My Day Off

Today was DH's day off work, so I took it off too - all work and no play makes Siggy a dull girl! (Siggy is DH's nickname for me - don't ask)

So - I went out to breakfast (gingerbread pancakes with VT maple syrup, crisy bacon, and buckets of tea!) with my dear friend Tracy and her twin girls, Kira (on the left) and Amelia (on the right). I'm the wrapped around their chubby little fingers thing in the middle! Today is their 11 month birthday, and I want to finish at least Kira's quilt for their birthday. Wish me luck!

After out outing, I came home and did a little bit of spinning (since it is cool enough to even *think* about handling wool, and I couldn't pass up the chance!), and set up new pool with DH Kevin. I'll show you pictures of it and our fabu landscaping tomorrow, but right now I am off to continue listening to Kevin read the new Harry Potter to me, and more spinning before CSI night. Enjoy!

Keep Swoops the *&$*#$ AWAY from my sewing machine!!!

ARGH!!!!

I am SO glad that I actually made a practice sandwich to work on today. My sewing machine worked *perfectly* yesterday. Today? I change threads and go to do *the exact same thing* - no changed settings or anything - just threads. And the bobbin tension was whacked. I changed it back *to the original threads* and it was STILL whacked. Unhappiness reigned.

I fiddled and changed, and fiddled and practiced and changed again, and finally got it working perfectly. Then I moved to a different part of the quilt. I didn't even change threads. Guess what? Whack City! ARGH! Add to this that I went to snip a thread while I was on the phone and took a 1/4 inch long chunk out of the edge of my almost finished quilt, and I am NOT happy with this progress.

I requested a temporary restraining order, and the 'quilt' is no longer allowed within five feet of my sewing machine. When it broke said restraining order and reappeared on my sewing table (I had NOTHING to do with that, mind you), I put it under house arrest on the design wall. It is being held there with straight pin restraints on all four corners so that it cannot escape and commit more heinous acts of whacked free motion quilting.

In the meantime, to console myself, I worked on my face for the QA mag challenge: and struck gold. I really enjoyed expressing my frustration with it, and I decided that the sample sandwich I had made and seen abused earlier being *precisely* 8.5 inches wide was an omen. Therefore, here is: "Seeing Red"
And you know what cinched it? I started quilting this with monofilament at the bottom, and it worked fine. Until I moved up to the nose, where it started making loop de loops again! As a result, only the tags and collar at the bottom are anything other than just fused down. C'est la vie. I quit!

'Couch' refers to furniture!!!

Wow. I have just been ON THE GO all day. I've taken off maybe 45 minutes since 6 AM, and here it is 4 PM. That might not sound huge to you, but with my body? Lol - that is a marathon day!

Couch from now on only refers to furniture; I have discovered the joys of bobbin work! OH MY HEAD - why I ****ever**** thought I'd couch the black lines in swoops, I have NO idea. This is FAR superior. I am sewing it with regular thread from the front first, then flipping it, replacing my bobbin, and sewing it again. In a couple of spots where I've deviated from the original line I've gone back and ripped out the original bits, and in some other bits where the original line is more accurate, I will tack the wayward bobbin thread back into position with a few hand stitches.

Here's a picture of the Spike part, as it currently stands:

And here is the back of the same area: (I love Melody's idea of fusing the back on AFTERWARD - I don't need to do much with all these loose ends! Hurray!)

I painted up another tablefull of cloth, and fused up three batches, and got started on my face for the QA mag challenge - I love having colored in my sketch and being able to go to my hand-painted stash and pulling out EXACTLY what I want. No "this will do's" for me! And best of all? If it turns out that I *haven't* already made exactly the color or combo that I want, I can go whip it up and have it on the cutting board that afternoon. Joy, Joy, Joy!!!!

I still haven't sketched Hormone Head, and I obviously need to get cracking on it, but the fact that I start my injectible medications again tonight should help inspire me! rotfl...

And Jen, who commented that I am getting so much art and organizing done lately? May fortune smile on you! You made my day! (Nothing like having one's efforts recognized, eh?) Thanks!

Partners in Clean: Week 2

I heard a great strategy the other day: if I job will take no more than 30 seconds, do it immediately. I don't know about you, but I usually spend WAY more time thinking/stressing/procrastinating about some task than it would actually take, so this piece of advice was a good one!

Reporting on Week 1:
I still haven't sorted all of my magazines, but at least have spare boxes now for when I DO sort them all. Also, I didn't get the entire kitchen counter cleaned, but got all around the edges of the dishes. Pathetic, but true. I did about 3 loads of dishes, and I swear my husband ate like 9 meals a day even though he didn't get home until 4 PM! Ah well. It is still an improvement!

Progress in a day, not perfection in an hour!!!!

So - This week is a habit week, so... what new habit do YOU want to add to your life?

I started making my bed a few weeks ago, and WOW does it make a difference! I think that for this week I am going to (finally!) designate a basket for bills as they come in. You'd think that this would have been a no brainer, but it hasn't happened yet, pathetically! Mom even just gave me a neato basket that will do until I find something more permanent so I can have my basket back. I even know where I am going to put it! (feeling very virtuous!)

That might not seem like a big deal, but since I start my meds again this week, I will probably feel pretty cruddy, and a simply met goal sounds like a big plus. Besides, habits don't have to be a big deal since they will continue to pay benefits for years to come, and I DID do a lot last week! ;)

In Bloom!

Just made these dandy little postcards to celebrate having finally gotten my period again, 8 weeks after my miscarriage and having taken stupid drugs to bring it on. Hormone Head became full out Hormone BODY last night, with 14 hours of sleep feeling like about 6 with all the pain and rotten dreams, but - it was worth it! Hurray!

Off to sketch the 'official' Hormone Head for Indelible Spirit, and maybe work on the QA mag self portrait challenge. I did a little sketch for it the other day that looks pretty goofy, but that is usually how I see myself anyway. One of my personal goals for my life is to take myself just seriously enough and no more than that. Amen.

The Magic Bus needs YOU!

Ok folks, it still looks like a bus on acid (how *very* 1970's of me!), but it really does need your help - it is all fused to batting and ready for quilting. I started quilting some of the 'disconnect' lines - which I put there deliberately, thank you very much! - and decided that they need to be heavier, so they will be couched with black crochet cotton instead.

But I have no idea what else to do with it. I tried doing the pebbled thing on a sampler, and it just isn't working for me, so that option just isn't going to cut it. I am an advanced beginner FMQer, and I don't have much in the way of variegated threads, and none of them without blue in them! I like monofilament, as it goes with everything and is very forgiving.

So, PLEASE tell me what to do with this! Yes, it can wait a while, but I just assume actually finish something for once, so your ideas are most appreciated! Thanks in advance!

So much for that idea...

I saw a SQ yesterday where they talked about how easily one can cut matching templates from two pieces of freezer paper ironed shiny sides together. It sounded like a neato trick, so I thought I'd try it for my Hawaiian applique project. I drew and I cut, and I traced and I cut again. I was so pleased with myself! I left it alone last night so fabric selections could percolate in my dreams.

NOT. First of all, my dreams were crappy, and I needed Sonji to cheer me up this morning. Second, all happy from Sonji's ministrations, I went to peel the pieces apart to audition some selected fabrics. Then my os-so-pleased-with-my-self ness vanished - the suckers wouldn't come apart! ARGH! Now I have a much heavier template to trace, AGAIN, and all the while, the perfect fabric eludes me. Narf.

BTW - I *know* that this looks uber-phallic, but it was the best I could come up with that would allow for some cool shadow quilting. I'm not into the floral thing, and was sort of going for an 'aliens landed on Maui, and this is what they made' sort of style... I guess they are just penis obsessed aliens, and no wonder, since the little green guys in the movies never seem to have any. Of course, that could be because life clever enough to get across the galaxy is obviously *female*, but I promised Sonji that I wouldn't make my husband feel obsolete today, so I'll keep that idea in reserve. Until tomorrow. Did I mention that I am reading 'Adam's Curse'? Gotta love that puny little Y chromosome - it makes for all sorts of cute butts and hunky shoulders.... ah - I feel better now! Hurray for stuck together phallic templates!

In other news, here is my spiffy, newly organized, under the window bookcase and yarn-that-I'll-never-use storage unit. It was in my Dad's office when I was a child, and fortunately it needed a home at the same time I needed furniture, so voila! I DESPISE that 'slim books and magazine slump' that occurs when such are put into a bookcase, so magazine holders to the rescue! I have books in the ones on the long shelf, and they act as dividers between all the subjects therein! Ain't I clever!?!? All of my old weaving books (what I did before I quilted) are on the right, and I *obviously* need to sell some of those to make room for more quilting books. My magazines are on the lower shelf, all neatly organized and labelled, I might add, and the shelf above them is going to hold my bolts of fabric for painting/dyeing when I:

* a) move the dulcimer upstairs into the music room (guest room that holds all of our musical instruments, since we never play them anyway, but which will look deliciously pretentious, don't you think? 2 hammered dulcimers, 2 mountain dulcimers, 2 guitars, several antique recorders, DH's harp, and metronomes, tuners, music stands and pitch pipes as accents!)

