Helpful Tip

Finally tackling the dreaded finishing touches to my sweater, getting those shoulder seams whip stitched together so I can knit the collar. I've never liked picking up stitches at the neckline, always feeling that it is a guessing game to get the right number so stitches evenly distributed. It's been a long time since I've done this and thought to check a reference book I have on hand to see if I was doing it right (I wasn't). And that is where I found the helpful tip for distributing the stitches - use stitch markers to break up the neckline evenly! Almost a "duh" moment. I did some math and came up with a breakdown of 7 sections of 15 stitches each. I'd bought a packet of safety pin-like markers back when I was knitting socks, didn't even know they existed until they were used in a PBS knit & crochet show I'd started watching. They worked like a charm. Onward!

I'm having a hard time adapting my routine to the time change that brings darkness so early to the day. I am so used to walking between 4:30 and 5:00 or so when I know my mail will be waiting for me as I pass the mail locker on my way by, but now it is almost dark by 4:00, so an earlier walk it is and a second trip to the mail locker after dark. Any change in routine leaves me floundering for awhile and wanting to resist it but I'm trying to be more positive this time. For instance, I'm meeting different people walking their dogs at this earlier time. Still, I'm getting caught out by the switching around and not getting into the studio as I want. The day just magically disappears even faster it seems. How are you coping with the time change?

And do you have plans for Thanksgiving? If you are traveling, may it be safe and delay free. If you are hosting, may all conversation be light and loving, and all food comfort for the soul.

Oh Look!

I got another trinket bowl made, using up the last of the blue ark fabric and what was left of the pinks. But that raindrop fabric - it will go into many more bowls, it looks like. That strip you see is four double layers  that will take 3 swipes of the rotary cutter across its width. Many more long lengths for wrapping around clothesline. I'm not as happy with this one as the others, not liking my decision to just go as far as I could with the first inner pink which made that second round short, and wishing I'd had some blue, even if a different fabric, as accent around the top to balance the blue in the center.

And we got our first snow over the weekend - only a few inches that quickly melted off even the lawns, but more is due in tonight and tomorrow. Oddly enough, my deck garden doesn't seem to mind. Small excitement on the home front: a new refrigerator got delivered today. The old one was starting to make some disturbing clunks when the condenser shut down. As a renter, appliances are included so getting a new one doesn't cost me a thing. Ditto with new sets of blinds for the upstairs bedrooms. Those bedrooms facing west get the afternoon sun and the plastic clips holding the vertical blinds in place started snapping from deterioration. Now I have working blinds again and really appreciate having a great maintenance man to install them. In the meantime, I've noticed that the new refrigerator sounds slightly different when running, causing me to cock my head to figure out what that sound is. Shouldn't take long to get used to it though.

Woodworking Artist Extraordinaire

South of the Colorado - Basketweave turning by Charliewood Art

Goodness, the last few weeks have been full of distractions and diversions that can kept me from having much to share. I'm guessing hearing that I've gotten to some document shredding and filing, finished updating my various journals, received positive reports from my regular 6 month followups with my rheumatologist and dental hygienist and got my car serviced for winter aren't the sort of thing you come here for. I've also had some computer wars that I finally resolved today so hopefully am ready to get back into regularly scheduled blog reports. In the meantime, I ran across a woodworker whose artistic renditions either fool you into thinking you're looking at a woven basket or that puzzle you over how he did that. It's Rich Charlson, a Montana farmer who turns wood in his spare time. But don't think he's some amateur for he has been honing his craft for about thirty-five years and has many accolades to his name, Go check out his many bowls, crosses and even wall hangings at Charliwoodart.com.

Glad For That Extra Yarn

I have had so many distractions and diversions and things to stress out over, little time to unwind in the studio. So the other night I pulled out my knitting again, knowing I didn't have too many more rows to go to finish the second sleeve of my wool sweater. I was so right to think I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish it and so lucky I was able to get more of it. The arrow points to where the last of the originally bought yarn ended and the additional bought yarn was added in order to finish the top of the sleeve. Of course, you also need a bit of yarn to join front and back and sleeves by hand and also more to knit the neckline ribbing. An extra skein was definitely what I needed. As the shop owner commiserated when I told her my sad story of being sure I wouldn't have enough, "Don't you just hate it when those yarn amounts aren't right?" So I guess it happening must not be rare.

