. Please feel free to leave comments, sign my guest book or to add your own journal entry as I would like to know who drops by for a visit.Here you'll find updated pictures and news about my adventures in the Quilting World. Visit me regularly and see what my sewing machines and I have been up to. . Please feel free to leave comments, sign my guest book or to add your own journal entry as I would like to know who drops by for a visit.
Here you will also be able to read some of my ramblings about life in general as well as my forays into the quilting and Fibre Art World.
"Picture of the Week" album consists of pictures of the world around me. I will aim for at least one picture a week, and possibly more. Where will my camera take me?
My book reviews. I invite all who visit here to add a journal entry and give a review of a book that you have recently (or not so recently) read. Was it worth reading? Why or why not? Maybe we can give each other ideas for books to add to our "to read" list.
I have to add here, that I absolutely love, love, love my Sony e-book reader. No more cumbersome books to tote around or try and hold.
Thanks for stopping by.
Beautiful sunset as seen from my yard.
Path to the bird feeder gets narrower and narrower... Poor Burdies.
We did try to be somewhat tidy
the start of a beautiful day
Painted, melted lutradur base, melted nylon, chopped fabric for designing, covered with tulle to hold everything in place. My snips of fabric were too small to stay in place just with stithing so I added the tulle and then restitched.
Dried real purlple flowers and felted silk flowers
Because my snippits mountains were not very visible, I covered them with purple silk roving and a bit of white for the snow tops and then covered them with two layers of purple tulle before stitching in the details.
Black fabric, black Misty fuse and then foiled. Foil glue stamped on and then foiled over for the flowers in the foreground.
Free motion stitching for detailing. The grasses were done with a free motion ziz-zag stitch with two colors of green thread in the needle.
I thought my mountains were a bit flat so I added some dimensional paint for the snow ridges. Suddenly this piece took on an Oriental feel.
We were given the opportunity to do an additonal challenge piece with the theme " I am a (an) ______". My tags say it all. This piece was developed on a stretched artist canvas which was colored using Inktense water color pencils. There are over twenty different "things" used on this canvas to make this underwater scene. Size is 12 inches x 16 inches.
wired ribbon, charms, beads, cracked ice, yarn, glass beads, fabric fish, angelina fibres
Jelly fish made from Matte medium "skin", glitter and polyester organza. Painted tyvek grasses.
resin sand for lake bottom, real sea shells, pearl mica chips, beads. The red is silk carrier rod
orange coral is made from dollar store orange spider web (sold for Halloween)
netted vegetable bag
painted cheese cloth
fabric fish swim amonst yarn grasses
Journal cover made from crumpled, painted coated brown paper. Cord made with my Diva cord maker. Ends of cords decorated with glass beads, hand made lutradur beads and an old pink feathery earring. Shiva Paintstik rubbings.
Scrapbook pages waiting for something to happen. I will keep you posted on this.
Two of the pages waiting for ????
printed fabric, painted lutradur on a commercial batik fabric. Free motion stitching, thread painting, paint pens, sequin waste, beading, dimensional paint, glitter paint and glitter.
An on line Journal quilt challenge. January to me meant cold, clear, crisp, and I turned 65. With the 65 on the hill....am I going up hill or down hill
I won an art quilt book for this entry
This gorgeous butterfly was flitting about my yard for quite some time on a warm sunny day. It finally settled down long enough for me to take its picture.
This lady lives in our complex and a couple of times a day she and her dog Boots go out collecting cans which she cashes in and then donates the money to the neighbourhood drop in center for children and seniors.
Note; Boots went to doggie heaven this summer.
A neighbour's cat practicing its fence walking after a winter of being indoors.
Shades of Alfred Hitchcock and "the Birds"....this is about a quarter of the flock of Bohemian Waxwings that visited our neighourhood on a warm springy day. The choir of them singing was what made me look outside to see what was happening. The trees and roofs were covered. What a sight.
the blue sky is reflected in the melting snow on the parking lot. Kind of looks like a glacier.
I think I will use this picture as a fabric transfer and apply it to an art quilt sometimes in the future.
.......Fruit??
...first you slice it in half.
...you remove the peel. What wonderful colors nature provides us with.
Loud, squawky and plentiful. But so beautiful and so funny to watch as they choose just the right peanut (Jays check out several peanuts, looking for the heaviest) to either eat or hide. They have a nest in our spruce tree.
We had not had any sunshine for several days. This was a real treat.
Snow covered bikes waiting for spring when their owners can once again head out on daily adventures.
Taken during the summer....Marshmallow Clouds at sunset.
The entire sky was filled with these fantastic clouds.
how the mouse met its demise. This is the imprint of a tiny Northern Saw-Whet Owl that often sits in our spruce tree waiting and listening. When he hears a mouse under the snow he swoops down and back into the tree with his dinner in just a couple of seconds. This is the wing and tail imprint left in the snow. I have enhanced the contrast in order to better see this imprint.
A frequent visitor to my bird feeder. Often we can see up to six or eight of them. They do seem to arrive in pairs. Note the shelled sunflower seed in its bill
Love the way these tiny birds walk down the tree head first as they scrounge for hidden insects and other food in the bark of the tree.
Walking back up the tree so that it can then head back down in its endless quest for food. I love the sound of these birds. Often we can hear them long before they can be seen.
I can only hope that at least one of these mice was lunch for the owl.
...shimmering in the sunlight on a plus 5C temperature on a mild mid January day.
Two sparrows huddled amongst the snow laden branches of the neighbours lilac bush.
Reds and greens, the traditional colors of Christmas. Shown here...avocado and pomegranates.
Taken December 31, 2009 from my patio. The New Year's Eve Blue moon. The next Blue Moon to be seen on New Year's Eve will be in 2028.
Panda and Buster (standing on floor)....December 28th, 2009.
A free form art piece. Flames represent the change in climate due to the thinning of the ozone layer. The snow and icicles represent the melting of the polar ice caps. The decolored bird and tree represent the end of life on earth if the present trend continues. Decoloring, foiling, dimensional paint, stenciling. The bird, tree and painted snow flakes are my own stencils.
Comes with hanging sleeve.
As Autumn slowly creeps across the land all the trees release their beautifully coloured leaves. The last of the butterflies and dragonflies are seen flitting through the sky and the fish prepare to survive the winter by heading down to deeper waters. Randomly pieced stips of fabric, quilted, over-painted with white, accented with Seta shimmer paints to accent quilting. Dimensional leaves made from craft Tyvek.
Hanging sleeve included.
28 x 41
$400.00
Made as a project for a Fibre Arts club at Quilter's Dream. Challenge: to make a night scene. We were to choose a dark fabric as the base for our piece. Following instructions from a painting on fabric book, I painted my background using Seta Color Fabric paints.
From the "Out and About" series by McKenna Ryan
12" x 15" raw edge applique using batik fabrics.
Detail of rocky bottom. Note three dimensional rocks, shells and star fish which have been added.
Free motion quilting detail.
From the "Out and About" series by McKenna Ryan series.
12" x 15". Raw edge machine applique using batik fabrics.
Detail Rocks, shells and a star fish shell applied using white fabric glue.
From the "Out and About" series by McKenna Ryan.
12" x 15". Raw edge machine applique using batik fabrics.
Detail of applique and quilting.
28" x 113/4 .. One in the Cucina Italiana Series. Machine appliqued.
18 1/2 x 12 3/4. Part of the Cucina Italiana Series
Part of the Cucina Italiana Series....15 x 11 3/4
Part of the Cucina Italiana series....24 1/2 x 12 3/4
From the Cucina Italiana Series....11 1/2 x 25
butterfly button forms the buckle of her belt
crisp salad served with a generous topping of olive oil
From the Coffee Classics collection....23 1/2 x 7 1/2
From the Coffee Classics collection....11 1/2 x 10 1/2
From the Coffee Classics collection....10 1/2 x 19
note the tiny mauve beads used in the flower centers.
From the Coffee Classics collection....11 x 10 1/2
And Esterita Austin Pattern....approximately 20 x 30
Machine appliqued. All bali fabrics.
An Esterita Austin pattern. 20 x 30 inches
machine appliqued. All bali fabrics.
note the "sunlight" streaming across the road.
notice the three balconies
Batik fabrics give life and dimension to this entrance into a European Abby. Machine appliqued. Black tulle give the shadow in the lower right hand corner. Approximately 18 x 24 inches. Sold.
summer dandilion fabrics
39 x 54 inches...commissioned work. Prize winner in the 2008 Bernina Great Canadian Quilt Challenge....Second Place large innovative wall hanging and Viewer's Choice award.
the smaller label describes the quilt and gives the pertinant information. The second, larger label contains copies of the judges comments as well as viewer comments. I am very proud of this work and have a new one in the planning stages.
and there am I, with my winning entry.
Nine patch star, fabric challenge for October. The challenge fabric is the light print. ***this block won viewer's choice for the month of October. Got me a free pattern and a free meter of fabric.
The first of several monthly fabric challenges sponsered by a local quilt shop. We start with a six inch piece of fabric (the centre square in this block) and can add as many fabrics and can use the method of our choice to make a 12 1/2 inch block...to be completed in two weeks. It then goes on display and the viewer's choice then wins a pattern and a meter of fabric. All blocks will be donated to make a charity quilt. this is repeated for several months and is a fun thing to do. I look forward to October's challenge.
Saw this fantastic fabric by Robert Kaufman and fell in love with it knowing it would make a great One Block Wonder. I will keep you up to date with this one.
block #1 (September) of Mystery quilt from Sew Devine.
closed, triple fold.
this holds up to 21 credit cards, business cards etc. Velcro closing.
one placemat made to use as a table topper. Using oriental fabrics.
Table topper using only two fabrics.
quilt as you go place mats. Set of four made.
this is the back of the peach and greeen placemats. These could be used on both sides.
This is a challenge for 2009. Three main fabric colors had to match paint chips from any paint store. The challenge was that each color had to start with the initals of your name. Guess I need to get busy and finish a the end of the year is fast approaching.
A work in progress. A log cabin table topper with appliqued pansies and butterflies.
A wall hanging..all machine appliqued, with three dimensional accents. Complete with dog, cat and mouse...all waiting for Santa's visit. For Julie
A quilt made for my grand niece Grace Marie Morgan Hoover. Born in March, 2009.
Machine appliqued mini wall hanging. Sky fabric hand painted my me.
Machine appliqued small wall hanging.
Woven log cabin base with appliqued flowers. Tulle overlay with three dimensional butterflies
2009 04 25_0051_edited-1.JPG 2009-04-22
Simple pieced lap quilt made from batik fabrics
2009 04 25_0056_edited-1.JPG 2009-04-22
free motion machine quilting using varigated rayon threads.
2009 04 25_0058_edited-1.JPG 2009-04-22
Machine pieced log cabin blocks with hand appliqued flowers, stems and leaves.
2009 03 07_0026_edited-1.JPG 2007-02-25
Wall hanging .. machine appliqued, free motion machine quilted
2009 03 07_0028_edited-1.JPG 2007-02-25
Table topper ... machine pieced and machine quilted
2009 03 07_0029_edited-1.JPG 2007-02-25
Woven circle wall hanging using two opposite colors of the color wheel.
2009 03 07_0043_edited-1.JPG 2007-03-08
Two fabrics converged for the background to represent the night sky. Machine appliqued. Stars are buttons which have been glued on. The "water" in the fish bowl is silk organza.
DSCN0006_edited-1.JPG 2009-05-27
Paper pieced wall hanging. This garden is home to ants, worms, butterflies and one spider.
DSCN0007_edited-1.JPG 2009-05-27
Mini wall hanging - approximately 6 x 9 inches - paper pieced.
DSCN0019_edited-1.JPG 2009-05-27
Machine pieced and machine quilted large lap quilt. Part of a mystery quilt series. Given to Alva
2008_0331Image0066.JPG 2008-03-30
A very ornate wall hanging made for my Granddaughter, Chelsea who says that one can never have enough shoes or purses. All blocks are machine pieced with a major amount of additions for the "bling".
2008_0331Image0002.JPG 2004-01-01
Machine pieced and machine quilted large lap quilt. Done as a series of mystery quilts. Given to my son Paul.
2008_0331Image0067.JPG 2008-03-31
Wall hanging. Background is machine pieced. Flowers and pot are machine appliqued.
JPG 2008-06-22
A Praire Ghost. Our grain elevators are almost extinct. This is the first of my salute to the Grande Old Ladies of the Praires Past.
The sky fabric with its northern lights was painted by me on white cotton fabric using Seta Color Fabric Paints.
This barn is located outside of North Lawrence, New York on the Patterson farm. Mrs. Patterson was a piano teacher.
Located in Old forge, New York. Mills as well as windmills and livestock provided all the power the farm needed for milling grain and plowing the fields.
this hay barn is located in Moria, New York near the Sandhill Cemetary.
This barn is located on route 11 outside of Gouverneur, New York. The maker of this pattern knew that when they passed this barn, they were near the town where the children would all be treated to ice cream.
This barn was part of a dairy farm and in addition to operating the farm, the owner drove a milk truck for Kraft.
Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this old barn was damaged during the first days of fighting at Gettysburg.
this barn is located on route 11B just outside of Nicholville, New York. Maple syrup used to be made and sold here.
This round barn is reminisant of the Amish barns as far as construction and is located on historic Route 66 as it passes through Arcadia, Oklahoma. It was built in 1898 with money raised from barn dances and still stands today.
border detail of Forgotton Farm quilt
This is the completed quilt.
All barn blocks measure 15" x 15" and can be made as individual wall hangings.
This abandoned burnt out railway station is located in Kansas.
Note that the border of this wall hanging is made of log cabin blocks which blend into the centre picture.
This barn, which was situated on my brother-in-laws farm in northern Alberta, was built circa 1910 by some settlers from the USA. It was becoming a hazard and was razed in a controlled barn burning on January 1, 2000 to usher in the new century. I made this, with permission, from a picture that I received from Dave and Lorraine Way.
This is made from a pattern from Indigo Junction. I quilted the fabric before making the bag. It is a wonderful handbag which measures 14 inches high, 12 inches wide and is 8 inches deep. The strap is constructed in such a manner that if you hold only one side it becomes a shoulder strap. It has a snap closure with two inside pockets, one of which has a zipper closure. It also has a snap for securing those keys. A one day project.
A fantastic decoration that adds just the right amount of bling to the bag.
And don't you just love the matching lining?
A nice size for use as a book bag or for whatever. Interior pockets
for all those credit cards, business cards etc.
this card clutch has 21 pockets. More than enough for all those credit cards, business cards etc.
Rainforest birds portrayed in this fabric. Inside pockets.
"green" bag with outside pockets
Bag made to store matching quilt given to Julie
lined, with and without pockets.
outside pockets
my very first quilt. all pieces cut with scissors. Given to Julie.
machine pieced and machine quilted. large double
machine pieced and machine quilted...large double
Lap quilt from denim and cotton with flannel backing... Brendan and Kiefer
Lap quilt made from denim with flannel backing...Harry
Lap quilt made from denim and flannel with flannel backing....Rob
Machine pieced and machine appliqued. Look closely to see the cat shadows on the stairs against the night sky. This was made in tribute to all the cats that so enriched our lives and thier names are listed on the label: Duchess, Sylvester, Squeeky, Princess, Tigger and Patches who have gone to cat heaven; and also to Trinket the Fat Kat who is with us still.
I made two almost identical quilts for the Zebra Child Protective services with fabrics from my stash and using a quilt block designed by me.
quilting detail quilt #1
quilting detail quilt #2
pieced backing for both quilts
Lap quilt for Zebra Society
backing made from layer cake squares
by Sara Moon
by Sara Moon
by Sara Moon
by Sara Moon
Made for my Chelsea girl.
includes leather lace and beads.
beads and drawn threads add interest
two of the Christmas stockings I have cross stitched. Need to get pictures of the others.
English Snow couple. Wooden Bases with dowels through body to keep upright.
Dolly Mooton, Chicky Parton, and Dolly Pigton. A trio of fabulous sexy babes.
Pa and Ma Bear with the little ones. Free standing.
One of many free standing dolls. Painted face and hands. Yarn hair. Hand made shoes
Very good sellers. "feathers" around neck and ankles are made from muslin. Toes are individually tied. Facial features, hands and feet painted and then paint spattered. Rodney Rooster about 40 inches tall. Bodies weighted with plastic pellets to give stability.
Free standing rabbits with dowel legs and body. Bodies made from plush felt. Posable ears.