*b) find a home for my Braille slate and stylus (from my working at Perkin's School for the Blind days many eons ago) and,

*c) win the lottery so I can buy multiple whole bolts of fabric at one time. Please donate your winning tickets accordingly! ;)


And, last but not least, I leave you with another shot of my studio, this time the painting table in the gorgeous morning light. The junk behind it is on top of the aforementioned bookcase, and the wooden toolbox I found for a buck at a yard sale a few weeks ago. Could it be better?!?!?! NPR in the background, dapppled sunshine, birdsong, DH fast asleep, and projects and Phish Phood waiting for me. Ah - back to work!

Much better!

You are going to need to turn your head again, but I think this looks MUCH better than before, even if it *does* look a bit like a bus in this orientation! This is for the Straight and Narrow challenge on the QA board, and I'm pretty happy with how it is coming along. See all of those artfully designed 'misalignments'? I planned it that way! Really!

Well, not really, but while fusing in the sashing strips I decided that I like it better this way anyway; *obviusly* the planned work of my subconscious inner artist! I am going to sew quilting lines along where the paths 'could' have gone, which I think will look interesting. I still have to add the bubbles, but that can just plain wait for tomorrow. So there.

I have put fusing on the back of the whole thing (since parts of it were foundation pieced) and will fuse it to batting next, then quilt it, then put on the backing and fuse on a binding. Did I mention that Melody is my hero? Well, it should be fairly obvious by now! :)

Also? It is bucketing outside - thunderstorms and cool air. How can you beat it? It was actually cool enough to have the iron on all day! Wahoo!!!

Ta Da!!!

BIG breakthrough yesterday - the culmination of many of your influences, I might add!

Remember my perpetually stalled on the design wall piece, Swoops and Spikes? Here's an old picture of how it has looked since about January:

I wasn't really happy with either the pale yellow background, or with the yellow stripe. Way too blah. So it languished, waiting for inspiration; mostly Melody and the Chicago School of Fusing, and Pam RuBert and her sidekick PaMdora!!! Thanks, ladies!!!!!

SO:
I am WAY happier now. I overdyed the pale yellow ground with two sets of paint washes, and junked all the colored stripes for plain black, and added an extra border of black between the polka dot fabric and the ground, to make it stand out more. I haven't figured out what this is all going to do to my adding a black background to the overall composition, but time will tell.

The piece is actually supposed to be vertical, but I can't figure out how to turn images yet, so turn your head instead, ok? The last, bottom block, needed to be reworked to accomodate the new black edge on the dotted fabric, so it will get constructed today. Hopefully it won't languish for want of a background thereafter!!!

And, since Teri and others have been so kind as to oblige with their clean and messy studio pictures, here's my main desk and new ironing table in need of a real tidy - but I doubt that yesterday's progress would have happened without either the new desk or the associated clutter!

As far as my PIC progress goes, Mr Clean Magic Eraser sponges DO work great, but get GRODY looking after only one use. Ah well. I've made great progress on my main kitchen counter, and even scrubbed the stove. I also washed the plate inside my microwave, but only because I accidentally melted an entire stick of butter on it, rather than from any inate virtue on my part!

I also went to Staples and Barns and Snowballs yesterday, to get magazine holders and to drool, respectively. I got the new QA, and am going to set up new magazine holders for my vast horde today. Hurray!

** All of that said, I was reminded yesterday, by a nest of ants, that we are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS, and I continue to not 'be' very well emotionally due to these stupid hormones. I read the QA mag portrait challenge, and came up with a cute draft drawing for it, but I'm still thinking that a larger, different, 'Hormone Head' will be my piece for Indelible Spirit. I have all these deadlines looming, so it is a TERRIFIC thing that I am actually starting to cruise a little bit! Hurray!

Grotesque

I've been hearing about the self-portrait challenge in QA magazine, and I am thinking of doing a really grotesque one. Not that that is how I feel about myself or anything, but it could be fun to play with.

I am *contemplating* actually using the same piece for my Indelible Spirit challenge piece, since I am having major issues with deciding on a design for it (either WAY too depressing, or WAY OH MY GODDESS OVER THE TOP pookie and twee). I'm thinking of calling it "My brain on exogenous hormones" - I'm on my final day of provera (progesterone) today, and cycle day 54, still no sign of my #$@#O$#)$* period.

On the other hand, DH and I had a chat last night about how pretty much all of my pieces deal with some major psychological issue I'm working on - and that can be pretty darned *draining*. I'm thinking that I need to work on a piece that is just a quilt for once (gasp!)- maybe the face thing (which, while about an issue, is about one that I don't need to spend 'process' time on - gods - I sound like I'm in therapy!), or on our VTAQ Hawaiian applique challenge - simple but sweet. Handwork even goes with CSI, so how can I lose?

Now I'm just waiting for the shops to open so I can go get QA mag, some white fabric paint, some black/white and white/white prints at Joann's to experiment painting on (thanks for the idea, Marilyn!), and some more wools from the needlepoint shop which is only open three days a week.

DH Kevin is in his orientation week at the nursing home - he's just getting recerted as an LNA, and he HATES it. He knows that it is a stepping stone to his LPN (and maybe RN later) but he considers it warehousing old people, and it just gets him so DOWN. I'm trying to talk him into doing home health aid work, or VNA or something - folks in their own homes, living their own lives, who just need a little support to do so... Anyway, he has the weekend off (big bonus), and has graciously agreed to help me move furniture so I can see/hear the TV from the stuido - I gotta hear my DS9, afterall!!!!

Time

Melody (Fibermania) has a great blog today about how the heck she gets so much done. She points out that she doesn't have kids, so that gives her an extra five hours a day right there! I had noticed that myself - it seems like most of the really prolific/famous folks either have no children, or have children who have grown and flown the coop.

So what is my excuse? I try not to make excuses for my life, but there *are* reasons. Having a disability is usually a part-time job, but other times I should get overtime! (and a job with no scheduled vacations? What's with *that*!?!?!)

I can plan all I like, but I have to listen to what my body is willing to let me do, and then see if any part of my plans will still work. On days when I can't do much of anything, I lie in bed and design dream quilts. I get some neat ideas this way, and it is very relaxing. Plus, DH thinks that I am asleep, so he doesn't kibitz at me!

Today, for example - I want to get back to my painting work, but I've got this new symptom lately - massive morning foot cramps - and that just isn't conducive to standing and painting. Yes, I could paint sitting down, but then I'd strain my back trying to get the paint where I want it, and yes, I could wait until later in the day, but then it is too hot for me, so... You see the problems. So, I think today will be a) ready the painting table for painting again (it got covered in bill paying activities!) b)give the background pieces for Swoops (still UFO!) an over-dye to lose the flatness there, c) do some more work for the twin's quilts (traditional, and therefore a pain, but to be appreciated by their Mom...), d) do the dishes that DH didn't get to yesterday (mostly pans etc, and part of my PIC Counters initiative), and then, finally, albeit interspersed throughout the day, e) sit on my tuchus and enjoy the fact that DH is at work so I can watch DS9 in peace. Ok, today is just his orientation, so he might be home by then, but I can pretend, right? Right????

BTW - I have heard recently that CFIDS/Fibromyalgia, especially with the symptom set I have and am continually developing, and more especially with the Human Herpes Virus #6 that started my symptom cascade, is documented as leading to relapsing/remitting MS. They've been testing me for it for most of the last decade, including during that middle of the night numbness episode back in May, so I've known for a long time that that might be in my future, and this new news doesn't surprise me. I know that it would mean a progressive path, but mine has been anyway, even though all the Doctors say it shouldn't be doing that. It would, however, also mean having a disease that everyone a) has heard of, and b) believes exists, c) doesn't think means that I am crazy. It would also be a disease that there is actually *treatment* for. Known drugs, research dollars, acceptance by the FDA and SSA. I figure that I have, or will have, whatever I have or will have - getting a more 'serious' label would just get me better/more treatment options, and less overall hassle with my health and life care. It could be worse....

Partners in Clean: Week One!!!

Ok, ok, the bills didn't get paid yet. Tuesday's mail, I promise. Really. Strange but true, we spent our six month anniversary visiting my parents. We even had fun! But, bills didn't get paid, since I napped in the car both ways. Ah well...

That said, I didn't get any suggestions for a kick in the butt for this week either. So - I figured that I would give us all three choices/tasks for the week.

You can do several things from one category, or one thing each from the three categories, or, for the seriously-lacking-in-willpower and/or time, try and do one thing from one of the categories! We'll be tackling habits next week, so keep your thinking caps on this week as you work on: Finances, Magazines, and Counters!

