Friday, January 28, 2011

Transformation Jan 28 2011

I was planning on writing about a piece I just finished.  I started it in October by trying to see how I could cut curves and put them together to create tree branches.  I wanted to create Aspen trees with their gold leaves showing.  Carelessly, I had used a gold fabric with a lot of red in it and as the piece developed it because a look through a window at aspens burning.  It had transformed inspite of its creators desires.  The piece is finally finished  (24" by 24") and I ended up overstuffing some of the branches to give it a basrelief look.  I love this piece.




Today was a day off for me and I was dealing with a (dare I name it) depression that had come over me during the last few weeks.  I have been gaining weight and my allergies had kicked in with rashes all over my body.  I went for a hair cut and dye job today and had a wonderful time with Darlene, my hair person and then I had a whim and wanted a facial.  The facial lady did not have time for my whim but within five minutes got a call delaying her next appointment so she could take me in just thirty minutes.  I accepted this gift from the universe and I sat in a corner of the salon and drank white wine from an antique pewter cup while reading about medical intutitives, pressure points and life. 
The facial and massage was wonderful and she kept asking me if I smiled like this all the time.  I had to explain that there are people who do not believe that I ever smile.  When I wrote out the check I realized that long ago today was the day I was married - perhaps I was feeling that in my bones.  It was a long long time ago and was an experience I would not have missed , nor would I ever repeat it.  Guess today has a new meaning - Transformation.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Serendipity Jan 22, 2011

A long long time ago in college I met a lady who would become one of my best friends.  The start and cementing of the friendship all happened in one night under the constellation Orion.

We kept in contact though there would be times with long silences, however, time never seemed to matter in each call - it was as if we had talked the day before.  Hilary was interested when I picked up quilting (she is not a quilter) and I once developed a small landscape piece based on a postcard she had sent me during her travels.  She liked it.

When we talked last month it seemed like Hilary was going through a particularly difficult time.  After I hung up I decided to make her a small landscape quilt that would represent her journey and would include Orion as a reminder of her distant friend.  I quickly went to work, and while I was completing it, a package came.

Hilary had gone to a quilting shop and picked out some quilt fabrics as a gift to me, including one with peace signs (I told you it was long long ago).  I might add that they were perfect fabrics for me.

I finished my small landscape called Hil Journey and sent it off.  I must admit that I waited to call her to thank her for the fabrics until I thought she had gotten the quilt.  My call found her on the day she received it.  It was a very good call.

Serendipity happens.  Awesome!

Love ya Hil!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Documentation - Lack of Jan 14, 2011

Horrors!!!  Yesterday I decided to start organizing all of my quilt pictures.  They have lived through a computer meltdown and been saved but they are all jumbled in the computer.
I only started quilting in March 2003 and I carefully documented my first three years.  Then I gave up on the diary; I gave up printing pictures; and I screwed up.  This is a the problem with going back to work full-time.  So I have to catch up on four years of quilting.  Sigh.

I started cleaning up and while I still carefully sew my name, month and year on the quilt, I do not have a lot of my quilts anymore.  I took pictures of most of them but did not write down their dimensions or where they went. 

This weekend I will go through all of the quilts I do have and get their dimensions and I will print, print, print pictures from the computer.

Totally my responsibility and fault but I really wanted to whine.

On the bright side, I have finished a lovely wall hanging of a buffalo (the National Park Service symbol).  The buffalo is the second one I have done and I really enjoyed all of the thread work I did on it.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Awesome Jan 10, 2011

On TED.com I found a video by a guy named Neil Pasricha who has had a blog going for the last year called 1000awesomethings.com.  He has also just put out a book called (oddly enough) the Book of Awesome.  His idea is to find the very little things in life to celebrate.

It has snowed in the Denver area for the past 36 hours and I have about 10 inches of snow.  I just came in from shoveling the driveway and part of the cul-de-sac (bless street tires).  The sun is shining; the sky is beautiful deep blue and the snow is glowing. 

Breaking through the end of the driveway and realizing that you are done is just AWESOME!!!!

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Donations 1.8.11

I must admit that I do not specialize in any type of quilting.  As a result, I am not an expert in any particular form.  I have donated quilted for various causes. 
At the start of the jewish High Holy days I suddenly had an urge to create and donate quilts to the place I was going to services.  It was a new place for me but I had a good feeling.  I wanted to have these lap quilts done before the High Holy days were over.  I almost made it and ended up with three lap quilts and one small kids wall hanging.  They were very surprised when I donated them and I am not sure that they have figured out what to do with them (sick visits; new babies, sell them in an auction, etc.).  I did not take pictures of the quilts but I had four blocks left over that I made into a wall hanging for myself.

I do wish I knew why my camera was turning everything so yellow.  That is supposed to be an ivory wall behind them.  I have done a few more small quilts that I plan on donating once I know what Beth Evergreen is doing with the pieces they already have.




The two last pieces are the front and back of a dog baby quilt.  It was fun and an experiment.  I am not sure if you should donate your best work or donate work that you played with but do not feel a need to keep. 

Anyone have an opinion on that??

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Straight Seams 1.1.11

I love today's day 1.1.11.  Numbers can be fun as long as they add up to the right things.

Happy New Year all!!!

Normally, I work on smaller quilts - landscapes; animals; abstracts and with small pieces of fabrics and some other materials put together as I want.

A few days ago I just wanted to sew straight seams.  This comes over me once in a while where I just want to hear the hum of the sewing machine; use up fabric and see things come together.

A few years ago I found a fabric sample of a quiet blue with brown and tans and loved it.  I had been slowly collecting fabrics and thinking about this.  This year, that color combination came out everywhere (no thanks to Moda fabrics) and it was no longer that much fun.  I had also seen a number of shadow quilts patterns where they used large rectangles of fabric and a small shadow.
Well that is what I used to make up a design.  Actually did not know how it would come together until the final sewing but I think I like it.  The picture does not have the ivory borders on yet but I am sure that you have seen this general design.  Please ignore all the other things in the picture - it is a working picture.



It came out very cool looking which fits the 1.1.11 time of year.  Denver's high temperature yesterday was 9 degrees.  Very cool!
The urge to just sew straight seams has been fulfilled and I can move on.  If only I could get over sugar urges as easily.