Fabric Fanatic's Antics

MOVING DAY!!!...Readers Take Note

2009-08-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've decided to abandon this fabrical fanatical blog, and start anew.

I'm not feeling excited about blogging these days, and I'm hoping a more philosophical and expanded daily (almost) blather spot will get me going again.

Please come visit me:

http://cynthiasroad.blogspot.com/

No Wedding Bells, But Lotso Cake

2009-08-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

Phoebe is the la-de-dah pooftah on her deck chaise. Don't you forget it. And don't even think about moving her off of her spot!

Well, yesterday was the big finale of my needle felting and cake making extravaganza.

I needle felted a cake topper that was a replica of his dog and her cat, both with leis (they spend lots of time in Hawaii).

The dog wore wire rimmed glasses (like Patrick), and the kitty wore a bride's veil (unlike Lillian).

The furry couple was quite a hit!

My dear friend from across the river, Lillian Halseth, married Patrick Taylor on her beautiful deck.

The day was clear, warm, and perfect for a wedding by the river.

Yikes! I'm Turning Into a Vegan!

2009-08-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

So I tried another recipe from "Vegan with a Vengeance." It's called "Orange Ginger Baked Tofu," and is ever good.

I served it over Jasmine rice with baked mango on the side, and some steamed veggies. The tofu marinade is made with ginger, garlic, jalapeno, mangos, orange and lime juices, allspice, salt and pepper.

This vegan diet is darned good!

Blew Berries

2009-08-02T18:08:00.001-07:00

This was a lazy Sunday.

I decided to use my new "Vegan with a Vengeance" cookbook to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

They were outstanding... made with soy milk, no eggs, and home grown blueberries. Luckily the recipe made only a small batch. If there had been more we'd still be out on the deck stuffing ourselves.

Yummmy!

Out with the New, and In with the Old

2009-07-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a sack full of pieced together quilt blocks in an antique shop. The woman at the shop told me that the pieces were found under another quilt top, when they took that quilt apart. Apparently, someone had used the old battered quilt as the batting for a newer quilt.

Anyway, I LOVE these blocks. I'm a sucker for old tattered, soft fabrics, and these charmers were all hand pieced.

So I decided to stabilize each block by hand stitching each one to muslin, turning under the edges as I go. I'm using embroidery floss to stitch them, and I'm letting the wonky edges dictate their final shapes.

I haven't decided what I'll do with them yet.

I have seven of the antique blocks, all with a six inch square in the middle, and all with fairly similar colors and fabrics.

I do love the embroidered animals that African women do on their textiles (like this one). Maybe if I can find some muted colors, I'll do something similar in the centers of my blocks. Then I'll piece them all together to make a whole quilt top.

My Favorite Family

2009-07-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

Here's Kelly in my studio putting together a fab-u-luss quilt. I think I've made an addict out of her.

What fun to do this stuff with my willing grown daughter.

She left to go back to New York city yesterday. I miss her already.

Saturday, we had lunch in Portland with the gang. Here's my cute boy and cutest girl.

Lori and Josh are teaching Mia to read...

well, maybe not quite yet!

Herbal Heaven

2009-07-27T05:56:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, we went to an incredible organic garden outside of Alsea, Oregon, called the Thyme Garden.It's an 80 acre spread that accommodates their medicinal herb garden, their cooking herb garden, a butterfly garden, lots and lots of flower gardens, a habitat area for salmon and water birds...it's just beautiful.

But the creme de la creme was the lunch.

The salad was adorned with edible flowers. and bordered on too beautiful to eat.

Same with the main course. We had wild salmon baked in a pastry crust with a cream cheese and herb stuff spread over the salmon. Then there was quinoa and a wonderful squash bake.

And as if that wasn't enough, we then had a baked meringue that was filled with a creamy sweet custard and blueberry compote.

Yum.

Family Ties

2009-07-26T07:40:00.001-07:00

Last week, I went to my son's house in Portland to pick up my daughter Kelly. She'd arrived the day before from New York city, and had stayed her first night of her visit with Josh in Portland.

I got to pal around with granddaughter Mia for the day and we all took tons of photos.

Kelly gave Mia a photography lesson.

More Sisters

2009-07-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Outside of Sisters, near where we stayed last weekend, a stone mason had created this wonderful entrance to his ranch.

I love rocks. I wish I could make something like this. It looks so beautiful, but also rugged and strong.

I'm still atwitter from all the inspiration and ideas I got from the weekend in Sisters.

Quilts were hanging all over town, on all the buildings. What a beautiful sight!

It was especially fun to see Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran who were signing copies of their latest book.

Isn't Freddy's hat wild?

And check out her long red fingernails and red glasses.

Gwen may not look as eccentric, but she's the true comedienne. Very dead pan and so funny.

Sisters and Scarf Sisters

2009-07-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my friends Bonnie and LeeAnn and I spent a few days in Sisters, Oregon, to attend their annual quilt show, and to take a few classes.

Lucky Bonnie and LeeAnn got to do a workshop with some quilters from Gees Bend, Alabama. On Saturday, the Gee's Benders had several of their quilts hung, and they were at a table singing and signing their books for people.

Aren't these quilts stunners?
We stayed at the Long Hollow Ranch Bed and Breakfast, about 13 miles outside of Sisters. It's a sprawling beautiful cattle and horse ranch where Shirley, the owner, cooks up wonderful (and filling) breakfasts.

Here's the main house, where there are guest rooms and a vintage looking breakfast room.

We stayed in the "guest cottage" and made friends with one of the resident cats (named "Fluffy"). LeeAnn, me, and Bonnie (left to right) were calling ourselves the Scarf Sisters because we all were wearing the new scarves we scored at a shop in Sisters.

Aren't we fetching?

On my first day, I took a class in hand appliqué. I learned so much, and hope to use what I learned in some of my folk art pieces.

My second class was in machine quilting. We had several hours education in choice of threads, needles, tension settings on our machines, and batting. It was truly interesting.

Then we designed a whole cloth quilt design that I'm finishing at home now.

Flower Power

2009-06-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

I've been sooo busy moving back home, cleaning up after the construction, weeding and pruning, etc. etc. etc. that I haven't had much time for anything else...especially blogging.

Above is our new deck.

It's heaven to be home. The house looks great, and the garden is starting to produce.

Look! Strawberries!

And blueberries and flowers.

I've had the same quilt project on my wall for over a month! I like it so far, and hope to get back to it soon, but the last time I worked on it, I got stumped as to whether or not I needed to add to it.

Maybe the time away from it will spark some inspiration.

Summer Fun in the Mountains

2009-06-01T13:43:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how I could have had a nicer weekend.

My sister's daughter, Katy Cox, (who lives in Austin) and bandmates, spent the weekend with us. Josh, Lori and Mia came to spend some time with them, so we got some good eating and chatting time together.

Mia has grown about a million inches since I last saw her on Mother's day. She is the cutest little thing.

Then Katy and her band "Shotgun Party" gave a concert at my friend Sharon Moore's Hayloft Concert venue in Salem.

