The messenger

I finished a new tote today. It is called a messenger bag and it is an Amy Butler design to which I have added a loop and a side pocket for scissors.It is a great size to haul all my applique stuff and maybe a book or journal and some pens... The fabric is an older Ralph Lauren pattern, which I used to make valances for my cottage. I loved that I made it using the material that I had, and the history it has for me. The lining is a Waverly plaid which I used to make slipcovers for a friend, who has since dissapeared in the swift currents of time.
The tulip is a volunteer that grows in my Lilac bush every spring, in the shade, in between the branches. If you don't know to look for it, you will miss it. I have no idea who planted it there. One year it just appeared.

Birthday Card

Card for my youngest daughter, made in Photshop Elements from my photographs.

Treaures

www.brecklingpress.com

These are the things I carry with me. (that reminds me of a very powerful book about the Vietnam War, called'The Things They Carried" By Tim O' Brian.)
The green block is a cutwork pattern by Tilde Binger and the bird is part of a bigger pattern by Shirley Bloomfield. They are intended to be a part of a larger collection of four and a half inch blocks ala Jane that I am composing in my mind. In the mean time I have done six and have all the resources I need to make a couple hundred-thousand? more with no repeats.
The little sewing kit is a composite of designs by Kumiko Sudo
from her book "Kokoro no Te, Handmade Treasures from the Heart", and a Wild Thymes Pattern Co. pattern for a wool felted sewing kit #406. The ladies at the Applique Society meeting had another one of Kumiko Sudo's books about folded origami fabric flowers. Her books are treasures. grab them while you still can! I plan on using all of these resources again. In fact they are almost as addicting as small blocks. Also hidden in my kit is a small Kimono from her collection. I want to make them all!
Today at five I am going for my bi annual mamogram and sonogram, chasing dowwn the cysts that like to park in my boobs. Ususally what follows is removal and biopsy of these little buggers. I had four removed last year. As long as they keep getting them out before they turn nasty, I keep up the chase.For those of you who are so inclined , wish me good luck!

The Appliqu�Society

The Appliqu�Society
Spent the morning with some new friends at the Nassau County Chapter of the Applique Society. This was my first actual meeting since last October when I joined the main group. There is alot of talent out there and I am such a newbie. I hope to learn all the tricks soak up some of the expertise. Ah well I aim high!
I met friend Linda there and she showed off her sweet baby quilts! Later during lunch I got to look at her Dear Jane blocks, which are exquisite! handpieced and perfect. She says they are wonky but they are really amazing and not wonky at all. Well I am inspired, to say the least. I guess I had better get to work on my Dear Jane. I am mezmerized by Jane Stickle's blocks. I am kinda sorta toying with the idea of starting over and adding applique blocks. Or making an all applique sample or maybe a thirties version-well there you see the problem: I just cannot decide. I will come back to this topic I am sure.
O yeah, Hanne tagged me and asked for six weird things:) Only six?
hmmm
I am a fanatic reader. I have been known to read a book a day.
I Love Origami
I like staying home more than going out
I hate shopping except for fabric and art supplies and books-well I guess I dont hate it that much
I don't drink or smoke at all
I am a morning person....
pretty boring huh? But I am never bored!!

Weekend stitches

I lost my needle case which was actually a Starbucks gift card holder from Christmas,
which found its way into my kit (dh later found it in the couch)
so to make a long story longer I went into my sewing room and was attacked by my ufo's,
which resulted in my climbing up on a stool to retrieve my box of wool scraps with which
to create a new needle case-which is really just a small folded piece of wool, a little bit
bigger than a match book. Then, In said box, I found a pattern that I had purchased last
fall to make a sewing kit with wool, and I had actually started it, but put it aside, in the
box , then put the box up on a shelf, out of sight out of mind. So in the long honored
tradition of sewers everywhere, i sat right down and ripped out all the previously done
work and re sized the patterned and began again. Three hours later, dh dragged me away
to take me out to eat since he refused to eat pizza for another meal. I am liking the new
needle case which has grown into a sewing kit and I hope to actually finish it in a day or
so.
Then I really must get to the wedding quilt I am making for my oldest child who is to be
wed in August.

