" 'tis the Last Rose(s) of Summer"

Here's a bouquet just for you as my apology for not writing last night:

This morning I took the vegetable matter (we call it our compostery) out to our compost heap and enjoyed the walk through the almost-rain.  Actually, it felt as though I was in a cloud and was merely occasionally bumping into the suspended water droplets.  Quite nice! 

That walk was made even nicer as I walked back to my house and noticed that two of the rose bushes against the back wall of our family room still had roses. It is October 10, you know; I sang to them as I cut them. By bringing them into the house, we can enjoy them (can't see them from our window), and they will probably last longer. Both of these roses are of the David Austin family of roses that I love so much. The yellow is "Graham Thomas" and the pinkish one is "Abraham Darby".  As I've said before, it was a great summer for our roses.

 

The poem, "The Last Rose of Summer", was written by Thomas More (1780-1852) and turned into a hauntingly lovely song by composer John Andrew Stevenson (1761-1833).  Here are the lyrics of this old song:

 

'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone
All her lovely companions are faded and gone
No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh
To reflect back her blushes and give sigh for sigh

 

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem
Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep thou with them
Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o'er the bed
Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead

 

So soon may I follow when friendships decay
And from love's shining circle the gems drop away
When true hearts lie withered and fond ones are flown
Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?
This bleak world alone.

 

And for a very special end to this entry, here is a link to this song sung by Celtic Women (click on the link):
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-P15xujxoI

 

 P.S.  We saw some great photos from the  Schenectady guild's recent show the  thanks to Karen's blog:
http://merrymercs.blogspot.com/

Here are some more from Lynn aka Quilting Mama:
http://thisquiltingmama.blogspot.com/ 

Free-Motion Quilting

Sometime ago, ME signed up for a class in free-motion quilting.  It happened to be on a date I couldn't go, but I told her that was okay since I had no interest in the subject of the class.  As time went by and I thought more about it, however, I realized that I could save money if I could take care of my smaller pieces (table runners, small wall hangings, pillows, et al) if I could do the quilting myself.   Luckily for me, a new class was offered at a time I could take it, ME was able to change dates, so we both took the class last Saturday.

 

Well, let me tell you, it isn't easy.  Here's my first and third attempts (second one was angular meandering, and it was even worse than my first):

 





Meandering Star





Meandering Stitch

They are awful! Not only do I need a gazillion hours of practice on both, I also need to look more carefully at both stitches to see what they should look like because these are definitely not it. I should have taken photos of ME's meandering and passed it off as mine because she did a much better job!

 

The next stitch we were supposed to try was a meandering leave pattern.  It's quite pretty, but I was fed up with my meandering flame-outs and decided to forget meandering and just make leaves.  After all, I do know what leaves look like!  So here are leaves all around a border with acorns in the center.  Far from perfect but better (and lots more fun!).

Leaves and Acorns

Since I liked doing that and felt that I might have found something that I could do, I tried the meandering flowers.  Humph!  Got fed up with that quickly and decided I'd just work on flowers (and some squiggly stitches at the bottom left).   With these flowers you can tell that I haven't learned yet how to begin and end each element (see the thread leaving the left leaf of the lily of the valley and heading to the iris standards?).  What I was doing was completely spontaneous, and, lesson for self, this takes careful planning.

Lily of the Valley and Iris

 I did like the beard on the iris falls, though.  Below you will see a leaf (rabbit chewed?) and a tulip with more squiggle practice.  The tulip is okay though not as successful as the iris.  It's on a par with the lily of the valley.  And the leaf?  Well, let's just forget about it, okay? 

Tulip with Gnawed Leaf

I don't remember what I was supposed to be doing in this panel, but I thought since I love house quilts and plan to make one at some time, I'd try a tree and a house.  I started at the top of the tree (I really like variegated thread for this kind of thread play!), went down the trunk, back up and out a branch to the house.  At least I learned that I have to find a path for transportation.  Too bad I didn't think about proximity!

Tree Lassoing a House

There is something in this that will work for me so I will practice meandering (in thread not just walking around aimlessly, I promise!).  After all, I have to do some genuine quilting and not just draw pictures!

 

 

Gilbertsville Quilt Show

Today D and I had to make another trip to his childhood home so he bribed me by promising a trip to the Gilbertsville Quilt Show.  Since I had been too ill to enjoy the recent Schenectady show, I allowed myself to be bribed.

 

We saw many fine quilts; D had his favorites and I had mine.  There were quilts I liked for what they were and there were those I liked for the ideas they shared with me.  Here is one that both D and I found fascinating:

 

 

 

The leaves were made using snippets of fabric which isn't a new idea, but I did think it was effectively done (good colors).  If you look at the second photo taken from the side, you can see the 3-d effect better.  What really fascinated me was the trunk; I'm not sure I understood the method from what Rosemary Jordan said, but one never has enough room to explain on these cards. 