By the way, still enjoying autumn colors. Though some trees are dropping leaves, many more, like the cottonwoods and birches, are clinging on. Had to make the hour drive to the "almost big city" yesterday which is mostly through the countryside and thoroughly enjoyed seeing so much brilliant yellow along the way.

Creativity and Cottonwoods

As I've journeyed through my quilting career, I've soaked in so many bits of advice to the point that I rarely run across anything new to me and frankly have even stopped clicking into most of them. But I couldn't resist checking out this one due to the title: "I've studied creative people for 40 years: They share these 6 habits." Hmm - I think of myself as a creative person. How do I stand up? Well, I don't quite have them all but most, and especially the outdoor habit. I hardly miss a daily walk where there are many opportunities to study trees. Read the article here and let me know if you have all six habits.

So with a cold front due to move in with rain the next day, I needed to get out somewhere in the great outdoors before it arrived, but I decided not to make the 45 or so minute drive to that new trail I discovered. Instead, I headed into town to check out how the leaves were turning and had a choice between City Beach or the Bay Trail. I didn't think I was up for the Bay Trail so settled for enjoying the lake front from city beach. Lake draw down has started and most boats have been pulled from the docks, but it isn't down all that much, still beautiful views. From the spit I could look across at the Bay Trail which is lined with cottonwood trees, now showing their colors. I wasn't sure if they would be, but gazing across I was almost sorry I didn't take that trail. It's lovely walking beneath that golden canopy.

I spotted some rather scraggly flowers next to the walkway, but pretty all the same.

The cottonwoods have finally amped up their color, and the birch trees are following suit. I took these pictures along the service road next to the dog park.

They are at their best when the sun hits them.  

And they are sooooo tall!

I don't have pictures but have noticed some trees that have turned color in what seems an odd way. At least I don't remember noticing before how some trees have both yellow and orange leaves in different parts of the tree. And one tree at City Beach had yellow leaves close to the trunk while the outer leaves were orange red. You really had to look closely to see those yellow leaves hiding underneath. And while many trees are at peak, others have leaves that are stubbornly staying green. What are you observing in your neck of the woods?

Organizing

You might remember that my resolution word for this year is organize. After the first big push early in the year, I haven't thought much about it as I've just delved into various projects. Well, maybe I've thought of it a little bit as I note things I've continued to stack on the end of the work table. The filing never seems to end. But here is another part of my procrastination problem. I see things I might want to print off to place in a journal or my book of quotations, or something short enough I could just copy into one of them by hand, but instead of doing it on the spot, I end up saving the image or link to one of several places. If it is found on Facebook, I save it to a file I've titled "When I have time" because that is exactly when I think I'll get to it as well as articles I want to read but right now I don't have the time. Sometimes I download it to my computer where it can sit for a very long time, sometimes just waiting until I have enough to fill a page when I do get around to printing them. It would take just a few minutes to deal with things like this as I run across them, but I so often procrastinate until I think I'll have more time.

Well, this past week or so, I decided to take the time, and I've been doing some organizing of files and photos on my computer and going through all those Facebook saves and getting them printed off. I'm down to the last page in my quotations book and am looking forward to transitioning to the Celtic Weave book I made. My Gratitude and Memories book hasn't been touched in a long time but some of the saves definitely belong in there. There was even directions and photos of a transfer method I've been meaning to try for a very long time, but I needed it printed out to make it happen.

While in the midst of this, an e-mail directed me to some hiking trails a bit south of me that I was unaware of. I've been wanting to go somewhere new so maybe I will try one of them. For once, I did not save the link to Pocket under the Hiking tag but printed off the info right then (upper left). Pretty proud of myself for that!

Now to get them trimmed to size and glued into their proper places. Let's not procrastinate there too . . .

