Scraps

Bright Flowers

2012-01-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

Nancy loves the brights, especially yellow and orange, so the quilt Gayle made was just perfect. A simple design, but as you can see, very appealing with the right fabric.

Beautiful Scrap Quilt

2012-01-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

This beautiful quilt was made by Pam as a gift for Cindy. I love the wide variety of fabrics, which of course is the beauty of scrap quilts.

Christmas Quilts

2012-01-26T06:02:00.000-08:00

This is the beautiful Christmas quilt I received from my friend Kathy this year,

And this is the Christmas quilt I made. I belong to a small group of quilters who meet once a month, and for several years we have had the tradition of drawing names and making quilts to exchange at our Christmas party. It's a lot of work, but believe me, it's the best Christmas party of the year.

Simple Spring Quilt

2012-01-25T05:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a little quilt I helped a friend make for her daughter. Cute, simple enough for a beginner, and nice for spring,

Bright little Boats

2012-01-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

This little quilt was made, completed, and given last year to one of my grand nephews. Our large extended family has been expanding these past few years, so quilts for little ones seem to be the order of the day. I had so much fun with the fabrics for this one.

Our new family member

2011-05-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

No quilt pictures to post today, but here is what has been keeping us busy at home. We adopted our sweet Sunshine (Sunny) from Labrador Rescuers (San Diego). Though she is about a year and a half old, there is a LOT of pup in her. It took us time to recover from the loss of our old girls, but the time is right now to bring another fur kid into our lives. Sunny has wonderful house manners but is keeping us on our toes since she needs lots of exercise and play. Jerry has been working from home, so it has helped that Sunny has a lot of company as she gets used to living with us.

Revival?

2011-03-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since I last posted here at the blog. I think I might be ready to revive it, at least now and then. There is still some quilting activity happening in the studio. I have these lovely bright fabrics to inspire me, and another baby quilt is in the works for my great nephew. There has been something of a population explosion and our family gatherings have become quite lively with all the young ones. It's great fun to see the next generation coming along. I only wish it didn't make me feel so old.

On the art quilt front, I am still making sketches and occasionally one of them actually turns into fabric

As usual, the design process leads to some changes. The color in the original sketch is just to differentiate shapes since I usually wait until I dive into fabric to make those decisions.

I'm not sure where this is going, although I like the shapes very much.
No doubt, with more thread work and stitching, the piece will continue to evolve.

A Baby Quilt

2010-08-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the latest baby quilt, finally completed for my great niece Megan. Since I finished the quilt in my usual not so prompt fashion, Megan is already six months old. I included the picture from our 4th of July family gathering so you can see her. (She's the one with the cute hat .)
Our family is having something of a mini baby boom, so there are more quilts for little ones in the works.

More quilt gifts

2010-08-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

The pictures here speak for themselves, don't you think? I especially love the red and green one.

Joan's Quilt

2010-08-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

As I have done in years past, I will try to post the quilts from our exchange bit by bit. This fun bright quilt was made by my friend Joan and given to Nancy. Joan is very adept at hand applique and prefers the freezer paper method of prep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljl_O2aOT1M
One difference in her method is that she removes the freezer paper before sewing and uses extra starch and glue as needed to keep the pieces in shape and in place. I do love the brights, and this is a wonderful quilt.

Hello Again

2010-07-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

Although I happily read many of your quilting blogs, I have gotten out of the habit of posting. With the move to the new artful qulters ring, I will try to resume posting often enough to stay in the group. This photo is of the quilt I made for our quilter's exchange. My friend Gayle loved it, and I certainly had fun making it. The detail is not clear in the photo, but there is a quilted outline of Iris flowers and leaves in the green area to the left. Pictorial quilts of flowers are not ground breaking in their originality, but I still love the way this one turned out.

Learning Surface Design

2009-07-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

These two were made using direct dye paint. They have not been washed yet.

This one with leaf shapes was done with freezer paper ironed on for resist on monoprinted fabric. The fabric pieces below were done using soy wax batik, some combined with freezer paper resist. The first (most complex) was done in stages with wax, dye paint, more wax, crackling, more dye. It was very hard to get the wax out. I had to resort to washing it in very hot water and it faded a LOT. I know, you have to wash ALL dyed fabric in hot water with Synthrapol, but the fading is so disappointing.

I'm learning quite a lot about how things work. Since the workshop I have ordered a few supplies and have been experimenting on my own. One disappointment is the intensity lost when washing out the dyed fabric. In that regard, I think paint may be better because you don't wash it. I was thinking about NOT washing out future dye painted items because the fabric will be used only in wall (art) pieces. I mean, it's not like you worry about "washing" paintings. Is there any reason to wash out dye if the completed fabric is not being used in a quilt or garment that will be used?

Workshop Fun

2009-06-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I participated in a monoprint and soy wax batik workshop, hosted by Jane LaFazio and taught by Melanie Testa.

Here I am discovering the happy accident of a ghost print after using some onion bag netting to make an imprint. I am more excited about what I learned than what I produced, although once I have removed the wax and washed the cloth I will share the results of my exercises. I promptly ordered some supplies from Dharma, and now that I am hooked I expect more of this activity in my artistic future. A huge thank you to Mells, Jane, and my enthusiastic classmates for a great experience!

On the Design Wall

2009-05-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe May is almost over! Another semester has ended, and things at work have calmed down a bit. I look forward to having a little more time in my studio.
Here's what I am working on right now. Notice the paint chip set in the corner of the design wall below. I am making this quilt for our long time friends who finally decided to get married. When I asked about "colors", this is what they gave me.

Here is the very bright batik quilt in progress with about half the blocks done so far. A simple square in a square design. I don't think the nuances of the batiks are as visible in this picture as they are in person. Bright, I know, but I think it is exactly what they are hoping for.

Still Here

2009-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd better do at least a quick post before April is over. I haven't really fallen off the face of the earth, I just seem to have gotten completely out of the habit of blogging. The photo above is one I took some time ago, on the other side of the world (New Zealand). I did spend almost the whole of last weekend working in the yard, and I did plant a few cosmos, but they are nothing like the glory of these. We have been having a terrible time keeping the garden looking decent. Between the gophers and the ground squirrels, not to mention the bunnies, we have been under attack. There is little more discouraging to a would be gardener than to look out and see a recent planting vanishing underground. We have taken to using cages for most of our plantings, hoping that will help them last for at least a little while. Looks like we will continue doing our share to keep this place in business.

On the Design Wall

2009-03-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the baby quilt I am working on for Debra's project. Don't worry, the borders are all the same size and not nearly as wonky as the picture makes them look. The blocks ARE wonky, on purpose. I had fun working with these bright cheerful colors. If you can believe it, I had all of the fabric and some of the blocks already in the stash.

Here's a closeup of the cute "bug" prints. I'm hoping this is unisex enough. I think it will make a great play quilt. Hope to get to the actual quilting this weekend.

Here is one of my latest experiments. I did the stitching first and painted second, using Stewart Gill acryllics and Dharma Pigment Dyes. When I am painting fabric, I usually use a combination of whatever I have (acryllics, dye paint from Dharma, inks etc.) Once upon a time I used to do a lot of watercolor and ink drawing. Though more abstract, this reminds me a little of that long ago work.

Goodbye and Hello

2009-03-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

Last week was one of extreme contrasts, to say the least. Early in the week we had the trauma of saying goodbye to one of our old dogs, Kelly. She had a day and night of seizures, followed by the loss of any ability to balance herself or stand. Although we couldn't be sure of the cause without extensive testing, given her age of 15 and the vet's opinion, we had to let her go. We adopted her from the pound when she was about a year old, just after my son Andy's 11th birthday. He used to joke that she was his "high maintenance pillow". Kelly was a good companion, and she will be greatly missed.

On a much happier note, right after that I left for a few days for San Francisco to visit my son and his girlfriend Blair. I got a good package deal from Expedia, so I booked a long weekend for a visit. I am still clomping around in my heavy boot, which was a little inconvenient for traveling, but it was worth it to make the trip. I still was able to use mass transit most of the time, and when I got too tired to walk any more it was easy to get a cab.

The city is always so exciting. I don't think I would want to live in an urban environment now, but I love to visit and take it all in. I enjoyed seeing Andy's new apartment, too. It's tiny and expensive, but oh what views! We did some of the usual "tourist" things, but mostly we ate good food, drank some organic sulfite free wine, and talked and talked and talked.
I also got to spend some more time with Blair, and she is a lovely, sweet and thoughtful girl. Lastly, to make this at least a little bit quilt related, I spent time browsing through this store. Every kind of fabric you can imagine is there, including things like high end imported Italian silk. I just enjoyed taking it all in. The top floor has remnants, and I did find a few little treasures that may find a purpose one day. The notions floor also yielded a few affordable goodies. All in all, a very enjoyable time. Andy thought it was pretty funny that while his visiting friends are excited by the close proximity of pubs and clubs, his mom was ecstatic over finding a huge fabric store to explore.

Last of the Party Quilts

2009-02-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the quilt Pam T. made for Sheryl. She likes the dark country pallette and traditional patterns.

Here is the quilt Sheryl made for Lisa, who likes scrappy quilts and folk art applique.

Here is the oh so traditional log cabin barn raising quilt I made for Joan in her favorite Civil War reproduction fabrics.

Last, but not least, is the show stopper Joan made for me. Love those bright poppies against the dark background. I LOVE my quilt. Joan did a beautiful job in making me a quilt I will always treasure.

More quilts

2009-02-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the quilt made by Pam B. for Andine.

I blogged this one before, but this is a nice close view of the quilt Gayle made for Cindy.

Here is the quilt made by Andine for Pam, using Civil War reproduction fabrics.

In each case, the quilts were made to suit the tastes of the recipient. In my own quilt making I most enjoy making less traditional work, but I never tire of looking at these. As traditional work, they have a familiar feel to quiltmakers, yet they are so lovely in their variety. Even better, all of them will be used for warmth and comfort.

More Quilt pictures

2009-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since our Quilter's Christmas party, but you might remember that I had some camera problems and only got a few photos. I was finally able to get some more pictures from my friend Kathy, so I will share the rest a few at a time. Above is Kathy with her new bright on black quilt, made by Nancy. Nancy loves anything as long as it is orange or yellow, so this is a quilt true to her personality. Fortunately, Kathy also loves the bright colors.

And here is my friend Barbara admiring the quilt made for her by Kathy. A contemporary take on the log cabin, very fresh and spring like with those pretty greens and floral applique.

And last but not least, here is one of my absolute favorites, made by Barbara. I doubt you can see the detail, but the quilting in the "blank" space below is a repeat of the design above. The quilting is gorgeous, and I would love to have it on MY wall.

On the home front, I have been clomping about in my boot, healing gradually. It is not too painful, at least nothing that a couple of Tylenol now and then can't handle. I am very tired at the end of the work day, and I miss my workouts. I have been a few times to Curves, but I am able to do only about three machines (upper body and abs). Not nearly as much fun. In the sewing room, I am working on a cheerful baby quilt to donate to Debra's cause, and also doing some cutting for a "use the scraps" quilt. I have been getting up an hour earlier in order to spend time working on my projects, and it makes a very nice start to my day.

My New Boot

2009-02-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my new boot. Lovely, isn't it? I got this stylish accessory just one week ago, not long after taking a spectacular spill right off the step of our deck. Apparently I torqued my foot going down enough to break one of the metatarsal bones. At least the cast isn't plaster, and I can still walk in it, after a fashion. This definitely puts a crimp in all my well laid plans and projects (living room is half painted, for example).