Shower Invitations

I spent a good part of yesterday making these invitations for Jen's shower. I want to say Jen and Jason but he says he doesn't want to be there, so it will be Jen's day. All Girls:) I made about seven versions of the Glasgow Rose, in ink and watercolor pencil from pictures that I have of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's works. I have used the rose motif several times in my own decorating efforts. The window is one.
Any way, I have all of the first set of invitations addressed and made out and then I decided to make them myself. Now I am satisfied.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments: love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Sonnet cxvi

The munchkins

Yesterday we went to visit our nieces, Lydia and Erica, and took a drive to Greenport where the carousel was ridden and pizza was eaten and a good time was had by all. It was perfect spring day. Doesn't get any better!


We found some really neat puzzles for them that had paper doll like cut outs and they were a big hit! The dolls and clothes were wood shapes with magnetic backings so that you could stick the clothes and shoes and gloves and of course tiaras on the dolls. Then when you were done, you could but them back into their spaces like a puzzle. where were these things when I was a little girl?

flight

boys dream of flying
tracing a path in the sky
studying the trajectory of birds and stars and leaves aloft
thinking
if only
I could do that too

boys jumping off
of cliffs
of trees and barns
falling in a heap of broken bones and belief

to try again
with wax and feathers and balsa
cloth and string and wire
and wishes
pedaling furiously into the wind
still pointing their dreams at altitude

not to be nearer to God nor angels nor death
but exhilaration
silence
freedom from earthly weight and want
from need

always falling

and always thudding home to earth
the mother
the female
needs

we all have some of this in us
this inclination to be other
perhaps it is what makes us human
we look at our feet and want to fly


martha
bilski 4.06

Beads-click here

I bought this book Bead Creative Art Quilts by Nancy Eha from a link on Ami Simms newsletter. It is a wonderful book and I can't wait to get started. I have a couple of projects in mind. I am going to assemble my diamonds from the Linda Franz books and do some beading on them. I have been waiting for the right inspiration to get my diamonds together and this book has provided just the right dose. But first I will practise on another journal quilt page that I have prepared. Hmmm may be time for a trip to the bead store. Maybe I will see what I have first...chances are, there are some beads around here somewhere.....
This group of diamonds is set with pictures that I took from our beach on a September day a couple of years ago. It was one of those sunsets that you wish you had your camera for and I did! Right now it looks kind of un finished, but I think it will come together nicely and beads will be a great addition.We shall see.

Recital in Potsdam

For those who are musically inclined, here is the program for my son's recital. He was awesome! Of course I did not have my camera and so must wait for other people to give me photos, hint, hint.The recital was taped so I will be able to listen again in the future. And of course there will be much analysis and critique-the musical Monday morning quarterbacking.
Alex was beaming, surrounded by friends and family, and was soaking up all of the good will he so richly deserves.
I did a little drawing and a little stitching while Mike drove us the eight hours to Potsdam. I wish we could have spent more time in the area but the drive alone takes two days both ways. The town has some wonderful architecture and some buildings made with some kind of locally quarried reddish pink almost but not quite terra cotta looking stone.I did make one tiny skectch of a corner in town.
I tried to do some stitching in the car on the way home. It was bumpy and I kept losing my scissors and I did not have the much used toothpick tool, so it was slow going, and I didn't manage to finish any blocks but I did make some progress. Bumpy rides do not make for good sewing. Or reading.
I bought a couple of chairs at a place called Hoss's in Long Lake Ny, one Adirondak chair and one twig chair.For my dolls. I am collecting more chairs than dolls. We also bought an Audobon Society book to help us identify US East Coast birds. While we were driving home a hawk with a mouse in his mouth nearly flew right into our windshield as he was lifing off. We were going seventy miles per hour and he flew right over us. Missed us by a foot. Swoosh!

