Tiny Treasure

My oldest friend is getting ready to have her second child! (She's not my oldest friend in age... but in duration. We've been friends since I was four and she was five!)

She's done lots of reading, study and practice about hypnobirthing and other means of natural childbirth. I had the pleasure of sharing all the details of my wonderful hypnobirthing experience with her. When I recently asked if there was anything I could do... she said she would love to have some kind of fabric icon for visualization and meditation in preparing for childbirth. She was thinking about a 10 cm circle -- the magic measurement of dialation for delivery.

I had a wonderful time making this.


I also love that it's just a graphic little decorative item that will be fun to have in baby's room. I said a bunch of prayers and thought a lot about Benjamin's birth while making it.

Going on Vacation...

... so I thought I needed a new bag. (Never mind what I said less than two weeks ago about not making any more tote bags and focusing art. Yeah... that didn't last.)

I whipped up this out of the fabric left over from the shower curtain I made for the kids' bathroom.

It's roomy, but not gigantic and slings nicely over a shoulder. I added that orange stripe and stamped some words like "places to go, people to see" on the stripe. Spunky.

And of course, Kristin inspired me to add this detail to the inside.

Perfect for a cell phone.

So, I'm off to Illinois and Minnesota to visit family and see the world! (I may post a bit while I'm away.)

Divine...

Look what flew into my studio. Isn't it just amazing?


It's a 5x7 piece by Melanie Testa. She and I have emailed lots of times over the past several months and have been equally supportive and enthusiastic about each other's artwork. I was so surprised and EAGER when she suggested a trade.

I am entranced by Melly's use of layers and transparency. See how the cut out plant shapes are echoed by the quilitng? You can't appreciate the luminosity of the bird in the photo. (I did scold her for not signing and dating the piece! Really, we all need to do that everytime, don't you think?)

Here is Melly's piece among some other inspiring pieces of art.

I'll be giving you a tour of my studio soon. I am so happy that is filled with all kinds of wonderful artwork by many of my blogging friends.

Brief TV Talk

Gerrie cracked me up yesterday when she read my heady post about art. She said she was expecting some Rock Star dish. Well, I watched it and I don't have much to say, but run on over to blogging newbie Ssslambo, daughter of Wednesday's Child, for her Rock Star comments. She is precisely correct on every point about Rock Star. (Though I still predict they will pick a woman.)

You'll notice that she also has a very funny post about Project Runway. I could probably spend everyday until next Wednesday reading blogs about PR, but I limit myself to just the Manolo and those in our own ring. (If you didn't see Manolo's recap of the first episode, you must scroll down... it is so funny and preceptive.) About this week's episode I must say...

I think Angela is getting a raw deal. Of course she was a terrible partner, but she was less terrible as a partner than Vincent was as a leader. He was a terrible, terrible, rude, thoughtless, arrogent, ignorant, selfish, and ineffective leader. They were both saved because Malan's dress looked like a piece of shit. Literally.

Thoughts on Art

I have just finished reading a wonderful article in the Dallas Morning News about local art collector John Reoch. The article -- and Reoch's sidebar comments on several pieces from his collection -- was so enlightening. (Click on the link for pictures and comments from Reoch's collection.)

I mean, here I am... just and ordinary housewife and stay-at-home mom who's heart beats faster when I cut into fabric and when I find the perfect embellishment to compliment a new fiber composition. I also love purchasing original art for my home. I'm untrained. Uneducated. And blissfully ignorant about the world of fine art. (Of course, loyal readers sense both my sarcasm and honesty in that statement.)

Reoch has such enthusiasm about art and goes about his collection in such a methodical and yet spontaneous way. He focuses on emerging local talent and never spends more than $6000 for a piece. He says if it costs more than that, the artist is already established and doesn't fit his criteria. He also says it's more fun to pay $800 and have the artist feel like he (or she) has won the lottery. Delightful! Exciting!