The good news is that while I was home I had some time to fiddle around with some thread sketching and painting. This thread sketch was backed with felt, so the "sketch" lines are actually free motion quilting. After I made the sketch, I added color using fabric paint, inks and acryllics.

Never one to leave well enough alone, as part of the experiment, I cut out the image and used it for applique. Now I'm adding colored thread. I really have no idea if this is going further, but as an experimental technique, it has possibilities.

I'm back to work now, broken foot and all, but at least the workroom is back to normal (messy and in use).

Great Inauguration Photos

2009-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Checking in to share a website with some great inauguration photos.
I took the day off Tuesday and spent most of the day painting my living room while listening to and watching the events of the inauguration unfold. It was truly an emotional experience to watch this historical moment. I am inspired and hopeful.

The living room redo comes after 10 years (yes, 10 years) of indecision. We live in a cabin like house where most of the walls are made of thick cedar planks. Jerry and I have had a long debate over paint vs no paint and we finally reached a compromise. Last year I finally painted in the kitchen, and this year I am doing the living room. That will still leave the family room with the big stone fireplace , and the study, to have the masculine, woodsy cabin look.

Still a work in progress, I have a long way to go. LOTS of ideas for decorating, including using a blend of old and new quilts. I promise before and after pictures at a later date.

Sunday by the Sea

2009-01-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning we went to Sunday Brunch at the Marine Room with Jerry's brother John and his wife Diane. Although they offer the convenience of valet parking, we chose to drive up the street, park, and have a scenic walk down to the restaurant. Jerry and John are walking just ahead of us there on the road, and on the right some folks are just getting ready for a dive.

There is a path with beach access right next to the Marine Room. When the tide is very high, as it was yesterday morning, the water comes right up to the windows and it feels like you are on a boat.

After breakfast we went down to the boardwalk and walked along the beach. Lots of people were surfing, going in for diving, and taking kayak lessons. This colorful pile of kayaks caught my eye.

By this time the tide had moved back out. It was a beautiful day, sunny and not foggy at all.

In the afternoon, our husbands went off to a football party and Diane and I had a pleasant afternoon in the sewing room. When Jerry and John came back in the evening, we sat by the fire and sipped our wine. A lovely end to a lovely day.

Organizing

2009-01-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

Although I don't suffer from CHAOS (Cant Have Anybody Over Syndrome), things around here need an organizational overhaul every now and then. Cooking with my son made me realize I needed to organize the spice cupboard, so I did. To my chagrin there were LOTS of multiples (couldn't find it, thought I didn't have it, bought another.) At least I know what's in there now.

In the sewing room I had more fun. Reacquainting myself with my stash while lovingly folding and reorganizing my treasures.

I also arranged my art supplies in drawers and shelves tucked neatly under the cutting table.

I moved the cutting table to get better access from both sides. Note the neatly organized scraps that have been cut, and the HUGE bin of scraps that have not. I really need to make more scrap quilts this year. Seriously.

The finished sewing space aka studio, just ready and waiting for me to mess it up.

Before and After

2009-01-02T04:40:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, as I always do, I consider trying once again to lose weight and get into better shape. I made some progress fitness wise this year, but when all is said and done I am still about the same (large) size. For inspiration this year I am looking to my friends who have actually accomplished their weight loss goals. Above is my lovely friend Pam (in the red jacket) at last year's Christmas party.

And here is the ever cheerful and funny Kathy, friend and seamstress extraordinaire.
See the picture below to see how both of these lovely ladies look after a year of hard work.
(Pam is the third from the left and Kathy is on the end.)

They are both now wearing the tiny sizes they always dreamed of. My friend Cindy has also lost a jaw dropping amount of weight, but she is so camera shy that I am having trouble finding any good pictures of her. During our "sharing" of quilts she always made sure to hide behind one.

My thin friends lost weight on this spartan eating plan:
Breakfast: nonfat yogurt and berries, 2 oz oatmeal or shredded wheat
Lunch: cooked vegetables and 4 oz protein
Dinner: 4 oz of protein and a big salad, 1 T oil based salad dressing

No fat, flour, sugar or salt. NONE. They did this for months on end, eating ONLY these three small meals and no snacks. After all that sacrifice, they DESERVE their success.
I did try, briefly, to follow the same plan. I was so hungry I could have eaten wallpaper off the wall. Not for me, I'm afraid. Last year I also followed the Weight Watchers plan on and off. I know it will work (SLOWLY) if you stick to it. My problem was that with only a small slip up I would instantly wipe out the progress of weeks. This year I am trying something new. I rejoined a Curves exercise club near my work and have been going regularly. There is a new plan for tracking your exercise progress and also one for eating. I am ready to try again.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

Thinking about the coming year, I was busy making resolutions to do MORE quilting when it suddenly dawned on me that I actually accomplished quite a bit. Two family wedding quilts, two baby quilts, a quilt for my SIL's birthday. a quilt for my son, two wall hangings, a quilt for our group exchange, and one art challenge. Not to mention various WIPs and a couple of purses.
So, for the place I am in life (still working full time) not bad at all.

We are so lucky to have discovered the joy of creating with fabric! Happy quilting in 2009 !

A Big, Bright Quilt

2008-12-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

This cheerful quilt wins the prize for big and bright. Lisa made the quilt for Nancy, who loves anything as long as it is orange or yellow. Needless to say, she was delighted.

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday time with your families! We have been celebrating (and still are) with our son Andy. He arrived here on Christmas Eve from San Francisco after a flight delay of only three and a half hours. Compared to many travelers he was lucky. I felt so sorry for the people spending the holiday stuck in an airport somewhere.

On Christmas day we enjoyed a lovely brunch and a nice visit with Jerry's brother Jeff and his family, and in the evening I made lasagna for dinner. Somehow in the year he has lived away, my son has become a huge fan of the food network, so yesterday we shopped and spent the afternoon cooking together. At the market we found gorgeous peppers of every hue at a good price, so we made a lovely bruschetta appetizer with peppers, tomato and pesto. After that we made gnocchi from scratch and served it with tiny meatballs made of hot Italian sausage, topped with a basil cream sauce and asiago cheese. It was all easier than I thought it would be. Richer too. I think my hope of not gaining weight during the holidays is disappearing fast.

Our family celebrating is far from over. Today we have our BIG family Christmas party. It will be a lot of fun and even better, I am NOT the hostess :) My only duties for this one are to bring green salad (for 50) and some beautifully wrapped white elephant gifts. This year should be lots of fun since there will be more children at the party and someone will be arriving dressed as Santa.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T05:01:00.000-08:00

Of all the many gifts of Christmas, we are most grateful for those we love. Merry Christmas!

Quilt Number 3

2008-12-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here is the third quilt of the exchange, one made by Carla for Gayle. Love these fabrics!

Another Beautiful Quilt

2008-12-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

I know you are here to see more party quilts so...Here is a close view of the quilt "State of Grace", made by Cindy for Carla. The pattern is one of the "strip club" patterns put out by Cozy Quilt, (right down the street from me), and the fabric is one of the Moda "jelly roll" strip sets.

It is a lovely quilt, and clearly Carla is delighted with it. I have the book with the pattern and may have to make it some time. A lot of impact for a quilt that is not too difficult to make. My kind of pattern.

Here are some of my friends, Kathy and Pam Tobias. This past year was one of big change for both of them (weight loss wise.) I am proud of them and take encouragement from their huge accomplishments. I will show "before and after" pictures in some future post.

Friends Barbara and Pam B., both quilters extraordinaire. Barbara has a long arm business and Pam T. does amazing work on a domestic machine. I take great inspiration from both of them.
I cannot begin to imagine reaching their level of expertise, but practice makes perfect, right? I got just a few more pictures into the camera before the battery died, so I will share at least a few more quilts in the days to come. Hope you are all enjoying these days of holiday preparation! I love Christmas, almost as much as Thanksgiving, so it is a happy time for me.

Quilters' Christmas Party

2008-12-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

A toast to each other, and to another wonderful holiday party.

A lovely table set for our Christmas party banquet.

This past weekend was the best Christmas party of the season, our "Quilt Posse" quilt exchange. My friend Carla's house was "dressed for Christmas" to the nines, and we had a wonderful meal in a lovely setting. Along with our quilt exchange, we traded gift bags and everyone felt truly special to receive so many lovely small gifts. I got an AMAZING quilt which I will share with you later, and I am happy to report that Joan LOVED the quilt I made for her. Unfortunately my camera did not hold a charge for the duration of the party, so I will not be able to share pictures of all the quilts until others share them with me.

Here is the first beautiful quilt. It is actually big enough for Cindy's bed, but it was made for her by her dear friend Gayle who went far beyond the call of duty in making a bed sized quilt. Cindy was delighted, and the quilt is perfect for her master bedroom.
That's enough to get us started. I will share a few more pictures next time.

I am working only a couple of days next week and then I will be OFF until the new year. Our son Andy will be back to visit for Christmas and we have lots of family activities planned. 'Tis the season.

Still Thankful

2008-12-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving holiday was a whirlwind, lots of company, good food and laughter. We had so much fun with our family and friends, we were reminded once again just how lucky we are, and how much we have to be grateful for. Worries over the world's unrest and an unstable economy seemed distant as we enjoyed the company and the feast we all helped to prepare.

Even though Andy has gone home and we are back to work now, I am still smiling from having had his company for the holiday. It was just this time last year that he set out to seek his fortune in San Francisco, and left the family home as a place of residence. He still hasn't found the fortune, but he works enough to keep things going and he loves his new urban life. We talk each week and keep in touch with all the ups and downs, but there is nothing quite like an "in person" visit. Best of all, he will be home again in just three short weeks for Christmas.

The women in the family braved the crowds, somewhat less this year, for a little "Black Friday" shopping. I am not a shopper, but I hate to miss the fun times with the girls, so I dragged out the walking shoes and prepared to spend the day in stores. As usual, I had the most fun seeing all the displays in Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. It put me right in the mood for the Christmas decorating I tackled the next day. The tree is up and the house is "dressed for Christmas", one more thing to cross off the list.

Next on the agenda is to bind the quilt I am giving at our quilt group's Christmas party. It is back from Barbara's, and as usual she has done a lovely job with her longarm. To make it perfect, I also have a lovely label from Debra, which I will show along with the quilt when I get it finished. I am not a speedy binder and this quilt is a pretty good size. Guess I'd better get busy!

Something Quilt Related

2008-11-18T05:19:00.000-08:00

Don't faint anyone, I'm actually going to post something quilt related. I finally finished this quilt top and it is ready to go off to my friend Barbara so she can work her quilting magic. I don't have a long arm machine and I rarely choose to wrestle with tops this big any more. The fabrics used are mostly "civil war reproduction", something that will be sure to delight my friend Joan. You might have noticed that these aren't my usual colors, but they are definitely hers. The log pattern is based on an antique quilt and uses 3 1/2 inch center squares and 1 1/2 inch strips. I like the impact of the larger squares.

Every year I make a quilt for someone in my quilt group, and I receive one in return. In our little group, those who want to participate draw names in January and we exchange quilts at our annual Christmas party. If you want to see last year's exchanges, click on the "Quilt Posse Christmas" photo in the sidebar. Of course I will share photos after our party in December this year.

