Seriously

I really should clear off my design wall so that I have a proper space in which to design!  :)

Piecing

a string quilt is a messy business...

More Postcards

I haven't been terribly productive this month.  All kinds of plans, no kind of action.  *sigh*  oh well.  Tomorrow is another day, and September is another month.  And at the rate I'm going, it will be tomorrow and then September, before I even blink!!

Yesterday I took a class from Lura Schwartz Smith.  She's an amazingly talented artist, who weaves a magical spell with fabric.  If I had half the talent hiding in her little toe, I'd be thrilled.  :)  The class was learning to distort traditional blocks, using her pattern.  By lunchtime, I'd finished mine.

 After lunch, she guided us in some free-form curved piecing.  I was already familiar with the technique, though she did give a helpful hint that makes a big difference in helping the finished piece lie flat. 

Each evening this week I've worked on the tops for some postcards for this latest exchange of Postmark'd Art.  The theme is Hand Stitching.  Mine should go out on Monday.  There are 5 others in my exchange group, so it looks like I've made a few extra.  I'm sure they'll quickly find homes.

When I was done with these, I bumped into another almost done postcard.  So I finished it.

Somehow I knew that one was going to flip.

And there you go.  Clap my hands together, and celebrate that at long last I've finished something in August.  yay!!

A Bit o' Sitting

This past weekend was my daughter's sixth wedding anniversary, as well as her husband's birthday.  They had some vacation time available, and decided to use it in The City.  To assist them in their weekend adventure, hubby and I volunteered to watch Miss Penelope.

She's a busy one!

I hear she'd like to be Snow White for Halloween.  Her mama was Snow White, once upon a time.  But Mama was older (kindergarten?), so the costume doesn't quite fit.  This little girl will be needing one of her own.

(This was an action shot.  Once the dress was on, the princess started dancing.)

We went to the park,

Wearing the appropriate attire

And played and played until Grandpa couldn't keep his eyes open.

"Wake up, Grandpa!  You can't sleep when the sun is still up!"  (wanna bet?)

All in all, it was a delightful way to spend the weekend.

Until next time, Penny Pie...  :)

More Postcards

I put the finishing edges on these yesterday, and then my iron broke.  oops.

Saying Goodbye

Yesterday I drove to Sunnyvale and back, to attend the funeral of my Aunt Anita.  She was Mother's older sister, and the last surviving Fischer girl.  My grandfather took these photos - he was quite the accomplished photographer.  He left a legacy in black and white, as he chose to capture his girls in almost every action.

This is my mom, with her sister.  I don't know what the occasion was, but on close inspection, it looks like the girls are investigating a miniature sewing machine.  Apparently I come by my passions quite honestly.  :)

 This photo was taken in the Arizona desert, in 1941.  My grandparents moved the family back and forth across the country from NY to CA at least two or three times.  There were stops in Illinois, as well.

 Here they are again.  I'm not sure what the occasion was, but the Anitas are sharing something.  I'm guessing a college graduation?  Or something similar?

Have you guessed which one is my mom?  She's the blond in the first picture, the one on the left in the second picture, and the second on the left in the last one.  She's been gone since 2000.  I believe Aunt Evelyn passed in 1988.  Fischer women usually don't last long, so I'm glad that Aunt Anita broke that mold.

Goodbye, Aunt Anita, until we meet again.