Counting Down

I'm counting down the days, in more than one way.  In less than three weeks I will be on a plane to spend one week each in Florida and Chicago with my two sons.  I am SOOO ready to hit the road!!

It's also clear that we are counting down the last days of summer, even though the calendar still says August.  On my walks on the river trail, the signs are definitely there.

I love the variety of wildlife I sometimes see on my walks.  On a recent one, we saw these roosters, having a good time grubbing in the irrigation canal,

this snake slithering off the trail,

and this buzzard up in the trees along the trail.

We took a chance today, deciding to walk even though the weather was a bit iffy.  On the way out on the trail, I was rewarded with this rainbow. . .

and on the way back, with these awesome clouds over the mountains.

I've also been in the studio. although sewing on clothes instead of quilting.  I got this cute A line skirt done- we should have enough warm weather left that I'll get to wear it a couple of times.

When I not thinking about what I will be packing for visits to two very different climates, I'm considering what to do for the next TT challenge- new beginnings.  Vicki gave us lots of starting points, and I have some research to do.  It would be nice to have it well  on the way to completion before I leave!

Counting Down

until I can reveal my latest piece for the Tangled Textile challenge.  Have a look at the blog on Wednesday the 15th to see how everyone interpreted the theme 'Architecture.'  I spent a lot of last weekend and most of this past Friday finishing my piece.  It's not my usual, but I had fun with it!

No fiber pictures, but I'll leave you with this picture of reflections on the river walk trail where I take Shiloh most weekends.  I love this trail, it is so peaceful.

I will be away from home most of this coming week for work- I leave Tuesday morning, and I'm not home until Friday afternoon.  Although I always mourn the end of summer, I'm also counting down the days until I leave for a week each in Florida and Chicago with my sons.  Just a month away!!

Winter Walking (2012!)

Shannon and I spent part of the afternoon Saturday walking along the Provo river, close to my first home in Utah.  It is winter, but it has sure been a mild one. 

The lower part of the trail parallels the river to where it dumps into Utah Lake.  Parts of it are surrounded by trees, in their spare winter glory.

We saw ducks along the entire walk, some mallards and some coots.

 

I absolutely loved the two pictures I got of reflections on the water.  

  And this tree stump, reflected in the water--

It really felt good to get out and walk- I haven't done it since the issues with my foot started.

And, I have no pictures yet, but I spent the better part of Saturday morning quilting!  I decided I needed to get my Grace quilt done, I'm tired of having it hanging over my head.  I got the free-flowing part done to my satisfaction, and started on the more structured part.  I'm using one of the designs in Charlotte Warr Anderson's second book of geometric quilting designs.  Because it is not densely quilted, it is coming along nicely.  I am really trying to get the muse jumpstarted again!!

I'm still here. . . .

but not a lot to talk about.  I haven't spent much time in the studio- I did spend several days horizontal, going through Kleenex at a very rapid rate.  I hate colds.

I do have a new toy.  I love my SLR, and have learned a lot about photography with it.  But I decided I wanted a smaller camera that I could carry with me all the time.  I did some research, picked several models that I thought would work for me, and started haunting the two used camera websites to see what they had.  I ended up with a Nikon S8000- a point and shoot that got decent reviews.

I've had it ten days.  I haven't played with it as much as I'd hoped, but I have done some.  So far, so good.  I've deleted a bunch of photos I wasn't happy with.  I do like this one of a sunrise- the sky colors were just amazing.

It has been slow or no going on the creative front.  I'm hoping to change that this long weekend.  I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family and gratitude.

Perfect Fall Weekend

Perfect as in perfect weather- not cold, not hot, just perfect walking weather.  I walked by the river with the dog a couple of times- it sure felt good!

The trees in the valley are finally starting to show some color.  I loved the look on this part of the walk, they form a canopy over the trail.

This thistle doesn't seem to have figured out that the growing season is fast coming to an end!!  The colors really stood out among the dead and dying grasses and plants.

 

I also got in some studio time.  I started  new piece with  hand dye I did over the summer.  I've had it up on my wall, looking at it for quite awhile.  I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to emphasize with the quilting, but I wanted to try drawing it over the fabric first.

