Today, my guild had a shibori dying workshop with Joy Lily, a Bay Area silk artist.

Here is list mom, Diane and Janet, wrapping a their fabric.

Here is Joy demonstrating adding the dye to the wrapped fabric.

The wrapped fabric tubes are hung in the sun to dry.

The revealing of the magic of shibori. Scarves are hung to continue drying.

Here is my scarf. I mixed up dyes to get this orange and lime green. I also drizzled on some yellow.

Here is a close up.

This was an ugly piece of yellow dyed cotton. I twisted and wrapped it and used the left over dyes. It turned out quite nicely! What shall I do with it?

I haven’t done a what’s hanging blog for awhile and since I don’t have any new work to show, this is the best I have to offer. This is what is hanging in my kitchen. I want you to notice that lucious red paint on the walls – just love it!!

These are art tiles given to me by my former daughter-in-law:

Three years ago, Stevie and I stayed at a wonderful resort in the Adirondacks on Blue Mountain Lake. I took this photo there and bought the frame at the Adirondack Museum. They have furniture made in this style. It is really cool, but this frame was all I could afford.

This is a piece of outsider art which I bought when we lived in North Carolina. I love this folksy kind of stuff. The words say “God Love Us”.

Here is St. Pasquale, the kitchen saint and some copper pots.

I did this piece for a guild challenge. It had to be a wine country theme and I had to use three of the fabrics that are in the background. I did it in about a day and a half. The most work was the quilting which you probably can’t see that well in this photo. It is titled Still Life with Wine Bottles.

I live in a valley that Jack London named the Valley of the Moon. On some nights when there is a full moon and I am driving home and I see the moon gracing the valley, it is quite breathtaking and I understand how it got it’s name. Today, I represented my guild at the dedication of the Valley of the Moon Children’s home. It is an architectural delight. The interior is done in wonderful soothing colors and there are skylights everywhere bringing in the wondeful natural light. It is nestled against the mountains next to vineyards and farms. I would point you to their website and photos, but they are behind in getting it up to date. The building has a central community area with chairs and a computer center. There are pods off the central area with bedrooms and restrooms and a laundry area. There is a fabulous kitchen and dining area.

Everyone involved is justifiably proud. It took a coalition of county and private funds to bring this to completion. It is very heartwarming to see folks so proud of doing something for the most vulnerable in our midst. Tommy Smothers and his wife, Marcy, were there – she is on the board of the children’s home.

As you walk in the door, immediately you see the quilt closet. On the lower shelves are art bags donated by an organization.

This sign was posted on the quilt closet. It says: Community members and Quilt Guilds hand make these beautiful quilts that you’ll see through out the facility. Each quilt is made with love and care. Their mission is to make sure that every child thar comes to the Valle of the Moon Children’s Home receives a quilt for comfort.

Quilts on beds:

Quilts on chairs:

And a cow quilt on the wall:

These are not artistic, beautiful quilts in the aesthetic sense, but they are beautiful and wonderful in the emotional sense. I heard many of the invited guests today commenting on the quilts placed lovingly on each bed. There will be tours for special groups (my guild included) this Saturday, and Sunday, it is open for the public to visit. Then on Monday, finally, the kids get to move in.

I’m so glad that Diane initiated this project. I don’t want my daughters doing something that I can’t horn in on (snort)! Here are my confidantes.

I have had these multi-racial, anatomically correct babies on my computer for at least 5 years.

AND, of course, my main confidante – almost always present in my studio – The Magster!!

I don’t know why, but my daughters, Lisa and Steph, have an affinity for avian creatures. For Lisa, it is birds and for Steph, it is chickens. So their thank you cards for Mom’s day gifts follow that theme. Here they are: Steph’s is the hen on a nest of very colorful eggs. She would love to have chickens in her backyard in Portland. Lisa’s is a recreation of her Modbird logo.

This week-end I am retreating at church (but sleeping at home) and the leader is a spiritual director who is very gifted at leading people in meditation. Last week, PamDora posted about her attempts to learn to meditate. So last night when Emily gave us this poem by David Whyte, I thought it said it all and might be helpful to Pam and others:

Enough

Enough, These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.

This opening to the life
we have refused
again and again
until now.

Until now.