I'd Love to Work at Nothing all Day!

So it's been a month again.  I swear I make notes to myself all the time to pop in and make a short post.  Then.. well you know!  As it is, I have been trying to write this post for three days now!

So here's a bit of what I've been up to-



On May 31, I took a class with the amazing Maria Shell.  I bought her book last year and, with great enthusiasm, built up a stash of solids to play with.  But I was stymied by where to begin.  I have no fear of color when pulling for any quilt- it's my favorite part of the process.  But putting together a palette of solids left me frustrated beyond belief.  So I was thrilled to be able to spend a day with her- thanks to the Genesee Valley Quilt Club.

 One day was not enough (is it ever when you take a class with a teacher of this caliber?)  But at least I have an idea of her process and how I can play with her techniques.  I guess I still need rules even in this kind of quilt/ art making.







After her lecture, our assignment was to make a traditional quilt block using two high contrast colors, then "Riff on Tradition" by using elements of design to alter the block.

So the upper left block is my traditional "Shoo Fly" block.  The one upper right was the first alteration, using line.  My strip sets came out weird, which is why the outer corners are different.  But it makes it more interesting, right?

The third element was shape.  I decided to add more squares to my block, and this is the result.  I am very pleased with the progress so far.  I don't know what these blocks might be other than learning exercises.  (Maria calls these "Sketches")






The next challenge is Modern Solids, so if this shows up in January, pretend you didn't see it here. 

I finished Jon's "Jake the Pirate" quilt for his birthday.  In fact, he came over to play a few days before and I had decided if he asked for it, I would give it to him.  He even asked me to wrap it so he could pretend it was his birthday and open the present. 

He wasn't happy until it was laying out flat on the floor, so he could look at it. I'm happy to report I have seen it being dragged around his house and on his bed. 






















Everett is 6 months old already, and has learned how to smile for a selfie!















I'm still knitting little creatures from this book.  The bat has a fun story-

I made theblack one first using a yarn that turned out to be fussy and not much fun.  But he came out so cute, the kids were fighting over him.  Then, he disappeared.  Kiara said Jon hid it so she couldn't have it. Jon couldn't remember where.  I searched and searched after the kids left, but never found it.  Weeks passed.  The kids were over again and I tried to get them to search for him, but they weren't interested.  Finally, I decided to make the purple one. 











Then, as you have probably guessed, the next time Jon was over, the black one appeared out of nowhere.  I think it was folded up in a blanket- which we had used at least once during the time he was lost!!  Jon now has the black one. 

Personally, I prefer the ones that are just creatures.

The most recent one is a robot. You knit around a pipe cleaner to make his antenna.

 

                                                Aren't they too cute all sitting together??

I finished the quilt for my step-granddaughter's wedding with a month to spare!  I did not quilt it.  I wanted the quilting to be wonderful, so I had a lady in my guild do it.  I know Amy will appreciate it.

  My design wall was getting full, so I decided to try and finish some of the WIPs.  My most recent finish is the collage  I started at the ArtCGirlz meeting in February.  The collage technique is from a book by Melissa Averinos.  The quilt itself was inspired by "Judith I" by Gustav Klimt.

I'm happy with the way she came out, but have no idea what I'll do with her.  I think I would like to try a more intricate collage- maybe try to do my cat. 









I don't know if you can see the quilting on the back.  I flipped it over after I stitched her face to see if my machine spat out anything unpleasant (I think all quilters flip their work over as soon as it comes off the machine, don't we?)  I loved the way her hair looked on the back. 





I bought recycled paper toilet paper today. (Saying recycled toilet paper just sounds awful, doesn't it?) My husband will probably not like it.  I don't care.  After reading an article from the NRDC, I decided I needed to put my money where my, um, mouth is.  How "green" is your toilet paper? check it out!

I am grateful for:
A perfect summer weekend spent doing my favorite things!
Jon asking if a person was small when observing the 9 x 12" quilt I was making.
Everett always smiles when he sees me.
The baby robins have fledged, so I can use my porch again.
The nights I can sleep!

