Another Quilt Camp Weekend

If you've been reading this blog, quilt camp is nothing new to you.  If you haven't, well, it's simply a two or three day weekend spent in a quilt store (ensuring lots of great fabrics, interesting patterns, imagination-tweaking samples, and knowledgeable staff) sewing.  This was a two day weekend at Joyful Quilter.  It was a shortened version of the usual three day extravaganza due to the up-coming Shop Hop which requires massive amounts of preparation.  The owner and staff can stretch themselves only so far!

Some of the best things about quilt camp for me are the opportunity to spend time with friends (some of whom one sees only rarely), a chance to make new friends with like-minded people, the inspiration one gets from seeing the work others are doing, and the possibility of learning from and/or passing on tips to other quilters.  If you look at the following photographs, you will certainly see inspirational work.  Any wavy blocks are the result of either the angle at which I had to stand to take the photo or the haste in which quilters put their work up on the design walls - not their piecing and any other co-missions or omissions are mine!

Anita is a new acquaintance who did some pieces with bold and beautiful colors.  Her chosen works are contemporary in feel and as you can see quite striking.  If I remember correctly, this is the second quilt top on which she worked over this weekend.  It is from a Quilty magazine (January -February 2013 issue) and is called "Rainbow Striped".

Ingrit is working on a local designer's pattern that is also quite modern looking, "Confetti Cake".  I like the white sashing with the red "confetti" that divides the "cake" layers.  You can't see the two blocks that Ingrit made for one of our local guilds.  The block depicts a cat (color the maker's choice) on a white background with a pink border.  We laughed when we realized that she and I both made cat blocks this weekend, and we both chose black/gray fabrics for our cats!

Now this next project was done by Maria and made me feel both envious and slightly guilty.  Envious because of the lovely work and guilty because this is one of those Blocks of the Month (BOM) to which I also subscribe but of which I have completed none.  This one is called Words to Live By and Maria is doing a lovely job.  She and I also had a brief conversation about how we are all artists though in different ways and all have something special to contribute that is our own gift.

Sandy is a good friend who has made many enviable quilts over the course of our friendship.  This one is definitely a departure from her usual, and I loved seeing it. The pattern is Atkinson's "Tile Tango", one I haven't seen.  She made sure to show me this one because she knows I love bling and sparkle in all forms.  While you can't see it here, this fabric looks as though it were sprinkled with fairy dust.  Some little girl is going to be very happy!

Doesn't this next one remind you of French textiles or table ware?  This pattern came from the Layer Cake and Jelly Roll book that's been around for a while - an almost-oldie but definitely goodie.  You'd recognize the cover if you saw it.  This piece was made by another Sandy, and it is large and simply lovely.  I don't know for whom she made it, but that someone is in for a special surprise.

And here is where I have to apologize profusely to a good friend from both the teaching and the quilting realms.  Deb, I couldn't believe it, and I had to look through my camera files twice, but I don't have any photos of the astonishing Urban 9-Patch you were working on.  Basically, it is a modern version of a double wedding ring quilt that Debby is making in purple/lavender background and 9-patches with a very striking black and white fabric for the "wedding rings".  I was so taken with this pattern that I went immediately to sign up for the next class on this technique/pattern (July 17th, 2014, a Thursday).  That's probably why I missed the fact that I hadn't taken a picture!

Tomorrow I will share the work of the quilters in the other room, and I assure you that the treats will just keep coming.  These are some very talented ladies!

Pickles can be Sweet

That pickle I got myself into yesterday with my current quilt project?  The one that resulting in unsewing the entire thing (by the way, "unsewing" is a euphemism for what we used to call "ripping out")?   After ME and I returned from our 10:00 a.m. quick trip to Log Cabin to see P, a member of our friendship group, I went to my studio and spent the rest of the afternoon re-sewing what I had torn asunder.

The result?  Pickles aren't always sour or bitter or too hot to swallow.  I am so very glad I destroyed what I had done because the re-do is so much better.  Perfect? Well, you know the answer to that one.  No, but it's so much more pleasing to both my brain and my eyes that it's darn close.

So I guess I have learned another lesson.  Or maybe it's more accurate to say that what I always knew to be the truth was reinforced by my actions.  If I had left the quilt the way it was and hung it in my home, my eyes would always go to the elements that bothered me (much the way a tongue keeps finding that painful tooth), and I would never be pleased or even moderately satisfied with that piece.

And what a waste of time and energy that would have been!

I never willingly eat sweet pickles, but I can imagine that making them could be enjoyable.  And looking at one, well, that'll be just fine.

P.S.  According to Blogspot's tally, five more days of writing will get me to the grand total of 600 entries!

Do It Right

This lovely bunch of flowers was a hostess gift from one of my friends who was part of the weekend get together here.  It's been a lovely bouquet all along, but tonight I was especially pleased to be able to look at it from time to time.  The rainy day made the flowers look brighter, but I also got myself into a pickle with my current quilting project.

Last week I mentioned having reservations about the way I had used some of the fabric and came up with the idea of changing the orientation of a couple of the smaller pieces.  Today I finished doing that and discovered it didn't work.  I believe I cut one piece incorrectly because it no longer fit, I fussy cut pieces on two sides so it would continue the pattern in the the center block, but I didn't change the other two sides.  By the time I finished mucking with it, I didn't like my half-solution to a whole problem at all.

Bottom line, if you're going to do it, do it right.  

I took it all apart and will start over tomorrow.

But those flowers are lovely!

A Good Teacher

Painting class was successful for me today; I'm getting closer to finishing the current painting even though I did not paint during this past week.  Today I learned another good lesson from Sharon. She talked to me at the end of the class about how long it was taking me to finish this one.  Oh, it wasn't a bad discussion.  Two weeks ago I had said that I was ready to have this one finished, and Sharon gave the why of that fact considerable thought.  

