tourists

It is fun to be tourists in NYC.
These are pictures from mid town Manhattan and the last one is the view of the three bridges, Brooklyn,Mahattan and Williamsburg from the South Street Seaport at 11 at night. And my adorable Michael. Isn't he just dreamy??? And Kathrin and Martin and Else. They are pretty cute, too.

PingIndigo(pindigo)

Meme from Create a Connection

When did you begin your first blog and what inspired you to do so?
April 2006. I was inspired by quilter's blogs~

Do you have more than one blog? Why? How are they different?
I have this blog, a blog for my girls-which is now defunct since they just read this one any way. I just started a blog for the writers at my job who want to have their work read. It is a judgement free zone and I am so excited about it! I don't know how it will evlove but it will have poetry and writing and who knows! I work in a great creatively charged atmosphere and I am inviting the others there to share their work. It is a little daunting because we all know each other! Face to face-like for real!Not like publishing to the internet! It is called Wordprocess
if you want to take a look. For me-I needed to publish my poetry without fear of consternation over my language or content-so be forewarned there is LANGUAGE in it:)It is small now but I will open it up as time goes by to others for contributions.

How would you characterize your blog?
purely creative, sometimes political, sometimes about my family-smarmy-sometimes just musings

To paraphrase Oprah, what is "one thing you know for sure" about blogging?
It great fun to get to know other artists and share your work. Sometimes the results can be surprising.

Is it important to you to get feedback in terms of comments or pings? Why or why not?
Love comments. It means you care~


What blogs would you recommend to our readers and why?
Mine are mostly quilt related and I keep them all on bloglines..
I like to find different ones. I like the ones that are personal and relevant and creative and funny! Go find your own!

Ping Block settings

I am a colorist at heart. More than form or function color drives my artistic bus.
so.
I am thinking of using these wondeful rich indigos as settings, rather than the ones that are sent with the kit which are darker versions of the taupes.I have these actual colors on my bed now, the blues and taupe and this quilt is for us. I was thinking of using the indigos on the back, but felt like it might not be fair to them to use them as a backing. Well it is also not fair to keep them in a box.
You can see the actual BOM design on the Pinwheels web site by clicking on the title.
so.
this is a terrible picture but I would love to hear some feed back
I am taking the next day or so off from work since I am beset with some uncomfortable intestinal woes that are best not discussed in public.
I hope to be back in form in a day or so. I am actually on the mend, and want to stay that way and avoid surgery if I can!
Unfortunaltely this also co-incides with having company here from Europe ( staying at my Mils) and I will not be up to my usual touring/slash hosting speed. They are planning to go to Manhattan tonight and I may have to pass.
I think my body is telling me slow down and find a better balance. But I don't wanna!
I worked on the sampler quilt corners last night and I am almost ready to attach the borders! RED ones. I do love color!
And this quilt will also stay here probably in my guest room, because I am not giving it to anyone-do you hear me my children???? No one!

small things

small things finished
nice way to spend a rainy day

Corners

The corners are fused for the sampler quilt.
I am not sure how to proceed from here but I am leaning toward a piano key border. The yellow seems so bland. Gee I wonder why. Mike says this picture is not as bright as the actual quilt. The sun will never go down in the room where this quilt lives:)
The corner blocks are made from patterns provided in "Baltimore"s County Cousins" by Susan McKelvey.

Stalling

I am stalling.
when acrobat airplanes stall their engines and plummet dramatically towrd the earth, they know that there is a time after which it will be too late to restart their engines and float on air again. I am not sure if I can restart my engines or if I even want to. I read some stuff I wrote recently and I have to say I really like it but I have stalled. It is not ( or maybe it is) writers block because I have been writing but it is not the same as when you are in the flow and you can just float along on currents and it all is right and good. I am just writing to get the words out of the way and I hate that kind of writing but it's like unloading the dishwasher, mundane and trivial and just needs to get done before you can make space for the next load.
Funny. I think to mysef that it cannot be writer's block because I am not really a writer. That is my inner engine gunk. So maybe I will post some of my stuff here and maybe I won't. Maybe this is too public. Stuck on the horns of that dilemna.
maybe I should go empty the dishwasher.