 

 The featured quilter in this show was Wendy Swears.  The Tree of Life is a favorite pattern of mine, her piecing is very fine, the colors were ideal (and the red background is amusing), and I loved the way they hung the traditional miniatures (those are clothes pins on a mini-clothes line!).

 

 

Well, the fact that I loved this one is certainly no surprise to you because I love white (this was not hung well - the blue-green part of it is in front of a window, and the pink is picking up color from something else; this mini-quilt is traditional bleached white muslin).  What I liked is that this exercise wound up having some compositional merit.  So often one concentrates so hard on mastering the techniques that one doesn't have time to think about creating a pleasing finished work. 

 

 

There will be more photos and commentary to share with you as the week goes on.  Naturally, as soon as we drove away, I thought of several additional quilts I had wanted to capture but my view was blocked or D asked me to look at something so I forgot to go back.  Isn't that always the way?  We have records of many quilts (or flowers, or family, or - ) but lament the ones of which we didn't get a photograph!

 

Gathering One's Courage

The after effects of the surgery on my left eye were less uncomfortable than the first; thank you for all your positive brain waves in my direction!  Today I had quite a giggle when I went for the post-operative check up.  A nurse took me into the examining room to take the pressure reading in the eye and to have me read an eye chart,  What an experience that was!  I could see the chart.  Now, isn't that something!  Please note that I said I could see the chart; I did not say I could see the letters.  I laughed and said, "Well, I can guess.  I bet the first letter is an E."  Actually, I could almost see that much, and the rest was a game of figuring out if I could get a sense of the shape of the letters.  When I had "read" two more lines, she stopped me, had me put on my glasses, and turned on the lights.  We whooped with laughter because I wasn't even close!  Now when the doctor came in, he was very solicitous and anxious that I not be worried as he explained that the eye was still quite swollen which was why I could see.  I had figured out that much for myself (the white of the eye was bulging most unbecomingly - happens often when allergy season hits).  Ah well, he was kind.

 

Now that I've shared that, I want to tell you about my real subject for the day.  People frequently tell me they'd be too embarrassed to show anyone their drawings when we talk about designing quilts and making those preliminary "idea" sketches.  When I try to explain, that my work is often as rough and dreadful as their dogs' worst attempts, they don't believe me.  Yes, sometimes, the ideas are so clear and are merely pictures that can easily be drawn, but other times I have to plan the geometry of a design.  Geometry?  Puh-leeze!  Normally, I don't carry my earliest plans around with me to convince people that these sketches are preliminary and that the viewer should look through the messiness to the idea and concentrate on the designer's intent. 

 

So in order to convince you to gather your courage and share these sketches with one another, here's one I did tonight.

Yes, I really was using a magenta sharpie that was near at hand.  Here's my idea - fit a circle inside the center of a large hexagon, and then invert larger semi-circles so the points meet the points of the hexagon and the curves touch the inner circle, and finally work designs within all areas.  You'll notice that I added a smaller circle in the center and spokes radiating out from that circle to the point where the apogee (? correct term? I don't think so) of the semi-circle touches it's sister circle.  Whew, I have trouble trying to explain without pointing to the areas I'm discussing. 

 

If you click on the drawing to get it larger, you might be able to see the letters and numbers I use to tell myself what my plan is.  For example, there are three main designs (numbers 1, 2, and 3) cradled in the semi-circles.  Each one will be repeated once (the corresponding numbers appear in the empty sections of the last three semi-circles).  Why draw everything again when, once I have it the way I want it, I can merely trace each image?  I didn't get much farther because it was getting late.  Also, I need to think about this a little more.

 

And I have no idea how to draft this accurately!  If anyone can help me, please write a comment on this blog because I could use the help!!!

 

And therein is one very, very good reason for gathering your courage and showing your sketches to friends and family.  You can enlist their help with problems!

Musings

It's been such a rainy, cool week so far that I already felt the need for some sunshine in my life. That made me think you might also need to feel some warmth on your shoulders - even if it's only imaginary. Here's a picture from Vermont taken while we were on one of my favorite walks. This view is not the most stunning of this lake, but I love the trees in the foreground, the small open field, then the lake, and the glorious sky.  Imagine standing in the field with the sun warming your back as you enjoy the view. Ahhhh -

 

Today I spent my time tidying and cutting fabric.  Here's the funny part.  Tonight as I left the family room to come upstairs and write my blog, I looked around and commented to D that he had done a great job of putting away some of the many boxes (ancient photos yet to be sorted from D's dad's home) and making things look nice, while all my so-called "tidying" merely made more of a mess (more bags of fabric/projects sorted into piles)!  I wonder how long this will take?

