Fiber Interlude

I thought I'd interrupt the recollections of our Scotland tour with a recap of what's happening fiber-wise around here.  I've been busy, though not so busy as to have things to actually get super excited about.  I believe my last quilt-related post involved quilting at the Fair, back on the 15th of September.

That weekend, the Kings River Quilt Guild put on their quilt show.  It's an every other year event, one that I make an effort to attend.  I thought this year's edition was particularly good.  Because it's a guild-only display, the members are pressed to produce new work.  I think they outdid themselves this time around.

Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures. 

I shopped the vendors with vigor, but I can't show you much of what I bought.  Let's just say that some Christmas gifts are now hidden away until their December reveal.  Then again, I can't go to a quilt show and not spend money on myself.  Here are my personal treasures from the show:  Hand-dyed socks by Kristin, and the coolest thread cutter I've ever seen.

 I mentioned my surgery a couple of weeks ago.  I had a 2 week follow-up visit with the surgeon, who thoughtfully has her office in Fresno.  It's just a hop and a skip from Quilter's Paradise, so I had to stop by and look through their fabric.  I came home with these goodies.  Not only that, but it was double-punch day.  Woohoo!  I have a full card, which I will bring with me to my next follow-up appointment in November.  :)

 October is not just coming up, it's here.  That means that Miss Penny has submitted her costume request.  This year she wants to be Pochahontas.  Of course she wants to be a character that Disney has NOT patterned.  I found a mermaid pattern that has the right lines.  I'll be leaving off all the floof, and turning it into a simple dress with fringe, a la the upper photograph.  I expect it to be pretty straight forward, but things don't always turn out the way I expect.

 And last, but not least, on the quilting front, I've finished appliqueing Penny's feet.  These are part of the project that I began in the David Taylor class, at Asilomar, back in 2014.  Maybe I will finish it after all.  Goals are good!  :)

And I think that wraps it up for fiber happenings around here.  I need to do some serious housekeeping in the studio, if I ever intend to be productive again.  I don't know how it got so out of control, but out of control, it most definitely is.  I can't even show you pictures, it is that bad.  I can barely open the door to squeeze through, let alone fit in a camera!  :)

But the camera works just fine everywhere else.  I'll leave you with this spectacular sunrise this morning.  I took this picture facing AWAY from the sun.  The entire sky was glowing.  The rosy hue of my backyard pulled me out there to see it.  Truly inspiring, to be sure!  Tut, tut...Looks like rain?

HOUSTON!

ahem.  Sorry for shouting.  I got a bit carried away there.  But according to the contestants list on quilts.org, BLACKEYED BEAUTY IS GOING TO HOUSTON!!  Oh, there I went and did it again.  Sorry about that.

I'm just really really really thrilled.   This is the second time I've had a quilt accepted into the judged show.  I believe the first was in 2011.  Maybe it wasn't just a fluke.

And that's my big news for the day.  Other than that, I've been madly cutting/sewing/creating on my design wall.  I'm trying to hit an August 1 deadline, but it's going to be touch and go as to whether or not I'll have something.  I'll share later, when I've got more than pieces on the wall.

In the meantime, I've got to get back to my happy dance.  Thanks for visiting!

Blackeyed Beauty in progress - April 2015

Susan Brubaker Knapp seminar at Empty Spools, Asilomar

Home for a While

I have to say that it was really hard to come back yesterday.  The past month has been extraordinary, to say the least.  Quilt show, Missouri, Paducah, visiting with my Alaskan relatives, St. Louis with my son and his wife, and finally, Asilomar.  It was truly dessert, after an exquisite multi-course meal.  I'm so glad I squeezed it in!  I feel like I came home invigorated, ready to create.  It's been a long time since I've felt like this.  Let's just hope it lasts for a while.

It's 93 here.  When I left Pacific Grove yesterday, it was 63.  Talk about climate shock.  oh. my. goodness.

 I took multiple photos, all that would translate well into fabric.  If only there were more hours in the day, more days in the week, more weeks in the month, more months to my life...