Deeper into the article, Reoch notes that he grew up on the coast of Maine and was an officer in the Navy. No wonder I was drawn to him! (We lived in Maine for two years while my Navy officer husband was stationed in Maine.)

Reoch's comments about several of the pieces in his collection were very thoughtful. I think they will even help me speak more eloquently and with more insight about my own work.

Many many people have huge interest in art (and deep pockets). Are we "art quilters" selling ourselves short by getting too buried in tradition? I know this question has been discussed to death, so feel free to roll your eyes, ignore it and get to your studio to make more art. That's what I'm going to do.

New Blood!

While at Barnes and Noble today I came across the premiere issue of Quilter's Home magazine. The tag line says it's for the "new generation of quilters." Well, I say Hooray for something other than just patterns!

I didn't actually buy it... but now I wish I would have. (The design didn't grab me and the $5.99 price tag was a bit steep.)

I did hear a rumor that one of our own blog ring members might be featured in an issue, so I did scan every single page looking for her name. It wasn't there. Maybe in future issues, which means I'll have to give it a second look.

I like cover very much. It's got a "Real Simple" look about it. And I like all the teasers and their format. I think it's gutsy not to make the actual quilts the star of the cover photo.

I read the letter from the editor, Mark Lipinski. In it he says he was inspired to create this magazine to cover all the things that quilters love -- not just patterns and new fabric lines. He plans include cooking, gardening, home decor, crafting, etc. Interesting. There's potential there. (Sounds like all the stuff we discuss in the blog ring.)

He also says he thinks we quilters are tired of having to buy several magazines to cover all the things we love. I had to laugh out loud at that. I love to buy magazines and I am perfectly happy to purchase Rachael Ray's Everyday when I'm looking for new recipes, Domino when I want shopping inspiration, Oprah for personal development, Somerset Studio for arty stuff, etc. etc. ect.

I was very impressed with the short article about quilting podcasts! Very enlightened and tech-saavy. (No mention of blogs, though -- at least that saw.)

If Mark is as tech saavy as he appears, he will surely come across this blog post. Mark, I hope you'll offer a comment. In fact, I hope you'll read through this blog ring for a good idea of who we are -- "the new generation of quilters." And keep it up!

Productive Day

You know how some days you just seem to be firing on all cyclinders? (And some days not so much?) I had a great day on Wednesday. I must try to recreate all the influences from that day in the future.

I began working on a series of small quilts that will be the sample for a workshop I'm developing. I had always intended to use our recent move to Texas as an opportunity to take my art to the next level. So, I'm plodding along and feeling pretty good about it.

I think there is some influence from Melody's stack series. And from Liz Berg's amazing postcards. I haven't done abstract work in quite this format. Of course, this is an early early photo. They still need life!

The workshop will be partially inspired by the Elements and Priciples of Design. And if you have not studied Liz Berg's article in the recent issue of Quilting Arts, you really must go back and read it again.

Claire joined me in the studio while I was working on the pieces above. She was using the rulers and drawing concentric squares and we decided to make a pillow. She picked out all the fabrics looking specifically for fabric that didn't really go together. "Because that makes them zing," she said. Well, of course, she is correct about that.

She was really focused on the measuring, but I was not too excited about really teaching her to use the ruler and rotary cutter properly, so I said. "You know, sometimes you can get even more zing if you make the shapes a little random. That would be arty!" She thought for a moment then said, "No, I chose the colors for the zing, the shapes need to be straight lines." Ah, she gets that from her dad.

So, we did the whole ruler, rotary cutter, measuring, accounting for seam allowance thing. As you can see we only completed one side of the pillow. (She has another square-in-a-square planned for the other side. Then I needed a break. But it was very fun! And I felt like that was the kind of thing I should be doing with my kids during the summer. Yeah.

Then I arted up my new jewelry holder.

It's an old cabinet door with screen in the middle. I got it from an architectural salvage place. I took off the hinges and handle, cleaned it with a Mr. Clear Magic Erasure, then used a pack of Sharpies to art it up. Yes, my beloved leaf shapes and concentric circles are there. I haven't hung all the necklaces yet... but isn't it so fun!?

