Threading The Needle

What I Did for My Summer Vacation

2011-07-31T09:17:00.009-04:00

This is the Summer of Making it Work- as in- use what you have, stay away from the store and make it fun.

So I started by cleaning out my fabric stash. A closet full of plastic bins overflowing with beautiful (and ugly) cottons- some from my mother's fabric stash and at least 30 years old! I ended up with lots of bins filled with neatly folded fabrics sorted and labeled on the shelves of my closet. And at least three bags full of stuff I am going to donate.

Then my a/c died in my studio. Yeah- we have central air ( we live in North Carolina for heaven's sake!) but my little room upstairs gets uncomfortably hot without the window unit. And in the spirit of Making It Work- I decided NOT to spend the money on a replacement unit,
but to move my sewing plans downstairs- to the kitchen. With a week off from work and lots of unfinished projects resurrected from the piles of fabric, I took over the kitchen counters- Cutting space on the island, iron on the counter, sewing machine on the table. On Vacation! Oh- and outside temps well over 100 degrees. I put Pandora on the computer and had nothing but time- I had an awesome week!
I made two quilt tops from a charm pack and yardage I bought at least three years ago- I over dyed some very ugly yarn- making even uglier yarn. And I made fabric bins to organize all those pieces of fabric I so lovingly folded. I found a bolt of upholstery linen I was going to recover a chair with- The chair is history- so I had yards and yards to play with.
I have always loved Maya's blog- Maya Made, and her burlap buckets have inspired me over and over again. My original plan was to make buckets, but then I realized that square shapes would suit my needs better- so I made up my own pattern and went to town.

15 bins later- I have some pretty cool looking storage! I was going to use stamps to label the colors I had sorted my fabric into- but I have decided to use numbers instead, with a fabric strip tied to the handle to indicate what's inside. This way I can reuse these bins in the future. I liked them so much- I thought I'd put together a tutorial for them- stay tuned for that!

By now, my week of free time was winding down- responsibilities lurked- the fantasy that I could make things for a living was evaporating like the rain from a brief summer shower. Laundry needed to be done- groceries bought- threads vacuumed up- meals prepared. But I felt very good about what I had accomplished.

Then this morning I started thinking about how I knit more than quilt these days and why. It's because with knitting I can stay right in the middle of things- I can easily hide surplus yarn in the cabinets in the living room, and sit and interact with my family while knitting. Quilting requires me to retire to my studio space- away from the center of things, isolated (which is sometimes a good thing). Quilting takes up lots of space.
When I first got married and my kids were babies, I did whatever I could do to stay at home with them and not have to pay someone else to raise them. Daycare has come a very long way since the late 70's. So I had my sewing machine set up in the eating space of our apartment and I sewed zippers into eyeglass cases for needlepoint kits. I made good money and worked for an awesome woman who believed in nurturing other women's creativity. And I was available to the kids and in the middle of things. Later we moved to California and I still had limited space-but my sewing machine was always in the dining room, in the middle of things.
Flash forward to an empty nest- including unused bedrooms- and a studio space was born. I love having my own room- and I love leaving everything where it is, in whatever stage of being finished- but I miss being in the middle of things. It's a trade-off- I'm rarely embarrassed by my clutter anymore- I still get quite a bit of work done. I love knitting, and I'm happy I am getting better at it all the time. But I REALLY loved working with fabric and making quilts and having threads on my clothes and singing VERY LOUD to old Joni Mitchell songs while my sewing machine was going full power.
So now I have put away all my toys and I have finished the laundry and I'm prepared to go back to work tomorrow- But what I really want to do is make this

Hey- only 5 days to the weekend, right?

Thanks to Amanda Jean for the inspiration

Deep Breath!

2011-04-09T09:34:00.010-04:00

Lots to be excited about in this here part of North Carolina. The dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom and the weather is being spring-like. 66 today and 90 tomorrow. Plenty of rain and wind are keeping the yellow haze that is spring at bay. For those who don't know- we have so many pine trees down here that spring means you keep your windows closed so you don't get pine pollen on everything you own. We consider how a new car will look with pine pollen all over it before we buy...the lyrics of Jimi Hendrix' 'Purple Haze' get changed to 'Yellow Haze'. We think Coldplay wrote "Yellow" just for us. ' In short- it's a mess. But this year we have had a couple wind storms and two or three day long soaking rains that have washed a good deal, if not all, of the pollen away. That's a good thing.

We are also excited about our garden this year. In light of world events- recession, gas prices, radiation in Japan - it just seems to be time to pay attention to being able to do at least some of the providing for ourselves. I found an article about straw bale gardening last year, and never got it together, but this year, we are on track for tomatoes, green peppers, beans (green and dry-able), squash and potatoes- as well as some pretty flowers grown on straw bales. So we don't break our backs with double tilling rather poor soil- and doing battle with weeds. We are going to get at least one and maybe two rain barrels, and hope to be able to keep this going through the hottest days of summer. And that will be the real test. This method of gardening should be successful if we have a moderate amount of rain, but I get lazy when it's 100 degrees out and hasn't rained in weeks.

My nephew, Greg, has started a Facebook group- The Green Gardener for those of us who like this sort of thing- check it out.

We also moved our compost barrel inside the fence so we can get to it easier. (We have been known to throw away perfectly good bunny poop instead of composting it). The round table discussion of whether to build a chicken coop, like our two neighbors have-has resulted in the decision to eat other people's eggs. I think I've done my share of nurturing small creatures, and it wouldn't be fair to Walter. He doesn't like chickens, much. And he'll end up taking care of them. I know myself that well, anyway. The bunny is evidence of that.

I also wanted to talk about how hard spinning is. I got a spinning wheel about 3 weeks ago, and haven't managed to get yarn on a bobbin yet. I know it will come. I'm just stubborn enough that I want to teach myself, but I may have to find some help. My wheel is a little, shall we say- different looking. It's called a Hitchhiker and was designed as a traveling wheel for those who really know what they are doing- or as a good beginner wheel (so I'm told...). There are whole groups of people who have this wheel and make lovely yarn on it. Those talented people let me lurk on their forum postings, cause I don't know enough to contribute. It's ok. I like a challenge. When we stop learning, we stop growing. I don't plan on stopping my own growth- so there you go. When I get good enough to actually produce some yarn, I'll tell you all about it. For now, however- just wish me well on this part of my journey.
How about you? Have you got any new things going on for Spring? Have you shaken off the winter doldrums and started anything new, challenging or interesting? Leave a comment!

2011-01-23T07:57:00.008-05:00

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end,"Ursula K. Le Guin

I just spent about an hour on a post I deleted. I was talking about what I'm making now- that doesn't really matter. What I really want to talk about is how we are all on the journey- and the things we do that we love- are the reasons we are traveling. And being aware of that is important.
So I make stuff- and some of it is needed and loved- and some of it ends up in the back of the drawer. It's about the process- the journey, the IDEA. It's also about the finished project- and the blessings that object sends into the world.
Making things has two sides- my side is the creative rush- the flurry of 'Oh- I have an idea' through to the wrapping it in noisy tissue paper so it rustles when the new owner opens it. Or the happiness that the place mats I knit for our dinner trays gives me at dinner time.
The other side is knowing that the love and care, and, hopefully, thoughtfulness I put into making something goes out into the world and makes the recipient feel loved and cherished. That putting on those fingerless gloves reminds Zoe I love her-Noah's hat keeps his ears and his heart warm- or wrapping the shawl around her makes Bev realize she's not alone. That the work of making things puts a little more love into the world.

I like my surroundings to be touched with sentiment- so my husband's baby shoes have a place of honor- right next to my dog-eared copy of Franny and Zooey. My parents both painted and their artwork is on my walls- along with newer works by my oh-so talented son and mother-in-law. But I don't like a lot of clutter. (Which is my constant battle, by the way). I hope the things I make will stand the test of sentiment/practicality. But if they don't- pass them on to someone else. And I really want to mean that. (If my kids give away any 'important' stuff, it will hurt my feelings, though-just being honest here)

So the double edged joy of making stuff comes from sending my love and care out into your world- so you are reminded by that baby hat or blanket that I treasure you in my life, and the pure joy I get from the process itself. It's about the Journey and the Destination. It's about the time it takes and the love it makes-

...and in the end- the love you take is equal to the love you make...

Put some love out there! And enjoy the journey.

Cloth to Cloth

2010-05-16T07:19:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about this online class I'm taking. It will unfold as we go, but I am approaching this as a chance to focus on an aspect of myself I haven't been in touch with in a while. I have always, it seems, embroidered and made quilts. I dabbled at one point in crazy quilting, which combines both. But this is different. It adds story-telling to the mix. And weaving. And while I am not approaching this as focused as some of my classmates, I know it will change the way I produce my art. At least for now. My challenge will be to take the parts of this that are me, and not copy Jude's work, or the work of my classmates. So much energy in this group- so many talented people.

Here are some photos from my dying session yesterday. I used indigo dye for the first time. Who knew that an indigo dye bath had a 'flower' ( the foam on top of the liquid), that it needs to proof like yeast, and that it is a WONDERFUL acid green color. It's the oxygen in the air that turns it blue. And watching it oxidise was a coool experience.

This is about 2 yards of muslin that I folded and bunched.

This is my attempt at 'shibori'. I wrapped the fabric around a pool-noodle (didn't have a pipe) and secured it with rubberbands, then scrunched it down. I LOVE the water-ripple effect.

Pretty fabrics drying in the sun

I hope to be able to start weaving these and other fabrics together and start embroidering/quilting them together today. Housework? dinner? Pizza and a quick vacuum ought to take care of it!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T07:39:00.003-04:00

Today is a day for honoring the mothers. Those who nurtured us and helped us to be the best we can be. I wish I had pictures to share with you of all the women I honor today. My Mom, her mom, my Dad's mother, and his sister, these are the women who taught me to knit and embroider and sew. My sisters, (who are SO much older than me!).My step mother, who loves and supports in the background. The women who nudged me in the right direction and the women who screamed in my ear. I thank you for the gifts you have given me- and I hope to be a model to the women who come after me on this journey of life.

