LITTLE SUBURBAN FARM HOMEMADE AND HANDMADE

Flappers and Looms

2011-01-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

Flappers, Needles, Hooks, and Looms

Recently I have been totally focused on fiber...so my needles, hooks, and looms have been dusted off and put to work. I saw this little hat in Simply Crochet. The pattern is by Kirstie Mcleod and the yarn if from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm. I haven't crocheted in years and it felt so wonderful to sit quietly and twist and turn away. As I worked on this hat I started thinking about the women of the 1920s and decided that would be my new research project. I have bought several books on the subject and plan on doing my next projects in patterns of the 20s. I told my husband that we have to watch lots of gangster movies now...he loved that! My next project will be a little finger purse done on a tiny tiny hook...yikes better get that done before my eye sight gets any worse!

This shawl was made on a round loom. For this I used Lion Brand Jiff and Lion Brand Microspun.

Lots of birthdays the next couple of months so my personal projects will have to be put on hold until gifts are made. I love giving handmade gifts. It's how I tell those I care about that they are important to me.

2010-08-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

When Is Art Really Art?

2010-04-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in sometime now. But I read something this morning that has my mind flailing around for the correct answering.
I just finished an easy read fiction novel and decided I needed to read something a little more informative this time. While at the library last week, I picked up a book on William Morris by N.M. Wells. I am a great fan of the Arts&Crafts movement and of that style. Morris set the way for that movement by his influence of setting a purpose for designers, steering them away from the mass production that was happening in the Industrial Revolution. I am in awe of all he achieved in his lifetime. I tend to agree with his thoughts on art and life for that matter. Morris believed that you should have nothing in your home that is not useful, that also includes art that brings you great joy, comfort, etc. This I truly believe this because I think clutter in the end makes you unhappy and blocks creativity. But here is the kicker for me. This morning as I rode along on BART headed for the city, I was reading the first chapter of this wonderful book, and Wells' statement about what Morris believed an artist was kind of stopped me in my tracks...he said that Morris believed that true artists were people who could express themselves completely through the material they worked with, benefiting from the full value of their labours. I stared out the window and thought about that for a while and asked myself, was I just making "stuff" or am I expressing at least a part of myself in each item I create? My answer seems to come out that I am just making "stuff" that very little of who I am goes into .. Perhaps it is time for me to decide what I want to say and then say it in my work. Then again perhaps just making "stuff" and making others happy sharing it with them is enough. Maybe making others happy with the things you make is an art too. These are the thoughts that will going thru my head the next few days. Maybe I should stick to fiction....:-)

Will try to post pictures of some "creations" on Sunday as well as some pictures from our first hike of the season.

Photography, Cards and Renovation

2010-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

I really love the look and feel of working with paper. What's even better is when the paper is fabric backed and hand painted. There is something about it that I can't explain. Each piece is different and the options are all up to you. I have discovered that I love to experiment with paint and different media to achieve a look that will never come out the same again. I have taken some on line classes and have many workbooks to work my way thru (part of my New Year resolution) and I find myself really looking forward to it. I plan to set up a table in the garage for painting, etc. as I am very sloppy when it comes to paints and glue. Everything about using this method is trial and error, and I find that kind of exciting. Of course creating with fabric will always be my number one love but this way I can combine the two things I love to do the most. One of things I have realized is that your supplies and tools need to be out and organized so that when the mood hits you can go for it. I don't know how many times I have had the creative bug and didn't act on it because I had to drag stuff out of closets and cupboards. All that being said ...hear is my second attempt at fabric backed paper, and torn paper image. I intentionally left the card itself open with just a light brushing of gold dye-n-flow because the teapot itself is so busy. The teapot is torn washi paper, then white-washed and dabbed with gold paint. I still have some work to do on the inside but am waiting for it to speak to me..LOL.

I just made a appliqued pillow that perfectly matches a quilt I made years ago and took a most wonderful picture of my cat Sky in the rocking chair with the quilt and pillow. Cat Smoky is sitting very erect next to the rocking chair. Only problem is ..their eyes look like demons! I tried everything I could to correct it but couldn't ....Help!

Hope everyone has a creative and peaceful weekend.

Where have all the birds gone????

2010-01-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

This is starting to freak me out folks! Today we took a drive to the coast to go hiking at Pescadero Marsh. This is a salt water marsh were the migrating birds stop over....we went with binoculars and bird book in hand. Where are the birds??!!! This area use to be teaming with birds...we saw: 3 hawks...2 snowy egrets...2 mallards and maybe a dozen terns...and a family of 4 humans who stood in the middle of the trail blocking it and could barely move their rude behinds when we said excuse us. We stood quietly (despite the ruckus from one child who clearly was not enjoying his walk in nature) hoping for the best. Was our timing off...do they fly away when they know we are coming? I left a little worried because:

1)Over Thanksgiving we decided on Pacific Grove as our not cooking get-away specifically because this time of year the Monarch Butterfly cover the trees...we went at the peak of the season...guess what? We saw exactly 3 butterflies...we stood with others just waiting for them to come back to the trees.....they just weren't there! The news said they were at 20 percent of what there normally is.

2) I have both a rosemary hedge and a bunch of oregano patches, I also plant my garden with plants that attract bees and butterflies.... normally the bubble bees cover the plants when they flower...for the last 2 years I have seen 2 bees and maybe 3 butterflies.

Just wondering what is going on...is it evolution...global warming ...bad karma...cell phones...evasion of aliens?? the times they are a changing...just in case...am gonna plant lots of fox glove this year...hoping against hope that the nature that makes our world beautiful and balanced comes back.

Sorry folks...just had to get that off my chest....whew!

Zach's 1st birthday quilt

2010-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Birthday gift for my grandson

I was going to wait until this quilt was done to post but I am trying to get back in to posting on a more regular bases (and leaving comments). I had originally decided not to quilt but tie this quilt but the butterfly and caterpillar as other features were crying out to be quilted so I spent new years eve day basting and oh did my back pay for it (the picture was taking before basting). It's all worth it tho when you are making it for someone you really care about. I hope to make a little y0-yo caterpillar to go with it. I have to have this done by March 8th then it is on to finishing the wedding quilt for my son and soon to be daughter-in-law. Then I will be free to do some me sewing. Are there ever enough hours in the day?

Found Recipe Binder progress

Because of the holidays we have had so much leftover food there has been no need to cook. But I plan to get back to it by next week.

Exercise..

What can I say..I have been somewhat of a slug. But now that the holidays (can I just blame everything on the holidays?) are over...and after my throat procedure next week am gonna go full force. We are off to hike at the coast today so that counts for something. I will post any interesting coastal shots I get in the next blog.

wishing everyone a creative and peaceful day

New Year Resolutions/Found Recipes Binder

2009-12-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

First Dinner from my found recipe binder..So here we go!

The first meal was Honey-Mustard Chicken and green beans with lime butter. All served on my new Fiestaware.

These recipes are keepers. The chicken was really moist and had a lot of flavor. The recipe is from Easy Cooking Everyday Cooking. The beans were so wonderful. When Michael was zesting the lime the smell in the kitchen was overwhelming....I thought I might lose it at that point :-)! The bean recipe was from Taste of Home Magazine. It called for green and wax beans but we are not fond of wax beans so we left them out. Next time I may add some slivers of yellow or red peppers for color. I owe this one to Michael...he had the day off so I just left the recipe with him and he did a great job!

You can see from the picture that I now am the proud owner of a full set of pink fiestaware including serving dish and bowl! My friend has been estate sale hopping and found these beauties at one of the sales!

Not much on the crafting and sewing resolutions side....I did buy fabric for Zach's quilt backing and a pattern and knit fabric for the first project in the first workbook I am tackling...Sewing 101 put out by Creative Publishing International. The first project is a t-shirt with neck ribbing...wish me luck! I have never sewn with knit fabric. If you have any hints please let me know. I did finish the jacket I started in my sewing class, it just needed to be hemmed (was hanging for about 4 weeks)...will post pic soon.