I have a few little art things on my design wall, but with Thanksgiving coming they will just have to wait. Besides the work that pays the bills, we have been doing LOTS of work around the house, "deep cleaning" in preparation for company. Last weekend we moved furniture to steam clean carpet and climbed on ladders to chase the spiders away and clean ceiling fans. Fun stuff, eh? This coming weekend we will tackle the outside, washing windows and sprucing up the flower beds. I'm afraid that between the squirrels and gophers some of my flower beds are looking pretty pathetic.

Camel Dairy

2008-11-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago Jerry and I decided to hop in the car and drive up to the closest local mountains. The small town of Julian has an "apple festival" every year and they sell wonderful cider and apple pie. Here is some of the scenery from the drive.

We had to stop in Santa Ysabel along the way and buy bread from the famous Dudley's bakery.
It has been quite a while since we took a "scenic drive", what with the price of gas and all, but we used the small car and didn't feel too guilty about it.

I had been hoping for even a little fall color, but it has been a long, hot DRY summer. Even in a year with rain, we do not have the kind of glorious color seen in other parts of the country. When we were choosing trees for the yard, liquid amber trees were among my choices since I wanted a touch of fall color to remind me of what "real" fall is like. Alas, my little trees are still steadfastly green so far. They will eventually change to a lovely red and the mulberry trees will turn yellow, and that is about the extent of our fall color.

One last interesting bit. On the way up we passed a camel dairy. Yes, camels. I had trouble getting my head around that one, but apparently camel milk is not only nutritious but lactose free. At this point, I don't think there is anything being made for human consumption, but they do sell soap and use the camels for a variety of purposes (living nativities, for example). That first photo I took has camels in the distance.
All in all, it was a lovely day.

Dawn of a New Day

2008-11-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

Work In Progress

2008-11-01T05:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, on the Quiltart list, there has been some discussion about working styles. How do you get an idea and then work through to the completed piece? Some people like to plan everything out carefully before diving in and some like to work strictly from intuition, allowing the piece to evolve and tell them what needs to happen as they go. I have tried both methods, but my best working style falls somewhere in the middle. For me it takes all the fun out to plan everything first, but on the other hand I like to warm up a little and play with sketch or paint before I turn to fabric. Here is one of the small "warm up" paintings I did with the concept of overlapping transparent square shapes. I used acrylic paint watered down to the consistency of watercolor. I still like to use watercolor, but it takes many patient layers of color to get to brightness, so acrylic is better to work up a concept quickly.

What you have on hand once you start working also affects outcome. I thought some about using transparent organza but discovered I didn't have enough of the right colors. I ended up using some hand painted cotton, silk and cheesecloth.

Of course you have to add color and texture with the lovely threads.

Here is the work in progress. You will notice that it bears little resemblance to the painting, having evolved considerably in the making. You have layering, square shapes, some transparency, and hopefully some feeling of depth or looking out into different planes.

The great thing is, I will go back to the concept and do more small pieces and each one will be different.

Fantasy Library

2008-10-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is NQR, but I know a lot of you are book lovers. Imagine having the ability (money) to create this library in your home. Beautiful!
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-10/ff_walker

Welcome Clara Anne!

2008-09-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Since I showed you the baby quilt, it seems only fair that I show you the baby. My great-niece Clara Anne arrived in the world on September 18th. She is named in honor of two of our favorite (and dearly missed) family members. As her dad said :

She was apparently pretty pleased with her luxury confines because it took almost 19 hours of coaxing and a generous relocation package to persuade her to join us in the real world.

Here is the new little family. They all look remarkably good after their sleepless night and hard work. Due to the wide range in ages of my husband's siblings, I have been a "great-aunt" for many years, despite my 'ahem' relatively young age. Needless to say, we are all happy and excited to welcome this newest member of the family.

The Wedding Shower

2008-09-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

After days of yard work, housework, furniture rearrangement, and decorating, the day of Carrie's wedding shower finally came. This picture was taken just as the guests began to arrive. The tables looked pretty, the food was delicious, and a great time was had by all. Fortunately for me, it was a team effort and many hands made light work. Besides sharing the cooking, we were able to combine our plates and glassware to get enough for the party. We served a nice brunch (egg casserole, potato casserole, fruit salad, leaf shaped muffins, juice, coffee, mimosas). We had a little mishap with an exploding champagne bottle, but after a little mop up everything was fine.

And here is the quilt we made for Carrie. You can tell by the smile on her face how much she liked it. We always save the quilt to be opened last, kind of a finale to the wedding shower.

And here we all are together. Another happy chapter in the book of family quilts.

Wedding In Lake Tahoe

2008-09-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Carrie with her dad.
Beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Carrie with her mom.
The Happy couple.

Here are some pictures from my niece Carrie's small wedding in Lake Tahoe last weekend. I was not there since they opted just for parents and siblings in a private ceremony. I think the setting is lovely.

This is the couple who will receive the last family quilt I showed you. It came back from the quilter with very nice stipple star quilting and it looks great. Time to get the binding sewn on and hand it off to those who are finishing the hand work (thankfully not me.) I am giving a wedding shower for them on Sept 14th and we will present it to them at that time. There will also be a big party for family and friends in October at her parents' home.

It has been a busy week at work. Campus is crowded with returning students and it always feels like a shock after the peace of summer. In the evening I have been gradually changing my decor from "summer" to "fall", even though it has been hotter than heck and there is nothing fall like in the atmosphere. I do enjoy the decorating rituals though.

It's also time to change the flowerbeds and remove the spent annuals. This weekend we will scout the nurseries and garden stores to see if there are any mums to plant yet. Time for fall color!

Work In Progress, Quilt Show Loot, and a Surprise

2008-09-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

To the left is the little painting (on paper) I showed you a couple of days ago, and to the right is the fabric version, a work in progress. So far I have used my new SG paints, shiva sticks and a stencil. You can also see where I used the blue painter's tape at the beginning to mask off some white areas. I have quite a bit of work left to go. The SG paints are the nicest I have ever used for fabric. The colors are creamy and easy to mix and the resulting painted fabric is not stiff, which should make it easier to add thread work later.

Yesterday I went to the San Diego Quilt Show with my friend Barbara. It's a small show, but I had fun and found a few treasures. Here is the loot:

I got some very nice batiks, blenders, hand dyes, and one special piece of hand painted fabric by Mickey Lawler (That green one in the middle). Her Sky Dyes book is what got me started painting fabric in the first place.

The most amazing thing happened on my way to the quilt show. I was standing at the crosswalk and I looked over and saw my blog friend Debby . I didn't immediately realize who she was, only that I recognized her. It gets even funnier. We chatted for a few moments and realized that we had worked for the same company in the same office 30 years ago. I NEVER would have put that together since I barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, never mind who I worked with so so long ago. (Plus, Debby looks WAY too young for her age, which is pretty close to mine.) Anyway, it was really nice to meet her at last and hopefully we can get together again some time.

The Flip Side

2008-08-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Everything I have posted lately falls in the realm of "family quilting", so for a change of pace I thought I'd share something a little more creative. "California Poppies" is shown above, still a work in progress since I haven't done any quilting yet, and I'm not even sure if the composition is finished. (My design wall is blue, that is not a border on the quilt. Sorry, my photography skills need work.) This one is not going anywhere, except maybe on my wall, so I can show it here. I do like what I have so far.

I think I am calling this one "gathering storm". This is one of those "abstract into nature" paintings I love to do. (It is on paper, not fabric.) Techniques used: watercolor, acryllic, pastel, pencil and collage. I like parts of it very much, but there is a little something lacking. Contrast maybe.

Here is my favorite. It is part of my "river rock" series. Techniques used are the same as above. It seems a little unfinished, but I think I am just going to start another painting exploring the same theme rather than rework this one. I hope to be able to translate some of these into cloth, or maybe a combination of paper and cloth.

A New Quilt Top

2008-08-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy here, and in anticipation of the latest family wedding, here is the new "family project" quilt top We have a family tradition to make a Christmas quilt for each newly married couple, and this is the latest one. It takes quite a bit of coordination to get everyone to participate, but it is fun and it makes a very special contribution to the wedding gifts. I am planning the wedding shower for my niece Carrie, to be held on Sept. 14th. I have decided on a brunch menu, complete with mimosas. We will probably get silly and have a lot of fun, something I am counting on. This is the 7th "family project" wedding quilt I have seen to conclusion. Trust me when I say that it would be far easier to do it all myself, but the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the project makes it all worthwhile.

On the "artful" front, there is another quilt I am working on that I will share soon. In recent times, it has put quite a damper on blog sharing to have so may restrictions on what can be shown, but I think this one is not going to be entered in a show so I can feel free to share it.

Recently I spent quite a lot of time going through my art supplies and discarding everything that was no longer useful. I have also resumed my watercolor painting and sketching and I feel great about it. Even if a lot of what I produce is not worthy of sharing, I am enjoying every minute of it.

On a more somber note, my 93 year old FIL Clyde is in the hospital tonight with symptoms of weakness, low blood pressue, and pneumonia. If you are so inclined, remember him in your prayers.

Quilts for Babies

2008-08-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a break from blogging for a bit, but here is some of what I have been working on quilt wise. Last month and this we have had special celebrations for babies in the family. Little Emily had a one year old birthday celebration and my nephew Jeff and his wife Jean are expecting their first child (a baby girl) next month. Back in 2006, I blogged about their wedding, and now they are moving on to the next phase in their lives.

Showing the front and back, and also a closer view of the "chantilly" quilting pattern.

Jean's nursery colors are pink and brown, and she definitely has a modern sensibility in her decorating style. After browsing the current selections out there, I tried to pick fabrics with a "modern vintage" feel. She was really happy with her quilt, and I think I got it right.

Here is a picture of Amy receiving the quilt I made for Emily. It seems like no time at all has passed since I blogged about the baby shower, and here we are more than a year later celebrating the first birthday. This very simple quilt was the perfect choice for Amy's old fashioned romantic taste. It was amazing how much prettier it looked after quilting. She was so happy, it made me feel great. Hopefully little Emily will like the quilt too. I wanted a cute picture of the baby sitting on the quilt, but no way was her mom willing to put it on the ground despite what I said about it being easy to wash. Sitting next to Amy is my terrific 93 years young FIL Clyde. Emily is just one of his great grandchildren.

Besides the baby quilts, there are three more weddings this year. Two will be family projects (more fun but difficult to organize) and one will be for some long time friends who are finally tying the knot. My quilt art has been on the back burner for a while since lately it's been all about the quilts for special occasions.

In other quilt related news, besides hostessing a couple of sewing days, I made a last minute trip with my SIL Diane to the Long Beach quilt show. Fantastic quilts! I came home inspired, but so far the most I have done is fiddle around with my new Stewart Gill paints (they're wonderful!) I'm sorry I didn't connect with any blogging pals, but I guess that's what happens when you don't plan ahead.

Quilting Retreat In Temecula

2008-06-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a three day quilting retreat in Temecula, CA at the Vina De Lestonnac. I attended with eight of my quilting friends, but there were about 25 or so women in all. We had plenty of relaxation, stitching, and fun. The trip was organized by the "Memory Lane" quilt shop.

Our meals were prepared and served to us in the dining hall, and we had simple clean rooms with attached bathrooms. As you can see, the grounds were lovely and peaceful. Vina De Lestonnac is in the middle of a group of beautiful vineyards. There is a church and small convent there, and they make money by renting out their facilities for retreats, both religious and secular.