FINANCES:
*Pay bills - hopefully without late charges!
*Actually *read* bills to make sure they accurately reflect the services you have received.
*Balance checkbook.
*Make an extra payment against debt, if you can.
*Look into consildating student loans before the rules change and you can't anymore.
*Check on how your investments are performing, if you have any!
*Check the assessed value of your home/rent amount against other homes of the same type in your area.
*Start an IRA, especially if your company offers matching funds - free money is GOOD!
*Check around for better insurance rates and make sure that you have the coverage you need, ie is your fancy sewing machine covered?!
*Work out a payment plans with a creditor - local folks might take barter, but value of said is still taxable...
*Start a savings account (even just in a jar in your dresser if it doesn't add up to much yet) - and make it for something specific if that helps motivate you!
*Read a personal finance magazine. Money is good for starters, or Bottom Line or Kiplinger's if you are more advanced...
*Suggest something equally financially savvy to the group!

MAGAZINES:
*Check expiration dates, and decide if you want to re-up.
*Organize them for easier retrieval or just to get them out of the way. *Donate/recycle issues you no longer need.
*Actually photocopy or rip out articles/images you *really* need and then file them or do something with them, other than just pile them up!
*Check the magazine section at your local bookstore and read them over lunch to save money (NZ Quilter anyone?), or see if you can find one that would be a special treat for yourself if you want to bribe yourself with goodies or have a title ready to provide the next time someone asks what you want for your next gift giving celebration! You might even find one with useful info for your organizing or business needs, like the Craft Report!

COUNTERS:
*Do dishes so you can actually see them!
*Bleach nasty stains out if needed.
*Check out if you really need all that stuff OUT instead of IN cabinets!
*Buy yourself a new sponge. They hold germs like you wouldn't believe.
*Get a lid/mug/tea/other rack to keep things less cluttered.
*Put dirty cutlery all in one bowl or jar for easy loading/washing later.
*Actually wash the drying rack. Otherwise, why bother washing *anything?*
*Wash and refill storage containers. Trust me - whatever was in them is NASTY by now.
*Make sure that your dyeing and painting equipment is NO WHERE NEAR FOOD or anything that will ever touch food again. That includes not rinsing brushes in a sink with eating stuff in it! Hint: I tied yarn around the handles of the measuring spoons and cups that I use for dyeing, so I know never to use them for food again...


For my part, I will tend to:

-Finances: Pay bills (really!), read Money Mag (done already), put mad money Mom gave me into savings towards new bolts and upgraded sewing machine.

-Magazines: Recycle remaining Time Mags, buy more holders and continue magazine avalanche prevention project, get renewal notice to Dad so he can re-up me AND save money with pre-expiration rates (done)!

-Counters: Do the blessed dishes (it is a wonder the cats didn't shatter them all over the weekend!), bleach counters, break out new sponge, keep pans out of the sink for easier disposal of paint-polluted water.

Not too bad for a plan for the week. BTW - I am going to start putting up PICtures (pictures with a Partners In Clean spin to them). Who wants to see my dirty dishes and counters, before and after shots! (we'll save dirty laundry for another week - yikes!) Sounds scary, but it will motivate me, and you all can feel really good about yourselves looking at my messes! BUT, if you want to put up your OWN PICtures, go right ahead! I don't know if you can put them in comments or not, but you can a) put them in your own blog and give us a link, or b) send them to me and I'll put them up here for all of our motivational pleasure.

So, get working folks, and let us know how it is going for you!

WANTED: Partner in Clean

"Hello, my name is Susan, and I am a slob."

With 8 years of disability, countless roommates having moved in and out, fiber stuff in every available space, and packrat, dysfunctionally disorganized parents who didn't teach me how to be anything else, I am a mess, and my house shows it.

When I was 12, I decided to stop being violent when my pricipal said 'knock it off, or its going on your transcript.'

When I was about 23, I decided to stop being late when my best friend admitted to fudging about what time events started so I would show up on time.

So, here I am, 33 years old, and my objective for this decade is to stop being a slob. Not as easy to start in on cold turkey as the other two were, but I am older, so maybe it *should* get more challenging.

I've read every organizing book out there, and it *has* helped, but I have a long way to go. As of last week, I now make my bed every morning when I get out of it. Since I often go back for a nap or to read, it never seemed worth it, but now I just pull it together (about 10 seconds worth of work) and it looks much better all day long. Plus, since that is where I fold laundry, I am getting that chore done much more regularly now too.

My studio is VERY organized, as are my books. My stuff is actually pretty well organized, but it still 'overflows'. I just read the book "How not to be a Messy" by Sandra Felton, and, if you can get around the constant Christian quotes, it is a really useful book. I had never before looked at the psychological reasons why I keep so much stuff.

My mother grew up in WW2 England, with ration books and all that. She still keeps every piece of string, every rubber band, and hordes brown paper like she may never see it again. Likewise, my dad grew up in depression era Boston, and does much the same, with old tools especially.

The running gag in their house is that if they were illiterate their home would be immaculate: magazines, books, business records going back to the 60's - you name it. Plus, Dad has to keep all of his unread newspapers (in brown paper bags) until he has a chance to go through them and take cuttings. He needs a photocopy of every document conceivably related to business or money before it leaves his posession. Needless to say, their home is a MAJOR fire trap.

So, growing up with all that, I do what I learned (to some extent!) Plus, I keep all of my books - especially the heavy tomes from my college days - as a way of proving that I am a bright, educated person. Without books on neuroscience lying around the house, how is anyone ever going to know that I am a scientist!?!?!?

Yeah, I have issues. I think the same applies with some of my fiber stuff. For years, I figured that no one would take my work seriously, unless it looked like I had a serious amount of stuff. As a result, I have two HUGE bags of dyed locks crammed into my linen cupboard, and no access to a drum carder to actually be able to use it!

I have an entire shelf of pregnancy and baby books (not including magazines!), which I use like a fetish to hope that I will one day actually get to use them!!! Pretty stupid waste of money, too, since they pretty much all say the same thing...

SO - My husband is going along with my new resolve (kind of like the smoker who quits every week) to make this place habitable!!! If for NO other reason, than that when I DO actually have a child, my home in its current condition would take a dumpster to babyproof.

But, in order to make this resolve less of a flash in the pan prospect, I thought I'd ask if any other quilters out there (since so much of my anarchy is studio stuff) might want to join me as my Partners in Clean! We can cheer each other on, keep the momentum going, and chat about quilt art while we are at it!

Any takers????????????

gratitude

You know, I don't do things for the thanks, but I really feel like gratitude just isn't a habit that is taught anymore. I went and interpreted for a 10 year old deaf girl for three hours this morning, out in the sun. I had to drive 45 min each way to get there. Afterward, the Mom said "thanks for coming out and helping us", and she said it like I'd watched her bag for ten minutes.

On top of that, an old friend sent me baby pictures the other week, and I figured that he was just oblivious (as new parents can be) to the fact that it might have been nice to have known that they were pregnant *before* getting mass emailed the birth story, especially since they know how hard (and long) I've been trying to get pregnant. His only acknowledgement of my recent miscarriage was that my husband is obviously fertile! His kid is like 2 weeks old, and he's already all about work and fixing his deck. It just bugs me when folks don't realize how good they've got it, you know?

Meanwhile, I make a daily point of telling my husband how much I appreciate him. I look him in the eye and say thank you when he makes me a salad, or does a special load of laundry for my studio stuff. I have a great husband, and I make sure that he knows it! In fact, I heard a few folks bad mouthing 'men' the other month, and said that, actually, my husband does most of the cooking and grocery shopping, and all of the machine laundry. I do dishes and folding, since they are things that I can do a little bit at a time. He and I both wish that I could do more, but he still makes me feel that my efforts are appreciated too.

Anyone read 'Simple Abundance'? I do the gratitude thing. First on my list every day is my family and friends. Second is that I can walk today (if it is a day when I can't I am grateful that I could before, and will again!) So, today's 3-5 are:

*that I did something for someone else, and still feel good about it, even though I don't feel appreciated by the folks I did it for

*the gorgeous lilies that I saw today, just about ready to bloom

*the fact that the electric department takes checks by phone so that I didn't have to go out in the heat again today to pay my bill when I came home to having had my power turned off (oops! Guess I missed that one on bill day!)

Night all - I appreciate you!

blog type quiz

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What kind of blogger are you?

Yeah, I pretty much share my life with y'all - when it is funny, I hope I am too.

Mostly though, I see how *human* many of the famous quilters are, and hope that by giving *my* foibles equal time, that I may end up famous too. >;)

That said, I looked at the prospectus for the Weird challenge again, and the piece is not due until *Aug* 15. Needless to say, the crunch is off, but then again, so is the head of steam I built up this AM to get cracking on it.

Shouldn't be too hard to get more steam though, since I can just open a window! I am a New Englander, through and through, (and even half Olde Englander, if you want to know the truth,) and this heat is just BRUTAL. I even wore my silly little maternity sundress that I've had since 7th grade (someone had hung it in the wrong section, and who was I to complain about *comfy*, even then?) to walk to the market this AM. And with my goofy green hat, no less. I looked pretty stupid, but I was able to ambulate in the heat, so I was willing to go with that.