More Trinket Bowls

You may think the above photo looks familiar but it is not a re-posting. I was emptying my studio wastebasket when I spotted the long strips trimmed off along the selvage when making the pillowcases. They'd gone immediately into the trash because the printed area next to the actual selvage was so narrow - no reason to save these. This was before I caught on to the idea of using up scraps from the quilt to make trinket bowls. I did a quick measure and there was exactly the width of print that I cut for strips to make the bowls. There were usable scraps from the pillowcase cuffs as well as 4 inches of raindrop fabric (seen at left) to continue cutting up, so it all looked like enough for another trinket bowl.

And indeed it was.

I decided to look a little deeper into what was in the bag where I'd been tossing fabric scraps I thought I could use for bowls. There was quite a bit of a fabric used as backing for another baby quilt I'd made for a nephew's baby, one where the mother had a specific pattern and fabric choice in mind. I never really liked this fabric - too kind of 60's pop for me but at least had teal in it which is a favorite color of mine. One nice thing about these narrow strips that wrap around the clothesline is that much of the print becomes indistinguishable so I knew this was a good use for this fabric I'm not keen on. You'd never guess what it looked like before being cut up and it pairs well with the raindrop fabric.

I also found more pink strips in that bag, puzzled as to where they came from but they will go into yet another bowl with this floral, still working on making it all go away. But this is reminding me too much of the biblical fishes and loaves story where no matter how much they gave away to the thousands of people being fed, there was always some left over. Quilters and their scraps apparently have the same problem. ;-)

Thoughts on Creativity

Leaves seem reluctant to change their colors in my part of the world, that is, save for a group of maples in a park I frequent.

They are a rich red which draws me over for a closer look.

The cottonwood trees, though, can't seem to muster their usual bright golden yellow I love, if they are turning at all. Their hearts don't seem in it, any more than my heart has been into what waits in my studio this year. Oh, there have been splashes of interest, bursts like those maples, but the interest and drive I once had waxes and wanes. Age? Health? Shift of priorities? I don't even take as many inspiration photos as I used to. And yet, I still study clouds on my walks and couldn't help but try to capture some stunning ones yesterday, having no idea how I might work them into a textile piece - clouds are really hard to capture in fabric and thread! Not even easy with paint!

I went on a bit of a rant in my last post, and confessed I'd managed to confuse myself looking at all the videos previewed during a taster offering.Why am I looking at all these painting sessions? Why am I not working with textiles? And then found this quotation in a recent e-mail from Laly Mille, one of the teachers and someone I've been following and taking free lessons from for awhile:

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.”

– Nate Berkus –

Well, I did allude during my rant that I do like a challenge of mastering something new and this quotation reminded me of that. Some of my earliest memories involve needle and thread, fabric and yarn, constantly challenging myself to learn a new stitch or make something slightly beyond my abilities. And this need to learn has never been limited to any one thing. That's why now I joke that I have too many interests, I can't keep up!

Ah well, I suppose there are worse problems to have. I can't disagree with the above statement. Back to work . . .

Sucked In Again

Someone should create an app that blocks all e-mails and websites offering free things, at least things related to art and crafts. I was going to make more trinket bowls but the free Year of Light Taster sessions I'd signed up for a few weeks ago out of curiosity suddenly started, and there I was, committing myself to nine days of art videos that would then disappear. I checked out how things were set up and found it very much like the Sketchbook Revival I participated in twice: A host artist (who I was familiar with from her videos on Sketchbook Revival) and 4 different artists a day presenting their classes in videos lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. At least with Sketchbook School we knew we'd have a week or so following the last presentations to catch up or rewatch videos, but this taster kept stressing that all would disappear after the last day of videos. Not to worry though, the host said, just purchase the year-long "Year of Light" and you would have lifetime access to these videos plus all the other videos that would be shown during the year. I didn't check out the price of that but you can believe it is hefty, and hefty enough that the host was offering a 25% discount and payment plan. Wow . . .

Well, I got to watching. Techniques taught were predominantly watercolor with a few using acrylic paint or pastels, and a few teaching drawing skills with pencil. There was a little collage and mixed media that I found interesting, and my fave Laly Mille showed a transfer technique unlike what I'd seen before (and am anxious to try). The quality of presentations varied widely, some very fussy and having you sit through slow application of paint and layer after layer to reach the desired result, something I had no patience for, some I skipped because I'd been exposed to them in Sketchbook Revival, some good but could have been edited down, and some very well done and informative. I fast forwarded through a lot of them, and the ones of interest I watched clear through, taking notes on the printouts provided. Unlike during Sketchbook Revivals where I watched and did almost every lesson over the two weeks, I had no time to actually do any of these lessons, but would like to try the ones I took notes on eventually, hoping I can remember and make sense of the notes since I won't be able to re-watch any videos.

