Greetings from the Holyland

Arrived Monday. Spent some glorious time with Amit. He just keeps getting better!! Rotem also came over so we had a lovely evening.
Yesterday Inbal had to leave early so we drove Amit to daycare, dropped the car off at Inbal's work and hopped on a #63 bus. Walked down Allenby (feh) to Kikar Hamoshavot where I searched for Hebrew letter beads for my corset challenge. I found them but was not enamoured of them. Then I found a piece of "balsa" (the thin wood from which kite pieces are made)with punch-out Hebrew letters. I bought two, thinking I would punch out the letters, spray paint them either white or silver, punch holes in them and sew them to the blue waves. But once I punched out the letters, I figured I could use the "frame" they sat in as a stencil and fuse fabric letters to the waves or just fuse fusible letters and foil them. So many options. I also bought some more silver mirror-like sequins. All of which I have put in my suitcase, not to be used again until I get home. Back to the bead stores in which I showed terrific restraint by not shopping... From there we went across the street to Matalon Street and the toy stores to buy plastic fillable dreidls (one of Inbal's tasks as member of the daycare's parents' committee). From there we walked to Nahalat Binyamin to see the outdoor craft market. Not much new and exciting. Nahalat Binyamin Street is the official textile street of Tel-Aviv. I wouldn't mind going back another time to see the textiles. Hopped on the #63 back to Inbal's to await the return of Amit.
Today, we are both suffering. Menachem's jet lag has caught up with him. I ate something which didn't agree with me yesterday. So we're taking it easy. Menachem moved Inbal's chalkboard/bulletin board from behind the fridge to over the computer desk. (He didn't originally install it to be behind the fridge but when she got her dishwasher and the fridge moved, the bulletin board was behind it and we didn't get a chance to move it last visit.) And then some hooks by the front door. It's mid-day, Menachem is sleeping, I'm doing some laundry. Inbal may work late today so she took Amit to daycare by bike and we will pick him up with the car this afternoon.
So I guess that's all for now.

On a roll

Finished the binding. Have done my initial quilting of quilt 2. Meaning, the spaces between the rows of quilting seem too far apart to me. So I'm going to quilt in between them. Since I'm using a pre-programmed serpentine stitch, it's not going to take all that long. Then bind and another one done.
I was going to make small appliance covers for Inbal's appliances but don't want to cut the fabric until I measure twice. So I will quilt the fabric and do my cutting and sewing there.
Off to visit a farm...

Progress Report

1. Pj's finished. Much more complicated than I anticipated. Although Saul had provided me with "patterns" (i.e. he traced around the baby's shirt and pants), I downloaded a pants' pattern from the internet. It said 6-12 months. I think it's bigger. I made the flannel pants but when I put Saul's pattern against it, the legs didn't seem long enough. So I added a cuff. Hoping it's not too gigantic. And that it doesn't shrink too much when washed. The real stinker was the top. The orginal top -- did I mention that I was making the baby pj's from a woman's small size pair of pj's?. The original top had decorative stitching around the neck and the wrists. I didn't have a problem with the sleeves. But when I had finished constructing the top from Saul's pattern, I realized that the neck opening wasn't going to fit over the baby's head. So I opened one shoulder to insert velcro as a closure. Did I mention that the top was a jersey type slip around on the sewing machine get caught in the bobbin type fabric? Let's just say not the straightest and evenest of stitching. But it's done. I guess that's the reason I'm into abstract textile collage. If the pieces don't fit precisely, it's not that noticeable. Not that I do a sloppy job on purpose but stuff happens.
2. Baby wholecloth blanket. I finished the quilting in a diagonal grid pattern. If you look from the back, it looks like I was drinking while sewing... My mantra -- the big picture. Later, I will cut and sewing the binding.
3. 2nd baby wholecloth blanket. Not sure I'll get around to it. Maybe. Tomorrow's another day.
4. Hand puppets. I noticed that Amit likes playing with these two hand puppets he has. When my kids were small, their aunt and uncle brought them a gift of two sesame street like felt hand puppets (the fingers fit into the mouth, not the arms). And these puppets had vests with letters and/or numbers. I made about 10 more puppets myself (you don't have to hem felt...) and my kids loved them. I'm thinking of making a few puppets with Chanuka vests -- dreidls, candles, sufganiyot, latkes...
Anywho, that's where I am right now. Mid-afternoon and taking a break.

Unbeading

I started beading the biblical quote. The first word looked great. It was all downhill from there. So I've "unbeaded" it and am reconsidering how to put the wording on. Either letter charms, printing on ribbon, organza. Lots of ideas, not fully formulated yet.
In the meantime, I'm putting the piece away and getting ready for a weekend of utilitarian machine sewing. A wholecloth baby quilt, a pair of baby pj's someone has asked me to make from an adult size pair of pj's (apparently the whole clan wears the same pj's over the holidays). Maybe something else, depending on how the muse cooperates.

Fleece Quillow

Made. Gifted. Nuff said.
I started on the blue challenge. So far, I have a white textured background onto which I have fused serpentine 1" wide strips of different shades and textures of blue fancy fabrics. I have started beading parts of a biblical quote. It's a start. Not sure where it's going to end.

Peacock Blue

I was at Fabricland yesterday to buy some fleece to make a quillow-type baby blanket. Believe it or not, I bought my fleece, some matching thread, and did not look at anything else.

I have been looking at my blue fabrics in anticipation of my next piece. It's actually for an entry into a juried show. I may or may not enter it, but I'm using it as my next challenge. I have an idea but enough said. Off to work.