Paulette Insall's Organic Dimensions Class

I'm finally catching up with Paulette Insall's Organic Dimensions Class. We are on lesson 2 now. This is one of the canvas' I have done thus far. there is another one in the works - but right now I am not liking it too much. Maybe after the next lesson I can make it more acceptable. I think this one has potential. I am looking forward to Lesson 3 next week. I am really beginning to LOVE mixed media - and it has made me look at "things" in a whole new light ! Uh Oh !

Beautiful Birthday Orchid & The Best Dress For Your Ipod !

My birth's anniversary is not until tomorrow but, when I got home form work today, I found this beautiful early present from DH. If an orchid could be custom made just for me - it would be THIS orchid. It's my favorite green-gold color (more green really than the photo shows well) and came in a lovely pot. I am going to try my best not to kill this one! It's a WoW flower!

I had been trying to find a solution for protecting my IPod. I was not impressed with anything that I had seen. I didn't want a large case. I didn't want a hard case. I didn't want a fold up case. Nothing was very appealing. I stumbled upon the website for Gelaskins - and, well, my oh my, were there ever choices! There are so many awesome designs ! I figured that I just had to try one and see if it was, in fact, what I had been hoping to find. My Gelaskin arrived today and I am happy to say that it is, in fact, exactly what I wanted. It's one of my all time favorite Kandinsky prints (my personal circles symbol!). These little feats of artistic dress up for you tune machine come in all sizes & shapes (even for your lap tops - guess what's on MY new wish list?!). They don't damage your machine, can be changed at whim, are easy to put on, don't fold up & stick together before you can get it down and are made from an eminently durable (thank you 3M), nice feeling material. A screen protector is also included & it is undetectable both off as well as on. All of the pieces are precisely cut & fit perfectly. I think that the screen protection would be fabulous on my camera screen too come to think of it. My IPod still fits neatly in my little carrying case. If you want to dress up your IPod as well as protect that mirror like finish - check out these awesome Gelaskins. I really don't rave on about too many products any more - but these are gotta haves!

PS: Although they come from Canada - their shipping was very prompt - another selling point!

Some Photos That Just Had To Be Taken

Reflections on the window sill in my office

The mystical heart of a beautiful flower

The incredible clouds that fly by my window at home.

These are some of my favorite things.
The awesome beauty that surrounds us all every day
- if we just take the time to notice !
Hope you will still consider signing my guest book (see yesterday's post !)

Check out my Guestbook!

I think this is kind of cool - and I would LOVE to see where everyone is from. I'm not sure if I want to keep this on my side bar - it takes up a lot of room....but if you stop by and care to sign the guest book it would be fun. I AM NOT in San Francisco. I kept trying to correct this and it seemed to default to the beautiful bay city - and least "they" got the right Coast!

Another Trip Down Quilt Memory Lane

Join me in another trip down memory lane! Above is a LeMoyne Star quilt. When i made it I thought it was so dang good. I didn't know that there was a much better way to join the inner points so that they would lay flat. My machine quilting was truly awful - and I thought everyone used muslin as a quilt back ! It looked good enough on a wall - but I keep it now to remind myself to never be too pride-full. There is always a lot to learn no matter where you are in your quilting life!

Everyone, it seemed, had to do a Maple Leaf design. This one is just when I had laid out the blocks prior to putting them together. I didn't usually take photos of much of work back then. It's also odd to look at my quilts - not nearly as much color as I seem to always use now!

I have always love Log Cabin blocks - and I still do. This is the first quilt I made using Log Cabin blocks. I made it during a particularly stressful time in my life - and called it "The Rocky Road of Life" - though I suppose "Streak of Lightening" would not have been a bad title either! It's the first quilt that I used polar fleece as a backing - with no batting. Now I still use polar fleece but I think that using a batting layer works best. It adds some stability and looks much better - and prevents shadowing too. Come to think of it - it feels like time to do another Log Cabin block quilt sometime soon! At least this one showed some lively colors - despite the rocky road I was on !

Early Quilt Experiments

After reading my post about the quilt 'talk' I gave, cyber friend, Karoda asked if I had ever posted any of the pages from my quilting memory book on my blog. Of course I never had, but her comment made me think that it might not be a bad idea.