Woman of the Bible Blocks

These are my blocks partly sashed so far. The are from a quilt designed by Carol Honderich who I "met" on the Dear Jane list. I started the blocks last summer and resumed a couple of weeks ago. We are doing a block a week and reading chapters on each woman as we go. The book we are using is called 'Women of the Bible' by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda. The group has grown into four Yahoo lists and I am now in synch with group four and hope to stay caught up this time.So far we are still in the Old Testement. It is such a nice quilt!!!

creature comfort

Katy and Basil

Loose Threads Cancer Cure Raffle Quilt

Hey Folks,
This is a raffle quilt, made by the Loose Threads Quilters in Arizona, the proceeds of which are being donated to the American Cancer Society.If you are interested:
"They can send me a check made out to The American Cancer Society, and I'll
send them a scan of the stub if they enclose their e/mail with the check so
they know this is 'true blue'........."
Dian's email is
eless1@ix.netcom.com
The tickets are $l.00 or $5.00 for 6 tickets
CHECKS GO TO:
Dian Moore
843 Scenic Pointe
Prescott, Arizona 86303
Thanks Dian!! I hope you sell alot of tickets!

The Bear

My husband gave me the silver medicine bear many years ago to protect me. I have worn it every day for ten years. The design is by Ray Tracey a Native American artist who makes beautiful jewelry. I look at the stars and see these constellations: Orion, The Hunter, Pleiades, the Seven Sisters and Ursa Major, the Great Bear. All of these constellations have appeared in my poems and I have memories of learning of them from my young father, the sailor, who could probably navigate by the stars. Maybe someday I will dig up the poems and share them here.
For the last few days as I was mentally preparing for the meeting we had today at the school, I put togeher these bear paw blocks. My plan is to make a quilt for me. I love the dark blue backround and the bear paw pattern has many layered meaning for me. I have a Roberta Horton book on Amish quilts on loan from the library and I am in love with the colors and the quilts. I have been buying beautiful hand dyed cottons and tucking them away for just such a project. But I was vascillating between a double nine patch and the bear paw and I guess I needed to borrow strength from the Great Bear.
And I got it. I was a bear today in the meeting and Katy is back in school as of tomorrow. We will still have home tutors in the afternoon so she can make up credits and next year she can attend the alternative school full time. So Mama Bear made an appearance and the day was good!

Job interview

Today I took my daughter for her tutoring session which ended up being at Starbucks by default. The library was on its late opening schedule, closed when we arrived, and the Starbucks is right next door.
Well It turns out that they were interviewing so on an impulse I filled in a application and interviewed. I have a pretty stacked resume- former aviation exec, kitchen deigner corporate facilitator vendor contract manager maintenance resource positioning manager housing commisoner blah blah. But I left all that behind because I did not want to sell my soul for a job and now when I want to get a job to have extra money for the cookie jar(and hand dyes and oil paint and beads and seeds....)(and shoes) and start a retirement fund(better late than never), I wonder if I can even get a job at Starbucks-which, by the way looks like a nice part time place to work if you like coffee- which I do. At least I will not be getting calls from grounded a/c crews looking for a part that can be delivered to a remote spot in the southern hemishere, like yesterday.
Funny though. Interviewing is a good way to re-look at your work history, which I have not done recently, since I had no intention of actually getting a real job. But having a real job has its advantages. As one former colleague put it"you can't spend money while you are working." And you get to talk to people whose only need from you is a latte and thank you very much have a great day.
Just yesterday I was thinking I should study for the LSATs and go to law school to become an advocate for disabled kids who are getting sidelined by out school systems which only want to extrude a bland mediocre plain old homoginized cheese product kind of kid. What abot the hot peppers? where is the blue cheese? no passion, no guts, no glory. Sad. I would be a great advocate. But I am not going to law school and I have to advocate for my very own hot pepper kid. Which is a job in and of itself and the only job for which I am truely irreplaceable.

