Getting ready for the New Year

I have been AWOL lately, but for good reason. I had my gall bladder removed on Tuesday. I am feeling better than I felt before the surgery, but I haven’t been in the Studio since I finished my secret Christmas gift, which ended up not being so secret since my sweet niece, Karolyn, reads my blog. Here is a picture of us with her new quilt. I hand dyed all of the fabrics and quilted it on my Bernina. Karolyn posted a Christmas video of “If Quilts Could Gossip”. Link on over, it is so wonderful and Yes, I am bias, she is my niece!

I love the colors of the hand dyes I used for Karolyn’s quilt. I think I’ll try to dye some more in these colors when I get back into the wet studio after the first of the year.
After the first of the year, my first project is to finish the truck quilt. I have ideas in my head for the quilting and I just have a little bit left to do on the painting. Then I’m going to continue on the quilt for the house. I’ve been collecting mixed media items for it. Stamps, surface techniques, keys (one for each grandchild), beads, misc. items that have family meaning. I made a trip to Artful Bead in Carrollton, TX and found some wonderful glass pieces to include. One day after a DAFA board meeting we made a field trip to the Stamp Asylum in Plano and I found some wonderful stamps! I am looking forward to getting back to it and using some of my new findings.
Then I have new projects in my brain. I’ve started sketching out one that started from my workshop day with Katie PM. It is in the enlarging stage right now.
While recuperating I am using some of the time to get started on “The Sketchbook Project”. I actually bought two new sketchbooks the other day. Both are small enough to fit in my purse and one of them has watercolor paper in it. I am really looking forward to this challenge and broadening my artistic abilities. Can’t believe that it is going to be the new year in just a few days!
To add to all of my new year art projects, I am going to spend more time in the kitchen this year. I love to cook, but “Mr. Wonderful” is also “Mr. Picky Eater”, much to the surprise of my mom 24 years ago. I am her child that would anything she put on the table, and I married “Mr. Picky Eater”. My response to her was “Well, he can fix anything that breaks around the house.” That got a smile out of her and she said she was glad I looked at it in such a positive way. Our meals have gotten very lazy and routine and with some of my health issues, I have decided to go Gluten Free. So far the things I have fixed have gone over well, especially the chocolate-chip cookies.
Okay, off to take care of a few other things on the computer and read my new cookbook.
Have a safe and happy New Year everyone! May it bring you health, happiness, and lots of paint, thread, fabric and mixed media!
Jules