 

The following photograph was also taken in Vermont (in a different direction this time) when I saw these leaves.  Aren't they wonderful (even though they may make you think of fall)?  They've turned such a deep mahogany color it makes the veining look almost chartreuse.  Striking, aren't they!  No, I don't know what they are, but I know some day they'll turn up in something - maybe embroidery.  Imagine a leaf done in a double strand of wool floss in a long and short stitch with the veins in a thick, raised stitch sewn in a heavier shiny perle cotton with some shiny beads (possibly an occasional opalescent one for a dewy effect) threaded through it.  Hmmm, pretty idea, I think. 

 

Anyway, tomorrow I have surgery on my left eye to take care of that cataract so I'm not sure when I'll make my next entry. 

 

In the meantime, let your creative spirit take flight!  Take out your sketch pad and take notes of wild things you might do to leaves like the ones above.  Change colors?  Turn them into the wings of birds or fairies?  Make them the roofs of tiny houses in which toads and field mice live?  How would you stitch them, the houses?  the creatures?  What colors would you use? 

Missed Opportunity

While I managed to go shopping with two of my very best friends and co-conspirators, ME and Karen, on Saturday, I wilted fast.  You know it is fall when:

• You catch your first cold.
• You can't stay awake long enough to attend a favorite late night quilting party.
• You willingly drink cherry-flavored, "guaranteed-to-knock-you-out" syrup.
• You fall asleep before the baby next door.
• You get up so late you're embarrassed to tell anyone what time it was.
• You make a pot of stew.
• You would have made an apple crisp if you had more energy.  Or if you had remembered to buy apples.
• Quilt shows start again.

It's about that last item, my missed opportunity.  This was the weekend of Q.U.I.L.T.S in Schenectady's big show, and I had been looking forward to going to it especially since I knew Pat Cunningham had a quilt or two in the show.  How disappointed I was that I couldn't find the energy to go!  But I know it was wiser not to - no one there would want whatever germs I was carrying around, that's for sure.  I did get to admire some of the quilts that were featured when I read Karen's blog and saw the slides she had of the show.  It's such fun and inspiring to see what others are doing!

 

Ah well, I'll look forward to the next show all the more.

 

 

Positive Result of Stash Culling

Going through those wonderful (and not so wonderful) fabrics in my bins is difficult because:

 

A. I have a limited amount of time

B. There's a lot to sort

C. Decisions are sometimes difficult to make

D. Organization of a quantity of fabric takes up space

E. Husband is generally understanding but sometimes gets testy (when my   piles inhibit his ability to get to something else)

 

Friday I discovered yet another very good reason to continue this self-imposed, monumental task.  It will surprise you that this never occurred to me when I planned this job.  I pulled out a plastic storage bag (I really should invest in them!), took it upstairs so I could see exactly what it contained, and found a UFO.  Why should that surprise me?  Well, I had this naive thought that I actually remember all the UFO's I have.

 

Boy, was that DUMB!

 

Anyway, this was a table runner I had started and didn't finish because I wasn't crazy about my choices of fabrics.  One block was finished, and here it is:

 

You see, one of the things I love to do is use disparate juxtapose elements that might surprise the viewer and that add a pow factor.  In the above block, you can see an Oriental fabric with metallic gold (the center and wing triangles), a dark ochre traditional or reproduction fabric - I don't remember exactly which) - in the squares and smaller triangles, and solid fabrics as foils* (the red-orange and the turquoise).  I remember both finishing that block and being vaguely dissatisfied with it.  Somehow the pow factor wasn't there for me so I put it aside.

 

Fortunately, I kept all the fabrics together, and when I found all of this in that plastic bag, I decided I'd finish it.  It was only a table runner after all.  

 

 

Here it is on my kitchen table, and I love it.  The Martha Negley for Rowan (know for super contemporary lines) with the crosscuts of wood with sparks of red orange and turquoise provided the pow.  For me this was an exercise in using the pow fabric, the "element of joyful startlement" (okay, I made that up; there must be a more elegant way to phrase that, but I can't think of it right now) as the background, the retreating fabric that causes the others to stand out.

 

The name of this table runner?  "Wood Pile".  You'll figure out why, and when you do, tell me your interpretation (hint - look at the whole piece not just the Martha Negley fabric).

I Hab a Code in the Head

Dear D decided to share his cold with me.  Isn't that generous of him?  Before I complain too much, I do have to admit this isn't a doozy of a cold.  After working at his dad's house again today, the only noticeable difference is that I am more tired than usual (and I tired more quickly). 