I hope you've had some productive days lately too. But, don't be too hard on yourself, some days your brain and body need to rest. (Right?)

Arg! I just wrote a whole post and lost it all in a careless "back button" frenzy. Grumble. Here are the highlights.

Rock Star
Oh my goodness... the piercings, the eyeliner, the glitter, the tats, the jewelry, the chains, the hair highlights... and that's just the boys! How do they ever manage to find time to rehearse after they gotten all dolled up? I enjoyed it for the most part last night, but I miss me some JD Fortune! My prediction: a girl will win. I love that the dude from New Hampshire was wearing a red plaid flannel shirt (albeit emblazoned with a skull and cross bones). Other than that, get ready from some Project Runway.

Another Door
This one is from the Fort Worth Stockyards where we had an amazing time with all the family last week. (Cousin Z called it "cowboy camp!") I love the old red bricks contrasting with the gray chain link and the blue plastic barrel. Great lines here, don't you think?

Culture?
We are going to see A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Musical at Shakespeare Dallas this weekend. I found a kids' book with a good synopsis, but it left out the funny funny play within a play about Pyramus and Thisbe. I wanted to give Claire a preview so I found this video of the Beatles doing the bit on old British tv. Paul is Pryamus and John is Thisbe and there is much raucious laughter.

I hope it turns out to be good. I like the idea of turning the story into a rock musical and it's gotten pretty good reviews. It may be a bit ambitious for a family outing since it starts at 8:15 pm and lasts two and a half hours. It's outdoors so at least we won't be expected to sit completely still or be completely quiet. Of course, we'll be bringing snacks (and probably pillows).

Wouldn't you love to see some old pictures of me playing Titiana when I was a senior in high school? They are probably in my parents' attic.

For Your Viewing Pleasure
This video is quite inspiring and worth watching. And here's another one about dancing.

This Feels Different...

I can't believe I'm uploading pictures of actual fiber art in actual progress. I'm not sure why it feels weird...

• is it because I haven't created in awhile?
• is it because I'm not confident in the direction I'm going?
• is it because I think they are so marvelous, I don't want to share them until they are further along?
• is it because I feel a bit out on my own since I don't have my Frayed Edges to preview (and encourage) my work any more?

Whatever...

These are the beginnings of some door compositions.



I am going to continue my exploration of using generally simple shapes to represent an obvious setting, but then using each of those shapes as a separate "frame" for an individual embellishment. An old key could go in that top blue keystone.


Each of the windows in this door could hold a small three dimensional treasure.

I think one of the steps under the door might become a tiny landscape.

This one is definetely a different color scheme. I love it.


Now I need to just look at them for a few days, then I'll layer in some batting and begin embroidery and fmq.

By the way, if you happen to find yourself in Dallas, my DOOR is always open!

Appetizer

A few weeks ago Tommy blogged about all the amazing appetizers she made and froze. I could never keep up with that. But I did make a big batch of stuffed mushrooms for the family last week.

Would you like a little tutorial?

Wash and pop the stems off a bunch of button mushrooms.


Mix some prepared pesto sauce with some seasoned bread crumbs. You want a consistency that holds together but isn't crumbly. Stuff each cap with the pesto mix.


Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and pine nuts on top of each mushroom. (You can see I also stuffed some cherry tomatos because Claire doesn't like mushrooms. Benjamin doesn't like mushrooms or tomatos so he had a cheese sandwich.)


Bake at 350ish for 20ish minutes.


Dig in and enjoy.

You may also notice the plate of peel and eat shrimp on the left and the empty wine cooler bottle on the right. And... the gigantic bottle of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup in the middle. Everything's better with chocolate. (I'm kidding. If I remember correctly, the kids had chocolate milk which is why the syrup is still on the counter.)

We ate every last one.

Family Time!