2010-04-29T18:11:00.005-04:00

I guess you reach a point, eventually, when you just want to be the person you know you are inside. Not all the different people others know- the person YOU know. I know a lot of things about myself- good and bad, nice and not so nice. And I want to take my time in this season coming up to BE. I want to take my time reading a book and knitting a sweater. I want to start 20 projects and finish them little by little. I want to spend hours on the beach just watching the waves. I want to SLOW DOWN and not feel driven by the lists I make in my head. I want to putter. In the house, in my studio, in the garden. If the Master List Of Things That Need To Be Done gets items scratched off or checked- good. If it doesn't happen- it doesn't happen.
I promise to keep my house clean enough that you don't need to worry if I bake you something. And I'll go to work every day I'm supposed to. And I'll blow the World's Biggest Bubbles with Noah and Zoe. And I'll decide to go to the beach by myself with just a chair and a bottle of water and a good book on the spur of the moment. I'll walk more, because I want to. I'll eat more veggies, because I want to. And if I want to have popcorn for dinner- I'll do that, too!

I have been knitting a lot. I love the way I can knit and also be with everyone. For so many years, I made quilts, and something about my process of making quilts kept me isolated from my family- I guess I needed space. But now that the kids are gone, and there's no guilt stopping me from spending as many hours as I want in my studio- I find myself making a nest for myself on the couch- with one or two knitting projects at hand. And Walter on the other end of the couch, telling me stories. Or visiting with my kids and grandkids and finishing up a shawl (simply knit only- I can't talk and do hard stuff at the same time!)I love the connection to my mom and the other women in my life, the generations of women who made things of function and beauty for their loved ones. And I love the way knitting allows me to be PRESENT and still busy. I feel wrapped in the love and goodness of people like Mrs Van ( my best friend's mom), my father's mother, my aunt Sis, my cousin Ann, my mother-in-law, Jackie.

I will grow with this particular needleart for a long time. So much to learn!! And so many new friends to make on this learning journey. I love going to my knitting group- a collection of smart, witty women who read and knit and who view the world the same way I do. We teach each other and go home energized, and usually a little less confused by whatever aspect of our knitting is challenging at the moment.

I am taking an online class from Jude Hill. I am very excited about this. I have never taken an online class- and that in itself will be a bit challenging. This is an embroidery class, I guess you would have to say. About embellishing and producing 'slow fabric' that has a dream-like quality that really appeals to me. I know that I will learn a lot, and be challenged to create something that speaks of me- but I haven't got a clue about how this will unfold.

I know I'm not very good about posting frequently. I'd like to do better- but I will only say that if the time is right- I will post. I don't want this sharing to be another bullet on the Master List of Things To Do. So, my dear friends- take what you can from this- leave the rest- and savor the moments you have, big and small- treasure the people in your world, and use your creative spirit- to make a perfect cup of tea, or the mug to hold it in. Just USE it!

Settling In

2010-02-01T07:40:00.009-05:00

I think I've recovered from all the stress I put on myself for Christmas this year- my goal of 6 pair of socks and several other hand knits, along with a sweater for Luke- was waaay too ambitious! So- New Year, New Plan- I'm only going to make small things as a surprise from now on. And that is small things as defined by ME, not by the knitting gurus who crank out a sweater in a weekend. And that will set me up with fun projects and much less stress.

On my needles at the moment are a shawl for Megan ( it was supposed to be for Christmas/ birthday, but needed her approval- good thing, cause we changed it from a sweater to a shawl- and a very fun knit, so far.)

I'm also trying to make a 'spinner' beanie/ stocking cap for Noah- He's taking hip-hop dance class and needs something with some padding for spinning on his head! (He's getting pretty good- btw!) So I thought that I could make him a stocking cap as usual, but when I get to the crown/ decreases, I'll use three strands of wool instead of one- and that should make it easier in his noggin!

Zoe is making good progress on her hat- she is knitting in the round ( I set it up for her) all she has to do is knit and knit and knit. It's a pretty blue baby hat for her cousin on the Klingaman side. This is a pic of her with her first finished project- a washcloth for Mom!

I'm excited about the Olympics- less than two weeks to go- I am part of a group online called the Ravelympics- we all compete to finish a challenging project during the Olympics- from cast on to bind off- I am making myself a shawl from the yarn my sister, Sue gave me for Christmas. It's a gorgeous blend of merino and bamboo in a fabulous color- we shall see....

Probably the most exciting thing for me recently ( Recently?? Try in the last 8 years, since Noah was born... ) was being invited to participate in the artwork for Patti Digh's newest book- Four Words. There was a bit of a time crunch- as it was less than 2 weeks from request to deadline- but I made it- I sent off my artwork yesterday and will wait to hear- This was a very big thing for me- I was to illustrate the phrase- Do Something You Fear. I realized as I procrastinated the project for the 3rd of four full days I had to work on it- that putting the ideas in my head into a finished project was REALLY scary!! I could see it in my head- I had two or three different ways it could go- but I don't think of myself as being someone who can draw- and the rules were no text- so I had to convey the message with only images. I knew that the double message of a mother bird watching her baby fly was the idea I wanted- but putting it into fabric was something I thought and thought about. I finally went into the studio and cranked it out- I used hand-dyed fabric from my home-workshop last summer, and I did manage to draw the birds. So, illustrating the phrase- Do Something You Fear- ended up being something I feared! But I did it. And I'm ridiculously proud of myself!

We had a major winter storm over the weekend- In NC that can mean from 2 inches to 20 inches- we got about 5-6 inches and the temperature has stayed very cold- a lot of the time, because we don't have snow plows down here- they plow the interstates and the major roads and wait for the rest of it to melt. So we have a delayed opening today- and we had a wonderful weekend kindof trapped in our houses. But with firewood and milk and snacks we had a great time! The dogs weren't too sure about the whole thing at first, especially while it was still snowing, but ended up loving it- I'll put some pics of them up.

Hope this finds everyone settling in to winter
and it's joys and challenges.

Keep being creative in all the things you do!

2010-01-07T06:53:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone- I didn't send out Christmas cards this year- not sure why- ran out of time, I guess. But I still wanted to wish you all a wonderful New Year. Somewhere I was reading about choosing a word to use as a guide for 2010. Of course there's always- 'healthy' and 'organized' and quite a few idea words that make me think of positive and uplifting things.
So- my word will be 'us'- working on what started this whole journey- the man I love and our friendship, romance. We plan to do more fun things together. Megan and Jaime's trip to the Bahamas really inspired us.
How about you? What would your word be? Do you want to get more fit- more organized? Do you want to slow down? Get busy? Volunteer? Find a dream? Follow a star?
I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. But I do believe in the Yellow Brick Road- in looking towards a goal and putting one foot in front of the other every day- leaning on your friends when you need to, and leading those you love when they need you to- and making your way through this incredible life, knowing that The Emerald City is within your grasp- and that friends and family are what each of us need to get there. I love you all- I wish you a year filled with all the best- if life is handing you too much to bear- reach out and share that with your friends. And if your life is wonderful- reach out to those who need a hand. Happy New Year- Mary

On Socks, Friendship and Being Really Happy

2009-06-14T06:42:00.003-04:00

Who knew? The concept was simple- I'd reward those who took the time to think about what was happening in their lives and make a list of things they want to do. I got a good response- about 5 or six...
But what I REALLY got was the most fun birthday ever. About a week before my birthday, I got a pair of handmade socks in the mail- from a mystery person who turned out to be my niece, Connie. Then I kept getting socks!!They just kept coming! It was fun, it was touching. It was the coolest idea! Thank you, again to everyone who played along with the Sock Conspiracy! But mostly thank you, Sue- for waking me up.
Now, don't get me wrong- I'm a fun person, and I have lots of good ideas, and my family (none of whom spend too many hours surfing around the art quilt and knitting blogs) think I'm pretty special for all the things I make. And making pretty things gives me a lot of satisfaction. But I've been asleep for the last six months or so- Curled up in my nest with my latest project in hand- I found a little spot on my couch, with my dogs at my feet and Project Runway on Netflix, and I've been knitting my life away.
But when those socks kept coming, and every day was fun and exciting- it put me in such a good mood! I'm a happy person, but this past week was special- and I want to hang onto it!
I have always used my mid-year birthday as a chance for new resolutions- a Mulligan for New Year's- starting each year of my life with the determination to make something of it. This is my year to...
Get up and get out! Take a yoga class or a workshop on shibori dying. Find the "outer me"- Get busy being active, go places and do things! I'll report back!!
Thanks again to all of you- I love this blog and I love the comments. Have a great week!

50+ things to do/celebrate.

2009-05-23T07:22:00.010-04:00

My "new best friend" Patti Digh has a wonderful blog that I visit when I can. She also has this wonderful book that makes my heart sing- Life is a Verb. You should check them both out.
Without knowing it- she has challenged me in many ways- to live my life as fully as humanly possible, to not let the Little Blues turn into Big Blues- to smile and sing and dance in my car.

Another challenge as my 57th birthday slides around, is to ask myself what I haven't done yet that I want to do- this isn't really meant as a bucket list, but as a way of acknowledging that there are lots of things I have always wanted to do, and since I love to make lists...
In absolutely NO order at all:
1. Get lots of stamps in my passport. Italy and Ireland are at the top of that list of place to go.
2.Learn to spin- not as in around in circles, I do that a lot already- as in making yarn.
3. In my secret heart I would love to go to base camp at Mt Everest.
4. I would love to be fit enough to go to base camp at Mt Everest.
5. I would like it a lot if my dogs were well-trained enough to take the park, off-leash. Or just be able to take both of them for a walk by myself! Jep is too strong for me.
6.I'd like to be good at Photoshop- and not have to ask Sean for help whenever I need to do something.(but I love it when he shows me stuff- HOW does he know that?)
7. I'd love to have a front yard like my friend Pam.