They rocked the audience with some truly amazing bluegrass music, and the audience went wild over Katy's playing. I was so proud!

The fiddle player on the left is Katy, then there's Jenny, who sings, plays guitar and writes most of their music and lyrics, and Andrew is on the base.

They spent the night at our house, and (as you can see), Katy and I did some bonding in the morning.

I love all three of these adorable musicians so much. If you ever get the chance to see them perform, it's not to be missed.

They're touring all over the West coast right now. Last night they were in Portland, then Vancouver, Washington, then Tacoma, Seattle, Spokane, and on and on until they get back to Austin in a couple of weeks.

Spring Fever in Oregon

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a perfect day for lolling around on the deck in the warm afternoon sun.
And having a good long stretch always helps too.

oh boy! a wedding

2009-05-26T14:37:00.001-07:00

So here you have the bride and groom on the right, and a goofy spectator on the left.

These are fun to make, but I must have jabbed my fingers 100 times with the felting needle in the process. Ouch!

Bird Bride & Groom

2009-05-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

I've been elected to make a wedding cake for a friend's August nuptials. I haven't found a cake topper that suits me, so I'm thinking of making one myself.

Here's my first idea.

My thought is to make little felted bride and groom birds, and attach them to some sort of wood base that I can stick on the top tier with frosting.

Maybe I'll make a little net veil for her, and a top hat for him.

Mothers Everywhere

2009-05-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

I know it must seem like I'm fixated on our geese babies, but I can't help it. They're like little fuzzballs, and so danged cute.

Here are mom, dad and babies on our lawn yesterday (Mother's day).

And here's one of mom on Saturday, with her gaggle of five and a tiny straggler that hung around with them all day.

I have no idea how she got all these babies to our side of the river. The nest was on the other side somewhere, and the river is quite wild and high right now.

This morning, Jim and I went walking in a park near our house, and guess what we saw on one of the ponds. More babies.

Ahh Spring!!!

All of these photographs were taken by Jim.

It's A Boy...or A Girl...or Three Girls!

2009-05-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

They've arrived! Our baby goslings are here, and are they ever cute. We've spotted only three babies, but there may be more.

Oh joy!

Juicy Goose

2009-04-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

Since moving into our rental house while ours is being repaired, we've had the educational experience of watching a pair of Canada geese that hang out on the grassy area next to the river adjacent to our house.

I started studying about them and discovered that they mate for life, unless for some reason they're unable to reproduce with their partner.

We've studied our pair since January, and have seen them watch each other's backs while they feed, chase away other geese if they come too close, and make friends with the little ducks that consistently come into their territory to feed.

When the female was ready to lay her eggs, they evidently found a hiding place for their nest somewhere in the brush across the river. The male would come back to our side to stand guard, and the female only returned twice a day to feed. When we didn't see her all day the first few times, I got worried, so I started reading about them. I learned to watch for her return in the early mornings and evenings, and sure enough...

I've read that it takes about a day for her to lay each egg, and that she'll come back to see her mate and eat during those days. When all the eggs have all been laid, she doesn't come back over. That's what's happening right now, I think.

For the past few days, I've only seen her once. She'll stay on her eggs until all of goslings have hatched, then the male will join her full time again, and help care for the babies. The babies can swim from day one, so hopefully we'll get to see them before we move back home. Can't wait.

I'm a Person with too Much Time

2009-04-25T16:37:00.001-07:00

I've been goofing around with making wire sculptures.

Here's a replica of my hand. I started this by wrapping wire all around my hand and fingers.

I'm still trying experiments with fabric on canvas board. On this one, I painted the face with acrylics and then fused fabric pieces to it.

What a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2009-04-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

I'm happy!

The day is happy!

The view from our deck makes Oregon seem happy.

The ducks on the lawn are happy.
Phoebe tiptoes by the tulips, so she's happy.
Happier!

Happiest!

Belated Blog

2009-04-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of blogging time lately. It's been crazy busy.

Here's a shot taken yesterday from the new balcony off our bedroom. It's just about complete.

I decided that while the washer, dryer and freezer were out of the utility room (because of the tree damage repair), it was a good time to slap on some paint. I decided to go a little wild. Here's the result with one of my quilts auditioning for the wall space.

Try Try Again

2009-04-08T18:36:00.001-07:00

I'm still goofing around with image transfers and using fabric as "paint" on canvas board.

I haven't really decided if this is something I like or not. It's fun to do, but I don't think I've quite found the best technique yet.

Covered in Gel

2009-04-03T10:19:00.001-07:00

I'm experimenting with doing mixed media, using mostly fabric pieces.

For this one, I used Golden gel medium to transfer an image to a piece of canvas board. Then I made a bajillion little pieces of fabric to use as my "paint," and filled in the rest of the canvas with the fabric pieces, gluing them on with the gel medium.

Now I'm trying to decide if I should cover the whole piece with some sort of varnish type stuff, and if so, what I should use.

Who knows how this'll turn out. Maybe I'll post photos again when I get it finished.

Birthday at a Funeral

2009-03-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today is Jim's birthday! He's 29 years old, kinda.

I bought a cake for him at Konditeri because we needed to go to a funeral in Portland, and I knew I wouldn't have much time for baking.

Lori's grandmother had passed away. We all went to her graveside service, then met at Mary Ann's for lunch and memory sharing.

It was great to see Josh and Mia there.

Lori's grandmother had given me some fabric pieces, so I made a quilt for her daughter (Mary Ann) using some of them, and some fabric of my own.

Hopefully, Mary Ann will be able to snuggle up in it during those inevitable times that she wishes she still had her mommy.

The pink cat was in the box of her mother's scraps. Mary Ann made it!

Rockin' Rocker

2009-03-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

My week old birthday continued yesterday, thanks to my son Josh, his lovely wife Lori, and their bundle of cuteness Mia.

Josh gave me two incredible black and white photos of Mia that he shot, processed, matted and framed. Both of them are wonderful, artistic, and treasures I will enjoy forever.

Mia found a basket that usually holds booklets and magazines. She thought it was just perfect for sitting in.

Mia can say "rocky rocky" and then her grandpa picks her up and does some rocky rocky in the rocking chair.

Fun in the Sun

2009-03-13T15:52:00.001-07:00

Today, Jim and I went with some friends to Corvallis to take advantage of a spectacularly beautiful day.

We started at Nearly Normals Gonzo Cuisine, where I had huevos rancheros. It was so so yummy, and way too much to finish.

Gentleman that he is, David waited patiently for everyone to be served.

It took us awhile, but we finally found the place that makes what Melinda said were the famous Goji Bars. Their claim to fame is that Barrack Obama found them somewhere in Chicago, and loved them. When he couldn't find them one day at his usual dealer's, he complained.

Anyway, Goji berries are supposed to be yummy tasting, and full of good stuff that fills you with energy. I bought two of them to try when I quit feeling so full.
During our walk, we found this beautiful art piece by the riverfront.

Oregon State University still looks like it did when my daughter Kelly graduated from there about sixteen years ago.

We went into the art building where I photographed the painting studio where Kelly spent so much time.