I have no photos of the early quilts I made in 1976 – and if I did I suspect that I would cringe. I had fallen in love with the richness and simplicity of Amish quilts. These quilts became powerful images in my mind. Those first quilts were Amish knock offs. During that time I also made quilts to sell. A twin sized quilt was $50. I thought I had hit the jack pot. I wonder how long they lasted? Most of the solid colored fabrics that were available then were a poly/cotton blend – can you imagine? There were no rotary cutters. I am not sure if I had decent scissors and I would not have recognized a template if one was tossed to me. I was so young and naive at this point. My quilting then was also questionable - sketchy at best – I can’t imagine what I thought I was doing using a puffy polyester batting either! Maybe that’s all I could get at the time. I remember Mountain Mist being available– I used to love the packaging and free patterns that came in the roll. I think, if I were to see any of these first quilts I would think they were just plain horrid – and be even more shocked that someone bought them. One person, I remember, bought a set of 4 quilts – WoW $200! That was a lot of money at the time ! Horrid quilts perhaps but they were the beginning of my love affair with quilts and quilting.

These photos represent the beginning of my "return" to quilting after being on hiatus when I thought, for some insane reason, that I needed to climb the a career ladder. The photo of the little hearts baby quilt is an old Polaroid - and, as such ,it's not a great photo. The hearts were, at least, all hand appliqued and the quilting - what there was of it - was all done by hand. The fabrics were relatively boring - pinks and creams. There is also a scary photo of what I looked like at the time! Yikes !

I find that having a 'quilting memory book' is really valuable thing. I like looking at where I have been in order to see to where I am. Does that make any sense?! I keep my ribbons and acceptance notices in the book too (funny thing though - I seem to not have kept too many of the rejection notices !). Hope you have enjoyed this peek at my past !

Happy Memorial Day & Take-It Further Challenge Piece For May

It's Memorial Day here in the States. I try to take time each year to give thanks to everyone who has served our country in the military services. I especially give thanks to my three wonderful uncles - pictured above - who served during World War II. Thankfully, they all came home. My grandmother knew many families that received the dreaded phone call telling them that a family member was injured or had died. Throughout her life, my grandmother never did like the phone because of that experience! My uncles are gone now - but I believe that they know how proud I am of them.

Otherwise, I really have been catching up this weekend. I got the Grab Bag piece just about fit to mail. I also got the May Take-It-Further challenge piece finished. You may remember that I posted a photo of a mono print I did the other day. When I went to do the TIF piece I realized that it fit the suggested color scheme and, more to the point, it also fit the 'topic' for the month, which is "how do you describe yourself?". I am, truly, becoming & that's how I describe myself. It's frustrating to realize that with each passing year I am not only getting older but am also becoming the person I always wanted to be. I wish I had arrived at this point years sooner, but I also believe that there is a reason for everything. My "spousal unit" gives me the stability that I have always needed but also, at times, I liked to reject! Taking the big step of cutting back on work has also given me so much more freedom to work on discovering and 'becoming'. I am poorer financially, but so much richer all in all. The circles in this piece are also eminently appropriate for how I describe my life. Circles figure largely in my experience. They begin, and may be broken, but somehow they always manage to come back around in order to be completed. This was another small mono print on cotton. I enhanced the print with Caran D'Ache Neocolor water soluble crayons and ink. I printed the letters using this cool new toy that I got from "Making Memories". The letters are magnetic and fit into a holder that makes stamping words so easy! I had hesitated to spend the money on them when I was at Michaels last week on my off island jaunt with Lauren but now I am so glad that I did ! Now I am ready for June's challenge! Getting a bit caught up feels so good - now on to tackle the next "want to do" project - 'Quilt For An Hour" that I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Here is the piece in my sketch book along with my playing with those new, cool, alphabet stamps!

Finally! Doing Some Catch Up

Thus far this weekend I have been able to make some headway. Thankfully! I believe I will meet the dead-line for the Grab-Bag Challenge - I just getting into the quilting phase now. I need to check the "rules" sheet - I don't think I can post any photos of it yet. I am also within minutes of having my 'Take It Further' piece for May finished. I am going to be able, at last, be able to get somewhat caught up with Judy Laquidara Quilt For An Hour piece. I am happy with the colors I chose -and think it will make an unusual quilt.