 

Sketch by Rembrandt

 

This is where I would like to be right now - in bed.  So forgive me for cutting this short, but I'm off to bed to read for a little and sleep for a long time.  Stay well, or if you're not well, take care of yourself!

 

 

 



Better Day

There are people who should not do certain things when they are tired.  I am one of them.  I just glanced at yesterday's blog, and golly, I'm sorry! 

 

Things went well today; Alice was already at the family home as we drove in (just a few minutes behind her, as it turned out).  We spent the day clearing, culling, cleaning, and could actually see a difference by the time the Liquidator arrived (doesn't that sound like a great title for a movie?).

 

That meeting went well although no final decision was made.  There are others yet to be consulted.  This person seems as though the job would be done reasonably well given that the "cream" would be skimmed off, and we'd have to handle what remained.  However, we were given several names and alternatives as to what could be done with the remainder, and that was very helpful.

 

We'll see what tomorrow brings. 

Short Entry

It amazes me how easily I forget things I don't want to remember.  I had forgotten that tomorrow the estate liquidator will meet with us in D's childhood home and give us an idea of what he is willing to handle.  In D's hometown area, these things don't work as they do in more suburban/urban areas where the liquidator takes everything.  Even though we have cleaned out almost everything of little to no value, the decisions have been made through the filter of our emotions and memories.  As a result, I am worried about what will not meet the liquidator's criteria and as a result what we may still have to handle.

 

Beginning my own "liquidation" process recently with my quilting stash, clothing, books, et al, seemed like a good idea.  After all, I had immediate experience of clearing out a house and wanted to bring some order into at least one area of my "half" of our home.  However, it might not have been such a great idea after all because I find myself tired at a time when I should be gearing up.

However, it is evening, and things will resume their proper places in my mind with the new day and a fresh outlook.  I hope to report good news tomorrow evening. 

Culling and Organizing

Today was spent in a continuation of the work started last week - culling and organizing my fabrics and the things that go with quilting.  Remember the aisle I created on the floor in my family room?  Right now you're probably thinking to yourself, "Okay, she's finally cleaned that up!"  You're wrong.

 

What you saw in that photograph was merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg - two-thirds of it is underwater or, in my case, in the basement.  Last week's work moved most of the project clutter from my dining room-cum-sewing room and spread it out so I could see what I had.  Which I could.

 

Then Fairy Quilt "Day" demanded my attention as well as various family obligations so no further headway was made on the chaos I had initiated.

 

With that project almost finished (backing and label, remember?),  I worked for about five hours on laundry and hauling loads of zip-locked bags and a few bins of fabric upstairs.  Then the sorting began.  Actually, this whole process is kind of fun.  Imagine it.  While you can see through the plastic bags, opening them and pouring the contents out on the table is like seeing a sudden rainbow pour down from the sky.  And that's not all, because then you have the tactile pleasure of plunging your hands in among the pool of fabrics to begin sorting.  You tease your eye and brain while you try to solve the puzzle of determining if a fabric is mostly green? or mostly blue?  Is it a keeper?  Should it go in its color pile or is there too little of it so its place might be in the scrap bag?  Or maybe it's really not a grabber anymore, and perhaps someone else can make better use of it so put it in the "Donate" pile?  But there is always the tickle you get when you find a special treasure, "That's where I put it!" or the invariable, "Whatever was I thinking!" when you find a particularly repulsive piece.  My sorting piles contained old garment fabrics, upholstery material, quilt-worthy fabrics, and possible crazy quilt pieces.

 

But that wasn't all.  At one point I thought it would be smart to pack the pattern or book with the fabrics for a particular project.  That lasted for a year or two until I realized that I all too often if I couldn't locate a pattern I  purchased another copy.  That called for changing to putting a note in the plastic storage bag with the name of the pattern, where the pattern could be found (which file box or which book).  This method is still in use and works very well.  Only today I had to use my critical eye on patterns and notions as well as fabric.

 

 

The work is progressing, but the aisle in the family room is getting narrower.  Being able to keep it all out so I can see what I have and to be able to organize all of it is part of my process.  Poor D has to live with it, but the result will make it worth it for both of us.  I hope.  But not as much as he does!

 

I borrowed the photo from VagabondJourney.com as you can see - it says it all!

Fairy Qlt #2 - Finally!

Here it is - Fairy Quilt #2 in bright, warm pastels.               

 

Officially completed except for the remaining details of ironing and piecing the backs for both quilts, I am quite happy.  After some realistic pondering, I have changed the names once again.  In my mind they started out as Twilight and Dawn.  Then I thought that the word "twilight" isn't very commonly used and is difficult for a youngster to say so I changed it to Dusk and Dawn.  Well, more thinking -  if you were a 2-year-old, and someone told you your new quilt was named "Dust", what would you think?  You know that's what a child would hear.  Okay.  Deep breath and accept the simple - "Night" and "Day". 

