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Archive for June, 2007

Week-end Doings

Sunday, June 10th, 2007

Checking in from rainy, cool Portland. Summer is taking her time arriving. We get a taste of sun and warmth and “poof”, it is over. I think we have at least one more day of drizzle.

Yesterday, we had an artist’s tea at the gallery where the textile show is up. Several of us did demos of some of our techniques. Terry was on a panel that discussed the whys and hows of what we do. I prepared a postcard of a sunflower using silk scraps; I showed 3 different stages. Here is my display:

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Here are the postcards, clickable to see larger.

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I actual had attendees who had never seen a fiber postcard!

When I got home, it was rainy and with nothing else to do, Mr C and I went to Macy’s to buy new bathroom towels because there was a sale. I couldn’t resist this, which was on the sale table.

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Today, we had the pleasure of attending M & M’s drama class presentation. The play was written by the kids in the class. The title was “Alice in Idaho.” Mia is totally into Alice in Wonderland and Miles wanted to have cowboys so Alice ended up in Idaho where the cowboys live. Don’t you just love it? Here are some photos, to see more go to my Flickr site.

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For those who wondered about the edge finish for the cruciform quilt, I will do a tutorial later this week. Now, for the Soprano’s finale.

Freaky Friday

Friday, June 8th, 2007

Well. it wasn’t really freaky, but I got your attention, didn’t I. And thank you to everyone who left those lovely comments on my last post. I want to report that less TV and computer time is a good thing.

Yesterday was a good day. I spent the morning with the Stash group and Terry made us a delicious lunch. We had fun with some show and tell and discussing the Twyla Tharp book. This particular chapter discussed the possibility that our DNA is contributes to the way we work — do we see the large view or do we see things in detail. I have often wondered why I am not motivated to make large quilts with sweeping motifs. I love them, but don’t want to do them. My commission quilt was large, but it had a repeating detailed image. I now have an excuse, it is my DNA that makes me do it.

Back at home, I did some quilting on the latest cruciform. Reva told me about a neighborhood guided walk with a mid-century modern theme, starting at 6 pm. So, Mr C and I put on our walking shoes and joined the throng of 50 – 60 people.

We started out at Reed College, where the original architecture is rather Ivy League Gothic. But many building constructed after the 1950’s have a decided mid century modern look. Brick was added to many of the new buildings to help them blend with the other architecture.

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On the other side of Reed College is a development called Reedwood. Until the 1950’s, this area was dairy farms and gardens — the last farms within the Portland city limits. The area was built differently than most of SE Portland. It has no sidewalks and most of the houses have pools. There are many styles of mid-century modern architecture. The Oregonian used to publish a house of the week with plans and encouraged good design. Here is one of the houses.

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And a detail of the cement screen, that I love. Many of the homes were influenced by Japanese architecture and have Japanese style landscaping.

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One of the homeowners invited us to her back yard which was a Japanese garden; she served drinks and snacks — very classy! Here are Reva and Jer.

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Today, I finished the latest cruciform and decided to make it asymmetrical. I also did the Sue Benner satin stitched edges with the corner threads.

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This afternoon I worked on postcards for a demo that I am doing for the Columbia Stitchery Guild artist’s tea, tomorrow. I’ll show pics tomorrow.

I found out today that my entries to the Lowell Art Quilts at the Brush Gallery did not get in, but one I am soon to own will be there — Village Series #2, by Kristin LaFlamme. Congrats to Kristin! Rayna, one of the jurors, said that there were hundreds of entries for 38 spots so I guess I am in good company. But, I am still bummed about it. On to the next show — or maybe not. Rayna said she had to recuse herself when she recognized work like mine so I will not hold her responsible. : )

Tonight, M & M are here. We had some fun playtime and bought them helmets to wear with their scooters, then went to Burgerville. They were really tired and went to sleep very quickly. When those two are around, I feel so blessed.

What Are Friends For?

