The Long Road Home....
that's what I've named it!
I once worked for a lady who often said she was having "people" in. I found that amusing because she often had friends over and she had lunch with family on a regular basis, so why the distinction between people, friends and family? Looking back, I know she had friends and I know she had a wonderful family, so when she mentioned "people" it was because she had placed all others in a group within themselves. Perhaps because "people" are not as sensitive as family and friends or because "people" can be a little too critical and judgmental!
I now know that I have "people" who will judge my choice of final fabric unfairly. You see, my focus this year is to use fabric on hand. Yes, my first choice was the Kaffe Fassett blue and my second choice, again the KF blue. But, alas, not enough on hand. And while I really like the KF eyes (and I had enough fabric), there were just too many peepers surrounding the quilt. Okay, now people - I had to dig deeper and deeper in my fabric stash. I kept looking at the aqua dot, and kept putting it back on the shelf. Pulling and looking and putting back - until finally I had to focus on the aqua dot! You see, people, I was running out of choices, and the aqua dot began to work with all the other blue in the quilt and it was on hand, and I had an ample quantity.
So, friends and family, I know you'll think this quilt has charm.....and people who look with a jaundiced eye, judge not too critically. I had to take the long road home!
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| My favorite Kaffe Fassett fabric to finish with! |
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| My next favorite .....but, alas, not enough on hand! |
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| This Kaffe Fassett fabric had too many eyes! |
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| But, I chose this one! |
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| And really like it! |
I now know that I have "people" who will judge my choice of final fabric unfairly. You see, my focus this year is to use fabric on hand. Yes, my first choice was the Kaffe Fassett blue and my second choice, again the KF blue. But, alas, not enough on hand. And while I really like the KF eyes (and I had enough fabric), there were just too many peepers surrounding the quilt. Okay, now people - I had to dig deeper and deeper in my fabric stash. I kept looking at the aqua dot, and kept putting it back on the shelf. Pulling and looking and putting back - until finally I had to focus on the aqua dot! You see, people, I was running out of choices, and the aqua dot began to work with all the other blue in the quilt and it was on hand, and I had an ample quantity.
So, friends and family, I know you'll think this quilt has charm.....and people who look with a jaundiced eye, judge not too critically. I had to take the long road home!
A helix knit scarf
I found the free pattern here at Knitting Daily and downloaded the instructions.
Actually, it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!
1 - cast on 30 stitches and knit a row
2 - knit 10 stitches then purlwise slip the next stitch to the right needle. Bring yarn to the front then slip the stitch back on the left needle.
3 - turn and knit back to end of row.
4 - knit 5 then purlwise slip the next stitch to the right needle. Bring yarn to the front then slip stitch back on the left needle.
5 - knit a row
Repeat steps 2-5 until you reach the desired length of your scarf
A skinny alternative would be to cast on 24, k 1 row, k8, (continue pattern)
then on next row k4 (continue pattern)
Road Trip ~ The High Road
We took a road trip yesterday - drove 90 miles for a nice lunch and get-away from home and then 90 miles back home.....I got one picture!
Even at its best, it wasn't great, so I had no qualms this morning playing around with it. HuMAn wants to return the camera! HUmaN thinks that either I or the camera needs to be repaired~!
Color Palette Challenge - March
Here is the color palette for March 15-April 15. It was a challenge for me 'cause I don't normally keep purples and pinks, mauve or raspberry in my fabric stash. So, with a stretch of the imagination - not that I had to do a coleus, you understand - I liked Vicki's picture surrounded by the color palette squares, so thought I would mimic her inspiration picture this month. So, here is my coleus in abstract, also surrounded by the color palette! Go here and join in the fun!
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| Coleus in Abstract - an art quilt |
Field Tripping the Web -
She's tripping it again - The Web....that is - and my "city lights" quilt is included. Oh, but there is more - much more. Vicki searches the web for wonders and spotlights the sites she finds each month....#123!
It's one of my favorite places to stop and look at the works of others. Go see for yourself and thank Vicki for pleasuring us so beautifully!
It's one of my favorite places to stop and look at the works of others. Go see for yourself and thank Vicki for pleasuring us so beautifully!
