Shop Hopping

I spent all day yesterday in Salt Lake with some of my WAQ friends.  It was the Wasatch Front Shop Hop.  We only went to some of the stores in Salt Lake- the entire shop hop encompasses stores from Brigham City, north of Ogden, to Springville close to where I live.  To much territory to cover in day!  We eliminated the mostly traditional shops, and proceeded to have fun looking at what is out there.

It was obvious to me that I haven't been in a quilting store looking at fabric in a very long time.  Some of the stores had nice selections of batiks- most of which left me feeling ho-hum.  I guess my love affair with them is over!  I was rather amazed at all the bright, graphic modern prints that are available now.  They are perfect for simple designs that showcase the fabric rather than the piecing.  Not for art quilts, that is for sure.  But they will be fun when I finally get to making a quilt for Michelle.

I found some sale fabric that I'm going to make a blouse from- here it is, along with fabrics I got in Reno in May, also for clothes.

The one to the furthest left is the one I picked up for $3 a yard on sale yesterday, the other three are fabrics I got in Reno.  That pink and purple print is a Loni Rossi design, the first shirt I'll make and hopefully complete this weekend,.

I also picked up these wonderful prints done with typewritten letters- love them!

I haven't a clue what I will do with them, I just know they will find their way into a quilt at some point.  They've been added to my already large collection of black and white prints.

I'm now off to cut out a shirt from the Loni Rossi print in the first photo, then out to find a pattern for the one I got yesterday- I decided the princess-seamed shirt pattern I have wouldn't work so well with that print which is almost a stripe.  I have a pound cake to make for Father's Day, and gifts to wrap.  I'd also like to take the dog for a walk or make it to the gym, but we'll see.  Hope your weekend is a creative one!

Summer Fun, and Almost Done

We've had multiple consecutive days of WARM weather!  Today the whole family is going to Lagoon, the closest thing Utah has to Disneyland.  Should be fun, although I don't know how many of the wild roller coaster rides I'll be doing.

I have also been working hard on my Tangled Textiles piece.  It is mostly done, I just have to add some embellishments by hand, and finish the edge.  I think I'm going to use the zigzagged edge with perle cotton.  Easy to do, and I like the look.

The creative muse seems to be returning to the studio in fits and starts, but I can feel her presence more and more.  I'm planning a dyeing day soon, either with my WAQ friends or at home.  I've got some clothes I want to make with fabric ready to go.  And I have at least two quilts to get quilted!

I am becoming a real thrift store junkie.  While we were in Reno, Sean jokingly asked me to buy him a shirt- a Tommy Bahama silk shirt that retailed for $110.  Ha ha!!  Then when my brother and I were checking out the Saver's in Reno, he found a beautiful blue Tommy Bahama shirt in Sean's size- for $12.  I bought it, the look on Sean's face when he saw it was priceless.  I scored another one in our store a week ago that just got mailed off to him.  Then Friday, I found this-

Sorry the picture is fuzzy, but I took it with my phone and I'm not very good with it.  I scored a TB silk shirt for me, in a lovely black/blue/sage green flower print.  Love it!  It's gotten to be like a treasure hunt, you never know what you'll find.  I'll bet three-quarters of my closet is now recycled treasures from Saver's.  I have four or five silk shirts, all from Saver's.  Unbelievable!

And a monumental event that any woman could relate to- I went shopping for a swimsuit for the first time in over ten years, and found one I like at a price I'm willing to pay.  I look pretty good in it, sixty years old or not!!

Time for breakfast, hope your weekend is a fun, warm one!

Maybe Summer Will Get Here??!!

Today has been the first day to make me believe there really will be a a summer.  Warm and sunny, but not too hot.  We decided to make some ice cream to celebrate. . . 

Shannon is adding crushed gingersnaps to our peach-gingersnap frozen yogurt; behind her is the machine that has the vanilla ice cream.  Something for every taste!