 

Just in case you forgot, here is the first one I made in cool colors and less wide-awake pastels:

I may be repeating myself, but I used the same pattern (Atkinson's "Slide Show") and the same border (even though the lighting makes the color of the border less vivid in Fairy #1) for several reasons.  Right now the little girls are very little indeed and having something that is essentially the same but recognizably different may eliminate some sibling rivalry (whenever that rears its head).  Also, the girls may share a room and this helps with coordination.  Both have the same number of fairies scattered across the top; the top two are in the same places on both quilts, but after that they alternate sides.

 

My plan is to send these quilts with the labels complete except for the name of the little girl for whom the quilt is made.  At this point, I think it's fair to let the older of the two (I'm sure the baby is not in a big girl bed, yet) choose the one she wants.  Then her mother can write her name on the label. Or the mother can choose. 

 

 

Here's a photo with better color (and a crooked edge!), and now, good night to the fairies and to you!

 

P.S.  Lynn Makrin who taught the Storm at Sea class I took last week sent me a lovely e-mail thanking me for my entry.  It reminded me that I neglected to share her blog with you, and she graciously gave her permission as I gave her mine to share this one.  Lynn says she write twice a month, and it's mostly to only about quilting.   Here's her address:

http://thisquiltingmama.blogspot.com

Visit and see her photos of the work we did last week and some of the many pieces she has done in her quilt work.

 

Double-Dip Day

Wild Fall Aster

 

Oops. missed a day!  Yesterday and today I have been blissfully busy with quilt projects (no, the family room hasn't changed a whit, but this weekend I will at least organize those long stretches of projects on the floor).  Yesterday, after doing the usual daily round of chores and errands, I finished ironing the fabrics (shown in a photo in the last entry) for a Christmas project, and then I cut out enough of it to make at least four blocks (each block contains 9 smaller blocks).

 

Side Bar: Being ready for class is really important to me; if I'm not prepared, I waste so much time in the getting ready stages that I miss a lot of the learning and practing stages.  Plus I know what it's like to try to teach a class when the students aren't ready to learn what the teacher has prepared.  That's why "differentiation" (see definition below) is so popular with educators these days.  Sorry for the side bar! 

 

Anyway, by the time I had finished that I was too tired to do much else - including blog writing, but I certainly enjoyed the touch of fabric!

 

Today was a double-dip day!  First, I took a class up at Joyful (can't tell you what it was or show you what I made until after Christmas, but if you check out Joyful's class list you might figure out which one I took today).  It was a very successful class with a knowledgeable teacher.  It was Lynne Makrin's first experience with teaching a quilting class but as an experienced teacher she had no problems (we were all on our best behaviour, too!).  She differentiated very well, and by the end of class, we had all learned enough to be able to carry on with block making on our own.

 

Then this evening, ME and I went to Pat Cunningham's Applique Club at Log Cabin.  As usual there was the socializing and the purchasing necessary before getting down to the fun of applique, but get down to it we did.  Because I hadn't had enough time to prepare a "Birds 'n Urns" block, I took a basket block from - wait for it! - Farmer's Wife (FW) which needed a handle.  By the end of class, the handle was almost complete (I also had to unsew small sections of the basket so I could slip the handle through so it took a bit longer than I had expected). 

 

The reason I just "announced a la ta-dah!" for FW is the way I have avoided it for so long.  Signing up for the Applique Club wasn't merely an excuse to spend more time with friends or make new ones, it was done deliberately to overcome the inertia keeping me from completing some long-over-due projects.

 

Now you know why today was like a double-dip ice cream cone!

 

 

Differentiation:  The adaptation of classroom learning to suit each student's individual needs, strengths, preferences, and pace by either splitting the class into small groups, giving individual learning activities, or otherwise modifying the material.

from: http://www.education.com/definition/differentiation/

A Peek at Projects (Many)

Before I begin, I'd like to give you a bit of background.  Many of you know that my sewing room is in the dining room and that I work around dining room furniture that is full of, guess what?, dining room things.  That means that my quilting materials sit on the table, the side board, and every chair on which I don't sit.   Recently we got rid of our old ladder back chairs (tall, striking, and immensely uncomfortable after 5 minutes), and now we have some lovely Hitchcock-look-alikes (from D's family home) which are shorter, stunning, and more comfortable.  In order to effect the change, I had to remove piles of fabrics and patterns from every chair AND the bags of things that I had hung from the points of each chair.  This change encouraged me to tidy and organize (didn't I just do that? yes, but - well, some things grow overnight and multiply like the dratted chipmunks in my yard!).