Only a Moment Ago?

Here I am again, playing catch up.  In all honesty, it hasn't felt like I have much to write about.
Since last I wrote.....

I've been in for another three months check-up with the oncologist.  At the first one, I was feeling very anxious.  I was so lucky not to need any treatments after my surgery. My family- and some of my friends, I think- all heaved a collective sigh of relief and say "Thank God that's over!"  But for me, every three month is a reminder that they are still looking for it; it could be hiding in another spot, waiting.  And I don't think I will ever feel like it's over.  But my doctor gave me some ides to cope with it, and I have done a fairly good job of putting it out of my mind between the checks.  In fact, Sunday I was working in the front garden.  My gardens are all a disaster this year- the worst they've ever been, I'm afraid.  And I pondered what the heck I was doing last fall that kept me from making one last pass around to get some of the weeds out?  I actually had to stop and think for a minute before I remembered- oh, yeah, I had cancer surgery in September.

I haven't been doing a lot of sewing lately.  I get bits of sewing time here and there and most days I just don't feel like going up to the sewing room for 20- 30 minutes.  Plus there's the fact that some of the projects I'm working on can't be shown yet.  Have I mentioned the "telephone game" we're doing in the ArtCGirlz??
But I did get a new skinny quilt finished for my office.  I'd like to have one for each season.  This is by "Patch Abilities". 

A month or so ago, Cait mentioned Jon had asked her for a "Jake the Pirate" blanket.  (It's a Disney channel show)  I had been asking Jon if he wanted a new quilt for his big boy bed, so I told her I was on it!  She had looked at fabrics, and shared the website with me.  The big print is Jake, the rest are from a Riley Blake collection.  The pattern is the Big EZ.  I used this pattern for my step-grandson Jake's graduation quilt some years back.  Nice coincidence, isn't it?  My machine has been playing nicely, so I got a lot of the quilting done saturday and hope to have this done by Jon's 4th birthday in June at the very latest.  He has asked for it twice already- he saw it in progress when he came to sped the night a few weeks ago.

Mostly I've been knitting little creatures from a book by Rebecca Danger, called 50 Yards of Fun.  It's meant to use up leftover yarn, so of course I had to go buy yarn. 

This was the first one.  I didn't get a picture of it before Jon decided it was his.
 He and his sister looked at the book and put in orders for about a dozen of the ones pictured in the book.  so far I've finished these...























(this one's baby safe so Everett can play with it if he wants)

This one isn't in the book, but I managed to figure out how to make them.  Supposedly the pattern is available on her blog, but the page won't open, so I improvised.  She calls it a bunny nugget.

I spend lots of time with the grands!  Jon got a dress up cowboy hat for Easter, so he and Papa modeled their hats together.

Everett was at Oma's house for the first time ever on Easter, and celebrated by rolling over for the first time just as  tried to take his picture!

Kiara came  for a sleepover and we made an awesome blanket fort.  She wanted us both to sleep in it, but Oma has a hard enough time sleeping in her comfy bed, so we settled for reading and watching a movie. 

Everett is finally getting to the age where he will look at you and smile for a picture!  Aren't they handsome boys??
                                          

I got this very cool thing (I have no idea what its original purpose  might have been!) at the thrift store and decided to give her a crown when I spotted this little cactus at the garden store.

I just saw athis on facebook:

Really brings home the big difference that can be made with small choices!!  I carry a straw in my purse (thanks to Penny!) and always tell the servers NO Straw in restaurants (many bring one anyway, sadly).  It's just a matter of making new habits. 

I am grateful for:
Perfect spring days!
All the pretty birds at my feeders!
Good sewing days.
Interacting with the students at work.
My wrist isn't hurting after gardening anymore.

Play time at last!

I had an unscheduled weekend for the first time in a long time, and spent most of it playing.


