Last Chance

Sacred Threads 2011 is still open, through July 4. If you live anywhere near Herndon, VA, I encourage you to experience it. (photo courtesy of Lisa Ellis)

Tidbits

For our anniversary, I made a quilted card for my husband. I started with these scraps from my 2010 Hoffman challenge trims. Yes, I still have scraps from July 2010. I use them.

Then I quilted and cut up some orange for accent.

I was inspired by a planned trip to Tahiti, to celebrate the 30 years. Here's the final piece, it measures about 5.5" x 8".

I don't know if you picked up on the 2 big fishies followed by the 4 little'uns. :)

I'm still working on my Hoffman, here's what I added yesterday...(the embroidery and silk ribbons).

I'm hoping to finish up by the weekend. I'll show you the final at that time. Until then, you can only imagine what I've put together. :)

Thirty Years Ago

two very young people said, "I do."

Surprise Project

This year I again bought the Hoffman Challenge fabric. Once again, I didn't like it. bleah. Sort of my colors, but not really. I'd hoped the fabric would inspire me, it did not.

I even took it with me to Asilomar, on the off-chance that I might be able to incorporate it into one of my projects and have an entry to submit.

That proved futile, as my teacher smiled and threatened to confiscate the fabric. "You need to be doing something different."

In theory, I agreed. In my mind, I agreed. But last Saturday? When I had a day to myself? I started looking at the remnants of my Asilomar class. One thing led to another, and before you could say "Presto Chang-o," I'd transformed the hideous Hoffman to something of my liking.

In fact, I like it a lot.

I like it much more than I possibly could have predicted.

I liked it so much, that I took the time to quilt around all those crazy little petals with metallic thread.

And then I pulled out the beads. I bought these for "something special." Or maybe I bought them because I could. Doesn't everyone need 24K beads? :)

I found more beads in my stash, which coordinate with the Hoffman.

Apparently they were not enough, as I was motivated to drive to Fresno (combined with a trip to see the Madera Heart of the Valley Quilt Show) and drop some $$ at Bead Artistry.

Wow. At least when I walk out of Costco, it requires a shopping cart! ;)

Stay tuned! I've got about a week or so to get the quilt finished and on its way to CO. Wish me luck!!!

This is a Quilt - Update

Remember last January? When I made a small "Ice" piece for the SAQA exhibit "This is a quilt"? And then I heard nothing...at all...until I emailed and was told they would be unveiled at the May Visioning Conference in Denver?

Well today, the months of waiting paid off.

I received a bulk email, telling me that there are 7 traveling trunks, and they will be traveling through 2013. My quilt is in Trunk F, which is assigned to the "US, Mountain" region. If anyone lives there, and sees the collection, would you mind snapping a picture and sending it in my direction? I'd love to have a chance to see it, but who knows when or where that opportunity will arise.

Enjoy your travels, little quilt, I'm glad to hear that you finally have an itinerary!!

In other news, Penelope has THE nicest stroller I've ever seen. The only reason she refuses to smile is because she KNEW we were going to be rolling her to sleep, and sleep is her least favorite activity. If Sleep Avoidance were an Olympic competition, she would definitely be considered to be "in training." :) No! No! No sleep! I might MISS something!!!

Had to Get a Penny Fix

Get on the road, drive for a few hours and, voila! A baby!

No, Gramma, I don't want a bottle from you. It tastes better if Mama is holding it.

Gramma! What big feet you have!! And ugly too!!

So much better with Mama!! See? She even dresses like me!! :)


30 hours of Penny & Co. What fun! ;)

Sacred Threads, 2011

"More Glorious Than Solomon"
machine pieced, machine quilted
Suzanne Kistler 2005

The biennial exhibit Sacred Threads opens on June 22, in Herndon, VA. "More Glorious Than Solomon" will be in attendance.

Hours for the exhibit:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays: 10am - 5pm

Thursdays: 10am - 8pm

Sundays: 1pm - 4pm

Special Hours on July 4: 1pm - 4pm

June 22, 2011 - July 4, 2011

Church of the Epiphany, 3301 Hidden Meadow Drive, Herndon, Virginia 20171

www.epiphany-herndon.org

Admission: $5.00

If you live in the DC area, I do hope that you get a chance to see the exhibit. And if you do, let me know what you think...One of these days I'd like to head east and see it in person.

Signs of Summer

Rose of Sharon,

Daylilies in yellow,

Daylilies in red,

Peaches and nectarines,

Nectarines and Peaches,

And Chupa has moved from her winter house,

to her Summer house.

Who knew?

Another Family Pic

I love seeing our boys together. In high school, they were often mistaken for one another. Do you think it still happens? Without a dress code, their individuality has definitely emerged.

The picture was taken at the Davis Community Garden. Filled with many varieties of native plants, it's also the setting for several art pieces. I loved this mosaic-covered urn. If I ever find myself pursuing a second "hobby," mosaic work would definitely be in the running.