 This was my favorite.  It's a selfie.  :)

And with that, the laundry calls, along with the dog, the cats, the vacuuming, the vacant refrigerator, etc., etc., etc.  Maybe I'll get a chance to quilt on Monday.  Goals are good!  :)

Almost Done

Well, the week at Empty Spools is drawing to a close at noon today.  *sigh*  And what a week it has been!  I saw lots of deer early in the week, including this inspiring trio:

There were the usual birds, but they flit around so fast, it's difficult to catch them with my camera.

But as I told you earlier, my focus has been to learn to paint on fabric.  I do believe I've had some amazing success.  It's hard to believe that I did this/am doing this.  But it is mine, most definitely.  This is what I had on display for the walk-about.

 Here is some of the quilting I've been doing.

 And this is the underneath.

whew!  I was hoping to finish before I leave today, but there's still much too much to do, so that's highly unlikely.

And with that, I'd best put my bags in the car and head down to the classroom.  The clock is ticking!

Beyond My Wildest Dreams

I seriously never thought I could paint.

Apparently I can, and quite successfully.  All it took was the right teacher, and 30 years of experience looking at and analyzing fabrics.  wow.  Susan Brubaker Knapp is a genius!

In other news, one of my older quilts was accepted into Sacred Threads.  I was also able to get in a couple of submissions to the In Full Bloom exhibit for Houston.  I don't know when they jury that exhibit, but you can't get in if you don't submit anything, right?  right!

I've started quilting this painting, and I have to say, I'm very pleased.  Very pleased indeed.  I might even show up early tomorrow, so that I can make more progress.  Goals are good!

Going, Going, Going

wow.  On the road, to there and back again, and oh wait!  I'm not back again, I'm gone again!

That might give you a hint of my past week.  On Wednesday, we flew to St. Louis, for multiple reasons.  First, our son and his wife live there, and it was time to deliver their wedding quilt.  What better way than to hand it off in person?

 They immediately put it on the bed, and were willing to pose for a photo.  (I don't think the wall color is accurate.  I have no memory of a yellow green room.)

 Khan, my son's 17 lb cat, also approves.  I believe the plan is to hang the quilt on the wall, though they did want to see it on the bed.

On Thursday, my husband and I drove to Kentucky and back.

It was totally worth the 5 hours there and 3 hours home (we took a "short cut" to get there), even though we only had four hours in Paducah.  It was totally worth it.  Last year, my husband said that this year we'd stay more than a day.  This year, he says that "for sure" next year we'll stay for more than a day.  :)

On Friday, we were back in St. Louis, where my brother's FTC (First Tech Challenge) team was competing in the World Championships.  My nieces are in 8th and 10th grade, and their teammates are equally young.  They have The Knack (Dilbert engineering reference...google it, if interested), and really love building robots.

I'm related to the three on the left, and the one on the right.  Team 3595, comprised of my favorite Alaskans - yes, they were there from Alaska! - WON the competition.  These young kids are the reigning world champs.  I believe the oldest might be a junior in high school, so if they stay together, they might be back again next year.  Fantastic!!

On Saturday, we flew home, and on Sunday, I got in my car and drove to Asilomar.

I'm taking a class with Susan Brubaker-Knapp, a quilter I admire so much that I even own one of her pieces!

I have never had an aptitude for painting, but she's blown my mind.  In one day, I've generated this:

I can't wait to get back to work!  oh my!  Class begins in 8 minutes.  Gotta get going!!  Happy Quilting!

Outstanding

I cannot say enough good things about this class with David Taylor.  He is an incredible teacher, who is amazingly encouraging.  I have loved every minute of it.

That said, I have made a point to walk around the grounds more than once, camera in hand.  There is wildlife everywhere, if you know where to look.

This little guy was outside my room.  He kept poking at the ground, looking for munchies.

 This guy, on the other hand, burst into song when I pulled out my camera.

 This guy...oh wait.  I think he's wood, not feathers.

