front and center is okay by me

what's this about the rule of thirds?


The HuMan took this picture a few weeks ago:  and he apparently hasn't heard of the rule of thirds rule in photography.....thank goodness....the WHO was picture perfect. 

Now, let's try this again!

in a today state of mind


Seven days - no pressure - 1000 rainy days - a love song

Monday....I could wait til
Tuesday....if I make up my mind
Wednesday.....would be fine
Thursday's.....on my mind
Friday.....give me time
Saturday....could wait
Sunday.....be too late!

Perhaps today is the day to fall in love with the rest of my life: 

Today is the day:

that I finished my book - the book of bookmarks!  Sleeves were made of tyvek to slip my book markers into.  Then the cover.....first I applied coats of gesso on watercolor paper then painted.  After the paint dried, I grabbed my chartreuse thread and stitched in the flower. 


 Holes were punched and all layers (pages) were bound together - and there you have it...the perfect way to treasure my watercolor treasures.


Here is one of the sleeves - painted and stitched - to hold a tag book marker.  After the paint dried on the tyvek, I sketched with a graphite stick - each sleeve has a different sketch. 

Still enjoying the Thanksgiving moments

I'm still enjoying family pictures from Thanksgiving Day:  Now here's a little rooter-tooter.....



and his name is Mikiel



It started sometime last year.....

on our way thursday morning to spend thanksgiving with family....i pulled 'the art of fabric books' by jan bode smiley from my book shelf  to journey with me....and while thumbing the pages, found a tag book by kristin steiner.....page 62...(you may rearrange this sentence to your heart's delight).....

i've been making watercolor book tags for quite a while and was really inspired by kristi's handmade fabric book....so yesterday i started painting again.....this time on tyvek.  i used the tyvek  to make my sleeves to insert the tags.  it's been a journey this morning!  and i'm not there yet: 


but here is a sampling of  watercolor book tags -  8 or 9 will be self-contained upon completion. 



here's a thought.....if you worked your wednesday day job, had a thursday holiday, back to day job friday, then that means  this is your second saturday of the week.  enjoy.....

At the drop of a (red) hat:



And the hat scoop:  Katrinka Fine Millinery.  I've used the 'terri brimmer' pattern, using red linen, adorned with a fun yarn wrapped around the brim....further adorned with my handmade silk/organza pins. 

The Turkey Trot: Thought you might want to know:

The turkey trot was a dance made popular in the early 1900s. The Turkey Trot was done to fast ragtime music popular in the decade from 1900 to 1910 such as Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. It lost favor to the Foxtrot in 1914.
The basic step consisted of four hopping steps sideways with the feet well apart, first on one leg, then the other with a characteristic rise on the ball of the foot, followed by a drop upon the heel. The dance was embellished with scissor-like flicks of the feet and fast trotting actions with abrupt stops.
It has been said that dancers John Jarrott and Louise Gruenning introduced this dance as well as the Grizzly Bear at Ray Jones Café in Chicago, IL. around 1909. Another theory states that it originated on the Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California. Joseph M. Daly wrote music for the dance in 1912. Irene and Vernon Castle raised its popularity by dancing the Turkey Trot in the Broadway show The Sunshine Girl.
It achieved popularity chiefly as a result of its being denounced by the Vatican. It was thought that the positions assumed by the dancers was offensively suggestive. Conservative members of society felt the dance was demoralizing and tried to get it banned at public functions, which only served to increase its popularity.
There were news reports of dancers being fined because "their Turkey Trots were interpreted by the courts as disorderly conduct." In another instance, fifteen working girls were fired from their jobs with the Philadelphia song publisher Curtis Publishing when they were caught doing the turkey trot; even though the dancing took place during their lunch break.
One of the means to combat "offensive" dances was the 1913 song, Anti-Ragtime Girl: …She don’t do the Bunny Hug, nor dance the Grizzly Bear / She hasn't learned the Turkey Trot / …She can't tell a Tango from a Can Can or a Jig / …She's my little Anti-Ragtime Girl….  Source:  Wikipedia