The resulting memories jolted all my senses.

Spring is Sprung

2009-03-06T15:43:00.001-08:00

Today was a much needed stay-at-home day. No sewing, no grocery shopping, no general gadding about.

In the morning, I baked some Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake. We both loved it and it was simple to make.

Here's how:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup chopped almonds and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

In another bowl mix 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter. Add to that 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, and 3 eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Then add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk alternately with the flour mixture and blend gently until smooth. Mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Pour half of the batter into about a 9" x 9" pan, top with 1/3 of the almond mixture, and swirl with a fork. Pour the other half of the batter, top with another 1/3 of the almond mixture, and swirl again.

Bake for about an hour, cool a few minutes, then top with the remaining almond mixture.

It's addictively yummy.

Then Phoebe and I sat in the breakfast nook. I read and she gazed at the river.

Ahhh. Spring must be coming!

It's Finally Done!

2009-03-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest creation. The fan shapes are made from a box of antique fabrics I bought several months ago.

And here are a couple of detail shots.

(Remember that you can click on any photo on this blog to get a larger version.)

Peeps, Peep Peep

2009-02-20T18:34:00.001-08:00

This morning, we had a peeping Tom looking in our kitchen window. I think he lives next door, and he has a crush on our cat Phoebe.

So we decided to go for a walk in a nearby park, and try to get our ducks in a row.

It was such a beautiful sunny day for a walk.

Then it was back to work on my story quilt...
love glove shove
shine wine mine
rhyme time dime
dim limb trim pin spin
spar far char car star

And there are always photos of little Mia to look at. She's even cute when she's pulling her socks off.

My Funny Vallentine

2009-02-13T15:00:00.001-08:00

This morning Jim gave me a day-early Valentine gift...a beautiful little landscape painting.

Then we drove to Eugene to have our favorite lunch and so I could buy him his favorite Euphoria Chocolate truffles for his Valentine gift.

Miss Phoebe decided she didn't want to get a Valentine, she wanted to be a Valentine.

Wordplay

2009-02-09T14:09:00.001-08:00

Today, an engineering geologist came down from Portland to have a look at the hill by our house. He needed to see if the ground is stable enough to rebuild the deck like it was before the trees fell.

He had to go all the way down our stairs to the river, and work his way back up the side of the hill, so he went back to his truck to get his waterproof boots.

The critters all around have had to be disturbed...again.

slid

slip

sleet

feet

heat

neat

newt

boot

root

cute

cat

Sew it Goes

2009-02-05T07:40:00.001-08:00

My life seems a little strange these days. We're renting a house while ours is being repaired from the tree damage.

I've recently gone through training as a Hospice volunteer. Each year they decorate a Christmas tree with hand-made quilted ornaments. Families can buy one to commemorate a loved one. It's a fund raiser. So I've been making ornaments according to their prescribed design.

But the biggest part of my time has been focused on fallen and fractured trees. I'm putting together a quilt that hopefully will tell the story.

trees can be magical in the ways they cloister around a place.

in winter they rise unhidden by spring leaves.

muscled body builders with arms outstretched. pumped.

but when they fall, they're like random pick-up-sticks in a windstorm.

gold crowned teeth crushing against peanut shells.

my cat finds a mouse whose warm burrow under the deck has been disrupted.

fallen trees have dislodged more than dumb luck.

slow. so slow to weave
fabric of a new normal.

it all seems dark. too dark.

but the next night, a full moon. stars

Havoc in Heaven

2009-01-13T10:46:00.001-08:00

Phoebe and I are trying to fathom life's mysteries. What's the meaning of this?

Time for a Forced Blogging Break

2009-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

I've been remiss in my blogging duties because we had some trees blow over onto our house a few days ago. We don't know which end's up. I'll do more after things calm down.

There Goes Santa Clause

2008-12-26T09:57:00.001-08:00

Mia's mom Lori sent me this picture of Mia in the snow. Could she be any cuter? Thanks Lori!

Our Christmas was pretty great. Here's our Christmas piano, all loaded up with presents.

Josh is showing Mia her new "Ugly Doll."

Lori gave Mia some yogurt for lunch. Yummy yum yum.

Dreaming

2008-12-25T05:32:00.001-08:00

The view from our living room window:

Dreams of a white Christmas have come true.

Merry Christmas!

Smooching the Snowgirl

2008-12-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

Today, I decided to make a new friend.

And I do mean MAKE a new friend.!

Then Jim caught me smooching her up, and he snapped this pic.

Oh the Weather Outside!

2008-12-19T11:09:00.001-08:00

Here's what our copper rain chains look like today.

This is the front of our house yesterday.

This is it today.

And here's the view from our deck in back.

Beeeutiful!!!

Sew and Snow

2008-12-18T13:18:00.001-08:00

I've been doing more frayed edges in my folk art pieces. I think it has something to do with frayed nerves that are my habit during this (and every) holiday season.

Hopefully the edges will soften with time.

Miss Phoebe is enjoying the snow in her warm leopard coat.

I've just about finished the "white-white-and-more-white" quilt.

I've been using various thicknesses of white thread to hand quilt it, and it's already taken more hours than I can count. It's the perfect job for these beautiful snow days...a great excuse to stay indoors.

Snow, Stitches and Silliness

2008-12-14T11:02:00.001-08:00

Big fat snowflakes falling like downy feathers from the sky.

Out front.

Out back over the river.

A good day to stay in, stitch something silly, and gaze out at the snowfall.

Easy to forget any troubles.

Nooks and Crannies

2008-12-09T05:39:00.001-08:00

Of late, I've been hand quilting the multi-whites quilt. I'm using pearl cotton mostly, and I love the way it makes the fabric pucker and dip. The shadows make another whole element of texture on the quilt.

A life, dips and shallows,
shadows and bright spots,
slow work and long.

Travel Treasures

2008-12-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

I photographed this piece when I was in Nancy Crow's timber frame studio last year. She has many incredible objects from her travels.

This morning, I found this quote on the blog "Exot" done by R. Nemo Hill
and Julian Mendez Perea
It made me think of all the places I've been, and the beautiful things I've gathered along the way. Here it is:

"The map to treasure is decorated with dozens of directions. There are the ways forward and the ways back, the places we pass through, the places we only pass by, the places we remember, the places we forget. The treasure, too, is manifold. There's destination, there's detour, there's what we bring and what we leave behind, there's what we lose along the way, there's what we find. And finally, there is what we carry back with us to that part of the map we call home."

Sir Richard F. Burton wrote: "A traveler's legs are like blossoming branches, and he himself grows and gathers the fruit."

Vintage Fabric Bliss

2008-12-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, I've been sewing together some of the pieces I talked about in my last post. And I've been appliqueing them to some shot cottons.

I plan to stagger thirteen of these blocks with varying sized strips of other solid colors...hopefully more shot cottons.

I want the old fabrics to be the centerpiece of this quilt, and I think the solid colors of contemporary fabrics will let that happen.

I haven't stitched this green one yet, but you can get the idea.