I did pick myself out of my office desk chair and spent an hour in the gym...so progress so far is on track...sort of

New Year Resolution

2009-12-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

Workbooks and Resolutions

I am starting early. I was going to give myself a break during the holidays. But like they say there is no time like the present! So here goes ...and if you catch me slipping let me know. Besides the normal take better care of myself , stay in better contact with friends and family..which is an on again off again situation with me....I have decided on three resolutions : 1) is to work through the 5 or 6 workbooks I have on sewing, paper quilts, art quilts and mixed media. Not necessarily completing all of the projects...if there are projects that I don't like or won't be used..I am allowing myself to skip those. 2) work through the binder of recipes I have accumulated through the years. Sorry my dear family :-( .. and create a family cookbook with pictures of the gatherings. 3) exercise at least 5 times a week ( am wondering if the above other two resolutions will be an excuse to not do number 3 resolution, it's a good excuse right?)
The first 3 months will be tough to keep the resolutions because I have to do a major overhaul of my home in preparation of my sister coming for my son's wedding, completing some home decor projects I have started, and quilting and binding my grandson's first birthday quilt and my son and soon to be wife's wedding quilt.
I will be posting progress....sans pictures of my exercise progress :-) So please comment and remind me what I blogged here. Hoping everyone will have a happy and healthy new year. And that all you crafters and artists will continue to create the beautiful products that keep me ever in awe.

Adventures

2009-11-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

Waves

Beautiful Wildlife

Butterflies

31st Wedding Anniversary

Dinners, Classes, and Sewing

2009-09-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

I don't have any pictures to post, but I have not disappeared. Pictures will come soon as I have been busy finishing a quilt for my nieces first birthday, and making purses for the art show in December, as well as playing around with mixed media.
Dinners
I love doing theme dinners. After attending a Zydeco/Cajun Fest out at Ardenwood Farm, that genre has become my new fad. So this Sunday I decided family dinner would be a theme dinner with Zydeco music and Cajun food (with some Mardi Gras beads thrown in). I love doing theme dinners! The problem is that the Whole family showed up this Sunday. Which was fine at the start. The gumbo was in the slow cooker and my hubby had just fired up the grill for the blackened salmon. Zydeco music was a thumping and the beads were a swaying. Everyone had just arrived and was gathered around the patio mega table. When it started to pour! It does not rain here in September! So all of us scrambled to lug everything into my little house with Zach's play pen taking 20 minutes to set back up. How many people does it take to set up a play pen? Those things drive me crazy! All worked out but things were a little hectic for a while. Salmon turned out fine in the grill pan. Sweet potatoes were the only casualty ...they were forgotten in the oven and blackened sweet potato fries is not my cup of tea.
Classes and Sewing
I have started taking a quilting class on Tuesday nights and a sewing class on Wednesday nights at the San Lorenzo Adult School. It is good to be back in class and laughing with all the wonderful ladies. Tonight is my first night back at quilting and we of course will have a new quilting instructor. Not sure what it will be like yet. My sewing class is more work on your own projects with an instructor to help. That class will be nice as I will have 3 hours of studio time with no other distractions! I will use that time to its fullest so stay tuned for posts of new creations. My first project is to make a cute little jacket. The only clothes I have made are those flannel lounge pants. So we will see how it goes.
Going to the Bay Area Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Fest this Saturday. It's nice because I am the only quilter in my group of friends so this fest has something for everyone

Don't give up on me! Am still here, just working hard and having fun!

Giving Thanks for a good bounty

2009-08-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Garden News

The time is just slipping thru my fingers, and I am ashamed I have not commented on all the wonderful blogs I follow. To tell you the truth, lately I have had not time to sit back and read, and I miss that. But I have been enjoying myself, working out in the yard, and semi redecorating the house. And of course, as Libby talks about there is that ever so wonderful wine country around us to share with friends. But the bottom line is that as far as creativity I have been verrrry slow...but here is a taste ( or I guess I should say look) of my hard work paying off. For the last month, we have had just enough veggies to use for meals...but now it is coming in strong and it will be time to can soon. We put in corn for the first time this year and what a joy it is to watch it develop! When I was a kid one of our summer chores was to spend the day in the corn fields...picking corn...then coming home to husk or shuck it...the same with blackberries..with the black berries we would come home sick to our stomachs from eating so many...somehow as kids we never minded doing those chores...and of course it meant we would have them thru out the year.

and here is a little tea towel I managed to crank out on my machine...I really like these towel toppers and will probably make more for gifts...that idea is going in my book of things to do that is growing so large...I darn well better stay healthy until I am about 150 :-)

New creations

Here is a little amulet bag I made. It was a lot of fun. I went thru a beading/jewelery phase a few years ago but my beads have been on the top shelf for more than a year. I pulled all my beading supplies down, and what fun it was to string those tiny seed beads that my eyes can barely see anymore...seriously it was fun.

On another note.....I don't use my blog to express my politics...but I just need to emote a little here. Last evening I was out watering and my husband was cleaning the fountain. The fountain slipped crushing his hand in between the wall and the fountain. So I rushed him to the ER and there we sat for 6 hours! For 6 stitches! And believe me you see some very scary things in ER at 2am in the morning. Something has to change. That's all I'm saying and thanks for letting me get that out

Take care .....and hoping this week brings new fun adventures for you.

Life Marches On

2009-08-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

Meet Sprocket. Sprocket was created from a sock, the bag I made over at my stampin girlfriends house, and now lives with a wonderful co-worker. It was her bday recently and I wanted to make her laugh and laugh she did. One co-worker commented that I had now officially gone over the edge. Aww yes and it feels so good!

Okay on to more serious playin around

A few weeks ago I spent the afternoon with my stamping girlfriend. I like to keep handmade cards on hand, for those special moments. These cards are what I created that afternoon. I am not into stamping too much but I do love spending time with my girfriend creating and sipping wine. These were made on glossy paper..stamped with veratex (sp?)...to leave an image...then various colors were rolled on with a brayer, I love the outcome and will try it again adding more elements.

Future purses! I am not a purse person..but I love making them. Weird huh?

The purse on the far left will be finished today. I love this one. The single sheet on the left is dryer sheets fused together with rose petals from my garden, and then fused to hand painted duck canvas. I think I will use this in the body of a purse. The one on the right is something I made for Terri's class, painting on duck canvas. This will probably turn into a tote bag as well as the other piece I posted from Terri's class. This weekend I will start another bag flap...with a little paris flavor...stay tuned!

It will be canning time soon...I may have to get creative and come up with some nice jar labels for giving to friends and family.

Well here is a month's worth of posting all wrapped into one. Hope your eyes weren't droopin!

Thanks for stoppin by!