8. Quails. How to raise them, how to keep them safe from hawks... if my neighbors can do chickens, I should be able to do a neighborhood flock of quails, or is the plural 'quail'?
9.Learn how to throw pots on a wheel. Check- I ALWAYS wanted to learn this, and I did!
10.Blog once a week.
11. Spend a whole summer at the beach- in a house by the water- and watch good weather and
bad from my balcony overlooking the ocean. Think I'll need a little help with this one!
12. Publish. Something. In print- I guess blogging kindof counts, but I'd like to actually publish something on paper .
13. Be able to recognize classical composers- as in- "I LOVE this sonata by Chopin", and not- "gee this is nice music, wonder who it is?"
14. Half of me wants to be a better housekeeper and never leave dishes in the sink after working all day and falling asleep on the couch at 8pm.
15. The other half of me wants to be a person whose life is free and open enough that she can go to bed without doing the dishes and not feel guilty.
16.Have more grandchildren. No pressure here, Luke and Sean, but grand kids are the best reason in the world to be alive. (Your own kids are pretty neat, too!) Thanks for making my life so wonderful, Zoe and Noah.
17. Grow really good tomatoes, without those little spots on them, organically, NO chemicals
18. Learn how to shear a sheep.
19. Then learn how to make a fleece into a sweater.
20. Learn how to make socks. I KNOW how to do it, but I want to be good enough at it that it's fun, and not frustrating!
21. Make socks with interesting cables and vines and stuff, not just straight stockinette
22. Be able to speak another language ( goes along with #1) Wouldn't it be cool to understand what they're saying on the Amelie soundtrack?
23. Have a huge family reunion, with everyone on both sides of everyone's families!
24. Camp in the Blue Ridge mountains, tent camping- none of that namby pamby stuff.
25. Learn to play bridge, and have friends that play, like my mom did.
26. Learn to paint, not as in painting woodwork, I'm pretty good at that, as in paint a picture.
27. Learn to draw horses. OK, this has been on a lot of lists, ever since 4th grade. STILL can't do it, but Zoe said I could borrow her book on How To Draw Horses- so I think this is my year!

28. Holy !@#$ I'll never get all this stuff done!

29. Learn how to sit back and relax, and maybe just watch movies all day on a Saturday. (This probably will never happen;))
30. Have a huge party in a field somewhere (with decent bathroom facilities) and invite everyone I've ever loved. From childhood until now. LOTS of good food and good wine. And music by talented guitar players, and good harmonies.
31. Drive an ecologically responsible car.
32. Always remember my shopping bags, and never have to use plastic bags again.
33. Make everything I give for Christmas, and have everyone happy I did.
34. Keep working at a job I love until I have enough money to do #1.
35. Maybe do #34 part-time, so I have time to do all this other stuff!
36. Ride a roller coaster- go figure! I've never done that!
37. Have a quilt accepted in a major competition.
38. Finish the three quilts I have in different stages of design and completion currently.
39.Wouldn't it be nice to not NEED to sleep? Maybe I could learn to get by on less than 8 hours!?
40. Have prescription sunglasses, or better yet- those Transition glasses!

41.Ya gotta hear this song http://www.last.fm/music/The+Weepies/_/All+This+Beauty

42. Go sledding down a looong hill like we used to at Lake Oconomowoc.
43. Share Harry Potter with my grand kids- wait! I've done that!
44. Be really good at listening.
45. Even when I'm distracted.
46. Be able to swing dance with Walter at our 60th anniversary party
47. Learn to swing dance.
48. Almost there! I can do it!
49. Hire someone to do the weeding, I hate to weed. How can you call yourself a gardener if you hate to weed? Gardening is 80% weeding!

50. Have a formal herb garden, and dry my herbs for the winter (which, as we all know is brutal in Raleigh NC)
51. Be able to get up from sitting on the floor without holding onto anything!
52. Learn how to make my eyes up like Megan- all dark and smoky
53. Stop smoking- wait! I did this 3 years ago! Good for me! Now to help everyone I love quit!
54. Learn to play a musical instrument- drum doesn't count.
55. I guess I would also need to learn to read music, then!
56. All the good stuff's taken- maybe learn to download music? Legally, of course.

57. Take each day and make it the best day ever. Each and every one!

58. Have a one woman art show- or- even, be in an art show...
59. Go to art school

60. I would really like to learn how to help angry, frustrated people see that there is so much beauty in the world , there's not enough time to be pissed off.

Phew! I didn't think I'd finish the list!!
So there you have it my friends- my list. I KNOW with all my heart that I am well on my way to many of these- some are already accomplished- But I love it that I have a list- of what's important to me. I challenge you to make a list- start with 10 things- leave it in the comments and I'll choose one randomly and send you a pair of socks- Knit by me, of course! In my never ending attempt to accomplish #20.

Let Me Make You Something

2009-03-29T07:52:00.008-04:00

This week we had flurry of activity over on Facebook- a twenty-something friend posted an offer to make something for the first 5 people who responded. They, in turn, promised to make something for 5 people and so on and so on. There were rules, which was smart. What I loved loved loved- was that the people who responded, for the most part, aren't really people I think of when I think 'made by hand'. Young people, busy with getting their lives under way, or young families. Willing to take the time out to create. And looking forward to sharing what they make!!
The rules state no hints- so I can't tell you what I'm making. I'm very excited about it, but my lips are sealed. What I REALLY can't wait to see is what presents I get, made with love, and offered in a spirit of mid year giving! This is soo much fun- like swapping fabric, only 100% better, because of the people involved.
So I thought I'd challenge anyone who didn't get in on the fun, and wants to, to 'Pay it Forward" Find a few people you want to surprise with something special, and promise yourself to make or do something for them as a surprise. If you want "The Rules" from the Facebook project, e-mail me, or you can make up your own. It's yours to do with what you want. I think if each of us took the time to put something of ourselves out there, with no expectations of being 'paid back', the world will benefit. Who knows? I believe, with all my heart, that the most effective change we can bring about in this world is in the one-on-one- the ripple effect- we influence most the people whose lives we touch personally. Small things make a difference.
I thought I'd post a few random pics of works in progress, and a couple of completed things, that I don't think I've posted. FYI- no hints here, people.

This is a "disappearing nine-patch" made with a prepackaged charm packet- pre-cut 5 inch squares- assembled into a nine patch (4 nine patches, actually) then cut in quarters and reassembled. A fun project on a rainy Sunday, when Mother Nature said "No, you can't do yard work today, go to your room!"

A pic of my Birdie Sling- made with awesome Alexander Henry fabric, and embroidered on the strap. I used this all winter as a handbag, but it's really too big for me. I got tired of hunting for things, so now I use it as a knitting bag. When I make this again, I'll make more pockets.

And, last but not least- my seedlings! I've been channeling my Dad, Ernie, this Spring. I have baby tomatoes (way too many) and peppers and basil, something called 'bunny grass' and impatiens. But I must admit, with those little peat pellets and trays, and a sunny window, this has been a pretty easy project. My dad used to sterilize the dirt in the oven (yup, in the oven, in the big roasting pan- the same one he used for his famous ham!) and he had an amazing array of grow lights in the basement. I wish I knew what happened to that cold frame he built. His compost pile was the talk of the neighborhood. And the garden he planted out back was amazing! I miss you, Dad.

Mom, Just Knit or Something

2009-03-08T08:58:00.008-04:00

What a few weeks it has been. We have had sick kids, and sick grown-ups - and sick patients at work, and sick co-workers, Snow in March in NC (first in 20 years I think) and now it's 81 degrees and we're planning on cooking out.

I played along with a swap on sew Mama Sew and got some very cool fabric. It was such fun to get presents in te mail- and to package up my little gifts to send out to strangers. I found my way off the couch and back into the studio.

While sitting around waiting for test results, and processing some potential bad news, a few quiet thoughts slipped into my consciousness- I started thinking about how valuable busy work of any sort is. I'm not talking about creative work here. I'm talking about the knitting project that is simple and to the point, straight-stockinette-on-circular-needles kind of busy work. Baby hats, simple stuff. Cleaning is like that , too- scrubbing down the appliances, washing the floor. Or ironing and folding your fabric stash. Simple , almost monotonous tasks that allow your mind to process and absorb.
I think we forget about how much good there is in this type of activity. Years ago, my middle son was in a bad accident and while we were waiting to hear back from the police, I was in a terrible state. My youngest son, then 15 or 16- said-" Mom- just knit or something" wise words that I have taken to heart and made into a mantra for stress.
Handwork is a perfect stress buster. It allows you to think about the problems and then to let it be absorbed by the universe- Some people ( never me) use exercise this way. I love work that is simple and productive. Ironing fat quarters, polishing silver- weeding ( altho there's that whole aching back aspect to weeding...) It's almost as if by bringing some order to one aspect of your life you can control all the other stuff- things over which, we all know, you have no control.

It occurs to me that this aspect of my personality was cultivated as a child.
Perhaps the best present I ever got was the McCall's Giant Make It Book-
I learned how to knit from this book- as my mom wouldn't teach me cause she knit 'backwards'. I was 10. I wore this book out! I can vividly remember the hours I spent on the projects in this book. About the same age I became responsible for ironing my Dad's hankies ( see the fat quarter connection? ) Those sweet days of childhood were pretty much trouble free, at least in hind sight- but the tasks learned translated so well into adulthood, it makes you wonder where our kids and grand kids will find comfort in their lives.