Free standing doll on base with hats and hat boxes. A very good seller to many Red Hat ladies.
Free standing snowman dressed in all of his English finery.
Free standing Santa in his red sleepers and night cap, holding a glass of milk. Mrs. Clause with her cookie and in her night cap and nightgown.
Approximately 30 inches high, this snow couple have a stabilizing body dowel and are on wooden bases. In all of their winter finery.
these guys were so popular that I could not make enough of them. They have individual poseable fingers and the bodies were weighted with plastic pellets for stability in sitting.
This French Snow Elf was free standing with his turned up toes and poseable arms and fingers. Dressed in blue and silver to portray the frosty person that he is.
Happy May Day everyone. And this is the month that all those April showers, and snow falls, are supposed to bring all those May flowers. I have neighbours that have beautiful potted plants out already. A wee bit early. I haven’t even set up my patio table and chairs yet, and the snow shovel stands at the ready, ‘cause one just never knows.
There has not been too much happening in my little corner of the world since I last posted on here. I have been busy in my studio with a couple of night scenes. These have tested my inventiveness and ingenuity to get the end results that I envisioned. They have also been fun to do.
I have several new pictures posted so check them out and see what you think.
So I believe that I did mention that I would not be attending the quilting retreat this year. It was originally to be just for bringing your unfinished projects to work on and to generally socialize. However the hue and cry from the devoted fibre artists had the powers that be change the venue. There will now be an added Fibre Arts section to this retreat, and yep I am going. The good this is that this year we have the option of having a room or going home to sleep in our own beds. This is what I will be doing. Up early to get there for breakfast and going home in the evening in time for bed. September will be here before you know it. The agenda has not yet been provided so what we will be doing will be a surprise until the supply lists are made available.
I have started on a new technique that uses crayons to color things….fruit, leaves etc. Neat really. A cut out of the intended object is placed on a Teflon pressing sheet and the fabric and sheet are heated thoroughly with an iron. A bit of crayon is then melted on the Teflon and a napkin is used to “paint” the object. I shall have some pictures to post for next month.
My underwater scene for Creative Stitches is at a bit of a standstill but I shall get to some serious work on it during the next couple of months. Nothing like working under pressure.
Several years ago after I had my hips replaced I developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both wrists from walker and crutch use. I have lived with this all these years, but for some reason my left hand has now become a serious problem and the condition is worsening almost daily. Currently my little finger and my ring finger along with the outer area of my hand and radiating to my elbow are numb. To explain this, as I am typing this, I know that I am hitting the keys on the keyboard, but never know if I am hitting them hard enough, and often do not. Drs. appointment in three weeks for referral and I can almost guarantee that surgery will be in my future. Hopefully it will not interfere with any of my retreats or workshops in September or October.
And now this is about all the typing my hand and wrist can tolerate for now.
I shall leave you with this chuckle:
Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, are excessively mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their parents know if any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. The mother sent the 8 year old in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon. The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?" The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?! Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD?!" The boy screamed & bolted from the room, ran directly home & dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?" The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time!" "GOD is missing, and they think WE did it!"..
March Madness …. that was the theme of the month for me.
Spring has sprung, although with our mild winter it seemed to be springish all along. As I look out the window today I can see the slight greening of the grass and the slight swelling of the buds on the trees. Birds are busy mating and building nests. The most interesting to watch are the Magpies as they staggeringly fly through the air with large twigs that are at times close to two feet long. Yet they manage to get these into the spruce tree branches. Three summers ago I spotted a one legged Magpie and wondered if or how he would survive. Well last summer it was here hopping along just fine on its one leg and I spotted it again this spring. It is comical to watch as it launches into flight.
It has been a very busy month. I have taken one full and one partial course through Quilt University. I have also taken one of two classes at a local quilt shop with the second to be done the beginning of April. Mid March I went to Boot Camp. Well….not really, but Susan Purney-Mark referred to it as such. Five days of intense workshops on surface design. Not only did this entail a nine to five schedule, there was work to be done at home processing and washing fabrics that had been dyed, waxed, stamped and otherwise manipulated. This actually made for nine to nine days and was both mentally and physically exhausting. I think it took me an entire week to recover, but it was worth every hour.
My favorite part of the entire process would have to be learning to carve our own stamps for stamping surface designs. Much easier than I had expected. All in all, I have several pieces of fabric with which to play and add further designs to. I also managed to buy some left over dye powder since Susan did not want to take much of anything back home to Victoria. That will give me some play time in the future. Perhaps in the summer when I can do some of this outside….maybe.
The last few days has had me laying rather low as I rested my leg. It did show all the signs of having a blood clot, but careful observation and sharpie “tattoos” indicated that the condition was not worsening, and by today it is about seventy-five percent better.
Well, I must be better since today I am purging my studio. Where oh where did all the crap come from? Must have been deposited there by the crap fairy. It does not help that I am branching out into so many diverse forms of artistic expression. I have a habit of saving all those little bits and pieces because you never know when they might be needed….like in a couple of weeks after they have been picked up by the garbage. Sigh…..there is just no winning.
During the time that I am not in my studio, I am on the darn computer. What ever did we do without these? My garden in “Gardens of Time” is now worth almost two million dollars and my bank account is close to that as well. Too bad it is not real, but one can dream. It is a good distraction.
I am (im)patiently awaiting word for when the new fences will go up. Can’t remember when I have looked forward to anything around the complex as much as this. More privacy will be most welcome.
Well, that seems to be all for another month and I leave you with a bit of a chuckle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A group of 40-year-old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the waiters there had tight pants and nice bums.
10 years later at 50 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food there was very good, the wine selection was good also, and the waiters were cute.
10 years later at 60 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they could eat there in peace and quiet, the restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean, and the waiters were sweet boys.
10 years later, at 70 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the restaurant was wheel chair accessible, they even had an elevator, and the waiters were kind.
10 years later, at 80 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.
Well, I certainly have been neglectful of this site over the last couple of months. No real excuse….just did not feel like it. And did not have much to say. But I am back.
So how has everyone been? I trust that all had a good holiday season and now are looking forward to spring and summer. What a wonderful winter we have had thus far. No snow to speak of until last weekend. And mild temperatures to go along with that.
Anyone watch the Oscars last weekend? I so was looking forward to the return of Billy Crystal, but he turned out to be a great bore. The gowns were all elegant and tasteful….well, if you do not take into account Angelina’s long loin cloth. I am sure her children are very proud of her and her antics. And what ever happened to Nick Nolte? He was unrecognizable. Oh well, I guess I am getting old as these younger actors just do not really impress me. Oh, and while I am glad that Meryl Streep won the Oscar, I do think that she took lessons from Scarlett O’Hara and pulled down the drapes to make her gown. And way to go to Christopher Plummer.
I believe that I mentioned at one time that we had set up a feeding station for a mother cat and her two babies. Well, the babies disappeared but momma kept coming around. We have dismantled the feeding station and bedding that we had set out for her in the yard. We do not want her to think that she needs to thank us by presenting us with another kitty family. Besides she was only here half of the time so she must have another home in the neighbourhood. Plus as soon a spring arrives and the weather warms up a bit our fences will be replaced and she would really be disturbed then. So, no wild animal feeders of any kind any more.
I will also be making our yard “senior” friendly. Most of my planters will be destined for the big bin in June. I shall keep three or four for a few flowers to brighten up the yard. Who knows, I may even buy a new water fountain.
So….what have I been doing lately you might ask. I continue to work on Fibre Art projects and get much inspiration from our Fibre Arts group and our monthly day long get togethers. March is a project that will see us do a mosaic piece in fabric. This has me totally stumped …. for now. I am sure that I will come up with an idea or two in the next week.
I also made a lap sized quilt top a couple of weeks ago. I have not made a quilt for months and felt that I needed that break. Now it sits on a pile with other quilt tops that are waiting to be quilted. One of these days.
Great news that Creative Stitches has now been acquired by a new owner and the show will take place in September in Sherwood Park. This means that I am deeply involved in designing and putting together a fibre art wall hanging for this show. This involves much time and effort and plotting and planning. It is slowly coming together. This one will not be a forested scene.
March sees the long anticipated five day Fibre Arts Festival with Susan Purney-Mark who is from Vancouver Island. This will include many new (to me) techniques, including dying fabrics and screen printing, in addition to several other techniques. After all, over the course of five full days a lot of information can be taught, and hopefully learned.
And in October there will be a three day course with a fabulous fibre artist from Ontario…Lorraine Roy. She will be teaching us her techniques in confetti art and probably a bit more. We managed to snag her prior to her teaching on the Island.
Because of these two very expensive ventures I have decided to forego the quilt retreat this summer. Not sure that I would have signed up anyway since it was not a Fibre Arts one this year.
And I have began to dabble in something new….encaustics. This is painting with wax. I do not want to get too involved so have opted to just work with was and a wax iron, which is like a mini iron except that it is low heat. My first attempts at this are in an album entitled Encaustics. Check it out. These are postcard size….four by six inches, but I just got some larger encaustic cards to play with and will add to the album as they are done.
Well, that will be it for now. Thanks for stopping by and keep in mind that
Out with the old, in with the new.
It has been a slow month so all I have to say to everyone is “HAPPY NEW YEAR” . May 2012 be kind to all of you and may all your wishes be granted.
But the weather has been delightful. Warm, very little snow and with this unseasonable weather now, it will make for a shorter winter season….maybe. I love it when it gets dark earlier. I can pretend that I am ensconced in my little cocoon and let the world go by in its frenzied state during this holiday season.
We have some new kids on the block. A mama cat and her two little kittens. When we first saw them at the beginning of November she had three kittens, but one must have succumbed to the elements. I would surmise that these kittens are now about ten to twelve weeks old. We have set up a two feeding stations for this homeless family. One is in the yard and we have also made a cozy bed if they are so inclined to stay the night or two. So far they do come to eat, but then leave. And that is a good thing. Once spring comes the banquet hall will be closed and they will have to fend for themselves. There are some cat rescue people around here and they know of them so maybe they will be successful in capturing them and taking them to the rescue center.
The feeding station out by the shed on common property is once again providing nutrition for the rabbits. I have not seen any yet, but their tracks are unmistakeable in the snow. They also do some nibbling on my shrubs.
It is also much quieter early in the morning since the bird feeder has been moved out on the common property and they are not waking me while singing outside my bedroom window.
A couple of days ago I got caught up with my current fibre arts projects and today tidied my studio so that now I am good to go on some new projects. Although I am half way through coloring my bold and colourful peacock. It can be rather boring at times, so every once in a while I need to set it aside and work on something different.
My newest project will be “Fire and Ice Two”. I have done one fire and ice piece, but this one will be quite different. It will be approximately 18” x 46” and will be an icicle that is slowly melting because of the fire within. Blues, whites, silvers and just a few smidgens of fiery oranges and reds. Finished off with beading.
This is a challenge that I want to have finished by the second Saturday in January.
One other challenge for my Fibre Arts group will be a new twelve by twelve inch piece that is to based on the word “Lace”. Our previous challenge of “Spark” was lots of fun. Pictures have been posted in my album. “Lace” is proving to be rather difficult to wrap my head around and the ideas are just not jumping out at me. It also has to be finished for January. Ummmm……if you weave something, can that also be considered as lacing?
I am also in the mood to perhaps make a couple of lap quilts. I have not made an actual quilt for some time and perhaps may do something in the near future to donate either to the Zebra Society or to Compassion House. Compassion House might be easier, since I do not have any/many fabrics suitable for kids quilts and I do have numerous fabrics suitable for these wonderful women who are fighting the big “C” battle. We are making some through our Grad Club at Earthly Goods. These are quilt as you go blocks and I have contributed 20 blocks so far.
While I had good intentions of painting some fabrics to use in my fibre art this has not yet come to fruition. I just have to get my mojo going and do it. All in good time.
Well, my ramblings have come to an end and I leave you with these facts to ponder.
A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes. (O.M.G.!!!) A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy. I'm still not over the pig.) The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off. (Honey, I'm home . What the...?) The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field. (30 minutes. Lucky pig! Can you imagine?) The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?) Some lions mate over 50 times a day. (I still can't believe that pig ...quality over quantity.) Butterflies taste with their feet. (Something I always wanted to know.) Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. (Okay, so that would be a good thing.) A cat's urine glows under a black light. (I wonder how much the government paid to figure that out.) An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that.) Starfish have no brains. (I know some people like that, too.) Polar bears are left-handed. (Talk about a southpaw.) Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. (What about that pig? Do the dolphins know about the pig?) Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread these crazy facts. (and God love that pig)
Hello to everyone. What lovely fall days we have been having and there has not yet been any snow, which is rather unusual for us here on the Prairies. The trees have shed their leaves and are now pointing their bare branches upward to be nicely visible against the sky. We do however, have one lonely tree in our complex that refuses to shed its leaves. They turn color and dry up, but remain on the branches until they are forced off by the new growth of spring.
Tonight the little ghosties and goblins will be making their way from door to door begging for treats. I’m not sure how I feel about this any more. At one time one could send the little kiddies out with no fear that some weirdo would taint the treats with something awful. Living in small town rural Alberta we spent the evening running about getting treats and performing tricks, some of which were simply awful. Especially if the owner was home, peeking out from behind the curtains and not complying with the “rules” of the day. But those are stories for another time as I would not want anyone who knows me to think that “I” would ever do such dastardly deeds.
Now that the hot days of summer are over, my studio is once again conducive to my spending much time there. During the summer there were days that it was so hot in there that I just stayed out of the room. Lately I have spent much time painting on fabric. Another example that was finished this week is “Madame Butterfly” who has her own album in my pictures here. I am also working on another piece like this of a Peacock with its bright, colourful, fanciful feathers. The stitching is almost complete and I expect to start the coloring process in the next week or so.
Our Fibre Arts club is once again up and running with new ideas and techniques being tried. Within this club, we are doing an additional challenge. Every second month one of the members of the group will provide a word from which everyone is to make a small (12” x 12”) art piece derived from that word. In September I provided the word “spark” and Nov. 12 will be the reveal day for those. That will be the day that the next person will provide the inspiration for the next piece to be done.
Geri’s Club is another monthly gathering that I am signed up for. This is art quilting by improvisation….no actual pattern, but techniques only. Abstract pieces with bits of fabric applied here and there. Not sure if I will enjoy this all that much, but the money has been spent for it so off I shall go for one evening every month. Besides I want to learn some new ideas for putting on borders.
November will see me taking two classes for making feathers. While my free motion stitching is getting pretty darned good, I still cannot do feathers. There is a method to this madness and I am determined to conquer this.
I have a lovely pile of white cotton that is awaiting my transforming it with paint. I have done some fabric painting in the past, but now I plan on going further…..painting various sky, water, sand etc. to use in my art work. I shall have to mix my paints to get the colors that I want. Calm and stormy skies and waters. Sand reflecting in the sunlight. Sunsets and sun rises. Oh what fun.
So that is all that is new with me. So, until next time…….
“Behind every quilter is a big pile of fabric”.
"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale..."
“Hope was a part of a rare mixed litter black bear family. This family of Black Bears are a mother, Lily ~ a female yearling, HOPE ~ a female cub, Faith and ~ a male cub, Jason who joined Rainbows Bridge on April 12, 2011. This is rare in the world of black bears as they normally only reproduce every other year. HOPE was the first born and single cub litter of Lily the Black Bear in 2010. These bears live in the wild, in their own natural habitat and we were privileged to watch their birth via live web cam and microphone thanks to Dr. Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Researchers for the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, Minnesota.”
Ely, Minnesota. Black bear country. Home of the North American Bear Center (NABC), Home of Dr. Lynn Rogers (and his wife Donna), known as “The Man Who Walks With Bears“. Dr. Rogers has worked with, studied and lived with bears for over forty years. He and his fellow researchers Sue Mansfield have done much to educate the world in the world of the Black Bear.
Shadow is the matriarch of the main family of black bears that have been studied. Shadow is in her mid twenties and still roams the north woods. Lily is a descendant and is one of the collared bears that are studied. Their GPS collars transmit their locations every ten minutes and batteries are changed every ten days.
January, 2010 a den cam was placed into Lily’s den and on the 22 approximately three million people world wide watched as little Hope was born. This was a first as never before had a cam been placed in a bear den. What was also unusual was that there was only one cub. Usually female bears have two or three cubs.
Spring came and Lily and little Hope left the den and began to do what bears do. However, because one cub was not enough to keep a proper milk flow, Lily went into heat (this usually happens only every two years) and she abandoned Hope in late May or early June as she went in search of a mate. By the time the researchers found Hope she was very thin and undernourished. They placed a tiny radio collar on her and set up a feeding station with a trail cam to keep track of this tiny abandoned cub.