Loss, Progress, and aging

2009-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Loss....I am mainly posting this because we here in the Bay Area have lost a wonderful quilter and instructor. Kathy Honeycutt, who taught me, as she has so many other, the techniques of quilting, and the fun of creating quilts, has left us...it is both a shock and sad, to know she will not be teaching us all her skills in the fall. Many of us plan to continue with the class in honor of her memory.
Designs....After many tries ...I have finally come up with a design for my first purse for the art fair in December...It is simple but a little wild at the same time. I have also wrote down notes and sketched out the next purse..which is also simple by wacky..Maybe this are reflections of my own personality? I will be posting pictures of that and the little beaded amulet I just finished soon. I also spent a day making greeting cards with a girlfriend a few weeks back, which I will post also...am really happy with the technique for these cards..and I will share that when I post next.
Finally I have a birthday coming up and am kinda having a hard time with this aging process...but I will keep truckin along..
thanks for putting up with my rambling

The Garden and Such

2009-07-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of different passions. Nature has to be on the top of my list. Lucky for my husband, and much to the displeasure of some of my women neighbors, I love to do yard work. I work at home on Fridays, so I had a choice of taking a break to sew or do yard work. The sun was out and I have new gardening gloves, new gardening clogs, and a new blade for the lawn edger ( and I question if it is strange I get excited about those things). The yard won out, as it always will when the sun it out. I threw on a CAL cap, grabbed my ipod, put on those new clogs and gloves (which my the way coordinate) and headed out. What is very strange about suburbia is that if you go out and start doing yard work (the same with washing your car)....half of everyone that is home will come out about 15 minutes later. I tend to think it is the guilt us suburbians suffer from, or is it the Joneses complex? I was thinking today as I edged the lawn, how in my so called hippy days I laughed at people like me, as everyone knows your lawn should grow free and wild! The same thing went for your kids and pets. Those were carefree days ...that had some really good points...and some not so good points... Anyway....here is my serenity...my passion only exceeded by my love for my family...it's not exactly Little House on the Prairie but I am working on that...I can walk outside and pick my own herbs...my own berries...and my own veggies. but no live stock...I detest chickens...and as I live in surburbia...horses..cows...goats, etc. are out. But I had them all as a kid so I have great memories.
Enjoy a walk in my escape from the big city. Take a walk on the wild side.

I did not forsake my sewing. I did almost finish quilting a new purse I designed.

p.s. I really do get my office work done also.

2009-06-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am just learning but the process is so much fun. the first picture is painted duck canvas .....the leaf was painted using gutta as resist....I have not stitched yet so the features will pop out more when I do....I know it's kinda crazy but it is what keep going thru my head so I did it...the other picture is using elmer's blue gel glue to make faux batix...learned in Terri's class....

I think I am finally coming up where I am going with this once I get a grasp of the techniques...stay tuned...I have until December 1 to come up with an inventory for the show at the art school....so will have to go gang buster on learning....wish me luck

Mixed Media Quilt

2009-06-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here is my second quilt for the class I am taking from Terri...these are so much fun...kind of a release from traditional quilt making. I think traditional quilts are beautiful and I am in awe of some of the quilts I see at quilt shows but art quilts I think work better for me because the rules are not so rigid and free my mind to invent and dream.

Terri Stegmiller's Mixed Media Class

2009-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Classes

Here is my first little quilt from Terri's mixed media class. This class has been a lot of fun and has kept me focused. My first quilt for the second lesson was a total mess...a brain hiccup I think...so had to scrap it and start over...so now I am totally behind in the class. What has been especially fun is the Yahoo group for the class so that the work by all class mates.

Life

I threw a surprise party for my husband's big 60 this weekend. It went over great and as usual I got all teary eyed. All our friends and kids together in one room was more than my heart could take. Here is my son, daughter-in-law and lil Zach...three months old already! He smiles all the time....

East Bay Regional Trail Challenge

2009-05-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hiking

My husband and I have signed up to do the East Bay Trail Challenge. The challenge requires that you hike a total of 26.2 miles by December 1. We started the first leg last Saturday at Sycamore Valley Regional Open Space Preserve in Danville, CA. This was a short 2.2 mile hike but had lots of steep hills so it was a good workout. We packed in our lunch and had it beneath these nice trees . There was thistle all around us which the bees seemed to love. This is a great hike but I would not do it on a hot day as there is very little shade. The strange thing about this hike is that the trail head starts at an Elementary School, and unless someone told you or you read it in a hiking book you wouldn't know it was there

Cats

Normally I don't post pictures of my cats on my blog, but I had to post this as it gave hubby and I a good laugh. This is our new cat Sky.

What I am doing

I am taking a mixed media collage class at Two Creative Studios with Terri Stegmiller and it is a blast. Terri really does a great job with information and feed back. I am also continuing to work in my work book and almost have a piece done using photos..this one was easy because the photo and sketch is provided in the book as a practice but I have sketched out a photo for the second piece so it will be more of challenge. I have also been asked to share a booth at the Art College in Oakland to sell the little embroidery purses I make so that will keep me busy.

Other than that just trying to keep the weeds out of my garden and cat hairs down to a minimal

Not getting there fast but I getting there

2009-05-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to post lately. I have been putting in the spring veggie garden and planning a surprise party for my husband's 60th birthday. All very time consuming leaving little time to be creative (my spare time goes to visiting my ever so wonderful new grand baby), but I have managed a few things. Last weekend I decided to go to my husband's band gig at B Street and did not want to take a big ole purse so I made this little bag. I have to add that I am very into Asian design, along with Art & Crafts so I lean that way with almost everything I do.

and I finally finished the Autumn quilt cross stitch.

my first art quilt which turned into a little pillow...I used overlap and texture..the first techniques in my art quilt work book..

and last...an attempt at string art which replaced my great grandmother's crochet doilie...contemporary? No one has said a peep...lol...

I have signed up for some online fabric art classes and will be going back to my quilting class after the summer (back to show and tell :-). Right now I am working on creating little art quilts from pictures...the second chapter in workbook and will be posting that soon...this one is not a series but just a practice piece in the book...I have been looking at pictures in Flickr and have a great idea for the next art quilt in the series.

Please leave constructive reviews of my creations. No need to comment on my photo shooting skills...I am working on it :-)

KFC - Unthink what you thought about KFC

2009-05-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

KFC - Unthink what you thought about KFC
haven't eaten here in years, but I thought this is a great coupon for people that do. One coupon per person...that's a bargain!

A FINISHED QUILT AND OTHER STUFF

2009-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Circle Quilt

Finished at last. You will have to forgive the angle I had to take of the quilt. I searched for 20 minutes for a good place to hang it for picture taking. It's place of honor is slightly behind the TV and the whole quilt could not be seen. My house is small with not a lot of good walls for taking pictures. The place of honor for Libby's quilt has a hanger but is too small for this quilt to hang. So on the floor it went. I am rather proud of it even with the mistakes I can see with my picky eye.

Tea Cozy

I have a collection of teapots. Not because we collect them but could not seem to find the perfect teapot so I have a whole corner case filled with teapots and related accessories. The tea cozy was a pattern from Asian Fabric Magazine. It was oh so east and I love it! Well it was easy once I read the patten instructions all the way thru. There was some seam ripping in there also. I did not quilt it as I kinda liked it plain.

And a bit of Nature

I took this pic on a walk at Oyster Bay Regional Park which is a unofficial do park near the San Leandro Marina. The amazing thing about this picture is that this park was a one time park of the city dump (or sanitation site, if you wish) now it flourishes with wild flowers, trees, and birds, also I saw several jack rabbits. There are some newer parts of the park that still look bleak, almost like a war site, but I have faith that nature will overcome that too.

Lastly...a bit of inspiration

This sits next to where my circle quilt hangs and makes me smile whenever I look at the two together. The plant I bought last weekend at Half Moon Bay Nursery, and it makes the house smell sooo good along with the roses I have been cutting from our rose bushes. The roses are prolific this year and I am so happy. The fairy (she has another name but it eludes me right now) was a surprise gift from my son.

That's all for now. Am going to try to finish up the t-shirt I started painting when my gd and I designed tshirts last week, and then start the drawings for the first of my leaf series quilts. Am off to pick up our newest cat Sky from the vet. He had to have a little procedure that I am sure he won't be happy with me about.