"Poison" greens have always been a favored color for me, but, before I became so totally enamored with oranges & reds, my favorite colors were "my" "poison" greens & teals. I have never been too much of a true blues fans- and cool, pale blues make my eyes squirm ...maybe it's my memories of the requisite pale blues & other pastels that many of my high school classmates (notice I didn't necessarily say friends) wore to "fancy dances" when I was growing up . I wore deep red moire or black! Anyway, I feel that my needs are, once again, beginning to swing towards teals - and, as always, more & more "poison" green. Wonder why they are called "poison" green ????? Back to the machine - I REALLY want this Grab Bag Challenge DONE & outta here ! Have a great SUNday !

Lushness

It's full bloom season now - and who can resist the lush, rich colors of nature. It was warm here today and there were lots of beautiful blooms to appreciate. Ah ! I love this season - especially when it it stays in the mid 70's - which for me is perfect. Happy Sunday everyone!

Playing With Prints

I have been playing about with mono prints recently. I should have been working on my Grab Bag Challenge piece that's due end of next week. What can I say? I needed some diversion and this was the perfect one ! I had cut this particular block some time ago - and had fun making some new prints in different colorways. This is one colorway that I liked a lot! For everyone in the US - have a terrific (and safe) Memorial Day weekend - and wishing EVERYONE a weekend full of love, laughter and creativity!

Thanks To The Evergreen Quilter For The Opportunity To Share Some of My Work WithTheir Wonderful Group!

I like her smile - and her question!

It was so much fun to hand out the door prizes!

I had the very good to have been invited to speak to the Evergreen Quilters in Bellingham, Washingtonon Tuesday. What a lovely, welcoming group of women they are! I have to admit to a certain amount of nervousness going into this lecture - I have done some small classes - but have never done a lecture about me and my work - my journey more or less. I brought along many quilts (both traditional & art) ,my quilting memory book (1989 to present), lots of information about my favorite thread purveyors (Superior & Wonderfil), bookmarks from Meg Cox (of Quilter's Catalog fame), inspiring cards from Virgina Spiegel,brochures for the APNQ show this summer and, thanks to SAQA, lovely door prizes (I also added one of my beaded Spirit Dolls as a door prize). There were about 35-40 folks who filled a welcoming room. I had to use a microphone for the first time - Yikes ! - the good thing is that it worked very well - with no odd noises to sting the ears! I was gratified to be able to answer some questions (it's always not a great sign when no one wants to ask you anything I think!). I was so pleasantly surprised that this was a fun experience - hopefully mutually fun! I spoke from 10:10 to 11:40. Who knew I could talk that long?!

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lauren - who put me up for the evening, came along to the lecture for moral support, took more than 200 photos & packed up my car for me! She was really sweet to stay with me the whole time - I wouldn't let her leave early! Sorry L - and more thanks than you know for being there for me - as you always are. We all must have one person in the world from whom there are no secrets and that always has your back - someone who sometimes knows you better than you know yourself!

People began to arrive at 9:30 am

One of my super traditional quilts made with vintage fabrics. Some of these butterflies were made when I got them, but there were not enough to make the quilt. I used some of my stash of vintage fabrics and made the balance needed and I am happy to be able to say that I am not sure which are which any more !

Looking at one of my small journal quilts

Odd Signs & Wonders

I have been meaning to take a photo of this sign for some time and finally got the opportunity to do so when I was on the mainland early this week. Do you see the humor in this sign considering that alcohol and driving don't mix !

Impromptu Bouquet

As I was lounging on the deck drinking in the sunshine and working on my Einstein Coat, I noticed that one of my favorite flowers, Lily Of The Valley, were in bloom. I have to have a small patch of them since they are the flower of my birth month! Their scent reminds me of a little bit of heaven. As I picked them I noticed that they looked lovely sitting on top of my Moss green wool. A beautiful, impromptu bouquet!

TIF Challenge: April: Playing Catch Up

I am really enjoying the Take It Further Challenge, but have fallen behind on April and May. Life intervened - too much so! Finally, however, I am feeling that I can begin to catch up ! This then, is April's piece. I know that the angels are always with me - and I do call on them a lot! I think I wear them out - but they always arrive when I really need them. I am hoping to have May's done this week. Then I will breath a "caught up" sigh of relief!