The first picture was early in the day when we still had some of the "June gloom" clouds, but it was sunny and warm in no time at all. This was a good time of year to go because in the summer it gets HOT.

Here is an easy baby quilt top in pretty pastels. I may or may not add another border.

I also finished up a little beach quilt using mostly Kaffe Fasset fabrics. I tend to pick simple projects for gatherings like this because, let's face it, for me it is primarily a social event. I just don't have the power of concentration to visit and sew something difficult at the same time.

We also had a "bag making" session, and several of us ended up with some cute customized purses. Special thanks to our friend Carla who started the ball rolling and acted as "teacher" for us. Unfortunately, the "purse" group pictures turned out pretty blurry.

On Saturday I left the retreat and took a side trip with Jerry up to LA. Our son Andy and his
girlfriend were visiting her sister in Manhattan Beach, and it was just too close for us to pass up a chance to visit. What we didn't count on was four hours of crawling traffic. By the time we got there, we had only a couple of hours to be together. We headed on over to the Farmer's Market and had a meal before driving them to LAX. By the time I got back to Temecula that evening, I was really glad that I had one more day of peace and quiet and NO traffic.

Checking In Again

2008-05-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Image from "fedegrafo" at morguefile.com

Morguefile.com is a great place to browse for inspirational photos. You are allowed to use them for free and without getting any special permission, though most photographers do retain copyright. Great for artistic inspiration. I rarely use a photograph directly, but find they are great for sketching and color inspiration. Terms of use are on the website.

I took down the post of my "Roots and Wings" piece since it came to my attention that even though you can see all of the show pieces here http://www.flickr.com/photos/studio-259/sets/72157604132217537/ , we are still discouraged from posting on our blogs. Not sure if I have this right, but I didn't want to take any chances. Rian, thanks for taking time to comment, I can always count on you!

I have found myself spending less time in blog land lately, but I did just finish a fantastic book. If you are looking for a good read, try People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I got my copy here at the library and it's probably available at yours if you don't want to buy it. Worth owning though, it's an excellent read. I have been trying in recent years not to buy so many books since after a while storage gets to be a problem. Same with fabric and art supplies, though I am a little less successful in that area. I look around our overfilled house and think "simplify, you MUST simplify". That is kind of a buzzword these days, but it is true. The clutter of life takes over if your don't work to keep it under control.

Checking In

2008-04-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I've finally gotten to use my new space and am working on a happy mess. I'm having great fun using the inks and markers along with my fabric collage. Guess I'm on a "blue" kick lately. Blue room, blue themed project. Maybe I''m trying to make myself feel cooler. The last couple of days have been way too HOT for April.

Outside in the yard, (you can get just a peek at the dirt and rocks through the window) things are a mess as we proceed with creating the water conservation landscape. Just in time, too, since we got a notice that water charges are going up again. We must use water to keep the fruit trees going, and even on drip irrigation it gets expensive. After we are finished, almost everything will be on drip. Traditional sprinklers that spray out into the air waste water through too much evaporation. Things will be a little dull outside until we get the plantings in, but at least I have my indoor flowers. I love flowers and the little potted ones last longer.

I don't know what little Nikki thinks of all this, but she has claimed her spot in the new space.

My New Studio

2008-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here I am, only a week ago, sewing in a very crowded space. No sooner had my son left with the last of the things he wanted, I got to work on his old room. LOTS of painting and cleaning and furniture moving later, here is my NEW sewing space:

Notice the wall bracket, just waiting for my new LCD HD TV. I might have to wait a couple of months to get one. In the meantime I have my old boom box to listen to audio books from the library. There is also my trusty IPOD for music.

Take a good look, it will never be this clean and tidy again!

A Family quilt, A Big Thank You, and a Happy Dance

2008-04-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few things I've been up to since I last wrote. Pictured is the wedding quilt that we have been working on as a family project for the last couple of weeks. Actually, several more family members than are pictured had a big hand in the construction of this quilt top, but these are the gals who were present as we finished the last border. The quilt has been handed off to my friend Barbara, and it awaits her magic touch with the longarm.

I received a nice surprise from Deb in the form of a PIF challenge gift. She sent me a beautiful tassel, complete with lots of textured and multicolored fibers and charms. (You can see pictures of what she made if you visit her blog). It hangs in a place of honor in my studio, reminding me that it's time now for me to get busy on my own PIF (pay it forward)gifts.

My third exciting bit of news is that my piece "Roots and Wings" has been accepted into the Fiberarts of Southern California show "The Voice That is Great Within Us". This is their first juried exhibit, I believe, and it is mine too. I am thrilled to be included, and will share the website for the work when it is posted. I know it is my best work so far, and it it is beyond exciting for me to know that I will be showing it. So, a little "happy dance" for me.

Another reason I am feeling wonderful today is that my son is home for a visit. It has not been that long since I saw him, but I am "soaking it up" because it might be a while before the next trip. He is emptying out the final things he wants from his room, and then it will be free for us to do with as we will. Of course he will always have a place with us anytime he needs it, but I DO have my eye on his larger room with better natural light for my new workspace. I have been looking at studios online, at sewing furniture, at design walls etc etc.
I am feeling mainly indecisive about the whole thing from the paint color on (bright and cheerful or neutral?), but I do know that focusing on a future fun project makes me less sad about the finality of all this moving out and moving on.
Any suggestions about "must haves' or "be sure to avoids" regarding setting up a studio are much appreciated!

A Fine Spring Day

2008-03-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

These are "file" photos from my yard, taken last month. Today is supposed to be cloudy and cool, a good thing if you are working in the yard. Jerry and I have busy days planned, but we are working on different projects. He has hired some help and rented a "sod cutter" to remove most of the grass portion of our yard. Around here "grass" is something of a euphemism, mixed as it is with all varieties of weeds. The cleared area will be the new home of some garden paths and beds of drought tolerant plants, our effort to use less water in our arid region.

My projects, for today at least, are indoors. I will be doing a quick house clean, throwing together some crock pot chilli and setting up sewing tables for a group. We are doing a family wedding quilt since another nephew will be getting married in June. A few years back we started this tradition and it is always fun. Since it is hard to know how the bride wants to decorate her home, we do a "Christmas" quilt. This seems to have worked out well. So far, we have all the blocks made and up on a design wall. Today we will do the quilt top assembly, add borders and piece a backing. I have lined up my friend Barbara to do the quilting on her longarm so we can have it ready by April 19th (the shower date).

In case you were wondering, my trip to San Francisco last weekend was fabulous. I didn't do any shopping, but I had a great time walking the neighborhoods and some of the parks with my son Andy. I got a good feel for how he is living, and now when we talk I can picture him in his new environment. Lots of good quality family time with some of the other relatives too. Our weather was just perfect, made to order. It really could not have been better. San Francisco has such a good system for so many things that are lacking here (good public transit, better and easier recycling for EVERYTHING). We make every effort, but it is nice to see "green thinking" as part of government.

San Francisco Here I Come

2008-03-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Right after I blogged about our early "summer" weather, things cooled off considerably and we even had some rain. Although there is no rain in the forecast right now, this was probably good preparation for my trip to San Francisco. I am leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in that lovely city, and I am especially excited to spend time visiting with my son Andy. He has been home to see us, but this is the first time I will see where he lives. He has lots of plans for us, and I am looking forward to them all. This is not my first time in San Francisco, so there will be no need to do the usual tourist things. Instead I can focus on his neighborhood (Haight). More family will be visiting at the same time, so we expect to have a lot of fun together and a very special Easter celebration. I only wish Jerry were coming along, but he will be stuck at home babysitting the elderly pets. Sadly, I think we will be travelling one at a time as long as they are still with us.

Get Ready For Summer

2008-03-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show you the great quilt my friend Kathy made and shared at our last quilt group meeting. What a hoot! (This is all applique and not a panel.) She made it for a dear friend of her mom's, but unfortunately I think I can see myself in this picture.

In most parts of the country Spring is just getting started, but here we are gearing up quickly for summer. Inland temps are going to be up near 90 today. I love the sunshine but not the heat, so I don't look forward to those triple digits that are sure to arrive when summer really gets here. On the coast it will be much milder. I have to spend most of the day indoors at work so I won't be seeing much outside until very late in the afternoon. I love that we have daylight savings time again and have so much more time for our evening walks at the lake.

I have been working like mad to get everything together to submit to the "Voice Great Within Us" show. I love the piece I made for it and I think I have a good chance to get in. I can't share it here just yet though. I only have a day or two left to get some better photos since I'm not happy with the ones I've taken so far.

On the family front, we are also working madly to get a quilt together for the next wedding shower to be held in April. We have a family tradition of making a quilt for each wedding with all the women participating. The men would be welcome to help us too, but so far none have shown an interest. To tell the truth, I think it is more fun with just the girls. My sister in law Diane and I cut all the pieces and made "block kits" to pass out to the participants. We will have an assembly day at the end of the month. I will share pictures when we get it all together.

In the yard we have a mammoth project to remove the turf and make a drought tolerant garden. What a lot of work! We clearly are going to have to hire some help for this one. We visited the Cuyumaca College gardens to get ideas, and we found that we already have many of the plants they are showing. Jerry is changing out most of the irrigation in the yard to drip now. We have had the orchard on drip for years but we always had the typical grass lawn up near the house. I hope this isn't one of those projects that drags on and on. Wish us luck!

Big Fun

2008-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Since I need some visuals, here are more pictures from the yard. This last one is my sweet old girl Nikki taking her sunbath. She will be 14 in May. We have been having a few challenges with her lately, mainly with her confusion and quirky behaviour. The vet gave me some new medication that is supposed to help with cognitive function. Nikki has good days and bad days, much like a person who has dementia. We jolly her along, sing songs to her, and gently guide her where she needs to go. We coax her to eat and give her lots of affection. It's the least we can do after she has given us a lifetime of devoted companionship. She still has a mostly good quality of life, so we will continue on until that isn't true anymore.

Today will be a day of BIG FUN for me. This is the start of the San Diego County Quilter's Run, and I am meeting 9 of my quilter girlfriends for a shopping day marathon. Looking around at my stash I see that I really have no business going into quilt shops, but I wouldn't miss a day of fun with my friends for anything. We will start early, carpool from shop to shop, and laugh all day long. We will finish our day with a a nice dinner out and maybe a glass of wine. When I return home I will be happy and exhausted, and maybe I will even have a few treasures.

Winter in Southern California

2008-02-25T06:07:00.000-08:00

I think this bush is called sweet broom.

Clouds show that there will be rain coming in tomorrow.

Yesterday was rainy again, all day long. Saturday was beautiful, though, so I took some pictures in the yard. I love winter in Southern California.

There is a little downside, though. See all those pretty yellow wildflowers (wild mustard, I think) on the hillside? ALL of that has to be cut down when it starts to dry out and becomes fodder for brush fire. I'm not complaining, though. I'd still rather clear brush than shovel snow.

Just Dropping By

2008-02-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to say lately, but I thought it was about time to drop in and say hi. Today's lovely visual is a picture of my friend Sheryl's quilt top. It is BIG, made for a king size bed. I think she has been working on it off and on for quite a while now. I am always amazed at how much quilting she gets done, especially when she works long hours and even has to do quite a bit of traveling. I think that's why she likes applique so much, it travels well.