Good News Info

2009-04-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog for those of you that have not heard. For a short time Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors are allowing free access to their digital editions! Very cool! I printed out pages that interest me to read on BART on the way home tonight. Lots of good articles. Maybe someone near and dear to me will get me a subscription for Mother's Day :-)

The circle quilt is all finished and hanging in its place of honor in the living room. I will be posting a photo of it and the tea cozy I finished soon. Have chosen to do a leaf series of 9 x 11 quilts for the Art Quilt Workbook homework assignments...can't wait to get started...the first quilt I will be creating perspective by using relative size and overlapping (or I should say I will be trying)

What I learned about t-shirt designing

2009-04-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

My GD and I spent the day yesterday designing t-shirts. It was a just for fun project, with no pressure for perfection. What a fun day! In the process I learned alot, as I have never really worked with fabric paints or paint pens, and really have not done alot of photo transfer stuff. Although we only used pre-made transfer designs and transfered those with an iron, even there was a learning process.

What I learned

So here in a nut shell is what I learned. I made sure to write it down in my sketch book so hopefully I won't make the same mistakes.
Fabric paint pens....the number one thing I learned is that the paint will bleed (duh) into the adjacent color if they are both wet. So the lesson here is to (I think) outline the object with the color and let it dry or use color block. With my t-shirt is was okay because my design was a toucan and the effect worked there, but in other designs would be a disaster. I also learned that to get a shadow or feathered effect, you can paint part of the object, let it dry and go back and paint the rest. I only found this out because I had to keep stopping to help my GD.
Fabric Dyes...here we used fabric dye diluted in squirt bottles, scrunching the fabric for a blotched look. While my GD's turned out well, because she used a ton of paint, the other 3 washed out and became a solid color...those t's were wetted before application of the paint. Also, leaving the dyed fabric in a plastic bag for 31/2 hours was not long enough (instruction say 4-6 hrs, but I rushed ahead. What I learned.....Dry fabrics work much better if you want a blotched effect ...wet if you want solid. I also think next time I will use buckets to dye in rather than squirt bottles, using the powder dye instead. I think wet paints would be good for just painting designs but not for an overall color treatment.
Stencil....what I learned is that I need much more practice in this area! and also that you blot, not rub. Help!
Transfers...this is a no brainer...you have to take your time.

Well there is so much more that I wrote in my sketch book...but these are the main lessons I learned. And yes my GD ended up on the computer, but only to find a family picture to transfer to her t-shirt, and make a collage for her new binder. So my photo editing program is now loaded back on the computer for future projects. Oh, and she turned me on to Photo Bucket, I already use Flickr...but in Photo Bucket you can do all kinds of effects, very cool.

I am off today to do some handwork to finish...ha ha...some last details to the circle quilt and tea cozy, and if the sun comes out some gardening. The garden is all ready for planting, just have to take a trip up to Half Moon Bay Nursery to get our veggies.

Moving Forward With Art

2009-04-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Elin Waterston for posting a comment to my blog re her book co-authored with Jane Davila. The book is very motivating and inspiring. And I think it is a wonderful gesture for an author to respond to little blogs like mine. I really recommend the book...Art Quilt Workbook.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS MOVES ON
I was up at 6:30 this morning working on the first exercise (I am on vacation) of the book! Talk about motivation! Although, I used the method I described in my previous blog, this time my free drawings came easier. When I look at pictures, I think in terms of creating that same image on a quilt or wall hanging, so I tend to reject some images that would not work in that way. But maybe, I should try to look at a picture and see it in the abstract to make it fit to represent that image. I just don't know yet, but it is something to think about. I think I would also like to take photos of the words, along with the book's first "reflective queries and thinking exercises" about going outside to observe ( I love nature, so this is a wonderful exercise). Also as well as observing the negative space, I want to do some sketches of the negative space. I had to do this in art class, and for some reason it was very reassuring, go figure, I am a bit strange.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS FOR TODAY
As well as this morning's exercise, my grandaughter is coming over to help me design some t-shirts. Just for fun. We will use photo transfers, tracing and crayon heat setting, fabric paints, stamps, and beads. It should be a fun day. My guess is that my gd will want to play on the computer half way thru...but that is when I bring out the pizza for girl talk ,and hopefully lead the way back to creating. If that doesn't work we will simply put the dog on the leash and take a walk at the marina. I see no need to push her past the place she wants to go in her creativity as long as I am here to keep that option open to her.

The wind has finally stopped and it is time for me to get outside and clean the fountain. The humming birds get really upset when they don't have their fountain to play in. And because they are such a joy to watch, cleaning the fountain is a happy chore.

Branching out to figure out where I am going

2009-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have always been interested in art, and I love to make quilts and sew. So I have purchased two books that are work books in exploring techniques in quilt and fabric art using different. One is using different mediums to obtain the look you desire to achieve. The other which is the book I will start with is Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston. The first exercise is to write down 35 words, pick a work and make 3 quick drawings of the word. Well I tried but then my ever wondering mind stopped me cold. The first word I picked was quiet, well what exactly does quiet look like, and how does it differ from silence, and here is what I did.

Good Ole National Geographic! When I took art courses, I often used this magazine to find photos to use in various projects...I pulled out one of the hundred or so issues that we have stacked on a book shelf, and started flipping thru looking at the pictures until I found 2 pictures that made me "feel quiet" and I realized...at least to me ....quiet is a feeling...silent is the lack of sound (silent is also one of the words and I have no idea what to do for that)...I cut those pictures out and pasted them in my sketch book...one a picture of a mother polar bear padding across the ice with her two cubs...the white snow contrasting with the purple horizon..the other of aurora borealis draping over the hudson bay....I studied those pictures...and decided that "quiet" to me was nature with the absence of buildings, cars, and probably other humans for that matter. I know that the pictures where not "silent" there would have to be the noise of the ice shifting and of the bears padding across the ice with the mother bear sometimes directing her cubs...in the other there must be the sound of wind, the trees swaying back and forth, the water movements....after this study I was able to draw "quiet"...gazing at the stars in the wilderness, birds flying high in the sky, and the sun setting behind the mountains( which just made me realize the sun i drew is setting in front of the mountains!). The instructions for this first exercise said to just pick a word and quickly, without thinking, draw....I can't do that and this works better for me. Maybe because this is the first time I have thought about what a word looks like. But I can say that it is an exercise that makes me look at things more openly, so it works for me.

Wallie World...A guilt trip?

2009-04-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

My husband and I do not shop at Walmart. Please forgive me for those of you that do, I am not passing judgment here. We don't shop there for our own moral reasons. Yes things are cheaper and we are all for a bargain. But very few of us stop to think why those things are cheap, and if they are even safe. Because you know they are either made in poor countries by children trying to stay alive or in China which does not seem to care about the safety of a product. Those countries just crank out stuff. It's kinda like when you eat that nice juicy hamburger you are not thinking about Bessie out in the pasture grazing on green grass or worse in a stockyard eating corn and wading in its own ...yuck. That being said...my husband...never waivers from his ethics...that is why I love him...he is a very moral man who stands by what he believes. So please don't let him know that I ...the strong believer in how one should conduct ones self....had a lapse yesterday. I had a lot to do...and had a ton of laundry after the new cat's marking that this is his home....we were out of fabric softener sheets....as I got ready to go to the store...the thought popped into my head that Walmart was just 5 minutes away ....where as Target was about 15 minutes away....I fought with myself but WAllie World won...does that make me a lesser person? Is that what it boils down to, just what ever is easier ....is that the kind of person I am??? Well I think I learned my lesson, Walmart no matter how cheap, how close is not my thing.....for one thing..the first thing I noticed was that it had an air of entertainment....the kids acted as if it was a trip to the park, and ran amok...and the adults seemed to have a frantic air of mass consumption...people cut me off without a thought...and the checker seemed to be in a daze...I came out in a cold sweat..and won't be going back. I know that everyone has to make ends meet and that I don't have 4 kids to feed. If I did maybe I would think differently, but I don't think so. I was a single mom for many years and held fast to what I believe. I watched the local business's that I love go out of business as Walmart came into being here. I think I will stick with what I believe and kick myself the next time I thing about straying.