 

Having said that, here are some of my projects:

 

 

Second Fairy Quilt, "Daytime", hanging over the back of a chair in the family room where I will cut out fairies to sew on a la Broderie Perse.  I opened it up today so it wouldn't get more creased than it is already, and so I wouldn't forget what I have yet to do.

 

This is a little Christmas table mat/runner I made - is it two years ago? - in Karen's "Littles" class that is still waiting for machine quilting (which I plan to do).  It was hiding on the sideboard under Farmer's Wife blocks (more on those another time).

Here is a pile of fabrics I've washed but that need ironing for a class I am taking this week.  When I finish writing this entry, I will iron as much as I can tonight and start cutting tomorrow.  This project is second on my list of gifts planned for this Christmas.

 

And here are other projects in various stages (and one pile of vintage red on white linens that I collect).  On the right hanging on the dry sink  is a tumbler pattern that is waiting for wool applique, on the floor is a wall hanging, neatly folded, all quilted and waiting for sleeve and binding (in the plastic bag on top.  On the left just beyond the yarn winder is a pile of fabrics all washed and waiting with the pattern book on top for me to find time to make a king-size quilt for us (intended to be used in October-November).  And so it stretches back to the batting for the fairy quilts with two more quilted projects waiting for binding. 

 

All those piles are spread out so I can see them and organize them before finding better places for them than the backs and seats of chairs!

 

 

 

Missing Esther

Esther e-mailed me and told me to get on with it, already, she wants photos of my projects.  Isn't it nice that she really wants to see what I write about?  Well, sort of.  You see, Esther, I don't have any photos, yet, because of brain-drain.  The idea of taking photos before taking my hand-piecing blocks to the quilt shop was so sensible, it drained out of my head before it could attach itself to a randomly passing memory cell.  Then there's the finished Fairy Quilt #2.  It isn't really finished at all.  I have to locate some fairies and stitch them to the top and then sew on the borders.  I guess in addition to brain-drain, I suffer from prevarication-itis.  However, I should recover before the end of the year.  Maybe.

 

So . . . instead of photographs of projects, I could send pictures of my recent sketches.  But since Esther has seen them all while we were in Vermont and I was working on them there, that won't fill the bill either. 

 

However, I will include a special photograph that I know Esther did not take while in Vermont.

 

Empty Chair

 

Some day this wonderfully worn, multi-colored chair will figure in one of my paintings, but for now it's just an empty chair waiting for  - something.   What would you put in or on this chair?

 

Finished projects?  Embroidered, soft pillows? Half-read book? Sheaf of music?  List of things to do?  Shared memories? or a good friend/sister like Esther?

 

Weather Outside and In

This weekend despite the fabulous weather, 15 women attended Joyful's Quilt Camp and both happily and successfully spent three days indoors.  Granted the weather was wonderful as it can be in this area in September, granted there were many enticing activities being held locally, granted families were engaged in sporting events, it all paled in contrast to the pleasure of quilting with friends, creating beauty, and feeling the flush of success.

 

In the room where I sat, everyone achieved a personal goal set before the weekend began.  Some of us completed projects (aka UFOs) that had been started some time ago, some worked on current projects by overcoming obstacles ("evil" or highly complex blocks or directions that appeared to be gibberish), some started (and in some cases, finished!) new works.  There were those who brought several things to work on and happily switched back and forth among the possibilities.  Others were focused on completing a single piece of work for a wedding next week, for Christmas, or for a family member. 

 

For myself, I finished the top portion of the second fairy quilt, watched a demonstration by a fellow quilt camper on making a table runner and using the leftover scraps for candle mats/placemats, helped others make fabric and color choices, did some hand-piecing, and added to the small pile of blocks for my "GF" quilt. 

 

Here are the things that strikes me most strongly after the weekend: the harmony that existed among all of us made us feel like family, our enthusiasm for our chosen activity was enticement enough, our willingness to help each other achieve a goal, and our whole hearted celebration of each other's successes small and large made missing outdoor activities a small sacrifice. 

 

In other words, the weather inside that quilt store was especially brilliant this weekend! 

A Dose of Common Sense

Yesterday I mentioned the hand-sewing project I've been working on.  Today I took the sample blocks to Log Cabin so they could put them up to advertise the up-coming hand-sewing club.  Deliberately, I did not take the fabric I intended to use for the solid block between the hand-pieced ones.  Even though I have enough fabric, I didn't want to cut it so I though I'd purchase a piece of something else at the shop.  After a few auditions, I settled on a batik with a cream background and pale green scrolling vines with pineapples.  I shouldn't say "settled" because I fell in love with it and the way it complements the blocks and adds an airy look.  Of course, I had to buy enough to use for the completed wall hanging.

