Celebrate Spring

Breeze
Originally uploaded by jeansophie.

This quilt, Breeze, made by Rachel Wetzler of St. Charles, Illinois was the viewers' choice winner from the Celebrate Spring exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago a week ago.

I've uploaded my photos from this exhibit to a Flickr ... with more from the show to come (have I mentioned that I took many hundreds of photos this year?)

A Full Blown Tulip Catches My Eye

When this adventure began, I had no idea what that interesting block I noticed in Nancy Rink's quilt, Cocheco Star of Bethlehem, was called. The quilt was hanging in the IQF Spring show in Chicago, as part of the exhibit, In the American Tradition IV. The notes said that the design source was an antique quilt featured in QNM that caught her eye. What caught my eye was this interesting block design.


I knew the quilters in the hand-piecing discussion on the Quilting Forum on about.com would be interested, too. So I shared these photos.

Becky almost immediately identified it as the block known as Full Blown Tulip and before long had drafted the block and templates. Here's her first outline drawing and a link to her sample block in her WebShots album.

Gail shared a link to an antique quilt with a similar block, which prompted me to google for more. I found a quilt with another variation of the block on the Quilt Collection page of the Rochester Museum and Science Center web site and another on a quilter's blog, Scraps and Threadtales. I even found templates online for the Full Blown Template block, also known as the Strawberry here.

I even found an excerpt from the out-of-print, 1929 book, Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them, on Amazon. The author, Ruth E. Finley is quoted in one of the customer supplied reviews:

Describing Pennsylvania Dutch quilts within the context of the drabness of the Pennsylvania Dutch woman's existence she says, ...it may have been some unconsciously craved compensation for the drab monotony of their days that caused the women of these households to evolve quilt patterns so intricate. Only a soul in desperate need of nervous outlet could have conceived and executed, for instance, the "Full Blown Tulip"...It is a perfect accomplishment from a needlework standpoint, yet hideous (she describes it in detail and goes on): This green-red-lemon-orange combination is enough to set a blind man's teeth on edge...

Wikipedia Spawns a Meme

I just read this on Jules blog and loved it. You put your birth month and day into the search on Wikipedia. It spits out a list of events, births and deaths throughout the years that occurred on your birthday. Here are some of mine, from November 8:

Events:

• 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great pomp as would befit a returning god.
• 1793 - In Paris, the French Revolutionary government opens the Louvre to the public as a museum.
• 1960 - U.S. presidential election, 1960: John F. Kennedy is elected over Richard M. Nixon, becoming the youngest man elected to that office. Election day often falls on my birthday, among others, in 1864: Abraham Lincoln is reelected, in 1892: Grover Cleveland is elected, in 1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Herbert Hoover in a landslide victory, and in 1988: George H. W. Bush is elected.

Births:

• 1836 - Milton Bradley, American lithographer and game manufacturer (d. 1911)
• 1900 - Margaret Mitchell, American author (d. 1949)
• 1949 - Bonnie Raitt, American singer

Deaths:

• 1674 - John Milton, English poet (b. 1608)
• 1887 - Doc Holliday, American gambler and gunfighter (b. 1851)
• 1978 - Norman Rockwell, American illustrator (b. 1894)

Anyone else want to play?

Signs of Spring

Last week, Spring arrived at 28 degrees.

I was determined to start walking to work again, and bundled up and made the trip downtown to the office, about a mile and a half each way, twice. I remember noticing the temperature on the bank that's across the street from that capitol: 28 degrees on the first day of spring. It was a very bleak.

But tonight, in the garden, I saw this and finally felt I'd seen a real sign of Spring.


It's simply amazing how giddy-happy these little buds made me feel. I came inside and prepared a feast of pasta primavera, opened a bottle of chardonay and started looking forward to gardening, meals on the deck and naps in the hammock.

Confessions of a Swapaholic

Soon after I began quilting, I discovered online quilting groups and swapping. I loved scrap quilts and built a scrappy stash swapping 4-inch strips and 10-inch squares. I made blocks and swapped them, too ... and before long I was hosting swaps of my own.