STARRY NIGHT

Playing with Inklingo sixty degree diamonds. They are so fast and easy and addictive.
Busy week.work.life.visitors.

Progressing on Ping

Getting a little bit done one thread at a time is getting the job done. Last night I started the next process of sewing the flowers onto the backround four patches. These will in turn have eight half square tris added on as corners and there is no sashing.

lovely faces

plan for my days off

I hope to get some more corners done in the next few days, to add to the sampler. I think it will be really cool with some more blocks from the Sue Nickels book Stitched Raw Edge Applique. I am using different designs for each corner. Who knows? I may do some garlands in the outer borders if I get carried away.
I am doing some more diamonds, one at a time, just to see what developes and I am doing my ping blocks. Ususally I do them on my lunch break at work but today I some how left my sewing kit at home and was forced to have a thread free lunch....
I have the next three days off and I only want to stay home and do my own stuff but I know I will have to go out of the house at least a couple of times.

A walk-what I saw

Went for a walk today along the coast of the mighty Atlantic. It is a perfect day for a walk, breezey and cool. I am grateful to live so close to the beach that I can hear it and smell it and feel the salt spray in the air. And If I want to walk along the sandy shore I am about five minutes away on foot. So today, after walking to the laundry and dropping off some shirts( I love the way they come back ironed and folded into uniform little packets-so worth the buck fifty), I decided to continue south to the water and stroll home the long way making a complete circle of my steps rather that a crescent.
When I first came to the boardwalk I was irritated that here were these two guys with blowers on the boardwalk, blowing away the sand with these loud obnoxious fuming backpacks. For heaven's sake this is the beach. Why are they paying these guys to blow sand around and why is it so freaking loud that you can't even hear the surf? I know the town has an ordinance against these loud backpack blowers-no matter, I continue past them over the boardwalk and down to the water's edge.
I saw the seagulls and the pipers and the crab shells that housed the animals that fed them, strewn along the beach-low tide-there was that sudsy scummy stuff that the surf leaves, some bits of seaweed and some less appealing human litter. Well at least they were having safe sex!
I saw a fisherman, surf casting in hip waders held up by suspenders over a plaid shirt: his cooler and some other stuff beside him on a beach chair. As he returned my wave his line tugged and his attention instanly went to see what was pulling on his line. I did not stop and watch. I kept going.
I saw a man a and a boy with their pant legs rolled up feet in the still cold water. They did not look up, they were engrossed with each other. There was a runner whose footpirints dug deep into the sand as he passed and I wondered how he ran on his toes like that-no heel imprints. That can't be good?
A beach comber truck went by his rolling trash sweeper raised, not yet in service. Later on in the season, before the official opening of the beach, when you must pay ten dolloars for admission, the beach pickers will be hired from the ranks of the middle and high school to come onto the beach each day to pick up the trash that the sunworshippers leave. Really disgusting how people do that.
I saw some neighbors on the way back, too. Olga from across the street ,out for a ride with her husband Nick, allowed as how it was a pity that weight watchers has done me no good at all. See, she said I told you it as a waste of money! Her double chin encased in a hooded sweat shirt, wobbled. After fifty it is hopeless she assured me-but you still look sexy!
Thanks Olga. I did not accept her invitation to join them on their bench on the boardwalk. I might have become depressed.
And now I am off to meet a friend for lunch:) and I will enjoy it!

DOW

The DJretreats Yahoo list re started the Diamond of the Week, also known as DOW, courtesy of Linda Franz and Monkey of Quilted Diamonds and Quilted Diamonds Two fame. (click on title for link) This is my evening's work, using Kaffe Fasset prints.