She pointed out that each time I start a new work, I try something different. Even though the oils were landscapes, each one had some element that I had never done before.  She knew from The Road to the Lake that I can paint buildings and handle the perspective so the buildings in this latest one weren't what was delaying me.  The latest painting, Raking the Hay, taught me how to do a tractor so I was confident about painting the trolley and the car.  Then she realized that even though I had painted the farmer on the tractor, until this New Orleans painting, I haven't had to deal with a variety of human skin tones.  And it is taking a long time to learn the right colors to mix, what colors to use as shadow and as highlights. Having pointed out all of this, she said that the time it's taking isn't something I should worry about because I'm learning something new that I can take to another painting.

Having a good teacher, that is, a teacher who can really pinpoint issues and then solve them, is treasure.

Beautiful Day!

What a perfect day!  Although on cool side, I'd swear I could see buds opening.

See what I mean?  This tree may be small but the pleasure it gives me is huge!  And look at its shadow.  Maybe if tomorrow is as fine a day, I can raise the pot so the shadow is easier to see.  Redbuds and some magnolias are out now, too.  

Not only was it a sunny, gorgeous spring day, I also was able to finish the top of and label for the gift quilt!

The colors don't show well in my photograph.  I highlighted it so the they wouldn't be so dark but that washed out the white background.  Oh well, you'll once again have to use your imagination!

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll have to square it up, make the backing, and attach the label.  Then it'll be ready for the quilter.  Yahoo!

 

Working Weekend: Quilting

Okay, some of you have seen these on Facebook, and some of you have seen these because you were here while I worked on them.  This was the weekend that my "sewing and scrapping" group met here for a weekend of companionship and the creative work of our choice.  

It seemed to me that we all are getting better at thinking about what we want to accomplish before hand so we are more organized.  That means that we actually get quite a bit done over the three days we meet.  Unfortunately, even though we all have cell phones with cameras and some of us even had real cameras available, only one of us took photos and those of the cookies I made.  

So the only work I can display is my own.  I will do better next time, I promise (and I ask my Soul Sisters to help me remember that promise!).  These photographs were taken this afternoon after everyone had gone home.  The first is a table runner that takes almost no time at all to make.  It isn't a quilted piece and has no batting in this version (which is why it is so quick to make).  When I saw the fabric in the center, I fell in love with its rich colors and pattern and knew it would be perfect in our new kitchen.  I made it long enough so it can actually hang over the ends of our table if put lengthwise.  That's a first!  

I'm also proud of getting these four little blocks done.  They're part of a Block of the Month (BOM) that I signed up for at Log Cabin Fabrics, and I had managed to resist the temptation for several weeks because reproduction fabrics aren't my first choice.  However, I do love paper-piecing, and Lisa has such tremendous color/pattern sense that anything she does is beyond beautiful so I caved the last time I was there.

These were the fabrics for April's BOM, and I am very proud of myself for completing the work in April!

Another thing I at least got organized was a BOM on which I am 6 months behind.  Fabrics have been washed (it will be a bed quilt) and ironed, and I thought I would be able to work on at least the first month.  However, I realized Saturday night that I have a gift quilt in progress that has to be finished by this coming Wednesday so I can take it to the quilter.  I had lost track of the fact that the first of May is Thursday!  Therefore, that quilt got priority today and is close to completion.  I'll show you when it's done.

Finally, I continued working on the winter block for the CzQ and will display that soon, also.

All in all a good weekend for quilting work.

 

Last Report on Forsythia Forcing

Here's my last report on my forsythia forcing adventures, and you will notice there are no photographs.  Like many other plants and shrubs, forsythias have on again off, again years.  My horticultural expert and friend  would explain it all to us, and I do think that at one time I knew the basics.

Anyway, this year my forcing of forsythia branches garnered a few blossoms here and there along the branches.  It was enough to lift my spirits a bit; how could they not be positively glowing with that brilliant yellow?  However, as a florist's dream they did not qualify.  

Oh, those branches are still in the house, and I still look at them every day with pleasure.  While there are few of those striking flowers, there are green leaves.  This is the year - for these branches at any rate - for leaves, and next year would have been their year to bloom.

Too bad I cut them!

The Magic Within Us

Yesterday afternoon I spent time sewing, and when I had to put things away because dinner time loomed, I looked at what I had put up on the design wall.  The central blocks were completed, and I found myself dissatisfied.

As I lay in bed last night, that centerpiece kept creeping into my mind.  I had come to terms with the notion of starting all over either with different fabrics or with the same ones I had already used but re-positioning them.  Suddenly, I realized that one small block which repeated itself on each side of the center square, could be oriented differently and make the problem "melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew" (Shakespeare, Hamlet).  

Alas, sewing time was not to be had today, and while I was disappointed, I found the "philosophical mind" (Wordsworth, Ode to Immortality).  The correction won't take long to effect, and had I not had the lag time, the resolution of the problem wouldn't have floated up to the surface of my brain.

And that's what I'll think about tonight after reading and before sleep claims me.  Our amazing brains.  Think of all the times an answer, a creative idea, the way to deal with some irritant has simply appeared in your mind when you weren't looking.  Since I don't know how our brains work (firing neurons and all that), I'll settle for magic.

Don't you think that's as good an explanation as any?

A Bonsai Apple Tree

Having shared the forsythia, it's only fair to share D's bonsai apple tree.  The first photograph was taken in the backyard where the watering cans are still sleeping.  It's hard to see any evidence of bloom in this picture - partly because the background is so distracting.  Wonder if watering cans snore?  I know they gurgle . . . hmmm.

