Pet Update

Lincoln is growing so fast! Look how his coat is so much more yellow (and coarse) than it was a month ago.


He is settling in just fine. He is gobbling every morsel of food he can get. And practicing his hunting skills in the event he ever gets to go on an African safari.

It took much convincing on my part to get Benjamin to give up just ONE creature from his piles and piles of stuffed animals. The lion was the winner (or loser -- as the case may be).

Lincoln's favorite spot -- under foot.


Golden eyelashes! How divine!


A few things I love about having a dog:

• Suddenly there are no crumbs or cereal bits under the kitchen table.
• A warm body to join me when taking a bag of trash out to the curb.
• The familiar jingly sound of his tag against his collar.

And in art news:
I read in the paper this morning about a super interesting fundraiser developed by a local artist's league. It's called "Art Heist." For $200 participants get to be a "theif" with one minute to scope out 150 works of art (many by prominent Texas artists) and make off with a favorite. For $25 you can be a "witness" and get to partake in the gourmet food and drinks. Clever, don't you think?

More Thoughts on Stash

Remember the "before" shots from yesterday's post? (Scroll down.)
Here is the after. Much better, don't you think?

And since Anonymous commented that I would need a few more wire basket systems to store my stash, I thought I'd explain some of my stash theories.

I don't want any more. When I look at piles and piles of fabric, it's just too much. Where to begin? How to find the exact right piece? And then I feel the pressure to actually USE it. I'm not the kind of gal who simply cannot resist buying a piece of fabric just because I love the color, pattern, hand or design. I usually buy for a specific project. I know this is unusal among fabric lovers.

In fact, I nearly gasped when shopping with another art quilter who was looking for a specific batik that she had grown to love love love. She insisted she must find it and if she did she would buy the entire bolt. I figured she must have a dwindling few strips left and must have a series of quilts in mind. Then she explained that she actually had three or four yards of it left, but that was not enough to make her feel secure. I don't have three or four yards of ANYTHING. Oh well. To each their own. (By the way she's won lots of awards and been accepted to some major shows, so maybe she knows something I don't.)

You should also know, my frig and pantry are the same way. I buy food for a specific purpose and rarely buy stuff just to have "on hand." Unlike my father-in-law who has at least 12 kinds of salad dressing in the frig. Which is great when you're serving salad to a bunch of people!

And honestly, there was other stuff in those plastic drawers -- not just fabric. There were also lots of UFOs. I have now divided them into a box of projects I might like to finish and projects I am unlikely to finish. You can see them in the above picture on the left in the plastic boxes near the top.

And Anonymous is correct, I didn't quite have room for my small collection of novelty prints. I think I'm subconsciously separately them from the other more beautiful fabrics until I'm inspired to make an "Eye Spy" quilt, or something. Not likely. (I like the idea of an Eye Spy quilt... I just don't have the time to dink around with projects like that. Maybe when my first grandchild is born.)

The other important thing about my artwork and my stash is that I work small. Those door quilts feel huge to me and they are only 20ish by 30ish. So I don't need more more more. When I'm moved to work larger, I'll go shopping.

Here's a close up so you know that I am "organized" but not "neat." I'm not so much for the folding. Why bother when you're going to press it and cut it up anyway?


As I continue to make art and move my supplies around in my studio and talk with other artists and just consider how creativity fits into my life, I get a clearer notion of what I really need. Having stuff I don't need or storing it so that it is ugly or inaccessible doesn't feed the creative spirit. (At least not for me... )

In fact, I found a UFO yesterday that is now turning into something completely new and I'm very excited about it. More on that later!

Plan of Action

I purchased this at IKEA last week.

I think it's awesome. And pretty cheap too. Each component is sold separately and each of those wire baskets only cost $3.50.

What I am going to do with it? These plastic drawers are full of fabric. Ug. What a mess and so uninspiring.


This is the pile of fabrics that have been auditioned or used recently. I never bother to shove them back into the above drawers.


Things I love about the new drawers:
You can see through them on all sides so you can clearly consider the all the options.
They easily slide in and out of the rack for close perusal.
I think I'll be able to fit almost all of my stash in them.
Sleek lines.
Good height and surface on which to pile other crap.

As an aside...
Frieda sent me a very nice email to my brand new website email address. She gently suggested I should use more hand dyed fabric when fusing. So, I'm sure she (and others) will notice that the above pile is a big mess of commerical prints. I still love them. I love hand dyed stuff too. I think it's worth careful consideration of what materials to use and when. Sometimes -- for me at least -- I like a print.

And while we're on the subject of fusing commerical cottons... Have you seen this?! (It's called Tickled Pink by quilt artist Susan Carlson.) That's how to use some prints, baby! And by the way she doesn't technically "fuse." She actually uses GLUE. The horror!