I went to the market to pick up my progesterone perscription - 44 days without my period (my first since my miscarriage) and my body just needed a jump start. No pregnancy, but no period either. Sigh. I hate throwing MORE hormones at my body, but I've tried waiting it out when it has been like this before, and WOW is that just not worth it. This way, hopefully, I'll be starting to cycle again before the end of July! Hurray!

BTW - I would link to posts from other folks, and put a neato little "blogs I like to read" thingy on here, if I blessedly *knew how*!!! I used to dabble in HTML programming, but this stuff is just confusing. I know I haven't posted pics in a week plus, but at least now I know how! Soon! I promise!

Time to get cracking

The Weird Quilt challenge is due this Friday, and my piece has only just (as of 30 min ago!) jumped from the drawing board into reality. It is a simple piece, but I really have my work cut out for me lotistics wise. I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, I have volunteered to teach an aquaintance how to drive, and to interpret for a deaf girl at soccer camp. Kevin is in his last week of recertification training for his LNA, and here we are, in the middle of July, having not even *started* on repainting the house (don't ask - it is quite the saga!)

Busy, busy, busy, and not terribly motivated. Oh well. Time to crack that whip!

BTW - Pillers of the Earth, by Follet, is a deliciously long book about the building of a medieval cathedral. WAY more sex in it than was advertised on the book jacket, but it kept things spicy! Great summer read, for those into either architecture or the medieval thing...

Wet and Worth it!

Kimberly, Marilyn, her husband Bob, and I all got very wet and windblown, but we had fun, and made some great fabrics!!! Apparently what was hurricane Cindy is hitting VT right now, and the winds were making huge chop on the lake. We had to clothespin our fabrics to rope top and bottom, and they were still billowing like sails. Some were just flapping like mad! Talk about giving up all control of one's work!

Right now mine are all scrumpled in the back of my car, and I need to go unload them, but I thought I'd take a minute or two off my legs first - fun and frenzied - very Jackson Pollack does wind painting - but I am BEAT! Now I just need to see what all this stuff looks like when it is dried...

And, my camera wouldn't work there, so Marilyn took all the pictures and I have none to show you. Plus, she made the most gorgeous fabric of the day, which is a double bummer not to have pictures of. Oh well. We are already planning our next play day!

To hold Dye Day or Not to hold Dye Day

That really is the question. It has been bucketing here for hours now, and the forcast calls for highs near 70, and clouds all afternoon. There IS a pavillion on site at the park that we could use, but it might be kind of gloomy in the rain...

Alternately, I could scurry round and try to make my studio and kitchen more presentable - I am a confirmed slob, who is trying to reform, but that takes time, and my house is a shambles, and my cats haven't helped any.

The biggest problem I see with either plan is the lack of sun and the overflow of humidity that could make drying our work a real pain. I could set us up for some pole dying in the kitchen, I suppose.

The other plan? Postpone the whole thing on account of rain. That would be a real shame since some folks have come a long way for this, but it might be for the best. We could also meet at the park today, have a show and tell, and then head out for tea downtown to warm up. I think I sort of opt for that plan...

So - I'll take my stuff down to the park as planned, and if folks want to jump on in with it, we can. Alternately, I have show and tell stuff (experimenter's trunk show! lol), and then we can go out for tea. Right.

Thanks for letting me plan! Off to post to the boards!

Quandry time

Can someone please explain to me how I got my best sunprint of the day with stuff that dried *overnight in the dark**???? sigh....

Busily packing stuff up for our Dye Day tomorrow. There could be three of us, or 20; I have no real idea. Marilyn Davis kindly invited me up to their campsite this evening, but too many things need doing, and I have not nearly enough energy or time to do them all... ah well. At least I get to meet her tomorrow!

Pictures when I get home - promise!

NEW BLOG ADDRESS

HI folks -

I just completely freaked myself out when I googled my name and found all of my comments on all of your blogs!

Not wanting embarass myself any more than I may already have done, I wanted to change that, and the only way seemed to be to change the addy of my blog.

So, from now on, you will find Quilt Art Quests and Quandries at

QuestsAndQuandries.blogspot.com

I hope you will join me there!

Sorry for any confusion this causes...
Susan

Calling all Pre-Shrinkers!!

I started cutting the fabric for the twins' quilts yesterday (finally!), and discovered that the selvedges had shrunk *substantially* more than the main body of the fabric. It skewed the weave for about an inch out as well!

How do you handle this? Wash it, cut of the selvedges, block the darned thing, and THEN cut? As if washing and ironing it first isn't a big enough pain all on it's own! So far, I have just cut from the undistorted part first, then resquared the remainder and cut a smaller piece from that. NOT very efficient with my use of fabric, but all I can remotely consider having patience for!

That said, I know that I am a)PMSing (I hope!), b)in a bunch of pain from my fibromyalgia gearing up due to both 'a', the thunderstorms we've been having, and my screwed up meds schedule lately, and c) frustrated about all of the above. Thank heavens for Spike TV. Without my DS9 and TNG Star Trek five hour fix, I think my husband would come home to me once, and never again!

Yummy discovery!!!!

You *know* I turned those pictures before I posted them, and, lo and behold, you still have to crank your head over to look at some of them. Sorry folks!

Fireworks last night were AMAZING! Here in Burlington, VT, we have them down on the shores of Lake Champlain, looking out over to NY. Gorgeous sunset, great seat down on the rocks, jazz in the background - mellow and excited at the same time.

Best new discovery? I couldn't find my earplugs as we headed out the door, but got a tootsie roll at the store on the way - and - don't pick on me for this one *too* much - tootsie rolls make great earplugs!!! A little sticky to take out again, but I didn't flinch away from the sounds of the fireworks for the first time EVER!!! As a result, I got to really enjoy the show - right over our heads due to the winds, and WOW!!!!!!!!! Too fun! I was clapping, shouting and squealing like a little kid, and it was just grand! Tootsie rolls *forever!!!!!* (and I got to eat the rest of the roll. NO - I did not eat my used earplugs - no Bertie Botts Earwax flavoured jelly beans for me! Even with chocolate mixed in! Ew!)

As Promised... VQF pictures!!!

I told you I'd give you pictures of the Vermont Quilt Festival, and, conveniently, Blogger now has their very own photo-posting application, so no more Flickr limits for me! Huraay!!!!!!! Expect to get painted fabric photo overload too, as I have time on my hands these days, and a dye day next week to prepare for!

(Ask me about how I wasted my whole week on two supposed tutoring deals that both fell through - one from nepotism, and the other from folks being completely deluded about how much my time is worth! Sheesh! COMPLETE waste of my time, and the house is a shambles as a result! Well heck - something had to go, and it wasn't going to be my studio time! What were you thinking!?!?!?)

Anyway - pictures from VQF 2005!!! These are some of my faves from among the competitor's submissions:
This one is called "Move over Coco" by the Friday Morning group of Cos Cob, CT. Each artist made a real purse for this piece. Isn't it FUN!?!?


This is "Joy 16" by Stephanie Nordlin or Poplar Grove, Illinois. I loved this piece for the great colors and changes in orientation. It *almost* got my best in show, but I wanted to go with something that would get more notice. Sort of like why I didn't vote for Kucinich in 2004...

This is by our very own Marilyn J Davis of Plainfield, VT! She calls it "Reflections" and this is the piece that was in the Times/Argus for all to see! Hurray Marilyn!!!

This got my Viewer's Choice award! Called "Luna Eclipse," by Betsy Abbot of Andover, MA. She worked on this in a class with the mind-bogglingly, brilliantly tedious, Ruth McDowell in 2004. This was just so *active* after so many staid pieces. VERY dynamic work that just plain sucked both I and my husband Kevin in.

I love this piece - called "Sparklers" by Sandra Gregg of Yarmouth Port, Mass. What interesting shapes!!! Seems pretty appropriate to post this weekend, too! Happy 4th all!

Know what I like?

I like that both the list and these blogs are written by PEOPLE. Melody gets too lazy to cook, and the image of Robbi tossing rolled socks at her cobwebby ceiling is just too much.

So many 'traditional' artists make everyone around them build pedastals for them to stand upon. I love that OUR heroes are not only not full of themselves, but even volunteer stories of their own very human moments.

It gives me hope... >:)

Electric woes

Well, DH blew out my power strip mowing the lawn (don't ask), and I'll be darned if I'm going to crawl under my sewing desk every time I want to iron something, so my machine is persona non grata for the time being. That said, I'm getting lots of fabric painting done!

Painting is WAY less of a pain in the @$$ than dyeing is - no soda ash solution, no rinse baths, and the colors that I mix up don't require breathing masks, and don't go bad in three days! On a lark yesterday, I stuck some still wet piece up to my backdoor window with my brayer - it worked GREAT! Now I am looking at all of the really large (yard plus square) windows in my studio and living room and am imagining light pouring through my stained fabric windows! It even puts a nice super-smooth hand on one side of the fabrics! Who needs irons! Maybe I can plug my sewing machine in after all! ;)

In other news, it looks like I am employed after all! 2 of the students who had signed up for my cancelled class are interested in my tutoring them for decent pocket change, and one of them is a definate. Hurray! No walking around, and an air conditioned library to boot, although it will be a brand new prep (new book, no sink, let alone lab!), and I have to buy my own supplies and haggle with parents over getting paid. At least I am no longer having to scrounge the want ads, and will still hopefully have time/energy to get some serious work done in the studio and on the house this summer, along with the money to fund it all!