Never fear, I did take a close up of the buds.  Oh, these two pictures were taken April 19th, Saturday, and this is the front of the tree.  You can tell because the lower branch is twisting towards the viewer.

Now the final photograph for today show the tree on the bonsai stand in the front yard and was taken today.  It had starting drizzling by the time I realized this setting was a far better one for my purposes and that the buds were significantly larger in just two days!  You are looking at the back of the tree this time.  See how you lose sight of the part of the branch that curves as it makes the twist away from you?  It's not as attractive as the branch is in the other orientation.  You know bonsai experts would explain it much better.

Nature never fails to amaze me.

Weekend Doings including more Painting Activity

Wasn't it a wonderful weekend?  I hope everyone had as good a time as we did and had a chance to get outside and appreciate the coming spring.  We not only did that but also celebrated D's birthday with one of his sisters. 

And I have to send a special thank you to her for being responsible for my first ice cream cone of the season.  She came and urged us to go to our favorite ice cream stand as she wanted a hot fudge sundae.  She had that, D had a small cone with peanut butter chip ice cream (I tasted it and both of us decided it didn't need to be put on our "must have" list of ice cream flavors), and I chose a small cone with a scoop of white chocolate raspberry.  That was good and would be acceptable on days when I feel I need a break from one of my standards Moose Tracks/Panda Paws or Cinnamon Bun.

After A left, D decided to work outside, and I went to the studio with the idea of doing more organizing, then some painting followed by sewing.  Well, when I glanced at the painting - still in the same state it was in after my studio class - I felt impelled to work on it.  So I painted for the rest of the day except for a lunch break.  Here's how it looks now:

I can see areas that still need more work as well as areas that are obviously not even begun.  However, I am happy with both the car and the palm trees as they seem to bring balance to the scene.  Don't get the idea that I think they are perfect because they most certainly are not, but they do help the overall composition.

This is a close up of the three tourists, and I got a real tickle out of the T-shirt worn by the man with the black shorts.  Can you tell what the shirt says?  In order to see it better, you'll have to click on the image so you can see it in full screen mode.  I need to ask for some help from Sharon with skin tones as I don't want them all to look the same.  Then the sunglasses and the beer! 

I had a lot of fun painting these palm trees but now worry that they may be too vivid.  I hope not because I want to make that purple car more intense, too.  Well, we'll see how it goes.  I think the young woman's tank top color will be the deciding factor, and I've haven't a clue what it will be.  Okay, maybe a clue, but it isn't fact, yet

Forsythia Forcing #2 and a Surprise Appearance

Once they begin to show signs of life, there's nothing to stop forsythia.

This was taken yesterday, and you can just imagine what they look like today.  Check back on the earlier posting to see how quickly they have come along.  In addition to these six little vases, we have four other vases with forsythia branches moving toward a spring show.  

Here's another surprise - a big surprise for me.

You know what this is, right?  I cannot begin to tell you how many poinsettia plants I have had over the years, but none, not a single one, has ever sent out red leaves again.  This is a miniature poinsettia we've had for two years now.  I've kept it because - well, because it's nice to have something green in the house over the winter.  It's been in the same window, been watered twice a week, and that's all.  I haven't done anything special like make it go dormant, put a paper bag on its head, withhold water, fertilize heavily - none of that.  It's just decided to sneak a few tiny leaves with a hint of red just to test the area.  There are a few other leaves that seem to be blushing.  Maybe it will decide the coast is clear and send out some more.  Who knows?

Whatever it decides, it's a pleasure to see.

New Orleans Painting Report

After another busy day, I am finding myself tired, and that means, lucky you, that I will be brief.

This was the beginning of my New Orleans painting representing one day of actual painting which I shared with you a couple of weeks ago.  Since then I have done a little more though, of course, not as much as I'd like.

Here it is now after a few more days of work.  Remember, the yellow you see on either side is the color of the tape.  The details of the buildings in the background are no longer as distinct because I removed the masking fluid and some of the lines which were under that fluid went with it.  

I am eager to get back to it, but I know I will be lucky if I get one more day of work on it before my next studio class. 

Spring Will Come

All right, so it's snowing outside, but I'm going to make myself feel better about it. Below is a photo I took last Saturday of some small forsythia branches I had just cut.  They are in a collection of vases that one of my sisters-in-law has been adding to every birthday (isn't that a neat thing to do?) because she knows I like to display things in a series.  These are the blue-green vases with my new black one in the middle (tear-drop shaped).  The color of the vases is more accurate in the second photo, though.

Now you can see the same branches on day 4.  So let's forget about the unpleasantness outside and focus on the fact that spring is really close.  It's just in the closet for a moment (probably looking for something warmer to wear!).

We'll check the branches again in a few more days.

Solve Some Problems; Create Others

It was a good work day for me and for D also. We got up, threw ourselves into schlep clothes, and went for a walk - our first this spring.  We'll walk only every other day until we're back into shape.  I hope that won't take too long.  I'm going to try to remember to stretch before walking in the hopes I'll avoid another Achilles tendon problem that way.

After breakfast D worked outside in the lovely weather while I worked on three more bins of things for the kitchen.  It is definitely becoming more difficult to find places for things - a reminder of how crammed into cabinets' nooks and crannies everything was before.  We are determined to avoid having that happen again and also to get rid of unnecessary, unused items.  But that still leaves . . . . well, you know.  Today the biggest problem was our collection of storage containers - which ones do we use, which ones have tops, do ones we use have tops?  We had amassed a great number of them as we took meals down to D's dad for several years before his death, and we still have many of them.  I did manage to arrive at a middle ground and still hope to pass many on to whomever can use them.