I also got some sewing done.  I made good progress on the June Tangled Textiles piece, and figured out a technical issue- at least in my head!  For once, I am not using my hand dyed fabric.  All these lovely commercial prints seemed to fit the bill for my idea better.

 

Another work week- it would be nice if the improvement in the weather energized me enough to do some sewing in the evenings!!

DONE!!

It took some work to get that last corner of flying geese to fit, but it is finally all together and ready to be sandwiched and quilted.  I'm crossing my fingers that it will square up all right.

I'm glad to get that one off my mind.  Now I can concentrate on my Tangled piece, reveal day is in two weeks!

I'm Still Alive (although getting moldy. . . )

I think the lousy weather we've all been experiencing has affected me.  I haven't felt like blogging, haven't felt like drawing- I've just been feeling blah.  And we've had so much rain this spring (???) I'm beginning to feel moldy too.  So, no blogging- who wants to read depressed, whiny rants??

Nothing has changed on that front over the long weekend.  Lousy weather, that is supposed to improve once we go back to work. I have been hibernating in the studio.  I have a smallish- challenge piece that I need to get moving on, but somehow I can't get myself to start working on it until I get this sampler quilt pieced.  I do have a design in my head, really I do!  And I've picked out the background fabric and done some drawing.  Maybe I'll get to fabric choices later today, who knows.

I sewed most of Thursday and Friday morning, then most of yesterday afternoon.  When I got to the final quadrant, I realized I'd made a mistake somewhere in the drafting of the full-size pattern.  I still haven't figured out what I did wrong, but with some tweaking and judicious cuts with the rotary cutter, I think I'm back on track.  I had to re-draft the final section that needs to be sewed onto the quilt, but I think it will work fine.  And glory be, I had enough gridded freezer paper left to use for this section.  So much easier than graph paper with glue dots!

I think I drafted that pattern at night while I was watching coverage of the royal wedding.  Mmm, note to self-you don't do your best work at night, you are usually brain dead.  Do your drafting and work that requires thinking IN THE MORNING!!  Early, with a cup of coffee in hand!!

Here's the quilt, with only the last section of flying geese missing--

 

It has been interesting working on a quilt that I actually started six years ago.  In the interim, I quit working in a block format, and mostly started using my own hand-dyed fabric.  I've also become a lot more confident about my ability to quilt my own pieces.  I think if I'd finished this six years ago, I would have panicked and handed it off to a long-armer to do.  I've been thinking about how I will quilt this while I've been piecing, and I'm really looking forward to it.

If I were to do anything different, I would use the same fabric in the background of the blocks.  I think it is too distracting with those different prints.  One of my goals with the quilting will be to tone down those differences, and make them blend better.

So my goal for the rest of the long weekend is to get that last flying geese section pieced, and sewn onto the quilt.  I should be able to do that this afternoon. Tomorrow, I definitely won't be in the studio in the morning.  My favorite thrift store is having a half off sale all day, and I plan on being there when they open the doors at 7 am.  You never know what treasures could be there!!

Home Again

We are back from Reno- an altogether too-short vacation.  I'm just not ready to face the workweek tomorrow.  And, to top it off, we both came back with colds, albeit mild ones.  But it has left me feeling less than energetic.

After getting the laundry done, and unpacking everything, I've finally made it into the studio.  I dyed a piece of linen/rayon (destined for a summer jacket) Friday, and added another layer of color today.  I've also been at work on the sampler quilt, which is coming along nicely.  I've got the top part all pieced, and am working my way down.  

I'm already seeing things about this quilt I would do differently- but I'm not about to change it now!

I have more wild horse pictures.  They were close to the house almost every day we were there, and one day we had two different herds within easy walking distance!  The second herd had four babies, a couple of them only a few weeks old.  Here you can see how 'at home' they feel in my sister's neighborhood.