Time went by, Hope thrived on her own and in the fall Lily and Hope crossed paths and were reunited as a family. In October they denned together and in January Lily gave birth to Faith and Jason. Hope was the perfect big sister, helping her mom care for the cubs, as was evidenced by a den cam.
By now Hope was the Princess of millions of people world wide and all looked forward to watching her grow and become a mother some day.
Just a few short years ago, bear hunting was allowed 365 days a year and bears could be shot anywhere and any time. In order to have a more humane hunting season, Dr. Rogers worked very hard to have a specific hunting season and was concerned that hunters were shooting bears in the woods, and only wounding them, leaving them to die an agonizing death. He was instrumental in having the hunting season changed from year round only six weeks….Sept. 1 to Oct. 16. Also hunters must now apply for a license and must set up a bait station so that no wounded bears would suffer.
During hunting season, all the collared bears sport bright orange, yellow and green ribbons on their collars. While not illegal to hunt research bears, hunters generally will not shoot collared bears or any young bears that are not collared but are with the research bear.
Now Hope had a mind of her own. Four times the researchers got a collar on her and four times she managed to get it off. The fourth collar remained on for four hours.
One day while Lily and little Faith were doing bear things, Hope ventured out on her own and decided to visit a bait station. The rest is history. While three million people watched her birth, almost five million people world wide mourned her death.
She brought people together to learn about black bears. She was part of the biggest worldwide bear education project we know. She has changed the attitudes of thousands, perhaps millions, through the internet and documentaries. Her death is a tragedy. There is so much more we all could have learned. Her death is a blow to science, education, the region, and people everywhere.
I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.
I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8-year-old again.
I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks.
... I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.
I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple.
When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.
All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.
I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible.
I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want to live simple again.
I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.
I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.
So...here's my checkbook and my car keys, my credit cards and all my responsibility.
I am officially resigning from adulthood. And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, 'cause,
"Tag! You're it."
Good September first to all. My goodness back to school already. If I had small kids I would be jumping for joy, but I will just rejoice with those parents who now have the time to kick back a bit. Teachers who had a well deserved break are now back in the classroom. Congratulations to my favorite daughter-in-law who can now add the title “principle” to her long list of credentials.
As I gaze out my window I see that Mother Nature is once again changing her summer colors for those of autumn, and several trees, especially the Mountain Ash, have that golden tinge to their leaves. Soon we will be able to go out and about and listen to the crackle of the dry leaves beneath our feet.
I love Autumn. I love Spring. And I almost love Winter. There, I said it. Summer is my least favorite season and I am not sad to see it come to a close. It seemed to be especially hot this year and I am beginning to believe that there is something to this thinning of the ozone layer that has been talked about for so long.
Enough weather. Now on to Politics…..NOT!!!
Our oldest grandson is now safely ensconced in Washington DC where he will spend the next year doing the bidding of the American Civil Liberties Union. “Brendan’s Big Adventure” as I like to refer to it. Good luck Brendan.
August was a big month for me, both in the anticipation and in the doing. A two day workshop at Earthly Good had us slicing and dicing…literally….and coming up with images that are indeed fractured. And the long awaited Fibre Arts Retreat has come and gone. Three days and two nights of being away from home. The days were fantastic….the nights not so much. Hard beds. Mattresses covered with plastic protectors - Ugggh. Pillows with plastic protectors - good thing I had brought my own. Meals were so-so, but who cares about that since someone else did the cooking. Shared bathrooms down the hall. A scarcity of hot water. The small rooms did have a sink and a mirror. But one must remember that this is not a luxury hotel. This is a religious retreat center. It was quiet. No TVs, no piped in music, no overhead announcements. Just peace and serenity in the heart of a city….until the neighbouring church rang its bells. My room overlooked a courtyard and I was up early enough to see the rising sun so that was nice.
Would I go again? Maybe. The place has been booked for the end of September, 2012. It will be looked into about pricing for day retreat only with no room. It would be easy enough to go home for the night and be back for breakfast the next morning. I would consider that possibility.
These were three very busy days, filled will fun, laughter, good company and good creative art projects. Pictures have been posted in the album “Retreat, 2011“.
September 10th will see the resuming of the Fibre Arts Club which I enjoy very much. So many ideas incorporated into so many pieces of fibre art. I love using all the unusual STUFF (Simply Terrific and Unusual Fibres and Furbelows). I have also verbally (although not yet financially) committed to joining a second club that will meet for three hours monthly for eight months. A journey into using different techniques in quilt / fibre art finishing. These will keep my busy throughout the winter months.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I have a new “toy” in my studio. A Janome FM725.…a felting machine. I got this to help me add some texture and interest to some of my Fibre Arts pieces. Not really anything that I needed, but a toy that I wanted. Now I will see what I can do with it.
I am currently finished all my Quilt University classes, but do have my eye on one or two more that I may take.
And that takes me to the end of my ramblings for now.
And always…”Hug your sewing machine and give it lots of love”.
Hello, hello to one and all. I hope that everyone is having a good summer. Oh my. What a varied bit of weather we have been having. Super hot days, pleasant warm days or cool rainy days…they have all been here for us over the past month. And no matter what the weather or what time of day, those ‘skeeters have continued to lurk just waiting for a hapless victim to appear.
The heavy rainfall we have had during July pretty much destroyed most my potted flowers. Too much rain and even with drainage the soil has not had a chance to dry out. On the other hand, for the first time ever plants are sprouting up in the cracks between the paving stones. Dandelions, thistle, clover, grass and sprouted bird seed…mostly millet I believe. I am fighting a losing battle trying to keep these at bay. Boiling water, pulling and cutting. I have not yet resorted to herbicides, but think that I must do that. AND flowers. Pansies, border plants, petunias and other unidentifiable ones. They look so pretty spaced out here and there amongst the bricks. I wonder if an herbicide, if applied carefully, will get rid of the unwanted squatters and leave the flowers.
On the hot days my creative mojo goes down the drain so I have not been doing as much as I usually do in the creative department. For almost a year now, I have had a project up on my large design wall - read old blankets covering one of my bedroom walls. It stalled when I discovered that there would be no Creative Stitches this fall. Now, with the whisperings that it will return in the fall of 2012 I have gone back to working on it. This week saw it removed from the wall and I have begun to stitch it all together. This piece will be the base of a large underwater seascape. There will be lots to do on it…fish, beading, coins spilling out of a treasure chest, and perhaps a mermaid. I visualize it in my mind so will have to see if I can actually produce this.
I have taken some design classes from Quilt University and while I have not kept up with them, I do have some fantastic notes for future reference. One class that I took and which was very enjoyable was one for making “fabric pages”. Pictures have been posted. It was fun and I have now designed one that will be triangular when folded.
Mid August will see me at Earthly Goods for a two day class on fractured images. This should be fun and exciting. This sees us taking four identical images, slicing and dicing and then sewing them back together to get the same image in an "exploded" version.
But most exciting of all is that the Fibre Art Retreat will finally be happening August 25, 26, and 27. We now have the agenda and supply list for the various projects and it will certainly be three full fun packed fiberlicious days.
But most exciting of all is that I have registered for a five day Fibre Arts Festival with Canadian Fibre Artist Susan Perney-Mark. This is being held in the city so no added expenses to the very pricy week. This is in March, so by the time that rolls around the pain of the price will be but a distant memory.
On a lighter side…..Have any of you noticed the poor use of the English language that is perpetrated these days? I am assuming that the use of the internet makes it more noticeable, since the spoken language hides these faults. Of what do I speak? The improper use of “your” and “you’re”; “there”, “their” and “they’re”. “Lose” and “loose”. These are just three examples of many. And like do sentences like really have to like have the word like repeated over and like over? Whatever!!!. My old English teach Mrs. Parks would be rolling over and over in her grave to see this butchering of the English language.
So this takes me to the end of this months ramblings. Until next time……
Don't needle the quilter!
Welcome to the lazy, hazy, crazy dayz of summer. School is out and the little darlings will have two months of joy and freedom and the hard working teachers can sit back and relax and enjoy this well earned break. And speaking of teachers, most sincere congratulations go out to my favorite daughter-in-law for her new position.
Because hot weather melts my brain cells, the few rainy daze during mid month were most welcome. My potted plants also enjoyed the watering provided by Mother Nature until they became saturated and began to complain about their wet feet and how they longed for the sun to dry them out since most of them are plants that grow best in sun and heat.
I got to thinking the other day of my female ancestors who had to set aside their aversion of the hot dayz and do their laundry by beating their clothes against rocks at the river, and then later to heat water on the stove or over an open fire and wash clothes by hand. This done with the harsh hand made soap that they concocted from lye and ashes. And don’t forget cooking three meals a day, usually for large families.
I guess we have it pretty good. I only cook every two or three dayz (the other ones are “eat out of the fridge" dayz). We have all the modern conveniences, including automatic washers and dryers, ( I admit that I do have to wash dishes by hand…”gasp”), stoves that do not require that wood be chopped and used to burn, cars to take us anywhere we wish without having to hook up horse and buggy. Speaking of which….I remember when I was but a wee child, spending time at my grandparents farm and going into town in a horse drawn buggy. In the winter it was hot bricks to warm the feet and many blankets to keep the body warm. That was such fun….I thought then. Boy, if I had to do that now……
But I digress….I did start out by talking about the hot dayz of summer. Have I ever mentioned that summer is my least favorite season? I love spring, fall and yes, even the cold dayz of winter….as long as it is not too cold for prolonged periods of time.
The skeeters are out in full force, thanks to all that rain that we had, and when I go outside there is one look-out 'skeeter - or maybe there are a few of them - that rings the dinner bell and beckons all the rest of the thirsty bloodsuckers from blocks around to let them know that the blood bank is open. Hopefully the bats are out and about once dusk falls to gobble up those horrid pests. As far as other flying insects go, I have seen more butterflies this year than other past years. They flit about show off their colourful wings. Also there seem to be more dragonflies than in other years.
So I was awakened early the other morning by the cawing, squawking, and nattering of 100 Crows, a few Magpies and a couple of Blue Jays outside my bedroom window. Okay---I exaggerate---there were no more than 99 crows. This continued for at least 15 minutes as I tried (in vain) to return to the Land of Slumber, but alas, this was not to be. The silence was almost deafening when the choir stopped like it hit a brick wall. Must have been a Kat out there, threatening some babies. Having open windows for coolness and fresh air during the night does have its disadvantages.
In my studio, I continue to explore and to experiment with various gels, mediums and different techniques and to work in smaller pieces of fibre art. Smaller mean less room to store the finished pieces. It is amazing what I have been using lately….used coffee filters, tea bag papers, rusty objects, and other “found objects”. Other than that I have not much to report on the quilting scene. It is experimentation on a different level.
And that seems to be all that I have to say for this month. Check back often as I am posting new pictures throughout the month.
Until next time……“Blessed are the children of the piece makers, for they shall inherit the quilts.”
Book three of the Earths Children series by Jean Auel, while not as interesting as the previous two still had me turning the pages...or rather clicking my e-reader to see how this love story would pan out.
(I think I shall now take a break from this series so that I can read Stephen Tylers autobiography "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?")
The authenticity of background detail, the lilting prose rhythms and the appealing conceptual audacity that won many fans for The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Valley of the Horses continue to work their spell in this third installment of Auel's projected six-volume Earth's Children saga set in Ice Age Europe. The heroine, 18-year-old Ayla, cursed and pronounced dead by the "flathead" clan that reared her, now takes her chances with the mammoth-hunting Mamutoi, attended by her faithful lover, Jondalar. Gradually overcoming the prejudice aroused by her flathead connection, Ayla wins acceptance into the new clan through her powers as a healer, her shamanistic potential, her skill with spear and slingshot and her way with animals (she rides a horse, domesticates a wolf cub, both "firsts," it would seem, and even rides a lion). She also wins the heart of a bone-carving artist of "sparkling wit" (not much in evidence), which forces her to make a painful choice between the curiously complaisant Jondalar, her first instructor in love's delights, and this more charismatic fellow. The story is lyric rather than dramatic, and Ayla and her lovers are projections of a romantic rather than a historical imagination, but readers caught up in the charm of Auel's story probably won't care.
The second book in the Earth's Children series by Jean Auel once again had me reading untl the wee hours of the morning. Truely a great novel of one young womans courage and resoursefulness to survive in a harsh environment.
It's beautiful the Summer month of June
When all of God's own wildflowers are in bloom
And sun shines brightly most part of the day
And butterflies o'er lush green meadows play.
How wonderful it is to great warm sunny days and fresh filled nights. Birds chirping through open windows, gentle breezes rustle through the newly emerged leaves, stereos blaring, motor bikes roaring, screaming kids --- ah, yes, spring has indeed sprung. More hours or daylight make me feel peaceful and serene and in just three short weeks, daylight hours will be shortening.
Mother Nature was extremely cruel a couple of weeks ago and showed her power with extremely high winds for about five days. I don’t know about the rest of you, but those constant high howling winds seem to etch themselves into the brain and could drive one to total distraction, if not to the brink of insanity.
This week I planted mainly pansies, petunias and portulacas in my posy pots. Not near as many as I usually do and had it not been for the fact that I already had the pots filled with soil I would have been sorely tempted not to plant any. I also planted a couple of plants that attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies, so I will see what happens there. I need to get a Hummingbird feeder. I have no fountain this year and kind of miss the soft trickling of water, but the old fountain died and I just do not feel like looking after another one -- skimming off leaves and cleaning the algae from the pump.
So this month saw the end of the Fibre Arts club for this season although we are going to meet for a short show and tell session in June to show off our latest creations. The Seminole club also came to an end, although I did not attend the last get together since I have mainly completed one (of two) of my Seminole quilts.
I have signed up for a couple of quilting classes …. a one day class in June to make a Zentangle quilt….well actually it will be more of a wall hanging. The other class is a two day one in August in which four duplicate prints on fabric will be sliced and diced and resewn to make what is known as a “fractured image”. I am going to use a picture I took last summer of a beautiful blue/purple pansy.
I have also registered for two days of Fibre Arts UFO (unfinished objects). Two daily get togethers of those of us who dabble in Fibre Arts which give us a chance to work in a social atmosphere with other like minded people. Then the Fibre Arts retreat in August where we not only have a chance to duplicate the UFO days, but actually get to sleep away from home. It will be interesting what is on the agenda for that time. Sounds as though the ones organizing it have several secret projects that we can work on.
Then, before I know it, it will be September and regular clubs and classes will begin again.
In the mean time, I have taken several classes through Quilt University on line and have gathered many notes to use in the future. I am seriously starting to explore the art of journaling….not just on paper, but using different mixed media and I even ordered and received a specialty “fabric” from the United Kingdom as it is not available on this side of the pond. I will keep you posted on more of that in the near future.
I have increased my stash of watercolor ink pencils, pencil crayons and pastels. These are so amazing….scribble on and then blend with a damp paint brush. Child-like and effective.
I am also planning on introducing a wee bit of needle felting into my fibre art along with some more beading. I am planning on making a journal with different techniques and plan on calling it “Everything’s Better With Bling”. All pages will have something shiny incorporated into the different techniques. This week I purchased many gels and different mediums for this purpose.
You see, I have made so many quilts of a fair size and space is limited….especially since I now have all my pieces home from the quilt gallery. I figure if I work smaller, I can experiment more and have lots of room to store these pieces.
Don’t get me wrong…..I still have quilts in the planning stages, but they will be special ones with very different designs and only for the very advanced quilter.
I believe that I have come to the end of this little update on my oh so exciting ..NOT…life and until next time……remember:
“Don’t needle the quilter”.
"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
- Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs
Oh my…hasn’t April been exciting. The wedding of the century it was dubbed. Of course I did not stay up to watch, but caught up with all the magnificent highlights during the light of day. Now, I have always been a Royal Watcher and at one time in my youth had many scrapbooks filled with pictures of the Royal family. Alas, I was not asked if I wanted them before they were so wantonly destroyed. The Royal couple was so elegant and I wish them a long an happy marriage. I wonder if I shall be around when they become King and Queen of England. Sigh….
So the month of April is at and end, and finally some April showers that will bring May flowers as well as giving the earth a bit of a bath to rid it of its winter accumulation of grime and grit. It has been a long winter and an even longer spring time. Snow piles still linger where they are not kissed by the sun. But the trees are developing that tiny hint of green that promises that they will soon don their lovely green gowns. Lawns and fields are greening as well. as the grass begins its new growth. It will be a while though before any flowers are brave enough to poke their heads above ground.