Meanwhile laundry was happily gurgling away to itself in the basement.

After lunch I did some more planning on the Girlfriend quilt challenge and resolved a major issue but also uncovered some minor ones.  And isn't that always the way!

Finally I actually found some time to paint - first time since last week's studio class.  It's hard to tell if what I did adds anything of value to my current project, but I suppose it's much like the quilt challenge - I solved some issues but created others,

It was a good day.

Catch-Up

Last week I wrote an entry complete with photographs about the Empire Quilt show and how much I had enjoyed some of the quilts.  Through my own ineptitude I managed to erase it before posting.  It's the kind of thing that happens, but lately with the hurly-burly of my life, it was more disheartening than it should have been.

Here I sit after several days full of quilting activities with wonderful people where I learned a lot and had a great deal of fun.  I took a class in which I learned a new technique that I hope to incorporate in my own designs.  There was a day of sewing on a new project that I can hardly wait to get back to working on and to meet again with that delightful group.  

This weekend was D's birthday, and who could have asked for better weather?  If my spirits had been down, they would have been elevated - since my spirits weren't down, they soared with the application of sunshine.  We had a grand time complete with his choice of good food (a small boneless leg of lamb, roasted brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes as an experiment, and yams).  His presents from a sister were garden themed - perfect for him and especially in this weather!  Our g'son called and he and our daughter sang "happy birthday" to him.

Finally, today was the meeting of my "Pieceful Piecing Club" where we hand-stitched and laughed, and stitched some more.  

So it was a grand few days! 

UConn Wins!

Last night UConn's women's basketball team won the championship!  We have warm feelings for UConn, a SiL works there, D and I have been there to watch a game, and they are a team that believes in education.  I know other schools do, too, but as I said, this one is special to us.  So special that we went out to a sports bar so we could watch the game.

That's what happens when one slashes one's bill by giving up lots of TV channels.

Empire Quilt Festival - Some Favorites

Having planned to show some of my favorite quilts from the Empire Quilt Fest, I am quite disappointed to find that only half of my photos were downloaded.  Tomorrow I will try to rectify that so I can share more.

It's probably a good thing since I'm rather tired tonight after staying up to watch the men's college basketball finals (Hooray for UConn!!!), running around like a chicken trying to make headway on many projects (mostly successful), and not sleeping well last night.

Here is one quilt that really struck me last weekend:

 

I am really sorry that the one I chose to show is so out-of-focus even though I do have a good excuse; I was trying to get the photo taken before someone walked in front of me.  And I also noticed that this one has a ribbon - the kind that does not tell you what this quilter won; very frustrating!  Anyway, here's a woman who has taken today's palette for her background - gray and darker gray - and then has thrown everything into a cocked hat with the bright colors in her blocks.  Of course, the blocks are contemporary in style, and I love this make-it-any-old-which-way style.  Also the spontaneous blocks are not centered in the gray, so they are not centered horizontally or vertically.  The placement of the dark gray blocks is well thought out, and did you see the boarder?  I would have liked a little less carefully spaced color interruptions, but I like the fact that the border is interrupted.  

Oh, and it took me a while, but I figured out what the label means.  Basically it's a typo and should read, "6" Improv (for improvisational) blocks" . . . Wouldn't it have been fun if she'd explained what the story of one or two of the blocks are?  It's fun to invent my own story for her, though.

Today's Kitchen

At long last I can share with you our beautiful new kitchen!  Yes, there are still a few things that need attention and minor tweaking, but the bulk of the work in finished.  

First, a reminder of what we had to begin with - make note of things like floor, counter tops, walls, and cabinets, oh my . . .  Those were all the cabinets we had except for the island which had a cavernous cabinet space with a half shelf and two drawers.  That island was horizontally placed between the kitchen and the eat-in area.

This is a similar orientation.  The floor looks like slate, but in deference to my feet, it is linoleum with no dimples, ridges, or raised elements of any kind.  Counter tops are quartz and made in this country (some come from Viet Nam).  The wall paper is gone, and the walls are the same white that we used in my studio (you'll be able to see more of the walls later).  There are more cabinets (note the pantry next to the dishwasher), and since they go up almost to the ceiling, they provide more room.  The island? oh that island is my dream come true.  It is larger, the placement makes the entire kitchen are work so both of us can be in there preparing food at the same time, and the storage in it is very functional!

In this view you can see the new sink/faucet (the pass through with my water color of peppers above it).  The sink is almost twice as deep as the one I had and was a no-cost item with the purchase of the counter tops.  In both of these pictures you can see the back splash but only dimly even with the under-cabinet lighting.  It is slate with small white glass tiles embedded in it.  While you can't really tell, the slate picks up all the colors of floor, counter, and cabinets.  The grout is a dark gray.  Though you can't see them all, the lights are recessed and there are a lot of them (it is a big area).

Here's a better view of the island, the shelf with its new color, and the red doors which lead into the living and dining rooms.  We decided to keep that color which we both love because those doors are usually open into the two rooms I mentioned where the red is appropriate.  The hallway in the back right of the picture leads to the garage, and D hung my "Merganser Trio" there.

So that's it for today, and now you can see why I have been so excited!

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Color Trends

By this time next week, you may possibly have seen photos of the kitchen.  I say that as a possibility only because one never knows what may happen.  But today the back splash was put on the walls where it now looks just wonderful even though it is not yet grouted.

What is amusing to me is the realization of how thoroughly I have accepted the contemporary designs and colors all the while thinking that they simply aren't for me.  Bright primary colors have been and still are my go to colors in quilting and in painting, but I am drawn to the more earthy side than I would have thought possible.  Plus the fact that we are limited a little by what the designers have decreed.  You have to admit it is hard to find bright reds, yellows, or blues featured in models shown by design magazines and catalogs.  I have been okay with that.