My brain was reacting differently from other times I've watched videos like this, it seemed. When I'd run across videos either too lengthy or not well done, I'd question if this was a good use of my time. Even on ones that interested me, I caught myself thinking how much easier some of the effects could be done using fabric. In fact, one session painting a night sky with moon and bare branches stretching across and over the moon, I HAVE done in fabric, more than once. And one showing how to paint bubbles with acrylic paint reminded me of the bubble prayers quilt I made using sheers and metallic thread for the bubbles. Feeling confused, I started to question why I was even interested in wielding a paint brush, except that I have all the supplies and it's a newish, unmastered technique I have dabbled in.

And all the while, I felt the pressure of time, knowing these videos would be going away, and feeling a certain anger at something presented as a fun, get a "taste" of the real thing which was simply a marketing ploy. Whenever someone shared that they'd been sick or busy with work or other life intervening things and "behind" or even not having been able to watch a single video, the chirpie Host would say, don't worry, just buy the year long class and you'll have lifetime access to all, or to those saying how overwhelmed they felt, you don't have to do every lesson, just pick a few. Nope, you certainly don't have an understanding of the people who would sign up for this sort of thing. We would want to take full advantage of such an opportunity for free classes. 

Granted, Sketchbook Revival is a bit of a marketing tool as well, but it is giving the opportunity to artists to showcase what they have to offer should one decide they'd like to pay for a class from them, but the main thrust is to get people using their sketchbooks again and giving them ideas of how to do that. This taster didn't feel that way to me at all; no, this was buy my pricey class, gains for you secondary.

By the last day which was yesterday, I have to say I was pretty burned out, watching or skipping through all those videos for nine days straight, and losing interest in the last set, asking myself the important question of how would I use what I might learn here and am I even interested in learning how to draw or paint the object shown? (No, I do not want to paint a fox. No, I do not want to sketch a bird.) I did watch two more but was glad I was done. Also getting overloaded with so many people posting their renditions of the lessons in the Facebook group even though some were quite good. In fact, I had to chuckle that a few came out better than the teacher's. In the end, the host relented to the cries of give us a few more days and did tack on 5 more days of access to the videos. Good on her. But I've seen all I need to see I think. Back to trinket bowls . . .

The Trinket Bowls (Or Baskets)

When I started the first of these trinket bowls, I wasn't feeling very well, but I thought well enough to sit at the machine wrapping fabric strips around clothesline and slowly stitching the coil together. And in fact I did feel well enough to do that, that is until I had to make a decision about changing to a different fabric. Where I stopped to take a picture for this blog post was where I could switch to, say, the blue fabric or continue up the sides in the raindrop fabric. I wasn't sure how far the blue strips would go and in my muddled state, I simply couldn't make up my mind and walked away . . . for over a week until I felt better. By then I'd thought it over and had a plan to just continue up the sides and switch to the blue for the last two rounds. And was disappointed with the look, plus the bowl was slightly larger than mine that I was using as a guide, and I'm not sure why. Was the clothesline slightly thicker, or the less wide zigzag not pulling together the coils as much? Whatever the reason, I forged ahead, deciding the next one would use up all the pink fabric and it pretty much did. But was smaller than the first - go figure! I had some orangy pink for the center of the last bowl, filling in the gap to the place where it shapes up the sides with raindrop fabric and doing the final 4 rows in the blue now that I knew how far each strip would go. In size it falls somewhere between the first and second one. I think I like it best although the pink one is very likable too. 

There's still maybe a 4 or 5 inch selvage to selvage strip of the raindrop fabric plus other wider lengths that run parallel to the selvage but otherwise, the rest of the fabric that went into the quilt has been used up. I like the way the raindrop fabric worked up in the trinket bowls so may put it in the bag where I have other fabrics suitable for bowls. in the meantime, quilt and pillowcases and bowls are now boxed up ready to send off.