 

But that means that I have a piece of a nice solid green going begging (how amazing - a piece for my stash?  me with extra fabric?  it is to laugh!).  But my original plan was to embroider a flower on each solid green block to complement the fabrics used in the pieced blocks.  On the way home, I mulled this over and came up with the idea to use the scrolly batik and the solid green alternately.  That way, I reasoned, I'd have half as many embroidered blocks to do.  And while I do love to embroider, I am working on a crazy quilt, also.

 

This evening, I sat watching Antiques Roadshow while waiting until I had to go pick D up from working at the polls.  As usual, I worked on piecing another block while sitting there.  Stitch, watch, glance at pretty fabric, stitch, watch, admire pretty fabric, stitch, watch, boom!  The light bulb in my brain exploded with common sense. 

 

When on earth am I going to find the time to do all that embroidery?  Yes, it would be lovely, yes, I would enjoy doing it, yes, it would enhance the wall hanging, but . . .  I still have a second fairy quilt to work on, a quilt planned for us, bags to make, Christmas presents to sew, and yes, that wonderful crazy quilt project to keep me busy.  And what was I sitting there doing?  Hand-piecing.  Would it be the last hand-piecing project I do?  No, and I still have a couple to finish! 

 

The scrolly vine batik will look just fine between every pieced block. 

 

Common sense is a beautiful thing (too bad it doesn't visit more often). 

 

 

Good Intentions . . .

Today I managed to complete the 10th block of my current hand-sewing project, and I had intended to show them off to you, but . . .  My camera is out of juice!  Yes, I could use my cell phone, but that seems too cumbersome.  So instead, you will have to suffer through more photos of the Vermont scenery that I may decide to paint at some time - when I have time. 

 

I know, I know.  Big sigh.  More photos = more painting = more quilts.  No, there's no end in sight. 

Before you throw up your hands in despair, and cry, "Tell me she's not going to paint another rainbow; oh, no, it's a double rainbow!!!", these photos are to enjoy and trust me there is no painting of rainbows taking place in my near future so you can relax.

 

But here are some that I am seriously considering as painting subjects.

 

Both of these were taken on the one rainy day we had, and show the landscape after the rain.  The lake is glassy, the colors are muted and very limited.  Then as the final touch, the reflections of the clouds and sailboat in the water are terrific.  Talk about a challenge on many fronts; just imagine trying to get the atmosphere correct let alone anything else!

 

This photograph is one of my very favorite sites on the lake.  Most pictures I have taken of it are in raking light (see definition below with accompanying photo examples), but this one, like those immediately above, conveys a very different mood and challenge.

 

Which one would you pick to work on first? 



Post Script

Definition of raking light

noun

·                     (in art or photography) bright light, usually beamed obliquely, used to reveal such features as texture and detail.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/raking%2Blight

Turns out I was trying to take different photographs this year, so neither of these show you exactly what I mean, but they come close.  Notice how the light is striking the rocks and birch trees and then compare it to the earlier one in this entry.

 

Birds of the Lake

The title of this blog sounds a bit like a poem but this will not be one.  Instead of telling you about our day at D's father's home where we continue to work on clearing it out for the new owner, I am going to show you some of this year's photographs taken in Vermont.

 

The first is a red-tailed hawk who posed for us on the top of a grave stone.  We weren't at the lake yet, but since we were on our way, I thought I could fudge it a little and add him.

D and I always stop in this particular cemetery where my parents are buried to plant a rosemary plant (rosemary is for remembrance).  This year as we were getting back into our car to leave, I glanced up and this glorious hawk was not more than 15 feet away from us.  Very slowly I gathered my camera, stood up (my car door was still open), and took several pictures.  What a thrill!

 

At the lake we invariably see at least one family of mergansers (a duck), but I've not looked this water bird up to find out the usual number of chicks hatched each year.  So I don't know if we see one or two families.  They swim near the shore and dive for the small fish that live and feed in among the rocks in the shallows; here is a shot of them as they made their way by one cloudy afternoon.  You can see their russet bills and matching crests (sort of like a mullet!).  Who knew birds were into color coordination!

But this photo of three mergansers looking for fish is my favorite.

 

This next picture was taken the same rainy day.  I was so excited it's a wonder I got any shots at all.  My brother and I were out on the deck taking pictures when, like a bolt from the sky, this huge bird plummeted down, grabbed a fish, and took off again.  My brother retained his calm and got some very fine shots (he is an excellent photographer and his camera is better at long range close-ups than mine), but I managed to take a few, too.

 

Here the osprey (the first one I've ever seen on this lake in the almost 30 years we've been going there!) with his catch in his talons is lifting off from the middle of the lake.

 

Now this one is another favorite.  If you click on this photo and look at the lake's surface behind the osprey, you will see where the bird dropped dropped the fish into the water.   All that effort for nothing!