Quilting and painting both lie at the root of this acceptance of today's trends.  While I am still not going to paint my walls in colors that I find depressing - especially in our long winters, I can now appreciate why others find them calming.  Through my two passions I have at first intellectually accepted the colors (especially orange) that I never allowed past my front door unless in edible form and now embrace them enthusiastically.

Maybe it is simply that with age comes both tolerance and wisdom (well, I'm working on that one!).

Another Step Closer: Kitchen-wise

Aside from ironing some fabric for cutting out tomorrow (I hope but realize it is an "iffy" possibility at best), our day was primarily taken up by watching our new-but-not-completed-kitchen-renovation come a stop closer to completion.

Today the quartz counter tops were installed.  It really is amazing.  First of all, the tops were cut in Syracuse according to the measurements taken earlier, and I realize there is nothing unusual in that although the technology to take those measurements is astounding.  They arrived in a truck (of course) and were carried in by two men who clearly had done that before.  There was no wasted time trying to figure out the best way to get them in the house.  

I admit that at the point the counter tops were to be carried in, I went upstairs.  Okay, of course I worry about our home and possessions and how things could get broken during the manhandling of many, many pound of quartz, but I am always very concerned about the welfare of the men who have to "tote that bale".  How easily they could get very hurt!  I am squeamish about that and frantic about not knowing how to help them (besides calling 911) if that should happen.  So I hide.

Good news; no one was hurt and the counter tops were put in place.  However, some pieces did not stay where they belonged for long.  Once the men knew that all was right with the fit of some pieces, they took them off so they could drill the holes for the faucets (kitchen and bathroom).  That they did in our driveway, and it took very little time with the kind of saws they have.  While interesting, that was not as riveting as watching them "marry" two pieces in such a way that the seam is not apparent unless one really knows both where it is and what to look for.  It took time to accomplish but again, no where near as long as I thought it would.

All told, the entire process took about three hours.  And oh, do we love how it looks!

Next the back splash, then the final fiddly bits, and then all will be done (okay, except for the putting everything away and cleaning parts . . .).

Great Day for Painting - and CzQ

First, the sunshine was gorgeous today.  Second, I went to studio class.  Third, I went to crazy quilting.  It was a glorious day!

Yesterday I talked at length about preparing to paint, and today I did so.  Here is day one of my latest work:

While it is clearly in the very beginning stages, I decided to share this New Orleans street scene because of all my chatter yesterday.  Now you can see how the drawing is transferred to the lumpy, bumpy surface of water color paper.  You can also see the yellowy lines around the buildings, the car, and a few other areas; that's the masking medium (aka "friskit").  It's even more evident if you click on the painting and see it enlarged. When I rub the friskit away, the area that it covers will be the same as the unpainted surface you see now.

The trolley is turning on to Canal Street, but liberties have been taken.  The scene - without the trio on the left - is very similar to a photograph I took.  The background buildings are similar to what is there, but not completely accurate.  Colors have been changed to make the painting work better and architecture  and street corner simplified to make the trolley and the people the main attractions.  The three people on the left are from a different photo, different area of New Orleans and were moved to this painting to get the look I wanted as well as improving the composition.

There's not enough on the crazy quilt block yet to make it worth showing here, but it will come soon - I hope.  More work is slated for tomorrow in the kitchen so we'll have to wait and see how much of anything will be accomplished in my studio.

Ready to Paint

In getting myself ready for my studio class tomorrow, I took a good look at the drawing I had done for the upcoming new work, and I wasn't happy with the job I did of transferring it to the paper (tracing the original drawing and then using "carbon" paper and stylus to get the drawing transferred - sounds time consuming which it is, but it eliminates drawing directly on the specialty paper which doesn't take kindly to erasure).  In short, I had negligently ignored tedious elements like roof lines, windows, and the like.  So I had to re-position the tracing and graphite papers - tricky to do since one can't see through the graphite layer - and finish work I should have done earlier.  Well, most of what I need is visibly there now.

Next I used the masking material and that I had actually thought about earlier and had planned exactly where I would use it.  Sometimes I amaze myself!  Anyway, some people don't like to use masking material (think of something the consistency of rubber cement only opaque, dull yellow-cream, and fishy smelling) because when removed, it leaves a very hard, distinct white line.  Now think of the characteristics of water color - the fluidity of water, color swirling around, soft blending of shapes and shades - well, you get the idea.  And for the most part I agree and that is why I had to really think about using it only where such hard demarcations won't matter.

Then I mounted the drawing on my board.  That, too, took thought.  I have been using masking tape to adhere the paper to the board, but masking tape can lift some of the paper to which it adheres when it is removed.  So this time, I used the "Post-it" tape.  The only problem was I couldn't locate the white so I was left with either bright yellow or equally bright green.  Yellow won this time; I taped the paper down and instantly knew it wouldn't do.  In what I think is a brilliant compromise I used masking tape over the offensive yellow (which toned it down but didn't completely hide it) being careful not to get any on the paper itself.

Finally, I attached a wax paper "screen" over the whole thing so the masking medium doesn't rub off as I carry the board, and Bob's your uncle, I'm ready to paint!

Little News

We spent time in western New York visiting our daughter and grandson over the weekend.  This morning we woke up to 6" of heavy snow.  Oh my, more snow????  Yes, indeed.  After meeting for breakfast at our favorite "if-it's-Sunday" diner, we jumped in our car, and headed for home.  Usually we take back roads for a while before hitting the Thruway, but after a mile or two of unplowed country roads, we headed for the nearest Thruway entrance.  The good news was that the farther east we traveled the less snow we saw.

