What if I just discovered I love variegated thread? I used it here - it is a subtle change from color to color, all browns - but a different more living/natural? look than a solid color. I like it.
I have collected so many art supplies over the years - many I still have from college - people give them to me - I save everything, too much usually. But I really very rarely have to buy anything to use in what I make - which is nice. It makes buying anything art related feel like a splurge! So this morning was a splurge - I have new pigma pens - my others were getting a bit dried out. I tried the new ones out on this old dishtowel I had set aside to use for whatever - it has such nice texture.
I was liking this thing less and less the more I worked on it. I machine stitched into the green/blue fabric with a radial kind of plan. It had a crispness or cleanness or something that I really did not like. The color choice was wrong, lots of things. Whatever the problems I decided to use it to revisit something I had done a few years ago on a piece that I gave away. I completed all the stitching and then dampened the entire thing with water and painted it with diluted Setacolor transparent fabric paint in a brown/rust color. Let it air dry - skipped the ironing step of setting the paint - and then washed it in just water and dried it. Now it looks like I accidentally buried it in the yard for a year or so and then dug it up. Much better.
Not much sewing or blogging done lately - but thoroughly enjoyed a fall break this past long weekend with my big boy home from school a few days and house guests and family gathering, walks outside and cider making. Some ideas bumping around in my head - thinking things through until I have a chance to carry them out. Smallest boy on possibly permanent nap strike - which eliminates my most favorite sewing time - but I will work it out somehow. Just managed to almost squeeze out two halloween costumes at the last minute - one still needs to be finished.
I "framed" two of the neutral blocks with a dark brown border + a few bits of lighter browns. The darkest color was a thrift store find - men's cotton printed shirt. I am experimenting with a visual frame on this. Also wanting to get one example of these neutral pieced blocks ready for some quilting. I can only sit in front of the machine for so long - it's time to have something more portable ready for fall trips to the playground and sitting on the patio. My sweet old goldie was relaxing this morning in my natural lighting photo spot - so her head became part of the photo. She just wouldn't budge for even a second. The rain is coming and she knows we will have to close the door soon...
Last week I received a wonderful big big box of fabric samples from a friend. Every time I have another look through the box I find lots of pieces I hadn't seen before...thank you so much, Nikki!! 
These overflowing bins of fabric and thread are an excellent representation of what my brain feels like now. I have loads if ideas in need of some organization before I can pull any of them off. I have not started my new sketchbook yet this year - it is kind of a ritual with me to begin a new sketchbook each year. Doodling and sketching also keeps me from going completely mad during the winter months leading into spring - the first 20 pages or so always filled with seedling and plant drawings. Once I have organized myself this weekend - I hope to begin to experiment a bit with the many supplies of fabric and thread that I have.