On the topic of grand kids... I found a wonderful idea at this site- Artsy Mama- garlands made from whatever- paper, cardboard, or fabric and displayed for all to see. Zoe and Noah- get your markers out! I'm seeing big flowers tacked onto a ribbon, decorated with abandon by all the kids, big and little. Perhaps a note on each of gratitude for the things we can share with each other.

Also wanted to thank the ladies who played along on the Sew Mama sew swap- The fabrics were beautiful, but finding your blogs was priceless.

The new week promises some answers to our worries, days of sunshine and hopefully some healing bodies. But if it brings concern and worry, at least I have my knitting and the weeding!

2009-02-15T07:37:00.008-05:00

When I started to blog- I wanted to have a place to play show and tell- to motivate me to FINISH my projects, and hopefully connect with others doing the same kind of work. Blogging is a funny thing- it morphs and changes- family things take precedence for a while, as does the monotony of making a living. "Get up get out' has been my motto for the last few months. The loop of home and work with time for little else.

So I'm going to try and get back into some of the fun stuff- the Valentines ornaments and sweet little baby hats. I am still working on Circus Girl- well, in reality, she's languishing in my studio- but I have been influenced by Spirit Cloth's approach to quilting and it's taking a while for my ideas to percolate and develop. But today I will work on borders and bring her downstairs for embroidering.

I started a new project yesterday. I went to Yarn birds and spent way too much money on a simple vest- but it will be beautiful and I think it will get much wear. I am winging this one- I did my swatch and got 3.5 stitches to the inch on size 10s and did some math to determine my cast on- to fit around my ample butt- and will knit for a while and then figure out the armholes. I'll shape it a bit as I make my way up to the armholes and bust- But the yarn is so beautiful it will carry the show. It's a cotton boucle- very light and airy in spite of it's bulky yarn status. I think it will be perfect for Raleigh- maybe a three season garment- in the blues that I love so much.

Also on my list of FunToDo- I'm going to be making some baby bibs. A certain beautiful boy who lives in NJ will be needing dribble bibs soon , and I want to send some up to him, and another niece is having a baby, so blankets and bibs are in order! As well as making up some of the Koolaid dyed yarn into baby hats.

Time spent at the computer does not translate well into finished objects- so I will go and get something done.

What's a post without pictures?

2009-02-08T07:45:00.003-05:00

Facebook has changed the way I see things. I admit- it can be an incredible waste of time. But it also connects us. It makes it possible to know what's going on in a friend's life thousands of miles away. You get to see videos of precious babies cooing and laughing- and little guys playing in the snow- and hear about engagements and see wedding pics. It's an amazing tool for far-flung friends. And aren't we all far flung? I get wrapped up in the doings of friends in California- or New Jersey and I spend my mental energy on them. So, my friends, I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while- I am going to try and be better about that. I'm changing the look of the blog a little, and hope to spend a little more time here than I have been.
We are now in the middle of winter. For us, that's not such a bad thing- the occasional chance of snow, and lots of grey days, but the occasional amazing day. Today promises to be such a day. The temp in the 70's and we'll be able to cook out for Sunday dinner with everyone here. Yard work is beckoning- the leaves that we didn't rake last fall- the tidying of the gardens that wasn't done. And the promise under the leaves of fresh dirt- of the buds on the forsythia and kids riding their bikes in the cul de sac. Winter makes us feel like we need to go inside and reserve our strength, I love winter because I can start projects and knit handwarmers, and hats- because my studio gets organized and cleaned up- and I sit at the kitchen table with a cuppa tea a lot more often. I spend more time with Walter, and we discover new music together, and watch more movies. So winter is good. Knitting is good. So is sewing in all it's forms.
But Spring? It's WONDERFUL. Not just good- but wonder-full. There are more birds singing in the warmth this weekend is offering us. There aren't many flowers yet- but there are buds on the dogwoods and the daffodil spears are forcing their way through the dried leaves of last fall. There is promise here. It may be a while before we see the incredible beauty of spring in North Carolina- and I bet there are some very cold mornings ahead. But today we can take the dogs to the park, and cook out for Jaime's birthday, and celebrate our hope. I hope that if you are trapped in melting snows, or winter rains- you can look forward to the promise of spring. Go to Costco and get a bunch of tulips and put them in a mason jar and enjoy the hopefulness of the coming season.

What If?

2008-11-02T07:27:00.016-05:00

I've been loving the involvement with an online group that is asking the question "What If..." What if I used this silk with denim and pieced it so the seams showed? And let them unravel? You get the idea. It occurs to me that I have always been a What If person. Since I was small I have had the ability (or is it a curse?) to imagine the next step- A lot of times these thoughts spiral on me- What If I got into an accident- what would my family do? Kind of crazy thinking that I (almost always) shut down pretty effectively. The What If fill-in-the-blank thinking that keeps you awake at night, or is responsible for sad days. I think we all do this, but don't talk about it (Cause it DOES sound a little close to crazy!)

So it occurred to me working on this project that What If is such creative thinking. It enables the artist to imagine the next step- and when working with whatever medium- to take the results and turn them into something unique and sometimes truly extraordinary. I think it must be a basic question- related to How Do I? And to Why? But a question that can be properly trained and guided away from the mental anguish into the light of creativity and actual production of the thought in fabric or paint. It's exciting- layers of thought translated into layers of a quilt- or layers of music- or a painting that makes your heart sing.

Here are a few shots of works in progress- as Christmas starts its express ride into our lives- I wanted to take a few minutes and share what's been on my mind. I hope I've touched a What If thought in your mind (the good-creative-kind- of -What-If?)

Hard to imagine what this amoeba thing is- It's a Baby Surprise Jacket for my niece's baby- I'm only posting this because there is NO WAY she can see the completed sweater from this shot!

These birdies made from repurposed sweaters and these tassels and those beads will make a gorgeous Indian-inspired gift for a few special people

It's hard to see the idea in the red birds- (have you caught on to this years' theme?)They will look like the green polka dot one when finished.

And the Lovely Geisha? She will be a(another!) knitting bag for ME in the Birdie Sling pattern from Amy Butler

OK- this little posting has taken a lot longer than I intended... What If I spent the whole day uploading pics to the blog? - I wouldn't get any of these cool things finished!! Let me know what you think- I love to get comments!!

And we're off!

2008-09-03T05:59:00.013-04:00

September already- one of my favorite times- cooler weather (well, except for the hurricanes that are lined up out in the Atlantic...) and back to school- apples and the approaching holidays- a fresh beginning and a chance to go see my brother and sister and my friend, Carol, and of course associated families. I'll get to meet my new little great neice- Leigh Anne and snuggle with Genevieve and Connor- spend some big girl time with Morgan and Madison. Hey guys! I'm bringin' presents!!

I'm really excited about going junking with Carol- I love the anticipation of an outing like this- I can't wait- Friday will see me flying up to NJ just ahead of Hanna

Another Very Exciting Thing is here- http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/what_if/- and the sister blog here http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/spirit_cloth/- I especially love the What If blog, because I spend so much of my time saying that- Only these folks actually DO it! Very productive, very inspiring, very very cool- check it out. I signed on for CQR Collaborative and will be having a blast during the talking time on my trip with the new and improved 2008 version of an old favorite- Crazy Quilting- can't wait to find my groove on this- there's a flikr pool set up here http://www.flickr.com/groups/867077@N21/ so you can see what's up with this group

I am taking my CQ square up to NJ with me- I have a long layover- so I hope to do some embellishing while waiting - I'll try to post some pics while I'm up there.

I finished an adorable project- well, almost finished- for my neice- she's only 4, so, if her mom can keep a secretI'll try and post some pics of Genevieve's crown- I used this Lion Brand pattern-http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70449AD.html?noImages=0

Back to school meant that Zoe (no y on the end this year) and Noah packed up their bookbags and headed back- a little late, because they were in Vancouver BC for Jaime's family reunion- but they got BTS stuff from Nana- Zoe a cutecutecute new dress that she can wear over pants and Noah this T-shirt with Uncle Sean's art work.

We celebrated Sean's birthday last weekend- here's his cake- notice the heart that showed up when I took it out of the oven! I had to frost over it withe glaze- the GrownUp version of Chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-frosting-and-chocolate-chips-on-top

On a more thoughtful note- I always feel like there are three chances every year to clean up your act- start something new- get it right. New Year's, my birthday (in June) and Back to School. So , this week is a chance for reflection- the cricket's song is a little slower (did you know you can tell the temperature by the crickets' song? ) and the sun is setting a little sooner, and it's yet another opportunity. I want to set myself a bit of a plan- I need to in order to get the things done I want to- I'm so excited about the CQR Collaborative, bt when I went to get scraps to use- my studio space was so cluttered I spent an hour just looking for things- so I guess I need to spend some time organizing. I want to take a class this fall- maybe in painting- maybe in drawing. Of course I should join a gym and exercise - maybe just be better abt walking the dogs. I'll have that long trip up to NJ to plan my resolutions for the fall- How about you? What are you going to do?

Ok -I know- I've been busy!

2008-08-17T08:29:00.011-04:00

There have been a lot of things going on- I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. But I am about to make up for that- I hope!

The big thing recently was a party to celebrate our having been in NC for 20 years. We had lots of friends over and the yard looked really pretty. I had a blast making fun 'themey' things to go along with the party- fans (NC in August...need I say more?) little toothpick thingies for the food, and silverware wraps- All completely unnecessary, but it kept me happy and quiet for a couple weeks.

Here's my new chair covers-first the old- simple, vinyl, ripped... Then the beautiful new one with fancy, impractical, embroidered fabric from the clearance aisle at Joanne's- all in all abt an hour and maybe $7- so if it's a flop, oh well. Don't they look pretty?

We had such a BLAST at the party- note to self- no more champagne for you! We played Water Balloon Baseball- which involved for this epic party 300 water balloons (I didn't have to fill even one!) and lots of wet guests-

Things got a little complicated with a sneak attack by Gina and Nick - which ended up with Luke using Zoe as a shield- Bad Luke

We all got wet- we laughed very hard and I learned that putting a party in motion and letting go is a great way to hostess!