I used my Quilter's Preview Paper (plastic, really!) to try what I had in mind.  It came together so easily it scared me- exactly the effect I wanted, long flowing lines juxtaposed against a structured, geometric motif.  I'm not sure just what the geometric part will end up as, but I started with the flowing lines.  I quilted for about two hours, then realized that I was having puckering issues that were getting worse.  I ended up ripping out ALL the stitching I'd done, and fusing the hand dye to a light-weight stabilizer, which was then fused to the black background.  I'm using black felt instead of batting, so the piece should hang straight with all that.  It will be more of a pain to get through the machine for the flowing part, but worth it in the long run.  I got two lines quilted after I re-did it, then called it a day.  I've learned that I need to quilt in the morning, not late in the day- I'm too prone to accidents then.

The Tangled Textiles reveal is Friday, which is also the day I am winging my way to Florida to spend a week with my granddaughter (and her parents!).  I am so looking forward to it, she is growing up so fast and really developing her own personality.  We're going to visit St. Augustine, I'm hoping to get some good architectural photos.  So visit the Tangled Textile blog on Friday, and take a look at all the ways you can interpret the word 'Tools!'

Moab

Shannon and I had a wonderful time in Moab, visiting my friend Phyllis and just enjoying the sun and warmth.  The weather was perfect- sunny but not too hot, and just enough of a breeze to feel good.  DJ missed all this- he's been fighting off a sinus infection, and just didn't feel good enough to come.

You could tell it has been a wet spring here- there were wildflowers and green in the desert on the drive down in places that are usually bone dry.  It made it very easy to just relax and not rush while we drove, let the other holiday maniacs pass and leave us behind.

Saturday morning we went to the art festival.  It was nice, we had fun walking around the different vendors- but I did not take any pictures.  There was the same lady with tie dye clothes from last year (she needs to learn about values, everything she makes is intense or dark colors), and another pair who did some nice discharge on black clothing from Dharma.  There was lots of jewelry, none of which jumped into my hands, and a few painters.  I ended up buying a picture from a young lady who does layered photography that was quite cool, and another photograph from a glass artist who has macro photos of his process.  That's it.

Sunday we drove out to Red Cliffs Lodge, fifteen miles off the highway next to the Colorado River.  The drive is spectacular, and the ranch is spectacular too.  We had their barbecue lunch, the walked around some.  They also have a winery, so we sampled a fews and each came home with a bottle.

We had lunch just to the right of the teepees- this picture is taken from the deck of the lodge restaurant, which has fantastic food to go with this view.

This is the wine tasting building, with vines next to it.  That building is new since we were last here two years ago; they used to have the wine tasting in the lodge.

After the wine, we walked down to the river and watched some people take off in kayaks or inflatable rafts.

Can you think of a better way to spend a sunny afternoon?  Although I wouldn't have wanted to end up in the water, it was cold.

I couldn't resist getting a picture of this cactus in bloom next to the lodge.

Even something as dangerous looking as this cactus can have beautiful flowers!  And how about this globe mallow- they were growing all along the side of the road.

Just a wonderful, relaxing two days.  Today, I've been trying to get started on a sewing project, and get the last bit of laundry done.  The insanity that my June schedule is begins tomorrow.

Is It Really SPRING????

Sure felt like it today!  We took Shiloh for a walk on the Spanish Fork river trail, someplace we haven't been since last year.  There's still plenty of snow on the mountains,

but the grass is definitely starting to green up.  There's grass peeking out from last fall's leaves.

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The trees in this area are still bare- unless maybe you get right up close, but it was sunny and warm.  I was walking in my beloved hiking sandals that my feet haven't felt in months.  My toes were loving it!!

Shiloh got lots of practice at doggie manners around strangers and their dogs, plenty of people were out enjoying the weather although the trail never felt crowded.

The loop we walked was probably a mile and a half- Shiloh was worn out by the time we got back to the car.  Me, I was happy to finally get an up close look at some spring buds on a tree with branches down to ground level.

As for quilty stuff, my challenge piece is quilted, and the binding almost done.  There's just a bit of handwork to do, and that will get done this week while I'm on a two night business trip up to Ogden.  No last minute sprint to make my reveal time this month!