I learned the hard way that you don't try to sneak up on them- it spooks them, and they run.  So to get these pictures, I very slowly moved towards them, making sure they could see me the whole time.  I really wanted pictures of the babies, which took some maneuvering.  But I was rewarded with some good shots.

 

This was the only time we saw this herd close up.  The other herd was a regular visitor.  Here they are, just walking in the neighborhood.  

I don't think I'd ever get tired of watching them!

And of course, there was the best part of the trip- seeing Michelle.  She is growing up so quickly, and turning into a real beauty.

 

I have more pictures from HMQS to show, but that is for another post.  Dinner is calling, and best of all, I didn't have to cook it!

Where the Wild Things Are

Shannon and I arrived in Reno on Sunday morning, and have been having fun with family.  We've also gotten some good looks at wild animals that roam my sister's neighborhood regularly- herds of wild horses!

The first day, they were on the hills in back of their property, so we walked up there.  I was floored by how close they let me get.  At one point, I was within fifty feet of the herd's stallion, and got some great pictures with my telephoto lens.

I love these next photos!  The dark chestnut standing in the first photo is the herd's stallion.

 This morning, my brother woke us up to see the herd on the road just below the house.  They came up and said hello to my sister's horse Chance.

They came up even closer to the house, then took off further down the neighborhood.  They obviously feel right at home here!  I took these from the family room in the house, leaning out the window.

 

They are beautiful, majestic creatures.  There were a couple of babies in this herd, and at least one mare who is close to foaling.  Hopefully we'll see more of them while we are here!

HMQS

I haven't posted a lot lately, because I haven't had much of interest to post.  But after yesterday, I have enough quilty content for several!  I did my usual two-hour volunteer stint at HMQS yesterday- it gets me free admission.  I also met a couple of friends there, and we walked the show.  Interesting, on a couple of different levels.

I saw a number of quilts I really liked, although there weren't that many art quilts entered.  There were also some special exhibits.  Today, I'm just showing some of the quilts that grabbed my attention.You can click on the photos to enlarge them and get a better view.

I loved this rooster that Cheryl Lara did with discharge.  After discharging the rooster, she went back in with dyes and added color- pretty subtly, for the most part.  The sun and rest of the image are done with thread.

 

This one was quirky enough to capture my interest.  I don't get the Sushi reference, but I liked her use of color and value, and the oddball shapes of the blocks.  Rather reminded me of amoeba!

This gorgeous flower image was also painted.  We're so hungry for spring that isn't wet and cold that any flower image was bound to attract.

 

Joanne Baeth's depiction of sand hill cranes against a sunset sky was beautiful, in a subtle, soft way.  I loved her use of color, her perspective was well done.  I found the image very relaxing and soothing.

 

Andrea's sunflowers were a knockout!  Her background is all done with small scraps of fabric.  Her use of color and value was fantastic!

 

And for a touch of whimsy, I loved this take on old McDonald's farm.  I liked how they used values to create the animals, and colors that were not true to life.

That's it for now, lots more pictures later. My pictures aren't as clear as I'd like, but the lighting is not the best at the Expo Center, and I didn't have a lot of time to fiddle with camera settings.  I hope the makers' names are all readable.

Later- I have house cleaning to get done today, and packing for a Mother's Day trip to see family in Reno.

Progress!!

I had to get out early today to get some labwork done before my annual checkup in May- but once I got home and had something to eat, I went down to the studio and spent the entire afternoon there.  It is now officially a disaster, but I have most of the upper section pieced!

I am loving that orange ribbon 'border', and the zing it adds!  The top will have two more flying geese added to finish it off.  I've figured out the arrangement of the blocks- you can kind of see it here.

It just amazes me how well Margaret Miller's template system using graph paper works.  I've only had to re-do one piece, and that was due to my error.  I found some gridded freezer paper I had dumped in a drawer years ago, and it works great.  I hope I can find more somewhere, I don't even remember where I bought this stuff.  It has made constructing this design, which has all kinds of weird angles, relatively simple.