I can't show you my own work right now since the only piece I am working on has to remain under wraps. I am frustrated by this because I'd really like to share and get feedback. This weekend I am determined to finish it and then I can start on something else.

Besides this project, I have been spending quite a bit of time on the house. Major spring cleaning and all. I have been looking at paint colors for my son's former room and plotting its future destination. One thing leads to another and before you know it you have plans to rearrange and redecorate the entire house.

Last weekend I reworked the smallest bedroom. It's one of my little retreats, a good place for doing computer work, watching a movie, or reading. After determining that my son will not be using it, I appropriated some of his furniture. A little desk for my computer and his old dresser. I also took the rug, which has always been one of my favorites. I hope he isn't dismayed by all the changes, but after all I did ASK first. I really like rearranging furniture and redesigning rooms in the house. Even when I can't afford to do what I'd really like (say, gut it and start over), changing things always makes it feel more interesting.

It has been raining a LOT lately here in So. Cal.
We need the water and it certainly makes the trees and flowers go crazy. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is in bloom. Love the look of the landscape but hate what it does to my allergies. As much as the flowers love the water, so do the weeds. Time to get to work.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

I can't share the art quilt I have been working on, but here is a little Valentine's Day wallhanging I made for the kitchen.

To fit in with the color scheme, here is a darling little quilt made by my friend Pam for her new granddaughter. Very sweet and fun. My own bright posey quilt is still hanging in my closet, only partially quilted. I kind of lost interest, but I do want to finish it this year. One of many projects like that, I'm afraid.

In her comment on the last post, Fran asked if I would applique the quilt version of my painted design. I think it will be a combination of methods, possibly piecing the gentle curves in the background and appliqueing shapes on top. I have set the painting and quilt idea I showed you aside for a time since I am working on something else with a deadline. I am not always so good on follow through, especially if it is not work or family related. Sometimes my own creative work gets pushed to the side when the schedule gets full. I do look forward to the day when my creative time IS my work, but I can't afford to quit the day job just yet. I have many years invested in my career and a retirement to look forward to if I hang in there. I can't imagine a more wonderful way to live than making art every day, just for the joy of it. I do my best to fit in time for it, since I believe with all my heart that it feeds my spirit and is at the core of who I am. Still, it's hard to get enough hours in the day.

Jerry and I have gone back to walking daily at the lake for exercise. The holidays were followed by a lengthy cold and rainy spell, and we just got out of the habit. We enjoy our time walking and talking, just taking in the natural beauty around us. He is working a LOT so we both need this time to do something healthy and relieve stress. I have been with my sweetheart for over 33 years, 31+ of them in a happy marriage. I hope we have many more Valentine's Day celebrations together.

WIP and Some Treasures for the Stash

2008-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

The sketch. The notes in the margin have nothing to do with the project it may become. The colors are just a way of thinking it out, not necessarily a final choice.

Most of the painting finished (done in acryllics). I hope to design the quilt next. You might notice that the sketch and painting are not exactly alike, and the odds are good that by the time it gets to a quilt it will change again. I like to work spontaneously and not reproduce exactly each time. For me, the fun is in the process. So, no copy shop for me.
Next, some of my newly acquired treasures. Gorgeous hand marbled piece, isn't it? I REALLY need to learn how to get results like this for myself.

Some Kaffe Fassett in gorgeous intense blues.

A funky little retro, kind of a mix of things.

I got these lovely treasures at the Road to California quilt show. This year I didn't take time off work, but we had a wonderful day trip. It was a little too crowded, but the show was fantastic. A nice mix of art and traditional, very high quality work all the way around. Great vendors too.

Rian wanted to know about the freezer paper applique method where you remove the freezer paper BEFORE stitching. The projects we did using this technique were nowhere near as complicated as the lovely blocks she made, but you can find a tutorial here. It is the brushed on starch that keeps the turned under edge crisp and allows you to remove the paper first. We also went on to use a water soluble glue baste to assemble the entire block before sewing. You can use a dot or two wherever it is needed and it will last until the piece is washed. It is NOT permanent, so you have to hand or machine sew every edge. Overall quilting (as can be done in a fused or permanently glued piece) isn't enough.

The Kaffe Fassett fabrics shown above are going into a nine patch quilt of cool blues and purples (I think). The lovely marbled orange and yellow is going into a "firebird" art quilt, along with some of that gorgeous golden yellow thread. I could see that one in my head as soon as I picked up the fabric. The funky little retro flowed piece screams "kitchen" to me, so I think it will go into a little wall quilt or table runner, or maybe both. Stay tuned. No shortage here of WIPs, or UFOs either for that matter. Good thing I like to have lots of things going at once.

Applique?

2008-01-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my friend Pam T.'s newest quilt in progress. It is a pretty traditional quilt, made with mostly civil war reproduction fabrics. You can see why I made her a quilt with a vintage look last year.

We had our January meeting and drew names for the coming year. I will be making a quilt for my friend Joan who also likes this look. She told me she likes log cabins, so I may be making some type of log cabin quilt for the third year in a row. It's what I seem to fall back on when I need a design for someone who likes the vintage look. I was kind of hoping to do something a little different this time around. Maybe I can throw in some applique for the border.

It was a busy weekend, mostly spent with my quilting friends. Our friend Sheryl gave us a lesson in the "freezer paper, starch, and glue baste" method of applique prep, and it works pretty well. I especially like removing the freezer paper BEFORE stitching. When you use a double layer of freezer paper it stands up to the starching and when you remove it first you can use the template again and again (helpful for things like leaves.) When you are used to the speed of fusing, it is pretty tedious, but I do like the crisp turned edge you get with the method we learned. The most frustrating part for me is trying to thread slender needles I can't even see. Most of my handwork in recent years has been with big fat embroidery needles and pearl cotton (texture, texture, texture), so making stitches you can't see at all is quite a change of pace. I am thinking I will try a project with turned edges and MACHINE applique. We shall see. I will at least finish the cute little table topper I started by hand.

The kids came back from Big Bear on Sunday, so I made lasagna dinner for Andy and his girlfriend Blair. I enjoyed meeting her, and she seemed friendly and easy to talk to. I liked her a lot. Shortly after dinner we dropped them off at the airport. It was a nice visit, but it seemed to go fast.

Now that I am back to work and the house is quiet again, I will try to spend more time in the studio. I have been drawing and painting again, hope it goes somewhere. Even if it doesn't, I'm having fun and getting lost in color.

Surf's Up

2008-01-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Our son came home for a visit yesterday, and I finally got to give him his "surfer" quilt. Now that he has moved up north, it will serve the dual purpose of keeping him warm and reminding him of home. He loved it, although I think his favorite part is the "back" with pictures of surfers on it. You may not be able to see the detail, but the quilting is done in scrolling waves. It was fun collecting all the "water" fabrics and it made me happy to work on it.

The sunshine is back and the weather is beautiful, although still chilly. After only six weeks in San Francisco, Andy thought it was "warm". He will NOT be surfing as the ocean water always has a high bacteria level from run off for a few days after a storm.
Last night we invited the rest of the family over for dessert and a nice visit. Afterwards Andy went out with his cousins. He loves his new life in San Fran, but he was happy to be home. For my part, I enjoyed feeding him and giving him something to keep him warm when he goes back.

Quilting Fitzy asked about when to pick citrus fruit. Our experience has been that the easier it is to pick from the tree, the sweeter and riper it is. We have done a lot of "trial and error", picking just one or two and sampling before taking more. If it tastes good, we go ahead and take some for eating. If the fruit doesn't come off easily, we also leave some on to see if it will get even better, which it usually does. I do love having fruit grown in our own yard. We don't use pesticides (just soapy water if the bugs get bad).

Today I am off work and will enjoy spending time visiting with Andy. Tonight we get to meet the girlfriend, who lives in San Francisco also but has family here. Tomorrow he takes off with his friends for a snowboarding weekend so I will go to work on Friday. Right now a cup of coffee and a couple of hours in my studio are just the thing since odds are good my son won't be out of bed for hours.

Rain

2008-01-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

It is the second day of steady rain and everything outside is thoroughly soaked. Living in an arid region as we do, rain is something special.
We are lucky not to be worried about mudslides like those in burned out areas. After the wildfires remove the plant life, hillsides that have been burned have nothing to stop the erosion caused by rainfall. If you live on the coast, the worry is more about the high surf that breaches the sea wall. Local fire stations hand out sand bags for free, and everyone affected works like mad, hoping for the best.

A little later this morning we are gathering at my SIL Jane's house for a "waffle bake off". Apparently a number of us have waffle irons, and Jane thought it would be fun to gather for brunch and bake waffles. I will be honest, my waffle batter usually comes out of a (gasp) box. I am planning a variation that involves applesauce and cinnamon, served with cooked tart apples. This afternoon, if the rain continues, will be a great time to get into my studio.

A Day Out

2007-12-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

For at least part of the day, our lunch and shopping trip on Friday was sunny and beautiful. Not that warm, but lovely to be down by the water and walking around town. La Jolla is filled with specialty shops, galleries, and restaurants, always something interesting to see. We lunched at one of the hotel restaurants, enjoying the view from the terrace. From where we sat we could see both the ocean and the pretty little garden planted with red and white cyclamen. I have a few of these plants in my yard, but they always die off in the summer heat and reappear in the winter.

Today will be a quiet day, but I think I am ready for one. Yesterday Diane hosted our annual family Christmas get together and gift exchange. Lots of laughter and even MORE delicious food. This holiday season has been especially busy with family and friends, but I have loved every minute of it. We will have one more gathering on New Year's Eve and then it's back to work (and the diet!).

Brrr

2007-12-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

It was a little bit chilly this morning. This was outside in our sheltered breezeway at about 8:00 in the morning, so you know it was even colder overnight. I know that if you live someplace where the mercury REALLY drops, you are thinking "wimps". You are right.

Fortunately, the stuff we grow in the yard was ok for the most part. We can survive a little frost. Looks like we can still make lemon rosemary chicken. Those little tangerines are Clementines, and they are delicious. We also have other varieties of oranges and tangelos, but they won't be ready for at least another month or two.

Here's a glimpse of what I have been up to. I've really enjoyed having a few days off, and have been fiddling with a new piece. We'll see where this goes. Even if it goes nowhere, its great to have time to get lost in color and fabric.

We had a beautiful Christmas, enjoying the company of visiting family and sharing delicious meals. I loved seeing each decorated home, so warm and festive. I usually take down and pack up the Christmas decor on New Year's Day, but this year it will stay up a little longer. Andy will be home to visit on Jan 9th, so we will have another Christmas celebration when he is here.

Today there is more fun in store. Diane and I are going to spend the day shopping, lunching, and walking down by the water. It may be chilly, but we will bundle up and enjoy the crisp air and beautiful colors of sky and ocean.

Last of the party quilts

2007-12-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Isn't this beautiful? Carla supplied the border fabric and Pam made her a New York Beauty. I love this quilt. I have fiddled around with these blocks but have never completed one. Definitely takes a lot of patience, but then so do most things associated with quilting.
It's been fun sharing these quilts. Next month we will draw names and begin the whole process again, getting ready for the 2008 exchange.
Hope you all are taking time to enjoy the good things of the season.

More gift quilts

2007-12-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Gayle's quilt from Andine. It is a winter theme quilt with snowflakes in the border fabric. The centers of the stars have fussy cut motifs, stockings I think.