Since re-starting the Beginner Block Lotto last fall, my swapping has slowed considerably, but sometimes I can't resist the idea of making blocks to swap for others' efforts. I love to see the often unexpected choices others make in their interpretation of the same block or theme. I love the wonderful, scrappy quilts that come from these blocks. Even when the blocks don't find their way into a quilt right away, I don't mind, because I enjoy the process and the friendship I've found in these swaps.

This weekend I was making Not Quite Bow Tie blocks for a swap. I joined this swap because, I rationalized, a "clean out your stash" type activity would be good for my stash. I created a little challenge for myself by building blocks that reflected various color wheel combinations. The only guideline for the swap is that the large squares must be RED--not an easy color for me. But here are my attempts at: monochrome, analogous, direct and split complements and triad. It was fun

Victory!

I never thought I'd actually finish my Knitting Olympics project--my own personal (secret) goal was to just make a good start on it . . . but here is my shrug (with it's arms raised in victory):


I finished it Sunday morning, while watching the Swedish Hockey Team receive their gold medals.

It felt so good, I think I'm going to order the yarn to make the shawl pictured with it in the Mission Falls book, after all ... but don't expect me to finish this one in a fortnight :-)

More Japanese Eye Candy

This is a photo of a detail of a quilt from the Tokyo Quilt show from Be*mused. Don't follow the link to check out her album until you can take your time and enjoy–there are many so wonderful quilts.

Artist way: week 12 check-in

All too often, when we say we want to be creative, we mean that we want to be able to be productive. -J. Cameron

In terms of Artist Way tasks, my performance this week was anything but stellar, but still, I experienced a feeling of accomplishment for completing the book and enjoyed looking back on the small, positive changes in my creative life.

The photo is of a section of my branching out scarf, knit last fall and cited as an example of my habit of creating and abandoning almost finished objects. It's pinned to my design wall, blocking now--I am going to wear it to work one day next week. Along with another almost finished scarf, socks and a sleeveless turtleneck, I faced my fears of judgement and finished the projects anyway. The sky didn't fall.

I also made the leap and tried a new direction in quilting. No one laughed out loud or slyly intimated that my approach was too simplistic.

In the time available to me, I am making more and finishing more. I credit the work with TAW.

At work, I have re-established an attitude of work as play and am finding ways to enjoy being there.

Getting back to the basics, a week of sleepless nights resulted in no morning pages this week for me and, honestly, I missed the way they help me stay grounded during stressful times.

My artist date this week was the beginning of a 2 week adventure that I'm sharing with more than 4,000 others around the world: the Knitting Olympics. A couple of participants have blogged about why they think we're all doing it. My opinion is that we're doing it for the simple JOY it brings. It has all the qualities of a perfect artist date.

My Knitting Olympics experience provided me with a bit of synchronicity, too. As I just described in my upate, after making phenomenal progress, I discovered a mistake and had to rip out most of what I knit yesterday afternoon and evening. Flipping back through chapter 12 and my notes on it, I had to smile at this, very appropriate for me, quote:

Do not fear mistakes–there are none. -Miles Davis

The Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat

The Knitting Olympics have begun.

Along with more than 4,000 other knitters from around the world (see map). I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics Friday night and, after the flame was lit, cast on and started knitting a new, challenging project of my choice.

it has been a while since I have worked with needles so large and yarn so thick. Although I was too sleepy to knit much Friday night, I woke early on Saturday and by noon, I had completed the back of the shrug.

I was thrilled. Until I actually started knitting, I honestly didn't think that I'd actually be able to complete my sweater and was ready to settle for just making significant progress. By Saturday afternoon, I was confident that I will finish.

After a quick trip out to pick up groceries, run some errands and track down the extra-long circulars that I'll eventually need to add the ribbed edge, I came home and enjoyed the luxury of an afternoon and evening of knitting and TV.

I watched the women skiers bounce over moguls, pairs figure skating and caught up on episodes of Project Runway that I'd missed and couldn't believe the progress I made on the first sleeve.

I woke up (early again) this morning and started to pick up where I left off, except ... re-reading the directions, I saw that I'd missed a critical line and realized that my sleeve was wrong, wrong, all wrong and would have to be ripped back, almost to the cuff.