Making Yardage - Another Saga
I've been making yardage again. When my fabric scrap bags get too big, I get antsy! That was my situation yesterday. So, I pulled and sewed and pulled more and continued on and on and on until -
Because I waned to set my large square on point and then surround it with scrappy half-square trianges!
Can you see where this is going?
I had a square that measured 24 1/2 inches. It could have measured 20 1/2" or 16 1/2" for my purposes, but I wanted 24 1/2"! 
Because I waned to set my large square on point and then surround it with scrappy half-square trianges!
Can you see where this is going?
Love is being featured....
on Modern Day Quilts
Heather features a quilt every day on her blog and she chose my "City Lights" quilt as her spot of the day!
Heather features a quilt every day on her blog and she chose my "City Lights" quilt as her spot of the day!
Quilts for Japan ~
How we can help - Quilter's Newsletter Magazine is asking for our quilt donations to help comfort those who are hurting in Japan. Follow the link to read more. Yes, you may reblog my message to anyone you know who may be willing to help...and of course, enlist the help of your quilt guild. Together we can make a difference.
• Send quilts of any size from baby to adult to:
Dana Jones
Quilters Newsletter
741 Corporate Circle, Suite A
Golden, CO 80401
• Mark your box: “Quilts for Japan.”
• Send quilts as soon as possible and no later than April 30, 2011.
• Enclose your name, address, phone number, and email address with the quilts.
If you have questions, please email Dana Jones.
• Send quilts of any size from baby to adult to:
Dana Jones
Quilters Newsletter
741 Corporate Circle, Suite A
Golden, CO 80401
• Mark your box: “Quilts for Japan.”
• Send quilts as soon as possible and no later than April 30, 2011.
• Enclose your name, address, phone number, and email address with the quilts.
If you have questions, please email Dana Jones.
It's The Little Things.....
It's the little things that make me smile like sunflowers!
and stained glass windows.....
and cats - lots of cats!
and more flowers - purple coneflowers!
Goodnight and sweet dreams!
I could sleep in this bed - but it would have to be alone! I found it here - thanks Stylizimo for sharing this dreamy suite! She found it at H&M, a home department store. I'm not familiar with this store, but could very easily learn how to shop there!
What's on the design wall?
Several of us quilters put together 48 string quilt blocks for a community service project - and I volunteered to bring them home with me to square up and trim to one size. However, in my exuberance, I trimmed two of them too small and had to make two more! I was not a happy camper....but my mistake meant that these two string blocks were mine!
Rejoice.
We had lots of orange "strings" so put two orange in each block, so I just continued with the already predominent orange to 'grow' my spoiled ones, then pulled a black scrap from my bin and added it as an eye stopper. I'll get it sewn together soon.....but in the meantime, I like the way it adorns my wall!
Just another multi-directional!
Scarf that is!
I have been knitting on this multi-directional knit scarf for a month or two (directions are here) - and it's a really easy pattern - could have finished this one in a blink - but life has been pulling me in different directions and has really slowed my knitting progress. I'm hoping my body just goes in one direction this week. Happy Monday!
Oh, I knitted these two yarns together - both made in Italy.....Did I say, Italy, here I come....46 days and counting down.
I have been knitting on this multi-directional knit scarf for a month or two (directions are here) - and it's a really easy pattern - could have finished this one in a blink - but life has been pulling me in different directions and has really slowed my knitting progress. I'm hoping my body just goes in one direction this week. Happy Monday!
Oh, I knitted these two yarns together - both made in Italy.....Did I say, Italy, here I come....46 days and counting down.
Fish out of water!
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| Where you lead me, I will follow..... |
The above picture first started out as a little community service quilt for a dear child (blogged here), but these little fish lead me on and on. I was like a fish out of water playing around. First step is to convert picture to black and white, then second step, is to brush over the object that is to be colorfilled!
Two ways to B&W (that I know of) - in PSE, you can go to Enhance, then convert to black and white. Another option is to use the Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map with solid color gradient. Either way works beautifully.
As I've said before, community service doesn't have to be difficult....as a matter of fact, taken to another level, it's down right fun!
{Echo} Week 29- Flight
Just a short break: Chrysti and Susan started {Echo} Week again and Autumn and I will continue our photography partnership. This month's prompt is flight and here is my interpretation!