I will have lots of time next weekend to sew, also.  This is definitely not a quilt top I can sew on after work when I'm brain dead- I really have to pay attention, since I'm making templates and figuring out the sewing order as I go.  Lots of partial seaming, so the quilt I did for my son Ian's girlfriend was a good warm-up for this.  I know what the final destination will look like, but I have not a clue the route I'll be taking to get there.  So I guess that makes this project an interesting combination of structure and improvisation!

I can feel a glimmer of mojo. . .

AWOL

Away without leave, that's where what creative mojo I have has gone.  So I am taking some advice, posted on the Quiltart list- (via a video on You Tube, which I cannot figure out how to do here)

 Do Something

Do Anything

I am working on a quilt.  Not art, not Art- just a quilt.  It's actually one I started on my one and only trip to Asilomar in 2005, in an independent study workshop with Margaret Miller.  I did part of one corner while there, just to be sure I got the process.  Then it sat in a drawer for five years.

It's a sampler, using wonky blocks I got (and made) as part of the one and only time I participated in a Round Robin through the Utah Quilt Guild.  My wonky blocks freaked out some people- some managed to make them, others just threw up their hands in despair.  I wanted to combine bright prints with black and white prints.  So these are some of the blocks-

This is the  corner I managed to get done at the workshop--

 

You can see up at the top where I've started adding more pieces- they still have their freezer paper templates attached.

So I will be playing with this, and maybe sewing more clothes.  I'm enjoying that again, now that I don't need to do all kinds of alterations.

Got to do something to keep my sense of humor and sanity.  We're still cold, barely got into the fifties today.  Yes, I can see green- but I want to feel WARM!!!

A Sense of Humor

I have absolutely no doubt that God has a sense of humor, and He enjoys playing practical jokes on earthly beings.  How else to explain the last couple of days?

Friday was gorgeous, in the low 70's, sunny.  Yesterday was almost as warm, although overcast, and I managed to get out for an hour or so and walk the dog.  I went with Shannon's small camera, hoping to catch signs that spring really is on the way.

I had to look carefully for those signs- as you can see, it is still pretty brown/gray out there.

Look closer, though- there is green on the lawns, and weeds on the riverbank.  The river (creek?) is really muddy, fast, and pretty high on the banks- all a sign that spring runoff in the mountains has started.

A little further down, we saw one woman hanging laundry outside to dry.  Can't do that in bad weather!!

I saw lots of a red seed pod or something on the trail.  Later on, I finally figured out which tree it was coming from.

Along the riverbank, there were some bushes with new leaves showing.

I was happy, spring really does appear to be making her presence known!  Driving home, I had to stop at one garden I photograph every year.  Marjan, the gardener, has gorgeous spring flowers.  Most haven't started to bloom yet, but we saw--

 

Perfect!!  Complementary colors the first to be seen in her garden!  The last best part of the day- I wore sandals all day, and my feet loved it.  They are crying to be out of winter shoes!

I won't even show what I woke up to this morning- at least 6 inches of wet, heavy snow.  Give me a break!!  I haven't left the house, I just can't face the cold and wet.

So I've been down in the studio, altering tank tops so I can wear them this summer without embarrassing myself.  I have another summer top to cut out, and sewing it up shouldn't take long.  Sooner or later, the weather will actually catch up to where my brain and heart are.  Hey, the weather forecast says we should be back at 70 by the end of the week!!

Mindless Piecing

I'd decided earlier that was the prescription for what ails me (near-total inertia when it comes to fiber creativity), and that's what I did over the weekend.  

 My SIL Karen bought these screen-printed blocks on a trip to Oregon years ago.  They show lighthouses from around the state.  Apparently it sat in her possessions for some time, until she asked me if I could put them together into a quilt for her.  I agreed, and they spent another year or so marinating in all my stuff.  I did wash them a few months ago, but then they sat some more. 