Agony yes, but I refuse to feel defeated ... like the skiers that land the jump, lean back and ALMOST sit down, I gritted my teeth, ripped out ALL THOSE ROWS and started knitting again.


I'll probably always remember this sweater as the shrug with three sleeves :-)

Artist Way: week 11 check-in

Last week, I did morning pages 5 of 7 days. I have suggested the practice to a couple of colleagues as a way of starting the day centered in the midst of too much going on at the office.

For my Artist Date, I spent a morning in my sewing room, truly playing with two ideas: the Illustration Friday topic of the week (chair) and Ami Simms' Art Quilt Initiative. The result is this start on a journal-sized quilt which, if it turns out well, will be donated for Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts.

Synchronicity is alive and well and even following me into the office on a regular basis. My project has become very interrupt driven--I'm being bombarded with phone calls and email messages from a large cast of characters and yet, I continue to be surprised by how often I'll pick up the phone to call someone who is calling me or I'll be in the middle of responding to an email message and the person I'm mailing will call. On the home front, I was home in bed with a cold one day last week. I took advantage of being home during daylight hours and ventured out briefly in the afternoon to take a photo to use as the basis for the design for my February Journal Quilt. While I was out, I popped in next door, where I met a friend of my neighbor who is on the brink of moving to Santa Fe, a place I believe could be my next home. She was also talking about a very innovative business program that she recently completed that actually sounded very interesting to me; it's very innovative out-of-the-box stuff. So now you know--I'm not just a quilt class junkie ... I love to learn and this could be my next learning adventure.

Artist Way: week 10 check-in

It takes grace and courage to admit and surrender our blocking devices. -J. Cameron

BLOCK. It seems to be a loaded word for many of us. Since I don't actually think of myself as a blocked artist, I usually translate Julia's use of blocks into things that slow me down in terms of productivity or things that keep me from leaping and making the original quilts in my head instead of safely being inspired by others' work.

Like Debra admitted on the the Artist Way Quilters blog, I also didn't crack the book until the end of the week. When I finally did read the chapter, the synchronicity–or maybe just plain ole irony–put a big smile on my face. All that stuff about work and workaholism and what was it that kept me from reading the chapter and doing the Artist Way exercises this week? Yep, it was the demands of a project at what I affectionately refer to as my day job. All week long, I've gone into the office early, worked late and come home emotionally exhausted. To me this chapter seemed to be all about balancing creating with livelihood and that constant struggle to find time for everything that's necessary for life. Another quote that grabbed me from this chapter was this one:

When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that deermines the kind of men we are. -Caesar Chavez

When I finally read the chapter and the exercises, I realized that I must have picked up a trick or two from past reading this book and made them my own. Part of exercise 5 is to "do one lovely thing for yourself each day." When work or life become stress-y, this has become my automatic response. During this week, I bought a pot of blooming pot of azaelas at the grocery store when I ran in to pick up milk and coffee, evn though it won't be able to go outside for at least 4 more months. Another day, I took a stroll through an art gallery during my lunch hour. One evening, I enjoyed a nice long soak in a bubble bath.

This week, I managed morning pages 5 of 7 days. Julia mentions in this chapter that Artist Dates are often harder to do than morning pages . . . and so it was for me, this week. I had plans to go to a movie yesterday and never made it. Maybe instead of going into the office to work a few hours this afternoon, I'll go to a matinée instead :-)

Inspired by a quilt

I was minding my own business, enjoying a lazy saturday morning and cruising blogs until I saw this quilt photo on bemused. The caption simply says Tokyo Quilt Show. The author is dashing off again but promises more photos soon. i can't wait. I hope I'll also learn who made this incredible quilt.

I'm a toaster?

Oooh! Look at me! I'm a toaster!



Random Object Quiz
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Journal Quilt: January

The inspiration for my January Journal quilt is the young maple tree outside my back door. A single leaf bravely held on through the snow and ice storms of November and December. Its tenancity is rewarded by a larger-than-life appearance on my quilt. Here is a close up of the leaf/sky/trunk.