Now, let’s talk about me since this blog is about “me”. Okay….I seriously fell of my fabric diet. But hey, what is a fabric diet any way? Does it mean “don’t buy any more fabric”? Does is mean only “purchase certain fabrics”? Or does it mean “go crazy and buy all you want”? Well, for the past two years I have hardly purchased any fabrics at all. Lately I have become enamoured with the patterns of Jacqueline deJong - the most intricate and colourful quilts - so I could not resist when an on-line fabric store had the most delicious looking Bali batiks by my favorite fabric designer in bargain bundles of fat quarters that could not be passed up. See the album “eye candy”. To these I added from my stash and maybe one day soon I will start on one of these fabulous patterns.
I am currently working on some painted wall hanging quilts (tole painting on fabric)…..a frog, a butterfly and a peacock. These are designs that are traced on a background fabric and then quilted along all the lines. Then the fun begins….water soluble ink pencils and crayons are used to color in the design. these pens, pencils and other water soluble implements are actually designed to be used on paper, but hey, what’s good for paper is also good for fabric. Takes me back to my childhood - coloring between the lines. I will also incorporate some three dimensional ink to these for more glitz and glamour. And probably some shimmer fabric paint.
The sad news in the local quilting community…..the person who owned Creative Stitches had to declare bankruptcy. So sad that this arts and crafts venue will not be around this year. We are all hoping that something will be put together for the fall of 2012. With that hope in mind, the two pieces that I had planned on entering this fall will be 99.9% completed, leaving the remaining fraction of completion to be done at such a time as to qualify for the entry into a show. (entries cannot be done way ahead of time and usually have to be completed within the twelve months preceding the show in order to qualify). Or I will just procrastinate and rush like crazy to finish in time….which, truth be told, is more likely.
I was going to go out and rearrange my yard from the ravages of winter today, but because it is rather cool and there is a threat of rain and or snow, I shall just head to my Happy Place and color between the lines.
Until next time: Creative clutter is more blessed than tidy idleness.
Many years ago I began reading the Earth’s Children series by Jean Auel. I read the first three and then because it was so many years between publications, I stopped. This March the sixth book was finally released and I repurchased all books for my e-reader and began from the beginning. It has been so long, that I could hardly remember any of the book and it was like I had never read it.
The Clan of the Cave Bear had me turning pages until the wee hours of the morning and I am now reading the second book -- The Valley of the Horses. I like a series when the last page of one book and the first page of the next leave no long span of time between.
A definite five stars out of five and if you are looking for some good reads, don’t pass this by.
From the Publisher:
This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. Through Jean M. Auel's magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves The Clan of the Cave Bear.
A natural disaster leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind. To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly--she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the ways of the Clan and Iza's way of healing, most come to accept her. But the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their midst, and is determined to get his revenge.
April Fools Day, sometimes called All Fools Day, is the day of unknown origin. Yet, most of the western world knows this is a day set aside for good hearted pranks, hoaxes, gags, and giggles. It is a day that the gullible, well...watch out!
Generally speaking, the day is spent trying to get people to believe in falsehoods or otherwise run a "fools" errand or unnecessary action. Good "fooler's" take advantage and try to get their victim early as possible so that they don't realize they are being fooled.
But hopefully Mother Nature will not try to fool us that spring has been postponed by giving us yet more snow.
WOW, hasn’t it been a might long, drawn out winter? Here it is the first of April and the piles of snow are only now beginning to slowly decrease in size. The February Funk gave way to March Madness and I will be glad to return to the world of the sane.
Yep, the Bears are about to leave the den. The human ones as well as those in the wild. I have spent the winter months keeping track of the radio collared bear Lily, her one year old cub Hope and her new cubs (born mid-January), Jason and Faith. They have been quite active in their den (they are part of a bear study and a den cam had been installed). Over the past couple of weeks they have been spending more and more time outdoors and the young cubs have been developing their legs and climbing skills. Soon they will leave the den completely and venture out into the wide, wild world with their mom and big sis.
As the bears leave the den so shall I…..venturing out further and further from my winter digs and once again enjoying the world without the cumbersome winter attire. The sun on my face yesterday was a blessing and indeed healing and calming.
Some of you may have noted that I have not been posting much to my Weekly Picture Album. This is because there have not been many pictures to take of any interest, but I promise to get back to that more regularly.
As you all know I have spent the winter working on various fibre arts pieces and those of you who are friends on Face Book see them as they are completed. Now I shall have to get busy and post some new albums on this site. Look for some new albums coming soon.
I have ordered some very detailed and intricate patterns from a shop in Powell River in B.C for some small quilts that are designed by a quilt designer from the Netherlands. These will be somewhat different, difficult and will be interesting to tackle.
Once again I have taken up working on my Baltimore album with gusto as this needs to be ready for quilting for next winter. I am almost half way through the final border. Then it will be applying all the rose “hairs” and the large rouched flowers. I will be taking this to a long arm quilter to do the basting for me prior to the hand quilting that this piece will require.
I have my final beading class this Saturday and then will continue to fill my drawstring bag with various beads and beading techniques. This will be an ongoing project to be picked up and worked upon now and then.
The big news is - and this will be a totally new experience for me - that I have signed up for a Fibre Arts Retreat. Okay, so we are not going to any exotic place like the mountains or on a cruise, but it will be a get-away none the less. Three days at The Star of the North Retreat in St. Albert. Three whole days at the end of August playing with various fibres with like minded persons, exchanging ideas and stories, and projects. And a mystery Fibre Arts piece as well. I am really looking forward to that time “away”.
So to all of you faithful readers….have a Happy Spring. Take time to watch the trees bud and the grass grow.
Until next time…..There is nothing more exciting than starting a new project.
"Who's there?"...."March". "March who?". "March right in and warm us up".
Could not resist that one.
Emily DickinsonDear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat–
You must have walked–
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!
I got your letter, and the birds’;
The maples never knew
That you were coming,–I declare,
How red their faces grew!
But, March, forgive me–
And all those hills
You left for me to hue;
There was no purple suitable,
You took it all with you.
Who knocks? That April!
Lock the door!
I will not be pursued!
He stayed away a year, to call
When I am occupied.
But trifles look so trivial
As soon as you have come,
That blame is just as dear as praise
And praise as mere as blame.
Enough already!!!!! What a long drawn out winter we have been having. While it has not been longer than usual according to the calendar, it seems to have been around way too long. Kind of like unwanted guests or old fish. I am blaming this on the wonderfully warm days that we have had interspersed here and there when the temperatures rose to the point of melting some of the huge piles of snow that blanket our landscape.
Then of course it was the DREADED FEBRUARY FUNK from which so many of us suffer. The cold dark days that prevent us from enjoying warmer days start to take their toll. But, relief is on its way. The days are slowly getting longer…well, they still contain the usual 24 hours, but we have more sunlight during that time. I wonder how many of us suffer with undiagnosed SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which causes this feeling of lethargy and a bit of depression? Okay…enough of that. Have to remember that every day above ground is a good day.
So…tomorrow is the first of March and according to folklore, it will be coming in like a lion so it should go out like a lamb. Flowers will start to poke their heads out of the ground, leaves will begin to bud, birds will be returning from their southern sojourn and next thing you know I will be complaining about it being too hot. Just no pleasing some people.
So what have all you faithful readers been doing to while away the winter days? I have been doing my usual since we last met here on this blog. Some fibre arts pieces have been completed and some have been started. Sparrow Studioz has had its grand opening and it is so nice to see so many of my works on display and for sale. My consignment contract goes until May 15, so I am hoping that some sales will be forthcoming prior to that date. So what happens to all this “stuff” that will not sell? Not sure, but I believe that I will set up an Etsy shop. I will keep you informed of that.
And I have taken up beading! Well, not seriously, but am currently taking some basic beading classes so that I will be more versed in adding beading to some of my fibre arts projects. At little more bling and interest that will increase the value for selling purposes…..I hope. And I had absolutely no idea just how great my bead stash was until I started going through it for these classes. At least I do not need to go out and buy any more.
My Seminole quilts are coming along, although for the past two months on the day of the meetings it has been stormy and cold and I have not gone. But I am being good and keeping up with the program. All my bands are done and now it is assembly time. I have had so much fun making these that I have enough for two nice size lap quilts. Bright and colourful, and fun.
So now it is time to once again bid you farewell until next time.
All women are angels -- and when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly on broomsticks. 
"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March."
- Dr. J. R. Stockton
"Away in a meadow all covered with snow
The little old groundhog looks for his shadow
The clouds in the sky determine our fate
If winter will leave us all early or late". (Don Halley)
Good day fellow visitors. And if you are reading this, I can safely assume that you have survived the snowy days of January. So much snow, piles six feet and more. No place to put more snow. Cold biting wind and dull dreary skies. And then a few days of warmth, melting and a lifting of the gloom. And now back to the cold.
And now on to the dreaded February Funk. A time when we are tired of the snow and cold and wish for the time to be able to come out of our winter hibernation, toss aside mitt, boots, scarves and toques.
It is now a year since we lost our beloved Trinket the Fat Kat. The pain is long gone, but the memories linger. She is missed still.
During the month of January I practiced such restraint. I had every intention of visiting the local quilt shops to take advantage of my birthday discount at the various stores. But I resisted. Why buy things I do not really need just to take advantage of a discount? Buying at a discount and not using, is really no bargain. And so I shall continue my fabric diet for the third year.
January saw the return of the Seminole and Fibre Arts Clubs. So nice to get back into a regular routine. I also signed up for another on-line course at Quilt University -- Still Life. This is not new to me, but I figured that I could pick up a few new tips and tricks. I have also signed up for a three day workshop on beading. ..one day a month for three months. While I have used beads, especially in my many cross stitch pieces, I am not a beader and would like to incorporate some beading into my fibre arts pieces to give them zip and zing.
I got my first professionally quilted quilt back from the Long Arm quilter. It is a giant queen and just too much for me to handle. She did a great job and now I anxiously await my second one from her. This is the last time I shall do such large quilts.
Sparrow Studioz and Quilt (Consignment) Gallery has its Grand Opening on February 18, 19 and 20th. This is exciting. I have many quilts and art quilts there on consignment, and hopefully I shall be able to sell a piece or two. One can only hope.
I am in the process of designing a few new art quilts as well. Experimenting with various mediums is fun and interesting. One never knows what will happen at the beginning. Just go where the mind goes and do interesting stuff.
In the mean time, we shall all be eagerly awaiting the Groundhog’s prediction….will winter end early, or will we continue to huddle in layers to avoid the cold?
Until next time…..Quilters are not greedy, they are just materialistic.
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Except for today, I ALWAYS write my blurb in word and then copy and paste. Well today I did not do so and when I went to check on something I lost all that I had said, so here I am on MS Word starting over. The attached poem by Alfred Tennyson says it so well. Another year has come to an end and a new year lurks around the corner. I for one, am glad to see the start of a new year, with the end to the commercialized holiday season and to the start of longer days. This is a time of year for me that is very depressing and I have yet to figure out if it is the actual season or if I suffer to some extent from SAD. The return of days with longer periods of daylight tend to lift my spirits and the cloud that hangs over my head every year at this time. Are you one who makes resolutions for the new year? If you do, do you manage to keep them, or do they fall by the wayside to remain forgotten until the next new year comes along? I do not really fall into the “resolution maker” category, but two years ago I did resolve to curtail my fabric purchases. I must state, that for the most part, I have kept that resolve. Oh, I have purchased some fabrics, but only for specific reasons. And I have bought some new toys…rulers, a cord maker, some water color pencils, inks and wax crayons for use in fibre arts. Hopefully this coming year will see me making a few more quilts to donate to the Zebra Child Protective Services. This would certainly help to decrease my stash. I have made a few quilts this past year that have been designated “stash busters”, but it seems as though there is not much of a dent there. This past week saw me taking two huge queen sized quilt tops to be professionally quilted…..something I have never done before. But the increased Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and increased arthritis in my hands and shoulders would cause far to much pain and discomfort if I tried to do these myself. I shall keep to smaller quilts and my fibre arts to keep me busy. So on that note, I shall wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2011 and until next time…… Behind every quilter is a big pile of fabric.
The Death of the Old Year | |
| Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1842) | |
Full knee-deep lies the winter snow, And the winter winds are wearily sighing: Toll ye the church bell sad and slow, And tread softly and speak low, For the old year lies a-dying. Old year you must not die; You came to us so readily, You lived with us so steadily, Old year you shall not die. He lieth still: he doth not move: He will not see the dawn of day. He hath no other life above. He gave me a friend and a true truelove And the New-year will take ’em away. Old year you must not go; So long you have been with us, Such joy as you have seen with us, Old year, you shall not go. He froth’d his bumpers to the brim; A jollier year we shall not see. But tho’ his eyes are waxing dim, And tho’ his foes speak ill of him, He was a friend to me. Old year, you shall not die; We did so laugh and cry with you, I’ve half a mind to die with you, Old year, if you must die. He was full of joke and jest, But all his merry quips are o’er. To see him die across the waste His son and heir doth ride post-haste, But he’ll be dead before. Every one for his own. The night is starry and cold, my friend, And the New-year blithe and bold, my friend, Comes up to take his own. How hard he breathes! over the snow I heard just now the crowing cock. The shadows flicker to and fro: The cricket chirps: the light burns low: ’Tis nearly twelve o’clock. Shake hands, before you die. Old year, we’ll dearly rue for you: What is it we can do for you? Speak out before you die. His face is growing sharp and thin. Alack! our friend is gone, Close up his eyes: tie up his chin: Step from the corpse, and let him in That standeth there alone, And waiteth at the door. There’s a new foot on the floor, my friend, And a new face at the door, my friend, A new face at the door. |
This is one of those must read books and I believe that this is the fifth or sixth time I have read it over the past 30 years or so. Another book of well over a thousand pages, it is not an easy read, but it is suspenseful and interesting.
The following is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing. The book explores a dystopian United States where leading innovators, ranging from industrialists to artists, refuse to be exploited by society. The protagonist, Dagny Taggart, sees society collapse around her as the government increasingly asserts control over all industry, while society's most productive citizens, led by the mysterious John Galt, progressively disappear. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the "minds" that drive society's growth and productivity. In their efforts, these "men of the mind" hope to demonstrate that a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed, that civilization cannot exist where men are slave to society and government, and that the destruction of the profit motive leads to the collapse of society.
The novel's title is a reference to Atlas, a Titan of Greek mythology, who in the novel is described as "the giant who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders". The significance of this reference is seen in a conversation between the characters of Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden in which d'Anconia asks of Rearden what sort of advice he would give to Atlas upon seeing that "the greater [the titan's] effort the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders". With Rearden unable to answer, Francisco gives his own response: "To shrug". In this conversation, Atlas is to be understood as a metaphor for the productive men of society.
Atlas Shrugged includes elements of mystery and science fiction, and it contains Rand's most extensive statement of Objectivism in any of her works of fiction via a lengthy monologue delivered by the strike's leader, John Galt.
The theme of Atlas Shrugged, as Rand described it, is "the role of man's mind in existence". The book explores a number of philosophical themes that Rand would subsequently develop into the philosophy of Objectivism. It advocates the core tenets of Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and expresses her concept of human achievement. In doing so it expresses many facets of Rand's philosophy, such as the advocacy of reason, individualism, the market economy and the failure of government coercion.
With its one thousand pages, plus, this is not a fast read, but a good one and highly recommended. It was not my first time reading this, but I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time, and it was all the better because when it was republished, all the eliminated pages from the original were added.
This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides -- or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail -- and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man. In 1978 Stephen King published The Stand , the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. But as it was first published, The Stand was incomplete, since more than 150,000 words had been cut from the original manuscript. Now Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil has been restored to its entirety. The Stand : The Complete And Uncut Edition includes more than five hundred pages of material previously deleted, along with new material that King added as he reworked the manuscript for a new generation. It gives us new characters and endows familiar ones with new depths. It has a new beginning and a new ending. What emerges is a gripping work with the scope and moral comlexity of a true epic. For hundreds of thousands of fans who read The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King's gift. And those who are reading The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival. From the Hardcover edition.
"The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year,
Of wailing winds, and naked woods, and meadows brown and sear."
- William Cullen Bryant
Greetings to all who pass through this monthly blog of mine. While the calendar tells us it is still in its Autumn phase, the Weather Gods have certainly given us a taste of the Winter that is to come. That cold snap with temperatures in the minus 30 range were nasty indeed. Nice that we are now experiencing more seasonal temperatures.
