A Morning of Folk Painting

Even though my head has still been suffering from January-itis, I ventured into the studio (just a fancy word for the room at the end of the shed) to try and get the creative juices flowing.

I did the best thing I know to whet the appetite - a frolick through the pages of my folk painting books, collected over many years.  Although I have quite a few of these books, there used to be many more, but I ruthlessly culled through them some time ago, only keeping the ones that were my favourites.  One day I'll do a post and show you the ones I kept. 
Of course, most of these are by my favourite folk painter, Jo Sonja Jansen. 


Anyway, this is the book I picked to doodle out of - the 'Painted Tin' book.

I like the naive-ish/rusticky (don't you just love making up words!) style of these tin pieces, so I played around with some of the ideas to put on mini canvases.

Can you see the red jug on the top left?

I used that piece to paint this one first.

It made me so happy to just sit and paint and create this little birdy.

There hasn't been a lot of time lately to do things like this. 

I am now the carer for my sick mother, who we have just moved from Victoria to NSW to be near us.  That was 3 days after Christmas.  We had my sister's wedding with lots of visitors before that, etc. etc. etc.

So, to just sit and doodle with a brush, was, to say the least, refreshing.

I know I managed to crochet my afri-bag, but crochet is different.  You can just sit down at night and do it without much thinking.  Painting is different.  My husband doesn't appreciate paint splatters on the sofa.....

Anyway, after doing the first one, I decided to paint two more, but different.

A pale background, with the bird facing the other way and a few other little changes.

And a purple one, which looked like this half-way through -

And progressed to this -

And finally this -

Here are my 3 little birds in a row.

Cheers

Fi

Afri-Flower Bag Unveiling

I did mean to finish off kitty first.

Honest.

But, it was taking FOREVER to crochet those arms and legs, and after eating junk at Christmas, my head is not playing patient, soooooooo.........

The African Flower Bag!  (which saw here on ravelry)

I did my joining differently, choosing to have a visible ridge between blocks.

The side views.

I also chose to line mine, which the ravelry version wasn't.

I cut out the fabric to be roughly a centimetre wider than the crochet shape.

Then I pinned.

Then I clipped the inside corners.

Then  I turned the lining under and stiched to the crochet with sewing thread (cotton).  I made sure to stitch the lining underneath the top row of crochet, as that would need to be free to finish joining the bag.

Now it gets crocheted together to form sides.

I crocheted the handles on and the edging around the top of the bag.

Maybe next post will be the finished kitty cat - but I'm not promising anything......

cheers

Fi

African Flower Hexagon and Little Woollie's Kitty Cat

Happy New Year to All,

I am starting off the New Year in fine style, by 'having a go' at the African Flower Hexagon.

I used the tutorial at Heidi Bear's place here

Here are my first hex's

Don't you just love the flowery-ness of them?
I do.


My intention is to make a handbag like the one I saw on ravelry here.

But I can't really do the bag, until I finish the other project I started - the Kitty Cat from Little Woollie.

You can find the tutorial here.

Poor kitty has no arms or legs yet.

This is to sit on my daughter's bed - eventually.

I'll let you know how I go.


Cheers
Fi