BTW - Melody has company. I hereby officially announce my Hall of Heroes! Melody still gets the seat at the top of the dias, but Robbi Eklow now gets a nicely carved and upholstered seat of her own, and all for sharing so many of her little tricks of the trade in her new book. Never before have I actually seen anyone *explain* things like how to get the bobbin thread up to the surface of the quilt, or how to avoid those little thread nests. Plus - she tells some 'don't give the judges anything to complain about' tips that are just terrific. Hurray! Thanks ladies!!!

More pictures coming, and soon! I promise!

soon!

I'm home from the Vermont Quilt Festival at which I met no one, took tons of pictures (some of which I'll share soon), and barely shopped at all, right up until I did - at the ProChem booth!

Now my parents are even on-board with Kevin's idea for my selling my fabrics. He thought my stuff stacked up well with what we saw on sale on Saturday. We'll see! Sheesh! No pressure or anything! lol...

Sat night was spent roasting hotdogs over a campfire with a dozen or so friends, and sleeping like I'd never slept before.

Sunday? Well, it lived up to it's name! Potluck brunch with same friends was followed by three plus hours (felt like a week - so great!) floating down the White River on an inner tube. About 20 of us went, each in their own tube, except for two kayakers who helped when folks got stuck in eddies, on rocks etc. I dang near sprained my ankle when I got stuck on some rapids, but mostly the damage was in the sunburn and sunstroke departments. Can you tell that I got nothing done today?

Ah well - at least I'm creative when my brain has been cooked - I actually did some sketches! I also read Robbi's book (a VQF purchase!) and it was worth every penny for just the first half of it, and the second half was just as good!

But for now? Back to brain addled channel flipping and more Phishy Foody! TTFN!

What *have* I gotten myself into?

I said I'd try and organize a little AQ group here in Burlington. Now it is the NW chapter of the VT Art Quilters, and I am organizing a Dye Day at my local park (right on Lake Champlain, for a mid-dye dip!) for maybe as many as a dozen people on July 9th. Oh boy.

I get to meet more of them tomorrow at VQF, and I still need to make my tiara. Yikes! Faces to names, and pictures galore! Hurray!!!

Time on my hands

Remember how I was going to be starting a new teaching job this coming Monday? Well, they cancelled it due to low enrollment (not enough kids flunking biology, apparently!), so I am offically unemployed. I've been waiting on this for months; ever since I started feeling better, and now, well - I'm sort of all sixes.

I could try and get another part time job. I could keep on working full time in the studio. I could put my time into working on the house. I could do some of each.

It just feels very odd to not have anything lined up. I will probably be able to go back to the afterschool program in September, but that is 2.5 months from now. We could use better cashflow, certainly. Kevin thinks I should start selling my hand dyed and painted fabrics! Needless to say, he has more faith in my work than I do!

Ah well, back to the sewing machine! I'm working up a baby quilt from my abortive experiment with that foldy 9 patch technique. I had the fabric cut, and one of my Drs is having a baby and moving, so why not? Nothing like a little mindless piecing to keep the hands occupied while the mind spins...

so much for that theory

Ok folks - I tried that new paper piecing technique they showed last week on SQ (the foldy one with the 9 patch?). Good idea? Not so much. Putting the sucker together was easy, but getting all that paper off the back? Nightmare!

Out of this anarchy though, I came to a new solution to an old problem. You know how when you are starting a stitch line diagonally from a corner, how the fabric gets sucked into the sewing machine? Well, I noticed that I didn't have this problem when I am paper piecing on a foundation, so I cut strips of parchment paper to run under my diagonal seams, and it works GREAT! Wahoo!

The sunprinting? Yeah, right. I've been working on my goal of not being a slob anymore, and have folded 3 hampers worth of laundry and sorted and moved all the clothes off of two dressers, and the junk off one of them too. I'm just tired of my house being a mess, and I want my home to be baby ready, for whenever that kiddo decides to show up. Roar.

Ack!

I wasn't chiding you for not commenting! I *love* that you drop by here, and I just wanted to encourage you to drop your $00.02!!! (and maybe let me pick your brains a little!)

The commercial hand-dye was bought off a bolt in a quilt shop, so I'm figuring that it wasn't pre-shrunk. Off to the washer for that! (SUCH a good thing that I have the most wonderful DH going - he has no problem with running to the dryer in the basement for me with sopping wet bundles of fabric!!)

I made a pair of pants for work today (only one fumble that a dart took care of - phew!), but the fabric I've been spending the most time and energy on today is my skin - it is peeling off my arm in huge chunks!!! I brought the sunscreen with me last weekend to my friend's farewell party, but forgot to put it on for the 3 hour car ride, so... driver's tan!

I've also been trying to get an AQ group going up here in Burlington, and I'm getting some pretty good responses. It looks like we are going to end up with 3 new groups, spread to the corners of the state, and hopefully we'll get together and do large group stuff (maybe even shows!) periodically.

As part of that effort, I asked on the QA board if anyone was going to the Vermont Quilt Festival this weekend. I decided that I needed to make a tiara so folks could find me (I have some awesome blacklight frogs that a friend sent me that are just *begging* to adorn my brow), and then I realized - duh - that my most identifying feature is undoubtedly going to be... my crutches! Lol... I don't use them all the time, but for that much walking? Heck yeah! At least one, so I have one hand free for *shopping*!

Update

Either there is no one out there reading this, or y'all just didn't answer my plea for help on that hand-dye. Fine. Be that way! ;)

DH Kevin just made up a little song about QA digests...
100 QA digests online, 100 QA digests! Load one down and read it aloud - 105 QA digests on line!

Sigh... how true!

Anyway - just got "off the shelf fabric painting" by Sue Beevers. WOW!!! I can use flour as a resist!?!?!? Gotta try that one!

And, despite your silence on the issue, I think that I just plain need to overdye those fabrics *again* - not much point working on it otherwise, if I am just going to be hating the lack of values the whole time!

Our Solstice festival went wonderfully yesterday afternoon - bunch of new folks showed up too, which was nice, and afterward a bunch of us went down the cliff to the beach and went in up to our thighs in good old Lake Champlain! Yummy!!!! I kept wanting to just dive in, but plastering a sundress to my skin in front of relative strangers wasn't really high on the list. Ah well... it is only 6 blocks away, and the summer is young yet!

I *wanted* to try some sunprints tomorrow - actual solstice day, so I thought it would be cool - but friends are getting married, and I should go, so... Maybe I'll sunprint on Wed - the first FULL day of summer!

It has *finally* stopped raining here, and is absolutely gorgeous! DH is going to mow the lawn today (which usually requires teeth pulling), so you just KNOW it must be nice out!

Just discovered that I need to make myself an official QA tiara for the Vermont Quilt Festival this weekend. I have some tacky silver cow earrings that a friend gave me ages ago, and will never be worn in my ears that I think can make a showing... DH says that I need a Flying Frog since that is my handle, but I don't know that I want to spend that kind of time on my tiara atm. I'm figuring that I'll make one that will suffice for a while, and then upgrade; sort of like my sewing machine!

Anyway, off to work - this is my last week of mornings at home until August, and I want to enjoy it!!!!!

Yo! Help me out here! Yes, YOU!

ok - my title promises you quandries, so here goes - I have two of them for you! Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions!!!

Quandry #1: I had my husband dry my own hand-dyes in a hot dryer. DUH. So now they are all shrunk up, and I usually do NOT preshrink my stuff. S0 - the other main fabric that I bought for this project was a hand-dye as well - 5 yards of the stuff, and gorgeous. My question? --> Are commercial hand-dyes pre-shrunk????? This is all for a project that WILL get washed LOTS (baby quilts) and I don't want differential weirdness, and I am *already* bummed out that it won't get that lovely puckered look around the stitching from drying that I love so much...

Quandry #2: Did I mention that I overdyed the hand-dyes I made for this project? The shrunken ones? Did I mention that I am STILL not happy with the value of the finished pieces? They are WAY too close in value to the commercial, patterned hand-dye piece, and the other color is white, so it really shows. WAAAH! My question? --> Do I overdye them *again* or what!?!?!? Yes, I am going to be experimenting with paints next, and no, I don't want to do that to these, for several reasons: I want to *get on* with these already, already; and I do NOT want to mess with these fabrics while still in the experimental phase of my painting work. Not that I'm not still in the experimental phase of my dye work too, but I got results that will work, even if not hugely well...

Bonus of the day? I found ANOTHER 40% off coupon for Michaels in the freebie paper yesterday. So... off to get that *other* book on painting fabric for dirt cheap!