Friday I bought navy blue fabric for the sashing and backing, and got the blocks squared.  It only took about three hours to get the whole thing pieced, including a mitered border.  Now I need to connect with Sidney (of the magical computerized HQ16!) so I can get it quilted.  I'm thinking this will take a fairly simple design, so the setup will probably take longer than the stitching.  I plan to just put it in a priority mail box, and send it off to Karen.  I'm hoping it will be the kind of surprise she'll like!

My lovely rust dyed jacket is already showing signs that it will be a short-lived article of clothing.  Ah well.  I like the pattern so much, I'm thinking I will dye some linen/rayon fabric, and make it again.  

And I worked on a 12 by 12 piece- all that's left is some quilting, and finishing the edges.  I'm hoping to get at least one more done this weekend.

Am I the only one out there feeling so blah?  The news is uniformly depressing or frustrating, and I feel utterly helpless to do anything about it.  I'm sick of cold weather, I want to feel the sun on my skin.  About the only thing I've been able to focus on for any length of time is calorie counting and getting to the gym. Maybe because it's one thing I can control? 

Springing Forward!!

Unlike many, I love it when daylight savings time finally arrives.  I love the longer days, love the promise of warmer weather- and I love setting my toesies free from winter shoes and socks!!

 

While I know we could still see snow here, I'm enjoying the warmer days we've had- in the low sixties.  Why does that temperature feel so much warmer in March than it does in October??

I am taking a temporary hiatus from art quilts.  My brain needs a break after a solid year of coming up with a new design each month.  I have been sewing, however- I made some cute little nine patch blocks for Debra, and also dug up a smallish quilt top I made at a workshop several years ago that I hadn't a clue what to do with.  Debra has a new longarm, so it was a perfect gift for her.

And I've been sewing clothes.  Having reached my goal weight, clothes shopping is fun again!  Remember that rust dyed silk I did?

It's now a lovely, semi-fitted tunic.

Rust dyeing is fun, but I've learned that it is a pain to sew on- this is the one and only garment I'll ever make with rust dyed fabric.  After this, I'll stick to rust dyeing silk scarves and maybe a few pieces of fabric  to use in collages or something.

And that tee I cut down?  It looks so good on- I am so glad I took the time to remake it!  Yeah, I already posted a picture of the tee- but it looks so much better on me than sitting on the table!!

 

Next, I have a simple quilt to make for my SIL.  She gave me some printed blocks she bought in Oregon years ago- they have pictures of different lighthouses on them.  All I have to do is square them up, cut some sashings, and put it all together.  Sidney, who helped me quilt the gift quilt for my younger son's girlfriend, has already said we can do this one on her computerized machine also.  Maybe by the time that one is done my creative brain will show some signs of return!

And maybe now my son will believe me when I say he has a skinny mom now!!

Taking a Break and Taking Stock

I'm sitting in a friend's living room in one of my favorite places in the world, Moab.  I drove down yesterday so I could spend some time with her.  I'll be working here tomorrow, then heading home.  It's been a relaxing weekend so far.  Spring hasn't quite arrived here, but the red rocks are as beautiful as ever.

After several weeks of feeling frustrated and uninspired, I'm taking a break from ART.  I want to kick back, do some mindless piecing, which will include hopefully getting a couple of UFO's finished.  Friday was a good start- my WAQ group met at Suzanne's, and helped her piece a quilt top for her mother who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  Four of us sewed for about three hours, and we got the top almost completely done.  It felt good!!

Besides the UFO's, I'm going to sew some clothing- something I haven't done for a long time.  Very little of my wardrobe fits me anymore, so I have a good excuse.  

So that's what's going on with me.  We going to wander Moab's downtown later today, then have dinner at the Moab Brewery.  It's feeling like the kind of weekend I need- relaxing, no stress or expectations of tasks needing to be completed, and enjoying a friend's company.  If my hands feel the need to be busy, I brought my knitting- maybe that one sock will finally get done!!