The trees are bare, the ground is snow covered and all the migratory birds have departed for warmer southern climes. Of course the noisy Ravens, Crows and Jays remain as do the Sparrows and Chickadees. The Nuthatches come up from the river valley to feast at the feeders and the Woodpeckers are often heard beating their bills on the building walls and nearby trees, often sounding as though they are performing for a rock band as drummers.
A local long arm quilter has opened a Studio and Quilting Gallery for Consignment quilts. What a great concept. I have 31 bed, lap and art quilts in this gallery and have been designated as the artist of the month for December…..which is the opening month. These items for sale will be geared to high end homes, realtors who are staging houses for sale and to interior decorators, so the prices on these items for sale are not exactly on the “cheaper” end of the price scale. It will be interesting to see what will transpire and how many of my items will be sold over time.
I learned a couple of new techniques this month. Silk fusion was a simple and gratifying Fibre Arts class. Turning silk fibres into wonderfully soft silk paper. So far I have done three sheets and will incorporated them into an art quilt. I have also been dabbling with Puff Paint…..how messy is that? But the results are spectacular and one is able to include great dimensional areas in mixed media landscape art. I am working on a wintry scene which incorporates puff paint trees, hills, rocks. Stay tuned for the posting of this picture in the near future. Click on the attachment link at the bottom of this entry for a sneak peek.
I have a couple of new toys in my studio to play with as well. Some specialized rulers and more wonderful silk fibres, stripings and cocoons. And since there are no classes or clubs in December I shall have lots of time to play, explore and experiment in the world of my Studio.
To all of you, I wish you Happy Holidays and A Merry Christmas Season.
Until next time……May your sorrows be patched and your joys be quilted..
"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.
With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
- Elizabeth Coatsworth
I also hope that all of you had a great summer and are now ready to hunker down for a long, cold winter. I do not mind the colder months. It gives me a good excuse for just cocooning and working in my studio. I am ready. The yard has been put to sleep, the fountain has been emptied and my winter projects have been put on the front burner.
To recap October. Wow, what a month. All three of my entries into Creative stitches came home with ribbons and prizes. And my landscape quilt took best in show. Quite an accomplishment and honour. Unfortunately - or fortunately - depends on how you view the world, one of my prizes is a $100.00 gift certificate in Cochrane, which is not exactly around the corner from where I live. Do I see a road trip in my future? Seems a shame to spend three or four hundred dollars to redeem that, but then it would make for a good get away to the foothills and I could do a quilt shop hop along the way. Of course I would not go alone, and am sure that my daughter could be persuaded to come along.
October also saw me doing what I have long thought of doing. I hired a house cleaning service. Oh yes!!! This gal is so good that she was using a tooth brush to clean those nasty carvings in the cupboard doors. My place never looked so good. I plan on having a long and enjoyable relationship with Beth as she comes in twice a month to do what I cannot do (or what I do not want to do).
I continue to get lessons in the fibre arts mixed media from Quilt University, however the pace is so fast that I am printing them up and will do the majority of them at my leisure. I have worked on some, but find that I cannot give the care and attention to the lessons if I try to come up with one completed project per week.
My Fibre Arts an Seminole clubs are well under way and each meets monthly until May. Always enjoyable and informative, as well as constructive.
I have started to work on another One Block Wonder for entry into Creative Stitches next October. This one will be more of an art, mixed media entry. I have designed some huge hollow cubes to work as a focal point and will use the hexagon blocks as a background for what I hope will be an under water scene with Koi fish, coral, shells and seaweed. I think that this will be a fun piece to do, but it also means that one wall in my bedroom shall remain a design wall.
I also have special foundation patterns coming for the making of a spectacular quilt from a quilt book that features designed inspired from the tiled floors of Italy. Magic, mosaic quilts that will be winners for certain. There are two that I want to make. If any of you are interested google images for Bella Bella Quilts. It has taken me a while to track down the foundation papers and I finally had to resort to ordering them from the publisher. Can’t wait to get started on that one. Of course I shall have to temporarily go off my fabric diet in order to purchase the fabric for those. A major hardship which I am sure I shall survive.
In the mean time I am experimenting with several different techniques in the fibre arts area. I am using small “canvases” for these experimentations. More like Journal quilting. Pages are 6” X 8” and are in mini binders. That way I do not expend a lot of time, energy and supplies on larger pieces that do not turn out or that are not really to my liking.
So that, my friends is my life in a nutshell. Until next time……
I love quilting and have plenty of material witnesses.
"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
- Elizabeth Lawrence
I love this time of year. The extreme heat of the summer days has been tempered and Mother Nature causes the trees to cast off their apparel of green and don their party gowns of red and yellow and orange. What wonderful colours -- and then once on the ground the sound of the dry leaves under foot make one reminisce of days gone by when as a child one would drag their feet though the leave and listen to the crackle and the crunch. The children in our complex have been gathering all the fallen leaves and claim they are going for a record of the largest pile of leaves. I would hate to see their faces when the lawn maintenance people come around in a couple of days and clean it all up, but at least they are keeping the yard in front of our unit nicely raked.
September has been a busy time in my studio. I have been working daily on my Elements in Fabric class from Quilt U. Tops are done for Water and Fire. The sunset sky has been painted and the “clouds” have been worked on for the element “Wind”. I hope to end up with a stormy sky with brilliant lightening intersecting the clouds. After all, wind cannot be seen so this is the closest that one can get to visualizing it. After wind comes “Earth”.
I am making all of these approximately 22” x 22” so they will make a nice grouping, or will be able to stand alone.
Also, the class “Waves and Waterfalls’ has started, but I have not had the time to dive into those waters. I shall print off all the lessons and tackle them in the not too distant future….and “Winter Wonderland” starts at the end of October. These classes are all new techniques, using, in some cases, unconventional materials and methods to achieve the desired outcome.
I have had my first class in the eight month long Seminole Club and am off to a good start there. The Fibre Arts Club also had it’s first get together in September. Free form fibre art was on the table and it was interesting to just “do” and not “think”…at least not too much.
I have done the last minute tidying up of my entries for Creative Stitches which are to be taken in to the Mayfield this evening. Of course I am hoping for some recognition on at least one of my pieces, but it is the thrill of the doing that is exciting. I already have some plans for entry next year. I still have to package them for delivery, but am waiting for the last minute to do this. The two art pieces will be rolled around covered cardboard rolls so the least amount of time that they are in this position, the better they will hang.
I made my landscape piece with the intention of hanging it in my living room, but have now decided that it is too large of a piece for the space. So it will either be sold at some date, or it will just be relegated to storage as are so many of the things I have done.
I have realized that I have been doing this little blog for over a year now. I have enjoyed doing it, and I hope that those of you who visit me here, enjoy reading.
Until next time: Have a good month and remember…..People will see your quilts and not your housework long after you are gone.
Well, the Dog Days of Summer have almost come to a close. What are the Dog Days of Summer you may ask? Well, they are
the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. Here is a brief history:“The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. Look for it in the southern sky (viewed from northern latitudes) during January.
In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star“.
Frankly, for me I am glad that they are about to meet their demise as the sun has been burning extra hot this year, and for those of you who know me, I am not a sun worshiper. Basking in the hot rays of the sun, daring skin cancer to come a calling, is not for me. After all when the weather is hot, humid and sultry, there are only so many clothes that a person can remove before being arrested for indecent exposure, while during the cooler / colder days of autumn and winter no one will be around to arrest you for “excess clothing”. Also, when the cooler days prevail, those pesky mosquitoes go to ground and one can sit out in front of a lovely fire, watching the stars pop out and occasionally glimpse a passing satellite.
Except that did not happen during a few days when we were totally immersed in the dense smoke which drifted over the mountains from B.C. This caused poor visibility, difficulty breathing and a strange eerie glow over the land from the sun shining through this smoke. Thank goodness that did not last more than a few days.
After about 27 years out of 32 I called it quits with the Condominium Board. Quit cold turkey so to speak. Enough is enough of phone ringing, doorbell peeling and bitching and complaining. I am retired. Period. End of discussion. Freedom feels great.
Well, my landscape art quilt, “It Could Be Autumn” is finally done. I will get the entry forms and fees into Creative Stitches for it and for my “Cubes on the Run”. I may or may not enter a third item. Will need to have bit more thought on that one.
I am working on two, soon to be three quilt classes from Quilt U. Interesting, although not really new techniques and ideas for me, although it is always good to get perspective from different people as to certain techniques. The monthly quilt clubs will be starting soon, so I think that my days will be full of fun and creativity for the next several months.
I have just completed working on a winter challenge quilt. “Winter--Night and Day”. A day time winter scene surrounded by night time. Some new techniques are being used, making it a bit of trial and error, but the end result is very pleasing, at least to me. Check out my “fibre arts” photo album.
I have recently purchased a lot of different items to use in the construction of different fibre arts. Puff paint, silk, fibre etch, stencils, and on and on. I am going to start working on smaller pieces so that I can experiment more, and have more instant gratification on my work. Large pieces are nice, but end results are not available for several months and in the mean time my brain is twisting and turning wanting new and different things to do.
I have started a Rain Forest Collage which should be fun. Not really a piece that will have a scenic finish, but one that depicts some of the life in the rainforests that are in danger of extinction because of the destruction of the atmosphere and the encroachment of mankind on that environment.
While on a foray of the St. Albert farmer’s market with my daughter, we paid a visit to the quilt shop in that city. I was on a quest to find a Kona Bay fabric which had Koi fish on it. And there it was…and had the right amount of fabric left on the bolt, plus a wee bit extra. This will be used to make another One Block Wonder…Cubed. Need to draft some very large cubes for this. Planning on this for entry to Creative Stitches in October 2011.
So you see, dear readers, I am a very busy person with hundreds of ideas swirling through my brain, waiting to be released.
Until next time: The Children of the Quilter shall inherit the Quilts…..and the stash, and the thread and the rulers and everything else.
"August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a match flame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away."
- Elizabeth Maua Taylor
Oh how true….August, while still a summer month, does herald the beginning of the end of the lazy, hazy days of summer. Berries ripen, canola fields don their bright yellow gowns, gardens hand over their wonderful fresh produce, and the kids lament the fact that their carefree days are half over.
July has been a busy month for me here at the condos. Oh my, such heavy rains day after day after day. Drainage pipes to be replaced, heavy rains resulting in flooded basements resulting in the need for new landscaping. Trees to be trimmed. Quotes to be obtained for new fencing and the list just goes on and on. I spent the better part of a week sorting and rearranging the basement so that 32 year old drainage pipes could be replaced. This was a case of “an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure”. Then a full two days putting things back.
But in spite of all of these outside issues, July was a very productive month for me in my quilting and fibre arts. My One Block Wonder -- officially named “Cubes on the Run” is almost completed. Just a wee bit more hand stitching on the binding and the attaching of the hanging sleeve. (the sleeve is required for show entry). My photo to fabric piece is half done, but has been put on the back burner, making way for more urgent works. My landscape wall hanging is almost ready for quilting. I have made some delicious dimensional leaves to overlap the bottom border and have some great fabrics for a most colourful and interesting border and binding.
My Summer Challenge quilt for a local fabric shop is finished and has been delivered. It was fun and fast and I understand that it is hanging at the north side Quilter’s Dream.
I bought a new toy -- are you at all shocked? This is known as a “Diva Cord Maker”. I can now use all kinds of ribbons, beads, thread, yarns, fabric strips to make wonderful colourful cords from tiny wee ones to fat ones. I have been playing this week and am looking forward to applying some of these cords to my fibre art pieces.
I have once again signed up for a Fibre Arts Club, starting in September and going until May. I have also signed up for a Seminole Strip Club, from September until May. The fabrics I have chosen here are truly eye candy. Colourful and playful. 
Plus a three week sign up (one day a week) for a colourful class titled “Bold and Beautiful”….making wonderful floral art pieces from just one fabric, using paints, inks, water color pencils etc. and thread play to make some (I hope) delicious framed art work.
I have never taken any classes or courses via the computer, but Quilt University has a great program entitled “Elements in Fabric”….teaching how to apply wind, water, fire and earth to fibre art pieces starting on Sept. 3. I am going to sign up for this. I have seen the printed materials from someone who has taken this and it will be fun, working from home at my own pace. I am not sure how long this is, but I seem to recall six classes. Registration has not started yet but I am looking forward to this. There is also a shorter class (three weeks) entitled “Machine Embellished Surfaces” starting on Aug. 13 that I will be signing up for as well.
All of these classes and clubs should keep me busy and out of trouble for many months to come.
So now it is once again time to say farewell for another month.
Keep in mind….Definition of Insanity: Doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results. :-)
So I guess that by doing all these different things, I remain in the world of the fairly sane.
Have a good month.
I had given up reading books by James Patterson as they were starting to be "same old, same old", but I got this book from the library for my e-book reader, more as an experiment in the process rather than for the book itself. Surprisingly I did enjoy it. Here is the synopsis from the publisher.
Separated by time
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he''s written--a novel called Trial.
Connected by blood
As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.
United by bravery
When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town''s black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror--but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross''s Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.
A small Kansas town has turned into a killing ground. Is it a serial killer, a man with the need to destroy? Or is it a darker force, a curse upon the land? Amid golden cornfields, FBI Special Agent Pendergast discovers evil in the blood of America''s heartland.
Once again Agent Pendergast is up to his well dressed shoulders in the hot and humid summer days using his sharp mind to solve a most unusual crime. With the help of a misbegotten youth, Corrie he contemplates possibilities and probabilities and outsmarts the bungling local law enforcement agents.
Another mindless, but entertaining read.
In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered. Inside are thirty-six bodies all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent Pendergast investigates the old crimes, identical killings start to terrorize the city. The nightmare has begun. Again.
FBI Special Agent Pendergast is once again up to his well clad neck in the mysterious and the suspenseful; letting bungling law enforcement officers think that they are solving a mysterious event when in fact they are showing just how inept they can be, which Pendergast, with his unorthodox methods solves the crime with seemingly little effort.
This is the third book written by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston which features Special Agent Pendergast and while each book can stand alone, it is good to read them in sequence in order to have a background into Pendergast and his history.
A light but entertaining read.
I awoke this morning to discover that sometimes during the night we had moved into a new month. What happened to June? One minute it was there and then it was gone. It was a month that had both highs and lows for me. The highs are important and exciting, while the lows are merely dirt beneath my feet.
A week ago I sent my dear Hubby out to make an appointment to have the computer taken in for an Exorcism as the devil had taken a hold of it and was causing it to severely misbehave. Slow connections, freezing (even though it was not winter), taunting the user (mainly me) and generally causing grief and despair. Next thing I knew he was calling me from Future Shop saying that we really should buy a new one and not spend money on one that was ten years old and which had outlived it usefulness. “We can discuss that when you get home” says I. “I’m discussing it now” he replies, so off I go to meet him at Future shop and the next day we brought the new baby home. Installed and set up without the aid of “Fantastic Computer Literate Savvy Son“. (Pats self on back). And now I am finding all the new features of Windows 7, which are not too different that XP, but different enough that one must pause and refresh the mind.
Quilting…..ah yes, the bumps and blips in my life caused me to lose some vim and vigour in regards to this activity, but I am glad to announce that I am once again back in full swing with projects happening in my Studio as well as in my designated quilting area in the basement. My One Block Wonder for Creative Stitches is about one third quilted and because the quilting is straight lines, it shall not take long to complete. For the first time ever, I have some wavy borders to contend with, but they are not too serious and I have a plan in mind to beat them into submission so that they will be flat and even.
A local quilt shop is having a summer quilting challenge. The theme is “How I spent my summer vacation”. Two lines of fabric are available to select from….one in ice-cream pink and one in eye popping lime green. At least one fabric from either line is to be used in the project. Well, the last time I joined in their challenge I made an art quilt. This time I wanted to do something slightly different. Since I had no plans to go anywhere or do anything special and was planning to do the latest trend --- taking a “Stay-cation” --- I decided to make a Sudoku quilt, using nine fabrics instead of nice numbers. Working with the lime green is way outside the box for me. There is not a scrap of fabric in my stash that contains this vibrant and yummy color. The top is now done. Around the borders I have appliquéd the following: “I Spent My Summer Stay-Cation Making This Sudoku Quilt”. It may not win any prizes, but was so fun to make.
