Getting Back to Work

Wood, Mache & Glass

    It does feel good to get back to work. I havent been of mind to do much lately, everything seems overwhelming and I havent been able to concentrate like 'normal'. The children have been keeping me busy~ Emma got her first elk a bit after Christmas, and Josh has been building a forge...hes out there now hammering away and I see a nice butter knife with rebar handle in my future.... 

Got a few dollys finished.  I think the expression on Marida's face is a direct reflection of my own...kind of ho hum.....waiting for a nice cup of tea.  I wanted her to look primitive...like something Mamma would have made for her little girl from things found round the house...her clothes are hand stitched from late 18th ~ very early 19th c print from a quilt back portion

  I gave her a wig of real human hair...not my own. I have all sorts of antique hair that was saved probably for hair jewelry, but never got made up. Sometimes I use my own hair, but I liked this color, its dark but has kind of red hue to it if you get it in the light and goes well with her complection. Its stitched on over a cotton skull cap, and yes, I sat and braided it by hand.  I like how it came out, simple, but with lots of character. She will go on eBay later this week.

 My work has stacked up over Christmas,  this past Wed. was my first full day of work back out in the shop, and I have to say, it did much to make  me feel better. I love to work wood, I really do. Drilled out 17 slate frame pairs and have started to saw out the mortoises

  Of coarse I was working on my casket when lil Biskie got hit by a car, so it has been extremely difficult to get back to it since. I was working on a specific portion of the angel's gowns (where was mine & Biskie's when he needed it???) so I have added some little brown beads that are same color as his little nose in that spot.... It's been too hard for me to concentrate to count beads since,  and these are so small, I just can't see them when my eyes well up....

 But I had these pieces done, so I have gone ahead and stitched them on to finish their gowns....minus the sashes

 I don't think I like them very much, honestly, but I'm not taking them off. Perhaps when they get their hair I'll like them better....I'm not diggin little baldies...or maybe it's just angels in general.... I don't know.

But before I can do their hair, I have to make their wings....so for the next while, I'll be making feathers....well over 100 I need, of differing sizes...the small ones take me about 20 minutes to make one, so it will be a while.  I have decided to make the Quiltmania 2018 Mystery Quilt this year, because I have been feeling a need for patchwork...so am very much looking forward to that starting the end of this month.