Comment: You may have noticed that I said I was pretty broke the other week? Well, folks - Kevin got a job!!! He has lots of apps out, but has one solid offer, so we are off famine rations around here, even though he won't get paid for a month yet. He would like some of the other jobs to come through, since the one he got was his 'backup' job, but hey - money is money, and hopefully *another* job he wants will open up for him in Oct, so he won't be at this one long anyway. Hurray!!!!

Shopping!

I went out with DH for a few quick stops, and he made the mistake of letting me shop. >:)

I got sulky threads, rotary blades, a pillow form for my Hawaiian project with Kimberly, and fabric for new pants for work (trying to get my old pants to fit was like playing the lottery - very slim chance - emphasis on slim! NOT!), all on sale!!!!

Also, got foam brushes on huge sale at Michael's, some fabric paints and a book on putting them to use (50% off with my coupon!), a little summer hat to dye up, stickers for my students (hight school kids love them, even though they think that they are for kids) and some wire for my wierd quilt challenge. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to buy anything for that challenge, but if I didn't, I would have used much more expensive wire that I *do* have, and that would have just been a waste of money.

On other notes? We've gone back in time here in VT - from 90 degrees last week, to 50s and flooding this week! Also - Batman Begins is BY FAR the best Batman movie to date. I could have done without the snarly lip, but WAY good!!! BTW - I am very happy for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, and I hope their love and marriage last until they are both old and gray. It is nice to see folks genuininely, stupidly happy. Especially Hollywood folks - it must get so easy to become jaded.

I made a present for some friends who are getting married this weekend, and I am wondering if the idea is marketable. Simple and sweet, and requiring of specialized knowledge that I possess. >:) So, I'm not going to tell you what it is, since I know how many millions of you read this, and you are NOT all cool, honest QA people who wouldn't steal my idea! Hmph!

Bupkus

I have no idea how to spell that, but that is, alas, what I got done yesterday. No embroidery, no sewing. I guess I *did* overdye the fabric for the girls' quilts, but I forgot that I washed them in between dyes, so now I need to soda ash it after the fact (and I have NO idea how to do that! Dharmatrading to the rescue!)

I also spent hours working on sketches for my weird quilt, and I think that I am setting myself up for disaster. That is the problem with me - if I think about something for too long, it ends up WAY too convoluted to actually make! Honestly - 7 layers of fabric with crisscrossing threads and bead work between them - and concentric squares of said treatment... Oy.

Take 2?

Ok, ok. I finished all the machine work on the purple farm animals quilt, and (Kimberly would be proud) am now hand embroidering the lower case letters next to their appliqued capitals. And I've been doing it in fron of CSI, no less. Maybe Star Trek DS9 and NTG will be so kind as to lend themselves as my backdrop today?

I just overdyed the colors for the girls' quilts today - the colors were perfect, but just not of a deep enough value to make the suckers sing harmony. Now I get to wait and see how these turn out!

BTW - I discovered, completely by accident, that leaving my pieces out IN THE RAIN works great! I had been going for a blurred look, and WOW! I definately got it!

Now I need to go back to boring dye. I'm NOT going to use my good dyes on Maypole ribbons for friends that are getting married this weekend. If RIT was good enough for my Beltain, it's good enough for their wedding! (Plus? They'll never know the difference...)

My DH also needs to get his butt in gear if he thinks we are going camping this weekend. With all this rain and heat and me in the doldrums, I would be perfectly happy to go to the SCA event for the day on Saturday, and leave it at that. He wants camping? He gets to get everything together for it, including garb and food for ME for three days! Humph!

Opposites connect?

I just spent the evening with my new QA buddy, Kimberly, browsing quilting books at Barns and Snowballs and nattering. We have interests in common (architecture - her profession, my former major, for example) but are VERY different people. I think that will make our budding friendship more challenging - in a good way. We made a deal that she will help me to actually get stuff done and in general be more goal oriented with my work, and I am going to help her play more and try new things. I think it should be a winning combination! She also does all hand quilting, so hopefully she can help me figure it out at long last. We are planning a dyeing day for some July weekend, but, in the meantime, we are both going to start coming up with the applique pattern for Hawaiian work; something both of us have looked at but never tried before. Nice middle ground, with stretches for both of us!

I saw a flat palm-held thimble in one of the books that looks like it might be a heck of a lot easier on my fingers - any ideas on where I can get one?

BTW - I heard all of you kibitzing at me to 'show up at the page,' bored or not, so I did, at the fabric at least, and proceeded to sew right through my thumb for the first time. I changed needles and finished the motif after DH judiciously applied bandaids in a log cabin pattern to my digit, but then called it a day and went back to my book. I think I'll get the last bit of machine quilting done tomorrow, and then, lo and behold, I think I am going to use sashiko for some decorative work (Kimberly is already rubbing off on me!) and then it will be done! I'll post a shot of it in completed form, but not until then!

I did some beadwork on postcards yesterday, and had the kooky (or not so much, if I am reinventing the wheel here,) idea to make one of those fabric bowls out of the postcards I have received. I can add little triangles in the corners and make myself some baskets for the studio that will show off your fine work in a useful and visible way (and I can even look inside for the signatures when you are all famous!)

Now though? Bedtime and booktime, but I promise to show up at the fabric again in the morning. Ok? Sheesh!

Now what!?!?

Hm. The heat and humidity continue, and I have two weeks left before I start teaching HS biology for six weeks, and will basically get no studio time in!

So? So I'm in a creative slump! I have all sorts of dyed fabric around, pseudo-matched traditional quilts to design for my friend's twins out of some of said hand-dye, and several other projects in various phases, as my regular readers will know. And I'm bored with them all...

At least I have a good book and an air conditioner. And a sketchbook to doodle in...

Brick Wall

While I really enjoyed my day yesterday, and got home WAY too late, my dear departing friend slammed me hard - she painted some henna on my upper sternum (it peeks out of my sundress!), and then did some tarot for me, and WHAM - told me that trying to get pregnant is hurting my body and soul, and I should quit it, and mother my art, my students, and the children of the world instead. She was vehement, and almost angry about it.

I read tarot too, and I work very hard to present my interpretations as possibilities up for consideration, not dictates from anyone or anything. She said that she has wanted to give me this message for a long time, but wouldn't have had the guts if the cards hadn't pushed her to do so. I know that she spoke/read out of love for me, and out of a sincere desire to help me to be happy and fulfilled. She spent half of her time telling me that she knew that I wouldn't heed a darned thing she was saying, and she was right. I'm glad that she could speak to me of her truth, but her's is not mine.

One outgrowth of this though, is that I had never really considered living childfree; I had always assumed that I would adopt or foster or *something* to create our family. I keep seeing that so many of our best and most prolific artists live this way (and that many have kids too), and think about how much time and energy I have for my work now.

I use the cards as pictures on cardboard that let me look at a situation from different angles. When I do a reading for another, I am just the linguist - I suggest possible meanings for a given set of symbols, and ask if those 'resonate' with the person's understanding of their path. I don't ask if they 'understand me' but more 'does this clarify your understanding of yourself?' When a reading is done, if the person asks me for advice, I try to share of myself and my experience with the person, but, unless the person is a darned good friend, I don't presume to tell them what I think they should do, and then only if we have that kind of friendship, which Sherry and I do.

She said that the reading that I did for her (how we met many years ago) was full of hard truths, and that this reading she did for me brought it all full circle; that she and I are opposite sides of the same coin in many ways. That said, I understand that part of her, no matter how much she loves her kids, is bitter over how much of her life they have dominated. Her feelings are valid, if painful, but don't acknowledge how much one can long for a child, and the bitter nature of empty arms, even in a full studio...

Learning opportunities

Narf. I have to go today to bid farewell to a *very* dear friend who is moving to Florida. I haven't seen her in a year, for many reasons. Now I have to go say goodbye to both her and her son. Sherry is an amazing woman - tattoo and henna artist, and tarot interpreter - and shares so generously of what she has learned on her journey. Her son, Elias, is about 12, and tuned in like you wouldn't believe. They are such miraculous beings, and I am going to miss them like crazy! I know they will only be a phone call away, but missing seeing Elias grow into the wonderful man he is destined to become? No fair! DH Kevin says it will be a good excuse to go to Florida (yea, right), but I know that he would try to combine a visit with a shuttle launch, space geek that he is (this from the woman who was one of ten folks in a decade to get free access to the NASA stacks at the local federal reserve library!)

I also learned that the most important thing about dyeing fabric is the water - when, how, and how much! I like the effects that I am getting, but sometimes I like the effects and then they change on me - I think less water is called for! Hard to do when the water is *so* cool, and the air is *so* hot! All this mugginess isn't helping either - dyes are moving around just from the humidity!

Anyway, the funk is back in full force, and I just want to crawl into a hole and not wake up until I am pregnant. Again. I keep feeling like such an early miscarriage shouldn't be throwing me like this, but, after over two years of trying to get that far, I think it is more of a loss than I am letting myself believe. All I know is that I am putting tons of energy into being functional, I keep apologizing to my husband for my moodiness, and my brain and every book I look at keeps trivializing the depth of the situation. And that this isn't working for me...