Inner Sanctum

There was a topic put forth today on a quilting list, about our personal space and I thought I would ponder aloud, if you will, here on my little cyberspot.
We are each 99 point something percent the same and yet so different and unique and fabulous! I am so blessed that I have a partner who is proud of me and who shares the same quirky taste and has the same tolerance for dust. We seem to both reach a point at the same time where we just get up and begin to tidy. we don't nag or get nagged. we mostly do it together. I am a passionate maker of things, insanely creative and firmly ensconced in that place and he is steadfast and kind and loves my art and lets me hang it all over the house and paint whatever is not in motion.
So I thought I would post some of our stuff, recently dusted, lol, before it accumulates another layer. It is all in our room except for the paintings which are on a ledge on the staireay up to our room.
The "Call Me Beanie" piece is by a Vermont artist, who apparently lives in the woods and makes these boxes about his dog Beanie. There was another one called "Ich bin ein Beanie" that I wish I had bought. The sail boat is origami, folded and painted by me. The Bottles on the window are a lamp, given by a friend, and mini bottles of perfume from the duty free shop. Paintings on a stairs are paintings on stairs by me and my mother. My elephants, collected from different worlds. My thimbles and rocks, tiny paintings and toys. More toys.

my prettys

I did not go crazy at the quilt show. I bought some from Dawaibo and some Oakshott samples from Pinwheels and some Kaffe Fassettfat quarters from Woodstock Quilt Supply, and some random squares from a place called The International Fabric Collection. I would never have a cent if I worked in a quilt store that is for sure.
Tonight I am just relaxing and admiring my fabric. It is inspiring me to get some more things finished. Time will tell if that theory will hold water.

Quilt show favorites

Feathered Stars-Free To Be As They Like, by Maggies Kolvenbach
Machine applique! the Water Lily quilt is Louise Gibson, the quilter is Wilma Cogliantry
Pretty wall hanging, quilter Unknown
Tapestry triptych by CarolTaylor
Cat Under the Sun, Pieced by Diana Sharley, quilted by Wilma Cogliantry

Last minute stuff

I found my Faces piece. It was hiding in a bin of delayed projects. It is a photo of Alex at Jens wedding, for which he played the processional. The photo was taken by Jen's friend Julie. I played with it in Photoshop and printed it on fabrics, then fused it to hand dyed fabric. It is not 12 by 12, but it is my April offering. I had done another with more embellishment but found that the embellishment detracted from the photo and so made this simpler one, which I will frame and hang in my house if I can find some wall space.

Also found was the Moondance BOB which is now a pieced top. I had put it away a couple of years back, needing to come to some decision about the applique. It is a Beth Ferrier design, offered as a block of the month in 2005(?!) So today I found it and spread it out on the couch and finished the setting and decided I did not want to add the originally intended extra flowers and dragonflies and sewed it all together while listening to a reading of Thirteen Moons, by Charles Frazier.
Also sewed the machine part of the binding on the Quilts of Valor donation quilt and will finish that one this week, after work, one thread at a time.
So all in all it was a Very Good Day.
I even ordered Sue Nickels new book on machine applique from Amazon, and hopr to have the Sampler Top ready to applique by the time it gets here at the end of the week. Ahhhhh, what a life!

Journal Swap!

Cynthia sent me this beautiful from her studio in South Carolina! It is collaged and painted on the front and back covers and the inside covers as well.In Cynthia's note she describes her journey and encloses Blessings. I do feel Blessed! I have already started using it. Thanks so much Cynthia. I really appreciate the work and energy that went into it and I would love to hear more about your journal making group! It has obviously worked great for you! Can we join?
...many thanks to Kristine
for dreaming up this swap and I hope to particpipate in many more on the Create a Connection
blog! big hugs and blessings to you...

Ten ways not to start new things

Tilde wants to know how we prevent ourselves from starting new projects. I am the queen of starting new projects so in the interest of seeing if my sub conscious had any better ideas than my conscious mode, I made a list of one to ten and filled it in really fast to see what came to the surface-such as it is.
1. don't buy
2. don't look at books
3. don't unfinish (?)
4. don't put away
5. don't panic-there will aways be more
Here I reached a plateau and had to refuel. Must. Write. Five. More.
6. Delay I can delay just for today
7. Sleep on it.
8. Sleep on it again.
9. Form a Plan.
10. Cut up credit cards.
Now it is clear why I am the Queen, I need your help!! How do you stay on track and Prevent New Starts, (PNS)??? Do we need a Recovery Plan? Do we need Professional Help?
How do you do it? Are we responsible for keeping the online fabric stores in business?
Clearly my subconscious is not co operating. Take this challenge with me. Make a list from one to ten-fill in the ways you prevent new starts-quick! let your inner self use the pen. Then post a link in the comments I will award a fat quarter to the person whose answer Tilde likes the most!

dazzling

I am sitting here in my sewing room late at night, listening to a book on cd and admiring my blocks. So I thought I would put them in this blog and let the passers by admire them too. I am mesmerized by them. I want to turn off the book-The Thirteenth Tale-and go to sleep, but I am unable to tear myself away.
These blocks are part of a swap that was done with a friend and we are each doing a different setting. I know hers will be dazzling as well. I can't wait to see it!
ahhhh, how lovely...