Pieces of Me

If you want to know how I got from a green leprechaun to this,

 

you'll have to head over to the Interpret This! blog.  I'm pleased with how this came out, and think it really does reflect me.  Now I have a day to rest before the photo for February's challenge is posted!

I'm trying to complete the next 12 by 12 challenge, which is also due the end of February.  I decided to take a decidely un-Utah spin on this, so I hope the rest of the group has a sense of humor.  I got pieces cut out today, and hopefully will get the major components fused down tomorrow.

Shannon, Bentlee and I took the dogs- all three, we were gifted with a Chihuahua by a friend who decided she wasn't the right home for the dog yesterday.  At first we thought we'd walk up behind the windmills close to our home, but the wind was so bitingly cold we gave up that idea quickly.  So we drove up Diamond Fork Canyon, the same place Shannon and I went last weekend.  Except today we drove as far as the road was open, about a mile before the Red Ledges where I went rapelling last summer.  It was easy to walk, the snow was packed on the road surface.  We did take one detour over a bridge where the snow was deeper-

 

but when it got to the point that I couldn't take a step without going knee-deep in snow, we turned back.

We kept going on the road, probably walking a mile or so before turning around.  I could see the Red Ledges ahead of us-

  

 I love the clean look of the white snow against the red rocks!

Pita, the chihuahua, got tired and cold, and begged to be picked up.  Shannon wrapped her up in her jacket- the weather here was gorgeous, sunny, and no wind!

 

By this time, Sadie was even getting tired and taking rests in the snow.

 

The view looking south was gorgeous.

 

All in all, and nice break in the day.  We came home, warmed up, ate lunch, and I got to work on 'Blue.'

And I learned- when it is sunny and there is lots of snow around, USE THE NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER!!

 

Mid-weekend Musings

I have my 'Interpret This!' January piece almost done- just a bit more free motion quilting, the binding, and we're good. I think I'll be doing sleeves and labels all at once, I've got two other small pieces that need both. I can't post anything of the quilt itself, but here's my cutting table when I was done with the piecing--

The reveals start next week, mine is on Saturday afternoon. Come take a look!

Shannon and I took the dogs up the canyon for a run today. It was a bit of a challenge to find a place, since we had some snow last night and it got heavier the further we went. We finally found a place to park off the road, and started up the hill. I wanted to experiment with a neutral density filter I got for my camera- or, to put it in layman's terms- sunglasses for the camera. Here's the same picture, the first without the filter, and the second with.





Not the most interesting pictures, but it did make a difference. Without the filter, the sky is just blown out light; with it, there are some subtle differences in shading. And, the bush branches are definitely darker and more defined with the filter.

Looking back, it seems another storm may be blowing in--



Sadie and Shiloh had fun running in the snow- and it was deep enough, it wore them out quickly. Sadie may have the long coat, but Shiloh was the one who collected a coat of snowballs!



Tonight, the rest of the quilting. Maybe I can get another 12 by 12 piece done this week before we get the next photo for February's 'Interpret This!'

More Dyeing!

I have two yards in two separate dyepots, trying to replicate a color I got on one of Katy Widger's sequenced overdye system. I was auditioning fabric for a background on the challenge piece, and found some teal Kona that I'd done a few years back. I thought the color was perfect, but I had to do some wonky piecing to have enough- and I decided I didn't want any piecing lines. So I'm dyeing a yard of pimatex, and a yard of the Kona muslin to see which I like better. They're in their second dyepot, I did the blue last night and washed it out this morning. Now an overdye in a very pale orange should tone in down some.



The swatch of fabric on the right is the one I'm trying to duplicate. So far, looks good to me.

I tried Katy's formula for figuring out dye amounts on a single pot- like some of her directions, they were not easy to follow- I got lost. So I figured out my own system, and only have a little bit of extra dye.

Here's the piece I'm working on. I found some fantastic half yard and yard pieces of color parfait dyeing I did a couple of years ago- one was perfect! I did some fussy cutting, and this is where I am. I'm also using a piece I screenprinted at Rayna's workshop last April.



Shannon and I are off to Salt Lake today- I have a board meeting for surface design, and we will hit several stores. By the time we get back, I'll be able to wash out the dyepots. I did try something else different- I did not wash the fabric after the first dyeing, I just ran it through a couple of cold water rinse cycles in the machine. Don't know if I'll be able to tell any difference since the second dyebath is so pale. Anyway, the house has been cleaned from top to bottom, the laundry is started and will be easy to finish tonight. Hopefully that means I can spend most of tomorrow in the studio.