Blahsville

VT is a sauna, and I'm feeling a funk lurking, so I did some more dyeing today! I got really nice sunrise and sunset pieces and am trying to think up good ways to use them. Color therapy like this is good, but isn't really getting the job done...

DD3 experiments

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

Yes, the orange is deliberate! Sheesh!

These were muslin that I treated and wrung out, but did not unscrunch. I dyed right from the bottle onto the scrunched up balls, and this is what I got!

Did I mention that I need to buy WAY more squeeze bottles?

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to get all those cool patterns that I see others getting...

The experimentation will continue, but Flickr says that I have already used 3/4 of my bandwidth for the month, so you might not get many more pictures until July! How do folks get to post so many pictures? I couldn't get hello to work for me at all, but maybe I should check it out again if that would let me post more work...

Ah well - Kevin is out applying for jobs, and then we go to the bookstore! Hurray! Now I just hope that it doesn't rain on my latest creations!

Dye Day #3

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

I picked up a shower cutain to lay out on my deck, and it seems to work great!

These were done with left over dye from DD2 - just playing around with different patterns, water treatments and scrunching here...

DH Kevin and results of Dye Day #2

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

These were both dyed with blends off of the orange Procion MX - one with a little red, and one with a little yellow!

I also keep mentioning Kevin, so I thought I'd put him in the picture too - he is SO supportive of my work, and is very excited about my new dyeing projects.

Gobsmacked

Ok - I get that Melody is a Goddess. We knew that.

I just picked a random year and looked to see what Michelle Hardy was up to during it. She was in *28* shows and had 4 publications - IN ONE YEAR.

I get that these are professional artists at the top of their careers, and I get that they don't have kids (not sure about Michelle, but that certainly seems to apply to MANY of the professional artists I've been reading about), and I get that they do not (or at least publicly are not identified as having) a disability.

I am NOT a professional artist (yet? yeah, right!); I am starting to think that trying to get pregnant is almost as time consuming as having a baby, and hopefully will be a Mom SOON; and that I DO have disabilities. That said, *28*!?!?!?

If I complete half a dozen challenges (I'm not Melody - they still stretch me), maybe 20 total pieces, and even GO TO three fiber/quilt shows, I will consider this a bumper year, and I might have worked my teaching gig 15 hours a week for about 15 weeks of that, and have been 'free' other than that.

My mind boggles...

Plans for a hot day

90 degrees is the forecast here in N Vermont today. Yipes! SO what to do? Spend the morning washing up from Dye Day #2 and dive into Dye Day #3 with a yard of fabric I pretreated the other day, and some more that I will treat today! Hurray!

I want to play with various direct application methods on dry, redampened, and newly-treated cottons. I figure that I will try the same ideas in series on all three, and see what I get for results. Yup - little old fashioned scientific method in action! The one 'extra' variable (bad scientist!) is that the newly treated bit is going to have to be muslin, as I'm out of the Quilter's cotton. DD1 used muslin, DD2 used QC, and I got comparable results, so I'm not really worried (I was concerned that the heavier fabric would take the dye differently, but not substantially).

Then? Off to Barns and Snowballs with DH for some air-conditioned delving into expensive quilting magazines! Yipee!!! (I start teaching again in 2 weeks, so I am trying to make these last full days into mini-vacations for myself...)

Wow oh wow

Melody is my personal hero. Pam is my Muse, but Melody is my Hero. I may never sew a binding by hand (and take FOREVER to do it) again. The Escape Hatch finish (which must be capitalized, due to it's near-divine status in my heart) is... well, WOW.

I used it on MBD #1 yesterday night, AND did all of the stitch in the ditch work with monofilament on top, cotton behind, and did it ALL in about 90 minutes. (Insert angelic choir "aahhhh" here -> :) :) :)

Now it is ready for decorative machine and handstitching, which I am actually looking forward to, now that I know that hand binding the sucker isn't the following step!

Only problem? The back is a complete DISASTER. Look up Pucker in the dictionary and get a picture of the back of MBD #1! Now I understand why someone said that I should make the back piece just a tad smaller than the top; in order to 'roll' the front fabric to the back so the backing doesn't show on the front, the end result is WAY flappy fabric on the back, and that is BOUND and DETERMINED to become a prototype for a country fair kissing booth - one big pucker after another!

Ah well. Karoda isn't a big fan of the borders on it (neither am I), but I assured her that this is only #1. I am going to leave the borders off of #2 - I promise! I was playing with balancing the luminosity of the pink and purple sort of after-the-fact with those borders and they *don't* really work, but I am trying to give myself permission to screw these up and see where they take me anyway.

BTW - I discovered another really cool thing about my new Husky Star - it isn't constantly trying to trim my bangs! I used to get my forelock (sorry, I know sheep people!) caught in the uppy-downy bit on the top of my machine, and even though I haven't had bangs cut since my last abortive attempt at short hair, you can't tell that from my hair on a humid day - frizz central, and all up front!

This reminds me of something I have been meaning to ask you all - how the heck do you get close enough to your machine to see what the heck you are doing? I keep hearing about folks who have their machines lowered down so they are flush with their tables. Heck with that - I've got mine RAISED on a DICTIONARY (you know - the one with a picture of MBD#1 under 'pucker') so that I can see the darned thing stitch, and even then, I spend most of my time with my head leaning against the top of my machine! My back obviously doesn't love this either, and it is seriously cramping my style as well! Should I get glasses with a different focal length, or what? Suggestions MOST gratefully welcomed!

Your wish is my command - at least if you are Karoda!

Ok folks - I just posted pictures of all the latest work, and it should be up soon (Flickr takes a bit)! I can't figure out how to put several pictures in one post though, so pardon the multipost format. I would LOVE tips on how to do this from anyone else who uses Flickr (I could never get Hello to work AT ALL)...

Anyway, I am off to buy more thread so I can actually finish some of this stuff. I actually ran out of hot pink thread. I'd never used that color before this recent stuff, and now EVERYTHING has hot pink in it! What the heck! It must be the hormones...

closeup of Jesse's quilt - FMQ

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

Here's some of my early FMQ - I was feeling confident enough with it by this time to use a contrasting color, and I am happy with the result.

My FMQ is a lot 'looser' looking than most that I have seen, but I like the sort of 'Lazy doodler' quality of it...

Jesse's quilt

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

Talk about UFOs. I started this about 2 1/2 years ago for my then housemate as a graduation present. He chose the colors, and was a music major, which made the fabric for the big star a no-brainer. I set the points in on this one (thanks, Ruth McDowell!) with varying success. This was also some of my first FMQ, and you can see a close-up of it below. I was pretty happy with it, overall.

Now it just needs the binding finished - and it has been in this state for the last 2 years! Maybe I'll get it to him in time for his wedding? I think he is planning to propose sometime soon....

BTW - that is Spike (aka Booger) crawling into the frame. He is half of the major reason why I don't actually use any of my quilts... at least his fur coordinates with this piece!!

Swoops and Spikes (in progress, duh)

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

Ok - this is coming along, and I'm pretty happy with the development and changes. I'm still working out a fabric to line the lower half-circle, so it is sort of stalled out atm.

However, I just got benched for this cycle (stupid estradiol), but I am not really surprised since it looks like I was retaining still retaining some of last month's pregnancy until at least yesterday. So, I'm out of running for Mommy-to-be for at least 3 weeks, and that gives me time to get back to this piece while in the requisite headspace.

I discovered a new magazine at my Dr's office yesterday (ovaries don't wait for Mondays), called Concieve - it is for folks in fertility treatment, like me! It was really good, but I wonder about their marketing plan. I mean, who is going to take out a year's subscription to a magazine they hope they won't need in just a matter of weeks? No one wants to think that it will be a year before they get pregnant... in reality though, I've been trying for well over 2 years! Ah well... I'm still an optimist, so I won't subscribe, but I *will* read it at the bookstore and Dr's office!

Mending Broken Dishes #1 (in progress)

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

Well, I am becoming a devotee of Melody's. It was bound to happen sometime, and here are my early results - this whole piece has not a single bit of piecing! All fused - BRAND new for me (rarely used fusing before two months ago) so I'm pretty happy!

It is FAR from flat, the diagonals aren't straight, and I used too much pink (luminosity balance? What's that!?!?), but I am looking forward to trying the Escape Hatch on it as well (more Melody Magic).

I'm having problems with the bare WU sticking to my sewing machine base (since I still had to zigzag all the exposed edges with monofilament top and bottom), and I'm glad that I didn't put WU on the back of the white piece as well!

I'm still trying to work out how I want to quilt this one, but hopefully I'll get it done this week...

Dye Day #1 results (just for Karoda!)

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

See Karoda? I DO take hints! Lol...

Anyway, here they are! I started with a basic orange dye solution (3 teaspoons of undiluted mix into 3 tablespoons of water) for the far left piece, diluted it by half for the next over, then divided it in half and added yellow to one, and fuchia to the other!

The small bits at the back were undiluted dye solutions through several layers of fabric. You can see some of my RIT batik experiments behind the frame.