Swaps

It occurs to me that three of the five tops that I have finished in the last couple of years have been made of swapped blocks. Two of them have grown up to become quilts. I have three other sets of swapped blocks that live in bins on my fabric shelf. If I am not mistaken this is not a phenomenon that happens in many other artistic communities.I consider fabric post cards an offshoot of the quilting community. And the internet has made the opportunity to swap fabric and finished blocks and postcards and artist trading cards much more widely practised. Cool, Huh?
And my daughter's wedding quilt will be made of swapped blocks as well. I have really loved being able to trade blocks with other quilters. I get to enjoy a wider variety of fabric. I get to have block combinations that I would never have thought of myself and I feel like I am part of a world wide community.
Right now I am participating on a siggie square block exchange with the Dear Jane internet list of quilters. I am sending out 122 blocks that I have made and stamped and signed and I will get back the same amount from quilters all over the globe, To me, this is thrilling!! And when I do get back my blocks from this third swap I have done I will have enough to make a quilt. And it will be a thing of beauty.
I am not involved in any other swaps right now. I am trying to focus on the works in progress that I have in my space. Th down side of swaps is that you can spend all your energy on these dear little blocks and forget to use them in any final project.

Quilt Show LIQS 2006

Well I am here to tell you I did need to get out and have some fun. The quilts were great and it was so much what I needed to see "the Girls". Linda and Claudia and Gay-I am so glad we did this and I hope to see you in Somers in May.
And I was weak. I did buy fabric. And I have to say it did feel like an injection of cheer to make up for recent days of disaster. But isn't it gorgeous? Now I will be back on the wagon. Maybe I need a 12 step group?
And I had a stowaway.
Gay's Applique in greens and lavendar was lovely.

The Round Robin's Gay's and Claudia's are divine, are they not? They are part of a round robin group that is doing red, green and cream and they are all so talented! (Linda aka Hersheybar is behind there somewhere.)
Altogether we did not harm our budgets too much. Claudia had to go paint her garage with her hubby, Gay had a long ride home and Linda had a job at one of the tables so I giddy yapped on outta there at about three. Still had a little cash in my pocket and did not abuse the plastic so I am content.

Blue paint

Today was a good day to paint. We had a tutor so I played some music (I am a Joni Mitchell fan from the seventies) the Blue album and squished some paint around a piece of plywood. I love paint. Soothes the soul.
This week was full of bad news for us. The school district will not allow my bi polar daughter to go to the alternative school until she is 16 or has the credits which they screwed her out of in the first place. They want her to be schooled at home by tutors until next year. And I had to wait three days to hear this. I told the principal that when I ran a million dollar business, I always returned phone calls. I hate the celebrity status these adminstrators give themselves. It is just a poor excuse for bad manners.
My daughter is crushed but she is bouncing back and has assured me they will get a piece of her mind next week when we have a meeting. I will let her, because I feel very angry myself and she does not deserve to be excluded from school. I have been told that I should sue, that they are out of compliance with state law and I have a good case but why should I have to go to all that energy and expense? I am thinkin on it. real hard.
But things could be worse eh? I am going to a quilt show tomorrow and a birthday party tomorrow night and I am going to spend some time sewing tonight and not think about any more educational issues til Monday.Today Mike got quesadillas for lunch and I bought Katy new sneakers. So I am actually doing ok here. And besides maybe Katy will become a lawyer and take up the cause for the disabled. It is a family tradition.

WOBQ Miriam Block - a photoset on Flickr

WOBQ Miriam Block - a photoset on Flickr
Here is how I made this block. I have received permission from Judy Mathiesonto share this technique.You can click on the title to go to the pictures.They are sort of out of order but I hope you can get a general idea.
I love to paper piece and using freezer paper makes it easy because you don't have to tear the paper off and pick the little pieces out of the stitching lines and seams. And it is re usable. People in my Women of the Bible group have been talking about different ways to do their blocks so I decided to try and photograph my process. Thanks to Judy for granting permission. She also said in her email that QNM has an article this month on this freezer paper foundation method.

semi contour

I did not like this picture at first but it grew on me. It was tucked away in my notebook and after it was out of sight for a while, I liked it better.