For the first several days, the only deer I saw were wooden.

 Today I saw live deer and snaps numerous pictures.

 But it's the Galapagos Tortoise that really caught my eye.  Do you see him?

 And the Brontosaurus?

Maybe my imagination plays tricks on me, as my brain identifies this or that as something or other. 

But last night?  It was real.  It wasn't in the woods, it wasn't in the bushes, it was on the path/driveway, right there under the light.  And everything within me said "mountain lion."

Tonight I decided to forego a late night of working on my project.  Instead, I walked with the herd back to my room and will turn in early.  It's safer in here, especially hearing the reports of the animal noises that were heard 30 minutes after I saw the BIG cat.

oh my.

Tomorrow I head home.  It has been wonderfully memorable.  I've been truly blessed.

zoomin'

So.  Did you figure out where we were and what we did between Wednesday and Saturday?

We flew to St. Louis, MO on Wednesday, and met our son's fiancee's parents.  They are getting married in July - our son and his fiancee, not her parents.  ;)

On Thursday, we drove 3 hours to Paducah, to see the quilt show.  We spent 3 hours flying through the quilts, then drove 3 hours back to St. Louis, where we met up with our son for dinner.

On Friday, my brother's FTC robotics team was competing in the World Championship.  We didn't see the finals, but they were finalists for the Connect (software) award, and won the Promote and Innovate (design) awards.  Out of a field of 128 teams, I'd say that's pretty outstanding, especially when you take into consideration the fact that teams often have a dozen or more members, ranging from 7-12th grade.  His team has 6 members, ranging from 7-10 grade.  wow.  stellar performance!

We joined them for dinner, then went to The City Museum.  If you are ever in St. Louis, you HAVE to go there!  Oh.  And we walked to the arch, twice.  :)

On Saturday, we went to the World's Fair Pavilion, to see where the wedding will be held.  We then went to the St. Louis History Museum.  From there, it was the airport and home.

I got up early this morning to finish my laundry and then pack.  By 2pm, I was here:

Do you know where I am?

I am at Asilomar, at the Empty Spools Seminar.  I will be spending the week with a large class of applique groupies.  We are gathered around David Taylor, and will be absorbing his every word.  Hopefully, some of his applique insight will rub off on me, and my next applique quilt will be something new and different (for me).  Goals are good!

SAQA Auction Donation Quilt

The deadline is almost here for the submission of quilts for the annual SAQA fundraising online auction.  The quilts need to be there by 6/1/12, which is right around the corner.  I could ask, "What happened to May?!" but that's a whole other topic.  :)

Anyhoo, I've been trying to come up with something/anything to donate.  Yesterday, I finally made a decision/commitment.  It's supposed to be an Art Quilt, and I struggle with Art.  Design, no problem.  But Art?  It's a stumbling block.

Back in 2011, I went to Asilomar, and took a class with Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer.  This woven piece was one of our assignments.

 Some time last year, I quilted the weaving, and added some accents.  It's been hanging on my design wall every since, looking/waiting for inspiration.  Inspiration hit when I realized it was more than 12" square, and I could cut it down for a SAQA donation.  Chop, chop!  I pulled out the rotary cutter.

 This is the result:  a 12" square, with a splash of color.

Try as I might, I just can't seem to bring myself to collage with abandon.  I am too straight-laced, too uptight, and too set in my ways.  I wanted to be "organic," I've got raw edges all over the place, but my favorite part?  It's the smooth finished ribbon and lace.

The funny thing is that, if someone else had done this, I'd probably love it without qualifiers.  But to say that I made it?  Well, it just doesn't feel right.  Then again, it IS finished, and it IS something.  Let's hope that it speaks to someone else in sweeter tones than it does to me.

And that's all I've got, folks.  'Til the next time.

P.S.  Sorry about the margins and jumping back and forth from centered to left justification.  Blogger seems to make its own choices as to how to arrange my text.  I'm just lucky I can get it in there at all!!  mutter, mutter, "improvements"

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!!!

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? :)