And Autumn has a very different take on flight! Isn't this the cutest bunch of hot air in flight that you've ever seen? Smile as you soar...I love her attitude!
Oh, there's more - much more. Here's where to join the fun.
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| Flight (of stairs) |
And Autumn has a very different take on flight! Isn't this the cutest bunch of hot air in flight that you've ever seen? Smile as you soar...I love her attitude!
Oh, there's more - much more. Here's where to join the fun.
Modern, Southern, Style
So, this is how I'm suppose to look! I'm modern and southern and.......why don't I feel in style?
On the topic of what is what!
The Red Cow was very respectable, she always behaved like a perfect lady and she knew What was What. To her a thing was either black or white ö there was no question of it being grey or perhaps pink. People were good or they were bad ö there was nothing in between. Dandelions were either sweet or sour ö there were never any moderately nice ones.
-Travers, P(amela) L(yndon)
Mary Poppins, ch.5.
No Space - Leave The Place!
I know you can't read this - but it's saying something very important - so I'll paraphrase.....
You can tell the difference between a mirror and a two-way mirror by placing your finger on the mirror. If there is a space between your finger tip and the tip in the mirror, then it is a mirror. BUT, if your finger tip touches your finger tip, then it is a two-way mirror.
Two-way mirrors are a problem when they are viewing someone without their knowledge, i.e., hotel rooms, public dressing rooms, toilets or spas. Just remember the slogan and do the finger test on mirrors - No Space - Leave The Place.
Just thought you would want to know!
Totem Quilt
Community service quilts don't have to be difficult. I had yardage of this totem fabric and some brown minkie fabric - quilted in wavy lines - and very simply - a quilt for a disadvantaged youth.
Designer statement on doors ~
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| what's on the door |
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| what's on the towel rack |
what's on the wall
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| what's on the shelf |
what's on the toilet
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| what's in the sink! |
Funny when a newspaper article can prompt a blog post! I wasn't thinking of pleasing a designer a few years ago when I decided to silver and bronze leaf both sides of my powder room door.
That was about the same time the stray cats found there way into our home (and hearts) and about the same time the litter box came into the bath and about the same time the master of the home decided his half of the half bath was too small for him so we could have have his half of the half bath! Now it's mine and it's miniscule! and it's just around the corner from my sewing studio.
I recently read that powder rooms are small, so just stop pretending they aren't. It's okay to use dark colors (designer said) . The wallpaper was already in place. Taking the designer's cue, I went to work.....chose the tan color and painted around the ceiling molding. After that dried, I masked a large square in the center of the ceiling and painted that area a burgandy/brown color from the wallpaper. Hung the 1986 New Orleans Jazz Festival poster on the wall and a quilt and vintage linens over the towel rack....and am humming a sweet tune about how much fun it is to live large!
And all that jazz.....
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| Vintage Inspiration |
I don't know why I didn't notice (until I had already completed four rows) that my bricks didn't align as the bricks did in my inspiration picture. Oh, well! The quilt top is completed and as soon as I can find just the perfect backing fabric, it will be off to my favorite long arm quilter! It's really a beauty, using remnants of fabric on hand, and the perfect lap quilt size at 54" x 70".
Only scraps remained - I was holding my breath until I got the last brick mortared in!
Repotted ~
Sage (adj) - wise, insightful, discerning
Sage....is one herb I can grow here in the humid south - as long as it's in a pot - that is. Each spring, I pinch the stems way back and re-pot the little tufts of this softly hued perennial. I keep this size pot in stock in my outdoor potting shed - the perfect "little something" to warm the heart of a friend or contribute to the club as a door prize! Or,I just may keep it for myself - take pictures of it - play in photoshop!
Just looking ahead
Trip Planner Weather - Wow! Orvieto, Umbria, Italy - here I come. We can now go to the internet to find out any kind of information - even historical weather information. I'll be in Italy's Umbria and Tuscany regions May 7 through 17 and here's what I can expect. I think I'll pack light!
Temperature:
The Average High Temperature is 72 F with a historical range of 51 F to 86 F
The Average Low Temperature is 54 F with a historical range of 39 F to 64 F
There is a 0% chance of a Hot Day (temperature over 90°F / 32°C).