Bailey is Fifteen

Happy Birthday Bailey. We are so proud of you!

pictures and stuff 2

All my children!!! on he same day even.....

plans for a day off in no order of importance

sash some blocks
do some grocery shopping
draw a picture
take some photos
do some writing
drink some tea
wash some clothes
do some more drawing
or sewing
ride a bike

Some flashy sashings

I am liking the pieced sashing altho it is causing some stress in my quilting buddies. heheh. Never fear, more shall be revealed.
In this months Quilter's Newsletter in the Quilting Bee segment on page twenty there is a quilt made by Cheri Branca, and I so like the setting that I am adapting it for my blocks. And that is why I love quilting mags.
So- for the I am not ready to reveal my Face for the month of April. It will be late. It is almost ready and it is a last minute substitute.
I am on Ping #five.....doing most of the sewing at work during lunch...
and I found a book on CD of "The Thirteenth Tale" which has been being talked about in some of my groups so I have something to listen to while I sew during the next week...I do love my ipod and books on cd from the library. Sometimes I do not like the ones that I randomly borrow from the shelves, but other times I strike it rich! Lately I have listened to "Thirteen Moons" and "The Long Night of Winchell Dear". both wonderful. I spend hours at a time listening and sewing and sometimes drawing in my journal. I would like to be drawing some more.
o !! and I mailed out my journal for the journal swap. I confess I did not write a letter. But I did find a nice journal and I hope that Tanaya likes it. There is something about a fresh page, an invitation, that I find irresistable.

Bailey won an award for excellence in poetry from Adelphi

Here is the poem that she read from her manuscript,
to the assembly:

Apart

What calamity is this,
which steals from me my senses?
And what crime have I done,
which leaves me begging for a pardon?
Well, tempests have fallen upon my home
and left only a splintering wooden foundation-
and I have had my body scavenged
by fiends of the night-
but never have I been so lacking,
so exposed,
or so rent apart.
For, when I have lost your hand-
the only one I’ve got to hold-
how am I to wage on through the dark?

Design wall is filling up

In the last few days I have completed one set of swap blocks which is the last for this season. One more Baltimore Elegance block is fused bringing the total to nine. The fourth Ping is ready to baste to the back round and a second diamond group is assembled.
And.....drum roll please...I have decided on a setting for my sampler blocks, which I will not reveal til I have had a chance to actually do some work on it which is going to be VERY SOON. I have the fabric and I have a plan. q=fp squared :) that is a hint.

and a couple more

Inspirations

Some inspirations for future Baltimore blocks. Self portrait Bailey did in second grade, a yard sale bud vase, tiles from different places, cross stitch I did in the eighties, bottles that have been flattened in a kiln to become chimes. These images are part of my own inner iconography and that is what I want refer to in this quilt, while at the same time including tradionalal patterns that hearken to quitlers and images for centuries past.

Bailey bakes

Bailey made Mike a beautiful vegan chocolate birthday cake. We celebrated today, the day before the actual birthday, because the cake was ready and no body wanted to wait til tomorrow when I come home from work. How is that for self control? The cake was divine. Bailey is a talented chef. She gets that from me:)
Tomorrow we can go out to dinner and celebrate again.
I tried to take a photo of Mike but he was not co operating, he was trying to direct, asking me if I had taken the cap off the lens, trying to catch me catch him. So I left him alone. Posterity will have to do with out a picture on his last ever night of being forty seven.
Another Baltimore Elegance block, traced and fused to the back round. Perhaps tonight I will cut out some more pieces for another block. Then on Sunday I can do some stitching around them and some other embellishment? We will see what the block needs.