Turkey Trot - Ron Brown

(gobble)
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
(gobble)
We're all little turkeys
In the big barnyard
Pull your hands right in.
Stick your elbows out.
Then you flap your wings
And walk about.
You can gobble to the left.
You can gobble to the right.
Then you shake your tail
With all your might.
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
(gobble)
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
(gobble)
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
(gobble)
We're all little turkeys
In the big barnyard
Doing that turkey trot.
Pull your hands right in.
Stick your elbows out.
Then you flap your wings
And walk about.
You can gobble to the left.
You can gobble to the right.
Then you shake your tail
With all your might.
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
(gobble)
                        Doing that turkey trot.
We're all little turkeys
In the big barnyard
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
Happy Thanksgiving

The Little Red Hat

Was it just Monday that Dorothy called!  But before I let her off the phone, I said to her 'Bet you can't guess what I'm doing' 

She was kind and didn't say 'No - and I don't care'

She just sweetly said, 'No, I can't guess, but I'll bet it's something fun.'

And here it is Wednesday and I've finished! Making my red hat!


I received an early Christmas gift (and it was meant to be opened early) and inside the wrapping was a hat pattern.  Now I've never made a hat.....well, I have the knit kind.....but never a hat hat...The pre-requisite to making the hat was that the maker had to be an intermediate level milliner. 

I was thinking about my milliner talents....all the time gathering my fabric, lining, interfacing, scissors, tape measure.  By this time I knew I had the know-how:  I can machine and hand sew.  I know what the straight of grain is.  I know all about scissors and rulers and needles and thread.  I'm surely an intermediate level milliner.  

Imagine and dream and don't let little things slow you down!
More pictures and musings at Reflections Unfurling

Trashers' Remorse:

I cleaned house late yesterday afternoon.....well, what I mean is - I  cleaned out the sewing room and must have been really tired because I trashed a lot of scraps! Me....trash....scraps....me.... the scrap quilter who will tell all who wants to listen....give me a scrap and I can make a quilt! 

And.....on top of that, I took a huge pile of fabric and cut all of it into 2 1/2" strips. I've been told that that's the answer to what to do with fabric when you don't know what to do with it!

I finished that job this morning.  I call it a job because my rotary blade is now dull from all those cuts: 


My fabric bins are now more organized and there is now a lot of strips ready to be put into another scrap quilt....and about that trashers' remorse?  Oh, there is still time for  redemption - it's only Monday morning and our trash  pickup isn't until Friday!

Il Volo - Music on Monday




This was not what I had set out to be my Music on Monday pick....but when a friend sent me the link to this video via email, I just fell in love with the voices of these three young men.  Hope you enjoy the story and music of II Volo: 

YOU are my shining star:


My shining star doesn't have the contrast that I had hoped for, but I'm getting over that.....
My shining star doesn't have the wide borders that Debbie Maddy's pattern called for, but I'm getting over that too.  When there isn't enough fabric and your goal is to use what you have, then you get over these little things - quickly! .

Debbie's Shining Star truly does shine - it is one of the easiest patterns I have ever followed .  She takes what appears to be a very complicated pattern and breaks it down into half-square triangles....no diamonds and no Y seams.   I'll be dreaming under the stars tonight thanks to Calico Carriage Quilt Designs:

Sunday

A friend asked me a while ago what happened to my daily diary blog.  I was puzzled and told her it was the same one I always had....but she said it was different now.  Got me thinking.  In my quest to add more pictures, I forgot to include a transcript. 

HuMan says I'm obsessing over this demonstration I'm scheduled to give at the guild's quilt show in February.  Yikes...do I obsess?  Hmmmmmmmmmm looking back I can see that many recent past blogs have pictured half-square triangle blocks or quilts.  But don't you see, I need lots of examples to show the good folks that may come see my demo.  Well, I do...don't I? 

I have several quilts in the closet - ready and waiting....One I have to take off my den wall and dust off a bit....two in the hands of long-arm quilter friends of mine....two ready for me to do the quilting on...one on the design wall, piecing almost finished ....and a picture of one more in my head!  And I haven't even mentioned the numerous sample blocks using HSTs that I've put together....Now, who could possibly think I'm obsessive! 