I made a quick, very rough, full-size sketch of my idea, then cut and sewed the piece completely without a pattern--drawing with my rotary cutter. Nearly all the seams are curves. The quilting was also done in an improve style with no marking. For a better look at the seams and quilting, here's the back.



(click to enlarge all photos)

I plan to continue to explore the possibilities of creating figurative work in this improvisational style next month.

Artist Way: week 9 check-in

I did morning pages 6 of 7 days this week.

For an artist date, I spent Saturday morning dyeing at the local art center. I overdyed the failed shibori silk scarf with better results, dyed a large cotton rag rug--I guess I caught the decorating but from Deb--and dyepainted two fat quarters for my stash.
Last week I found myself thinking alot about the image for the winter Art Image Challenge, Drum Bridge at Maguro by Hiroshige (1797-1858). I love this predominarely white landscape and thinking about how to translate some part of it into fabric.

I kept wishing I could get a closer look at those trees and the snow on the trees and mother nature obliged me with a nice bit of synchronicity by way of two snow storms. These pictures are take the day of the first. As I walked between building, I stopped to take these photos.

I had to laugh as i walked through the plaza and realized that many of the elements of Hiroshige's painting exist in my world: the snow covered trees, the bridge, stone wall, the figures walking. Maybe I should reinterpret the painting as a 21st century view of a snow-covered plaza?

I wasn't able to complete all of the exercises this week because of too many long days in the office. I did work through the blasting through blocks questions before beginning my work on the January Quilt Journal page and found it enlightening and refreshing to understand the resentments and fears (aka emotional baggage) I'd already attached to this effort.

Going for Gold

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has created the Knitting Olympics and challenged knitters to define their own event--a challenging-for-them project to be knit during the 2 weeks of the Olympic games. I think it's an irresistable idea . . . as did more than 600 other knitters–I don't think I've ever seen that many comments on a single blog entry.

Tonight I ordered yarn to make this shrug, designed by Mags Kandis, from Mission Falls book, East + West. I am NOT also knitting the shawl in the photo–I may be crazy, but I do have a day-job with a hot project deadine in mid-February. Speaking of which, today at the day-job, I introduced two of my knitting colleagues to the Yarn Harlot blog and convinced them to join me.

I think Melody Johnson summed it up best: As if I don't have enough to do. Yeah, she's in, too. It's an irresistable idea.

Stash Sunday: Stripes

Stripe Stash
Originally uploaded by jeansophie.

Hmmm ... When I went looking in my stash for stripes–the theme for yesterday's stash sunday–I found a precious two. Perhaps I need to plan for some future striped SEX (stash enhancement experience). Artist Date idea?

I bought the eye-boggling stripe on the left to use for sashing for black and white swappers star swap blocks, but decided no one would be able to fall asleep under that quilt. The one on the right was one of the fabrics I bought to take to a fabulous design class with Odette Tolksdorf.

Devilish is the word ...

Best blond joke ever

Artist Way: week 8 check in

Small movements lead us to the larger movements in our creative lives. -Julia Cameron

This was a pretty good week for me. I completed morning pages 6 out of 7 days, but I ran out of time for an Artist Date. Synchronicity? Working the chapter that "tackles" time when a project at work became especially demanding of my time. Also this quote on time from Carl Sanburg turned up on the quotations weblog:

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. -Carl Sandburg

Last week I said that I thought Julia gave us a great basis for resolutions by reminding us that Treating myself like a precious object will make me strong. This week I would add that I think the steps of the goal search task is one of the best approaches to goal-setting I've encountered--perfect for setting goals for 2006. I found it a great way to go from "dream" to long term goal to near term goal to what I can do now; from ideal-ideal to ideal to what's possible now. I set some quilt-related goals that, for the first time, feel realistic for me, given the reality of my life. I also believe that they are small movements which will lead to larger movements in my creative life.

I really liked the tasks of describing ideal and ideal-ideal days. I realized that my ideal day in the world I inhabit now would have to be a 30-hour day--no wonder I'm having problems finding time for morning pages AND exercise AND breakfast in the morning before I go to work. I was surprised that I included a lot of detail about things that would make my day-job ideal. (I realized that it wouldn't take much to make that work so much more fulfilling).