2009-04-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.schmap.com/washingtondc/tours_tour2/#r=none&mapview=Map&tab=Text&p=8881&topleft=38.92242,-77.0448&bottomright=38.86471,-76.99656&i=8881_70.jpg
Just had the picture of me in front of the Capitol in the Schmap Washington DC Guide taken by my husband...woo hoo!

House Cleaning

2009-04-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Taking new directions is really okay

I have discovered over vacation that I will plan to do one thing and end up doing something altogether different, and that that for me is really the best thing. I had decided to clean house today, so that next week could be spent finishing up projects. Not sure how it started, was washing the dishes, and all of the sudden I had this urge to clean out the cabinets. So rather than doing a whirl wind house cleaning, I pulled everything out of the food cabinets, tossed expired and unidentifiable stuff , organized everything, washed all the empty storage containers, and wiped down all the cabinets. Oh so much more satisfying than a surface clean of everything in the house. No kidding, there was stuff in my cabinets that expired in '05. Guess I will really never win an award for housekeeper of the year, but then again I don't really care. A little dust never hurt anyone. As they say, my house is not dirty, just lived in.

The other new direction

When we took on a new cat, I was not really aware of how much it would take to integrate "Sky" into our happy little family. But I have started to see some progress. I think everyone is really confused right now with their cat role. Our girl cat, "Sushi" better known as " Sue Sue" has started hissing at our established cat "Smokey" which totally confuses him. It's almost like she says two guys are too many, so just stay away from me. Smokey and Sky can last at most 45 minutes before they start circling, hissing and fall into a tumble of flying fur. But that period is up from no minutes to 15 minutes to 25 minutes. So it is progress. Sky decided to "mark" last night, on our bed no less...so just as we were going to bed and all tired, we discovered his little territorial surprise, and had to strip the bed. So another new direction today is washing sheets, down comforter, down mattress pad, and the mattress pad. We purchased a front loader washing machine not too long ago, and all I can say is thank goodness or I would be spending my day, and my money at the laundry mat.

Quilts
I got the binding all sewn on to the front of the circle wall quilt and half hand-stitched to the back. I am really excited to hang it as I know it will go really well in the living room and kind of add an eye catcher in there.

Quilts, Health and Cats

2009-04-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Quilts and Stuff

This vacation I have made a tea cozy from Asian fabric. The pattern is from the magazine Asian Fabric, quilting and designs ideas. Unfortunately the instructions did not make sense to me at 7:30 in the morning and I cut the fabric all wrong..stitched it and then discovered that I had cut it wrong. Had to rip it out and start again but managed to save much of the fabric. One of the things I learned taking art classes it that you need to be aware of what you are doing, and this vacation has brought that all home. I sometimes just start doing something without thinking it thru first. Anyway I will post a pic once I get the binding on. It did come out nicely once I got my head on straight. I also made Zach another quilt. Very bright with lots of textures. The border is plush fabric which was not easy to work with, but I managed to get it on straight. I stitched in the ditch along the border. I used my machine to embroidery the spotted cow and I think it fits right in with the dotted fabric. This is not a very good pic, again I was not thinking about the angle and the hubster was holding it up for me. I post my pics on flickr and get good comments on them, was just in a rush with this one.

Also got the binding cut out for the circle wall quilt which I hope to finish today, and post a pic sometime soon. My next project will be to finish the I Spy quilt for my little niece. Then am gonna take a break from quilts and work with my new design workbooks, in different mediums. Small things like journals, etc. I have been working on some Zentangles, the idea coming from Scrappy Cats blog. A lot of fun and good for meditation.

I had minor surgery on my vocal cords for the condition I have, so have been out of it the last few days. The anesthetic is not leaving my body as fast as I had hoped.

We brought home a new cat that my son could not care for because of the new baby. We are having some adjustment problems with the established male cat and the new male cat. I am thinking they are establishing their hierarchy for the female cat. So I keep them separated much of the time and give them short burst together. So far it is about 15 minutes before the start fighting. It is a little frightening because we are such a quiet family. I am hoping it works out. I will be patient, and weather the scratches on my arms for a while. Any advice is much welcome.

Happy Passover to those of you who celebrate the holiday, and those of you who are thinking about it. Am off to pin the binding on the circle quilt...I really hate binding.

Vacation, Yard Work and Scroll Saws

2009-03-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Great Outdoors

I spent the day with my ipod and a whole lotta weeds. The weather was wonderful warm but not hot. My hands will barely move now. But I am content. I would much rather pull weeds than mop the floor! I start feeling too boxed in if I spend most of my time indoors. I think that is why my mood gets kinda gnarly in the winter. I wouldn't say that half of the weeding is done...it's a big yard! But the next 3 days are yard work, then 2 days :-) on the house...and then nothing but crafting and sewing! yeah!!

The Crafty Part of the Day

I tried to take a nap after yard work, but my mind would not slow down. So I headed out to the garage and set up my scroll saw....I am a bit rusty to say the least, and leave it to me to pick a really hard pattern to cut. A bear jigsaw. My first cuts were out of control, was like an oops here and an opps there. But it started coming back just like riding a bike. I decided it would be nice to get back up to steam to do some frames,quilt hangers and also have some jigsaw puzzles for LiL Zach when he is ready to use them. Will have to research paints and woods that are safe for Toddlers...if anyone knows about this, please leave a comment.

So here is my last wood project from about a year ago. That's how long its been.

And here is the explosion picture box I made a couple of weeks ago

I think tomorrow I will go get the fabric for the binding on the wall quilt or it will drive me crazy..so close to finished and just hanging on the back of a chair! And a trip to Home Depo to pick up some color panels, and some more practice wood. That is if I can move at all tomorrow from bending and pulling so much today...I ain't no spring chicken anymore.

A Wonderful First Day of Vacation

2009-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

The concept of vacation has not set in yet, but I am off to a good start. We drove up to the Santa Cruz mountains with our dear friends for some wine tasting and a picnic at Silver Mountain Winery. The winery overlooks Monterey, with tall pine trees all around. The winery is so peaceful! As well as tasting their wonderful wine, they had all kinds of noshing food, knishes, lox on sour dough, pate, mini crab cakes, you get the picture. This was all for free. One of our friends brought his camera, as did I and after tasting we set up our picnic and spent the afternoon eating, talking, and taking pictures. What a wonderful day! We tried for over an hour to take a picture of a tiny lizard, but just as we would get the cameras set, he would scurry away. I even but out some fruit to get him to make a longer appearance, but no luck....he probably was up on his hind legs with arms waving in the air when we left. We left with peace in our hearts and oh so content.

THE CRAFTY PART OF THE DAY

Got home and I spent the evening organizing all my patterns into binders and dividers...now I know what I have! and I have made a pact with myself that I do not NEED to buy or print out anymore patterns. Too much just makes me crazy, and sets me up with failure that I cannot finish them all. So I will work with what I have (or so she says, HA!)

THE SAVE THE PLANET PART OF THE DAY

We lit candles and turned out all the lights for an hour of Earth Hour. I ended up tripping in the dark and now have a bruise on my leg. But we did find that by turning everything off, we actually talked to each other! Amazing.