First, I had my weekly date with Jonathan.  He's a ham, since his mom and I have taken so many pictures of him being adorable.   As soon as we take pictures, he says, "Can I see?"  Today he made funny faces.  I tried to make faces, but couldn't see to push the button on the phone. 













At the February ArtCGirlz meeting, we played with fabric collage and made faces, using a technique from the book by Melissa Averinos. Personally, I want to take her cat collage class!!


This is the face I drew, and where my collage ended that night.  Some of the ones in her book have no more than this, and are then enhanced with the quilting.  I didn't leave enough background on mine, so was thinking of how to add the face to another project, when I saw an image of a painting by Gustav Klimt. And just like that, I knew!




I added collaged hair, using flowers , a rabbit and a cat.  Then I dug through the stash to find fabrics I knew I had that I bought because they reminded me of Klimt's work.   Here's where I left her- masked with batting to create the margins of the piece. 

 And this is what the floor of the studio looked like while I was working.

At the most recent ArtCGirlz meeting, Lori shared some techniques for making landscapes.  I was working from a photo I thought was near Sedona, AZ, but was really taken somewhere in Utah.

 I had tacked it up on the design wall when I got home, so spent a few minutes adding some foliage to the scrub pine. It's only pinned, so I have to get the glue stick out next time I'm up there.   I'm taking a class in thread painting on landscapes in April, so may take this with me to work on in class!

 I also got the beast back under the machine to try and finish it before the old quilt disintegrates completely.  I had been fighting the bulk of the quilt and a friend suggested that might have been some of the trouble I had with the quilting.  I remembered a post I saw years ago on Leah Day's blog, and decided to try some "sky hooks".  It's not as fancy as hers because I don't want to drill holes in the ceiling, but it seems to be helping me. 

The days are getting longer, and it won't be long until gardening season begins.  I stopped and picked up a few dead stalks yesterday after I took a walk.   I'm going to shrink my gardens again this year.  I just can't keep up with it all.  I fall further behind every year.  So the big garden will be mostly "wildflowers" and some punkins and zucchini.  I'd till it under.but there are some nice trees and shrubs out there I'd have to kill in the process.  I may try to encourage some native species to help the butterflies.  We lease the field to a guy who grows corn and soybeans (probably GMO), so I need to do a little bit to make up for the damage the farmers do. 

I am grateful for:
Aches and pains that remind me I am lucky enough to be growing older.
My grand babies.
My talented and generous friends.
A new series of books to enjoy in the car.
Time to exercise my artistic "muscles".

Still Winter

Winter isn't going to let us loose one second sooner than it has to this year by the look of things.  But being trapped inside works for me at the moment. If only every Wednesday, when I have to drive somewhere, the weather would stop being really crappy!

Week before last was the annual retreat with members of my quilt guild. 

 We spend three or four days with Silver Lake right across the street, and get to enjoy views like this!



Julie always brings a fun project for us all to play with, if we're so inclined.  Her work station is very popular because she makes the most wonderful things!!















This year, the favorite was these fun angels.  She provided the faces, pre-printed on fabric, along with a wealth of beads and yarns for embellishing!




This is mine before I painted some color on her cheeks and around her eyes.











Her wings were made from some kaleidoscopes Julie had printed on fabric and was generous enough to share.  Julie owns a business where she can print your image on fabric.  It's how I made my naughty tulip last year.






My goal for retreat this year was to get the top pieced for a wedding gift.  I can share it here because I'm fairly certain there's more than 6 degrees between me and the bride when it comes to our online presence. 

Kiara had been sick, so I went over to spend some time with her.  We tried weaving on cardboard. She seemed to enjoy it.  

And I have finally gotten to enjoy seeing Everett smiling and "talking" to me!  

 Oh, no!  I don't have a new picture of Jon to share.  The last two times I've been there he has kept me so busy being superheroes or robots that I don't get a chance to take pictures.  I love being his favorite playmate!