Part of my ideal-ideal day would be spending half my days making things. I gave myself the gift of half a day working in my studio space and made some progress on the daisy work-in-progress:

Edit to add link to Artist Way Quilter discussiont:
Artist Way Quilters: Chap 8 Check-in January 15, 2006

4-way meme

Jules tagged TAW quilters with A new meme.

Four jobs you've had: web designer, development director for a theatre, hatmaker in an opera costume shop, production artist for a winery

Four movies you could watch over and over: The Quiet Man, It’s a Wonderful Life, Ever After, French Kiss

Four places you've lived: Antibes (France), Boston, San Francisco, and Houston

Four TV shows you love to watch: Gilmore Girls, Law & Order, Lost, Project Runway

Four Places You've Been on Vacation: Athens (to be a tourist) , Calabasas (to go to a health spa), St. Moritz (to ride in a friend’s glider over glaciers in August) and Vail (to ski)

Four Websites You Visit Every Day: About.com quilting forum, bloglines, google, and my ISP’s site (for email)

Four Of Your Favorite Foods: Roast chicken, mussels, salmon and pears

Four Places You'd Rather Be: on a beach, in a sailboat, in the mountains, in a real city.

Four Albums you can't live without: I don’t really have favorites, so my real answer would be:
Something classical, like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons,
Something nostalgic, like the Beatles, “One,”
Some happy world music, like Sukay, Music of the Andes
Some show tunes to sing along to, like South Pacific.

Four People you'll pass this on to: All the Journal Quilts Challengers now have their blogs set up and this is a nice way to practice posting (and getting to know one another), so TAG, you’re ALL it.

Artist Way: week 7 check-in

Artist Way Quilters: link

Like Rian and Jules, I, too, had a hard time getting back to Morning Pages and only did them 2 days this week. I felt like I usually do the week after clocks spring forward or fall back for Daylight savings time--a weird form of jet lag. Plunging back into work was also challenging for me.

I thought I had planned the perfect Artist Date when I decided to make Planet Patchwork's New Year's Day mystery quilt. It was the first mystery quilt for me--in fact the first time I had made an entire quilt, as written, from a pattern. It seemed like a nice bit of synchronicity to discover that I could use a stack of FQs from my stash that I had purchased a year ago without a plan and now thought just weren't my style. Unfortunately, while I did finish the quilt top, the day was not a satisfying one because every step was fraught with errors ...

Looking for a more satisfying experience, I returned to a WIP and started working on letters and words for the border. Everything was done improv-style and it was fun (and satisfying).

Thinking about jealousy (or it's more gentle form, envy) and perfectionism were interesting. As I read the ambitious quilting goals of others, I confess that I envy those without a day job and all the available time they have that I simply do not. I envy them the long list of quilts that they will make that I simply cannot. I remind myself to set realistic goals for me and not feel any less for them.

I saved this quote from Danny Gregory's blog this week:

Art making is not a competitive sport. Being intimidated by what others do, by the clarity of their vision, the steadiness of their line, means thwarting the very thing that will get you to where you want to be. If you don't draw because others, who have done it longer and more often, do it 'better' you are robbing yourself.

With the accessibility that the web gives us, it is so easy to be more intimidated than inspired by the work of the Famous Quilters and not-so-famous artists we admire. I choose to be inspired and to give myself a break when I can't do all I wish I could.

I forgot about exercises 5 and 6, but realized at the end of the week, I'd done them anyway.

This week I wore a pair of hand-knit-by-me socks and felt a ridiculous amount of joy from the experience. It's a little like falling asleep under a quilt of your own design and making, but better because you're fulling awake and walking around with a little smile all day long. The experience inspired me to buy some beautiful hand-dyed yarn from a local yarn shop to make more and to place an order for some Socks that Rock yarn (in Lapis, Pebble Beach and Falcon's eye colorways).

I wore my socks inside another small luxury--my new Dansko loose-back clogs in a NARROW width. I went on a scavenger hunt around town to find a store that had the narrow width that Dansko only offers in one style. The fit is perfect--I may never buy any other style shoe :-)

Resolving, Evolving and The Artist Way

In week 7, Julia Cameron asks us to make this line our mantra,

Treating myself like a precious object will make me strong.