Gayle said "Ok Jen, hand off that camera and come and get your quilt".

Obviously, I was very happy with the quilt Gayle made for me.
It is a fun, bright quilt, and I was touched that she worked so far out of her comfort zone to make it "artistic" in feeling. I would have been delighted with ANY style of quilt she made since I like them all. I know most people have a preference for quilt style, and though I am drawn to the brights, I love the antique reproductions almost as much.

Gayle knows I like batiks, so she used a lot of them in this quilt. Gayle has been learning how to quilt on a long arm with Carla, so she did all of the work herself. Even more reason to love the gift! I thought you might like to get a closer look at this one.

This weekend has gone too fast! I spent yesterday afternoon volunteering down at the Quilt Visions gallery. They have a wonderful juried members' exhibit up right now, including works by Laura Wasilowski, Pamela Allen, Carol Taylor, and Noriko Endo. There were so many more, but these are some of my particular favorites. It was fun to have plenty of time to see the works "up close" in an uncrowded venue.

Andine's quilt

2007-12-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

Andine gets a first look at her quilt from Cindy. Andine provided the burgundy flower fabric, and when I first saw it I was kind of underwhelmed. Really not my cup of tea. I have to say, though, once I saw what Cindy did with it, I changed my mind. She made a lovely quilt
which perfectly complimented the fabric she was given.

Obviously, Andine was delighted!

Quilting Fitzy asked about what part of Michigan I came from. Though born in Kentucky, I lived in Royal Oak and Southfield, MI. during my childhood and teenage years. I came to California in 1975, got married the next year, and stayed. I would have to say that after 30+ years my strongest ties are here in California, and it feels like home.

Cindy's quilt

2007-12-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

This morning was cold and clear again, and I had to use my "California Ice Scraper" (a credit card). I could even see frost on my neighbor's rooftops. When I moved to California from Michigan some 30+ years ago, this always made me laugh. Imagine, using a credit card for an ice scraper!

I know you want to see all of the quilts that were exchanged last weekend, so here is another installment.

Cindy's turn to open her quilt.

Cindy loves the "primitive" folk art style, so as you can see Carla got it just right.

Barbara's quilt

2007-12-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

Barbara opens her quilt from Pam as we all excitedly wait to see it.

Another cheerful, lovely quilt. As if you couldn't guess, Barbara loves polka dots and bright colors. I'm not sure, but I think she may have provided the polka dot fabric.

More party quilts

2007-12-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the quilt Joan made for Kathy. I love the colors in this one.

And here is the quilt Kathy made for Pam B. This was a challenging quilt to make since she started with that orangy-green batik. If you can, click on the second picture below and take a look at the fabric. Using those motifs in the center of each block worked really well. I remember we had an awful lot of fabric shopping trips trying to figure out how to coordinate something with that batik.

Pam loved the result, and so did we. Good job, Kathy!

For those who don't know, a bit of explanation. Our small quilt group is a baker's dozen of women who meet once a month or so to sew, chat, and socialize. We have done some trips and retreats together, and we have this Christmas party every year. In January, those who want to participate throw their names in a hat. We have a drawing to see who each person will make a quilt for during the year, to be finished by the Christmas party exchange. Each person who makes a quilt will also be getting one from someone else, not necessarily the person they made a quilt for. After the drawing, you may choose to give the person making a quilt for you some fabric to work around OR you may leave it up to them to choose. It is strictly voluntary to participate. This year, four women chose to sit it out. Life gets busy, and sometimes people feel that they don't want the pressure of the deadline.

As for me, there is nothing as thrilling as receiving a quilt made just for me. I also love making one designed especially for someone else. When you give a quilt to another quilter, you know they really APPRECIATE the work that goes into it. For a lot of us, before we started doing this exchange, we had never received a quilt as a gift.

Snowmen and Giant Telephones?

2007-12-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

Appearances to the contrary, my friends are not all talking on giant telephones. Pam T gave each one of us one of these "grippers" for our rulers, and we were already in a silly mood. This picture is the result.

Here is a picture of the cute snowman ornament we each got as a party favor. The tables were draped in "snowy" batting with homespun fabric and berry garland for decoration. Our party favors made the perfect finishing touch. I think our hostesses must have worked all year long to make them.

Here is the beautiful quilt that Barbara made for Joan. She told me that the prarie points evolved as a solution for not having enough of one kind of fabric for the border, plus she wanted to add some interest. This quilt sparked a lengthy discusion over the making of prarie points, not something I have attempted as yet.

Blogger does not want to let me upload any more pictures tonight, so that's all for now. Stay tuned for more party quilt pictures.

Quilting Friends Christmas Party

2007-12-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the completed courthouse steps quilt, just before I wrapped it for giving. The traditional style and colors are perfect for my friend Pam T.

It is actually a lap quilt, a little small for a bed.

Here is the lovely label Debra made for the quilt using machine embroidery. A very nice finishing touch.

Today was our annual quilt exchange Christmas party. As always, it was the best party of the Christmas season, and we had a wonderful time. Pam loved her quilt. I was thrilled to have made something she is so happy with.

And here I am with the amazing beautiful quilt that my friend Gayle made for me. I was so happy I cried. She worked completely out of her comfort zone to make a quilt just perfect for me.

On this day, we all felt loved and appreciated. Quilting Friends are the best! I will post more party pictures (with quilts) in the days to come.

Memories and new beginnings

2007-12-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but Christmas comes in a close second. Some of my friends are cutting back on the holiday decorations, but I still enjoy getting out all of the traditional things and making little displays around the house. A couple of years ago I got a pre-lit pencil tree, and it makes things much simpler. We still use the handmade and special ornaments, including some little stuffed ones my mom made for us when the kids were just babies. I also use the tree skirt she made something like 25 years ago. Holding these things in my hands, I think about how she made them with love, and I spend a little time remembering. She has been gone 15 years and I still miss her every day.
How I treasure the things she made with her own hands!

Thank you friends for your support during our "empty nest" transition. Sooner than expected, we are getting used to the quiet around the house. We have talked to Andy several times since he left. Here is part of his first update, sent last week: "... Living in a city is much different. We have probably walked at least 10 miles since we arrived. Once you get used to the steep inclines, it's not a bad way to get around. The next step is figuring out the BART and the MUNI. For me, that begins a bit later today.Hopefully next week we find us both employed, and living in a sublet. Who knows, maybe we'll even be able to afford actual food. For now, one can dream. I will type another update shortly.Much love to everyone in San Diego... "

That "actual food" remark left me laughing. Believe me, they won't starve, especially since they emptied the pantry before they left. Since this early message, both boys have begun working and Andy is loving his job. They have found an apartment to sublet for a few months while they look around for something more long term. Every time we talk, he is just bursting with excitement. How can I not be happy?

Fall and a Time of Transition

2007-11-28T04:03:00.000-08:00

The mulberry trees are finally turning yellow and the sky is that intense blue you see in the fall.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, lots of good food and family time. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and we were happy that everything went well.

The Friday after Thanksgiving we had our annual "girls shopping day", and that was fun, if exhausting. I am not a shopper, but I like being with all the women in the family and I love the socializing, especially the lunches.

On Saturday we said goodbye to our son Andy as he set off for San Francisco. He has lived away from home before, but never this far away. The house seems too big and empty and we miss him already. It is not just that he is gone, it's also all the noise and activity of his friends coming and going. We always seemed to have a lot of young people around. It was sometimes difficult to have an adult child living at home, but now it seems too quiet. Still, it really is time for him to be out on his own.
It looks like he will be working for this non-profit political action group. There is not much money in this kind of work, but he wants to try and make a difference. "Be the change you want to see in the world". I am so proud of him and so worried for him at the same time. So I say a prayer and breathe. Just breathe.

To make this quilt related, on Thursday I will get my courthouse steps quilt back from my friend Barbara, just in time to bind it for our Christmas quilt exchange. Barbara does a beautiful job with her longarm, and I usually have her do my larger quilts. I do my own "art" pieces but give most everything else to Barbara. In exchange for some fabric I sent a while back, Debra is making a lovely quilt label for the back. I'm excited to finish this one, and can't wait for our Christmas party.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T03:52:00.001-08:00

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.

-Melodie Beattie

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. -Meister Eckhart

Two nice quilts and some Holiday preparation

2007-11-21T03:49:00.000-08:00

I don't have anything new of my own that I can show you, so here are the quilts my friend Barbara shared at our last small group meeting. Her longarm was out for repairs for a week, so she actually had time to assemble some quilts of her own. I love both of these.

Most of my time lately has been spent getting the house ready for the big feast day on Thursday. It's my tradition to do my "spring cleaning" in the fall because the holidays are when I have the most company. Remember that kitchen cupboard painting project I started months ago? Nothing like an actual deadline to get a job done. Jerry has been working at a similar crazy pace to finish staining the exterior of the house. I'm happy to say we both are at the completion stages of our projects. Tomorrow we will do things like yard work and furniture rearrangement. We are expecting an intimate group of 35 for dinner, so that means setting up lots of tables. Everyone who comes brings food, so our job is to provide the venue and the meat. It is a feast, to be sure.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because its all about family and gratitude. We have had some sorrows this year, but we will take the time to really be aware of how much there is to be grateful for. Holiday blessings to you all, may you feel the joy that gratitude brings.

A Little Inspiration

2007-11-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sophie, Gerrie, and Laura for agreeing to participate with me in the PIF challenge. Sometime next spring, just about the time you have forgotten all about it, you will recieve a practical handmade gift from me.

Sophie reminded me the other day that it has been a long time since I featured an artist on my blog. I used to blog fairly regularly about artists whose work I appreciated, hoping to share a little joy and inspiration. I kind of got away from doing it because there are so many out there who do it better and offer a more sophisticated analysis. You know, something a little more in depth than "gee, look at this, isn't it cool?"
Ragged Cloth Cafe is one excellent example. Nevertheless, for your inspiration today I offer this. If you have 15 minutes to spare, watch this video on one of the amazing works of Ann Hamilton. You will not be disappointed.

PIF challenge

2007-11-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

Some people did this last year, and I thought about joining in but never got around to it. This time, I signed up to receive a gift from Debby, and this is my "pay it forward" entry. I'm really excited to participate this time around, and I think it will be great fun.

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

I should warn you that I have a practical nature, so you will probably get something you can use. If I hear from you, I'll send a confirming email and ask for a mailing address. It's pretty likely that I won't get started on these gifts until after the holidays, but you can expect your surprise in the spring or summer.

My Journal Quilt

2007-11-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Perennial Measure, 17"x 22"
Jennifer Anderson, El Cajon, CA

Creative Quilting techniques used: fused, layered applique (p85), machine embroidery(p48), free motion embroidery and quilting, and oil pastels (p47)

Autumn crisp color, rustling leaves

Winter grey skies, branches etched.

Sweet green leaf buds, brave first flowers,

Heat of summer's fullnes,
Green Earth's perennial measure.

On a pieced background of commercial fabrics altered with oil pastels and fabric markers, I used fused applique, thread sketching and machine and free-motion embroidery. Simple quilting through all three layers outlines the tree shapes so that they are distinctly visible from the back.

Now that the show is in progress, I guess it is OK to show my journal quilt entry. This is old hat for lots of art quilters, but it was my first time to participate. I really enjoyed it, and I especially like working in this size. Big enough to have some impact and small enough to manipulate easily during construction.

