Painting, piecing and popping into town

You may remember a while ago I showed the initial stages of an oil painting I started of a gorgeous jug I found at our local market. I confess  the canvas has sat on the easel waiting for my attention since then but today, as there were no distractions, I had a couple of hours to play.

The second coat of paint has helped a lot I think.  I also corrected some of the basic drawing with oil pastels. Not sure if it's the done thing to mix the two but it seems to have worked OK.

I'm loving how the colours blend together so easily. Can't imagine why I've taken so long to use oils! Of course all this is now really wet and will have to sit for quite some time before I can go back in and add detail. I've already suggested highlights but on such a shiny surface the reflections from the window and surrounding objects are very obvious. I can't paint them in yet because the white paint simply mixes with the underlying layers - I have to find patience from somewhere!!

Of course the best way to avoid the frustration of the wait is to do something else. This photo shows how I've squared up the short sides of the patchwork with diamonds and triangles.

The diamonds are teal on one side and dark red on the other. That way the tumbling block illusion is maintained. I could have saved time and just added half hexagons but I wanted the pattern to run right to the edges. I'm at the point now where I want to see it finished and especially to see how the quilting will transform it from a floppy rag to something substantial - always the best bit!

After all the late night sewing it felt like time for a break so I was pleased when Laura called and suggested a ride into Birmingham. It's always worth the journey to buy dressmaking fabric on the Rag Market and we did manage to find a few bargains - more of that another day! When we are in Brum we always make time for a visit to the Art Gallery and Museum. The building itself is worth the trip. This wonderful gallery leads the way to the Edwardian Tearoom where we had lunch.

The tearoom is always a popular place to sit and rest your tired legs.

And, as it was half term, there were lots of children in the museum enjoying the interactive displays. You may recognise this one having fun in the 1930s style kitchen. The little pinnies were a nice touch but I suspect the box of Lux and the washboard meant little to this generation.

Hope you had a productive week too!
Bye for now,
Linda x