What's Goin' On

Let me begin by saying that I'm really glad that one of my goals for this new year was NOT to blog daily, as I'd already be feeling like a miserable failure. However, one of my goals was to complete a few long overdue quilting pieces and do some new and different jobs. I don't want to be stuck in a rut, and I do want to explore more....try more "what ifs", as my mentor and friend Rayna would say.

So, my first goal to tackle in this new year was quilting this whole cloth (silk charmeuse, in this case) piece that I had painted back in '04. Actually, it was my very first large piece, and my mother had instantly fallen in love with it. Dutiful daughter that I am, I had given it to her and it had been hanging on her wall, with a simple sleeve at the top, but no quilting. I was almost embarrassed every time I looked at it, as my poor Mom was sort of like one of the cobbler's children with no shoes! I took it home last week and began quilting it on Sunday. I must say that I now love it, and best of all, so does Mom.




The sun is shining in on the left and middle sides, but I wanted you to see a bit of the overall piece before I showed you some closeups.




I've named it "Hearts and Flowers", and I guess you can see why. I've quilted it with Sliver, which is one of my favorite fibers to work with. "Hearts and Flowers" is once again hanging on Mom's wall, and she is really enjoying it.

While I was quilting away, I listened to Tom Brokaw's memoirs "A Long Way from Home" (very interesting) and I've also heard most of Mary Higgins Clarks memoirs "Kitchen Privileges". The latter is really interesting. She reads it and puts so much emphasis into what she is saying. What an incredible life she has led (did you know she was a Pan Am Stewardess back in 1949?), with much sadness but she has never let it get the best of her.

I've also completed window treatments for our master bedroom. That was a long overdue goal, but a goal nonetheless. With my new, large sewing table, draperies are a real cinch! Next I will tackle the breakfast room, and then my sewing room, and last but by all means not least, the livingroom and diningroom. I am putting this all in print so that you will help me keep my word!!!

Kristin and Dave came up last Saturday night as his band, Skybucket, had a return engagement at our local club, The Monkey Barrel. I love having them here to visit, and Barker loves having Marley around....I wish I could say the same for Elsie, our cat. We took a lot of pictures of the band that night, but it was too dark and I don't think my flash cooperated most of the time. Today, blogger isn't being too cooperative and I am having trouble uploading pics. (AAAAAH, you can see them over there to the right in my Flicker pics) Anyway, Handsome Dave is just as handsome and sweet as ever, trust me on that! There were two young girls who kept getting up and dancing very, hmmmm, how to put it nicely?, suggestively (?) right in front of the band. Kristin thought it was quite funny. My girlfriend Molly and I were somewhat appalled but also interested!!! The guys all thought it was funny. I had hoped that some of the pictures of the girls would have come out, but none did. At one point they even went up on stage and one sat in Mike, the drummer's lap! (Mike just got engaged to Emily....I hope she thought it was funny too!).

The benefit auction for the Kim family went extremely well, with over $15,000.00 being raised! WooHoo!!! Good going Lisa, Stephanie and Gerrie!!! A wonderful couple in Livermore, CA ended up being the high bidders on my stonewashed silk batik scarf! They have made my week, as that is my first scarf to be sold for over $100! Thanks, folks! I hope you will enjoy.

Last but not least, here are a couple of pics of my latest dyeing efforts:



I am very surprised and pleased with the vibrant colors, since I was using Procion MX dyes and the temps in my studio have not been exactly the best for dyeing....hovering in the high 60's for very brief periods of time and then settling back down into the 40s and 50s. It has gotten cold here in northeast Georgia, but then it is January! This piece is on some leftover silk twill. Here's a closeup:

This may be my last post for a while. I am going back to John C. Campbell Folk School for a week of fabric painting with Sue Beevers. I am looking forward to meeting Sue and learning her techniques. I will be bringing along my laptop and if my internet connections are good, and I have free time in the evenings, I may just try to do some posting.

Take care, and enjoy life!!!