When I made this quilt, it was long before the fires and I was thinking about incorporating all the seasons in the same quilt. I used the black and discharged looking fabric for contrast and to represent a winter night. Kind of eerie that it looks like fire and burned up trees as well, considering what has happened since.
I won't see it in person since I'm not going to Houston, but I'm delighted that so many others will.

Amazing Applique

2007-11-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have seen my work know that it is nothing like this. Isn't this amazing? My friend Sheryl (right) does astonishing hand applique and produces several masterpieces a year, all while coping with a high stress job and busy travel schedule. She has agreed to do a class for our small quilt group. Hand applique is really not my thing, but I will take her class and see if I can figure out why she loves it so much.

I just want to say thanks again to everyone for their good wishes during the wildfires. Yes, my house is old and needs remodeling, but I am ever so grateful to have it! Losing everything at once is awful and insurance never covers all the cost. Those poor folks faced with rebuilding will be at it for years.

The air finally cleared enough for us to resume walking for exercise. Pre wildfire we were averaging 15-20 miles a week and it was getting to be routine. It's hard to get up extra early to walk before work, but it always feels good afterward. The lake is beautiful and we love going there, even if we start our walk in the dark with a flashlight. That should improve next week when the time changes again.

As for sewing projects, I am still fiddling with the quilt I am to give during our quilt exchange this year. I am trying hard to create something with an old fashioned look that will please the recipient. I spent time helping out at the Visions Art Quilt Gallery this past weekend. So many beautiful and inspiring works are filling my head, it's hard to put the art on hold, but I don't think I will have much time to work on my own projects until after Christmas.

Home Sweet Home

2007-10-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your prayers and good wishes. I am overwhelmed by your kindness. We are home and we are safe.

This is not how our sky and yard look just now, what with all the smoke, ash and debris, but it all looks wonderful to us. The fire came within about 5 miles this time (in the 2003 Cedar fire, the fire came within 2 miles of our house.) It has been an anxious time for everyone, but we are so, so lucky. If you have been watching the news, you will have seen pictures of the widespread devastation. It is not over, but for us the danger is past. We are conserving energy and water, so I will only use the computer for a short time today.

Thank you again, I am so grateful I have no words.

Fire

2007-10-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

For the second night in a row I stare at the television news, watching in horror at the footage of homes being consumed by flame. We doze and watch, waiting for the word to leave. Many friends and some relatives are already evacuated, some multiple times as the first "safe" area becomes dangerous and they must evacuate to a second. It seems a little surreal.

We have our doors and windows closed against the choking smoke that is everywhere. Just to the east of us, evacuation is mandatory. Our van is packed with the fire safe, photos, a few special quilts, my best sewing machine and a few fabrics and thread. We have clothes, drinking water, and a place for the dogs to lie down in back. Dog food, leashes, medication. Cell phones and digital camera. My son has already been all around the house taking picture after picture, a detailed inventory we hope we don't need.

Earlier in the day the fierce Santa Ana Winds ripped and hurled palm fronds everywhere. There is an amazing amount of debris and ash in the driveway and front yard. No flames are visible from our house, but the television news is telling me that they aren't far away. After the huge Cedar fire in 2003, the city and county of San Diego installed a "reverse 911" to automatically notify people during emergencies such as this. We will leave when we get the call or see the flames, whichever comes first.
God willing, neither.

Everything in the county is burning. 300,000 evacuated so far.
My heart goes out to the people who have already lost their homes.
I know its only "stuff", but I can't help hoping we don't join them.
I am grateful that my family is here at home with me and we can all leave together when that becomes necessary.

Quilted Books and Winter Squash

2007-10-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

I thought some of you might enjoy this link to an exhibit of quilted books.

Something I haven't tried yet, but I'm intrigued by the idea. That's it for my quilt related content today :)

If you need something to blog about, nothing like a good recipe or two.

Courtesy of Weight Watcher's web site, here's a good recipe for acorn squash. Use leftover rice or pick some up at the Chinese takeout.

Stuffed Squash

Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value 4 per squash half

These savory bundles make an elegant meal, whether for the family or your next dinner party. For the best taste, use freshly grated Parmesan.

Ingredients
2 medium acorn squash
Nonstick cooking spray
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp dry vermouth or dry white wine

Instructions
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Split the squash in half, stem to bottom, and scoop out the seeds. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the squash on it cut side down. Bake until tender, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, scallions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, sage, thyme and pepper. Cook 1 minute.
Remove pan from heat and stir in the rice, cheese and vermouth or wine.
Once the squash are fork-tender, turn them cut side up and fill each with a quarter of the rice mixture. Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Modifications Core Plan® Tip: To make this Flex Plan-friendly dish into a Core dish, substitute chicken broth for the wine, and use a soy-based cheese.

Read all about squash here.

No WIP this week

2007-09-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are having wonderful unseasonably "cool" weather. Evenings have been down in the 50s, cool enough to put extra quilts on the bed. Those living in other parts of the US to the north or east will find it funny, but to us a 75 or 80 degree high is a godsend in Sept. or Oct. This is the time of year that is normally unbearably hot, triple digits not unusual. Even though I faithfully drag out the fall decor, it doesn't usually feel like a change of season.

This morning, we struggled out of bed to get out to the lake and walk before work (so far the back is behaving, many thanks for your good wishes.) The stars were bright in a clear sky and it felt like the middle of the night. It made me think of our long ago camping vacations, tucking the children into the back seat with their pillows as we set off to get an early start. At the lake we saw the sun rise in a faintly pink sky, reflected in the glassy surface of the water. We heard the ducks and birds greet the day with all their twittering, clucking and quacking. I especially like the homey sounds the coots make when they are content.

Quilt wise, I have dozens of things to work on but two with"deadlines" attached. One is the courthouse steps I showed you earlier, and the other is a pink and green quilt for baby Emily. Evenings I have been mostly watching forgettable tv or reading, so there isn't much progress being made. Maybe next week I'll have more to show.

Baking

2007-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com

The cooler weather we have been having has left me with lots of energy to start baking. A nice apple pie, for example, made with tart Granny Smith apples and plenty of cinnamon. Or maybe some nice pumpkin bread:

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

From the classic Fannie Farmer Cookbook. The recipe calls for a cup of pumpkin purée which you can either get from a can, or make yourself by steaming or roasting the pumpkin pieces, removing the skins, and blending in a food processor.

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a straw poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack. Makes one loaf.

Many more pumpkin bread (and other) recipes here.

I have been writing my statement and making the sleeve for my Houston bound journal quilt. When all is said and done, I am happy with how it turned out and glad to have a chance to participate in this last show. I also found that I like the 17" x 22" size. It's big enough to have some impact, yet small enough to manipulate easily.

Now that the journal quilt is finished, it's time to get going on Christmas gifts.

Friday Moment of Gratitude

2007-09-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

(Photos courtesy of morguefile.com)

Ah Friday, last day of the work week. The cooling trend is continuing, and we expect lovely weather this weekend. This morning we walked at the lake, and I saw a pair of breathtaking herons take off from the marshes just as the sun rose. The eucalyptus trees, stripped of their bark, glowed whitely in the new light. Runners, walkers, dog exercisers all waved or nodded a friendly hello as they passed. It was peaceful and beautiful.

I have done nothing to deserve the pleasant, safe and secure life I now enjoy. Chatting away about my small concerns when so much of great and serious import is happening in the world. Such is the juxtaposition of solemn tragedy and the frivolous in my mind. My life is so full of beauty and blessing, the least I can do is to meet it with gratitude.

What Have I Been Doing?

2007-09-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

I know I have been "missing" from blog land for a while. Part of that time was spent semi-motionless in bed due to a back injury. I was also semi-conscious due to the influence of muscle relaxers and pain killers.
Somehow it feels like a whole week of my life disappeared. Thankfully, I am mostly mended now and back to normal activity, including work. Tomorrow morning we even plan to resume exercise by walking at the lake. What did I learn? Do not move large heavy furniture by yourself even if you are in a reorganizing frenzy and are too impatient to wait for help.

Since I last posted, I did spend a little time in here. Some of what I worked on I can't show you, but I can show you what I am doing with these scrappy strips.

This very traditional and old-fashioned courthouse steps quilt is perfect for using up all those strips. It is "scrappy" in a planned way, designed to suit the taste of the person who will be receiving it.

There is something very soothing about sewing these simple blocks, and I love to do it while listening to a book on CD. If I have to concentrate on what I am doing, music is better.

It has been brutally hot here up until the last couple of days when we finally were able to turn off the AC. I feel a little guilty about using the extra energy, but when it hits triple digits all bets are off. I'm just glad we have the AC and are able to figure out what we can give up to pay the heart stopping electricity bill. I have been making a conscious effort not to buy any more new books, fabric or shoes for a while, at least until the heat wave is over.

"Quilting" Weekends

2007-08-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

This year our "quilting weekend" at Pam B.'s was more of a "shopping, eating and lounging by the pool" weekend. It was HOT, so we spent a great deal of our time IN the pool. It would be less than accurate to call this a sewing or quilting gathering, but I think someone managed to finish a binding. Personally, I think I added about 25 more stitches to my "Summer Woods" piece.

We were a much smaller group this year, but that just made it easier to go places all together. We visited some discount fabric stores, a mall or two and a fun restaurant for dinner and drinks. All in all, it was a very fun and relaxing girl's weekend.

To keep this firmly in the quilting realm, here are a couple of quilts from the girls.

All of that was last weekend, THIS weekend I took Friday off and went to the San Diego Quilt Show with a couple of friends. It is a non juried show, so in many ways it is something like a guild show. This year I thought the entries were a bit better with more variety than last year, and they did a great job hanging the exhibit. The highlight was talking with guest artist Mary Lou Weidman and seeing her wonderful quilts up close and "in person". We had fun browsing the vendors, but I didn't get pictures.

Saturday was fun since I spent the day painting fabric and working on another small quilt. I can't share these little artistic efforts just yet, but I am happy with some of them. Sunday we went to the lake and walked six miles (one more than usual, so I joked about "going the extra mile"). In the afternoon and evening I relaxed and read "The Thirteenth Tale", start to finish.

Time to get back to work now.

Quilting Retreat Coming Up

2007-08-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

This is a cover for a pool side chair at my friend Pam's house. It really IS as relaxing as a day spa to visit for the weekend. Last year I posted about our wonderful quilting weekend at Pam's house, and this weekend we are set to do it again. She is really going the extra mile for us to hostess this retreat since she has been pretty busy preparing for her daughter's wedding next month.

Just to give you a nice visual, here is a lovely sampler quilt done by our hostess and shared with us last year. I don't have anything of my own to show since I have been working more or less exclusively on 17" x 22" pieces for the Journal Quilt 2007 submission. Right now I'm feeling like everything I touch is overworked. Too much free motion embroidery, too much special fiber, just too much all the way around. The deadline is fast approaching, so I have to figure out if I should just stop and be done with it or start all over again.

Summertime

2007-08-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here is some of our "garden bounty" (well, the fruit is from the citrus trees, but you get the idea. ) My garden is nothing like Fran's lovley oasis, but we are certainly enjoying the tomatoes. The other night I made a spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes that was to die for. Nothing tastes like fresh.

Here is a little preview of the newly white cupboards in my farmhouse kitchen. I used the old hardware, spray painted black. The space is transformed already.