We had a delightful visit with Jeff's side of the family this past week. Here's a picture of all the cousins having fun while sitting on the hood of Grpa's car watching the fireworks.

Things Grma M likes:
Hearing big belly giggles from all four of her precious grandkids
Getting just one more piece in the jigsaw puzzle
Hugs and kisses!
Group pictures
Every single kind of fruit in the fruit salad

Things Grpa T likes:
Souvenirs, shopping for souvenirs, and sharing souvenirs
Taking pictures
Seeing interesting things wherever he goes
Going down the water slide (well... maybe he didn't like it, but he DID it!)
Just being all together!

Things Auntie K likes:
Mongolian BBQ
Experiencing real Texas long horns
Being a loving, supportive, helpful mother and friend
Putting in more puzzle pieces than anyone else
Telling personalized fairy tales

Things Uncle B likes:
Hamburgers
Sudoku
Chess
History, politics and economics
Space Shuttle websites

Things Cousin Z likes:
Cowboys
Cowboy hats
Cowboy boots
Gumballs
Playing good guys and bad guys

Things Cousin E likes:
Princesses
Cuddling
Playing Pretty Pretty Princess
Swimming and dumping a big bucket of water on Mommy's head
Hobby horse racing

Things Claire likes:
Being the biggest kid
Giant mazes
Watching Treasure Hunters with the grown ups
Roping a bale of hay with a cow's head
Tootsie Rolls, Hershey's kisses, Starburst and Cowtails

Things Benjamin likes:
Red, white and blue sprinkles on his ice cream
Eatting Teddy Grahms in the car
Having someone else just his size who also loves light sabers
Being tall enough to tip toe in the big pool
Telling ridiculous jokes that make you giggle so much that you get the hiccups

Things Jeff likes:
Having a home that comfortably welcomes everyone
Patriotic music
Being a super fun Uncle (and Daddy!)
Watching World Cup Soccer
Our new grill for hamburgers, hot dogs and brats

Things I like:
Real Texas BBQ sandwiches
Craft projects
How time flies when all the kids are playing together -- sheets and pillow cases are great toys
Having eveyone sit around one table for a great meal
The blessings of a loving family

Holiday Weekend

Just a few thoughts on this holiday weekend...

Quilt News
I am thrilled to report that my quilt "Patina of Radiance" was accepted for the Au Naturale show at the Tims Studio and Gallery. It's smallish -- just 14.5 x 9.5"


I'm equally thrilled that fellow Frayed Edge Sarah will have a quilt in the show and that my new friend and Dallas-local, Becky Howdeshell, will also be exhibiting. Oh, I'm in such good company!

Rock Star Follow-Up
Remember way last summer when several of us in the blog ring (Deb, Deb, Sarah and others) were all ga-ga about Rock Star INXS? I was entranced by JD Fortune at the time and he went on to win the show and make an album with INXS, which I own and enjoy. Well, they came to Dallas last week. I'd considered buying tickets, but Jeff was going to be out of town. So it just didn't happen. Then he came back into town a day early (in time for the concert), but it still just didn't seem like an opportunity that was going to come to fruition. I think my rock concert days are waning. (Though I never was a big concert goer even when I was younger.) Then I read the review of the show the next day in the paper and I was filled regret. The reviewer said JD "commanded the stage like he's been doing this as long as, say, Mick Jagger. He's got swagger, personality, vocal chops, attitude, abandon and just enough ants in his pants to keep him moving." I really should have called a sitter, coughed up the big bucks for the tickets and grabbed my hot husband for a night of singing and dancing. Oh well.

House Guests
I'm also delighted to report that Grpa and Grma returned to our home last night --- very late after a very long drive. And they brought Jeff's sister, her husband, and their son and daughter. It's a big Fourth of July party, family reunion, slumber party, fest! We've got ten folks in the house for the next five days. You can bet there will be lots of game playing (Uno is my personal favorite), good eats, and waiting for your turn on the computer.

I found red, white and blue pajamas on sale at The Children's Place so all the kids match! Too cute.