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Archive for the ‘Progressive Politics’ Category

Got Hope?

Friday, February 15th, 2008

I had a good mail day. I have been waiting patiently for these.

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I found this wonderful blog post (Huffington Post) about Obama, titled “Unstoppable Obama.” I encourage you to read it for understanding the Obama momentum.

Then, just for fun, check out this video.

I have spent the day relaxing and putting things back in order after my Art Cloth week. It was so nice to get up this morning and not have to hit the ground running to get things done or leave the house for some reason. I took a leisurely walk with Maggie, in the sunshine. Tonight we went out for dinner since we opted to stay in last night.

Hope you all have a great week-end.

It’s A Tie

Tuesday, February 5th, 2008

So far, my Chocolate Love quilts are in a tie so I am just going to let well enough alone and keep the original one in the 12 X 12 challenge. Someone, in the comments, mentioned that number 2 was pieced. Just want to make clear that this was a totally photoshopped whole cloth quilt. No piecing was done.

And, it looks like a tie in the Super Tuesday voting. What an exciting evening. I am feeling that Obama has lots of momentum going in to the remaining primaries.

Today, I spent some time planning the art cloth piece that I am doing for Jane Dunnewold’s challenge. I can’t show you what I am doing, but I will tell you. I received a 2 1/4 yard length of silk that was dyed blue with some circles that had been tied in the fabric before dyeing. Today, I cut off 1/4 of a yard and cut it in to 8 pieces which I tied and clamped.

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I mixed up orange, rust orange, red, bright green and avocado. Tomorrow, I will wash them and try to decide which overdyeing color I want to do.

While I had dyed mixed up, I put some in squirt bottles and dyed some silk scarves.

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I put them in my furnace room to cure because the temperature is warmer in there. Hope I have some good results tomorrow.

I also ordered some vintage Japanese textiles for a commission piece. I won this auction 3 hours after I found it on E-bay. Isn’t this gorgeous.

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I also did 3 exercises for Liz’s class. This week our topic is Movement, Size/Scale and Pattern/Texture as design elements.

Week-end Wrap up

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

It has been a busy week-end around the house. M & M came by on Friday and spent the night with us. It was rainy all the while they were here so we had to entertain ourselves in doors. I even managed to get my office cleaned up while they were here, hanging out in the basement with me.

On Saturday morning, I was watching CNN’s Ballot Bowl. (That is the political junkie in me.) Here is part of a conversation with Mia:

M: Who are you voting for Grandma?

G: Obama!

M: So is Mommy.

G: That is good to hear.

M: What does red states and blue states mean?

G: Red states are more Republican and blue states are more Democratic.

M: What is Oregon.

G: Blue.

M: I’m glad to hear that!

Steph said that she and the kids listened to Obama’s speech on Martin Luther King Day and the kids were totally engaged for about a half hour.

I wanted to do some follow-up with the Chocolate Love piece. Here is the piece that is on the 12X12 blog.

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If you read my story on the blog, you know that this was my second attempt. I couldn’t stand the first one once I was done quilting. Then, I looked at it yesterday and decided maybe it, too, could be saved.

Here is what it looked like when I was done quilting. I actually trapuntoed the images by stitching extra batting under them and clipping close before I added the back and did the quilting. One thing I liked about this is that the colors printed in richer colors for some reason.

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But, alas, it just did nothing for me. I thought it was the grid that was making it seem predictable. As is turned out, that was not the problem. I think it just needed more of something. So I did some screen printing and added some kisses.

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The edges are not finished. I think that I will face it. I was also thinking of binding it with red organza. So, you get to tell me, which one should be in the 12 X 12 group. I can make an exchange, I think.

It took me some time to finish this because I wanted to take a photo before and after and MY CAMERA STOPPED WORKING! I found my old Olympus, but I didn’t have a charged battery. The first lithium battery was defective so I found another and charged that. I have totally forgotten how to use this camera. It seems like such a dinosaur compared to my Canon. So the Canon is going to the shop in Illinois. They say there is a 7 day turn around once they receive it.

I’m Really Hard at Work

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

Thought I would check in to let you all know that I am busy, busy. Well, I am probably watching wa-a-ay to much political stuff on TV. I am such the political junkie – really. And the events of the last few days have just fueled my addiction.

Since I came of age in the 60’s, I was thrilled with the Kennedy endorsement of Obama. I thought his speech was fantastic. I actually became a Democrat in the early 60’s because of JFK and Mr C. I think this is why Obama caught my attention early on. It will be a tough fight to win the nomination, but I Believe. Yes We Can!!!!

I have been working on the chocolate piece. I will get it quilted tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek of it coming out of my big Epson Printer. It is printed on silk charmeuse.

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This week we are doing color exercises in Liz’s class. I just realized I did one of the exercises wrong. Have to do it again, but then I love to cut up little swatches of fabric and glue them into my sketch book, I really do.

That’s it for tonight.

Saturday Satisfactions

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

It has been a pretty darn good day for me. I have been sitting on my hands for a couple of weeks as I endured the behavior of our former President and his wife. Which one is running or are they a team. Anyway, I digress. I think their political tactics are reprehensible. I hope I don’t have to hold my nose and vote for her in November.

However, today, in South Carolina, perhaps something magical is on the move again. Obama won big. I mean, it was a rout. I couldn’t have been happier, unless the Clintons had come in third. Now that would have been seriously good. Tomorrow, Caroline Kennedy is endorsing Obama. That is good news. A big time New York Democratic woman is endorsing Obama.

This morning, Mr C and I ventured out in the freezing rain and went to the coliseum to check out the home show. It was pretty much a bust. So then we went to George Moreland to check out bathroom furnishings as we are planning a major master bathroom renovation. I discovered the Villeroy and Boch brand. Ooo la la. Here are a couple of examples of some cool vanities.

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I wasted the afternoon doing some errands. I didn’t go for a walk because it has been very rainy. We enjoyed watching the SC returns come in. I made roast pork loin, roasted veggies and spinach salad for dinner. I worked on my sketch book for the design class, pasting my compositions in and labeling them. I was thrilled with the critique that Liz gave my work. I am trying very hard to be the teacher’s pet.

We watched a movie that Terry recommended. I think she loved it so much that she purchased the dvd. It is Once, a sort of musical set in Dublin. Mr C was a little leery, but we both loved it.

Then!!, I got to watch the ice skating nationals for women. This is another weird love of mine. There are some really wonderful young skaters.

So, it was all in all, a very satisfying Saturday. The only think that would have made it better would have been some M & M time.

P.S: did you know that Steph and Maria are doing a year of evenings at 3191? Click on the link in my sidebar to see their wonderful photos of their evenings.