I'm continuing to play with my shutter speed on my camera- I stopped just west of Price on my way home last Saturday, and got these. I was going for the fuzzy water look, and liked what I got. I definitely need to get a tripod, however.



Hope your weekend is a creative one!

Wilderness Adventures

Without going into a lot of detail as to the why, I spend part of the day up Diamond Fork canyon with a group of people. It's about ten miles or so from our house, and was lovely, green, and beautiful where we were doing our activities. I wasn't able to participate in all the activities due to a schedule conflict, but I did do this one- the second time I've done it in twelve years. It is a rush, my muscles are still feeling it.



Obviously neither of these people is me, since I took the picture after I came down. But if you click on the picture, you can see how we have two lines coming down. On the left, the rappeler is halfway down; on the right, the track I took, she's just getting ready to come over the edge. And if you think the rock face looks like a nice easy slope, it's not- it was pretty vertical much of the way down.

The climb up was a killer, I wouldn't have made it without some help from younger folks a couple of times. But it was worth it!

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

I have been in the studio today- in quick bits, since I need to let the dyes dry some before I print close to the previous section. I'm using thermofax screens I made a few weeks ago- I finally came up with a design on the computer I'm happy with. Here we are so far, I still have some more screening to do.



I'm glad I figured this to be a practice piece, since I already have a print goof. But it will still give me an idea of how the colors will interact, and if I have my images lined up like I want. Any idea what the screen image is?

I've been playing more with my camera. I took a three hour 'DSLR Essentials' class at a local camera shop last week. In September, I think I'm going to do the one they have outdoors, taking pictures with the teacher. I learned more, got some stuff clarified, and feel more confident with the camera. It was an interesting experience, being the lone Pentax in a sea of Canons and Nikons.

So tonight after dinner I decided to drive to where I have a good view of the windmills at the mouth of Spanish Fork canyon. I'm comfortable with aperture and depth of field, now I want to play with shutter speed. I figured the moving blades would be interesting to try to capture.

On the way to the windmills, however, I encountered two does having a late snack in someone's yard. I managed to get off a couple shots before they headed behind the trees.



That was a quick stop, however. I found a place with an awesome view of the windmills, and tried multiple settings on my camera. I love having the anti-shake function, since I don't have a tripod yet. I got this shot at the slowest shutter speed- love how I got the blurred motion!



It's a nice feeling to know I can use all the functions this camera came with- and get awesome shots. More incentive to work on my composition skills!

Tomorrow is Bentlee's ninth birthday party, we are doing it here. So Shannon will be making a small cake, and cupcakes in ice cream cones. No swimming, since it has turned a lot coosler- it feels pretty good. Hopefully I'll have time in the morning to hit the farmer's market in Provo.

Lovely Lavender and Other Natural Delights

Shannon and I took a drive down to Mona to visit the Young Living Lavender Farm this morning. It's only about fifteen miles south of us- but as close as it is, we'd never been there.

We were a little late in the season- the big lavender celebration is in early July, and corresponds with the peak of the lavender harvest. But we had a good time wandering around their lovely garden area, and then checking out the one lavender field that still hasn't been harvested.

The gardens were great- cool, green, and lots of different flowers and herbs.







I also had fun playing with my camera, taking closeups of the flowers. This is only a few of the many I took.









Across the street, the lavender fields against the mountains and sky was gorgeous.



We headed back home via the highway instead of I-15, and made a stop at the Red Barn. They had produce and other goodies- we came home with farm-fresh eggs and a bag of cherries. And, we enjoyed some ice cream. The barn is surrounded by cherry orchards, so I had to get a picture of them!



That tree is loaded!



Can I just say I am loving my Pentax? I was expecting to be intimidated by a DSLR after using a point and shoot for so many years. In fact, the opposite has been true. The camera has a simple interface, clean and clear menus- I am just loving it. Next week, I'm taking a three hour class from a camera professional, so hopefully I'll learn even more about the ins and outs. If you are thinking of making the jump, I'd highly recommend it!