The nearer your destination you are

slip sliding away.  Just about the time I get my back up and can stay out of a few fabric shops, I find another way to purchase those coveted fabrics.  I've just received my first shipment from Massdrop.

Drolling over collection"etoffe imprevue"   

 

 

Massdrop....now, that's a good thing ~





 

Such a Tease ~

It's almost reveal time.....I'm a member of Art Quilts Around The World and 6 times a year a member of the group decides on a theme for the next art quilt  and then the 20 of us in the group makes our own art quilt based on that theme.  This month's theme is "Out Of This World" and I am out of this world excited to be finished with this 11 1/2" x 16" art quilt. 

I added my final touches this morning and got a few pictures.....ready for the May 31 reveal - but in the meantime, here's the tease. 

 

 

 

 

Personal Appearances ~

When my finger and toe nails get done - it's usually in a shop and I'm generally pleased with the toes part of it as long as I don't stub my toe leaving the shop, but I'm not so much pleased with the finger part.  My hands aren't very attractive (anymore) and I'm brutal to my nails.  I love digging in the dirt, pulling weeds, pinching back petunias so even more will give me the pleasure of their company.  I still rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher and most of the time forget to put on my kitchen gloves....I hear that water is a major culrit to freshly painted nails.   And when I'm not in the garden or in the kitchen, then I'm right here in my studio sorting, auditioning, cutting, sewing, ripping fabric.  I'm told that fabric is a major culprit for drying hands.  Oh, and then there is that little bit of painting and drawing that I do while pretending to be a rich and famous artist.  So the polish is of very little benefit when there is smudges of ink,graphite and paint in, on, and around the nails. 

But enough of how I abuse my hands, which are, of course, happy hands..  What I'm generally not happy about is that the nail tech quickly globs on the under coat and with not even a hint of allowing that coat to dry, she globs on the first nail color coat which is very quickly followed by the color second coat and then the top coat.  This takes about 3 minutes and then I sit with hands under the dryer for three to four rounds thinking if I do this I can then let my hands get on with life.  But, it never happens because even though I leave the shop nails unscathed, before I even get my seat belt fastened, I have a smudge. 

So, I'm taking control of my hands.  I went yesterday to purchase the required polish remover, the under coat, the color coat, the top coat.  Last night before bedtime, I started the new nail regimen - removed the old polish and filed and buffed, then oiled and dealt with the cuticles.  First thing this morning I put the under coat on and it is now nice and dry.  Breakfast is over and while stitting here blogging, I added the first color coat.  Perhaps by mid-afternoon I'll have my manicure complete and will be okay about dropping by the nail shop to get my much needed pedicure.   I'm sure the nail tech will notice and brag about how gorgeous my hands are and will want to know who did them up so nicely for me.  And how long did it take and how much did it cost! 








It's raining out, but I'm staying dry, taking the slow path:  what a life!

What I haven't blogged about but will do as soon as my nails are dry is my newest bag....it's a big one. 

and my slightly improved free-motion quilted feathers.

 

One Lovely Blog - Awarded

How wonderful that my friend Mary Marcotte awarded this lovely award to my blog.

Mary and I don't go way back......we met about two years ago and haven't seen each other in person since that meeting night.  But through blogging, we keep in touch.   Mary is always at home at Fleur de Lis Quilts. 







As a part of being One Lovely Blog, I need to tell you seven little-known things about myself.  I'll try not to put you to sleep.

1.   I am the middle child.  For those of you who,  through no fault of your own, are the middle child,  will already know what that means. But for those with no siblings, I'll tell you,  it is not a pleasant place to be.  It means that as a child, I got the short end of one stick from my older sister and the short end of  another stick from my younger sister.   My mother was no help either.  Jackie always got the best because she was the oldest and Sandy always got the best because she was the baby.  Needless to say, I grew up a loner defending my position all by myself with no help from family. 

2.  I struck out on my own at 18 and never looked back.  Oh, I did come back  to my home town after a few years and married, divorced....later married, divorced....later married, divorced.  Now married for the past 17 years.  Happily, too.  Yes, it can be said about me that if I don't like what's in the cards and the hand that's dealt me can't/won't change, then I move on.    I couldn't continue to live with the jealous rages of the first, the lack of ambition of the second, and the womanizing of the third.  The fourth has none of the aforementioned attributes. 

3.  I am a happy quilter.  I like the modern style even though that's not where I started.   I belong to four quilt guilds and am an active participant in each one.  I  would probably be a part of even more if time allowed.   I am a believer that a joiner should also be a doer. 

4.  I detest the phrase "Well, that's the way it's always been done."    I may be an old duck but I believe that most of the time, change is a good thing.   As detestable to me is the phrase  "I had no choice." or even worse, "We had no choice."   You what??  There's almost always a choice.  These phrases are a cop out to thinking about the possibilities of what can be. 

5.  I'm a counter.  By that I mean that I count things......like how many times you actually say "ACTUALLY" in a conversation.   Or how many hawks I see between here and Kansas City.  Or, how many cars with California license tags I pass on the highway during any given trip.  For varieties sake, I change the state with each road trip!  There's nothing more boring than not having a variety of activities to keep me entertained. 

6.  I'm easily entertained. 

7. You really don't want to know! 

I joyfully pass this award on to Vicki Welsh....another blogger whom I have never met, yet we continue to call each other old friends.  Vicki is also known as Field Trips in Fiber.  Go on over and enjoy your  field trip with Vicki. 

If life isn't fun, then make it so. 

Not your horse's behind ~

I can get by with a little help from my friends......just a little bit of photoshop training yesterday

may take me into a totally different field - of horses. 

 

 

 

 

But not in the bleacher seats ~

It's been a good day, a fun-filled one but now I'm ready to have a seat:

On The Porch

 

On The Street

 

At The Storefront

 

 

In The Hall

At The Bar

 

 

On the Patio

 

At The Flea Market

 

With  A Friend

 

 

In Conference

Against The Wall

 

 

Under The Counter

Retro Modern

Plain and Simple



Any seat in any arrangment - 1 -2 -3 -4 or more.  How photogenic. 




 

It's just a feeling ~

I have the strangest feeling that someone is watching us......with the question on their mind:

"Who's the daddy?  These babes don't look a thing like their mama!"

Stay close and whatever you do, do not make eye contact!

 

Okay, we are out of here.   They may look like their daddy, but I'm sure they have my feet ~ 

 

 

 

Why is that when there is a newborn in our midst we try to connect the body parts to the parent they resemble.  Or is it just my family that does that?  Laughing out loud thinking of the way we are.

 

                                                                               Marty