Signs of Autumn

Spotted on a recent walk

From Joy Williams essay, “Autumn”:

There is no such thing as time going straight on to new things. This is an illusion. Okay? And clinging to this illusion makes it difficult to understand oneself and one’s life and what is happening to one. Time is repetition, a circle. This is obvious. Day and night, the seasons, tell us this. Even so, we don’t believe it. Time is not a circle, we think. Spring screams the opposite to us, of course, and summer seduces us into believing that we’re all going to live forever. Winter couldn’t care less what we think about time. But fall cares. Instructive, tactful, subtle, fall is a philosophy all its own. Occult, secretive, taking pleasure in sleep, in rest. Fall’s comfortless, honest rot. In the beginning in most places it’s showy, the better to mask its melancholy: raging leaves and spanking breezes, edgy with the real cold. And that special, solemn light. For fall is for melan- cholics and those in love. The torchy sort of love. Forget spring. Spring is nothing but promise, a reproach to melancholics. Spring makes us forget the deal, whereas fall is the deal. The unutterable, unalterable deal.

Fall is. It always comes round, with its lovely patience. If in the beginning it’s restless, at the end it’s re signed, complete in its waiting, complete in the utter correctness of what it has to tell us. Which is that we’re transitory. We’re transient, we’re temporary, we’re all only sometime. We will pass and someone else will take our place. Our pursuit of living founders each time we remember this. Fall is the darkening window, the one Hart Crane had in mind in his poem “Fear,” the window on which likes the night.

Found in Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals.

 

So Much For Quick

Only some of the stacks of fabrics I went through

I really liked the idea of using up the big pieces of fabric left over from making the rails baby quilt by making it into pillowcases, and thought it wouldn't take me long to make up three for the other kids in the family. I'd found several free pillowcase patterns on line and chose the one from AQS partly because it used a little less fabric in the main part of the case and the cuff seemed simpler. I made a few changes like not cutting two separate main and cuff pieces, thus eliminating one long seam, and found I could get two cases out of the ark animal fabric and one out of the raindrops. That part went quickly enough. But as you can see, picking coordinating/contrasting fabric for the cuffs sent me for an agonizing trip through my stash that lasted several days. You know the drill: pull potentials for auditioning, find a few that might work, nothing seems quite right, and finally, when looking in a spot you forgot to check, you find a perfect candidate, then another and decide you really like that one you spotted in the beginning. Ahhh, all three cases now have cuffs to match. (And I have to say, the process reacquainted me with a lot of beautiful fabric I must find a use for.)

Me and my mother 1968

Both sets of directions gave the option to just zigzag or machine overcast the seams but I knew with this fabric there would still be a mess of threads after washing. So I opted to make French seams, a technique I learned when I made this dress for a high school prom. That floaty chiffon overdress absolutely had to have its seams encased, not just to keep raveling under control but because they could be seen through the chiffon.

You know me, I like things nicely finished and I'm very pleased with these French seams and the way the cuff folded over and was stitched down a bit from the edge, looking very much like a commercial pillowcase.

But these did take longer to make than I thought they would. I did do a lot of pinning which I suppose many people would not, but again, it assured a good looking product in the end.

Now I've started on the trinket baskets I wanted to send along as well. It won't use up all of the raindrop fabric (I don't think) but here is what was left of the ark fabric and the various pink fabrics I used in the quilt that could be cut into usable length strips for the baskets.

It's been awhile since I've made these so I had to spend some time going over directions and finding my notes on machine settings and changes that make a full basket into a short lipped saucer shape like this one. And this first one is going very slowly as I get my wrapping and coiling rhythm back.

In the meantime, I've finished sleeve one of my lavender sweater and yes indeed, it did use up slightly more than one skein, meaning I definitely will need at least some of the extra I was able to get.

Call of the Wild

Round Lake State Park

A case for vacation: “A lot of writing consists of waiting around for the aquarium to settle so you can see the fish. Walking around muttering seems to hasten the process. Taking public transportation nowhere helps. Looking out the bus window lets the back of your mind move forward. Don’t listen to anything but natural sound. Don’t look at anything you have to turn on. This is about the pleasure of silence. This is not meditating; this is reacquainting yourself with yourself. Something interesting might enter your head if you let it alone.” Abigail Thomas

I don't think that only refers to writing, but to any creative outlet. I have the luxury of being able to do this often, tap into this "pleasure of silence". Today was one of those times.