 

Finally, it wouldn't be right to leave you without a photograph (or two) of my favorite sighting which really needs no introduction.

 

And another, for good measure.  Say good night , Gracie!

 

Catch Up (Not Katchup or even Catsup!)

Today D had an appointment in the afternoon so we were unable to drive down to his hometown to work on the house.  That will happen intermittently because work there will have to be shoehorned in with what we have to do elsewhere.

 

That means that today I played catch-up on things I hadn't done in - well, you'll read how long.

Dawn (the first I have witnessed!) at the lake this summer

First thing this beautiful crisp morning, I went out and worked in the white flower garden (aka the Emily Dickinson Garden).  First, I pulled out armloads of goosenecked loosestrife before it manages to choke the entire garden.  I love this plant for its white flowers and for the manner in which it carries them, but, oh, is it invasive!  This was a job I had thought to do in May.  Didn't happen.  But at least I did it this season!  Next I yanked out the mildew-resistant white phlox.  Only the mildewed ones were pulled up roots and all.  That means most of them were pulled.  Makes me wonder what the professional gardeners mean when they say "mildew-resistant".  Maybe that this variety of phlox will resist mildew every tenth year?  Oh well, they're gone and so is another May task.  Then I planted three clematis plants and two hydrangeas that I purchased in June.  We have an agreement, D and I, that whatever is purchased must be planted immediately and that no other plants may be bought until that's done.  Well, they were the only plants I bought this summer so I guess I followed half of the rule.  That counts, right? 

 

While I was completed the outdoors tasks, the laundry was gurgling away in the basement.  That job took almost all day because we had so many dirty clothes.  Changing several times a day will do that.  As I told ME, it had gotten to the point where the only clean underwear I had left in my drawer was black so I had to chose my "outer wear" accordingly.  Almost felt as though I were still in college and had to scrounge for laundry money because the drawers were empty.

 

By afternoon, my muscles were protesting.  Gardening takes a different set of muscles from those used in cleaning - which I did in the afternoon.  Cleaning and sorting through Dad's things means that some of it ends up in this house, places have to be found for the new items even if only temporarily, which requires a different kind of cleaning and sorting here.   And that's how I spent my afternoon.

 

Still dawn but a little later.

Now that the day is almost over, I do have a sense of accomplishment and I had a good time laughing at myself.  I wonder if I'll ever completely catch up?

A Long Absence Nearly Over

Looking quickly at my last blog, I noticed the date was August 24th, and now it is September 9th.  A lot has happened in that time, but I expect to be back to more or less regular entries for a while.  Here is a brief update on what has happened since I wrote last (the dates may not be precise - notches of time slip in my memory)

 

August 24: David's dad is taken to the hospital. The home he lived in for 60 (plus or minus a few) is shown by the realtor for the first time.

August 25:  Having made sure his father is resting comfortably in the hospital, David and I take off for Vermont and vacation.

 

August 27: David drives back home to check on his dad.  Once there he learns there are several interested parties and one firm bid on his childhood home. 

 

August 29: D returns to VT.  Dad has been diagnosed with several issues and is terminal. He does not want any treatment other than pain relief so he will be transported to a care facility.

 

August 30: Early morning phone call alerts us that D's dad is not well so he drives back.

 

August 31: My brother and his wife kindly transport me home instead of driving straight on to their home in NJ.  Once we have phone reception, I call D to let him know we're on our way and to find out what the plans are.  He says his father seems to be not "well" but stable so D will drive to our home to meet me and take me back with him if needed.  Our daughter calls (she's at the care facility having driven in from her home).  All is not well.  D calls.  He's received notice that dad is failing.  Daughter calls.  Dad has died.  She was holding his hand and talking to him even though he was in a non-responsive state.  Being there and being able to do that for him and for her father was a gift to her as well as for the rest of us.  D's younger sister arrives (the older sister comes from Florida and arrives later that weekend).

 

September 3:  Work begins on the home so it can be used for the gathering of family and friends after the funeral.

 

September 5:  Dad's memorial service and interment.  Both were as he wished, were moving, meaningful, and well done.

 

September 6 - 8: Work continues on the home to clear it out for the closing which will occur in 6 - 10 weeks depending on the banks involved.  Both sisters leave Saturday.  I take Saturday off.

 

September 9:  Both David and I take the day off. 

 

This explains what has been going on in our lives, and I know you have all experienced similar events in your lives so you understand.  David has moments of laughter and fond memories and bad moments as well.  It will take time.

 

The support of our family and friends has been wonderful and words leave me when I try to explain how deeply we have been moved by the kindness and love we've been shown these last few weeks. 

 

Thank you.