Once home we did our usual get ready for the week chores, and then I sat down to work on my "Winter" crazy quilt block.  Ironic, isn't it; you'd think I had enough of winter for a while, wouldn't you?  Ah, but this is different.  This I can control - well, sort of control.  I sorted through my beads, threads, buttons, ribbons, and laces and set aside the ones I thought might find a home on this block.  And then, bliss! I stitched! 

Maybe I'll be able to show you the first elements soon.  We'll have to see.  There's a lot to do on my painting project (the drawing for which I managed to transfer on to watercolor paper this afternoon), also.  

And then, there's always the cleaning and bringing order back to our home which I took a break from last week, lazy wench that I am.

Blank Canvas

The evening Crazy Quilt class met tonight, and because I was able to sew on the binding I moaned about yesterday, I had time to think about getting ready for class.  Having finished a block featuring my great-grandmother, my "rules" allowed me to plan a "fun" block (that is, one dependent only on my imagination and not constrained by any factual matters such as names, dates, history, personality, likes, or dislikes).  

I had already decided that the four corners of this crazy quilt will represent the four seasons.  The gifts I have been given by the women in my family have to do with creative needlework, something that can be both an source of tranquility and of creative energy year round.  I had also drawn a simple landscape that will be the same in each corner and different only in the way each corner shows that scene in varied seasons.  

Today I had to figure out how to translate that drawing into fabrics suitable for a crazy quilt and then how to adhere them to the backing (fabrics for a crazy quilt block are sew onto a plain background that will support all the pieces as one adds the embellishments).  My pieces would be more oddly shaped than usual so I decided to use paper so I could get both the shape and the sharp edges I wanted.  

Here is what I wound up with:

This is my "blank canvas" on which I will create a winter landscape.  What you are looking at are rolling hills covered in snow (white for those in moonlight and blue for shadows).  On the left is a tree and its shadow stretches across the lower right edge of the block in a very deep blue.  The very small, brown boxy shape with an X stitched on it is a house off in the distance.  In the far right background is a purpley mountain.  It will be interesting to see if the finished block matches the picture in my imagination.

Of course, I put the block on my design wall so I could take a picture of it to use in this blog and promptly walked off and left it there.  That's right.  I didn't have it with me to work on tonight.  But . . . I was able to work on another aspect of this block in class so it wasn't wasted time.

Do you think the idea has merit?  Will this block work?  Can you see it done as a series of seasons in the same landscape?

Felled by a Faulty Brain

Sometimes it seems as though the little tasks I think will be the easiest to get done become mountains when my back is turned or in this case, when my brain is turned off.  Today was the day I thought I would be able to sew the binding on a quilt that has had to sit and wait while other more pressing jobs around the house were taken care of.  After all, thought I to myself, sewing binding on isn't either hard or time consuming.  As a result, I spent this morning doing ordinary chores around the house and organizing some projects and their assigned fabrics in my studio.

Mistake!

First I discovered that the binding I had already made was only half as much as I needed; what was I thinking?  Of course, my dread was that I didn't finish making the binding because I had run out of the material.  Luckily that was not the case.  After uncovering the binding material in my closet, I cut, sewed, ironed, and then attached the new pieces to the existing piece.  Now I was ready to whip this little job up and get it done in an hour.  Ha!

The pinning and sewing didn't really take that long, but the interruptions were plentiful so it did take longer than the allotted hour.  What made it even worse was me.  Sewing the binding ends together has always seemed to me to be one of those inside-out, upside down, and backwards sort of things that my brain doesn't take to kindly.  I always have to check the picture then ponder and puzzle over it a few times before I can get it right.  Of course, with the move into my studio, some of my basic references have been misplaced.  The photos with clear explanation that I had run off the computer some time ago is not where it should be.  In its place was a different one that I couldn't make head or tail of.

Aha, computer, You-Tube!  Phooey.  Even though I found what I thought was a very good explanation, I finally had to stop the video at every step, run back into the studio to try to complete the step as shown while mentally reversing the video which was taped from the viewer's point of view (in other words, not from the sewer's point of view).  How silly is that?  Finally, by late afternoon the light dawned in my little pea-brain, I realized which critical step I hadn't been doing, corrected myself, and finished attaching the binding to the FIRST SIDE!  

I decided that was enough sewing for today.  I did go ahead and pin the binding to the other side so all I have to do tomorrow is stitch it in place (I'm using the machine and a decorative stitch instead of hand-stitching this one).  You can be sure it will be the first thing I do tomorrow, though!

Amazing Sighting

E asked me today why I haven't been writing, and I had to admit nothing was happening of interest.  That is the truth.  I have been spending my days unpacking bins of kitchen goods and finding places to put the things I pull out.  That may sound easy, but I find I put something in a cabinet only to decide two or three times that the items should be elsewhere.  The funny thing is that for many of those things I am trying to put them at least close to the place they have been for the last 35 years so we have some hope of finding them.  I don't mind doing this, but it does take quite a while to accomplish and isn't very interesting for anyone else.

When I'm not doing that, I am trying to tidy the rooms that have been the storage sites for kitchen appliances and cupboard contents as well as clean off the 5 inches of construction dust, grime, grit, sawdust, etc.  Every single surface has to be dusted, washed, or vacuumed.  Again, although I am not a person who ordinarily enjoys cleaning, I don't mind doing it because the results are so satisfying.  However, another tedious chore not worth writing about.