Goldilocks got her "just right" weather today so off I went and this is where I spent some time. I was surprised that more water wasn't flowing through here and what was didn't make a sound, even though some flowed over and around rocks. I was wondering if something was wrong with my hearing it was so quiet, if not for the very loud woodpecker. Up on the upper trail I spotted a deer browsing in the trees. I stood stock still while it tried to decipher what I was. When I finally moved on, it took off but not far. Turns out there were two or three more in those trees, just calmly watching and chewing. It was a day not to grab for a camera but just take in the sights and smells and the feel of the breeze against my skin and its sound through the trees. Refreshed.

Highly Influenced

I am stubborn. I try to avoid cliches or puns when naming my quilts. I strive for something more than "For (quilt recipient's name)". But as I mentioned, an obvious name for this quilt for my goddaughter's baby was alluding me. But not really. Every time I spread it out on the table,"Pretty In Pink" popped into my brain. NO, my stubborn side said, that's a movie title, one I've not even watched, and probably sending a message I don't want to send. And yet . . . this quilt IS so pretty in pink. So I gave in, inking the info on the back of the quilt. I usually use a micron pen to do my inking, and more recently, their plastic nib versions. Had a blue one I've used before, but it seemed to have dried up. I've had a lot of issues with that recently with micron pens I've purchased either at the Michael's store near me or added to an internet purchase from some place like Cheap Joe's. It's making me wonder how long these pens have sat in stock, because I have pens I bought years ago but don't use often that still work fine. Was about to change to a black one when I had a thought. Could I use one of their brush pens instead, since I had one of those in blue? Yes! In fact, a brush pen may move even better over fabric when using a light touch.

I am so pleased with my choices for the quilting. After finishing all the arrows on the blocks, I wondered if I shouldn't add more lines. I decided to wait until I'd quilted the sashing to make up my mind. The arrows were a take on one of Angela Walters' "dot to dot" designs from her recent series, Dot to Dot FMQ Challenge Quilting Along, such an easy method of quilting with straight lines. But for the sashings, I was considering several of her more curvy designs like serpentine or ribbon candy. I've done neither of these before and wasn't in the mood for practicing or setting up my machine for free motion quilting. As I stared and considered, it occurred to me I could put into practice more dot to dot quilting in that sashing, using the seams of the strips in the blocks as my "dots" to shoot for. This worked so well and when I spread out the quilt again, I didn't feel I needed any more quilting in the blocks. Thanks, Angela, for influencing how I approached the quilting on this piece.

When making baby quilts, I've gotten in the habit of quilting the baby's name somewhere within the quilting designs. This time I reserved the border for adding her name, interspersed with hearts. My script may not be the prettiest but the variegated thread hides some of my inconsistencies.

So here it is, ready at last to send off to baby Briar. But first, I'm going to make some pillowcases from what I have left of the Noah's Ark fabrics. I have quite a bit and have no desire for it to go back into my stash. They can go to the other kids in the family.

What's In A Name?

I've been watching the Olympics, mainly gymnastics, which has reminded me of a piece I made back in 2008 when I was also watching the Olympics. The commentators kept talking about the gals on beam having to make balance checks to keep from falling off, and that stuck in my head as I worked to strike a good balance with the applique pieces that were leftovers from another piece. Then there was lots of musing about maintaining the design balance of the piece as I added more and more quilting in various colored threads on that black background. It seemed a given that I'd name this piece "Balance Check". You can read more about this on this blog post where I talk about not just achieving balance in my artwork, but in life in general.

Do you have trouble naming your quilts or do names just appear as you are working? As a general rule, I do settle on a name before each piece is finished, although a few stubbornly refuse to reveal what they would like to be named. I'm having that issue with the rails baby quilt and it's driving me crazy. I think it must be because I feel like Helen Wells feels:

I try and take my time naming a painting. As the paintings develop I keep a list of words and phrases which occur to me as I work, that have resonance… a running list of possible names or just fragments of thoughts. I think about what I am trying to convey, the feeling that is embodied in the painting...how the painting makes me feel.

