On a Lark Studio: 2010

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Silkscreen family portrait

Pink party princess glitter extravaganza

So, my formerly tomboyish niece has fallen under the Disney princess
spell. For Christmas, I decided to make her some dress up clothes.
There was so much pink, glittery tulle and satin on my couch it made
my teeth hurt.

I'm pretty happy with how the two skirts turned out, but quickly
realized that she may hate them because they don't have crappy plastic
princess gems on the front.

So I went out and bought some. And hand-sewed them on. The irony here
is killing me.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Stocking #3

Stocking #2

Stocking #1

And yes, the photo is upside down. Seems appropriate somehow.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Quilt: Done

Ahem. Kindergarten started about eight weeks ago, and it pulled the rug right out from under us.

I finally finished the quilt some time ago, but I haven't had the time or mental space to post the photo. But here it is!

H was very pleased with it. She admired it, then pushed it to the foot of the bed and asked for her "red" blanket--the one that Tara made for her when she was a baby. Well then.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Kindergarten Blues

Picnic blanket sewn on B's first day of Kindergarten. Matches my mood
last week.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Estate sale finds

Driftwood sculpture, daisy tablecloth, metal canisters (old shortening
packaging apparently), sparkly blue earrings, and a tiny suitcase...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Dinosaur Silkscreen

I've forgotten the particular name of the dinosaur, but the artist (and model) here could tell you, along with many important details.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Binding has Begun

I've started the binding. I was very, very afraid. But after coaxing myself into it, I cut the binding across the grain (I had read in several places that cutting on the bias would be unnecessary and wasteful in this case). I pieced it together and sewed it to the quilt following (mostly) Heather Bailey's directions.

Now I need to hand-sew the binding to the front, and then wash and dry.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Quilt: Progress and Setback

I'm making progress on the quilt. I had no idea it would be so physically grueling. My shoulders ache. I'm no couch potato, but apparently I don't spend much time wrestling bulky objects with my arms straight out in front of me.

In general, I'm pleased with the results. But I didn't expect to have such trouble sewing a straight line. I sew from one edge of the quilt to the other, but my "straight" lines will suddenly veer off, or they'll hiccup. And I didn't really think about what Katie Did meant by a "slight diagonal." My angles at first were much wider, so I would leave great swaths unquilted.

And then I suddenly remembered the binding. I hadn't bought any fabric for the binding. This wouldn't be a problem except that I wanted to use the same fabric for the binding as I had used for the back. I went to the fabric store and -- of course -- they no longer have that fabric. I've ordered it online, so soon I'll be back in business.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Quilt, Day 2

I successfully sewed the back panels without my usual difficulties. My biggest problem with the next step? The cats. Only the squirt bottle kept them off my wrinkle-free quilt sandwich.

I've read about basting with pins, I've read about basting with needle and thread -- so when I ran out of safety pins, I switched to needle and thread. The pins took longer, but they do seem more dependable.

I've just installed my new walking foot, so tonight I plan to start quilting. I guess I'll find out if the basting worked.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Quilt 2, Day 1

This is actually the second quilt I've made, but the last was probably 25 years ago. Also, it was tied rather than quilted, which is why it is now sadly falling apart.

I've been inspired by the "Go-To Quilt" tutorial on katiedid. This will be a birthday present for H on her 3rd--and a way to celebrate the momentous transition out of the crib in our room and into the lower bunk in her brother's room.

She is helping me make it. The first step, apparently, is to make a tent with the fabric.

The next step involved piecing the yardage together to make the top. I measured 47 times and successfully cut using my new rotary cutter. "Are you cutting off fingers now?" she asked, remembering the lecture I gave them about the dangers of the cutter.

Because I am so smart, I remembered to mark the grain of the fabric so that, when pieced, all three panels would go in the same direction. I marked carefully, attached the outer panels upside down, and sewed masterfully away. Such is my sewing life.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Little Tiger

Her brother drew the tiger at her request.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

DIY Silkscreening

Following a great tutorial, we took kid art and silkscreened it onto thrifted t-shirts.

Monday, July 12, 2010

4th of July

The kids made flags for the 4th. One flag took quite a while to dry.

Dollhouse

Half-off sale at the thrift store today - couldn't turn it down.

I've already started transforming it with pots of tester paint
(doesn't the green look better?) It's like all the fun of interior
design in 1/10 the time! I want to see what I can do without spending
any money...

No idea where it's going when done. Mimi's? Obviously no space for it
here.

Vintage Metal Trays

Originally posted 7/6/2010

Nearly bought these exact trays at a thrift store 6 months ago.
Decided I didn't need them.

Found 14 of them today while thrifting. Decided the universe is
telling me I DO need them!

Birthday Crown

Originally posted 6/23/2010

I finished my first birthday crown in time for my nephew's 2nd birthday. I was clearly more excited about it than he was. Here it is on my own five year old--I forced him to model it.

What Was I Thinking??

Originally posted 5/13/2010

Well, I finished them late last night. Not sure what possessed me to
make three sets of *eight* napkins for teacher appreciation week.
Surely four would have been just as nice?

I think the fabrics really suit each recipient. S - a vintagey floral,
J - black (of course) with birds, and M - beachy with tropical colors.

AND, I learned an important sewing lesson. Change your needle. Often.
Especially when you are tired and frustrated by your machine. :)

It's an Assembly Line!

Originally posted 5/02/2010

There will be two of these. Matching set.

Violets and Cornflowers

Originally posted 5/o1/2010

My newest creation.

Easter Eggs

Originally posted 04/08/2010

I set these eggs out with a note for the Easter bunny, asking him to put them in the baskets he left for the kids. The kids recognized my handiwork (and the fuzzy brown yarn) immediately, and they were pleased that the bunny included my gifts in their baskets.