On July 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th I am doing a four day workshop on “Photo to Fabric”. I have a wonderful picture (copyright free) taken from the internet of a wonderful scruffy old man that I will attempt to duplicate in a fabric collage. We shall see how successful I shall be in this attempt and I promise to post pictures regardless of the outcome.
So to all my faithful readers -- have a good summer. I shall spend my days on my projects and my evenings reading and occasionally sitting in front of an outdoor fire searching for passing satellites in the sky above.
I have not transferred my quilting quotes to the new computer yet, so I shall just sign off by saying:
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. Life is about learning to dance in the rain.
So dance and be happy.
As The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest opens, Lisbeth Salander—the heart and soul of Larsson's two previous novels—is under close supervision in the intensive care unit of a provincial Swedish city hospital. And she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: when she's well enough, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for a triple murder. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will have to prove her innocence, and identify and denounce the corrupt politicians who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to become victims of abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot her revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now, Lisbeth Salander is ready to fight back.
A most interesting and intriguing book that had me clicking my e-reader until the wee hours of the morning. In fact the sun was starting to light the eastern sky when I finally finished. Even though Lisbeth is a computer hacker and to be honest, is a thief, you root for her because of the injustices that have been done to her. Now that the wrongs have been righted and she has all of her independence returned to her, she will have to learn to live in a society in which she is responsible for being a citizen....working, paying taxes and doing what all normal people do. But she is a strong willed person, and the story ends with her learning to accept her independence and for being a free person, both in body and spirit.
A must, must read. But not until you have read “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Girl Who Played With Fire”.
While this book may have been selected as the 2010 CBC Canada Reads Winner, to me it was a bunch of disjointed drivel. It is only because it was a mere 200 pages that I continued until the very bitter end. Like one of those horrible movies that you keep watching because you are sure it will get better.
There is the unnamed book store worker who starts out clearing out his deceased mother’s belongs and then appears again for a short time at the middle and the end. Noah spends the entire 200 pages sending letters to every post office in Canada hoping to locate his wandering mother. Joyce wants to be a pirate and idolizes her mother whom she learns left when she was a baby. Set mainly in Montreal, they do cross paths during a ten year period, but there is no real story. Nothing makes any sense. Everything is left hanging.
But I did reinforce to myself why I never listen to, watch or have any dealings with the CBC. If they determined that this book was a winner in any way at all....well, they leave me speechless. I can just see a bunch of doddering old fools sitting around the table with their author (?) buddy and awarding him a prize.
One main thing I learned: life is too damn short to waste time reading a book such as this. I’d rather spend my time stuffing mushrooms.
June Haiku (Tiyler Durden)
paper flowers bloom
purple sky alive in June
how I love summer
Wow, another month has flown by the wayside. May is almost finished and June is peeking its head around the corner, and each day brings us more and more light, until we reach the summer solstice. A time to enjoy warm summer nights and soft gentle breezes. In our dreams. So far we have had cold, snow, blowing wind and super hot days...and sometimes all in a matter of a day or two.
But, the trees are now wearing their gorgeous green gowns, the first batch of baby birdies have learned to fly and the landscape is covered with bright sunshiny Dandelions.
My yard is now alive with freshly planted flowers and I look forward to those plants that do not yet have their colourful blossoms. I have planted two Honeysuckle vines and will keep an eye out for the possible visitation from a Hummingbird or two.
As my yard is alive with new growth, so is my mind. I have so many ideas for Fibre Art pieces. I am almost finished “Cherry Blossoms in the Moonlight”. This piece has had me exploring many new artistic methods---a hand painted background night fabric, oil paint sticks, cheese cloth, twisted fabric trees and paint application for detailing. I will then work on a rainforest piece which will feature a colourful parrot and some other creatures which can be found in this endangered ecosystem. Also a Fairy pond with frogs and water lilies are waiting in the wings to put in their performance.
Plus there are so many other untried techniques in my bag of tricks to work on. Thanks to Darlene Bayley for opening up new doors for me to walk through.
These Fibre Arts pieces which stretch the mind and the imagination are so intriguing and interesting to work on that I find it had to get down to my regular quilting which has to be completed, but I am enjoying the variety.
So now as the sun attempts to peek through the overcast sky, I will go out and visit my plants and then head up to my Studio to nourish my mind and my soul.
Until next time... A fat quarter is not a body part.
From Me:
A wonderfully well told story of Lily Casey Smith, the grandmother of the author. Because all the information was gleaned second hand, Jeannette Walls has termed this book as a novel, although it does portray her grandmother’s life. Lily was indeed a force to be reckonded with and by reading this story one gains insite into the author’s mother who was such a flighty free spirit. I am not sure which book should be read first. By reading Half Broke Horses first, one would get a background into the story of The Glass Castle. But which ever is read first, this is another must read.
From the Publisher:
"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, in Jeannette Walls''s magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, all alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn''t need to be fed if they weren''t working, and they didn''t leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane, and, with her husband, ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette''s memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.
Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn''t fit the mold. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen''s Out of Africa or Beryl Markham''s West with the Night. It will transfix readers everywhere.
In 1979 when we bought our condo, we planted a lovely Blue Spruce which was approximately four feet tall. After 31 1/2 years it reached an immeasurable height and towered well over the two story building. I think it was in the neighbourhood of 50 feet tall and that was after losing about six feet of its majestic top in a horrible wind storm during the summer of 2009.
Over the years, it had been home to Robins and Blue Jays and gave shelter to the Chickadees and Sparrows during the cold winter months. Sammy the Squirrel could often be seen scampering among the branches vying with the Jays for the peanuts which were always available in a feeder along with sunflower seeds.
Recently we noticed that this majestic tree was beginning to lean, some of the pavers were lifting and the fence was leaning from the roots. We felt that it was becoming a hazard because of its proximity to the building and because of the buried gas lines running through the yard.
We observed the tree for a couple of weeks to ascertain that there were no active nests and all seemed quiet.
It was time to say good-bye, and so with heavy hearts, we contracted with a company to come in and cut down this magnificent specimen. First the branches hit the ground in clouds of dust and needles. Then the majestic top with its fine hat of cones hit the ground. (see pictures in "Picture of the Week" album). Then slowly, bit by bit the tall trunk was reduced to a stump approximately two and a half feet tall. This in remembrance of a tree that gave shade and shelter to both human and animal life and which will serve as a place for a lovely pot of trailing plants.. (I should add here that there was only one unoccupied nest found in the downed branches which was a great relief).
On the upside....no more dry needles and cones littering the ground and being tracked into the house. No more bird crap on the pavers to constantly be hosed down. No more yearly trimming in order to keep from having our hair combed by low hanging branches. 
On the downside....no more shade in my studio and no movre privacy from the neighbouring apartment. (I actually have to put up some window coverings). No more Jays sitting on the branches looking in the patio doors squawking continuously to inform me that there were peanuts needed.-- Last summer I had one Jay who would take a peanut from my hand. No place for all my wind chimes.
The feeder has found a new home in the yard and hopefully the Jays and other birds will avail themselves of the bounty which I shall continue to provide for them.
No matter who or what, all things must one day come to an end.
From Me:
A must read book that will tug at your heat strings, make you laugh and make you cry and most importantly shows the resiliancy of children in their attempts to survive dispite the seemingly uncaring parents who brought them into this world.
This book kept me reading until three in the morning and I am looking forward to Ms. Walls second book "Half Broke Horses", which is waiting for me on my e-reader.
From the Publisher:
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children''s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn''t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.
From the Publisher:
Abducted as an 11-year-old child from her village in West Africa and forced to walk for months to the sea in a coffle of slaves, Aminata Diallo is sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. But years later, she forges her way to freedom, serving the British in the Revolutionary War and registering her name in the historic Book of Negroes. This book, an actual document, provides a short but immensely revealing record of freed Loyalist slaves who requested permission to leave the US for resettlement in Nova Scotia, only to find that the haven they sought was steeped in an oppression all of its own.
Aminata's eventual return to Sierra Leone passing ships carrying thousands of slaves bound for America is an engrossing account of an obscure but important chapter in history that saw 1,200 former slaves embark on a harrowing back-to-Africa odyssey. Lawrence Hill is a master at transforming the neglected corners of history into brilliant imaginings, as engaging and revealing as only the best historical fiction can be. A sweeping story that transports the reader from a tribal African village to a plantation in the southern United States, from the teeming Halifax docks to the manor houses of London, The Book of Negroes introduces one of the strongest female characters in recent Canadian fiction, one who cuts a swath through a world hostile to her colour and her sex.
From Me:
One of the best books that I have read in recent history. Fiction, based on fact. An absolute must read.
From Wikipedia:
The second novel in the Millennium Trilogy by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009.
Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of establishment Swedish figures. So when a young journalist approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation.
He’s had no contact with tattooed wild-child and computer hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander since they risked their lives on a terrifying hunt for a serial killer a year earlier in "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" But unknown to Blomkvist, Salander has had contact with him–or at least, with his computer hard drive, which she has cloned and is monitoring from the vast new apartment she has bought with her fraudulently obtained fortune.
Repeatedly abused while young, Salander is a traumatized survivor of a deranged psychotherapist who treated her as a child. A punk avenging angel with boxing skills, a photographic memory and pathologically focused on seeking out and punishing violent misogynists, Salander is drawn to the investigation on Blomkvist’s computer. So while Blomkvist and his fellow Millennium idealists research the sex industry according to the rules of good journalism, Salander–spurred on by the appalling case studies of teenage prostitution she finds on Blomkvist's computer–takes matters into her own hands. She plots punishment for the traffickers, but before she can carry out her own brand of justice, she is accused of three murders, all connected to the sex trafficking exposé about to be published in Millennium.
To avoid capture by the police, Salander vanishes. While the tabloids go wild at the idea of a “psychotic lesbian S&M Satanist” on the run, Blomkvist tries despairingly to clear her name, though he can’t find her anywhere. When he does eventually make contact, it is to discover that Salander is more embroiled in his investigation than he could have thought possible. It turns out that for Salander, the trail of guilt leads shockingly close to home.
An absolutely sit on the edge of your seat, page turning until the wee hours of the morning novel. The third book in the trilogy "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" is due to be released later this month. Can't wait.
"When April steps aside for May,
Like diamonds all the rain-drops glisten;
Fresh violets open every day:
To some new bird each hour we listen."
- Lucy Larcom
Well, another month draws to a close and one quarter of the year has gone, never to be retrieved. April saw a myriad of weather changes...from an almost sweltering 26 degrees to temperatures dipping below zero. From blazing sun and blue sky to overcast and drab (such as it is today). From rain, to sleet to snow. One thing for sure, Mother Nature was having fun playing all those tricks on us mere mortals. I wish I could appreciate her humour.
For those of you who are following my Picture of the Week, you will be familiar with the pictures and mini story I posted a couple of weeks ago about the Red breasted Nuthatches and their building a home in the wall of our complex. Well, I am not sure what happened, but after several days of being serenaded by this lovely couple, one day there was total and complete silence. Further investigation and observation showed that they were no longer in residence, but the home they had built was now occupied by a couple of house Sparrows. I wonder what happened. Did the Nuthatches voluntarily move and why, or was their newly built home foreclosed on by the Sparrows? Yes, Mother Nature is a quirky kind of Lady.
It does seem as though that as I get older, the weeks and months go by faster and faster. I wonder why that is. Could it be that I have more and more things that I want to do? Ideas spin around in my mind, projects remain to be finished, and I am just finding my niche as a Fibre Artist. April found me rummaging through my “stuff” and coming up with what I thought were “only” six quilt tops that required sandwiching and pin basting and then quilting. Four of them got to the basted stage, when lo and behold, I found two more. Now, mind you, this does not include any smaller projects such as table toppers and some art quilts, mainly my landscape for show in the fall. Nor does it include my Baltimore Album quilt which is now almost two years behind schedule.
But as I contemplate all that I want to do, I have to step back and take a deep breath, and realize that all will get done in due time and that it is not the destination that really matters, but the journey. And while these projects will be finished, I am spending more time in exploring new techniques in the field of fibre arts. I have been painting various fabrics to use in my art quilts and have been very surprised and pleased with the results. July will find me at a four day workshop learning how best to turn pictures into portraits using fabrics. I am not sure where this will lead, but it is something new to explore.
So now, as the April wind blows on these last few days of the month, and the rain drops begin to fall to nourish the parched earth, I shall head to my studio to nourish my mind and my soul with my artistic abilities and explorations.
Until next time...... If I stitch fast enough does it count as aerobic exercise?
The Mole People: Life in the Tunels Beneath New York City (1993) by Jennifer Toth
Jennifer Toth spent a year in the tunnels beneath New York City interviewing the residents of the tunnels as well as social workers, policemen and other concerned citizens. While initially viewed with suspicion, she became friends with many of these underground dwellers as they told her their stories and their lives became much a part of her life.
These people lived, loved, died, and mostly hoped for a better life. Some made it; some did not. She watched as many of them destroyed themselves with drugs and alcohol, but many more lived in their little communities’ underground, working above ground and forbade drugs or alcohol in their communities. She also was witness to those who struggled to once again become members of the community above ground and who succeeded.
These people consisted of single individuals, young and old, runaways, abandoned children, as well as family groups. Some made their own hard times, where some had their hard times handed to them, such as the older man who once had a very successful career whose children borrowed and borrowed and did not return until he reached a stage where he had to sell all that he had and ended up living in the tunnels.
This was a heart wrenching, eye opening account that only scrapes the surface of the stories of people who are homeless throughout the world and who find themselves living in the tunnels which exist under most of the larger cities in every country.
A definite must read if you can find the book. (I had it brought in from a library in northern Alberta).
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
A fascinatingly good read which has been translated from the Swedish language in such a manner that it is not at all noticable. In this book we are introduced to Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tattoo, who has lead a very sad and lonely life, exploited by family and authority figures. She is a brilliant person who can easily make her way in a world that seems to be totally against her. She has a photographic memory and is one of the best hackers in the world, and she teams up with Mikael Blomkvist to solve a forty year old mystery.
This book has been in the top ten reads in Canada in recent weeks and is definitely worth turning the pages.
From the Publisher:
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence. But her uncle, Henrik, is convinced that she was murdered by someone from her own deeply dysfunctional family. Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate, but he quickly finds himself in over his head. He hires a competent assistant: the gifted and conscience-free computer specialist Lisbeth Salander, and the two unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.
About the Author:
Stieg Larsson (1954-2004) was a Swedish writer and journalist.
Prior to his sudden death of a heart attack in November 2004 he finished three detective novels in his trilogy "The Millennium-series" which were published posthumously; "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest". Altogether, his trilogy has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide (summer of 2009), and he was the second bestselling author in the world 2008.
Apparently when he died, he had a fourth book in his laptop, which his girlfriend has kept hidden since he died because she wanted to help him to complete it. But his father and brother won’t let her publish it, so she keeps it hidden until they let her do it.
April Antics
"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."
- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926
And that is so right. We do not know what tricks April will play with us. Will we be able to sit outdoors and soak up the sun, or will we huddle inside trying to keep comfortable, away from cold winds and frosty nights?
From my window I see the birds busy building their nests and performing their ritual mating rites of the season. Snows are melting, the sun is higher in the heavens and of course there are always those people who insist on entertaining the entire neighbourhood with their turned up radios and stereos through open windows. Motor bikes are roaring on the streets and the “little darlings” are out yelling and screaming in their demented interpretation of play while their indulgent parents are blissfully unaware that “to be seen and not heard (as loudly)” can be a good thing on occasion.
April is the month that the Quilters / Fibre Artists slowly end their winter hibernations, climb out of their winter dens (studios) and look around with awe and wonder what new things the season may have in store. Quilt shops have new fabrics arriving weekly, new class schedules are being posted and all of the shops clamour for the all mighty dollar that the newly awakened quilter may have remaining from the winter hoard. Quilt shows are cropping up all over like tenacious weeds and flaunt their wares in an attempt to lure the quilter and fibre artist in to their dens with enticing displays and wares.
Fortunately, I have been able to reach that place in my life where I do not easily succumb to the Sirens Song, but can attend both shops and shows and manage to leave only a little of my money behind. My studio remains overrun with fabrics, threads, and all sorts of gizmos and gadgets. Of course I would not be a true fibre artist if I did not purchase at least one or two new quilty things for my studio, and in fact just recently purchased one meter of three different fabrics that I felt I could not live without. But that was not a bad thing, as I ended up saving a goodly 25%.