Flower Fairies

Of flowers and feathers and fairies that fly
on wing dusted grey and shattered blue sky
Of eagles that soar on ribbon colored rain
of skies drizzling color as the lone artist paints
A swirl of gold amidst the dusty, dry trail
that ribbons and winds around the fairy's tale.

s.k. lindeman

Yesterday, enchanted by some of the most luxurious poppies I have ever seen,I started snapping photos. I had to take a break from sewing to enjoy the sunshine & flowers! My meanderings made me think of the flower fairies - wondering if I could capture a glimpse of one through my lens. I think perhaps I did ! Maybe that's we love so much about flowers - they can transport us to to another realm if we just take the time to look! Blessings on this Sunday to one and all!

It Was A Wonderful, "Sewcial" Day!

This is the wonderful room at the Senior Center that we rent for our get-togethers.

Today was a "Sewcial" day for our quilting group. It was the day for the annual Mystery Quilt - though all are welcome to come, socialize and work on whatever we want to. I had wanted to do the mystery quilt this year - for a service project, but I had fallen too far behind on other deadline projects - so I had to put the mystery aside for another day. I got the instructions! I think that we have "Sewcials" scheduled for June and July as well - looking forward to them! The "Sewcials" are my favorite's since I don't often get to go and play with my quilting friends The weekly meetings are held on one of my busiest work days, so I am generally ready to go home at the end of the day. These fun days are that much more important and special to me. These are the friends I will be growing older with. That's important !

Here is Linda working on cutting out a pattern and Janet sitting by her trusty Janome trying to figure how how in the heck these mysterious clues go together!

We like to hold our meetings in the Senior Center - look the gorgeous, clean, light filled room! It's the best ! There is a full professional kitchen too and we have some of the best cooks ever in our group - so the luncheon pot lucks are always absolutely awesome!

We get to enjoy our lunch outside where we can enjoy the amazing gardens.

It is such a nice break to sit, chat and relax a bit before going back to the sewing machines. It was the hottest day that we have had this year so far - int he 80's and becoming a bit muggy.

Maude and Linda were hard at work on their projects.

This is Kris's drop dead gorgeous quilt that she recently finished! Isn't it wonderful? She had also finished not one bt TWO other great projects. She's been the ultimate power sewer lately.

It was a lovely day filled with creativity and friendship - what a great combination. I am very grateful to be a part of such an all around fabulous group of women - and it will be an honor to age gracefully with them!

"Artful Blogging" : Finally ! A Magazine For Bloggers

In one of my very first posts I mentioned what a magazine addict I am - so I was always on the look out for a magazine either about or related to blogging. I never found anything however, until one day in 2007 when my friend. Lauren, and I were drifting through a Michael's store. It was one of those rare off island trips for me and my eyes always tend to glaze over when I go to the mainland - so many things to tempt my plastic when I am in "America" -especially at someplace like Michael's! My gaze wandered to a magazine called "Artful Blogging". I brought it home and ,I have to admit, it languished on my book shelf for a long time. I finally brought it out to look at though and WoW - I found so many great blogs and so many great ideas and so many glorious photos. I just ordered the new issue and it arrived today. I can't afford the subscription but I KNOW that there are more issues of the great magazine in my future - as well as some of the back issues! As always, Stampington does a really superb job with this publication. It's not one of those 'toss away' magazines - it's really more of a book than a magazine - something that you can refer to and enjoy for a long time. It's a great find if you have a yen for - well - 'artful blogging'!

New Kit In The Hood: Beware of Eagles!

Snapped these two photos yesterday afternoon - which was overcast and a bit rainy. This was a yearling Golden Eagle. I am always amazed at their feet - they are incredible. Next was this kit that we call "Blackie" I was wishing that 1) I had a longer lens with me and 2) that I could get those branches away from his cute little face, but I did not want to move from my location and spook him into running. Isn't nature truly unbelievably awesome?!

Simple, Scrappy Bed Quilts

I like very simple quilts a lot & I am inordinately fond of scrap quilts - probably because they are always so much fun to construct. I have a good supply of 5 inch "sample"squares & I love using them for making the simplest of scrap quilts. For this quilt I used some of my stash of oriental fabric squares with a simple set & borders. I staggered the borders a bit to add a bit of visual interest. This is the quilt I am currently sleeping under. The back is fabulous too - I should take a photo of it - it's Asian floral fleece in red & white with a wide border of coordinated solid red. Yummy! I have used these wonderful little "sample" squares to make several quilts. They are colorful and so much fun to work with. Oddly enough - one of these scrap quilts is one that sold very quickly....and I even got a nice note from the new owner telling me how much they enjoy the quilt! Simple is such a good thing ! Sometimes I get so engrossed in thinking that I need to show off more quilting / pieceing skills that I forget that I generally prefer simple patterns over complicated - well except for my hand applique - and with that I seem to like to stitch fantasy, complicated, time consuming pieces!