We also 'got out the cannon' and shot it off- Sounds bigger and scarier than it was- We have a small repro cannon that really shoots- that belonged to my brother- Chris (who would have had a great time at this party! ) So we got that out and woke up the neighborhood. Noah really loved that!

What is it about little boys and loud noises!

A couple more photos to share- One you may see again come Christmas

All in all- it was an awesome party- And my favorite part? Had to be the water balloons.

I promise that now that summer is winding down, and things get back to a more 'normal' pattern, that I'll post more about life in general.

I have to leave you with a link or two- One of my oldest friends is in Beijing with her daughter, Anna, who is scheduled to compete TODAY SUNDAY in the Women's eights Rowing- here's a link to the NBC site and another to Anna's site- check out her art- It is awesome!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=426/bio/index.html

and when I went to get the time for today's race- I found this !!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/rowing/index.html

What a thrill. Congrats Anna- Congrats Marty- I know you must be SO proud!

2008-07-04T07:14:00.010-04:00

We are back from the beach- the pic above is 'our little cottage by the sea' complete with the bunting I made so we could tell which house is ours on long walks- It was fun to make- I just used a pinking rotary blade and sewed them into bias binding I had left over from another project. They held up very well- in spite of the wind- A cheerful beacon guiding us back to our house.

Our week at the beach was full of sand and sun and doing nothing but play- reading and looking for seashells- I set a challenge with Zoey and Noah that we were going to look for heart shaped shells- and we found a lot...

It was a wonderful week- my favorite part was the early morning walks with either Zoey or Noah or both as we wandered down our almost deserted beach looking for 'our' shells- Zoey collecting one type- Noah collecting coral and fossils- heavy stuff that Nana ended up carrying! and all of us looking for purple shells to make a shell house. I had a perfect day when it was so windy that sitting on the beach became a derm-abrasion treatment- everyone else went in, but I sat there with the wind in my face, my MP3 playing William Ackerman/ Windham Hill music and a really good book. Life is good!

There was time for work on my Circus Girl quilt as well- I'm in the embellishment phase and am using seed stitch to give it some texture and movement. I could let this quilt drift along forever- I decided I needed self-imposed deadlines- So I am setting a date to have this quilt finished- Aug 1- time to move on to other ideas!

One of those other ideas is to post a couple of tutorials- I'm working on putting together one for the way I make summer quilts/bedspreads and another for the headbands Meg and I found at the beach- It's a wonderful version of a bandanna, and simple to make- so keep checking for that.

So, my friends, have a wonderful mid-July week filled with fruit-stand fresh peaches and a profound appreciation for air-conditioning! There's a clear glass pitcher of iced-tea and a bowl of fresh berries waiting for me!

Summer's here and the Time is Right...

2008-06-20T06:39:00.003-04:00

June is the BEST month- well, December is really the best month, but June comes in second. Summer is ahead of us with the promise of fun and free time and families being together and vacations and no school. Fireflies and sitting out on the deck as the sun goes down- Flowers everywhere, and they look GOOD in June- by July, well, I get lazy and don't water like I should, but in June I'm very responsible. Tomato sandwiches with Hellman's mayo, and flipflops- water balloon baseball and going swimming. I LOVE noodles in the pool!

We leave for our week at the beach- the fantasy that we live there- easy suppers and sandwiches on the beach. Seashells and shark's teeth- I'll post when we get back-

Why Do We Do It?

2008-06-01T06:51:00.003-04:00

Zoey and Noah and I finally finished our shell houses- it's taken us not quite a year, but aren't they lovely?

I found a new person this week- she doesn't know me, but I am so grateful to her for giving me the words- Her Name is Carol Weibe and her work has inspired me, but her words even more so-

Art is, quite literally, a spiritual practice, a way of opening to Life and Love, of putting the ineffable in a physical form. This does not take genius, or even superlative artistic talent. It does take openness, dedication, and a willingness to follow what one has seen, heard, and felt. Carol Weibe

I struggle with my work in isolation. I don't know why I don't manage to get to guild meetings or Meet-ups or whatever- but I don't. Instead I work my for pay job- and I do love what I do- and try to find the time, and more importantly- the energy- to make the attempt. I read a lot- I subscribe to some breathtaking blogs- I feel like I'm trying to absorb creativity through my skin- like Vitamin D- I am lucky enough to have dedicated space for my work- and a supportive family who encourage me, and are proud of me, and recognize that this is more than a hobby-so why don't I accomplish more?

My art IS a spiritual thing- It opens my heart and my soul to the way the light looks as I drive to work, or the grace with which a petal falls from the rosebush, or the incredible number of colors that make up Zoey and Noah's blond hair. So I think you could make a good argument that art is MORE than what you physically produce- it's in the approach to your life- it's HOW you do the day-to-day.

Daring to do something, make something, say something. And when success is not achieved, being open enough to try again, and keep on trying. Carol Weibe

I always wanted to have the 'creds' to call myself an artist. It took me years to be able to apply that word to myself- but it has taken reaching this point in my life to realize that art is what you are- not really what you produce. It's how you live your life- all of it, not just studio time.

Now, having said all that-you must have something to show for yourself. But I'm not convinced that it has to be something you can hang on the wall, or display on a shelf- I'm pretty sure it can be subtler than that- the choices we make about what we surround ourselves with- inside our homes and on our bodies- how we approach the business of living- the creativity we bring to our daily interactions- all of these are art as well. And so we must listen to the inner voice that drives us to produce- the little 'what if I...' or 'how would these two look together?' However, I think it is the being aware of the voice that makes us artists.

Stephen King has said that the way he manages to produce such a large volume of work is by showing up- being there. You must be ready to translate what the muses send your way- It's hard to accomplish the physical laying on of color or typing the words- or manipulating the fabric- if you are driving a car or pulling weeds or grocery shopping- so the product requires you to be in whatever space is dedicated to your art form- but the living your art requires what Carol describes as openness- being open to the moment- to the patterns on the wall, to the way a child's hair looks as they swing with great abandon, to the shape of a bird's wing, the blending of flavors in a salad, the caress of a lover's hand as you drift off to sleep.

That is art- all of it- and as artists we take those moments and translate them into something tangible- something your eyes can see or your ears hear, your hand can touch. And if we're very lucky we find that the magic of our gifts and the moments of wonder blend together to create something unique and beautiful.

What do you think? I would love it if you let me know.

May, Mother's Day and Gratitude

2008-05-11T09:09:00.010-04:00

I'm sitting here listening to Pandora and so grateful for so many things. My garden, neglected as it is- looks so beautiful this week. The funny little iris that-I don't- know-what-it-is at my front door is in full bloom , and looks so pretty with the clematis and my purple door- Walter is painting the front area, so I don't think a picture is in order- let it live in your imagination...

In the back is the beauty of my 'New Dawn' rosebush- which, when not in bloom, bears a remarkable resemblance to the thorn bushes in 'Sleeping Beauty", but right now is producing the most glorious profusion of roses that makes my heart sing.

Zoey and Noah are thrilled that the honeysuckle is blooming, in the sweetness of childhood, the nectar from the honeysuckle trickles down their little tongues, and nourishes a memory that will take them well into adulthood- knowing their Nana's love nurtures them the same way.

Everything is growing, and that includes the Japanese maple Luke and Sean gave me last year. I could fake it and show you a picture of the one I brought home the other day, which is about three years older than my baby one- but I won't. Luke and Sean touched my mother's heart two years ago by giving me an amazing Japanese Maple, which did well for abt 6 mos and then, I guess, was over watered and didn't make it. So, last year, knowing how much I love Japanese Maples, they tried again... so far so good! This one is a real baby- but it's growing!

Speaking of growth, isn't it funny how spring brings growth on so many levels? We have mild winters, so we don't get that sense of relief that people in, say, Canada or Wisconsin, get when spring finally arrives, but there is still such a sense of growth. The beauty of the world around me is a mirror for the burst of creative energy and efforts in the studio- what's in my mind is amazing! Now to take the time to get it into fabric. I spent a few hours yesterday working on my circus girl quilt- It makes me smile just to think about it! I don't draw, so designing a quilt that involves images was such a challenge for me- but, keeping it simple and trying to stay true to myself, and not get (too much) help from Luke and Sean has given me such a sense of accomplishment. BTW thanks for the cannon, Seano.

This post has to end with thoughts of my mom. It's been a long time since I was able to see her pretty hands working on her crewel, or moving fabric through the sewing machine. But I feel her hands on mine so many times. A gentle touch, a whisper of an idea, a blessing of creativity. These are her legacy to me, and through me to you- to any of us who struggles to produce something meaningful and beautiful. A legacy to Zoey, and Megan, and all the cousins- that you don't have to have 'enough time' to make beauty in your life. She had 5 kids under the age if 6!You make beauty with the way you wipe away a child's tear, or kiss a boo-boo. With the meals you make to nourish your families. With the roses you put in a vase to bring beauty inside your heart. You continue Gene and Ernie's love story with the way you kiss your loved one goodbye as one or both of you leave for work. Be grateful for the love that has been , is now, (Catholic roots coming out here) and always will be.

Ramblings

2008-05-04T10:01:00.009-04:00

This past week was pretty intense at my for-pay job and there was little time for any creative work. I'm so happy that the first week of electronic medical records is behind us- it can only get better, right? Right?

I can show you the pictures of the hat I made for my godson, Larry's- baby. That little one made an early arrival on May 1st- Her Mommy and Daddy's shower was only the previous Sunday!