Quilt-wise, I've been working steadily on a quilt-for-hire. Yesterday I pieced a small project for myself, as well as began and finished a quilt-for-hire assignment and continued work on today's quilt. Two QFH's left, and then I'll be working on my own work. Goals are good!

Another Grad Pic

Okay, so it's not the grad. It's the first meeting between Penelope and her Great Grandfather Johnson.

I think it went well...

A Complete Collection

One Bear, one Banana Slug, and two CA Aggies.


Four children, all college graduates. whew!

Always a Surprise

It seems like every time I get on the computer, I get some sort of surprise or another. Today I am told that I am not following any blogs. Really? I could have sworn I was following blogs yesterday, but apparently my personal blog-roll has been deleted. lovely.

On Monday, I couldn't get my email.

On Tuesday, my power supply to my modem died.

On Wednesday, I got a new master cylinder for my car.

Every day it's something.

Several months ago, we found an abandoned well. We've been trying to get it legally destroyed, and yesterday was the day. Finally!!

It was quite a production.

One reason it took so long was the difficultly in coordinating the three parties and the permit. The concrete work had to be done by an Engineer, and the County Inspector had to be present for the entire process.

When I asked the inspector if he had a ring or a seal to impress in the cement, he laughed at me. "Better than that, I have the permit and pictures of completion on file with the County." Okay. Whatever works!

On a lighter note, I heard my first hummingbird in my yard on Tuesday. I whipped my head around and whoosh! He was gone.

I saw my second hummingbird yesterday, as I was leaving the walnuts. This time I had my camera in my purse, and snapped several pictures. This is the only one that didn't look like a total blur.

And that's that. Hopefully today won't hold any more surprises. I'm about surprised out!

Too Cute

Too bad we don't live a bit closer...

My Smile is Back

First off, my washing machine is washing beautifully and quietly. Second, the iceman cameth again, and I should have ice by evening. Third, my oil is changed in preparation for a jaunt to Davis to watch our youngest walk in the College of Engineering Graduation. My cup runneth over!

I'm fairly certain that I never showed a picture of my finished white water rafting quilt, begun at Asilomar in a class taught by Ruth McDowell in 2007. I finished it in early May. The finish was a long time coming. I'm sorry the picture is not cropped. I've lost my cropping ability - it was part of my old hard drive and I can't find it on the new one.

"Through the Waters"
Suzanne Kistler, May 2011
Machine pieced, machine quilted, hand beaded

Here's a close-up of some of the beading. I only beaded the white water.

I promised a picture of my latest handwork project. I'm a bit weary of beads. I'm ready to go back to basics.

Here's a better picture of the quilt. I started it when? 15 years ago? At least!!

And finally, if the quilts didn't make you smile, maybe the cats will. Malcolm thinks he's king, snuggled down into a sheepskin. Hey! That's not a cat bed!

Edgar has claimed the computer chair as his. He's trying out his camouflage. Yes, it works. We sit on him quite often.

And finally, no one knows how to enjoy a nap like Charlie. Queen-sized bed, all to himself. What a life!!!

First Things First

Unpacking my equipment is not first. It took two days to drag it into the Studio.

The washing machine is now operational. yay for Sears and their polite, friendly technicians! I am caught up on laundry, something I thought would take much longer than it did.

I have cleaned up after Malcolm. Apparently he felt it necessary to act out when I left for a week. Not a good choice for him. He's running out of lives.

And now I need a nap. All is once again right with Edgar and Charlie's world. No quilts in the belly, just quilts on the bed. Just as it should be.

Since I have not put my machine away, I was looking for a project to work on. When you see what I chose, you will probably laugh or be shocked. I needed some handwork, and this fills the bill. I'll try to get a picture today, but no promises. I have a lot to do, and none of it involves quilting.

Do You See It?

The repairman is here and his girlfriend just called. "There's a ring around the sun! Is it the end of the world?" If it's so dramatic that it inspires that kind of thinking, I'd better go take a look!

It seems to me that I just read an article about this happening a few weeks ago and that it only happens every multiple hundreds of years. I must have imagined the article.

Since I've been home I've been playing catch-up. What with broken appliances and doctor's appointments, I've been busy, busy, busy. Charlie goes in for his follow-up visit in an hour or so. He's not looking forward to it. He'd rather sleep.

I thought I ought to show you my final display for the Tuesday afternoon walk-about from Asilomar. Everyone thinks I am a pink person. Pink, pink, pink. bleah. I only have these colors because I DIDN'T have these colors. I had just gone shopping, remember? I brought my purchases with me. This is what they morphed into.

My favorite piece is on the bottom. I messed up the binding and ruined it. It will take a day to reclaim and restore it, but that day will not be today.

I HAD to take a picture of Peggy taking a picture. I might not be pink, and I might not think pink, but apparently I can work with pink somewhat effectively.

Now that I know that, I'll never have to do it again, right? :)