Naming a painting is like a small milestone, a closing ceremony, a gift to the painting and the viewer, a mark of completion, a small badge of respect, a sense of identity for the new painting that has been created…

What's your experience with naming quilts? 

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Lighthearted Musings

Photo by George Sanker

July is nearly over, and I think I will miss this calendar photo of the American Purple Gallinule. Look at those feet! You'd think they'd be an encumbrance but in fact, they are purpose built for walking on floating vegetation and clinging to plant stems. Laugh if you will but their huge clawed feet are their specialty for survival.

If that doesn't make you smile, perhaps this video will. I had saved it thinking it would be much longer than it is but worth watching when I had more time. Who among us has not faced "creative anxiety and procrastination", the theme of author Fredrik Backman's talk? You won't believe what he has to say in such a short amount of time!

And then there's this post from Ellen Anne Eddy: Repetition:The Nervous Person's Friend. Ellen is always so open and honest in her posts and this one is no exception as she muses about the breakdown of the body as we arrive in our seventies (I'm with you on that one, Ellen). But I also agree with what she has to say about this art form we embrace that is so full of doing the same thing over and over. Here's a sample but do check out the entire post.

"Part of it is that repetitious actions put us in a different mode and zone. It’s been called right brain thinking, but I think it needs the reinforcement of physical action, particularly action that doesn’t take a lot of thought...Thank God for repetition. For mindless tasks that eventually build art. They also bring quiet, piece, peace and courage. On the other side, enough blue, purple, orange and yellow is an excellent color therapy. Color really is an antidepressant."

I also came across a couple of John O'Donohue quotations this week which I found surprisingly fitting for the artist in me rather than just the spiritual which is his milieu. They really uplifted me, and if you need uplifting in any way, perhaps they will resonate with you as well.

"May you have the wisdom to enter generously into your own unease to discover the new direction your longing wants you to take."

"May I have the courage today to live the life that I would love, to postpone my dream no longer but do at last what I came here for and waste my heart on fear no more" 

And may you have an astounding and fearless and lighthearted week!

Not Much To Share

It's been hot. There was motorcycle racing to watch. I had to drive to the semi-big city yesterday in 100 degree heat. I've gotten hooked on the Smithsonian channel's Air Disaster series, newly discovered by me but in its 20th season so lots of catching up. My lassitude feels typically summer so not too worried as long as it doesn't continue into fall! I think my deck flowers feel the same as they struggle to maintain blooms in this heat. I've finally started on the first sleeve of the sweater knitting project while watching tv that doesn't require full attention; otherwise, creativity a bit stalled. Hand me my iced coffee as I relax with a good book . . .

Helen Wells sent out a video addressing this very thing, how a change in season shifts our energy and can make one want a change in approach. She lists a lot of things she'd like to do in this time, "carving out" a little more space for them in this time when she wants to retreat a bit: "A time to retreat into creativity, a time to replenish, a time to be more introspective...."  She has keyed in on 4 things to consider in how she wants to spend these summer days. 

• What do I want to START doing?

• What do I want to STOP doing?

• What do I want to do LESS of?

• What do I want to do MORE of?

 I realized that this is what I've been doing for awhile now as I've felt a need to adjust a routine I've fallen into but want to get out of or at least modify. I just haven't written it down in list form as she suggests. There are things I know I want to stop but why is it so difficult to do that? Reading and knitting definitely fall in the do more of, and I have. Am trying to do less on the computer starting with not reading every single thing I come across, doing a better job of "curating" what's important and what doesn't really apply to me or is not new info, letting quick scans gather up what I need to know, passing up things I don't. As for what do I want to start? I'll have to give that more thought. I have so much going on, so many interests I'm already pursuing, I can't imagine starting something new. Then again, maybe I'm looking at that the wrong way. More thought!

You can watch the video here or read the transcript version below it. Let me know what you think. Does any of this resonate with you?

It Worked!