Port Chicago - Blast and Aftermatch

2009-03-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Port Chicago - Blast and Aftermatch

Books

2009-03-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading 2 books. It seems that I don't read as many fiction novels as I use to. I think it is because real stories, my favorite is history, are just more intriguing to me. Plus the dynamics of human interaction intrigues me.
The first book...which I started months ago and put down for a while is The Port Chicago Mutiny by Robert L. Allen. Port Chicago was a naval ammunition base located on the Sacramento River near the entrance into San Francisco Bay, thirty miles northeast of SF. Not far from my house. Only black servicemen loaded the ships with ammo. On July 17, 1944 there was an explosion and 320 victims died. When the servicemen would not go back to loading the ships, they were charged with mutiny. The charge still stands. My grandfather was stationed there which is why I picked up the book. He was white and therefore not loading the ships. Once or twice he talked about it, so I was vaguely aware of what happened there. After reading the book I began to think about how a group of people can feel that they are superior to another group. It kinda boggles my mind. I can only guess (and come darn close) to the reason no whites were loading the ships.
The other book is a book by Dalai Lama, and no I am not converting. I just like to read about other beliefs, so that I can understand where people are coming from. This is not the first book I have read by the Dalai Lama. I don't confess to understand everything is speaks about. I do know that there is a real calmness to what he says. One of the things I got from the book is that is we need to think of ourselves as a whole...not separate, or we lose ourselves. I look at the homeless people here on 7th street, and I know that it is the perfect example of what that means. If we allow something to become so important such as drugs or alcohol we separate from our mind and bodies and become non-existent. I don't kid myself that in this world it is darn hard to follow what he teaches, but I do know that what he teaches in if only in the smallest way followed is makes the world better. That said, there is something good in all beliefs that can be applied to make the world better. I hope to get back to playing my NA flute over my vacation. That has become my meditation.
The next book I am reading is Sundown towns. I went to high school in Medford, OR which happened to be one of those towns.
Happy reading

Quilting

2009-03-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

On a lighter note...at least for everyone but me....it seems in my OCD organization of the home office/sewing room I threw out the strips I had pre-cut for the binding on my new wall quilt. This means that I will have to purchase more fabric andn cut more strips. Why in the heck did I not keep the strips with the quilt.....Well no more...that as been taken care of by my maniac organization..except cannot seem to find my quarter inch marker anywhere...and those dividers, that I bought 2 weeks ago, to organize my patterns have disappeared...did I toss those out to when I was blinded by my mission. Except for missing objects....the Chi is flowing in that room....now just wanna paint the wall behind my sewing table and maybe make a small wall quilt to hang there also. The room is blue but i want that wall to pop..without blinding me...any suggestions??
Oh and I know that when I am writing serious stuff I need to proof read proof read proof read (it's funny for a paralegal, but it is not one of my strong points) my brain works too fast.

Journeys

2009-03-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

I needed to add one more clarification. Art to me is like wine. I love good wines, but the wine is good to me because my senses tell me it is good. I don't need to take classes on wine bouquet, color, etc. to know it is good wine. What I want to discuss is how it got to be this great wine, the people behind the making of the wine, the journey the grape took to reach this delightful sensation that it gives to a person.

A Change In the Discussion

2009-03-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have decided after much reflection to change the direction of my blog. In the next two weeks or so, I am gonna archive my old posts and revamp the look of the site to start anew. When I come to my blog it makes me feel uncomfortable, and I could not understand why.
My blog is not a true reflection of my journey. It had become a place where I compare myself to others. and would fall short every time. The reason is that is that the path I was following is not truly how I see art, so I was not following my path, but the path of others. I know and have studied values, etc. I know all about how things should flow, and have meaning. I know that these things are important to others. When I stray from how I feel I just don't create from inside of me. For me, art is just an expression of oneself. It is subjective to the beholder. It is what I see in my mind as a watch a piece of paper float across the street, or look up to see the sun shining thro the tree. To analyze art too much, too apply too much theory, just isn't my cup of tea. Art is what it is, an expression of oneself. Even the sloppiest of work I believe is the expression. Think about the person who would slap something together, just to say the created something. Even that person is reaching out to say they exist. Art to me is both in the body and mind, and takes different shapes. I have a girlfriend that says she has no talent and yet she goes to the kitchen and creates the most wonderful dishes for all to share. My husband has a wonder singing voice, but he will never notice the way the living room flows....or the color of things. It just is. I am in know why saying what is right or wrong. I am just saying art is what it is, it is subjective and it is personal.
So this a blog about my journey. It will be a place for me to write down my path to reaching my final goals in life. I don't mean that to sound morbid. I am NOT that old yet. But the truth is, these will probably be my last goals in life. In 20 years I will be 75, at that point, as my body and mind will probably not have the energy to set another goal, I want to be in a place that I can say, this is Okay.
My final goals are private, and they will only be discussed in the perspective of growth in mind, body, spirit, and art (and as I said before, art to me is all in compassing). I hope you will stay with me on this journey and add your insights. I guess what I am opening this blog up to, is a discussion of the journey that art is, a place to show what has been created and tell what led us to that place. What compelled us to create that piece. I watched a, what I know is a chick flick last night called August Rush, but the movie got me to thinking that I want my blog to be a place where the journey to art can be discussed, as well as a journey thru life to be the best we have in us.

Making Progress

2009-03-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

So here are two purses I have completed. The solid orange on the one purse is stamped but does not come across in the pic. Also when I washed it, the images faided but I like the afftect...kinda goes with the batik.

and here is what our life is now...just living in the moment with all our blessings. This is Grandpa, Fiona, and LiL Zach at the kids' house.

My Life Right Now

2009-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have been sewing and have finished 2 purses and almost done with the wall quilt.(pics coming) Organized the office/sewing room but my focus right now is on my wonderful family. Here is a pic of two of my beautiful grandkids. LiL Zach and Kaitlynn. Zach is about 6 hours old in this picture. We should always count our blessings. My family will always be my priority. It's what makes the world go around.

Whew...organizing the office/sewing room was an all day project. Still not done. I want to paint the closet behind my sewing station and rid the file cabinet of the 1989-2000 papers. Yikes! how did we ever get this cluttered? I have pictures of when we first moved here....we had nothing!

You never know

2009-03-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

I got an e-mail yesterday from Schmap Washington DC vistor's guide, telling me that a photo in my Flickr account was chosen considered for the Schmap's Wash DC guide. I am very excited as I never expected something like this. I just keep photos there in case something happens to the computer or the external box! Another wonderful thing happened on Sunday, we recently bought a webcam, and I subscribed to Skype. So on Sunday, my computer rang, and there was my sister in all her glory, on my computer all the way from Mississippi! I haven't actually seen her in over a year. The best part is that for the first time I got to see my niece who was born 5 months ago (my sister is 17 years younger than I am, long story) We talked for an hour! and it was free. Was just like being in the same room except you don't get to hug. It just made me smile the rest of the day, well that and our first dinner with lil Zach!

lil Zach enters the world

2009-03-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Wish I could sleep with such peace. I pray that he will have this kinda peace all of his life.

A New Addition To The Family

2009-03-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

We have been at the hospital all day...awaiting our newest grandson...Zachery Aaron Michael Gottlieb arrived at 1:55 this afternoon....a whopping 8 pounds three ounces, and I must say he is the cutiest little baby I have ever seen :-) of course I am a little prejudice! This is my son's first boy, and that makes it so special. He is one proud papa...What makes this also sowonderful is that the mama is the daughter of very close friends of ours. The kids have known each other for over 20 years, but because my son was 4 years older, he thought he was much too cool to hang out with her, until 2 years ago when they re-connected
pictures will mostly be posted on Flickr but I will post on or two here in case anyone cares to see the little guy.
Time to go shopping!

2009-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

Time is limited

I was back at work for 3 days and then got called in for jury duty. That is where I have now been for the last week and half. I will have to re-adjust to working a full week, and it is tempting to never go back. Of course that would mean no more trips to the fabric or craft stores...no more belonging to wine clubs, and probably no more eating anything but rice and beans. It also means that I have not been exercising on a regular basis. The case is a little too close to feelings I have, so by the time I get home I am exhausted. So, between Hawaii court duty and jury, life has been a little unsettled. New grandbaby soon to arrive so a lot of my energy will be going to helping out. A three week vacation is coming up soon, and I hope to get some projects done then. One of my must do projects will be to re-organize my sewing and crafting room. That is a least a week project. Send me any of your ideas! The room is also our office so I have to incorporate both to flow together.