What a great bit of timing (and synchronicity!) to receive this reminder when so many are busily creating goals for the year and resolving to do what it takes to achieve them.

I confess that I am more of an evolver than resolver--continually fine-tuning my life as I discover more of what works and what doesn't. Treating myself like a precious object--in the context of diet, exercise, career or creating a balanced life with plenty of time for making things always seems to be the right answer. I read about diets with the same attitude as toward my weekly horoscope--taking them in and seeing if they resonate. For me, if I am mindful, if I am paying attention, if I am treating myself like a precious object, I will eat well, sleep enough, keep moving (and feeling better) ... and CREATE.

Working up to working small

I guess I needed to convince myself that I can create work that is small enough for the Journal Quilts Challenge and satisfying enough for me.

Even though it's months past the deadline, I also really wanted to interpret my image from Simple Still Life #3 in fabric. Here's my 8"x10" start on both fronts:


My plan for the journal pages is more of the same improvisational-style pieces. Drawing with my rotary cutter was so much fun.

Holiday Afterglow

While some are expressing relief that the holidays are over and are busily putting their houses back in order, I am hanging onto the afterglow of the season and the last days of vacation. My gifts have been delivered and all the social gatherings of family and friends are behind me. I'm enjoying simple meals, quiet evenings with a book or knitting and the luxury of time for introspection and reflection.

Fuzzy Feet Finished

As I was wrapping this gift for my mother, I realied I never shared an "after" photo of the felted fuzzy feet that I was making as part of the Fuzzy Feet Knit-A-Long

Mom loved them and they were a perfect fit, too ;-)

Daddy, I still miss you

Tonight is the anniversary of my father's death.

I'm still working on a way to replace the sadness I feel at this time of year with the joy of the season that surrounds me.

Perhaps tomorrow, I will wake up and feel like dragging the boxes of Christmas decorations from the basement, decking the halls, putting up a tree, wrapping packages and baking cookies. Maybe I won't feel like it and will make the effort anyway. But tonight, I'm going to sit with my sadness, remember my dad and miss him.

Natural Abundance

This is what my neighborhood looked like the morning I was out, just after sunrise, shovelling the walk and laughing at the natural abundance exercises that ask us to find 5 interesting stones and 5 interesting leaves.

I realized just how much I miss the opportunities to enjoy natures abundance in small ways, like having coffee and writing my pages, sitting on the deck in the morning or coming home and enjoying the garden or falling into the hammock with a good read.

These days, I come home to a garden that looks like this--dark and snow-covered.

Natural abundance at this time of year consists of ice and snow. So, instead of stones, I offer icicles ...


... and instead of leaves, a snow covered pine.

Artist Way: week 6 check-in

Soon after I posted the message on the discussion on the quilting forum, I lost my connection with the network--while fixing an over-billing issue, my ISP un-configured my cable modem ... grumble, grumble. Sorry for the delay.

I'm back on track with my morning pages, and arrived on the page 7 out of 7 days. One of the themes that came up (in my pages and in the money madness exercise) was how I'd fallen out of the habit of regular mani-pedicures, facials and massages. All of the above are so much more expensive here than in California, which is a big contrast with the relative cost of living there and here, and somehow, I guess I'd decided that it wasn't worth it (and neither was I). In response, I allowed myself a couple of luxuries--I finally made the time for a new haircut and I booked an hour of therapeutic massage at a local wellness center. A freebie that I received as a result was a coupon from the hair salon for a free facial. For my artist date, I went to the drugstore and bought a handful of new, fun stuff from the cosmetics aisle.

On the morning after a big snowstorm, I found myself shoveling snow and laughing at the prospect of finding stones or leaves here. As a result, natural abundance took on a different form for me this week--pictures to follow if I'm really reconnected when I get home tonight.