Baby Girl Strelec is doing OK- she was in special care nursery for a little bit but all reports are that she's doing good. Last I heard Mom and Dad hadn't finalized her name. I told my sister Sue (Baby Girl's Grandma) that in the South, this kind of thing can stick- so they better get a move on- It's not at all unusual in THIS part of the world to meet a grown woman whose NAME is Baby-(remember 'Dirty Dancing'?) it's kindof a Fannie Flagg/ Fried Green Tomatoes kinda thing- It could happen! I have met adult women named Precious, Tiny (kiss-of-death- she weighed abt 300lbs!) and, of course, Baby. Welcome to the world, Little One- you are a lucky girl- your Daddy is a wonderful man, who loves kids, and he will be an awesome Daddy. I am so happy for you both, Larry and Lauren

One side effect of spending so much time at work this past week is that I was determined to not waste my Friday afternoon. I left work (almost) on time, and after stopping for a Friday-Treat for lunch (confession time- I Love Chick Fil A )- I came home and went straight to my studio and got to work on my Circus Girl quilt- No lunch bags or work for other people, just my work, my art, my ideas translated into fabric and blended into a concept- piece abt how women need to juggle so many aspects of their lives and sometimes we do a great job, and sometimes we fall on our asses- but we keep going. So far I have Tightrope Girl, and Trapeze Girl pretty much finished as blocks. Still in my head are Cannonball Girl and, of course Juggling Girl. It feels so good to be doing something creative that feeds my soul. Here are some of the pics I took early on for this quilt- you can get a good feel for the colors

On another note- the beauty of blogging became very clear this week as well- I got a call from an old friend- really the oldest of friends- Kate and I have known each other since fourth grade- we haven't done too good a job of staying connected in the last few years- a Christmas card or birthday email if we were lucky- but, she's on my blogging list- and this week we talked for a long time- a lot of what's been going on she was aware about- at least the head stuff- from my blog, and it was such a treat to spend time with her. Thanks for calling, Kate- I was going to try and find an old picture of us, but I guess we're going to have to take some new ones!

This post is getting too long- Please kiss the babies in your lives for me, take a minute or two to appreciate this beautiful Spring and come back and visit!

2008-04-20T07:30:00.004-04:00

We had the BEST time yesterday! Luke called in the morning to tell us that The Rosebuds were playing at the Earth Day Celebration in downtown Raleigh. Walt and I had been very good and finished our chores- the famous List had many things checked off- it was a beautiful sunny Saturday- temps in the low 70's and whisper of a front coming through, so there was a nice breeze, I had some new sandals to wear... so off we went.

There were lots of cute kids, one wearing a pair of PINK cowboy boots, lots of them with Slurpee stained faces

There was a dog parade! We didn't take Jep and Chance, but maybe we'll be able to next year- we saw LOTS of very well- behaved dogs.

We walked around with our 'green' plastics cups with a"very nice hefeweizen"- (beer to you) and watched magicians and talked about saving the Neuse River, and at one point we tuned around and there was Sean! He was "all duded-up" for his friend's wedding and ,in his Thrift Shop glory- looked very handsome.

All of this was leading up to The Most Special Part of the Day- The Rosebuds! A little history for those who don't know them, Ivan and Kelly are The Rosebuds, and are from Raleigh, and are friends of our sons'- Luke and Sean. They have two CDs out, record on Merge records, and I love their sound! They have wonderful lyrics which speak to my creative soul- and I have made two quilts inspired by their lyrics- Will the World ever End, and We Shall Tie Our Shoes On Tight.

BUT - because I'm a morning person, and frequently fall asleep as most bands are going onstage... I've never seen them live. Until yesterday! WHOO-HOOO. for me it was such a great joy to stand in front of the band (in the middle of a cool street fair) and let the music move me- sing along with my favorite songs, and have a chance to thank them for their awesome music!

I'm having a lot of trouble with Blogger and find that I can't upload my photos-so let me give you a word picture- Sweet little girl, about 4 yrs old in a cotton dress that's kindof old-fashioned in a hip way with pink cowboy boots- (the picture was just her boots and the hem of her dress...

Another shot was of the sitar player on the side stage- found out later he's one of Sean's roommates- he and his percussionist were making gorgeous music as we walked along drinking our beer and waiting for the Rosebuds to start-

Once the Rosebuds played, we danced in the streets and sang along (well at least I did!) and it started to rain, just a little, not enough to spoil the fun- and then, as their set ended, it was raining enough to send most everyone home for supper. A splendid time was had by all!

I'm going to be researching new blogging space, I will keep you updated- One of the fun things about blogging is sharing the photos- with this space I get very frustrated b/c it's so erratic- there have been so many people who have started blogging that I guess it's hard for them to keep up- but the problem with uploading is now in it's 2nd month and nothing has been done, except to acknowledge there's a problem- so I'm looking into other sites- if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why.

2008-04-14T07:00:00.005-04:00

A friend recently emailed me and asked if I was ok, cause I hadn't posted... I really didn't realize it had been that long... I've been busy- spring cleaning, dragging stuff to the dump/ Goodwill (and feeling very un-green for every item that went to the dump, but things DO wear out!) Now my closets are cleaned, my pretty blue glass bottle collection looks so pretty again . I do love my bottles-I have gathered them from many sources for about... well, a long time!

Some came from my sister- some make me smile because I found them while on vacation, some from not very good bottles of wine (purchased for the cobalt blue bottle, not the questionable quality of the wine!) and a lot came from people who love me who saw them and thought of me. A collection of pretty things that makes me feel loved- not such a bad thing to collect, huh?
All this cleaning and such is not really my favorite thing, but I must confess to a lightness of spirit that has graced my days since we finished the big jobs. The cobwebs of winter are gone, fingerprints on the wall from many Sundays of inside hide and seek played by uncles and kids have been wiped away- the fireplace cleaned out (not from ashes- it never got that cold- I forgot to take the little fireplace candle holder I put in there at Christmas away) and now we look to a season of cooking out (Love It!) sitting on the deck (Gotta get a new umbrella for out there) watching Zoe and Noah blow bubbles and the dogs tear through the yard (tearing the yard up- er- aerating the soil! ) and outside games yet to be discovered. Our winters aren't severe, and the "bad' weather doesn't last long, but the spring here is so beautiful and we have so much fun in the yard. Even though we don't have Northern winters to contend with, Spring is still very welcome!

I was blessed this week to have a visit from my dear friend, Carol. We were young moms together, and she was married to my brother, so we have a lot of history. What a joy to spend time, however short, with her! She knows my heart and is such a gentle, peaceful, loving woman. It had been way too long since we last had a long visit, but we won't let THAT happen again!

We went to the Flea Market in Raleigh- what a trip! It'd been a long time since I'd gone, and, once we fixed the fact that we showed up without any cash- OOPS!, we found wonderful treasures- Like my mermaids!

Lots of buttons- a pair of antique stork embroidery scissors and a basket of fresh strawberries. It was a beautiful morning that passed way too quickly- like the rest of the weekend. I took Carol to the airport this afternoon, and cried all the way home. It helps that we had so much fun and made some new memories. I miss you, my friend.

Wayside Sacrament

2008-03-15T08:58:00.004-04:00

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful;

for beauty is God's handwriting...a wayside sacrament.

Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower,

and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.

I'm breaking a major rule with the above quote- It's not from me but from a blog I lit upon earlier this week and it spoke to my heart, so I copied it, but neglected the author- BAD MARY!

It's spring in North Carolina- the Bradford pears are in bloom everywhere, and daffodils and grape hyacinths.. the azaleas and dogwoods are still to come. And the "wayside sacrament" of God's graces and blessings are everywhere. It makes you stop and take notice! I love it.

I may be the last person in the world to discover Pandora, but I have had so much fun with this site this week! It makes me miss it when I have to go to work and can't have it on in the background. For the uninitiated, it's an online radio- but you're the music director- you put your favorites in, and voila! out comes lots of music like your favorites! it reminds me of Shelfari- which, if you haven't checked it out- you should- is a service that keeps track of what you've read, are reading, want to read- AND links you up with other people who read the same kind of books. I love it- I have made some really good friends, plus I have someone to talk about my current fave. It's also a great place to research something to read when you're in a dry period ,something that hasn't happened to me since I joined. Gotta love it!

It's spring, and this spring that means weddings and babies- so I'm having fun with baby hats and baby dresses and baby booties- oh and bibs! My godson is having a baby so I'm taking advantage of my status and spoiling this little one, (yeah- I know- I'm spoiling myself, too!)

Still to come are wedding present ideas... may cop out on this and go with Crate and Barrel. :)

My Brand New Broom

2008-03-02T07:47:00.007-05:00

I got a polka dotted broom! I'm in love with this broom. It is cute and functional and adds joy to a simple task. It's got it all! Doesn't it look cute ? I still have a boring green plastic dustpan- have to scout out one that's more fun.

I have a theory that we all have art in our souls all the time, it's just waiting to come out. I admit, I'm not a great housekeeper (although better than someone I could name but won't cause I'm trying to get her to read my posts and I don't want to hurt her feelings...), and the dogs have defintely added to the housekeeping load- so why not have something artful to use for what is, let's face it, a boring job. So I feel creative when I sweep- and I guess that'll make me sweep more often!

Sweeping could, however take away from my studio time... hmmm-

On my I Finished It list is the stack of felted bowls I made from the Oneskein book, by Leigh Radford, another on my list of books I got from the library I need to own.What a fun project! I used Bernat' s Felting Yarn in the blue-greens and it really only took a week of knitting for an hour or so a day to do all three bowls. I love them so much I'm making more-more-more, so those of you who love me may be looking at your Christmas present next year!

It's Sunday-Gotta-Get-It-Done- Day. Yesterday we finally put all the Christmas stuff up in the attic. It had been blocking our path through the garage (that has never had a car in it!) oh these many weeks now. I'll admit to feeling a little sad as I handed up the 20+ tubs of Christmas decorations to Walter as he loaded them into the attic space (with only a few swear words). Christmas is finally over. sigh.

