Close Call

For ten chilling minutes, I thought I had left my small journal for the 75-day Challenge (a pen drawing a day) at work (meaning it would be lost forever). Wild thoughts raced through my mind, like "I won't be able to continue the Challenge...," despair. 












Then I checked my bag again and found it at the bottom (yeah, it's a big bag, has to be to carry art supplies and stitching). This made me realise how attached I have grown to this practice of diary entry, quote, sketch, take-a-line-for-a-walk, just using the humble ballpoint pen in black, green, blue or red. 




Fortunately, there are about 300 pages (6"x4") and I do both sides. I'm good for several years...as long as I don't lose it. Name & phone number are now on the first page.

Bag Jag, 4

Inching along in the wee hours of the night, listening to Piano Jazz, 

and looking at "textile bags" on Pinterest just for eye candy.

There's something about worn-jeans blue that speaks to my soul.

An agreeable evening...

A New Restaurant

We found a seafood restaurant in our end of town that was very good, to our surprise. The downstairs portion is a seafood shop, where there are also the cooks and grills. You can buy anything you want and take it home or have it grilled to go or have it grilled to eat in the restaurant upstairs. And what a selection of fish they had.

So I had a slice of grilled swordfish (divine) and some shrimp in a sauce and fried calamari (squid). Wonderful meal. While the calamari cooled I had time to do a quick sketch in my mini-maze book (one page is 2"x3"), then added watercolors at home.

Unfortunately, with temperatures soaring over 100 F. it was not the day to go there, because the air conditioner wasn't working...we'll go back again when it cools off!

Bag Jag, 3

In an effort to finish up smaller projects, I've been working on a jeans bag. I always wanted a jeans bag. Of course, I have a huge stack of old jeans (simply can't throw them out), so I could make a number of them in different styles. Here I wanted to use the pockets, well, just the whole top of the jeans, which has such a distinctive style. I made a cotton lining and zigzagged on two back pockets to each side, so I have four solid pockets on the outside and four on the inside. Nice engineering, if I do say so myself--although I haven't figured out the straps yet.

Then I found a pleasing plaid and picked out a couple of matching solids. More extreme needle turn adventures on the horizon! 

My Dressed Up Sewing Machine

    The action's over at MulticoloredPieces today.

Bag Jag, 2

Somebody left a canvas bag behind, signed, but a little worse for wear. Solid, however.

So I added a pocket and a fun fabric around the sides and bottom.

And another pocket got added on the other side, plus a pocket on the inside. 




I'm wondering if the original owner is going to want it back....

A Tunisian Wedding

Last night a local farmer invited us to his eldest daughter's wedding, so we attended the outdoor celebration. Fortunately, the weather was lovely.

Because my maze sketchbook is palm size and easily fits into my fancy purse with a pen, I whip it out (discreetly) and draw while nibbling on pastries and sipping lemonade. Fast pen sketches. I might add color later; it's a mini-coloring book.

The bride and groom sit on a decorated platform in front of all the tables for guests, and then come down from time to time to dance to the music with all the young men and women (a sort of modified belly dancing).

My husband gets the idea:"Ok, when you finish the drawing, we'll go home." 

I had a good time!

Rosie Revisited

Rosie the Riveter, the iconic poster girl of WWII that encouraged women to go work in munitions factories and the aviation industry (as if they didn't have enough to do already) is becoming Tessie the Tailor. 


A work-in-progress, this is an illustration rather than a sketch, I suppose. I've had this idea floating around in my head for awhile...Having fun with permanent Copic marker and Prismacolor pencils.

A Friend

Life returns to "normal" as we move into Autumn. Having recovered from the invasion of kids and grandkids, Sketch Club members met peacefully and chose a cartoonish holder to draw using coloured pencils (members are now equipped with Prismacolor pencils--v-e-r-y nice). I sketched my friend sketching as well. She was so absorbed she didn't even notice I had changed my subject. 

She says she'll have to pay more attention at the next meeting...

Bag Jag, 1

I must be on a bag jag. At least three wait quietly on a hook to be finished and I feel an urge to finish them so I can have them for school. Brighten the environment a bit... 

As I'm flying by the seat of my pants, just improvising, I have to think about engineering for utility and sturdiness. I had made two patched rectangles while working on another project. I decided to use old, patched jeans for the sides, bottom and straps, dipping into that big pile of worn jeans that I don't know what to do with and can't throw out. I like the design at the bottom where I took out the hems. Lining with pockets next...

Zooming Along, 5

It would seem that I have actually finished something. Really enjoyed adding the side stitching that gives a bit more depth to the overall wild design. Did I mention that the peachy orange is the colour I hate most in the world? It redeems itself by making the blues pop.

I'm reconsidering the interior pockets--do I need to add more? Pockets are key to organization.

Now I can go to school and shock the students with my wild bag. I have a reputation to maintain...