Labor Day

I hope everyone is having a good end of summer holiday.  We are still really dry but the temperatures are starting to work their way down and fall breezes are kicking up, further cooling things off.  A few days ago, a cold front blew through and the temperature dropped from 93 to 73 in less than an hour.  Here are some photos of the front as it blew through. 

The clouds over the barn are the same ones as in the previous photo:

Evelyn stayed right with me out in the front but Pearl went inside and hid under the desk:

We've had friends and family in for a cook out, last night, and on Saturday, I checked out the arts fair at the community college. 

I started and finished a small art quilt for my online art quilters group, (We are) the Baker's Dozen, but can't reveal it for another couple of weeks.  I'm happy with how it turned out and plan to enter it in the State Fair along with my Freedom art quilt:

and the Lady and the River:

 I can't show the latest, yet, but I named it "Princess Pearl." 

I've been making good progress on my latest art quilt.  I've named it Lady Melinda after a high school friend with gorgeous red hair (she's still gorgeous and so is her hair). 

I plan to make the lady's hair red (or reddish) in this one.  It's been coming together super fast but I took a break from working on it to rearrange my studio out in the barn.

I have three rooms in the barn and began painting the far west room, weeks ago.  It took a long time because I didn't want to have the dogs in there, with me.  They are, essentially, walking paint brushes.  Husband has been out of town, quite a bit and they freaked out if I left them in the house so I gave up and decided to wait until he was home.  I finally called it done, except the trim, and put away my painting gear.  It isn't my best work but I can live with it.  I need to ask Husband to mount a few mirrors and pictures.  There is a futon in there and it can be used for an extra bedroom if we have company. 

I'd originally set up the second room as an office but decided I'd rather have another full blown second sewing studio, instead (my regular sewing room is in the house).  I put up a large design wall and moved the desk away from the wall to the center of the room to be used for a sewing and work table. 

I put my enlarger out there because it has fewer windows and I can get a crisp image on the wall easier there than in the house (I use the enlarger to make patterns). 

I love the large design wall (made of foam board):

The flourescent lights make it bright and easier on the eyes to work.  I can use the "guest" room if I need/want natural light to sketch or check/choose colors:

Looking from the studio towards the guest room:

The rounded top under the middle table is a trunk of my mother's.  I use it for fabric scraps.  It is not actually touching the base of the table but it just the right size to slide under.  Because it is on wheels, it is easy to pull out to riffle through for scraps.

Yes, I really am licenced to practice law before the United States Supreme Court:

The ironing station is not really set up. I just wrapped the batting and cover that I plan to use around an extra ironing board. It will look tidy when it's done:

I think I may end up moving the table back towards the wall for sewing, and setting up a higher cutting table in the center.  Husband has an old work bench he says I can have that either needs to be sanded or a new top added that would be the right height for that.  I am going to set up a regular ironing station once husband cuts a piece of wood to cover with batting and a cover.

The third room is my longarm room.  I need to arrange my fabric, better.  At one point it was neat and tidy but I always seem to duck in, grab some fabric and head back to the house.

The cute, traditional scrappy quilt laying across longarm is one that I plan to longarm later this week for a neighbor of my father-in-law.  The room needs some repair work but I've backburnered that, for now. 

I'm enjoying my art classes but plan to skip tomorrow's drawing class and head up to Mimi's house this afternoon to "help" work cattle in the morning.  I 'spect she will mainly try to keep me out the way but hope to get some nice photos. I am sure I'll have fun. 

Off to pack for my overnight, take a few things out the barn and MAYBE work a little on Lady Melinda.

Happy Quilting, Penny, Evelyn and Pearl