Music in the Car

Several years ago I bought a cassette tape called "Broadway Kids" from the sale table at a toy store. We've been listening in the car ever since and we ALL know all the words.

Benjamin's favorite song is "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" from Annie Get Your Gun. He always wants to me to skip to that song... which is not as easy with a cassette as it is with a CD. (I have added the CD to my Amazon wishlist.) He likes to keep score between the boy and the girl to see which one "wins" each verse. He especially likes this part:

"Can you make a pie?"
"No."
"Neither can I."

Benjamin gives them each a point for that verse. He also thinks it's funny that they seem to be fighting in the song, but I've explained to him that they really fall in love in the full musical.

Claire also wants to know about the details of the stories of each of the musicals that the songs are from. This sometimes gets complicated.

There's "Seasons of Love" from RENT. "What's that about, Mommy?" Ah... starving artists, drug use and people dying of AIDS. Not exactly 7-year-old fare.

There is "Broadway Baby" from Gypsy. That one is about strippers.

"I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. Star-crossed lovers who both get shot to death. Delightful.
There's "Jellical Cats" from Cats. Jeff and I have tried to explain to her that the musical Cats isn't really about anything. She thinks that's odd. I do too.

Even "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from Lion King has that pesky part about the brother lion having the king lion crushed in a stampede.

There's "Hair" from Hair... again with the drug use. Nudity thrown in for good measure here, too.

Of course, Sound of Music is an all-time favorite... but you can't ignore the setting of Nazi Germany.

Don't get me wrong. I love Broadway musicals and some of these questions have brought up topics that I am eager to discuss with the kids.

In fact, I remember listening to the full soundtrack of Chorus Line and Hair when I was pretty young. Great music! But... wow!... I had no idea what the real content of those lyrics meant. Funny how your perspective changes when you become a parent.

Good Mail

Actually... make that GREAT mail!

I'm delighted to add issue #4 of The Fabric Arts Zine to my collection of zines. Alma sent me a complementary copy since I contributed an article called "Kick It Up with Embroidery."

The FAZ is an amazing example of self-publishing and filled with clever insights, great art and fabu goodies! In fact, Alma was even profiled in the last issue of Somerset Studio. Great job, Alma! And thank you so much! And don't you love that metallic blue envelope?! Great for collage, I'll tuck it away in my paper files.

Behold the green and the purple!

I love love love this postcard that arrived yesterday. Kathy sent it as a "thank you" note for the goodies I sent for her birthday. What a treasure -- it's full of all my favorite things... the green and the purple, the house image, the beads and the hand of my dear friend.

More art... even smaller than the postcard.

These are ATCs from the mixed media swap that I belong to. (I'm the satellite member. The rest are all in Maine.) Our September theme was flowers. On the top left is a piece by Susan Tuttle who has some delightful mixed media art on etsy. And a wonderful blog. On the top right is Kate's work. (Kate's a Frayed Edge -- my small art quilt group of which I am also a satellite member.) It's fabric fused to a playing card. She and I are in agreement: it's all about the fabric, baby! On the bottom left is a collage by Leslie. I love the asymmetry of this card. And the bottom right is Hannah's card. Hannah is another Frayed Edge and she's bringing so much more mixed media to the group. We love it.

Here are the ATCs I sent for the swap. Coincidentally, they are also the ATCs pictured in The FAZ.

For these ATCs I used what I call the "pop tart" finishing method. Both the front and the back are fused and the batting is sandwiched between -- like the brown sugar cinnamon filling in a pop tart. (This and other methods will be included in my how-to book called Small Art Quilts: Designing a Series. It's still in the works, but coming along!)

The theme for the next ATC swap is "recycled." Hmmm.... I'm generating ideas and thinking of that great challenge from Project Runway.

To Each Their Own

I stopped by Micheals last week (to buy a basket in which to keep Lincoln's toys and some fake flowers to sew on my creation quilt) and I was accosted by mums and mum-making-supplies. I'm pretty sure it's a Texas thing. And I'm pretty sure I haven't laughed so hard in quite some time.

Apparently, high school girls go nutty creating these corsages-gone-wild for homecoming.

There are ribbons braided in all kinds of fancy patterns, tons of plastic charms proclaiming your participation in band, cheerleading, volleyball, student government, etc etc etc. Of course, if your boyfriend plays football, I'm sure you can a charm with his jersey number.

I am a bad bad bad blogger because I wasn't carrying my camera so I couldn't take a picture of the display which showed a "good" "better" and "best" mum. Here's an example I lifted on google images.

This would barely quality as "good." Better and best have tons more crap on them. I've actually seen pictures of girls wearing these things. I don't know how they strap them on, when or where they wear them or how they might concentrate on their studys when they are blinded by all the glitter and satiny surfaces.