But today something exciting did happen.  ME and I took a drive to one of our favorite quilt stores where we managed to limit ourselves to purchasing fabrics for the specific projects that are high on our "to do" list.  On the way back, I saw a bald eagle perched in a try beside the river!  This is only the second one I have ever seen in the wild.  Believe me, I think ME is going to lose her hearing as a result of my excited cries.  Poor woman.  I know I startled her when I started yelling.  Of course there was no way I could get a photograph of the bird, but it was a very special treat for the day.

Having no photos of the eagle, I'll share my most recent cardinal pictures.  These were taken from my studio - I was struck by the sunlight on the cardinal's breast as he so obligingly perched in the sunshine for me.

This is the cropped version so you can appreciate his spectacular color.

And in this shot you also get a view of the damage being done to the blue spruces trees by the virus, blight, or whatever it is that is slowly killing them all.  Such a shame . . . but the bird is a sight to see, isn't it?

Is She Right???

Yesterday my best friend left a message on my blog.  She noticed that I haven't been really showing any photos of the kitchen renovation and guessed that I am waiting until it is finished so I can show it off in all its glory.

Hmmm . . .

Here's a photo of the shelf:

This shelf which spans three doorways used to be painted a dark green.  It is now a golden yellow.  We display our collection of tins on this shelf, but you'll notice that there are no tins in sight.  There will be tins eventually at either end, but I like this - green insulators, pitchers, tea cups, and a Majolica camel/tea pot. When we add some tins, we plan to choose them carefully and put up only those that are "display worthy".

And here's a photo of the top of the "pantry" (antique wooden cupboard):

Until this project, the top of this cupboard had four willow baskets to hold various and sundry items that didn't fit either inside the cupboard or in any of our cabinets.  Now that we have more storage space in the new cabinets, we made a pact to keep the top of this cupboard "junk free".  Today I thought we'd be more likely to adhere to that plan if the top was occupied by something more aesthetically pleasing to look at than overflowing willow baskets.  So there's my mother's copper bowl, two reproduction fish pitchers/vases, an old pitcher, old beer stein, and new, inexpensive art vase.  Spacing needs fiddling with.

My watercolor, "The Four Little Peppers and How They Grew", is hanging above the sink thanks to D.  That was the first thing he did when the workers left today.  It looks good there - appropriate subject matter.

So the workers are gone for two weeks.  They won't be back until the counter tops are in place and they can install the back splash.  Two weeks of quiet but hectic work to put things away and clean as much as possible.

Do you think my friend is correct about not showing you pictures of the kitchen?

A Day in the Life of Our Kitchen

The stove is in place and in working condition.  So even though as it turns out, the dishwasher can't be used, I am thrilled that all is coming together and that I can use the kitchen!!!  For the most part - for the important parts.

Some detail work was done today and a lot more painting.  This cold weather is not helping the painting as is doesn't dry as quickly as it would on warmer days.  I am finding the plain white walls just so restful, bright, and a lovely foil for all the rich cabinet and floor colors.

One huge thing that was done today was the man came to make the templates for the counter tops!  It was fascinating to see how they do it.  I had visions of someone with a roll of brown paper, a big carpenter's pencil, and a tape measure.  No way!  It's done with laser and computer - well, I shouldn't have been surprised, right; what was I thinking?  We were also asked several questions about the kind of edge we wanted, whether we wanted the edge of the sink to show (it's an under-the-counter-mounted-sink), and our answers were recorded to prevent any problems.  With the expense of stone and the labor involved, it's a smart thing to do that.  

Also, two left over projects on the studio were taken care of today.  Actually, only one was left over, and that was the second design wall fabric.  It was added to what I have already, and it now goes from one wall to the next at a right-angle.  That may sound strange, and it would be easier if it could have gone straight, but with the huge windows I requested, there just isn't enough room on a single wall.  This way I have more design wall space, and it's all usable just a bit quirky.  The other was having a second slat-wall mounted (a more attractive version of pegboard).  We had a lot left over after the first was put up, and it's so useful that I thought I might as well have it put in also.  Of course, then I had to order more hanger-thingies some of which are pricey, but as an organizational tool for items like my rulers, it's indispensable.

The only down-side is the dishwasher which we'll have to check on that tomorrow.  Hey, at least I can wash dishes in the kitchen sink instead of the upstairs bathtub!

Avocado and Gold Redux

Our daughter asked me yesterday what colors I thought I'd be using in our new kitchen.  Believe it or not, that had me stumped.  I hadn't even thought of it!

Well, today I had to pick up a quart of paint for the shelf on which we display old tins, and while I waited for it to be mixed, I had a great time strolling through the garden of paint chips.  Oh my, what a feast (it's one of my favorite spots in places like Home Depot)!  After I was home, I sent her a photograph of the winning chips that I'll share with you:

Paint chips of choice colors (displayed on kitchen floor)

Then once I had sent the picture, I sat back to admire them again.  Suddenly I sat bolt upright and started to laugh.  Can you guess why?

Check the title of this blog.

Okay, so they're not exactly the same, but they are close.  Isn't that funny?

Spring Training in Port Charlotte, FL

Not everyone is a baseball fan so I won't show you all the photographs I took while on our most recent trip.  I did select about 10 to put on view this evening, but luckily for you, several did not make the trip to the folder I thought I had selected.  And fortunately for me, the three that traveled to their appointed place are decent pictures to share.

All of these were taken in Port Charlotte where we saw a game between the Tampa Rays and the Minnesota Twins.  The first shot is fun because I actually got the baseball coming in.  Don't ask who was up because I'm not sure.  I think it might have been Longoria. 

The next is of Price, the very tall and slim pitcher.  If you look at his stance (he had just released the ball), you can see how pitchers have to torque their bodies even after the ball has left their hands.  It's a wonder they can play for more than a few seasons!