Wednesday, June 6th, 2007

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: When I am in a funk, there are a couple of fellow bloggers who can send me an e-mail or make a comment that oozes a kind of love that means the world to me — Judy in the Dyes and Thea Quilts aka Dee. they both happen to be Episcopalians, like me and we have a lot in common. Dee proclaimed me to be her doppelganger.

INSPIRATION: I have been privileged to meet some great artists as I travel around taking classes. I always love seeing them in person which is not often enough. Two of them have blogs that almost always inspire me to get back in the studio and make something — Liz Berg and Melody Johnson. They are both very talented and extremely generous.

CARING CONCERN: There are too many of you to name individually, but I really appreciate the comments and messages of help and concern when I am feeling out of sorts. Rayna, for instance, sent me a link to an article about lymphedema that was in the NY Times yesterday.

LAUGHS: Deb of Red Shoe Ramblings and Melody Johnson, again, always make me chuckle. There are others who occasionally have a fit of hilarity, but these two can see the humor in the darnedest situations.

A WAKE UP CALL: OK, confession, this one is the reason I am writing this post. I just thought I would add the others to fill out my post -heh! Karoda is a blogger who I dearly love — for her wit, her passion, her sense of justice, her courage and I could go on. Yesterday, she had a post, titled “Silence is Golden.” I read it and reread it and woke up this morning and changed my life. No computer time except for work on the SDA site and checking e-mail once in a while. No TV during the day. I listened to music while I cleaned the fridge and worked in the studio. I felt more energetic and alive. I had fallen into a very bad habit when I was ill of sitting with my laptop in front of the TV, tuning out the world. Karoda’s words spoke to me loud and clear as if she had been charged with writing that post just for me. Thank you, my dear friend.

I have lots of other friends who give me love, laughs, care and inspiration. You know who you are, and I don’t want to forget you, but these friends came to mind as I was thinking about writing this today.

QUILT CONTENT: I cleaned up all my fused silk scraps yesterday and today, I got them out again to make another cruciform piece. Here is the cruciform, made with skinny pieces of yellows and greens.

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Here is the background, fused with a rainbow of silk strips.

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Tomorrow, I will fuse them to batting and do some quilting.

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In the morning, I have STASH meeting at Terry’s home. I still need to read my chapter in the Twyla Tharp book, so ta!

Something Creative, finally!

Monday, June 4th, 2007

I have been participating in a Round Robin Collage. Most of the work has been a single piece with a build up of techniques and stuff as it moves around the group. A coupe of participants have chosen to do books and so you get to do your own completed collage on the pages. I worked on one this week-end and used my new Joss papers, some cut up kimono fabrics, some coins, some stamps and an envelope with fortune cookie sayings inserted.

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Here is a close-up of the envelope with the fortune cookie sayings. An Asian coin is attached to the envelope with glossy gel medium.

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Here are two other close-ups:

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I had lots of fun doing this, and it has inspired me to get back to doing more collage works with my antique Kimono fabrics.

I just received a phone call from the dermatology office with sort of good news. I have basal cell skin cancer – the slow growing type, but it is not melanoma – yeah. I go in next Tuesday to have it removed.

I had a very busy week-end. On Saturday night, our Sojourner’s group met for the last time for dinner. We had it at our home, but did not have to do the main course. It was nice enough to have cocktails on the deck. We served margaritas. I also made marinated mushrooms, coconut shrimp with curried apricot sauce and caramelized onion hummus with pita chips. Look how pretty this pot is that I planted for the deck — dahlias and coleus.

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I was so exhausted after everyone left. I was about to hit the sack, when the fireworks started. It was alumni week at Reed College, and they often end a big event with fireworks. I ran out in my nightgown to watch and tried to get some photos:

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Yesterday, M and M came over to play in the afternoon and then the whole family was here for my famous focaccia sandwich and some salads on the deck. M and M did some chalk drawing on my studio patio.

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Mia said that this is a pond with fish.

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There are some new photos up on the Virtual Iraq War Protest Flickr site. There is an especially good one of Sonji! Just click on the Endless/End This War bumper sticker in my sidebar.