These shelves will remain open, OR I may have custom glass front doors made to go here. Either way you will be able to see the dishes on these shelves, so I have painted the backgrounds a nice barn red.

Here is the bargain fabric I found, a nice red and white decorator width cotton ticking to make curtains. One set for the windows and one for a space under the counter.

Finally, here is another future decoration for the refurbished kitchen. A whimsical vintage style sign. It is not really such an idle boast, for we are coffee snobs of the first order.

I have no idea how long it will be until I can show you a completed "after" picture because this project is taking forever. I am happy with the results so far, though.

I never told you about my trip to the Quilt Visions museum. It was a fabulous exhibit, quilts from the "Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection". Well-known artists like Ruth McDowell, Frieda Anderson, Carol Taylor, and many others.

I was delighted to see the quilts "in person" and I'm even happier that there is a wonderful art quilt exhibit space locally. I'm afraid, however, that I disappointed the nice lady who called me to get volunteers to work the museum desk. With a full time job, I'm just not willing to give up weekend afternoons, even for a good cause. Some things will just have to wait until retirement.

Current Projects

2007-08-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

Here is where most of my time and energy has gone in the last week. Notice how dark my kitchen looks, even with the skylight. After receiving an astonishing estimate of $23,000 for cabinet refacing (yes, I said refacing not replacing), I set off for Home Depot and came home with lots of creamy white paint. This is a JOB. Clean, sand, primer, paint, repeat. The white paint also highlights the many imperfections in the wood, so I have been puttying holes, resanding, etc. The style will still be rustic when I am finished, but at least it should be brighter! Come back in a few weeks (months?) for "after" pictures.

I have hardly been in my studio at all, but this ocean theme quilt for my son is what is on the design wall. I also need to get going on the baby quilt for Emily. I have also been experimenting with paint and stitch for my 2007 journal quilt, but can't share any images online. Back to work for me today, so I'd better get going.

Baby Emily is Here!

2007-07-26T07:21:00.001-07:00

Baby Emily is Here! I am NOT the grandma, but I AM the great aunt. I had a chance to spend several minutes holding her yesterday. Her parents are tired but happy and the grandparents (seen above) are over the moon. I hosted the baby shower, but I didn't finish the quilt yet. Guess I'd better get busy!

Where has the time gone?

2007-07-20T02:42:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? I have been working just two days a week this month and have hugely enjoyed my time off. To give you something nice to look at, here is my friend Barbara's quilt on the design wall at our last sewing day. I just love the liveliness and color of this one. She collected polka dot and retro looking fabrics for ages before making this quilt.

In my own sewing room, besides more fabric painting, I have two projects going but no pictures to show you yet. Under the quilting needle are my bright "bullseye flowers" and on the design wall is the start of a quilt in beautiful ocean blues for my son. I have also been reading stacks of books while curled up in my comfortable window bed. This activity has been known to morph into the luxury of an afternoon nap.

Lest you think I have only been lazy, another thing I have been doing a lot of this month is exercising. Jerry and I have been walking 15 miles a week together and added to that are my swimming aerobics classes. We are both looking a little better than when we posed for our "chubby Hawaiian" picture in the sidebar, but we have a long way to go. I can't tell you how happy I am to get Jerry walking with me. He works long hours and doesn't take care of himself, so this is great progress.

Yesterday I went shopping with my SILs Diane and Barb and had a great lunch out at Panera. I had the Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad.

Yum!

We also had a great visit with my sweet niece Amy, who is due to have her first child next week. Do you think we are all just a little excited? She has her nursery all prepared and her bag packed for the hospital. The proud papa is anxiously awaiting his role as coach.

Today I will be visiting the new Quilt Visions museum. I'm so excited to be able to spend the day just taking in all that fabulous inspiration. Stay tuned for future blog reports.

On Saturday we will celebrate my FIL's 92nd birthday with a big family party. It's not at my house, but I will help out with food and decorating.
Next week I have another shopping and lunch trip planned, more catching up with friends. I have not even touched my "home improvement" projects yet. Where has the time gone?

It's July, so I'm on Vacation

2007-07-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

This was the view from my front door on Saturday morning. Jerry and I got up early to walk by the lake. Good thing, too, because it was bright and hot by the time we finished at 9 am. Same thing today, only it was hot and sunny by 8:30am. I think tomorrow we will start even earlier.
Summer heat here is nothing to kid around with. You don't EVEN want to exercise in it, unless of course you are in a pool.

Here is how I spent another part of my day. That is silk charmuese on the frame, and yes I know those pins are a terrible abuse of fabric, but I am cutting that part off later.

I am having the most wonderful time being away from work. Believe it or not I love my job, but being away is better. Time for morning exercise, time for painting, fabric or otherwise, time for reading, time for napping. For dinner I am preparing a lovely healthy stir fry and then I am meeting some friends for coffee at Starbuck's. We will sit outside enjoying the cool of the summer evening, laughing and chatting and catching up on each other's lives. Ah, this is the life.

WIP Wednesday

2007-06-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think we can all agree that I'm not a great photographer, but here is how my pieced "Summer Woods" (working title) turned out. I wanted you to feel the lovely blue of lake and sky, the bright flashes of sunlight through the tree branches, the coolness of the green foliage and the surprise of summer flowers. The kind of woods I'm talking about aren't in abundance here in So Cal, so this is a composite of memory and emotion.

I've always felt at home in the woods and have experienced a special kind of peacefulness there. (ok, ok so these days I'm more of a lodge kind of gal, but I still love to walk in the woods even if I don't sleep under the stars anymore.)

There will be more subtle handwork and machine quilting to add texture. I'm happy with my progress.

WIP WEDNESDAY

2007-06-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

This is the finished quilt I will be donating for a recovering female soldier. I actually finished it last summer, but not in time for the original occasion I had in mind. It has been in the closet for a while but not in use. After a wash to freshen it, I think it will be perfect. Debra is sending one of her pretty labels for the back. The quilt with stars has been set aside for a time, so I'm glad I thought of this one.

Here is the WIP part of my post. My pieced abstract landscape is coming along slowly. I am still fiddling with the arrangment of the blocks, and also working out what form the lower center of the quilt will take. I'm leaning towards more flowers. I'm also wondering if maybe I should make the quilt smaller, using just the upper portion with the tree blocks. Right now it doesn't flow the way I want it to. I guess that's why it's "work in progress".

It's Been a Bright, Bright Sunshiney Day

2007-06-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

The weather has been nearly perfect this week. Lots of sun, at least inland, and warm but not too hot yet. Temperatures are supposed to improve for the coastal dwellers this weekend, and there will be a little more sun too. Sunshine on the coast is kind of iffy in May and June in California.

The weekend is almost officially here, and I hope to get back to work on my current piece. On my lunch hour I ran up to the fabric store (yes, it is dangerously close) and picked up some more "sky blues" just to be sure of enough variety . I picked up a nice King Tut multi-colored blue thread as well.

It seems that even with the best of intentions I am too busy or too tired to get back into my work room at the end of a long day. A little time is better than none, though, and this morning I found myself wide awake at 3am. I decided to go to my room and work for a bit, and so I did, getting back to bed and to sleep for another couple of hours at 5 am. Waking up at 7am, I had the fastest shower in history and made it out the door to work by 7:35am. Maybe this will be my new pattern, after all, it's not like I'm sleeping.

They say It's Your Birthday

2007-06-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

My birthday was on Sunday June 10th. Here is a picture (sorry, not a good one) of my birthday presents, which I chose for myself .Not pictured are some discharge and dyeing supplies from Dharma. I have some big plans for my upcoming time off!

I had a fine day with my family and went out for a delicious seafood dinner at the Fish Market. They have the very best wonderful fresh seafood, hot sourdough bread, and a New England clam chowder to die for. We had a nice little bottle of Pinot with our dinner and walked along the water afterwards. Lovely, lovely. I am a lucky woman.

On Monday I took a birthday holiday and spent hours in this room, completely lost in the joy of designing and making this.

Still a work in progress, but I have so many ideas on what to add next. So far, I am delighted, it's just what I wanted it to be.

Amy's Baby Shower

2007-06-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for my neice Amy. Here you see the centerpiece we made. Every decoration is useful, as is the "cake" itself.

Here are my lovely guests. (I took this picture, so I am not in it.) I had loads of help from my SILs Jane and Judy and my other neices Carrie and Colleen. All I had to do was clean and decorate since Judy and Jane prepared the food. It was a lot like having a catering service, except better.

This was the most touching gift. The pretty little sweater and booties were made by great grandma Clara as a gift for Barb when Amy was born. Here, Amy's mother Barb passes it on for Clara's great great grandchild to use. It is still lovely and soft and in wonderful condition. Barb also prepared a beautiful gift basket full of baby things. The basket itself was originally a gift from Amy's grandma Adelene. I'm sure they both were with us in spirit that day. I loved that Barb thought to do these very special things.

Here are the tables set and ready for the guests. You can see all the little "baby baskets" we made for serving lunch. Besides the chips and salad cup, we had a chicken salad wrap tucked into the basket.

Dessert was coconut cupcakes made from scratch. Delicious! The little pacifier decorations on top were not edible, so we had to warn our guests to remove them. As far as I know, nobody ate one by mistake.

More Quilt Sharing

2007-05-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

My, but my friend Carla has been busy. With Gayle's help, here are three more of the quilts she shared at our last gathering. That's what happens when you retire, I guess, you actually get time to finish your projects!

We are really enjoying our lovely weather. It's great to have some daylight to be outside in the evenings after work. On the coast there are lots of clouds, "May gray" and "June gloom", but this is the best time of year inland. The clouds, if there are any, burn off quickly and it's not too hot yet.

When I'm not at work, I've been getting the house and yard ready for visitors since this coming weekend is the baby shower. Some people have this funny idea that I keep everything spic and span all the time, but really it's just because I clean the dickens out of everything before we have guests.

Besides the shower, we have our son's visit this weekend to look forward to. I have done "empty nest" before, but this time it seemed to hit me harder. We 've started to talk about downsizing our home and planning in earnest for retirement. I guess we really are getting ready for the next phase in our lives.

More quilts to share

2007-05-28T03:09:00.000-07:00

Here, Barbara helps Andine show her cute ladybug quilt. You can't tell from the pictures, but the quilting details supply the antennae. Andine made the top and Barbara did the quilting.

Here, Carla helps Gayle show her new bedroom quilt, done in cool and crisp shades of aqua, green and white. I love the simplicity and calm of this quilt design, so perfect for a bedroom. Gayle quilted this one herself. Carla has a longarm for her own use and is teaching Gayle how to use it.

I'm glad I have my friends' quilt pictures to share since I haven't been doing too much in that area myself this week. Instead, I've been spring cleaning and planting some colorful annuals to spruce up the flowerbeds. My flower quilt is still on the design wall, but with luck I'll get in there today to work on it.

Flower Quilts

2007-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the flower quilts we made in our quilt group. Still on the design wall at home, my quilt is a lot like Barbara's (above) with a green background and bright colors. It looks like everyone liked my idea of staggering the blocks. They do look more lively that way. Doesn't my friend Gayle's quilt look great in her kitchen?

Here, Andine and Carla show their quilts.

We had a fun day of sewing and sharing. Great food, of course. Our project this time was making postcards for soldiers. They will be handed out rather than mailed.
My soldier's quilt is still a work in progress, too, but I have until the end of June to get it mailed. Regardless of my feelings about the war, I think it is important to support the troops.