I should add here that my entries for the Quilt Show in October are coming along splendidly and are very much on schedule. It is interesting to be making something knowing that it will be handled and critiqued by total strangers. There are a couple of classes coming up in the near future to a quilt shop near me for which I will be signing up. These are to learn new methods and techniques, as well as for the socialization that these classes involve.
To take a break from the serious side of quilting, I am doing the odd fun thing. A lovely, brightly colored wall hanging - Hollyhocks and Hummers (Hummingbirds), some fabulous floral wall hangings and currently a table topper which features Pansies and Butterflies.
Yes, I have awakened from my winter hibernation and all is right with my little corner of the world.
And A Very Happy Birthday to my favorite (read "only") grand-daughter who, this April, leaves her teenage years behind.
Until next time......... Quilters hang out on the "seamy" side of town.
March 12th and so far my month has been full of mayhem and madness as it pertains to my little quilting world. And I absolutely love it. My monthly challenge quilt block for one quilt shop is done and submitted. My challenge quilt for another quilt shop is 90% done which is darn good considering that I only decided to participate five days ago.
To celebrate National Quilting Month, a local quilt shop has challenged its customers to take a selected piece of fabric and incorporate it into a quilted item. No limit to size or topic...just as long as we use this absolutely (in my opinion) ugliest piece of fabric ever. Well, they say that you cannot make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, but I beg to differ on that one. I have sliced and diced and come up with an original design art quilt measuring 23’ X 20” that I think it is fantastic...of course no prejudice here. 
I will post a picture when it is finished. It has to be submitted by month’s end and then will be voted on by visitors to the shop. Viewer’s choice is a gift certificate of $100.00. I figure that I stand as good a chance as anyone else. And a $100.00 gift certificate would certainly aid and abet someone who is on a continued fabric diet.
In addition to the above, I have made good progress in putting together my One Block Wonder as well as continued work on my landscape art quilt. And while these do not have to be done until the fall for show at the beginning of October, I do plan on having them done by the first of September.
Ahhh, so much to do and so little time.
Until next time.... May your sorrows be patched and your joys be quilted
A fast paced excellent read although very heavy on the history and goings on of the Masonic Society and its ties to religion, and could be deemed to be as good as, or better than “The Da Vinci Code”....although my favorite was “Angels and Demons”..
Once again Robert Langdon manages to save the world in a matter of hours racing around Washington DC, first attempting to avoid the CIA and then working with them to rescue his friend and maintain the integrity of the Country. Pure fiction at its finest.
One wonders how any one person could go through so much and accomplish so much over a one night span of time.
My rating....3 1/2 stars out of 5.
I am currently reading “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown. Just started so will let you know what I think of it.
In the last couple of weeks I have read the following: All three books have been quick reads which did not require any great thought or insight.
Relic ... Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
Murders in the Museum cause Mystery and Mayhem just days before the opening of a special exhibit. This book introduces the FBI agent Pendergast. While I have read a few books with this strange agent, I have not read them in order and decided to do so now.
Reliquary: Sequel to the book Relic. by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
A portrayal of the life of the underground dwellers in the subway system beneath the city of New York. While totally fictional in it’s continuance of the murder and mayhem introduced in the previous book, it does give a somewhat actual portrayal of these underground dwellers, with over 5000 living in these circumstances. In some places there are up to 30 stories of underground tunnels where these people sometimes live for months without seeing the light of day and their required necessities of life are brought to them by “runners”.
I am currently trying to obtain the book “The Mole People” by Jennifer Foth (1993) This book is about the thousands of people who live in the subway, railroad and sewage tunnels of New York City. Looks like I might have to purchase it since the Edmonton Public Library system does not have it.
Silent Killer by Beverly Barton
A not too bad fluffy mystery novel. Who exactly is killing the men of God and why? The ending will surprise you.
While February has the least amount of days of all the months, it always seems like longest month of the year to me. After December and January, winter has lost its charm and now, like any other guest who has stayed too long, winter is becoming tedious and annoying. The landscape is dull and dreary, melting snow is leaving dirty surfaces and while we occasionally see the sun, for the most part it remains a foreign object high above. We sit and wait for the warmer days of spring and summer when we can spend time outdoors in our gardens or just soaking up the sun. While it is a fact that this has been a relatively mild February, that DREADED FEBRUARY FUNK has been hovering around the periphery waiting to attack like a thief in the night.
This February is also the first time in over twenty-five years that we do not have a cat around to help brighten our moods and help get us through these funky days. Rest in Peace Trinket the Kat.
The good news is, that February is almost over and we have the month of March to look forward to. So, time to shake off that February Funk and find some Motivation to Move into March and build up some Momentum. So how am I going to do that?
Well, firstly, I have my One Block Wonder quilt all laid out on my design wall ready for sewing together. Now this design wall is actually one wall in my bedroom which has been taken over by this project and which I can critique every night as I lay in bed. Many blocks have been switched around over the last month or so that this has been hanging there. This will certainly boost my spirits as it is looking better every time I look at it. This is a very exciting project.
Secondly, the layering of my landscape art quilt is coming along quite nicely. I love the freedom of artistic expression that this piece allows. There is no right or wrong. If I have placed an element in a place that does not look right to my eye, I can just move it over, or even get rid of it all together. The next big thing about this piece is cutting out hundreds of leafs for the trees.....big ones, little ones, faint ones for the distance, brighter ones for the forward trees. Having done this before I know that I can look forward to finding bits and pieces of fabric throughout the entire house. Better known as "the cutting room floor".
March will also see me broaden my artistic scope as it relates to playing on the computer with PhotoShop. The person who is teaching the Fibre Arts Club has done some awesome stuff with Photo Shop and provides the motivation for me to do the same. Some new thread play books and new techniques will also lead me in different directions with my sewing machines.
So...that is my plan for building up Motivation and Momentum as I Move into March. What plans do you have?
The bottom line here is that if you have been feeling down and despondent during the month of February, just know that you are not alone and that you are (probably) not crazy.
Until next time.....remember..."the children of the Piecemakers shall inherit the quilts".
Written by the author of "No Country for Old Men" and other well known books, "The Road" was the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
A book which tells of despair but also infers a faint glimmer of hope, written more in the style of poetry rather than narrated prose......there are no quotation marks, nor is there any use of other punctuation. “The man” and “the boy” (they remain nameless) travel across America, trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world in which the ravaged landscape is covered with ash, the cold is extreme, the sun is hidden, and food and water are scarce. The author has opted not to give a reason for the desolation of the world, but the reader can surmise that this has occurred due to a nuclear holocaust.
This book reminded me of a book I read years ago "the Last Man on Earth" which I think was written by Isaac Asimov.
A disturbing read, but one that was difficult for this reader to put down.
I would give this book four stars out of five and would recommend this thought provoking read.
Until next time....Happy Page Turning.
A most unforgettable book that was so hard to put down that I read it in three days. Moving, poignant, and heart warming. It is so well written that the reader is actually transported to that time and situation and which can bring a tear to the eye or butterflies to the stomach. A story that shows the ugly discrimination in the early 1960’s and some determined women who decided to fight against it. A must read. Thank you Sonja for the recommendation.
From the jacket:
Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
A blow you out of the water, suspenseful page turner which delivers shivers in its mysterious, complex and disturbing delivery. US Marshal Teddy Daniel and his partner Chuck are on a mission to find a woman who has mysteriously escaped. But Teddy has his own agenda and is there to locate the man who murdered his wife and was later sent to the asylum for his crime. Set on Shutter Island where escape is not possible. Add a hurricane to the mix of the inmates of an insane asylum and a plot so full of twists and turns that not even a GPS will bring you to safety. An unpredictable ending that is revealed only in the last paragraph of the book. As I finished the last page, I was tempted to go back to page one and start again....and I probably will.
The question now is...will the movie be as good as, or better than the book? In the reading, one must imagine the visual effects while the movie will better draw the viewer into the total dark atmosphere which Lehane intended.
Until next time....Happy Reading
Welcome to my new feature. I will post my take on books that I have read and invite you to do the same. Perhaps we can get ideas for books to add to our reading list from here.
Just finished reading this book by Howie Mandel and here is my take on it.
This book reads somewhat like a step in the twelve step program but without any sincerity. Howie Mandel appears to be using the fact that he has OCD as well as ADHD as excuses for his totally bad and disgusting behaviour towards his friends, co-workers and family. He seems to have no conscience and appears at times not to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. His constant apologies seem, to this reader, to be completely insincere and he gives the illusion of someone who is on the verge of being a sociopath. Sorry Howie, you are a funny guy, but you should have kept your dirty little secrets out of the public eye.
Hello faithful readers. Wow, the end of January is looming in the not so distant future and 1/12th of the year will have passed us by. How did that happen? How many of you have made resolutions for the year to come, and how many of them have already fallen by the wayside? We resolve to loose weight, exercise more, eat healthier....all very doable, but when push comes to shove, we so often fail in our resolves.
But what about the Quiltaholic’s resolutions? Oh yes, we make resolutions and promises to ourselves as they pertain to our quilting world.
As I looked back on my goals for the past year, I think I came out fairly well. Now let’s see what I can promise myself for this year.
This is a fairly short list that is not unreasonable and which is, I hope, completely doable. Only time will tell if I am successful. I will keep you posted.
Until next time.... remember: “Before Prozac there was quilting”.
Six more days until Christmas. Thirteen more days until the end of the year. And here are some of my thoughts to take me to year's end.
You can keep the partridge, the pear tree and all the piping pipers. Just give me plenty of piles of patterns....and the fabrics to make them. This would keep me busy for the rest of the winter without having to leave the warmth and comfort of my house. Seriously, the winter is half over --- well not according to the calendar, but the end of the year really is the middle of winter. The 21st of December sees the “shortest day” of the year......don’t know who came up with that phrase. After all the day still has the required 24 hours in it, regardless of how many of those hours are daylight and how many are dark. But it will be nice to see additional daylight creeping up on us.
With the end of the year, I will also revisit the fabric diet that I placed myself on in January, but will probably continue it for another year. This is the one diet that I have had great success with this year (unlike the diet, diet, if you know what I mean). I have made many projects with very little new purchases and it is beginning to show. My stash is dwindling, although no one besides me would ever know it. Of course, the making of nine charity quilts did help with reducing my stash. I have not even purchased any new “quilty” toys and my thread supply basically remains the same.
My UFO challenge for 2009 was very successful with 30 out of the 32 registered projects finished. Although I must admit that I did feel somewhat pressured at times so I am glad that is over. I also visited some of my PIGS and put patterns away and put the assigned fabrics into the general stash, and in some cases used those fabrics for other projects. Kind of a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” thing. And it works. With all of this shuffling and rooting around I have come upon some “ah ha” moments. The light bulb goes on and I come to realize some things. Such as......
).
November and December have given me new learning experiences in the fibre arts with projects on going for several months. Painting and inking fabrics to use in the making of art projects is truly satisfying. How wonderful to say that a fabric used in a project was painted by me.
December also saw me start three projects which are destined to be entered in the quilt show next fall. Two landscape art quilts, one large and one smaller one and one pieced quilt that should be the star of the show......I hope. Deadline for these is next September. No pressure, just fun.
So to briefly sum it up.....2009 WAS a very good year.
To all my readers: thank you for visiting me here and may the year 2010 be good to you. Enjoy life; take time to stop and smell the roses; and remember that “every day above ground is a good day”.
Until next time..........A quilt is a treasure that follows its owner everywhere.
"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.
With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
- Elizabeth Coatsworth
"So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world."
- John Clare, November
As I look out my window on this second last day of the month, all I see is a dull, dreary outdoors. The wee bit of snow that fell earlier in the month has, for the most part melted, leaving ice on the parking lot, bare trees and brown lawns. Without the fresh snow this is rather depressing. The Canada Geese have now departed, and the Blue Jays seem to have gone into seclusion. This is the month that the stores go all out playing the Christmas music, putting up the lights and decorations. Speaking of lights, music and decorations.... I was in a store that was playing Christmas music BEFORE Halloween. How ridiculous. I could add here that Christmas is not my favorite time of the year although it used to be when children and then grandchildren were young. There is a sense of joy and serenity when you watch young children as they happily anticipate the arrival of the Jolly One.
November is also the month of our condominium Annual General Meeting. The apathy of the people here is such that once again I find myself as the President of the Association, a position that I attempted with great difficulty and not much success to avoid.
Also, as a note of interest: As of today, there are 33 days remaining in this year. The older one gets, the faster the time goes by, or so it seems.
This is also the month that the Quilting Diva settles in to do some serious work in her Happy Place, otherwise known as the sewing room or the studio. I am well entrenched in my various groups and clubs. Mystery Quilts, Block of the month and the great Fibre Arts Club. I have started to use my painted silk organza, sliced and diced and applied to artist canvases to bring forth different works of art (?). December 28, 29 and 30 will see me at a mystery quilt extravaganza. Three days to make a quilt top and no clue in advance what it will be.
I am working on my two art quilts and one regular quilt which hopefully will be entered for competition next fall. My sewing room is stacked with dozens of landscape fabrics for my autumn forest quilt. And my design wall changes weekly to audition various main fabrics. The designing process is an interesting one as it challenges one's imagination. The nice thing about this is that it is all my ideas and not dependant on someone else’s patterns.
My “One Block Wonder” hexagons are now half sewn (you only sew them in halfs, and then play with placement) and I need to set up a huge design wall in order to play with the placement. This will entail covering one wall in my bedroom with flannel on which to play.
So, despite the dreariness of this November day, I am snuggled cozy and happy in my little world, doing the things that I like doing in my "Happy Place".
Until next time, remember......"A day patched with quilting seldom unravels".
This morning as I look out my window I see blue sky with nary a cloud in sight. The brightness of the morning is, however, very deceiving as the thermometer tells me that it is only two degrees above zero. The calendar indicates that in one more week we go back to standard time and put daylight savings time to rest for a few months. The calendar also tells me that two months from today will be Christmas day. Time flies as do the leaves from the trees on this crisp fall day. The days grow shorter as the year begins its slow journey to its end.
And my list of UFO’s grows much shorter as well. These are the unfinished quilting projects that were challenged to be finished by the end of the year. My starting number was 32. When last I wrote on this blog I had completed 18. Well, as of today, I have completed 28 out of the 32! Granted, they were smaller projects, but being considered to be “art” quilts, they do require a lot of work. What a sense of accomplishment. When I first started these, I was a fairly new quilter and my free motion skills were lacking. With practice comes confidence and I must congratulate myself on a job well done.
Of the four items remaining on my list, I do fully expect to finish two of them for sure by the time Father Time comes visiting to usher in the New Year. One is a French Braid quit of a double size that is already pin basted and ready for the final quilting. The other is my “Cranes in Flight” which is a whopping 116” x 116”. This one is for my bed. Of course you all know of the shoemaker’s kids who did not have shoes. Well...I am the quilter whose bed does not have that quilt made by me. That is about to change. This one is made from a fabric that I purchased for an entirely different project, but when it came time to cut it up so that the pattern became lost, I just could not do it. This is made of thirteen fabrics and will knock your socks off when you see the finished quilt. Stay tuned for that.
Of the remaining two on my list....well, I might just get to one of them by year’s end, but am sure that it will not be completed. The last one has me baffled. I really wanted to have it professionally quilted on a long arm, but with its size and what I wanted done it might have cost me anywhere from $1200 to $1500 and I do have more brains than money, so the quilting of it remains a bit of a mystery. I do believe that I will do machine quilting along with some hand quilting. The hand quilting will be a good practice for when I am ready to hand quilt my Baltimore Album quilt....but that is another story for another time.
Long story short...it will be so good to have all these UFO’s done so that I can concentrate on new projects....and the list of those grows. A friend of mine commented a few days ago that I was a quilting fiend. And she may well be correct in her assessment.
Until next time, remember....”Asking a quilter to mend is like asking Picasso to paint your garage”.
Fall is here. There is a nip in the air -- excluding that ridiculously hot 34 degree day we had on Wednesday. Mother Nature is all decked out in her Autumn Splendour -- reds, oranges and yellows, and the leaves are slowly drifting down to carpet the still green grass. The Canada Geese are practicing their flight patterns overhead as they leave in the morning to greedily devour the seeds from the nearby fields and then return in the evening to the parks along the river. They can also be heard practicing their night flights and soon they will be gone and all will be quiet with the exception of the lovely Blue Jays and the raucous Magpies. When I put out peanuts for the Jays and Sammy the Squirrel this morning there were six Jays at the feeder before I even got back in the house. But Sammy is smart. He knows where the Jays hide the peanuts and he then goes and steals them. Other animals are preparing for their long winter naps, and the Quilt Diva is making her preparations for the long winter months ahead.