I must confess, if I'd gone to highschool in Texas, I'm sure I would have been right there at Michaels filling my basket and giggling with my girlfriends. Tradition is good even when it's totally kooky and over the top.

Please Don't Think Less of Me!

Ok... I'm confessing. I like to watch tv. I like it even more now that we have DVR and I can watch when I want and skip the commercials. (Though I always stop and watch those great Apple computer ads with the kid who played Warren on Ed. Sigh. I miss Ed.)

So here is what I have set the DVR to record.

Survivor Cook Islands. Really, I can take it or leave it, but lots of friends and family watch it and it makes for good chatty conversations.


Men in Trees. I don't really know much about this new drama, but it looks a bit like Northern Exposure, which I loved! And a bit like Everwood which I also loved. (In fact, Anne Heche was on Everwood in it's last season.) This show will have to be quirky and interesting fast or I will cancel quickly.


The Amazing Race. Jeff and I love this show. He thinks he'd like to be a contestant. I would never last. Somehow the contestants always end up in a crowded smelly train in India, which is nearly my worst nightmare. (Not India in general, just the crowds and the smells.)


Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Another new drama. Hopefully it will be the best of West Wing, Thirtysomething, Friends and The Hugleys... since all the former stars make up the cast.


How I Met Your Mother. I catch this sitcom every now and then and it cracks me up. Come On! Band camp girl and Doogey Howser! How can you go wrong?


America's Next Top Model. I know. I have no excuse.


Lost. Not actually premiering until October 4. But I can hardly wait. If you never watched the show and you think that you won't have any idea what's happening, but you've heard it's good, you must give it a try. Just hang on and give it a chance! I'll fill you in if you're really confused, but I bet you'll love it.


Top Chef is not premiering until October 18. My dad even likes this reality show because the contestants actually get voted off when they don't perform well -- not when their alliance breaks up or they annoy their fellow cast mates. Maybe it will make me a better cook. (Or want to eat out more.)


My sister says I should also watch The Office. I've only got one sitcom on my list so maybe I should give it a try. Just for balance, you know?

I also set the DVR to record The Unit, but that's for Jeff. He loves that stuff.

Great Books

In addition to t-shirts and ball caps, Jeff and I brought some new books home for the kids. We were delighted to stumble upon The Wise Willow children's bookstore in Annapolis. I could have browsed all day. The young woman who rang us up turned out to be the owner and we were also enchanted with the presence of her baby daughter. Can you imagine? Owning a children's bookstore, where you get to chat with customers and bring your babies to work? Sounds like heaven. (I'm sure it's not quite all that... but let's imagine.)

We picked up Henry Builds a Cabin by D. B. Johnson.

It's Thoreau building the cabin where he wrote Walden. But in this case, Henry is a bear. The illustrations are so wonderful, humorus, beautiful and unique. Full of interesting perspectives and clever details. I am stunned to discover that he does them by hand with an air brush and several layers of frisket. (No idea what frisket is, but it sounds like a lot of work.) I would have sworn the illustrations were at least partially computer generated. Not that there would have been anything wrong with that... we all know there is great stuff done on computers. But, now I love them even more!

I just discovered this superfantastic study guide for the book. Claire eats this kind of stuff right up. This is definetely the kind of book that opens the door to all kinds of wonderful discussions about how we live and why we make the choices we do.

We already own Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, which we also love.

Now I simply must add Henry Climbs a Mountain and Henry Works to my Amazon wish list. When you find books you really love, it's so nice to have a neat little stack of the whole series. Of course, it wouldn't stay neat for long... books would always be strewn on the floor next to the bed after being read night after night. As it should be.

The other book we purchased was Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems, who I have blogged about before. (Sorry couldn't find the post. Grumble.)

In Progress

This is the current state of the "how to" book I am writing called "Small Art Quilts: Designing a Series."


I have a picture in my mind of how it will look when it's done... but... yowza!... it's taking a long time to get there. I will be self-publishing this book and it will be filled with lots of hand-made elements, wit and helpful inspiration. I hope it will feel a bit like some of my favorite 'zines. (That's a whole 'nother post... all about 'zines!) In the meantime, I'm really enjoying all the details. I'll keep you posted.

Jeff and I had a wonderful trip to Annapolis. The kids and the grandparents survived without us. And I've cleaned out my email inbox so now there are only 25 emails waiting for action.

Ta Da!

I'm thrilled to announce my website www.DeborahsStudio.com is now live! How exciting. I hope you will check it out! I've also dressed my blogs to match. Holly Knott designed my website and helped me personalize my blogs. She did an amazing job!

I'm dipping my toes into the waters of selling, teaching, and writing about fiber art. Sometimes the water is so nice I feel like I can dive right in. I am confident this website will be a good foundation for continuing to develop these ideas. You can test the waters with me.