(0 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0
There is a 95% chance of a Warm Day (temperature over 60°F / 16°C).
(146 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 10
There is a 0% chance of a Freezing Day (temperature below 32°F / 0°C).
(0 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0
Cloud Cover:
Average Cloud Cover is mostly sunny
There is a 8% chance of a Cloudy Day.
(11 days out of 146 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 1
Wind:
The Average Wind is 7 mph with a historical range of 0 mph to 17 mph
There is a 13% chance of a Windy Day (average wind over 10 mph / 15km/h).
(17 days out of 126 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 2
Humidity:
The Average High Dew Point is 58 F with a historical range of 46 F to 66 F
The Average Low Dew Point is 47 F with a historical range of 30 F to 57 F
There is a 35% chance of a Humid Day (dew point over 60°F / 16°C).
(54 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 5
Temperature:
The Average High Temperature is 72 F with a historical range of 51 F to 86 F
The Average Low Temperature is 54 F with a historical range of 39 F to 64 F
There is a 0% chance of a Hot Day (temperature over 90°F / 32°C).
(0 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0
There is a 95% chance of a Warm Day (temperature over 60°F / 16°C).
(146 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 10
There is a 0% chance of a Freezing Day (temperature below 32°F / 0°C).
(0 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0
Cloud Cover:
Average Cloud Cover is mostly sunny
There is a 8% chance of a Cloudy Day.
(11 days out of 146 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 1
Wind:
The Average Wind is 7 mph with a historical range of 0 mph to 17 mph
There is a 13% chance of a Windy Day (average wind over 10 mph / 15km/h).
(17 days out of 126 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 2
Humidity:
The Average High Dew Point is 58 F with a historical range of 46 F to 66 F
The Average Low Dew Point is 47 F with a historical range of 30 F to 57 F
There is a 35% chance of a Humid Day (dew point over 60°F / 16°C).
(54 days out of 153 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 5
City Lights - A Quilt - Finished!
And I think it will fit beautifully in the raspberry guest bedroom! After I do some re-arranging in there, I'll let you see. This is what I get for following along with Cherry House Quilts quilt-along!!! I'll follow her lead any day!
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| Flickr Group |
Journal Quilt #10 ~
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| Did I hear you say......you don't bring me flowers anymore? |
Yes, I can! Journal Quilt #10 - and there is more on Three Creative Studios Flickr. First I painted the duck cloth back a year or two ago, then tore it to the size I needed this morning.....love the frayed edges. Free-motion quilted my little kitty bringing me a spring flower! Oh, a flower....just for me.....
Tip - Tip - Tip
Edit your stuff - A tip from Ty Pennington. An excerpt from an interview with Studios Editor, Cate Prato:
"Edit your stuff! If you have seen it done before, get rid of it. I have so many magazines and books that for me it makes sense to go through them and snap a pic of the things I like in them, download those into a file, and then donate the actual mag to a library or send it to be recycled. Stacks and stacks of stuff don’t make you more creative."
I first analyzed the sentence. Stacks and stacks don't
but should it be stuff doesn't? Can a prepositional phrase be the subject that the verb tense must follow?
I've been a long time out of school and really need a subject-verb lesson here. Would someone in the know educate me here!
Obviously, my mind is as cluttered as my studio! No wonder I'm not being very creative these days. I did work on this picture to make it more inviting.....Go see the BEFORE & AFTER in Reflections Unfurling!
Hallalulah.....it's Friday!
"Edit your stuff! If you have seen it done before, get rid of it. I have so many magazines and books that for me it makes sense to go through them and snap a pic of the things I like in them, download those into a file, and then donate the actual mag to a library or send it to be recycled. Stacks and stacks of stuff don’t make you more creative."
I first analyzed the sentence. Stacks and stacks don't
but should it be stuff doesn't? Can a prepositional phrase be the subject that the verb tense must follow?
I've been a long time out of school and really need a subject-verb lesson here. Would someone in the know educate me here!
Obviously, my mind is as cluttered as my studio! No wonder I'm not being very creative these days. I did work on this picture to make it more inviting.....Go see the BEFORE & AFTER in Reflections Unfurling!
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| Edit this stuff to get creative! |
Hallalulah.....it's Friday!
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