Just as a reminder, you can click on the pictures and enlarge them on your screen. The first Ceil picture does not make a lot of sense until you realize that the words on the background are "Pond Hollow Bronx Ceil" which is his show name. Maybe it does not make sense to anyone but me even then.

I like quilting, I have ideas, try things out, fix things when they do not work, slave at it till I am happy. I wish working with people was that easy but the little buggers keep moving the target and their positions. I did just finish my second Ceil piece - done after I knew how bad the situation is. It will be going to Design class (theme is emotions using words) with me on Thursday. It is about 22 inches wide and 36 inches long. I would have like more graceful but this is me.

Ceil and I are managing. The biopsy could not be taken, chemo and radiation are not options so we have turned to holistic medicine. Ceil is loving all the food that I am making for him and he is willing to eat as many pills as I feed him as long as there is a bit a cheese with it. Actually, since he is eating so healthy, I have started eating better. I have been busy quilting. I finished a piece last month that I was doing while they were trying to figure out what is going on with Ceil. It represents parts of our life in a collage - has a jean pocket with leash, branches, clay for the earth, water representations and elk antler. First time I have tried a variety of object like this.

I did finish my dolphins and mermaids quilt for my grand-nieces Nadia and Leah - it will be sent off as soon as put the label on and vacumn off all the dog hair.

Went to a national quilt show today in Denver. Lovely, lovely show. So many creative people working with quality. Makes me want to up the quality level in my work but I know it will just take time. Amazing!!!

So back to my next Ceil piece (do I have a theme or what). This is for this month's design class and it should show emotion through words. I have the words, I definitely have the emotions. Good things my friends are helping me through this. Of course, Ceil feels great - what else could I ask for.

Just came back from the vet. My chessie Ceil, my pride and joy, has cancer in some very nasty places. It is growing quickly and surgery is only a partial answer. The vets are all consulting with each other and will get back to me.

I have put a top together for my grand-nieces. Not sure when I will get to it but it is very blue. In its rough stage it is around 60" by 50". Not much joy in it right now.

Many snowstorms have passed since I last posted and I have been doing a bunch of quilting. I know that there are at least three of you checking this blog on a regular basis and I hope there are more of you out there. My six month design class started and the first class asked us to use the Golden Rule (~1:1.6 ratio) and the Fibonnai sequence (1;2;3;5;8;13;21 etc). i just kept staring out my living room window at the snowstorms and decided that is what I would do. So, a moderately successful, somewhat dismal picture of snow and what things look like in the snow. It was not a great success in the design class.

But I have my second design class this week and the topic was lines and shapes. Cannot seem to get myself away from my chessies so there is a dog in the piece. If you think fall season and a calm piece then I succeeded with this.

I did finish one of my chessie pieces for the national speciality in the fall (hopefully they will be donated and auctioned). It is about 20" wide and about 55" long. I love it and hope I will be able to give it up when it is time.

My Ceil dog has an internal tumor - please send him good thoughts as they try to figure out what is wrong.

I was able to get some pictures of my 'snow from my window" partially finished quilt - I am ready to apply paint and I wanted a memory of where I started. I also partially put together the five piece chessie piece - all I need to add are the outer borders and I have not decided if I really want them.

I have been working on my design class project. It was easy to decide that the perimeter would reflect the golden square (~1:1.6) and that somehow I would use the fibonni (?) numbers in it - the sequence of 1:2:3:5:8 etc. Part of the design class requirement for this month was to work with fabric paints - something I had never done so I went and bought a small beginners package to play with . After that I wanted to set some rules for myself - I started with the negatives (not the right place to start but oh so easy to go there) - because of all of the chessie blocks I had been doing, I did not want a landscape, green. blue or brown, or dogs in the work. I forced my mind around and decided on positives - I want loud, vibrant reds, orange-yellows, violets. In testing, discovered that fabric paints do not show up well on dark colors - oops. Then the snow started again and I realized that I wanted to reflect all the time I have been spending staring out my window at the snow falling or covering everything. So the piece is turning out very white; cream and overall pale. I layered the top - put a road, cul-de-sac curve and some trees (and yes - one dog) on a muslin layer and then put the snow layer (in the 1:2:3:5) pattern over it so the objects just barely show up. Now working on a few objects on the top; will quilt and then do pale fabric painting. It is an experiment! This is a picture of the piece after the first quilting work and before painting - just so I will remember it.

Pretty Cold January Day - Colorado is in the middle of its fourth weekend storm in a row. Got to say that I prefer them during the week so the weekends are nice. However, temperatures below zero always make you appreciate the rest of winter. A six month design class started with Heather Thomas on Thursday night. We get together for dinner first so it is a fun night. I asked a big favor of Heather and she came up with several design ideas for all the chessie blocks (I had been having a lot of trouble with that). Once I saw her ideas, it was a ah-ha! moment for me - of course those went together - guess that is why she is the instructor. Anyone, I am going to focus on those blocks, work out all the details, play with fabric paints to work on eyes and things and hopefully get them put together in the next two months. Just do not want to have to work on them in the spring. I am going to play with the other blocks to figure out all the details.

Thought I would post two landscapes I did. Right now the chessies are hiding in the trees because I can not think what to do with them - any ideas?

Another Friday - another big snowstorm. Just finished shoveling another 12-15 inches. Just happy to be home. Thought I would show some more chessie blocks for comments. You can call, email or leave messages as appropriate. The leaping chessie was revised from the original picture. The sleeping chessie is very rough and I would love comments.

ANOTHER BLIZZARD I live in Colorado because I love this climate - well, not for the last few weeks. The snow is building again outside and I am going crazy with the idea that I am going to have to shovel out several time in the next few days. There is nowhere I really want to go (federal gov't shut down today and will be closed for Ford funeral on Tuesday - no, I do not get paid as a contractor) but I think it is part of the American spirit to know that you have the freedom to move. At least it is part of my spirit. Guess the snowshoes go back on and I can start making paths for the dogs in the backyard. At least the two young dogs who were visiting over Christmas are gone - friend came back early to get them before she got shut-in. Whine whine whine, maybe I just need to work on more chessies.

So it is Christmas day. Not one of my best days, memorial candle lit and a day of sewing and going to the movies. Took in a friends two dogs for the holidays and having a hard time getting them worked in with my guys. That is it for my whining!!! Thought I would show you the christmas elf I made for a work friend (thanks to quilters newsletter for pattern) and some of the snow at my house. I made a menorah that was going to be for a white elephant exchange but it ended up being 30" by 20" and a lot of work - I gave it to my rabbi and his wife but forgot to take a picture of it.

The Denver area has been having a blizzard. Was home yesterday and sewed a lot. The storm eased off today so I decided it was time to shovel my long driveway (lets not talk about getting out of the cul-de-sac). Opened the garage door and the snow is up to the top of my thighs. This is not going to be a fast process. After an hour, I managed to clear about a six foot deep, one car width wide area. Hmmm, guess I will not need to go to the gym tonight.

Been busy making chessie blocks but took some time out to make a "Santa's Helper" piece for a friend at work. She really likes the little decoration pieces - did a turkey for her last year. Just having a good December for once - not doing as much as I should but handling everything well. Well back to my sewing area. Happy Hanukkah!

YEAH - Pictures are back on blogger. OK still looking for feedback.

The blogger has flipped over to beta testing and I can not figure out how to load pictures. So, I can only tell you that I have done more chessie blocks, fixed up some blocks based on some input (and my own opinions) and am very pleased how this is going. Today I put together a santa helpers block for a work friend and it was fun to work in the bright colors. Wish I could show you!!! Sybil