what I've been up to lately

I've been busy doing a variety of things. I still have to finish the face of my summertime cat, seen in previous posts.  And I'm also working on something for an ornament exchange. Here it is so far. This is what I do in the evenings in front of the tube - handwork!

I'm putting beads on all the ornaments to look like sprinkles. I made Christmas tree cookie ornaments for my very first ornament exchange, just like the one on the stocking.

I also made some jam, of all things. It's my first experience, and I found out how much work it was! I made strawberry-rhubarb jam with homegrown strawberry guava juice. It only made six jars, and one of them didn't seal so we have to keep that one in the fridge and use it up. :-) Hmmm, I think it would taste good on cornbread. Maybe I'll make some for tomorrow night.

I'm also working on a jacket. Half of the squares are recycled from an ugly old peach-colored jacket. The jacket was silk - I dyed both the silk and the inner acetate lining, first with Koolaid and then with Jacquard silk paints. I also did some stamping on them. The color turned out better than the photos. I was amazed at how pretty the acetate lining colors turned out.

 The photos show the unfinished shell, and I'll add a red lining and a big arty button. I'm thinking of making a button from a rusty old flattened bottle cap! I'll put a cork backing on it, so it's not so thin. Notice I kept some details from the jacket, such as buttons from a cuff. Elsewhere there are buttonholes and a tag sewn into the lining fabric. I'm having fun with this project!