Dragon magic bow and arrow painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Little Stories – Lost Pages And More

Dragon magic bow and arrow painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

Today I have quite a list of things to share with you.  New finishes and projects.  The revival of a  linky party and news of an upcoming giveaway.  Also, there’s a new place in the shop for The Girl And Her Cat.  I called the very first post of this year Little Stories.   It is a blend of the many things I worked on during the long winter break.  I miss sharing the little things that I come across now and then and I almost always have a little story or an anecdote to go with my work.  I thought I’d make Little Stories a series.   So, without further ado, let me show you around.

 

 

After The Storm Print @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

After The Storm

 

Twitter Art Exhibit is an event where artists send their works to be sold for different charities each year.   This year, all proceeds will go to the L_I_N_C, supporting leukaemia and other blood cancer patients and their families.

Last year I injured my right hand very badly.  For a while I couldn’t even hold a pencil, let alone draw and carve for a relief print.   Thankfully, they extended the deadline and I was able to finish this print.   I am happy to say that it got sold within the first day of the online shop opening.  That made me incredibly happy.

 

 

 

Knitting WIP @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

My hand has also mended enough for me to knit again.  The background in the photo is a cardigan that I finished knitting, now waiting for a zipper.  The front is a hat that I am currently knitting using wool that I purchased on our travels.  Hopefully I will be able to share the finishes here soon, along with pattern links and review.

 

 

 

Wandering Camera photography and arts linky party @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

We decided not to travel this year.   Since I really miss travel photography,  I thought I would take this chance to go through old travel photos and share them here.  Wandering Camera linky party is coming back.  It not only motivates me to work on my photos, I also love seeing yours.  If you follow me via email, you will get a reminder.

 

Even though I miss the excitement and wonder of visiting a new country, I am content with wandering in my painting books for now.

 

 

Paintings From The Lost Pages Book

 

Here are the last few paintings from the Lost Pages book.   Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos and read the captions.

 

 

 

I finished this book on my birthday.  Since I am squarely a winter girl,  I thought it would be apt if  The Girl And Her Cat were enjoying the aurora during an Arctic dawn.

 

 

 

Dragon magic bow and arrow painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

This one is really special to me.  I painted this bow and arrow imbued in dragon magic for protection and strength for an old friend who was going in for cancer surgery the next day.  The Girl And Her cat brought him to safe harbour though the storm.

 

Lost Pages Paintings

 

You can see all the paintings from the Lost Pages book together at the above link.   Each page of this book tells a little story.  

 

 

 

Little sketchbooks for painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Here is the latest stack of books I have made for painting since December of 2020.  They are all named and at least one of them is an illustrated story.   Most of them are about The Girl And Her Cat.

 

A Thank You

 

I really want to thank each one of you for visiting me and leaving such wonderful encouraging words, not to mention continuing to purchase from my shop.  Each sale is very special to me, whether it is a quilt pattern or a an art print.   The sales enable me to make donations to my favourite shelters and humane societies.  I will have a special Thank You giveaway next month.  Stay tuned!

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

 

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A Flurry Of Blankets

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

A few months ago, I reorganised my atelier a little bit, shifting my sewing and painting supplies around.  During that time, I found a large cut of fleece I had purchased a very long time ago to make a blanket with for when we go camping.  That started a flurry of blanket-making, ending with a total of four – two for us humans and two for the furry ones.  I even knitted one of them.

 

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

All the fleece blankets I made are double-layered.  I love cold-weather camping in the High Sierras.  Even with 0F-rated sleeping bags, a little extra warmth is very nice to have during the chilly nights.  This is going to be our camping blanket.  That is, of course, not going to stop me from using it at home dreaming of the camping days.

 

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

The second blanket I made was a present for my husband for his birthday.  It’s a Marauder’s Map fleece print I found at JoAnn.  I purchased 3 yards of the fleece, and for the backing I got 3 yards of the snowflakes print.  I used 2.5 yards of each for the blanket. 

 

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Unplanned, it fits the day bed in his home office perfectly.

 

 

 

 

I kept the remnant of the Marauder’s Map fleece for another project.  With the remnant of the snowflake fleece I made a little blanket for the kitties.  As I was attempting to take a photo of it, Charlie showed up and claimed his blanket and I was unable to move him.

 

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

For the fleece blankets – after rounding off the corners with an old CD, I stitched all around the blanket with 1/4″ seam allowance, keeping a large a gap on one side to turn it over.  I clipped the corners, offsetting the top and the bottom pieces.  I think the corners lie a little flatter that way.  I was too lazy to take the serger out.  After turning the blanket, I used a zigzag stitch on my sewing machine to stitch around the edges to give it a nice finish.

 

 

Tutorial for Fleece And Knitted Blankets | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I also made a knitted blanket specially for Charlie.  He loves to sleep on my yellow pullover.  I used the same bulky gauge yarn I used to knit my pullover for his blanket.  I think, it’s a great alternate pattern to the stockinette stitch. 

You will need to cast on (multiples of 4) + 3 stitches.  Alternate these two rows –

Repeat to the last 3 stitches – knit 3, slip 1 with yarn in front.   Knit the last 3 stitches.

Knit 1. Repeat to the last 2 stitches – slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 3.  The last two stitches – slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 1.

 

These are all very easy to make whether you knit or sew, or do both.

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am joining monthly linky parties hosted by Archie The Wonder Dog,  Meadow Mist Designs, and Rainbow Hare.

I am also linking up with the weekly linky parties on my Events And Links page.   Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

 

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