New stuff

The best part of jury duty, or maybe the worst...is that the courthouse is very close to JoAnn's Fabrics and craft store. The other evening coming home I just happened to have a 40 percent coupon in my purse, and I bought myself a large cutting mat...oh how wonderful! I had hinted to the hubster that I wanted that mat for Chanukah, along with a large embroidery hoop for my BLE, but he didn't get the hint. Instead he got me an IPOD dock and a portable DVD player. But what joy those turned out to be. Both are in my sewing room...so now I can watch movies as I sew....of course I can't watch movies with subtitles, but sewing and watching heavy duty movies just don't go together.

Weekend

This was on of the best weekends I have ever had, well maybe not the best but close. On Saturday we went urban wine tasting with friends. But before we went wine tasting..my girlfriend and I did some crafting together. She is very into stamping...so I stamped some fabric squares for a purse I am making. And then we made explosion boxes which I just love. It is hard to describe but it is a box that when you lift off the lid is flaps open and on each flap you put a pic or a saying..I will post pics when I get more time. Then we all headed out for wineries in our area....so strange to do urban wine tasting...a whole different feeling than tasting out at the vineyards..One winery was in an old submarine repair warehouse...they have one room where they put local artists' works...so two treats in one. We also tasted chocolate at Charles Chocolates in Emeryville...oh so wonderful smells! Then had dinner in Old Oakland....What a wonderful ..full day! Sunday was raining and hubster was doing the taxes...so I just sewed and sewed and sewed...finished the paneled purse and the wall quilt top...gonna start the sandwich tonight...there again the great thing about being right by JoAnns...have to get more batting and the fabric for the back....Will post pics soon. have to be at court by 2 this afternoon...one more witness and then we go to deliberation...

take care and please do send me ideas re organizing.

Hawaii has taken my heart

2009-02-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

oh so hard to come home to the cold! Don't get me wrong...I love the bay area and will probably always live here. But oh so wonderful Hawaii has taken my heart. The pace and the weather suited my temperment, and I don't remember the last time I felt so relaxed. One thing I realized is that I had no idea how a pineapple grew! It's funny the things we never think about, like how our food grows. Even the birds are happy...take a look! The husband was thrilled and made sure the bird had food on our balcony. Kept asking him if he heard of the bird flu. But you gotta love a man who is so tender hearted.

The flora is fantastic.

The hibicus is the state flower. I grow 2 plants on my patio, but they are not as beautiful as in their native tropical weather. We got caught in a rain storm driving down the road and could not do anything but follow the car in front of us. Very unnerving, but at least it was warm rain!

I have not done any sewing or crafting for 3 weeks and it is about time I got back to it. I have a new wall hanging in the works and will post it when I get the borders on. I am really pleased with it. The Chat Noir cross stitch is almost done ( I had 5 hours on the plane to work on it) and I will make the frame for it and post that soon too. But the house was calling for a major clean today, and I had a ton of office work so no sewing today.

I bought a little cookbook to try out some Hawaiian recipes, so I am excited about to try those out. That's about all the reading I have done except for work. I did buy a book on making crochet leis. have no idea what I will do with them but it looked like too much fun.

Reflections

2009-02-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Friends coming over for Superbowl. Am not a big football fan...just love being with my friends. Did not get much sewing done this weekend. How come it is so much work to go away from home for a week?

For years and years there was a woman at work that hated me...never figured it out. Then about 3 years ago we both joined a exercise class at work and suddenly we began to talk and then we became friends....funny how those things happen. You have to look harder in some people to find out what makes them tick. Well thank goodness we became friends because she has been a big help in the setup for court in Hawaii....I made this card for her last night as a thank you. The fabric on the flowers and leaves is from fabric she brought back for me from Hawaii when she went for the court last year.

More reflections

When I wonder why the heck I live in the bay area, all I have to do is take a short trip to the ocean and look with awe at God's creation.

These were taken at Half Moon Bay, CA

2009-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

Made this a while back...had them stored away because I had every intention of making more. Got sidetracked. These are made from video shipping boxes (old ones of course :-) Lots of fun. Better for storing or giving as a gift with gift inside. I have some other plans for making them more durable. These were just test pilots. Another way to recyle!!!!

Grandma's quilt for Zachery

2009-01-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

Just finished little Zachery's quilt. So hear it is. This is the first quilt, other than a small wall hanging, that I have finished. I actually finished before he is born! Going away to Hawaii for work so wanted to finish as the baby shower is the day after I get back. The right lower corner looks out of wack but it is really straight. Did not feel like taking another picture and uploading again. My granddaughter made the label for the back which I will attach tonight, as hubby's band is off to play at some birthday party

Zachery due to arrive on March 10th....all I see is neat baby stuff!

Kitten in Window in Nice, Cote d'Azur & Provence, French Riviera, France pictures from france photos on webshots

2008-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

This design is what I am kinda leaning toward for the Chat Noir....you can already see what the Chat Noir looks like in the window..he he

click below
Kitten in Window in Nice, Cote d'Azur & Provence, French Riviera, France pictures from france photos on webshots

2009 Projects

2008-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

I had to come to work today. I think I must be the only one because the train was empty. But it is slow here and that allows me to dream up new projects and make sketches.
Besides sandwiching ...quilting and binding my son's quilt (see previous blog), and finishing the binding on the baby blanket here are my first projects for the new year.
I owe this one to quiltedcraftsman aka LFF (see bloggers I follow). Besides sewing and quilting I also love to do needle work and woodworking, and I emailed LFF about trying to combine all creative loves. LFF suggested making frames or hangers for my small quilts and I loved the idea. That got me thinking about making my own frames for my needle work. The cross stitch I am currently working on is Chat Noir. I came up with an idea to do a window w/shutters frames...and I started looking at photos of provence style windows (again a suggestion from LFF) and oh how excited I am! I saved several pictures of the windows and will do sketchs once the Chat Noir is done. The other 2 needle works are of stained glass window...will do a window box frame for those. Will post pics as I progress. Any suggestions are welcome. I am very excited about these projects because I have a ton of power tools but have not made anything with them in ages.
The other project is organizing my sewing corner in the home office. I took a "before" pic and will post that soon with what my first step will be. Again...any and all suggestions (unless you suggest I just give up) are welcome.
The last project is a wall quilt that flashed into my head as my husband and I had dinner last night in an Irish grill and pub in SF...they had a bunch of stained glass windows hanging and I sketched the pattern (this is SF...no one took any notice of me drawing as I ate...my DH just asked me if I was making a list for him to do the shopping when he was off today :-) )because I could just see it as a quilt.

My Grandmother's Strength

2008-12-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about my grandmother who passed away on Christmas Eve in 1993. I was cleaning out my jewelry box this morning and came across a pair of ear rings that I inherited from her. That sent me searching for this picture of her. I love this picture...it shows both her outer and inner beauty. She is the woman that I compare myself to and I know I will never achieve that strength and beauty that she had. I can only try to be the same to my grandchildren as she was to me. My grandmother was quietly strong..she never raised her voice but at the same time got her point across. Her family was from Copenhagen, Denmark...I remember her father still had the accent and told jokes all the time...really really dry jokes. She grew up on a farm in Washington State. She raised 2 girls on her own until she met my step-grandfather. I never heard her complain. She handled her cancer the way she handled life...with dignity and calmness. Toward the end I could see in her face that she was angry. I tried to talk to her about it but she would only say she was fine. She took what ever feelings she had with her . I got the call on Christmas Eve morning and took the next flight to Portland, Ore. I remember feeling lost ..the home I had spent every summer as a kid was not the same without her there..it was empty. It took me a long time to return to Portland after the funeral. Guess it was my way of denial. I could ignore that she was gone and that I could have been a better granddaughter to her. But I realize most of us regret not telling those closest to us that we love them. I am not sad writing this. I think because it will be a new year ..I am just thinking about the kind of person I am and I wonder if she would be proud of me. But I know the answer to that one...she loved me like no one ever will again...with unconditional love. When I get angry at my grandkids...I think of her love and the anger fades away.