I started quilting on the rails quilt by stitching-in-the-ditch through the center of each block both directions to stabilize things before quilting the "arrows" in. It occurred to me that repositioning the architect lamp that usually shines down on the needle area over to the left and down to shine the light at an angle might produce shadowing so I could see those hera markings even over the light fabric. And it worked like a charm - I could see all markings easily.

I like the way the arrows rotate around the block. Makes me think of the storms and winds Noah and his ark must have weathered. My only concern is that there may be too much open unquilted space that I might feel compelled to add more stitching to. I'll not worry about that now.

Here you can see those initial lines of stitch-in-the-ditch quilting and the wedges of unquilted space.

I do like this gold/yellow thread on the back. It does run quite light as it variegates but I think it was a good choice.

Ready To Quilt

Slowly but surely I have overcome my procrastination and issues with pinning and marking of the rails quilt. Sometimes all one has to do is just admit you have no choice but to proceed and just do it. I was pleased to feel myself getting into a rhythm with the marking, and putting the rest of the pins in went quickly. As usual, was asking myself what the big deal was that had me putting this off for so long. I'd already started auditioning threads and found the King Tut pink variegated thread perfect for the top. As for the bobbin, there were several ways I could go including pink, but those flamingos are very peachy. I initially thought the King Tut blue variegated thread would be perfect, surely was the right blue, but I hesitated. Maybe that light blue one would be better, but it just looks like white or grey thread when I spooled it across the fabric. There's quite a bit of golden tan in the animals and I've decided that gold King Tut variegated thread was the one. I also think it would show less should I have any pull-ups on the front. It sure has gotten hot here, too hot to spend any time outside during the day, so no excuse not to start quilting in my air conditioned studio.

Did I mention I ordered more batting? I honestly don't need more, which a quick assessment of my stash confirmed. But what a knee jerk reaction to seeing a 30% off sale at one of my favorite internet shops, Connecting Threads. I wasn't aware of this particular blend of cotton and wool in a batting and I was intrigued. Cotton battings often quilt up flatter than expected, but I don't always want to use a wool batting. I'm speculating that the wool will create a loftier batting and keep it all natural. Has anyone out there tried it? I absolutely shopped like I was still making lots of quilts, buying the king size batt because it is the best value. I still remember Harriet Hargrave's batting lecture where she pointed out most quilters buy batting because it is the size they need for their project, not considering if its contents is appropriate for their project and never thinking they could get more than one quilt out of the largest batt available and save money. Well, you have to be using it up for it to be a good buy, so I guess my somewhat impulse buy may encourage me to make more tops. I do have two large quilt ideas I've not followed up on (even though fabric is set aside), and think I may still have it in me to get them made. Perhaps I'll be guilted into it! Whatever works, I say.

It's That Anniversary Again

Each year on the anniversary of my husband's death, I pause and contemplate our life together, from meeting at college to forging a partnership through marriage and finally to our last days together. When I sit down to blog about it each year, I've looked for photos that showed the various aspects of the person who loved me, supported me and did good out in the world. Often I've shared the motorcycle part since that was such a big part of what might be termed the second half of our life together, and this year I got out an old photo album to hunt down pictures from a 1998 motorcycle vacation that included visiting Copper Falls State Park in Wisconsin, looking for waterfall pictures which is what you see above.

Unexpectedly as I flipped through pages, I ran across these two photos of us from 1997 when we flew back to Olympia, WA for a friend's wedding. It was held at an old house with wrap-around porches sporting fantastic views, and I remember how much we enjoyed just sitting out there with no cares. My initial reaction upon seeing his smiling face in this photo was, well hello handsome - you clean up well! Then noted what I'd written at the top of the page: "Here's to you - you handsome devil!" Ah yes, I always loved it when he dressed up, always looking so smart.

Which prompted me to hunt down another pic I took of him "all suited up". Of course, the current furry child had to be included. This was in the early 80's and after realizing he had to give up teaching at least for awhile, he was putting out resumes and preparing for interviews. He really didn't have a suitable suit so I sent him off to pick something out. He came back with a beautiful 3-piece suit and what else he needed to go with it. Sigh . . . I loved it every time there was an event when I could accompany him wearing that suit.

 

So that's my story for this year. I'll be raising a glass of something later today saying, "Here's to you - you handsome devil! Thanks for every memory."