style, the feel of the cotton... So that was my first fabric choice.

When we got home, my mom took the pattern out of the paper envelope, explained the grain line markings on the pattern... and the grain lines of the fabric... then left me alone! Completely alone... to learn by myself!! This skirt had a lining, a zipper, and a waistband... and I had never sewn before! ACK!!! Whenever I would go to her and ask a question I was told... "Read the pattern. What does it tell you to do?"

I should also mention... my mom used to teach beginning sewing for The Singer Company. Silly me to have thought I had an inside scoop. Mom was of the belief that any ninny who could read, could also learn to sew... without her help. So... with scissors in hand, and a sewing machine at the ready... I taught myself to sew by reading the McCall's pattern.

I hit a snag when I had to line the skirt. We didn't purchase any fabric for that. So... cautiously I interrupted my mom's reading and asked about that little problem. Without saying a word, she got up from her chair and walked down the hall to the linen closet where she pulled out an old white bed sheet and said, "Here, use this", as she held it out towards me.

In the end... Mom helped with the zipper when she saw me struggle. Now, as an adult I realize she wasn't really reading at all, but keeping a watchful eye on my progress... and teaching me I could do anything I wanted in life if I put my mind to it. Ah... sewing as a life lesson... who knew???

Nothing stopped me after that. I sewed all my own clothes. Dresses, shirts, vests, culottes (remember those?), slacks and more. I would use the money from my baby sitting jobs to purchase my fabric. That old black Singer just kept humming. When I earned my first REAL paycheck from my first ever REAL job at the age of 16, I purchased my very own Singer!!! It zig-zagged... and did button holes!!!

Forty Six years later and I am still going strong. I no longer sew clothes... except an occasional semi-formal dress for my daughter, sticking mostly to quilts and curtains.

Any way... the point being... I can sew... and I do it without even thinking. So imagine my panic a few weeks ago when I sat down at the machine and KNEW I had to put the presser foot down, but didn't know HOW????

My mind was BLANK!!! I knew it had to go down in order to form a stitch. I knew there was a lever to make that happen. But I didn't know where the stupid lever WAS. I perched my glasses up on my head, scrunched down as close to the presser foot as I could, and stared intently at the mechanism. The lever had to be here somewhere... right??? I looked and looked, but couldn't find it.

"This is ridiculous", I said to no one.

With that... I stood up and arched my aching back. Walked to the kitchen and got a sip of water. Shook my head a few times and sighed. Went back to the sewing machine, sat down, and automatically my right hand flipped the lever and the presser foot went down. Ta-Dah!!! Obviously I was thinking 'too hard' before.

Yesterday one of my daughters was getting on my case for repeating stories I apparently have already related. SIGH! My mind has gone to mush. This little family scene reminded me of an essay I read on Facebook... something about a letter from an older mother to her daughter. I soooooo wanted to repeat it my daughter, but didn't know how it began. Through the super powers of Google, I was able to track it down. So... just in time for Mother's Day I give you...

The Found Essay: Letter from a Mother to a Daughter*

“My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago.” Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way. Remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair, and dealing with life’s issues every day. The day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient, or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad—just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you, my darling daughter.”

                    *****************************************************************************************

Although I am not as old as the mother in this essay... yet... it was still worth sharing with my daughter now.  I hope I am still on this Earth to have to remind her again when it's time.

I am thankful I had read this before my mom passed away earlier this year. It reminded me I need to slow down and be more patient with her... that getting old is rough for everyone... and that a little understanding goes a very long way.

So... I'm getting old, and forgetful. Oh well... it's better than the alternative! To quote Mark Twain...

"Do not complain about getting old. It is a privilege denied to many."

I'm not complaining!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you lucky women with kids!!! I have yet to find a more happy, loving, and satisfying position in life than being a MOM!!!