2008-11-28T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm almost breathless with excitement. I gritted my teeth this morning to go to downtown Salem to meet my friends Bonnie and LeeAnn for fabric shopping, a cup of coffee, and a chat...right in the midst of Black Friday mahem.

I decided to stop in an antique store while I was downtown to look for vintage clothes or textiles that I might be able to use in my latest folk art quilting binge.

In the back of the store, under a shelf full of table linens and doilies, I found a cardboard box full of fabric pieces, some hand sewn together, some cut in repetitive shapes but not sewn, and some just miscellaneous scraps. I took the box up to the counter to see how much they were (thinking I'd buy a few pieces if they were maybe 25 cents each). She said I could have the whole box for $35! Wow!

There must be several hundred pieces, not many duplicates, and all quite old (I'm guessing from the 1930s). I happily paid for the box and now that I'm home and have a chance to look through them, I'm even more thrilled.

Here are a few of them.

2008-11-28T05:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a pleasant Thanksgiving in Portland. Jim took some pics of our adorable granddaughter Mia, and I just had to post them here.

Here she is with her daddy...my baby.

Whites and Books

2008-11-22T05:56:00.001-08:00

I've been working on a new quilt that has been mulling in my brain for some time. I wanted to find as many different white fabrics in as many different textures as I could, and piece them into one quilt with just bits of color. I had some scraps from old quilts, but I also found some stuff at Goodwill...white linen shirts, a soft thin white pillow case, etc...that I was able to cut up and use.

I've quilted some of it with my machine, and now I'm doing a bunch of hand quilting with varying thicknesses of white thread.

Yesterday, I had all the River Bookies book women over to my house for lunch and book discussion. My book was "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion. It's a good book, and it made for a wonderful and varied reaction.

Here is (from left) Nina, Karen and Carla. The tapestry on the wall is by Maximo Laura, a Peruvian weaver from whom I was lucky enough to take a workshop when I was in Peru.

Here you see Lucky, Jo, Cretia and half of Norma.

And here, Carla, Pat, Carol and Naomi.

Oh, how I do love these women and our book club.

Creative Colaborative Concoction

2008-11-20T18:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, my fellow traveler on the road to quilting nirvana (Bonnie) and I spent most of the day in my studio doing some fabric piecing. We worked independently, but toward a collaborative end.

Here's what we ended up with after we put everything together to form one fabulous whole. Pretty nifty huh?!? We started with some basic parameters...12" x 9" blocks...two basic sections for each block (one detailed and textural, and the other linear and spare), and colors to coordinate with the flower print pieces.

What fun we had! Now all we need is to do this a bunch more, and we'll end up with something we can really write home about.

Buttons and bones

2008-11-16T15:13:00.001-08:00

This is an old carved box that was my mother's. I'm pretty sure it was made in Mexico, but I don't know how she came to have it.

It's one of my favorite possessions (a thing I'd grab if I had to evacuate in a hurry).

And this is why.

It's chock full of her old buttons, collected over many years of sewing. I love looking through it.

And I love thinking of stuff I can use them for.

Today, I made a girl dog out of socks, and used old buttons for the nose and eyes.

Note the dog bone tattoo on her rumpus.

FUNdementals of Organization

2008-11-15T15:13:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm trying a checked fabric, using the fabric itself as a grid for goofing around with some stitching ideas.

I like the idea of using the grid lines to give some organization to the piece, but also to draw attention to stitching that doesn't fall within the lines.

Perhaps another parable?: Be organized to an extent, but remember how essential it is to keep doing stuff that's unpredictable, unconventional, and fun.

Here's the stitching area where I relax and play.

As you can see, I really do make some disorganized messes. But at least I can cover it all up, do something regular...like cook...and then return to plunder through my threads and stash once again.

I'm In Stitches

2008-11-12T19:55:00.001-08:00

Today was such a wet and rainy day, there was nothing much to do, so I finished quilting and binding a couple of unfinished quilts that have been niggling at my conscience for months.

I left myself a bit of time to work some more on my hand stitched little pieces. It seems like the more stitching I add, the more I like the looks.

I guess that's sort of a metaphor for my life these days...stitching all the frayed edges in an attempt to make something beautiful.

Backs and Fronts

2008-11-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

My latest quilting bender has been along the lines of hand piecing and hand quilting my version of folk art.

This is actually the back of a quilt that I think I like better than the front.

I found a panel of fabric with several versions of "Our Lady of Guadalupe," so I used one of them here. She holds a familiarity to me because I grew up on the Mexican border in Texas. The Lady of Guadalupe is a big deal to the Catholics there. Her image appears on pendants, rosary charms, church walls, etc..

I think I'll use more of the panel pieces in an upcoming Guatemalan inspired piece I have in mind.

Alas. So many ideas, so little time.

Here's a piece that I just finished, done completely with hand stitching. I decided to let myself keep adding to it for as long as I had the energy, so it's a bit busy, but I like it anyway.

OBAMA Won!!!!!

2008-11-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

It just doesn't get any better than this! An African American elected President, that even the "whitest" Americans can support.

The horrifying history of blacks in America is finally going to go in a different, better, more tolerant direction.

And he's so articulate! Won't it be great not to have to mute the sound when the President comes on TV to bungle the English language? And he is so well-educated, so able to really see all sides of the issues, so able to get astute advice when he needs it, and then make well-founded, educated decisions.

I'm so stoked, thrilled, excited, hopeful. He's going to be great!

It's been raining here, but we still enjoy going for long walks and photographing (Jim's forte) the beautiful countryside.

Kisses

2008-11-03T13:58:00.001-08:00

So, since I have been unable to waste time web surfing (due to a temporarily defunct internet connection), I've been able to waste time stitching.

Actually, it's really not time wasted...stitching is like meditation to me...calming, centering, focusing on the moment.

This piece is hand stitched, and is about 11 x 15".

Here's a tad bit closer view, but for a real closeup, click on the photos. I'm not sure what led me to this design...maybe forgotten dreams of lost love.

It's a stay-at-home rainy day in Oregon. I've been listening to CNN speculating about the results of tomorrow's election. Everyone seems to be sure Obama will win. I sure hope so, but I'm trying not to as optimistic as I was about Al Gore and John Kerry. Both were very disillusioning.

Belated Boo!

2008-11-02T18:18:00.001-08:00

My internet connection has been sick in bed for a few days, but I have this to say, now that it's working:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

It's a Colorful Life

2008-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I got to spend the day with my friend Bonnie Hull. We meet on the pretense of being a "Quilt Groop," but we're the only two people, and we often spend much of our time chatting. Here's her quilting studio. She's a painter too (acrylics), and I love love love her color sense and daring.Then Saturday was my lovely granddaughter Mia's first birthday party up in Portland. Isn't she too cute?
Today, we drove to McMinnville, OR with some friends for lunch and to walk around in the fall color. Here's a shot from the rooftop restaurant where we ate. The colors make my knees weak.
And...last of all...some photos of a sock cat I made yesterday, just to see if I could. Note the tattoo on her hiney.