Now we need to Goodwill all the remaining stuff, and W will be able to use his space. Whoo-Hoo.

Have a great week- Kiss the babies you meet, but don't let the dogs kiss you (you know where that tongue has been?!)

I Can't Find The Time

2008-02-21T06:23:00.007-05:00

It occurred to me as I lay in bed last night that I was on a break from blogging when we got the dogs. Since their arrival has dramatically changed our lives, it seems right to talk about them.

So the picture above is WHY we have them- They're so cute! When Zoey and Noah saw this photo there was a phone call... need I say more? About two weeks later "The Head Brothers- Knuckle and Bone" or Jep and Chance came to live with us.

This is pretty typical- Casualties of the New Order of the Dog include 2 of Walt's favorite shirts, a slipper of Mary's , countless toilet paper tubes, biscuits ready for the oven, a pizza, and the topper- the cord to the computer! (THAT won't happen again! )

Needless to say this has been an adjustment. Luckily they are crate-trained and very well- behaved when they aren't chewing things up- We've learned that they like those rawhide chews bit not rawhide bones, and I don't feel too bad if I leave them in the crate to go into my studio- They can't be trusted to be good unsupervised yet. And they seem to like being in their "cave".

They are sweet dogs, and when I look into their eyes I fall in love all over. I even thought the pizza incident was funny. I guess that's what happens when your kids are gone and you have an "empty nest". That would have sent me over the edge once upon a time!

It's hard with the dogs and normal family type commitments- like housework and laundry, helping my sister move etc- to have blocks of creative time. That's why my Snow Day earlier this week was so important. I want to keep this going, because the One Fine Line quilt is waking me up with ideas! Luckily I have Friday afternoons- and today is Thursday! WHOOHOO

So tomorrow afternoon I'll spend a couple hours getting ideas organized and possibly doing the embroidery on the first block. I love this feeling of beginning a quilt like this- I think about it all the time and have scraps of paper with scribbles of layouts and notes about color...

So these are my threads and the other pic is of the Seminole patchwork I made to use for Estrella's clothes. That was fun- I couldn't find my book on Seminole so I had to dig deep into my memory banks to remember how to do this... turned out pretty good. The colors of the fabrics aren't quite right- the threads are close.

Drop me a line and let me know what you think- if you click on the comments button at the bottom it'll let you leave a post.

Daffodils are Blooming

2008-02-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

Here in Raleigh we don't get much winter. We have, in the past gotten massive snowfalls- I remember 22 inches when Zoe was a baby- That would be 8 years ago and it must have used up all our winter for the rest of my life- because here we are- 70 degrees, daffodils in bloom and plum trees flowering. No Snow Day for you! None of that wonderful feeleing of snow falling like crazy all night, and when you get up to go to the bathroom you can just tell that it'll be at least a two hour delay...and maybe you can make a good argument for not being able to get out of the neighborhood to get to work...
NOPE. None of that! Instead, we've got friggin daffodils! Don't get me wrong- I love daffodils and all things spring, but it's February18th and I know this means we don't have a prayer for a snow day.
Let us all bow our heads for a moment of silence.

OK Now let's get on with it. I bought a really cute bunny to go on the mantle at Easter, and some cute chicks as well. (What IS it with me and chickens? I think they're kindof cute...)

I decided that since I obviously wasn't going to get a snow day this year, I'd take a couple days off. So I finally finished quilting and binding my Hens Gone Wild quilt/table runner, and in a little while I'm going to go to Panopolie to get something to put on the short ends. I'll post pics when I decide where to go from here.
I spent the morning in my studio- started a new quilt- Working title is "One Fine Line" inspired by a song (So what else is new?) this is by a new favorite Colbie Caillat, and by Joni Mitchell's character in "Ladies of the Canyon" Estrella, circus girl. I'm loving this idea, and am determined not to sabatoge myself by overthinking it. We all know I can't draw- so these ladies are VERY kindergarten, but in a mature way! Push comes to shove, I'll getLuke or Sean to help me draw her- I would like to have her doing a somersault, and that's beyond my limited skills.
I also realized while pawing through my threads that I don't have vibrant enough colors for her hair and body, so... I'll go to the thread store which is just down the way from the bead store. And since it's gorgeous out- all windy and spring like- I guess I'll go enjoy my scheduled "snow day"

Oh yeah- and now that we got the new computer and I can do all this on my lap in front of the TV- I promise to blog more often- if you promise to leave me a bone- no- I mean a comment- once in a while!

The Old Year

2007-12-30T07:23:00.001-05:00

Christmas was the best ever for us- hope it was for you as well. We laughed and made presents for each other, and played the games our darling Zoey devised for us. It was madness and fun and I, for one, am sorry it's over. I wanted to share some photos of the gifts I made, now that all is said and done!

First is the Chicken Quilts- This is "Hens Gone Wild" one of a series of Chicken Quilts that developed because I didn't want to be the most conservative girl on the block... my two neighbors (out of 5 houses on our cul-de-sac) in our NORTH RALEIGH neighborhood- suburban neighborhood. Anyway- We have 2 neighbors with chicken flocks. Pretty little creatures, much quieter than I expected, but CHICKENS! I have no desire to harvest my own eggs or take care of chickens- although I'll help out in a pinch, as any good neighbor would. Having chickens inside city limits seemed a bit out there for me. So I decided to do my thing with this chicken theme, and these quilts are the result. At the same time, my husband's family in Wisconsin has bought a farm ( no jokes! ) and there has been much discussion about whether or not chickens should be on the farm... Again- chicken quilts seemed to be the answer! These little quilts can be thrown on a table or over a chair- any place you want chickens! And no worries about mean nasty animals like possums sneaking up on them while you are asleep and EATING them! IMHO- problem solved!

I had so much fun getting ready for Christmas this year- I made these darling lunch bags for all my work buddies . I spent a lot of

early morning time at the SewMamaSew website http://www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/

gathering ideas for gifts and having so much fun with sewing again- simple stuff, like these lunch bags, made from really fun fabrics I got at the http://wishuponaquilt.com/ site.BTW this is a local quilt shop in Raleigh that is mostly web-based and I have a secret fantasy about working there, but then, when would I sew?

I also made jammy pants for one and all- making me happy that I am keeping my (grown) children warm and cozy all winter in soft, flannel jammy pants- I didn't take pics of the jammy pants- use your imagination- plaid, flannel, jammies!

In early December- our daugter Meg graduated from nursing school- It was such a long haul, and she worked so hard. We had a big party for her- but about 2 days before the party I realized that I would have to decorate, as it WAS December, and we WERE having more than a few people over for food and drinks...

A word here about how I do Christmas- OVER THE TOP. Not crazy person on the news over the top, just 20 tubs of Christmas decorations over the top. So with only two days to do basic decorating and all those resources at my disposal, what did I do? Got out my glue gun and made more! I used a foam wreath shape covered in this gorgeous gold fabric I had in my stash from about 10 years ago- and proceeded to glue gun on about a gazillion little Christmas bulbs from many different places...(it took soooo many more bulbs than I thought it would!) and then I glued another gazillion pearls from Micheal's in the gaps left by the bulbs. I copied the idea from a photo I saw in Mary Engelbriet's Dec 07 issue- but, of course, I like mine more. Very Shiny!!

I also LOVED the Quilting Arts Gifts publication

this year. I have many, many ideas from that,

but the one I actually MADE was this one- I think of it as a Dr Suess tree- with the little silver glitter dealy-bobs hanging off it and the beadded tassle just kindof hanging out. I made a set and promptly put them at opposite ends of the room, because I should have made them different sizes-- too matchy-matchy next to each other. But this one has been gracing the computer desk for the holidays, and I do love it!

Lest you think I finish what I start- there is a long list of UFOs as we contemplate putting Christmas away. Most notable is what will be next year's masterpiece- a feather tree for the dining room. My imagination has elevated this to a pinnacle of Christmas Loveliness- It will be about 6 feet tall, a gorgeous concoction of beads and feathers...all in shades of white- branches graced with white and silver birds, and these beautiful wrapped wire flowers that I actually DID get made, but haven't found the clips to put them on the tree- and I need some silver leaves...You will just have to wait for Christmas 2008 to see how beautiful they are!

I guess I've bragged long enough. I need to think forward and not back- but I wanted so badly to share my fun from this Christmas. I'm thinking about my New New Year's post- Maybe one of my resolutions should be to update my blog more often! Happy New Year to All!

2007-12-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a long time- but that is about to change. The problem with writing about what I do is that the people who read this are mostly my family and friends- and I've been very busy making Christmas presents... Can't write about that without them knowing whazzup. So I will talk in generalities about how much FUN I'm having up in my little hideaway!

First was the discovery of SewMamaSew- This awesome website put together projects for every day of November. They had lots of tutorials and cute pictures of fun, easy things to make. What I loved about this is that it seemed to be targeted to young mommies who are making CUTE things for their little ones. Nothin' cuter in the world than a baby in booties made from recycled sweaters... or little aprons for three year olds... Now those of you who know me well, know that that was the kind of young mommy I was once upon a time. But I was alone in my craftiness- not many ofmy friends sewed- my mom did and we did have a lot of fun making things together- but there weren't contemporary seamstresses. There seems to be a trend now of people wanting to make things- Our technology is so awesome, we can download music in a flash- send pictures across the country of the sweetest kids in the world- but the tactile feeling of making something with your own two hands and then GIVING it away to someone you love?? Priceless.

I want to post pictures of all the lovelies I've made so far... Chicken quilts and mittens...lunch bags that are absolutely ADORABLE but all that must wait until after Christmas. I'm taking pictures, though- technology makes that so easy!!

Instead I'm going to try and post some links. Now I know that Linda won't be tempted to surf over to a sewing site- but Jen might... and who knows who else is reading this? Check these sites out;

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=263 SewMama Sew- You'll have to click on the heading and it will take you to the current blog page- check out their links especially if you want to learn how to make the projects. Great tutorials.