And just how does that Quilt Diva make her winter preparation? Well, all the quilt shops have their fall and early winter schedules and news letters out with promises of new and greater things for the serious quilter and fibre artist. Currently I have signed up with no less than three different quilt shops for various classes and clubs. There are block exchanges (like a cookie exchange), there are fabric challenges...pick up a tiny six inch square of fabric and within two weeks transform it into a prize winning 12 inch quilt block. Mystery quilts times two at two different shops one which is a three day marathon. Blocks of the month. A class on making a special purse. (Chelsea, this will be an original and not a knock-off). Quilt talks and lectures. And the best of all, a monthly Fibre Arts Club which goes until May. This is mainly for working with silk organza and other fibre mediums. Utilizing fabric inks and paint sticks. My calendar has never been so full and I am loving every minute of it.
I have made many quilts over the past four years and if I continue, I will be like that old lady that they find dead, buried beneath all the papers she has hoarded. Except I shall be smothered in quilts. I plan on making only smaller lap quilts from here on out, (unless one of my faithful readers commissions me to make a larger one) hopefully developing new and different skills and making each one unique in color and design. I have dabbled in some art quilts, and I think that I will explore that line a bit more. By joining the Fibre Arts Club I may have to change my handle from Quilt Diva to Fibre Artist. I will keep you all up to date in that area.
But rest assured, I will always remain a Quiltaholic.
Until next time remember: “A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars”.
UFO’s and PIG’S......
And I’m not talking here about the space craft bringing little green men from Mars looking for the UFO landing pad in St. Paul. Nor do I speak of the poor maligned swine who are being blamed for all the woes of the world these days. I am referring to UnFinished Objects and Projects In Grocery bags. If any of you who are reading this are quilters, then you know exactly what I mean.
UFO’s.....These are quilting projects that are started with great enthusiasm and visions of great things to come. But for some unforeseen reason, they never get finished. You decided that you really do not like the fabric, the pattern, or it takes so long to complete that you set it aside to be finished “some day”. Or, as in my case, some of these required certain talents that I felt I was not up to at the time...mainly the use of free motion stitching, which is now getting better and better. I do have several of these, but less than I did six months ago. You see, one local quilt shop has a UFO challenge for all of its Grad members. We had to present a list of all of our UFO’s and then see how many we could have completed by the end of the year. My list consisted of 31 items, 15 of which I am proud to say have been completed as of today, September 6. I know that there are three for sure that will not be finished. Will I be the one to have completed the most by year’s end? We shall see, but being the competitive person that I am, I hope to come out the winner.
Now my definition of PIG’s are those projects that I hope to do, but have not really started. These are the patterns that I absolutely love, and I have gone so far as to assemble all the fabrics to complete the projects. These patterns and the related fabrics are neatly stored away in plastic grocery bags, again to get to “some day”. Mark Lipinski of Quilter’s Home magazine, the other day, asked for readers of his Facebook site to e-mail him our worse quilting habit, and what we plan to do to break ourselves of this habit. This was my response:
Bad habit....finding a pattern that I love, getting the fabric for it, putting it all in a bag, to get to "some day". I have several such bags awaiting my attention
How to break the habit?....why would I? Just think of the legacy I will pass on some day!!
I do have to admit that I am getting better, and my stash of PIG’s has not grown all that much in the last several months since I went on that fabric diet at the beginning of the year. And thanks to the UFO challenge, my pile of unfinished projects is slowly dwindling. But will I ever be completely rid of these UFO’s and PIG’s? I hope not ... for then I would not be a quilter.
Until next time.....when life hands you scraps, make a quilt .
I wasn’t always a quilter, but I have been a sewer most of my life, taking my first foray into that magical world in Junior High (I guess they call it Middle School these days) when we were expected to take Home Economics. A most formidable teacher by the name of Miss Grey whose sewing motto was “a hidden hem attracts the men”. I guess that dates me, as that was when females were expected to be groomed to be homemakers and mothers. While Miss Grey had very high standards and instilled them into our sewing skills, that was a good thing. Much of what she taught us remains with me still. And yes, I can still hand stitch a hem with hardly a stitch showing.
In 1964 I purchased my very first sewing machine which served me for over thirty years with only one trip for minor repairs and adjustments. While it was a top of the line Kenmore model with all the bells and whistles of the day, it still paled in comparison with the computerized machines of today. That machine sewed many clothes for me and then for my daughters who were content to wear home made clothing. But then they began to grow up and “needed” jeans and other clothes off the rack. And so my clothing making fell by the wayside.
It was during this time that I did a lot of embroidery.....tea towels, pillow cases. I was self taught in this needle work. While my mother embroidered, knitted and crocheted she obviously never considered it to be in her motherly duties to teach these skills to me. While I did teach myself to do some crochet many years ago I never became proficient at it and only did a few small afgans. And to this day I cannot knit to save my life, even after having taken lessons. But I have knitted some scarves and toques using that Nifty Knitter thingy that works wonders for ten thumbed klutzes like me.
In the mid 1980’s I watched a fellow nursing student work on some cross stitch and felt that this was something that I could do. And so the bug hit. I became a very proficient and voracious cross stitcher, bypassing the simple patterns for those more complex and complicated, often requiring the blending of thread colors and the addition of mini beads. Over the years I must have cross stitched hundreds of pieces. Many were given to my family and hopefully they will be passed down from generation to generation. English cottages were a favorite and I have many hanging in my home. I then discovered the patterns of Sara Moon and became so engrossed in these patterns that I set out to own them all. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered this artist (whom I recently discovered is really a man and his name is not Sara), most of the patterns were discontinued and out of print. It was then that I resorted to the internet and after making enquiries on several cross stitch sites, I was rewarded when I heard from a lovely lady in New Zealand who had all of the patterns and would send me copies for next to nothing. I think it cost me $25.00 US. I still have many patterns and have much cross stitch fabric, as well as all of the DMC embroidery floss colors, all arranged numerically in little bins. And while I have not done any cross stitching for some time now, I think it might be a good thing to get back to it to some degree.
Then I thought that I would make oodles and oodles of money by making crafts.....dolls and stuffed animals to sell at pre Christmas craft sales. Most of the dolls were free standing with hubby making the dowel leg and body base. The animals were “peopleized” fully clothed with interesting personalities. I then went on a hunt for patterns that could be used for this purpose. This meant searching the internet for patterns that were allowed to be made and sold at craft sales, and unfortunately, most of these had to come from the States. While regular pattern books (McCalls, Butterick) have many such patterns, because of copyright laws, they cannot be made and sold. Thus started a journey which began in January making these items so that there would be sufficient stock for sale in October and November. This was fun for a few years, but after about five years of packing stock, loading the cars, going to the location of the sale, unpacking, setting up tables, and then repacking and returning home (and doing this several times during the season) the novelty began to wear a little thin.
Then I discovered quilting and if you go back to my opening blog, you will read where that has led me. I enjoy this. It is hard to imagine how many patterns, styles and types of quilts that there are to be made. I have dozens and dozens of quilting books, and hundreds of patterns that I have found on the internet.
So much fabric. So many patterns. So many ideas. So little time.
Until next time.......
More Gadgets, Gizmos and Gotta Haves.
Cutting Tools.
My dear hubby once asked me why quilters purchase all that fabric, slice, dice and cut into various shapes and sizes and then sew it back together. Why, he mused, can’t we just buy the fabric and quilt is as we buy it? Ahhhh, the innocence of the non-quilter. What fun would that be?
While it is true that we sometimes purchase that piece of fabric and can’t bear to cut it up (I have a lovely one meter piece recently purchased that falls into that category), our main purpose in life is to do all that slicing, dicing and putting together. After all there is no fun in a jig saw puzzle that is already put together, is there? Creativity is the mainstream of our existence.
Back in the day of our parents and grandparents.....and older baby boomers such as I.....the quilter was destined to use SCISSORS!!!! In fact my first few quilts were done using scissors....remember that Dresden Plate quilt of King size proportions that I mentioned earlier? (the picture of it has now been posted) Oh, the pain. But that was before I became a Quiltaholic. Then I discovered the rotary cutter. And the rotary cutter mat. And the various rotary cutter rulers.
The rotary cutter - so designed that you can cut layers of that succulent stash without breaking a sweat. Used on self healing mats with rulers all marked for easy measuring. Of course, as with all things quilting, ya can’t stop at just one. You gotta have the 28mm, the 45mm, the 60mm and any other sizes that you can find. As well as special cutters for making your own chenille fabrics (even though you may never use these), and those cutters resembling box cutters for cutting into tiny corners and around small curves. Of course, there then is a great need for new blades. Now if I had stocks in the company that makes these astronomically expensive blades, I could retire to the Camen Islands. There are blade sharpeners on the market, but I have yet to hear of any great reviews on these. Thank goodness a local fabric store often has 40% or 50% off quilting accessories. $25.00 for five blades is much less painful than $50.00 for the same package.
The only thing to say about cutting mats is that while they are self healing, after cutting thousands and thousands and thousands (I kid you not) of pieces of fabrics they do eventually have to be replaced. And the serious quilter needs every size available, from mini four by six inches to those that are 36 by 72 inches. Oh yes, and the square mat that rotates so that you do not have to move the fabric, just turn the mat. What will they come up with next? What ever it is, you can bet the family farm (if you have one) that this quilter will buy it.
Rulers....remember in the good old days when a ruler was a 12 inch piece of wood that, if you managed to keep it long enough, the numbers became obscure and the corners became rounded? Do they even make wooden rulers any more? Well the quilters’ rulers are made of 1/8 inch thick acrylic and come in such various sizes as 1” x 6” to 8" x 24" to 21” x 21”. Then there are the curved rulers, the round rulers, the angled (you name the angle) rulers, the wedge rulers. Then there is the 72 inch metal ruler that is a must have for straightening out the final quilt before binding it. And no matter how many rulers I have, often when I set out to do a special project, guess what? Yep, I don’t have quite the right one.
And finally there are the SCISSORS. Yes, we still need these on occasion just as our parents and grandparents did. The nice long bladed ones. The small ones for trimming threads. The curved blade ones. And the spring loaded ones. I’ve got them all.
Point to Ponder: we purchase our fabrics by the meter unless you (like a certain un-named someone) occasionally place an order to the good ol’ US of A, yet all the quilting rulers and patterns are in inches. Whasupwidthat?
Until next time........keep on stitchin’.
1. Sewing Machines.... yes, plural. Ya gotta have at least one of these and more is better. And you should buy the best that you can afford. A few years ago I purchased a computerized Brother machine and retired my fairly new Kenmore (actually I gave it to one of my daughters). Now this Brother is a great machine and when I purchased it I was into making crafts which I dutifully spent the year making, packed, lugged to pre Christmas craft sales around the area, sold (if I was lucky), repacked and lugged back home. This lasted a while but then I got into the Quilting game and the faithful Brother was delegated for bigger and better things. It is up in my sewing room where I use it to piece quilting blocks. This is also the machine that occasionally leaves home with me to attend various quilting classes. It is a true and faithful companion.
But then I actually started quilting the quilt tops and found that the Brother was just a bit too small to handle those larger quilts and so I had to bring in a “big gun”. And so my wonderful computerized Janome entered my life. This is my work horse and while it has many programmed stitches, it is used mainly for actual quilting as well as for heavy duty free motion quilting for art quilts. It lives in the basement on, of all things, a thirty five (or there about) year old ping pong table. Here there is room to layer my quilts before the actual quilting begins. Lots of room to manoeuvre those quilts around and about while my fine friend and I do what needs to be done to put the finishing touches to those layered bits of fabric and batting in order to make them an actual quilt.
My sewing machines are my friends. I tenderly look after their every need. They get cleaned, polished and stroked. And once a year they go to the “sewing machine doctor” for an annual check-up.
And when I grow up I’m a gonna get me an embroidery machine...which, once I have it, will be used as is my serger....some day.
2. Thread.... Now, no matter how great a sewing machine you have, it will be totally useless without the thread. Do you have any conceivable idea just how many threads there are on the market to snare in the serious sewer? The numbers and kinds are totally astronomical!!! There are the polyesters, which no quilter worth her salt will use for piecing the quilt, but will easily use it for the actual quilting. The number or colors are uncountable. Cottons...the quilter’s friendly thread. Used for piecing, it has the same strength as the fabrics being sewn. Cotton/polyester blends. Rayons which are available in a myriad of colors, also are available in variegated colors to add life and lustre to all that decorative quilting. Silk....that most luxurious of all threads, so pricy that I use it only for hand applique where its stitches sink into the fabric hiding from all but the most knowing. In addition to the kinds of threads and the colors, of course there is also the weight of the thread.....thick, extra thick, thin, extra thin, medium, triple twist, double twist, short staple, long Egyptian staple. As you can well imagine, one cannot have it all. But I do try.
Next time I will discuss other toys. Men think that they have unlimited “boy toys”, but they have nothing on the Serious Quilter. Keep in touch to learn more.
Until next time.........
Quilters covet many toys and possessions. But the one that is first and foremost is “The Stash”. Without “the Stash”, there would be no quilts. The stash consists of all those bits and pieces of fabrics that are hoarded and savoured. Meters, half meters, fat quarters and fat eighths. All the leftovers, be they big or small. Tone on tone, prints, flowers, abstracts, mottled, landscape, darks, lights, mediums and anything in-between. Sorted lovingly into colors, patterns or in any other system devised by the Quilt Diva.
We take these out, refold, resort and caress with loving care and affection for these are most treasured and revered. I have a room full of these treasures. A closet has been changed to shelves, plastic storage containers are piled there as well as any other place that can be filled. Four small chests of drawers from Ikea are stacked two high with drawers filled to overflowing. I have many plastic containers filled with landscape fabrics....ground covers, trees, leaves, flowers, rocks, sky, water, wood, bricks and on it goes. Then there are the batiks....oh, those lovely of all fabrics for their marbled textures and their ability to blend and fit into so many projects... three drawers filled with these. Oriental fabrics are also a favorite. Several containers line the shelves. And let’s not forget the fabrics that have found their way into special containers along with patterns to be made into particular projects.....some day.
When I started quilting I thought that one needed a large quantity of any particular fabric. Only later I discovered that the one meter of fabric could be used in at least two projects with some to spare. Now I try to stick to fat quarters....unless of course I attend that fantastic of all events - the “Sale”. It is said that a quilter must leave some $$ at every quilt shop that she visits, and every time she visits. After all one must do one’s part to keep the economy rolling along. I also was (and probably still am) guilty of purchasing a fabric just because I liked it. After all, I will probably find some use for it.....some day. And it I like it in one color, why then I suppose that I can like it in two or more colors, can't I?
For the year 2009 I have placed myself on a fabric diet. This does not mean that I cannot purchase fabric at all, but it does mean that I must practice constraint and portion control. After all, just because one is on a diet, does not mean that one cannot read the menu. Do I need it for an ongoing project to bring it to completion, or is it just to be added to “the STASH” to be used......some day?
And I do believe that my stash is calling me now, saying that sorting and caressing it will be a good way to spend this cool rainy Sunday.
Until next time.............
Welcome to my quilting blog and thank you for taking the time to visit.
Hello....my name is Shirley and I am a Quiltaholic. Unfortunately, there is no twelve step program for those with my addiction, which I suppose is a good thing....at least for the quilting shops that we Quiltaholics frequent.
First a wee bit of history and the path that brought me where I am today in the Quilting World.
I made my first pieced quilt a few years ago....a Dresdan Plate design of King sized proportions - a most ambitious project that with my current quilting wisdom I would not tackle. Ahhh, the bliss of ignorance. I did everything wrong that could be done wrong. I did not follow the “rules” since I did not know that there were rules to follow. Later in my journey, I was to learn that these “rules” indeed could be broken and no Quilting God would come down and wreck havoc upon me and mine. I also did some “simple” pieced projects. Notably these were all given to family members who either did not know that the rules were not followed, or who were too polite to comment. Gotta luv ‘em.
Three and a half years ago the Quilting Bug made a serious attack and for nine months I practically lived at a local quilting shop taking their classes and at the end of that time I had earned my Quilting Diploma and my Masters Degree in Quilting from them. My dear hubby then enquired if this would qualify me to get a job in a mattress factory making the quilted tops. He does occasionally exhibit a perverse sense of humour. The rest, as “they” say, is history (in all my years, I have yet to determine who “they” are).
Gotta run for now...my sewing machine is calling. Until next time.........