2008-10-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

I Think That I Shall Always See

2008-10-22T18:03:00.001-07:00

Today was another beautiful fall day. Crisp in the morning. Warm in the afternoon.We have pumpkins ready for jack-o-lantern making, and gold and red reflections in our river below.

I've been stitching together my random experimental pieces, and adding to them with embroidery. It's goofy, but at least I have the pieces all in one place. I haven't decided if I'll actually add batting and quilt stitching.

A Deck with a View

2008-10-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

The past few days here have been as beautiful as I've ever experienced. I just love the leaf colors in the Fall. It's like having shimmering red, yellow and orange petals up in the trees...maybe more colorful than in the Spring.

This shot is taken from our deck out to the front yard. There's still a lot of green, but you can see the other colors coming on.And here's what I saw this morning from the deck, looking down at our river.

Tre magnifique!

Clubs, Candy Corn, and Cats

2008-10-17T15:51:00.001-07:00

Today was our River Bookies book club luncheon.

We call ourselves the River Bookies because almost all of us live right next to a river here in the Oregon Cascades.

We range in ages from 50 to almost 80, have many different life experiences, and almost every book we've read has spurred a lively and interesting discussion. I LOVE these women.

We meet once a month, and besides discussing a book, we indulge in the finer things of life.

(Some think the main reason we get together is for the wine and food, but that's just a rotten rumor. It's just not true. It is NOT!)

This morning, I just about finished my "Earth, Air, Fire and Water" quilt that I did on homemade-soy-milk soaked fabric, and I used water color paints that I wet with the soy milk. It's fun because I was able to paint without the color bleeding into the adjacent fabric.

Here's my pal Phoebe sitting in the middle of what I was working on at my desk. This is what she does if I don't give her the attention she so rightfully deserves.

Thready Quilting

2008-10-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

For the last couple of days, I've been experimenting with doing a mini quilt, with random white-on-white quilting meandering all over the place. I wound up adding a little black stitching just for contrast.

I sort of like how it looks, and it's definitely meditative and soothing to do. (Click on these photos if you want a closer look.)

I think I'm getting a bit tired of doing all these quickie pieces. They're great for experimentation, but I think I'll start something big soon. Usually, I start with an idea that keeps me awake at night, but I haven't had one of those lately. Maybe if I do some sketching? Sometimes that helps.

Mia at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today, Josh, Lori, Jim and I took Mia to her first annual pumpkin hunt at the Heiser's pumpkin patch. Here she is getting in to the pumpkin mood.

There were Mia sized tractors...

There was a hay wagon that took us all out to the BIG pumpkin patch...

And the nearby fire departments were having a water pumpkin pushing contest...sort of like tug of war, but with water, and pushing instead of tugging.

There was good ole fashioned Texas two-step music...which Mia LOVED.

And a skeleton spooked everyone from the outhouse.

Jim and I had our portrait taken...

And so did Mia.

What a GREAT day!

Atomic Stitches

2008-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been doing today...

Reading "The Universe in a Single Atom" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and...

stitching and layering, stitching and layering.

I can only read the Dalai Lama's book in short stints because his grasp of cosmology is way over my head.

So I read some pages, then stitch awhile, and when my brain has been soothed enough, I read more. It's a really great book, and speaks perfectly to my current spiritual and philosophical confusion.

More about all that another day.

Quilted Paint Splats

2008-10-06T18:57:00.001-07:00

I recently got the idea that I wanted to do a quilt series in which the fabrics looked like spilled and splattered paint. I wanted to use all cotton fabrics, cut freehand and pieced together, rather than appliqueing pieces on top.

So here's the first one:

Yellow Paint Spilling from Above

Next came:

Red Paint Spilling from the Corner

And finally (but done in reverse applique):

Paint Mixture Splatted from Above

I just finished machine quilting this one. I tried to do this by regular piecing, but the first try was a disaster. I finally surrendered and did it with reverse applique (the holes cut in the black fabric and the colored fabric showing from beneath).

Army of Women Project

2008-10-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today I signed up to be a part of the "Army of Women Project" to help in the research of breast cancer. The researchers need many women of all ethnicities, health backgrounds, ages and sexual orientations to take part. My sister-in-law had breast cancer (she's fine now), so I'm ever hopeful that causes and cures will be found.

If you're interested, go to their web page and read about it, and perhaps sign on.

http://www.armyofwomen.org/

Fun with Color

2008-10-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

So today, I did my first watercolor on some soy milk treated muslin. The soy is supposed to keep the watercolor from bleeding into surrounding fibers. It worked pretty well, but as you can see, not perfectly. I think if I would have waited until the colors were completely dry before painting the adjoining section, it would have worked better.

The fabric pieces (flowers and berries) are just placed on top of the piece for now. When the piece is completely dry, I'll do some stitching around and on top of them.

I really loved painting on fabric. I'll be doing some more for sure. And I like the idea of combining painting, piecing and applique. All my favorite techniques, using my favorite medium...fabric.

Chaotic Stitching

2008-09-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

For today's experiment, I decided to do some haphazard stitching and encourage the frayed threads. My elephant example seems a bit too confusing. I think I'll try some more organized stitching next time.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to use watercolor paints on some muslin I've soaked in home made soy milk. Supposedly, the soy makes the fibers resistant to bleeding, so hopefully I can do some teeny paintings with tiny brushes.

Today was a bit overcast so I thought I'd make a piece with a flower in the sky to cheer myself up. It's not finished yet, but you can get the idea.

A Pause for a Date with my Husband

2008-09-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

This morning we started out by having breakfast at Court Street Dairy cafe in Salem, where I sipped coffee from the perfect cat mug for the cat lover. Witness:

Then we walked over to the Riverfront Park where there was a dedication ceremony for a new sculpture of former Governor Tom Mc Call.

It started out covered with a black sheet, which gave it a decidedly early-Halloween appearance.

The bronze statue rises nearly 10 feet and weighs more than 1,000 pounds.

It was made by sculptor Rip Caswell, who has been involved in the design process for over nine years. The actual fabrication took months.

This is Rip Caswell on the left. Tom McCall's son is on the right. I think the guy in the middle is a reporter.
When the sheet was removed, the crowd gasped appropriately. It really is a great sculpture, and the Salem Riverfront Park is the perfect place for it.

In this photo, you can see current governor Ted Kulongoski in the light gray suit, and former governor John Kitzhaber on the right with his usual Levis and sports jacket.

Governor Tom McCall was a very important Oregonian. He helped us all understand how much we need to appreciate and protect our beautiful environment. He was responsible for Oregon's bottle bill (deposits and refunds for pop bottles), and most states eventually followed the idea.

This statue depicts him as a fisherman, which he truly was. He was also famous for his "We should welcome folks to Oregon for visits, but don't encourage them to stay" ideas.

Then Jim I went for a nice long walk on Minto Brown Island. It was a perfect day. Lots of geese, herons and humans.

Here's Jim gaping at the Willamette River.

Anything Goes

2008-09-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

In spite of the fact that I have a couple of big quilts in various stages of completion, I can't seem to get enough of making these little experimental pieces.