I finally finished these socks, which I thing I started in September last year!!  They are made from a Red Heart yarn, Boutique Unforgettable.  It's DK or worsted weight (?) acrylic.  Easy care but not easy for knitting because it splits and it's fuzzy so if you have to tear out, it grabs itself and gets stuck. I haven't worn them yet.  I hope they're warm.

I can't find it now, but I saw a post on Facebook earlier today that told about a kid who asked 50 people if they would sign his petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide.  He showed them a fact sheet similar to this.  Something like 43 of the 50 signed, six weren't sure.  One person knew that dihydrogen monoxide is water.  One!  This is how the world works now.  You show people something that sounds official and they just believe it without even bothering to check if it's true.  That's why it's so important to do your research, verify the facts and stay informed.  As the Washington Post has recently said, "Democracy dies in darkness".  Be the light!!

I am grateful for:
Being with my quilting buddies for a few days!
Getting up every morning, aches, pains and all.
My grandchildren!
A husband who doesn't mind leftovers.
Knowing the answers to the question.

Fill 'er up!

So, another busy few weeks have passed by!  Winter has been kicking our butts, giving me the good old midwinter blues.                                                                                                    But the real reason for my feeling like I'm under a dark cloud lately has to do with my very special girl, Marigold.   If you don't know the story , she was a foster kitten in 2015, who I got when she was just 4 weeks old.  At around 6 weeks, she had a seizure.  We weren't sure if a fall caused the seizure, or a seizure caused the fall.  Cats with seizures are not adoptable, due to the medical expense and vagaries of treatment, so euthanasia was recommended.  I decided to keep her a while and monitor the seizures.  She had one more that I saw, and then nothing- almost confirming that a fall caused it.  By that time, she was a permanent resident here.  She had never had another seizure until January 14, and it was a bad one.  I consulted with the veterinarians I work with at GCC.  They both said she'd probably have to go on anti-seizure medication.  A cat who hides if she sees the tube of flea medicine ( and it took two of us to get it on her) was going to need daily pilling.  Or do nothing and let the seizures get worse. After she had another nasty one 10 days later,  I chose the original option.  It was not the easy way out.  It was what I thought was best for her.  She went peacefully, not in fear or in pain.  Our house has felt pretty empty the last few weeks. 

That's the meaning of the title of this post.  I have also been feeling empty.  I am lucky I have some very dear friends, and good things to help fill me back up.  

Visits with these guys always help.  I have indeed been making up for lost time last month, going over for cuddles and play time at least one day a week.

Jon is a good brother, and doesn't seem to mind that I need some time just to cuddle baby Everett.










Everett is also making up for his slow start- growing like crazy!  Last time I visited , he was starting to push himself up so he could look around, and look at me, rather than just cuddling on my chest.  He almost looks like he's smiling in this one, doesn't he?

Jon was over for a while today while daddy was helping Papa.  It wasn't on my schedule for today, but nothing else was as important as watching Jon build this (all by himself- such concentration!), then having grilled cheeses sandwiches in our blanket fort. 















I have done a bit of sewing.  The new bed quilt went back in the "time out" chair after my sewing machine got fussy one day. I am very doubtful at this point it will make it to our bed before warm weather arrives (except maybe for a picture)








I did get this little one finished last week.  The center was for a demo I did at a guild meeting last november.  The fabrics were leftovers from my George Siciliano quilt.  Once I got the center pieced, I wondered how I was going to finish it, so went looking for a border.  In a tribute to my massive stash, I found the perfect Kaffe Fassett print waiting to be used.  I also had the perfect thread in my stash.  I titled this piece Planning is Over-rated.




Here's a close up of my quilting. I kept it simple.  The whole piece is something like 20 x 22, and I wasn't going to do anything fancy over all those seams.












I am grateful for:
My daily hug appointment friend at work.
Caring and understanding staff at Perry Pet in Perry.
Jon, Everett and their mommy who puts up with me dropping by (I always ask first)
An interesting conversation with a friend at guild!
My husband finally agreed it was time to replace that ratty recliner!