UFO Olympics

I've decided to join Lynn Krawczyk and participate in the U.F.O. (Un-Finished Objects) Olympics while watching the numerous Olympic events with my boys.

Here are the basic rules for the UFO Olympics as originally devised by Lynn (with additional comments from me):
1) The project must already be started. It does not matter if it is half done or just started. Just not something new. (note from Cathy: Lucky me, I've endless possibilities to choose from!)

2) The size and scope of the project does not matter. It can be as simple as finishing knitting a pair of socks or completing the quilting for a large quilt. Quantity of projects completed does not matter, just shoot for finishing at least ONE thing. (Since I don't knit, I will not be finishing any socks ... yet!)


3) You must finish one thing before moving on to another U.F.O. Again, the whole goal is completion, completion, completion. Flitting about with fiber art ADD will not get you anything. (This may be the toughest rule to stick too, which makes it the easiest one to break?)


Won't you join us in UFO-Olympics?
Drag out those projects! Finish them up! Clean off the work table in your studio! Wipe the slate clean!
The glee of finishing one or more UFOs will surely match that of the Olympic competitors earning their gold, silver and bronze medals!

Ready? Set? GO!!!

I am starting with my Breaking Traditions piece -- after all, that deadline is fast approaching!

"The Last Knit"

This animation by Laura Neuvonen, titled "The Last Knit," is so clever that I felt compelled to share it with everyone. While I, myself, do not know how to knit (yet), I can crochet simple things. In fact, I dream of knitting socks.

Why socks? I have no idea other than that unique and funky socks have always tickled me and make me smile......and knit socks need not match, right?

"When knitting becomes an obsession."

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do. Without further ado ....



Directed by Laura Neuvonen
Country Finland
Year of Production 2005
Running Time 7 minutes

Viewed over 1,000,000 times before being posted here!

Old Oaks Ranch

Does it look like this alpaca is laughing? He is! (or is she a "she"?) The smile is because ...
my, oh my, much to my surprise, I have no photos of the luscious yarns inside the Old Oaks Ranch in Wimberley. I do have these ....


Looking past the resting alpacas, you can see the building housing the Fiber Arts Center at Old Oaks Ranch. This building holds the wonderful fibers, the looms, and the huge variety of accessories for fiber art of all kinds which I raved about in yesterday's post. You will just have to take my word for it.

Now for some of the sculptures .... eye candy of a very different sort ...

First, the Jack Rabbit, a common critter of the Texas countryside. This one tickled my fancy and was the reason I got out my camera ... once you take one photo, it is easy to take more ....
Is this a buzzard or a wild turkey? The draught in this part of Texas has the wild turkeys seeking water and food from the country homes. Every time I visit my friends here, I am greeted by at least one or three or more turkeys as I pull into their drive!
We were fortunate to meet Joseph Waldschmidt of Waterscape Design, who is building a new water feature here. It's not much to see now, but will feature a koi pond with a natural stone structure over it. Anticipated finish date: next month! I look forward to seeing this on my next visit.
This hermit crab will have a new home, after the waterscape is complete.


Don't you wonder what she is pondering? Or is she simply enjoying a quiet moment on a lazy summer's day?

There are abstract sculptures too -- and many that are kinetic, moving in the wind. I love this dusty cactus next to the abstract art form.

OK, the dust is from a truck that just rumbled by -- but I love the look it adds.

These three bears are my absolute favorite. They look as if they are sharing a great joke. The water cooler is a funny touch (it belongs to Joseph and his crew building the waterscape, not this bear trio).

I couldn't resist sharing my friend Emily -- wonder what joke she and the bear are giggling over? Emily will be taking classes here at Old Oaks Ranch. Isn't she lucky?

Here is the front door to 'Cella's Fabric Shoppe, the quilt shop for the Wimberley area residents. We could see some neat fabrics visible through the windows, but the lights were off and the door was locked ....
Looking at each of the signs on the door, I spied the "Everything on sale 35% off" (yea! my lucky day!) when Emily read aloud ...

"Need a short vacation.... I'll be CLOSED Friday and Saturday ... ". So we left without ever stepping inside .... I guess I was hungry for lunch anyway.
'Cella, I will be back to meet you some day ....