I love, love, love the freedom to let my curiosity run amok, without fear of "wasting" too much time or fabric. Plus, it makes me look at different fabrics in a whole new way. (i.e. Wow! Look at this piece of thick big-weave fabric. Maybe I could use it as a background for an embroidered aardvark!)

I've had this old flour sack for a long time. I decided to stuff the center circle to make it bulge forward.

This one isn't quite finished yet, but I'm having loads of fun doing it.

Here are a few more that I think I've finished, but who knows? I may get a new inspiration for one of them. These little things are all about doing whatever inspires me in the moment...very zenlike.

Folksy

2008-09-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I'm still on my folk-art binge.

I decided to make a bunch of 11 x 11 inch square pieces of muslin to use for as many experimental small quilts as I can manage to dream up. I have no idea how (or if) I'll use them, but they give me a huge sense of freedom that I love. I can try absolutely anything, and if I don't like the end result...no problemo...back to the scrap bag it will go.

I start by putting stuff onto the muslin almost at random. Then I arrange the pieces until I like the composition, pin them all in place, and then sew all the pieces down by hand with heavy cotton embroidery threads.

Naturally, this required a return trip to Goodwill (not that I don't have enough stuff already), but there were things (like lace) that I wanted to incorporate, but didn't have. This first one has some lace that I cut from a black slip.

This next one includes some vintage fabrics and a piece from an old flour sack.

The idea for the last one arose from an interview of an African-American woman I saw on TV. She was talking about her experience after huricane Katrina, and her hopes for the presidential election... Barrack Obama being her choice.

Goofing Around with a Raw Vision

2008-09-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

I recently finished an attempt a sort of folk-art quilt that I quilted by hand with heavy cotton thread. I loved doing it.

And it looks sort of great too...in my opinion. Just LOOK at all them birds!

I decided I should try my hand at more folk-art and hand sewing with heavier threads projects, and thought it'd be fun to create some sort of non-existant animal figure.

So here you have it: My ethnic snaggle-toothed folk-art creechure. His name is Senior Bumblethorp.

I used leftover Guatemalan and African fabrics, as well as plain cotton. Then I fashioned triangular teeth out of white cotton, stuffed him with poly pillow stuffer, and put it all together, mostly by hand.

This was a good day for this because I wanted to watch TV to see if hurricane Ike demolished my sister's Rockport, TX home. (It didn't!!!). I was able to stitch and watch at the same time.

After all that TV, Senior Bumblethorp and I got hungry, so I made a fish for him, and I ate watermelon, out on the deck.

Bliss...

Quotes and Kingfishers

2008-09-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

While I was goofing around on my computer this morning, I found this blurb by Henry David Thoreau.

I take his meaning to be that if we can look at the world with beginner's eyes, or fresh eyes, we will see the beauty to which we might have become desensitized.

It's not easy for me to be that conscious all the time, but I do like this reminder.

Yesterday, I was lollygagging on the deck, taking in the beautiful day and reading my book. This little bird caught my eye, as she sat on a rock by the river. She was obviously fish hunting.

Later, I was able to identify her as a female belted Kingfisher. I also found a website that has the sound she was making, recorded so you can hear it too. Here's the link: http://animalbehaviorarchive.org/assetSelect.do?assetId=795995&section=summary

Carrots, Cucumbers and Catz

2008-09-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today, our good friends Tom and Norma Mack invited me over to raid their garden. Look at this haul!

Their garden is huge, with way too much produce for the two of them, so they're big on pickling, pie baking, dilling green beans, and inviting friends to come and plunder.

We're so lucky. Thanks, Tom and Norma!

My friend Bonnie sent me a whole slew of cat pictures with funny captions. These two made me laugh out loud.

Cats and Quilts

2008-09-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today, Phoebe tried to hide in the azalias so she could catch a bird. She missed every time.

She's pictured here, contemplating her options, but hoping no one was watching her failed attempts. How humiliating!

I've been working on hand quilting a sort of folk-art quilt that I made. I'm using thick cotton thread.

Don't I look intense?

When Phoebe catches me doing this, she pushes her way into the middle of the quilt and flops down for a nap.

Goodwill is a Very Good Thing

2008-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

When I was in Seattle a couple of weeks ago for the quilt show, we went into the niftiest little shop that had all sorts of unusual folk art things. I spotted a stuffed cat that I thought would be perfect to get for granddaughter Mia. It was made out of knitted fabrics, and was so soft and cuddly. However, the price tag made me gasp...$56!

So I decided to make one myself.

When we got back, I went to Goodwill and bought some old sweaters that I cut up, and I already had some polyester stuffing from a pillow I'd made. I just finished it this afternoon, and here it is!

Alphabet Book

2008-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

This summer, I decided to try my hand at making a quilted alphabet book for Mia.

I didn't really know how to do it, but I tried it anyway, and here are some sample pages:

I had a jolly time going through my stash of fabrics to find letters and pictures to illustrate them.

I printed the words onto ink jet printer prepared fabric sheets, cut them out, and machine stitched them on the pages with a buttonhole stitch done with red thread.

On the back cover, I made pocket for a little book or some crayons.

I'm pretty sure Mia liked it because she stuck it right into her mouth.

Pictures and Picasso

2008-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

I stole this photo of Mia from her Daddy's Flickr page. He's a really good photographer, I think. (Of course, I am a bit biased.)

This photo says everything anyone would need to know about Mia. Funny. Happy. Lively. Cute.

I saw a quote recently by Pablo Picasso that I think about sometimes to jump start my day:
"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."

So, it's off to the studio....

Yippity Skipity-It's Time for the Fair

2008-08-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to the Oregon State Fair. It's always great fun to see all the stuff there, eat some junk food, scope out the livestock, and listen to the sales pitches.

And you can never be sure which buddies you might see there, that you can hang out with for awhile.

Berry Blast

2008-08-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

After a few days of rain, we're getting back into the beautiful Oregon summer.

This morning, I picked a peck of blueberries and a few Marionberries from our garden. Phoebe had to check them out.

We've had a HUGE crop of berries this year, so I'm freezing some, and making stuff with others. I made a berry crisp last night from my favorite recipe.

As you can see, we make short work of this yummy stuff.

CYNTHIA'S BERRY CRISP

4 cups berries
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat your oven to 375.

Put the washed berries in a baking dish. (10" x 10" or so is good).
Blend the dry ingredients. Then rub the butter in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle this over the berries.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. This is good alone, but even better with vanilla ice cream.
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This past weekend, Josh and Lori were here with my ever-so-perfect granddaughter Mia. Isn't she a doll?

I adore her and wish I could see her more, but she lives in Portland.

Hi Everybody...I'm Baaaack!

2008-08-19T06:12:00.001-07:00

Well, the few months vacation from blogging turned into almost a year. Life does have a way of taking over the best made plans, eh?
Recently, I decided to try making a quilt from a photo I took while in Honfleur, France, a little port town in Normandy. Here's the result. It's about 60" x 60".