Great fancy pants, too- That's me at Christmas in 19ahem

http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/search/label/holiday- This is the site for SewGreen. A green approach to sewing- redesigned thrift store finds, how to make your own grocery bags... stuff like that.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_53734,00.html ww.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_53734,00.html this is another day by day idea page- a little lame, but some nice ideas. I'm thinking about a feather tree for the dining room- in white, no lights...

BTW That's another great Christmas shot- I got a Betsy Wetsy that year-

That's all for now- Don't miss out on the fun- check these sites out- and if shopping is more fun for you than making things- that's great, too. Find a children's Christmas concert, make some cookies- or put antlers on your car- http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/

Leave me a comment-

Living in the Moment

2007-10-06T06:48:00.000-04:00

Living in the moment sounds good- mindful living- wax on wax off- meditating on the power of now. The reality, for me - is a sense of being at the top of the roller coaster- (don't laugh those of you who know I've never been on a roller coaster) It's the beginning of October and the Polar Express is leaving the station- the roller coaster is about to drop 3 stories- CHRISTMAS is just a heartbeat away!!
I took a creative excursion yesterday. There's a shop in Wake Forest called http://www.quiltslikecrazy.com/ Yeah I know heaven for me! Beautiful yarns,lovely books
and the fabrics! I browsed, I pondered, I bought. And now I sit here at 530 am because my brain is overflowing with ideas and projects and wonderfull-ness. And Christmas is only 80 days away. Not a lot of time if you make things for people. And since the people I make things for are also, (for the most part) people who read my blog... That doesn't leave a lot of stuff to blog about!
I know! Everyone's getting mittens- pretend to be surprised. There. Now I can talk about all those projects I want to make which are DEFINETLY not Christmas ideas- just fun things to make. I bought this book- One Skein Wonders by Judith Durant. 100 little things to make. Things someone else figured out HOW to make, and then wrote down the directions to. Put that together with the fact that our library FINALLY got books on cd and I can make stuff for the next year and not have to think too hard and be able to "read" at the same time. (I tried to read the traditional way, one page at a time , while knitting... not too relaxing)
There are patterns in this book for scarves that melt when you look at them, they are so soft and airy- and cool little purses, and socks- more socks... bonnets for babies and hats for big kids and needle felted coasters. I think I need a sabbatical from my job- I only have 80 days! And most of them are Mondays,Tuesdays,Wednesdays...
And all that was from the yarn side of the store-

I also read a great article interviewing Cat Bordhi at http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/FEATcatbordhi.html- This woman is truly amazing- I want to be like her when I grow up- writing books about things she's passionate about- spending all her time at her art- AND living in the middle of some of the prettiest scenery I've ever seen- in Canada- sounds VERY good to me. By the way- it's October 6th and it'll be 90 degrees here for the next week- we still have our a/c on because it's so humid... BUT we'll have daffodils in February.

I had best get this posted- I have spent the last two hours at the computer- my studio is calling! I should be able to post my chicken quilt next week! Don't let this stress you out- Christmas really is 80 days away!

Who Knows Where the Time Goes

2007-09-23T08:14:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday and we've had a week or so filled with activity. Last weekend we had a visit from some VERY OLD -well we've known them a long time, they aren't that old...- friends- Linda (Winans) and Al Card. They always challenge us, because they are living their dream- they live on their sailboat in a marina in Guatemala. They shared pictures with us of old friends, and of their new life in Guatemala-Those guys know how to party! Togas and music and travel- sounds like a dream come true. And it IS- for Linda and Al. They had lots of pictures of friends and family- Hi Kenny and Ann- Hi Jean and Gerry! And it made me very happy to see how well those old friends are doing. It also made me do a little thinking.

Linda and Al at Rio Dulce, Guatemala

Following your dream means many things to many people- for some it's early retirement and living on a boat- for others it's non-stop travel. I think Walt and I are living our dream. We have a sweet little house that seems to have a magical ability to expand and accommodate family and friends as needed. Said sweet little house needs some work done on it, but it's still a "soft place to fall". We have our children and grandchildren nearby, a blessing we are grateful for every day of our lives. Our house is quiet at times and full of music and laughter every Sunday night about 5- rain or shine. We both have Monday through Friday jobs that challenge us and make life interesting. We both have out of work pastimes that keep us happy- for me it's my art- Walt has his books, movies and music.

All the photos I have of the front of our house are about 5 years old...Here's part of the inside of our soft place to fall, our mantle decorated for winter, 2007

It all makes me realize that how we spend our time and dream our dreams is relative. I wouldn't trade this for a second at any other lifestyle. I don't want for anything, really. (Well- a little more money would be nice) We are in the middle of a pretty wonderful time in our lives!

Sean, Walt, Meg, Jaime, Zoe Mary, Noah and Luke in my weedy garden end of Sept , 07

So now I'd better use my time wisely and get to work on my Dandelion quilt- oh and wait til you see the Chicken quilt!! I'll write more about that later!

Thinking about Creating

2007-09-13T06:23:00.000-04:00

I've gotten very good at the "simmering" of ideas. Just this past weekend I spent- oh- probably a solid 12 hours thinking about my dandelion quilt. Of course I wasn't just sitting there like Rodin's statue, with my chin in my hand, but I WAS percolating ideas.
I think this is an important stage in the design process. I also think it can go on WAY too long!!
Those of you who know me well know that I love the movie Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid- (be patient... there IS a connection) In the movie Butch keeps coming up with wild ideas, and Sundance always replies- "You just keep thinking, Butch- that's what you're good at!"
That's where I am with this quilt. I find I have epiphanies about how to do this while I'm driving to work on the Beltline- or sneaking outside to surreptitiously water my plants on the front porch (we have severe water restrictions in Raleigh right now). I have what Oprah calls an "aha moment" If I can remember all these great ideas and implement them- this will be an amazing quilt!

Noah did great at school last week, btw- First day was a little rocky- but by Thursday he was one happy boy- When Meg picked him up from school he said- "That was the best day, ever!"
He really has hit his stride confidence-wise. As the week has progressed he's adjusting. Learning the rules in kindergarten isn't easy...

Our weekend will be interesting. Our dear friends, who live a MUCH more interesting life than ours , are coming to visit- Linda and Al live on a sailboat in a marina in Rio Dulce, Guatemala- they'll be visiting for a few days and we will consume many beverages and spend a lot of time laughing!I think there may even be an evening of Karaoke in the works...

But before all the fun begins- I have two whole weekday workdays to work in my studio- this is the day to get those ideas down in fabric. And it's not getting done blogging!

Back to School

2007-09-04T06:34:00.000-04:00

My Grandson, my Sweet Boy, Noah- starts kindergarten today. He's ready- a little nervous, but ready. He'll have the same teacher Zoe had, and that's a wonderful thing. Can't help but think about when his Mom started kindergarten, or his uncles. Three days that will live in my memories forever- Megan was excited, hardly looked back- Luke and Sean were a little more hesitant...

I love the New Beginning part of school starting. Even though I'm not taking classes (although I really want to take a drawing class) it's still a great time to take stock- look at goals and see how you're doing. For example- I wanted to be able to mount a show this year. THAT'S not gonna happen. But I did send a piece out into the Big World of Criticism- that's a start. And I've figured out what I need to do to put a show together---(hint- a lot more new work!) I guess it's time to stop painting bedrooms and making curtains and get to work making artquilts!!

My newest piece is about how we can send positive energy out into the world to make a change- a favorite topic of mine. I read a quote, and I'll paraphrase here- it compared sending negative actions into the world with blowing on a mature dandelion... I don't like focusing on the negatives- so my quilt will be about sending the seeds for change into the world and how each seed has a ripple effect- changing in small ways the way people look at their world. I've always held the concept of- "If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem" close to my heart- this season's quilts will be about those changes we each must make to change our world for the better. Sound really good on paper, now for the TIME to make the quilts! I wish I could work at night- I'm so jealous of people who get along on a few hours sleep...

Awesome Ideas

2007-09-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

I finally took the plunge and got this blog-thing going. I had been struggling with names, and this morning, after a night on the couch (more about that later) it came to me. So Threading the Needle is born. I like the idea of showing action in the title- I'm a pretty busy person who likes to start and sometimes finish new projects. So the act of threading the needle indicates to me that a new project is being born!

I have had a productive summer:

I entered my first "competition" by sending a quilt to Quilt Art for a challenge. I don't think it'll be published, that was in June and now it's Sept... haven't heard anything. BUT the big step for me was in sending something in- putting it out there. I'm proud of that and proud of the piece, even if they don't publish it. So this is "Morning Has Broken" :
hand-dyed fabric, fusible applique, beading, found objects with organza overlay, this is about the way your mind expands with a new idea

I finished my clapotis (my family thinks this sounds dirty) far from perfect in the execution, but it's done and I'm happy with it.

I used Lang yarns Mille Colori- not the best choice- the yarn was too fuzzy to drop the stitches properly. This is from Knitty.com-http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html

I made a second little one that is much more technically correct but I put it away for a Christmas present (and it MIGHT be yours!)so I don't have a photo. Thanks for all the help I got from lurking on Yahoo's clapotis group- the charts were such a help (the second time around!)

I had a great idea for wedding gifts. A picnic quilt! These are picnic sized quilts that give me a chance to try new techniques and color combos without being too worried about them being Heirloom quality ( I gave up on heirloom quality about 20 years ago- now I fuss if I want to and I use "creative expression" the rest of the time- it's more fun that way)

One of my goals for 2007 was to learn to make socks. Here is my first sock! I DID cast on the second sock immediately, and I swear I'll finish it!

I used yarn from my stash- I think the instep part is too big, but it looks fine on my foot, and it's my FIRST SOCK!! (I'm ridiculously proud of this thing.