My wander in Wimberley

Have you ever wandered through a small town to discover a great little shop full of eye candy? Such was my delight today, thanks to my good friend, Susan Agee. On our way to the quilt shop in Wimberley, we popped into the Old Oaks Ranch -- a small fiber art mecca just outside of town. I do not exaggerate. This small yarn shop and fiber art studio is filled to the brim with luscious yarns (some spun from their own alpacas), as well as supplies for the entire gamut of fiber art explorations.

Beyond the yarn, the looms and all the fiber art supplies, the Old Oaks Ranch also has alpacas and a wonderful Sculpture Garden, with a new water feature currently under construction. Unfortunately you must wait for photos until I find my gizmo to download the few shots I took. ..... more to come .... promise.

Oh, about the quilt shop, 'Cella's Fabric Shoppe ... it was closed today (rats!). I guess even quilt shop owners deserve a little vacation now and then. Not to worry, I will be back in Wimberley one day and promise to visit Cella's then.

just for fun ...

Ever wondered how many people share your name?
I now know there are 23 of me in the grand ol' U.S.A.

If you have a minute to play, click below and see how many share your name...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 23 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Two more BJPs completed

Yippee, I've finished two more of my 12 Bead Journal Project pieces for the 2007 year. May I present to you: February's "Hearts all over"


"Hearts all over" has a background of several red cotton fabrics crazily pieced together. Then ribbon velvet hearts and heart-cutouts were stitched on top along with a curvy slice of fabric backed by felt. I used plain craft felt as my stabilizer this time (instead of Peltex/Timtex which I've used for most of my BJPs). Red beads in all sorts of shapes and sizes were added next. To finish the piece, I zigzagged it onto a second piece of deep red felt for the back.

To view all my BJPs to date, click here. Or to start at the home page of the Bead Journal Project's website, click here.

Here is my tenth BJP, March's "In Honor of NASA"

This BJP started as a simple postcard years ago, with just the shiny spaceship (recognize the shuttle?) flying through space, spewing the gas flames behind it -- no beads or embroidery anywhere. I happened across it this summer, took off the cardstock back and proceeded to add first a little quilty stitching to the shuttle and then the beads -- two star shapes, tube beads in the jet gases, and seed beads to spell NASA, the common name for our USA space program. NASA's full name is "the National Aeronautics and Space Administration" - originally established on July 29, 1958.
Happy 50th Birthday, NASA!

Where were you when the first man walked on the moon? Or, for the younger ones, where were you when the Space Challenger exploded? Can you believe we send astronauts to live in space for months at a time now? Or that an Astronaut lives in my neighborhood and is the Cubmaster of my son's Scout Pack? I can only wonder what the next 50 years will bring, for both space exploration and cyber-space adventures?

P is for Patsy

P is for Patsy, who has been waiting patiently since May for my arch. As per my usual, I am running behind with my Textile Challenges Yahoo group. Thirteen of us are doing a yearlong swap -- making one arch per month for each other.

My goal: to create an arch with a Victorian feel.

Techniques used: The letter "P" was made using hot glue from a hot glue gun, a fun technique explored earlier this year. Basically squirt the hot glue onto parchment paper, and while the glue is flowing, write the letter or shape that you desire. Let the shape (or shapes) dry, then paint. I used Jacquard Lumiere paints here -- two or three different colors. Let the paint set at least 24 hours -- longer is even better. Warning: you cannot heat set this paint as heat will remelt the hot-glue, thereby changing your original shape (ask me how I know this, if you dare).

The letter was stitched onto the oval frame, then circled many times with a rayon-y fiber. A fancy tulle was rouched over a pleated white batiste in the lower portion of the arch. An embroidered linen fills the top of the arch with a snippet of bridal lace adding the final touch. The entire arch is bordered with a trio of fibers, leaving a loop at the top for fun.

I hope Patsy likes this especially since she's been waiting so long for it. My apologies to her for my tardiness -- now onto create my June piece for Mags .... and July for ..... well these friends know who they are (and that I'm working as fast as I can, promise!)
I'd chat longer but I need to dash to keep my creating momentum going as I try to "keep even" on my behind-ness (if that is possible) or at least not fall further behind.