My friend Bonnie and I went last week to the quilt show at the Seattle Convention Center. There were some incredible quilts there. Here are a couple that caught my eye:

Then we spent the rest of the weekend at Bonnie's brother and sister-in-law's house, playing in Leeann's studio with her bags of fabric rejects. Here's Bonnie showing her lovely creation.

BLOG HOLIDAY

2007-11-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

Life at this time of year gets way too busy, so I've decided to take a vacation from blogging for awhile.

I'm not sure when (or if) I'll start back up...perhaps in a couple of months.

In the meantime, have a nice safe holiday season, and try not to eat too much!

The Cutess Creechurs

2007-11-13T18:45:00.001-08:00

Today, I got to play grandmother. What a little, squeezable, kissable, pat-pat-pat-able, yummy creature is our little Mia.

Take a look: (I look pretty serious, don't I? I was operating my own camera and trying not to mess up.)

Yesterday we had a heckuva wind storm, and wound up without power all day. But this year, we bought a power generator for just such an occasion (it happens a lot out here in the boonies), and it was great. No more melted ice cream, no more going to bed at 5:00 p.m. because there's nothing else to do in the dark, and no more inability to flush the potty because we have an electric water pump. Why did we wait so long to get one of these things?

Hugs to all my loyal readers!

Lazy Days and Sundays

2007-11-11T11:29:00.001-08:00

Today is a do-nothing day. I like it. I get to laze around and read, drink tea, and play with Phoebe the cat.

Here are a couple of photos of my most recent quilt. It's about 53" x 74".

Here's a little detail shot.

Artistic Creations

2007-11-04T06:45:00.001-08:00

Okay, boys and girls. Since I have no new fanatical fabric work to show you, I will give you a brief lesson on the oh-so-well known French sculptor, Auguste Rodin. These are photos I took on my trip to France, at the Rodin Museum in Paris.

I always thought his figures were mostly like "The Thinker," cast in bronze and very realistic.

But after looking at lots of his scuptures, it was easy to see that the figures weren't actually totally realistic.

Note the oversized hands, feet, and the key the one figure is holding.

Now look at a couple that he made in marble. They're like figures emerging from a dream. So beautiful and soft looking.

Now take a look at this incredible figure sculpted and photographed by my son Josh. He had a little bit of help from his wife Lori. They're very talented, don't you think?

Lazy Days and Mondays

2007-10-29T12:43:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, I actually have been doing some work in the studio. Here's the most recent finished product. It's about 66" x68".

I did laundry this morning too, and Phoebe found the way into my to-be-folded pile when it was still warm from the dryer. Far be it from me to disturb her. She's still there.

And just in case you forgot what my son Josh, dauther-in-law Lori, and grandchild Mia look like, here's a pic taken yesterday morning soon after Mia came into the world.

Mia the Magnificent

2007-10-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

She's here!!!

My first grandchild (Mia) was born this morning a little after midnight. She's ever so perfect! She's 8.5 pounds, and 21" long, and way cute.

The nurse made a print of her footsies for me.

2007-10-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I got an e-mail from my daughter Kelly with a photo that she took of me in front of the Eiffel tower.

We had gotten there just before the 10 p.m. lighting of the tower with twinkling white lights. Tre magnifique!

One of the very best things about France is the food. Those people really know how to make and use cheeses, make pastries, and grow beautiful fresh vegetables and fruit.

Witness:

Aren't these incredible! I love photographing such an array of colors and shapes in one shot.

Van Gogh's Wheat Field

2007-10-22T19:06:00.001-07:00

On our trip, we saw the place where Van Gogh supposedly made his last painting, in a wheat field, right before he shot himself. It's fun to see the painting (Crows Over the Wheat Fields), and then see the photos I took of the way it looks now.

Here's the painting (made in 1890).

Here's the way the almost exact place looks now, and then the area just to the right of it. I'm sure his time of day and time of year must have made the colors much different from those that I photographed. Or maybe he altered the colors to convey his intense state of mind.

In Memory of the Madness of Monet

2007-10-21T07:22:00.002-07:00

I've been doing some reading about the Impressionist painters, and found some paintings on line that Monet did of the cathedral in Rouen. I thought it'd be fun to compare them with my photos of the cathedral from my trip. Monet loved the results of the changing light, but it always frustrated him too. He said the light would change every seven minutes, so sometimes he'd have several canvases going at one time, trying like mad to capture a certain look that he liked.

Okay. First are two photos that I took on the West facade of the church. They were both at the same time of day, but from slightly differed viewpoints.

Then there are Monet's paintings, capturing different times of the day.

I just think they're amazing.

Art, Art, and More Art

2007-10-18T05:34:00.002-07:00

I got back from my trip to find an e-mail from fellow blogger and quilt artist Del Thomas from California. She had gone to the Pacific International Quilt Festival and photographed my quilt in what she said was a really good location. Thanks SO much, Del. You made my day!

I didn't win any prizes, but I was still thrilled to have been juried into the show.

This is the "artist's statement" that hung beside my quilt. I'm still recovering from the long trip home. I managed to catch a sore-throat and stuffed-up-head illness on the way back. But I'm having fun weeding through my photos and trip notes.

I'll post a couple more pics from my journey.

Here's a photo of the church in Auvers sur Oise that was the subject of Van Gogh's famous painting. It was a thrill to see. (Sorry about the phantom head in the foreground.)

This next photo was taken at the seaside town of Honfleur. It's easy to see why this beautiful place was the inspiration for many of the Impressionist painters.

Bone Joor

2007-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, after a gruelingly long airline trek, I finally got home yesterday from my trip to France.

It was a wonderful trip, and extra special because I was able to share it with my daughter, Kelly. Both of us were awed by the beauty of the food, the scenery and the incredible art.

We travelled by barge (a spiffy barge) from Paris, about 204 miles up the Seine River, and to the English Channel at Le Havre, near the World War II battle site at Omaha beach. (Think "Saving Private Ryan" and "Letters from Iwo Jima")

I'll post a few photos now, and maybe a few more later. I've whittled my photos down to 402, but I doubt if I'll post them all! :> ) Just kidding. I wouldn't dare even think of doing that.

Here we are (Kelly and me) traipsing around Paris.

This is the inside of one of many many 13th to 19th century churches we saw. I love the way the light shined through the adjacent stained glass window, throwing colorful reflections on this wall.

These are a couple of shots in Monet's garden in Giverney. These are both of the lily pond Monet had installed so that he could paint it. It was breathtakingly lovely. His whole garden was planted in clusters of flower and plant colors that he wanted to paint.

I shot this from the boat as we were cruising along the Seine. It was easy to see where the Impressionists got their inspiration.

And a last shot along the river at sunset. Note the wild swans. Dang...it was soooooo beautiful.

Nancy Crow Quote

2007-10-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

I know only yesterday I wrote that I probably wouldn't post again until I return from France, but I just have to.

Nancy Crow has an upcoming solo exhibition at the Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia, starting Friday. I went to the Snyderman web site this morning, and read her artist's statement. There is a part in it that so perfectly describes what I experience, I just had to post it here for other quilt artists to see.