In the last week or so, I've been overwhelmed with school responsibilities, continuing house tasks, new schedules and other stuff that just pops up. Part of my wants to devote more time to preparing the workshops that are detailed on my site. And part of me wants to read more chapters from our favorite books to Claire at bedtime. And part of me has no choice but to fold the mountain of laundry sitting on the bed. Yes, you know all about this!

So, thank you for your enthusiasm and your patience. I am so honored to think that you enjoy reading my blog!

I've also posted a small piece of art on my Art Blog for sale. And there are several other pieces that are still available. I'm also up for commissions. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Jeff and I are going to Maryland this weekend. Grma and Grpa are here to take care of the kids. Grpa had to bring a whole extra suit case for treats for Lincoln! He's a dog lover. Have a great weekend. I'll be back next week!

Completed!

Well, actually it doesn't have a label or a sleeve, but you know what I mean.

This is the first of my three piece doorway series. I am so thrilled with it. In some ways it is a departure from my recent work, and in other ways it is the clear next step. I love that.

I really like the doorway symbol and then I like how it gets lost a bit with all the other elements that I incorporated. I worked with some transparent layers and that was a challenge. I felt like the 4 street number stood out too much. It was too white, so I covered it with a leaf skeleton and then covered that with some blue tulle. That little snippet of transparent ribbon further tones down the whiteness.

I enjoyed incorporating stuff that both complemented the design as individual elements but also worked with the whole -- or improved problem areas.

Here is a detail of the street number. Actually this whole space a was a bit dead and I pondered what to add for quite some time. I knew I wanted to play on the 4 and think of it as the word "for." Eventually, the strains from one of my favorite hymns creeped into my head. "For the beauty of each hour, of the day and of the night... Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise."

So I added two flip tabs, one from the hem of some old jeans and the other from a recycled home dec fabric catalog. I stamped "the beauty" on the denim and "of each hour" on the green piece. Still too dramatic, so I added the ribbon on top. It's interactive!

Here is a detail of the pot. And really, it's just a pot shape. I didn't want to bother with shadows or any sense of dimension. I just want it to be a shape in which I can frame other elements. Here I chose a tiny metal frame and some sea glass. I tucked that old stamp under the corner ala Lesley Riley. She mixes paper and fabric beautifully and knows exactly where to add new elements and how to layer them for the best effect.








Here is a detail of the top of the arch. Behold the seed stitch! Always a welcome addition. You can probably also see all the handwriting I did in the peachy section. It's just stream-of-consciousness type writing about doors and openings. Obviously, the key and tiny key hold charm enhance those ideas.



More paper. It's a torn piece from an old atlas. A bit of the same map is under the key. I embroidered a little meadow of flowers with varigated perle cotton right at the door step.

Now on to the other doors. And all the other things on my "to do" list. But first, Citrus Lovers Rosemary Porkchops from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals cookbook.

Movie Reviews

We've watched a few movies in the past several days. More than usual. I guess it's because there isn't anything on regular tv that is sucking me in. (Other than Project Runway, but that's only once a week.) And Lost is still 29 days away. So for your viewing pleasure... or displeasure as the case may be.

Brother Bear 2
Charming. We loved the original movie and when I saw the sequel at the grocery store this week with Melissa Ethridge on the cover since she did all the music, I had to buy it. (I've loved Melissa Ethridge for years!) It was great. Really, beauty, eh. When we were walking to the park later in the weekend, Benjamin said, "You know Mom, when you love someone they are always in your heart." That was the main message of the movie -- so obviously, I melted a bit and thought I'd spent my money well on that dvd.

Inside Man
Your basic bank robbery movie with Denzel Washington. I love heist movies. In fact, if you have any favorite heist movies, let me know. I'll add them to my list. I will say that the "twist" at the end of this movie was not as jaw dropping as I thought I might be.

The Matador
Awful. Terrible. I'm not even going to give you a link.

Howl's Moving Castle
Actually we watched this several weeks ago, but it's still sticking with me. It's wonderful. I think I may be one of the last to get on the Miyasaki bandwagon. Unless of course, you're not on it, in which case... you should be.

Prime
Silly. Are there really any romantic "comedies" out there? Because most movies that call themselves romantic comedies spend about three minutes in the beginning setting up the chemistry, then at least an hour of the guy and the girl not quite connecting, and then another three minutes at the end with a kiss in the sunset. Not romantic and not comedic. Actually, it was fine. We liked it. Meryl Streep steals the show.

Have YOU seen anything good?

Could He Be Any Cuter?

Please indulge the gratuitous cute puppy pictures.

Here are Lincoln and Claire on the way home from school after we surprised her with the new puppy when she came out the door.


Brown eyed boy.


Getting ready to scratch that itchy ear.


Waggin'


Bottoms up!


And if Lincoln couldn't be any cuter, Claire couldn't be any happier!


Yum, something's tasty. (He's eatting better, thanks for asking.)