When it comes to the exercises for this week, I'm reading them, I'm thinking about them, but I'm not always doing them. It's easy enough to find excuses--the demands of the holiday, the horrible weather, my continuing aches and pains and physical limitations--but it's also a pattern for me. The same thing happened when I worked my way through the book before, when it was summer, I was healthy, etc., etc. Over our holiday break, I plan to continue morning pages and artist dates and take a harder look at some of the exercises I resisted. I think there's an issue there for me that merits some introspection. I did complete the money madness exercise and found an interesting contrast, in one response especially, with a couple of others. On her blog, Tracey said, "Money causes people to change." In my response, I crossed out "causes" and ended up with "Money ENABLES people to make changes."

A couple instances of synchronicity stand out from my week. In the big book order I received on Friday was a huge book (much larger than I was expecting), written in layman terms on trigger points. In the massage room on Saturday morning was a big, color chart of all the trigger points on the body. Also in the order was a Rachel Ray cookbook, purchased as a secret santa gift for someone at work who collects cookbooks. On Friday, she mentioned, out of nowhere, that she likes Rachel Ray, but does NOT like her cookbooks. I like the cookbook and will keep it (or use it for a gift for someone else). I picked up a gift certificate for her favorite sushi restaurant instead.

Flag Honors

I walk past these flags on the plaza near the Capitol each day.

Today's Flag Honors commemorate Pearl Harbor Day.

These days, it seems the flags in Michigan fly at half-staff more often than not. It is a sad reminder of Michigan soldiers, killed in battle every day.

The Magic in Group Quilts

I believe that there is magic in quilts made from lotto blocks, or swap blocks or blocks donated for a comfort quilt or guild president's quilt or other effort that comes from many hands, many hearts, many creative minds.

Last week, some panels of from the AIDS Memorial Quilt were on display here for AIDS World Awareness Day. That larger than life group quilt project is filled with that magic. The emotional response of the viewers of those panels is palpable.


These Hard Times blocks are from last month's block lotto activity on the Quilting Forum on about.com. I think I organized the monthly block lotto to create some of that magic. I am looking forward to seeing the quilts the winners make from the blocks.

Holiday Quiz

What Christmas Ornament are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I am the Christmas Dove.


(I think I need to make a wool felt dove ornament now, don't you?)

Tipsy Trees: A Tale of 2 Quilts

(This photo is darker than the actual quilt, which has a much lighter background in the tree blocks,)

A friend and I spent black Friday far from the shopping mall, making string-pieced tree blocks from fabrics in her stash and scraps. Here are the tops we made.

Stash Sunday

thirty-two FQs
Originally uploaded by jeansophie.

The theme for this week is, "I know why I bought it, but still ..."

I love these monochromatic fruit and veggie prints and couldn't resist this stack of 32 fat quarters ... even though I rarely choose to use prints in my quilts anymore.

Artist Way: weeks 4 & 5

Even though I'm still not getting the purpose of linking to a blog that exists only to be linked to ... here's my link.

Artist Way Quilters: Chap 5 Check-in December 4, 2005

My apologies for not posting last week's check-in ... life and physical limitations have dominated my life this week. In an attempt to catch up, here's my check-in for the last two weeks.

Morning Pages - In week 4, I was 7-for-7, despite a very busy week, travelling and forgetting to take my journal along. I could hardly stop writing--my pages often were twice as long as required and usually ended with drawings of a design idea. Last week, I only managed morning pages 4 of 7 days. I've been waking with such intense pain that it's been taking me an hour to get out of bed ... and not time to write.

Artist Date - In week 4, although I spent lots of time creating with my friend, I didn't find time for an artist date for myself. Yesterday, after reading about Ryan's artist date, I decided to make a trip to the local garden club's greens sale and make a wreath.

Synchronicity - In week 4 I continued to notice all kinds of synchronicity among the messages of this group. We may have different expectations of TAW, but the similarities we share always make me smile. I also had to smile when, after I ordered flowers to be delivered to my Thanksgiving hosts the day before I arrived, I came home to email from my friend describing a trip to look for a centerpiece for her table and her lack of success. (If only FedEX hadn't screwed up the delivery, it would have been just perfect).

The rest - As I mentioned on the Quilting Forum, I actually enjoyed the week of reading deprivation during week 4, but I noticed that as soon as it was over, I couldn't get enough of the written word. Last week, I found myself buying magazines every time I passed a rack and ordering a bunch of books that have been sitting on my wishlist at Amazon for a long time.