Nancy Crow: "...I love being inside my brain and pushing myself to think in ever more complex ways because I know the ideas are there for the taking. It’s all about being focused and disciplined and making use of one’s abilities. And about being alone, in solitude, so one can think and feel deeply without interruption. I have definitely grown far closer to myself rather than to others because I see my quiltmaking as my experience which has nothing to do with other people."

I love that.

I took the above photo when I was attending a workshop with her a year or so ago in Ohio. She made this quilt for a show for which she was invited to make a piece with a political bent. (FYI: RRR BC = Rice, Roe, Rumsfeld Bush Cheney).

I'd say she doesn't shy away from controversy, and really does make art without regard for what anyone else thinks.

Oldies But Goodies

2007-10-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a week. Seems like a lot has happened since I last posted. For one thing, our next door neighbor (Mel) passed away last week. It was sad because he was up in Washington with his sister, and wanted so badly to come home, but he didn't make it.

I've been working on a piece that I plan to send my sister for her birthday, so I can't post a photo yet or she'll see it. I decided to post a couple of old photos instead.

This is a quilt top that my great aunt made. It's what got me started quilting. When I inherited it, I decided to learn hand quilting to finish it, and one thing led to another. I haven't worked on it for over a year because I've had a bum hand, but some day I'll finish it.

This is a quilt I made for my sister a year or more ago. Each little block was paper pieced...whew! Before I sent it to her, I laid it on a blanket in the back yard, and then stood on a little balcony upstairs to photograph it.

Here's a detail of the same quilt.
Friday, I leave on my adventure in France with my daughter, Kelly. I probably won't be able to post again until I get back home, but keep watching. I hope to post some beautiful and artsy shots when I get back.

It's a Bird...It's a Plane

2007-09-21T16:09:00.001-07:00

Oregon locals will know about the place we went yesterday in McMinnville. It's called the Evergreen Air Museum, and it houses Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" built in California with the idea of flying equipment and soldiers during World War II. It's a huge thing that was able to take off and land on water (or land).

Hughes only got the chance to try it once, and only briefly, in Long Beach, California. My husband was actually there to see it fly. He lived in Long Beach at the time, and school was let out so the locals could go watch. I think Jim was around 12 years old at the time.

You can get some idea of its size from this photo.

The museum's a neat place with all sorts of military and other kinds of aircraft, and videos and interactive demonstrations throughout. Kids (like me) can actually play on a helicopter flight simulater, and watch themselves crash when they goof up the controls.
Here's a pic of just the tail of the Spruce Goose. I couldn't fit the whole thing into one frame no matter how hard I tried.
Here's the nose with a plane next to it that may give a sense of scale.

This is an old smoke jumper's kit. Remember Spam? Nummy num.

This mural is painted on the wall in the flight simulator area.

Don't you think this would make a terrific tattoo? Maybe for my 65th birthday?

After the museum visit, we went next door to their HUGE brand new IMAX theater. We watched a film in 3D about the Apollo moon walk missions, narrated by Tom Hanks, and dizzyingly realistic. It was great.

Cockeyed Concoction

2007-09-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, this concoction didn't end up quite the way I had first envisioned it, but hey...who ever said I had to follow my own rules? Truth be told, it was going to be bigger, but I ran out of deep purple fabric, so I had to make do.

This is third in my "Connections" series, and I'm already dreaming up the next idea. I think there are drugs for this kind of obsessive compulsive disorder.

The piece is 44" x 33", and these photos show the whole thing and a detail.

Yippity Skippity!

2007-09-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am not good at rejection, in fact I'm very easily devastated by rejection. So it was with steely guts and fierce trepidation that I entered my quilt "Connections I" in the Pacific International Quilt Festival to be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California this October.

In today's mail was an envelope from them. I braced myself, opened it, and was thrilled to read, "We are pleased to tell you that "Connections" has been selected..."

Wow! I'm so excited! I have been thinking I should do more with my pieces than folding them and stacking them in a closet, or occasionally selling one or giving one away. I guess this is a start in that direction.

Here's the final product as it will be displayed at the show.

The Bridges of Linn County

2007-09-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

The weather today is absolutely perfect. 65 or so degrees, clear blue sky, and no wind. Some of the trees have hints of Fall color. We decided we had to get out and about, so we went for a drive to find all of the covered bridges within about a 20 mile radius of where we live. What fun!

Here are a few photos from the day.

That's Jim walking over for a closer look at the Shemanek Bridge.

Here's the inside roof of the same bridge.

This one is the Larwood Bridge. It was built in the 1930's.

And here's the Hoffman Bridge, also built in the 1930's.

They're all starting to look sort of alike I think.

We got lost trying to find a couple of them, so we decided to save them for another day.

I love the lines and shapes in these buildings.

Beautiful Boobs

2007-09-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

I've been dragging out my old stuff so that Jim could photograph it for me. I thought it'd be fun to show everyone this one (full size and a couple of detail shots).

Don't forget to click on any image on this blog to get a better look.

Her bra I made from an old dish towel. I had recently had a mammogram, so I guess I needed an artistic catharsis of some sort. (Not really. It was just fun.)

The piece is about 19" x 30".

I finally finished the "Connections II" quilt yesterday. It wound up being about the same size as the "Connections I" piece. Here it is.

I already have my keep-me-awake idea for the next in the series.

I'll keep you posted.

Blast from the Past

2007-09-06T06:57:00.001-07:00

My husband Jim recently photographed most of my art quilts, including this one. These photos show the whole piece, and two detail shots.

This is the very first art quilt I ever made. It's hard to believe I've been doing this for almost ten years! My goals and style sure have changed.

On this quilt, the pieces were drawn onto freezer paper, cut, and fused to the background with Wonder Under. Then I stitched around each piece to stabilize the raw edges.

I got the fabrics at the Salvation Army (men's shirts mostly). Now, I almost exclusively do abstracts, or at least non-pictorial pieces, I no longer fuse anything, but piece everything together, and I've become much too much of a fabric snob to scrounge at thrift stores.
I want the best materials I can find!

I do think about doing figures again, but I'm not keen on fusibles any more. I understand they can harm fibers over time. Who wants to spend that much time on something that'll self-destruct and disintegrate?

So my figures now (according to my new rules) have to be pieced together or appliqued on. Very time consuming, but a good challenge.

Creating Connections

2007-08-28T19:10:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo of my latest creation. I'm calling my last one and this one my "Connections" series, so this will be "Connections #2". It's a little smaller than "Connections #1" so far, but I may decide to add more stripes on both sides before I layer and quilt it. I always seem to be so compulsive about putting my ideas together that I lose my ability to evaluate them for awhile. I'll leave this one on my wall for a few days and then I'll sneak up on it and see what it needs.

Today our weather was perfect and there was no one anywhere around. Even my hubby was away doing photography, so it was totally quiet except for the birds. I took advantage and did some nice deck lolling and book reading. I'm about halfway through "Inheritance of Loss" which has me pretty hooked.

Huggly Snuggly

2007-08-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

I'm still in my thinking-about-babies mode.

Aren't little versions of the big versions so darned cute? I want to snuzzle them all.