Bathroom Renovation

This project has been ongoing for a couple of years now. Mike has been doing it solo in his "spare time". It is so pretty that it makes the rest of the house looks seedy in comparison. Except for the kitchen which we also made beautiful. I used to think that making beautiful things and rooms was shallow and unimportant. I am happy to report that I am not so mean to myself any more and I think it is important to bring beauty into the world..
I am going to tackle our room next. I am going to make a walk in closet and get rid of the old dropped ceiling and indooroutdoor glued down brown carpet((????!!!)) and maybe a small skylight too. All in good time.

my hat

At least I amuse myself. It actually does look a little like my hat which is a soft brown knitted cap. I used a ball point pen and then added ink with a water brush and then changed the whole thing to sepia in my photo editing program.
m

old/new project

Upon my wall is a compiliation of projects that have been waiting patiently in different parts of my sewing hiding places (some say storage, but I am hiding them from myself). So I have rescued them from their obsolescence and pinned them on the flannel which serves as my 'design wall'. In my mind, it is a sliding barndoor sized mechanical wonder. In reality it is a piece of white flannel stapled to the wall. (I even have an electronic staple gun. How cool is that? )It will do for now. I am contemplating this work in progress and I think for the next round I will make my first ever applique border. The flower will be borrowed from Connie Sue Haidle's BOM . To me it appears to be a Clematis, which is one of my favorite flowers. It is a late bloomer like me. Intensely blue, likes to stay in the same location and requires alot of patience.
Sometimes when I am at a point in a project which stumps me I abandon it and often do not re visit for years. Often I could skip a step and keep going but usually I just leave. So now I am at a point in this personal round robin and I am here to say I will finish it, with applique-which is my weak link-and so there it is.

Live Giraffe Cam at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Live Giraffe Cam at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Bonnie posted this giraffe cam on her website and I was really looking forward to seeing those giraffes walking around but I think it was too cold for them to come out, see and be seen, so I drew the little guy on the left. I got my copy of Danny Gregory's "the Creative License" and one of the excersizes is contour drawing so I did it.Then I filled it in. I bought myself some colored pencils and a waterbrush to use with my watercolor pencils. I also tried to do a drawing of my sewing machine but it was not as much fun. The giraffe was more humorous.
Why does it feel silly to draw with no purpose? Silly is useless? Am I too old to play just for the sake of playing? I should be doing something more important, more momentous! serious literature or something, politcal commentary, deep cradling poem rocking the world to sleep on its rythyms, changing the world. Can't you see Rome is burning? Why are you doodling????

Journal quilt for Else

I made the cross stitch in the eighties, the linoleum print in the ninties and the journal quilt today! Just thought i would share:)
The cross stitch was from a design which was not mine but I can't remember where. It was a while ago. The linoleum print was made for a friend with a full heart! And the journal page is for my husband's mother Mike.
And I have to go and ice two cakes and hop in the shower and get ready for the birthday celebration!

pencil drawing

Ok this is my self portrait drawing for the EDM challenge. The original was done standing in front of my bathroom mirror with a number two pencil, however my scanner would not pick up the pencil marks very well so I played with it in Adobe Elements.There is a certain ironic likeness and I don't know if thats good or bad, lol! I also drew some bugs todayfor the Friday Illustration topic. Not very convincing but buggy nevertheless. The big guy looks hungry.

This is my Jen

.
This is the bride to be, Jen. She says she is so glad that the internet has saved me from my argorophobia. I can talk to people all over the world with out going outside:)
No entirely true, I traveled alot, all over the world and love the city, NYC and Boston mostly, and going to Vermont and visiting with friends at Starbucks and artshows and quilt shows. But I do like to stay home. Yes I do. Home is where I sew and paint and read and draw and from whence I do draw my inspiration, such as it is.

This is Alex's graduation quilt. He will get his BA in Performance Arts in May.The design is from Bonnie Hunter's site. www.quiltville.com, in the leader ender section. The blocks were from a nine patch swap I did on the yahoo group DJretreats. I was short a few rows from the swap so I made a bunch at the end very randomly.The wonderful quilting was done by Becca Olson and Shiela Jaurez in Alaska. They quilted musical notes in the white squares! The hairy kid is my son, Alex.

My Katy

Modeling her bridesmaid dress for Jen's wedding.