Have a great day - and, as always, thanks for taking the time to have a look at my ramblings !

Aunt Doe's Quilt

I'm trying not to wallow in sadness. Trying to force myself to do the things that need doing. Yesterday, with all of it's sorrow, also marked the day I finished the quilt top for our Aunt Doe. Today, one of the things that needs to be done is sewing (seaming) the backing for this quilt. I am using a cream colored ,double micro velour, fleece from my favorite Malden Mills. It's Aunt Doe's 90th birthday in August and I know that she will like this quilt! Some years ago I gave her a small quilt & she always mentions how cozy it is and how much she uses it. This quilt is 88" X 109 ". Betsy Sauther of Nautilus Quilting is going to grace the top with her beautiful longarm artistry.

I have a passion for reproduction fabrics - both 19th century & early 20th, so my collection is rather embarrassingly rich. With the exception of the background white on cream fabric, this was made using stash fabrics. It's a very small part of my stash reduction plan. I think that the pattern is the most traditional of traditional, and some years ago I had cut it out of issue #99
( Sept/Oct 2004) of Quiltmaker magazine. They call the pattern "Chimney Sweep" - though I know it has many other names. I just call it traditional comfort! The finished blocks are 11.25". I like it well enough that I think I will make another for our bed. I seem to bounce back and forth between making traditional & art quilts. I love the balance it gives me. Next up is the fast approaching dead line for the Grab Bag challenge. I will really be pressing the deadline on this one so please wish me luck and energy to get it done in time!

Rest Easy "Mr. T"

Tinker,aka "Mr.T" June 1997 to May 2008
The sweetest, kindest dog in the world.

This has been a difficult time for us pet wise. Today our boy, "Mr T", passed away unexpectedly. He was recovering from a bout with kidney failure that the vet thinks might have been caused , perhaps, by him getting into a puddle that had some antifreeze in it. He was fine this morning. We will miss his sweet gentleness. It' still weird to think he is not going to be coming in the door at any minute. Two animals in three weeks. Not a good time. Not at all.

Spring May Have arrived

This week I am beginning to think that Spring may have finally arrived here in the Pacific Northwest. I have had doors & windows open for the first time this year & it is also
the first time that I have comfortably worn short sleeves all day.

I have been busy as a scurrying ant this weekend. I am ALMOST done with my quilt top - it's l-a-r-g-e! I spent all day yesterday working on it - and should, I hope, be able to finish it off today - then I'll need to "true" it all up & get the backing measured, cut and sewn. after that I will gather the things I will need next week for the lecture on Tuesday. I am hoping that I will have a little time to sit and day dream too - sit in the SUN I mean ! Meanwhile, the evenings have allowed me to make significant progress on the largest , and most humdrum, part of the knitting for the Einstein Coat. I think it will really be nice - and I may be happy that I elected to follow the pattern !More on both of these endeavors soon. Have a happy day!

Class Catch Ups

I wanted to spend today catching up on the lessons for my two classes. In the Mixed Media Landscape class with Karyn Gartel we added trees and a bottom edge to our canvases. Next week - well, THIS week really, because the lesson will arrive on Monday, we will be adding houses to this little vignette. After today the rest of my time off will be spent finishing up the quilt for our Aunt and getting my lecture stuff ready for next week. I hate last minute panic - so I am trying to have everything ready to go - so that my stress level will be as low as possible!

Last Monday was the final installment of Paulette Insall's "All About Faces Class". I had a great time working on this little piece and am looking forward to many more painting using some of Paulette's great techniques! I find I love her way of using watercolor crayons. Fabulous! This last lesson was about adding elements to tie the painting together. I added flowers, butterflies and the words "Focus on love, light and truth". Now I look forward to Paulette's "Organic Backgrounds"class that begins on May 19th. I think it will really be fun for me to learn more about making my backgrounds textural by using a variety of effects.

At the end of June my class through Joggles with Sharon Boggins begins - and I am really looking forward to it !