And the last is of one pair of ospreys at their nest.  I think it was at this park that we saw several nests.  

The tall poles almost always had platforms for the birds to use for nesting. So if the game gets dull one still has something to watch!

News from the Past Week

We are back from a week in Florida where we enjoyed the beach, the sun, great people, and baseball.  It was a break that D needed a lot, and I certainly wasn't adverse to it!  We both said that we are at a point where we should try to get away for at least a week to a sunny, warmer location every winter - even those that aren't as severe as this one was.  The kitchen chaos made the trip even more necessary.  It's easier to say we can bear the upheaval now!

Speaking of upheaval - we came back to find that we now have a floor, cabinets, and painted walls!  That is huge for us as progress has been made, and we can begin to see that it is all worthwhile.  However, the dust and dirt is phenomenal!  It will take a long time to clean it all up, but that's a concern for later.  Right now, things are looking good, and that's all that's important.

Now while I do have photos of both the kitchen and our trip, I'm going to show you my more recently finished crazy quilt block.  This is the one that seems to have taken me altogether too much time but that I have finally, at long last, completed.  Huzzah!!!  (Click the image to get a larger format.)

If you have ever had a project that seemed to hang over your head like the sword of doom, you will understand how I began to feel about this block.  The major problem was that I had made a major mistake at the top of the block but just kept on trying to make it work.  It wouldn't cooperate. Then I took off the offending fabrics, re-sized the area making it smaller, and hid the connection between the two sections better.  After that, the sewing flew by with ease.

There is a lesson for me in that; stop fighting the inevitable.  Acknowledge what doesn't work, change it, and move on!

You'd think I would have learned that by now, wouldn't you?

You also know this will probably happen again, and the next time, I'll have to struggle all over again as though this time had never happened.  Sigh.

More Nothing

Okay.  This is it.  This cold is taking too much fun out of my life.  Didn't go to the guild meeting because the doctor said I was still on the "cusp of being contagious".  Couldn't let any of my friends share this beastly lumpy common cold.  Oh, I went to the doctor to make sure I wasn't incubating bronchitis.  Felt like a fool, but knew it was worth any embarrassment, and fortunately, no one made me feel like an idiot.

More mud on the tape in the kitchen and that was it.  I'm going to take a break from writing and when I come back to it, I should have some photos to share.  At least I hope I do!  

Stay well.

Silver Lining

Thanks to all who wished me well!  I am on the road and expect that today will be my last day of feeling washed out.  It certainly had better be as I have a lot to do (like everyone else) and can't continue to sit around blowing my nose.

Besides - tomorrow is guild day, and I will be there so I have to be well!

Today was an űber quiet day construction-wise.  One man came and slapped a second coat of goop (aka "mud" in construction language) on the tape that covers the seams in the dry wall.  Each application (and there are many) has to sit, untouched, until it is really dry.  Then they put on another layer, and the whole process repeats itself.  A tedious process.

However, on the up side, we actually had scallops tonight  Thank all the goddesses of microwaves!

See, there's always an up side.

Short Entry

The cold I have caught is making me quite tired and not very energetic today so this won't be either very long or especially interesting.  

While at my studio class (in which we have a new student who knows D from work!), I spent time on "Laissez les bon temps rouler" ("Let the good times roll') which is my newest painting.  It required fiddling with the composition as I traced it it for transfer onto watercolor paper.  While I plan to do a watercolor study first as I find that so helpful, I'm not sure if it will end as a watercolor or as an oil painting.  In my brain it works either way, but in actuality?  It's a "wait and see" sort of question.

Then, instead of going to Crazy Quilting, D and I ran kitchen renovation errands.  That took precedence over stitching, but when we got home I did spend my evening working on the CzQ block.  This one is nearing the end, and I have to decide what my "just for fun" block (which will be next) will be.

For me, the highlight of the day was D hooking up the microwave!!!  Now we will have far more interesting and tasty meals.  

Kitchen Renovation - Dry Wall

The dishwasher has moved to the family room to keep the refrigerator company, and alas, the blue pail has disappeared!  However, the biggest news of the day is that after what seemed to be an interminable delay in delivery (it's always something, isn't it?), the drywall arrived giving our workmen enough time to get at least some of it up before the end of their working day.

In the picture above you can see both the wall and the ceiling (with new recessed light fixture).  The wall with the broom leaning against it and the green opening is the sink wall, the one we see when we enter the kitchen.  It's really nice to have that wall up again as well as the ceiling closed in.  They haven't been taped yet, but that will come soon now.

Progress!

Weekend Report

Did you have a good weekend?  I hope you were able to relax and do things you really wanted to do.  D and I took time away from the chaos here in our home by visiting one of his sisters.  What a great time we had . . .  and not just because we were in a tidy environment!

The visit itself was the high point of the trip as we had not been able to get together over the Christmas holiday, nor in January, nor in February - all because of weather complications.  We went to a basketball game that was really fun to watch.  I did take some pictures which I sent to our daughter and then erased from my phone - they weren't very good, but I could have shared them anyway.  Silly me.  We also ate as several remarkably good restaurants - had amazing hamburgers (which I haven't eaten in ages), super pizza, and ended our feasting with breakfast at a very well known deli.  Exchanging Christmas and belated birthday gifts was another part of our fun.

We did leave right after breakfast today just in case the weather became bad and also so we could take care of laundry and other household chores.  Arriving home in good time gave me the opportunity to get our wash done, pick up odds and ends, and pack away some fragile items that I didn't want to leave out during the phase of kitchen construction.

Reading this over, I see that the weekend won't seem exciting to you though I think you'll understand the importance of having family time.  It made us feel refreshed, and that's what weekends are good for, right?

Wish you could tell me about yours!