What does this have to do with creativity and adventures...it is the love and security that she gave me that helps me try new things ..to take chances...to live each day to its fullest...because I can hear her in the back of my mind telling me that I can do it.

SFMOMA | Exhibitions + Events | Calendar | Brought to Light: Photography and the Invisible, 1840-1900

2008-12-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

A wonderful museum in San Francisco which I will be visiting on the first Tuesday in January. First Tuesdays are free to the public so I can get my fill of art once a month!

SFMOMA Exhibitions + Events Calendar Brought to Light: Photography and the Invisible, 1840-1900

Bartholomew Park Winery

2008-12-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is one of the wineries we will visit today in Sonoma County. We go there mostly for the beautiful setting and their very quaint museum.

Bartholomew Park Winery

A couple of pictures from Sonoma Square...the air was crisp and very festive.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T10:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays To Everyone! I hope the new year brings you peace and contentment.

Baking Cookies Has a Life of Its Own

2008-12-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Let me preface with the fact I am not a baker. I bake bread in the bread machine and I sometimes make toll house chocolate chip cookies. I am a great cook. I could win one of those cooking channel contest where they are given a set number of ingredients..but I am not a baker. My family is not much on sweets...so it kinda goes to waste if I don't drag it to work. But this holiday...partially I think I am feeling kinda bah humbug about the whole thing and then feel guilty...I decided to do it up big...home made gifts for everyone..and homemade cookies for friends and family..so today was cookie day. I have just made the uglies cookies you can imagine...it was a recipe from a local paper...one dough ...3 different types of cookies. On recipe tells you to cut the middle out of the cookie and then after they are baked...put them back together.....whaaaa? the little circles stay the same...the other part distorts and there is no way...so it will be jam and cookie crumbs on anyone that dares to eat them....Well...making the dough was a snap...then came looking for my cookie cutters....I pulled out the bottom kitchen drawer..found what I was looking for....started to shove the drawer back in and it would not budge...I pulled out the drawer and behind it..stuffed in the very back...was a bound of stuff...it was like one of those vaults that they put stuff in for the future generations to see! there were plastic straws from when my grand daughter and I did some project 8 years ago...there were plastic bags from places that no longer exist...there were things I had no idea where they came from (does this hint of not being a great housekeeper?), so cookies are on hold while I dispose of this treasure chest of memories...the rest was just right up there with throw the whole thing in the trash and go BUY cookies....I tried to cut out shapes for the gingerbread cookies and everything just distorted by the time I got it to the cookie sheet....I settled on round cookies and that was okay. The last batch...peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate was really okay...not bad looking ...so I saved face sort of. The dog is now high as a kite on sugar and chocolate droppings and I am sure we have more to look forward tonight...

The house smells nice tho

This is Smokey's "Honest Mom...It wasn't me" face.

quilt pics

2008-12-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the first quilt top that I ever made. I hope to have it quilted by my son's birthday on Feb. 14th. Any ideas for quilting?

this quilt will go to my little niece who was born last month (I am just a tad older than my baby sister :-)

hopefully she won't be 16 before I get it done!

Designer flip flops for my granddaughter

The Price of Loving Crafts and the Arts

2008-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

This ties in to my recent statement in another blog that I would explain about why I had the materials to make cards later. My father was a leather goods maker from the time I was born...so I guess I was born into using my hands to make something. As a kid, we traveled around the US to different fairs and stock shows...I slept in a belt box under the counter as a little kid and as I got older I was assigned to lace billfolds and make hair pieces...I would stamp the little pieces of leather and dye them...so it is in my blood. The problem is due to having 2 children at a very young age...I had no money...so I made things from flour and water..clay figures, and cross-stitched..that is all I could afford. Then when I got a good paying job all heck broke lose....I bought everything in sight...figuring if I couldn't make it now...I would have the stuff and make it later. If you want to do paper crafts ..woodworking...candle making...silk painting..soap making....beading, oil painting, drawing, and on and on...come on over to my house. Then my grand daughter was born and I started a craft box for her.
The funny thing about acquiring more stuff is it is kinda like eating really rich yummy food...its really great at first...then a sinking feeling of what the heck did I do comes around...and the thing about having so many crafts is that what was really happening was that I was driving my self crazy with trying to do it all, and trying to store. On top of this, my husband who is a muscian...started aquiring sound equipment for his band...our house was shrinking by the minute.
A few years ago I took a quilting class and found my true calling...now my love, and a love I think will stay, is sewing and quilting...but....I still have all the other stuff although scaled down to what I might need in creating fabric objects and clothes...well the candle and soap making is still in the shelf above the closet..I might do that again sometime...or maybe one of my grand kids will want to...or my poor son may just have to sort thru all that stuff when I am not here to hear him say..."Oh good grief, Mom"
And I have stopped buying at least for now...except for backing fabric and binding. I want to support the smaller fabric and quilt shops but to tell you the truth I never feel comfortable in the smaller shops...I always feel tha I am out of my element ...as opposed to JoAnn's where everyone seems to be treated the same..I don't want to feel that I am second class when I buy fabric simply because I don't belong to a guild or have ever shown a quilt..i just want to love textiles without any trappings. We are all creative in our own way and that is the beauty of crafters and artist..I have even heard that the difference between the craftsman and the artist is breaking down somewhat..although I suspect there will always be a line there...kinda like how some people divide knitting v. crochet (by the way I do both so don't send me hate mail)
I have met some very nice people in the journey of crafts and the arts in the various art classes I have taken. I hope to continue this journey.

2008-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here are my cards...one more to go...also a pic I made for my son. My great grandmother and grandmother were native american and my son loves native american stuff. (i didn' realize there was a glare on the buffalo spirit pic but you get the drift

2008-12-12T14:58:00.001-08:00

I told myself last night that today would be a very productive day and I got up early to start it. My first gifts that I will give out for Chanukah are all homemade and today was the day to finish the embroidered cards. All started out well. I made sure I had a full bobbin. Then the fun started. I keep (kept) all my sewing threads on one of those spool racks on the shelf above my sewing table aka old computer desk. About a week ago...my beloved Smokey (who is featured in my profile pic) knocked off the thread rack and spools of thread went flying. Smokey thought it was great fun batting around the spools on the hardwood floor. I on the other hand threatened him with a life in the kittie shelter. So I should have learned from that and made other arrangements for my sewing thread but of course I didn't. So already to go with my holiday cards project ...I slipped on the embroidery arm to my machine and Crash! The rack flew off the table and spools of thread went every where...so...I decided a better idea was to hang the rack on the wall...that led to an obsession with putting each color according to its hue...standing back to make sure I was right and changing the order again...an hour later I was ready to go...then the phone rang ...the phones in the office and living room did not ring but the plug in phone in our bedroom rang...I ran in there...and the phone was no where to be found...after scrambling around trying to locate the ring... I found the phone behind our bed...yep...my beloved Smokey had knocked off the phone at some point..and the other phones did not ring because someone and I am not naming names ....had unplugged the other phones somehow...okay so all fixed...I start hooping the stabilizer and in walks my beloved husband...he had gone to the doctor in the morning and decided to stop by home just to tell me hi! sooooo...and don't get me wrong..I love the man...everything was on hold again...finally about 11:30 ...I got going...got the embroidery all done and realized that it did not fit the premade picture mount cards I have...sooo....more time was spent making a card for it to fit into...but...it is done..pics will be in a later blog ....along with how I happened to have the stuff to make a card myself