So, yesterday, we took a break and worked in the yard - and it is looking so worked in.

HuMan has been scouring the streets for bags of leaves and pine straw!  Some folks throw away - he gathers to use as mulch and weed-inhibitors in our/his flower beds.  Only after he gathers as much as possible does he go out and actually spend money on bales of pine straw.  He uses the newly purchased 'clean' stuff to  thinly fluff over all the leaves to make a perfect presentation for the passers by!  He counted - almost 100 bags of leaves and pine straw!  Now, who is obsessing? 



And here/there is/are more

Saturday's Song

Shot Cloth and Kaffe: A quilt

you've heard the expression 'suitable for framing'.....well, this quilt is 'suitable for hanging'....my newest finished quilt just back from my custom long-arm quilter.  Love is shot cloth and kaffe fassett! And a finished quilt!  Well, I still have to hand stitch the binding, but I couldn't resist a picture taking session this morning....the weather is beautiful here, so now I'm off to the Mason back yard to get some natural vitamin D:



friday's note cards

Because he does so much for me, I took the Graphic's Fairy bird tree, made a photoshop brush added some type and made a thank you card that just suit my mood.  You see,  I'm not a gushy person....that means I'm not one to dwell on thank yous!  But he does deserve them....even though they are slow in coming.  

The Monk's Bag Pattern - link to:

I really like this monk's bag and here's 'the how to do it' at The Purl Bee

But it's not even Thanksgiving!

And already I'm making Christmas cards....but you see it was like this.....Crave Designs and MCP Actions was offering a free design and I couldn't resist.     My heart goes out to dumped kitties so hoping 'Fluffy Cat' will feel loved this holiday season,  he is featured.  Reckon this did it? 


A sneak peek at: come fly with me


Come Fly With Me.....WIP wall hanging

a free pattern graciously provided by Debbie Grifka of  Esch House Quilts.  It's an addiction - a half-square triangle addiction.  While Debbie calls her quilt 'rebel flock', I've tamed mine down a bit:  'come fly with me'



Come Fly With Me.....a note card

We have a reputation:

for being the neighborhood cat house.....



He doesn't like us much:  YET.....he still stops by for crumpets and tea in the middle of the afternoon!  Right now, he's just known as 'fluffy cat' ~

The part of me I'd like to get to know:















What part of me loves each one of these pictures?   In the shops, on the streets, this is what I see - just as I saw them, straight out of the camera: 

Remembering When.....



                                                       .....there was a day at the zoo

I've gotten new eye glasses and nobody noticed:

Perhaps all eyes were on Ginger's new purse.....


or the matching outfits in eggplant color that she and Lil are wearing

Or, just maybe they wanted to see more of the journal cover Ginger's sweet friend gifted to her! 


could it have been that all eyes were on the new Quilters Ruler Holder that Bobby has made for Linda?


Or, they couldn't concentrate on my new glasses because of the free stuff table or the eye glasses that everyone else had on


Okay, I know....it was the food and games and -


gifts and


Christie's Christmas table runner...it definitely was an eye catcher!


I can just see it now.  When next we meet....they'll hover over me and disclaim how good I look and why didn't I do this sooner and oh my where did I get those designer rims and gush and gush and gush!  They will....won't they! 

Water Sunshine




Don't you know....you think the world owes you....she don't owe you damn thing
It's given all it can
The rest you must invent
You want it
Go get it

A market tote: blue stripe ticking: in the works

I wanted to make an everyday market tote:  a little larger than the ones of my past -

Simply done - added to the length and width of my existing pattern....thinking I had plenty of fabric for the tote.....wrong!



Oops!  Okay...let's move on to alternate plan B.  I did find this blue, about the same weight as the ticking fabric.  This will do nicely (she says) for the gusset/straps



almost finished - just the top stitching left....then I'll add a button closure.   Yes, I'm a pinner!




 


all done and posted in my shop: For Sale 
The girl can't help it.....she's happy!