I am really happy with the results (these were muslin, right off the cheapy bolt, with a soda ash prewash!), and am hoping to do the big, expensive fabric pieces (still not PFD, but here now, and that is important!) today or tomorrow.

postcards to date

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Originally uploaded by Bingham-McLaughlin.

The ones on the left are the ones that I've made (the bottom two are from Mending Broken Dishes's first draft, and still need beading) and the ones down the right side are the ones that YOU LOVELY PEOPLE have sent to me!

As you can see, I have some catching up to do! (I'm going to mail them all out at once so they ALL get done!)

Drying in the sun

My rinsed out dye products, and my ovaries! My dye day went great, and I am very happy with the results, although I am slacking some on getting going on the next (needed) round. I stitched down my fused applique for Mending Broken Dishes, and am procrastinating on pulling out the batting (anyone else often get stalled out at this stage? How do you bust through?).

And I had another ultrasound and bloodowork this AM, and got the call (right after DH left for the afternoon without his cell phone, natch) that my cycle has been cancelled earlier this afternoon. Lots of money down the drain, but it was worth a shot. My estradiol levels are lower than they were on my baseline day, and that is after six days of injections at $90 a day, plus labs and appointments! They figure that it is just too soon after my flash-in-the-pan pregnancy, and, since I only stopped spotting yesterday, I guess I can see their point. Oh well. Trying this cycle got me through the time immediately following my miscarriage, and that was worth it all by itself. The dye day yesterday offically pushed me out of my funk, and now I guess I just have lots of work to do to get ready for my next cycle - in July! (I'm doing important stuff, but it just feels like killing time until I finally get pregnant - for real!)

I don't have a dining room btw, I have a studio. It has 2 6x6 foot windows on the south side, a windowed door and long 3x6 foot window on the East side, a French door opening into the living room (with DH, computer, TV and air conditioner!) on the West side, and a window and door into the kitchen on the north side. It is a hideous grey-lavender, but also has 4 skylights in the cathedral ceiling.

All of that natural light is terrific for my mental health here in northern Vermont, but NOT so good for my fabrics, obviously. I have the sun fading issue beat (closed doors and drawers, duh) but dust is another issue entirely. Also, my eldest cat, Spike (aka Booger) has decided that his favorite puke spot in the entire house is on the floor in front of my design wall. I try not to take it as a critique of my work, but that gets hard when my other cat, Hagar (aka Fu), tries to cover up Spike's puke by pulling my design wall fabric (grey fleece) down to cover it up. Sigh.

Two corners of my studio are a shambles though - I have those plastic storage bins neatly organized on top of a dresser filled with drek that needs to be sorted out/gotten rid of, and an old table in another corner that is just covered with all those oddments that have no homes - picnic basket, music stand, etc. I *always* dawdle on the dragging-out-the-batting phase, and I'm thinking that having a 'sandwiching' table might be just what I need - bolts (like my budget is up to that - HA!) of warm and nartural, timtex, WU, black and white fabrics etc, all in a sun and cat hair proof container that let me open it up and roll off what I need, right onto a cutting table. Yes, I am solidly aware of the fact that I am dreaming. Plus, I saw Freida's plexiglass dying/drying area on Melody's blog, and I am in lust for a space like that for my very own. Maybe if I can't figure out a really good use for the dresser space when the drek is gone, I could replace it with drying racks? Keeping the cat hair off those would be the biggest trick!

The space is excellent, and I could get UV film for the windows to help with the sun issue even more, but I still need to move house; if/when we ever get to have said often aforementioned baby, I can't climb the stairs to the second and third bedrooms. We are going to look for a split level ranch next year (hopefully), and, while I'm not counting on having as much studio space available in the new house (unless we win the lottery between now and then), I AM enjoying the idea of actually having access to my washing machine, since now DH has to do all the laundry - down the steep basement stairs!!!

Enough of my babble. Time to deal with the Batting Beasties. Enjoy!

Dye Day #1!!!!!!

Wahoo! I just cleaned up from my first ever Procion dye day!!!! I tested it all out on el cheapo muslin, but I actually got pretty darned near to the color that I wanted on my first go! Hurray!

I get to rinse these tomorrow and see how they come out, and then - on to the expensive fabric!!!

Bummer though - too many social obligations to make many SCA events this summer. Have to figure out how to make it up to DH... he does SO love climbing into armor and hitting people!

My husband is delusional

I playfully kvetched about Melody being able to whip out 13 quiltlets (5"x7") yesterday, and to have sold one and have sale pending on 2 more out of the 5 she put on her blog 7 hours ago. $50 each. I say good for her, and - wow - it must be nice to have a following! DH Kevin? "Get working!" Like I can get $50 for an oversized postcard? I DO NOT THINK SO!!!

So now Kevin wants to be my "marketing manager." Oy. If I had product, I might take him up on it!

Off to play with dye stuff!!!

ok.. ok...

So I limbed weed trees instead. At least now I feel like I have gotten something *done*, and before it got to hot, too. What can I say? The stores don't open for another hour, and the pruning shears just leapt into my hand! Honest!

a HA!!!

I FOUND it!

I knew that if I read enough of Melody's blog that I would find that she had generously shared her dyeing 'formula' with us plebes, and LO AND BEHOLD - she did! (Fibermania, then to Lazy Dyer, incase I forget!!)

I knew about the squeezy bottles and dish pans, but Gladware? Good to know! I NEED to do some dying for the perfect pink and orange for the quilts for my best friend's twin girls (9 months old already!), but I DO understand the need to "surrender to the dye" (Melody, duh), and that I will get lots of other perfect colors long before I actually get what I set out for!

Now here is the kicker... I want to do it TODAY. I have my little pots of MX dye, in - gack! I forgot to buy fuschia!!!! Sigh. Guess I just have lemon yellow, medium blue, and black. Kind of hard to make either pink or orange out of those! Blast it! Nor do I have PFD fabric. I was planning to try this all out with some muslin first (that 'play with stuff you don't care about' theory that works for both me and my non-existant budget), but now I need to go out to Williston (30 min) to get more dye first, then go to the market and get gladware, and *then* hope that Ben Franks is open by the time I get back (those lazy scrapbookers! Hah!) to get squeezy bottles that I just KNEW I should have gotten last time I was in there? Sigh. I even have soda ash!

Hm. Can I play with the muslin without doing anything to it first (other than the soda ash wash?) I *know* that it isn't PFD, but what *makes* something PFD? I know that that means that the sizing, etc has been washed out, but I dye my muslin all the time (with RIT, heaven help me) without doing anything fancy first. Maybe just posh fabrics get the presumed 'good stuff'? Who knows.

Anyway, I can feel my funk of these last two days creeping into my day today if I don't DO something, so... (Yes, I know that I should help DH with chainsawing our yard into submission, but, whine, do I *have to*? Yardwork sounds darned right funk spreading anyway, and I KNOW that he wants me to feel better, so... >:)

SO. Now I need to bite the bullet and actually get up the nerve to go do this dying thing. Mum even kindly sent me some pin money yesterday - and in big enough quantity that I can feel even downright virtuous spending such a small quantity of it on my funk-destroying-dye-day. Heck - this is WAY cheaper (maybe not with PFD fabrics, mind) than therapy, and has NO CALORIES!!! That does it. Time to get off my keister and make this DYE DAY HAPPEN!!!!!! (If I slow down or chicken out, give me heck and a big shove, ok? Thanks!)

Tip trade?

I'm trying to figure out how much sewing down I need to do with my fused applique for a wall-hanging, ain't going to be washed application. I am experimenting with blind stitch with monofilament, but the whole thing? Would freemotion over the surface tack it down enough, or would the edges gap between stitch lines? Not so sure... Ideas would be MOST welcome!

Anyway, here's one thing that I have worked out for myself - I might be reinventing the wheel here, but it might be unknown to *someone*, eh? What is it? Scotch tape. I draw lots of my patterns on copy paper, and then want to cut them out, but how to keep intersecting curves consistent? How to make sure it all goes back the way it is supposed to with matching cut lines? I cut it up in one way (say along the diagonal lines) then tape it back together, then cut along the curved spiral that intersects all of the diagonals. How the heck does it make sense to cut lines and then tape them back together again? Because after I have cut the spiral, I can very easily tear the tape out along the previous cut lines, and voila - perfectly fitting pieces! It works for me, and maybe it will work for you. Added bonus? I get reinforced templates for all those finicky points and isthumi! (What a word! Yikes!)

What a thing to be right about...

Your Birthdate: March 17

Your birth on the 17th day of the month suggests that you are very lucky financially, because this date indicates a solid business sense. Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business and commercial enterprise. You have excellent organizational, managerial, and administrative capabilities enabling you to handle large projects and significant amounts of money with relative ease. You are ambitious and highly goal-oriented, although you may be better at starting projects than you are at finishing them. A sensitivity in your nature, often repressed below the surface of awareness, makes it hard to give or receive affection.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

So - who wants to take a guess at what the ONE thing that this report is correct about when it comes to my personality? Sheesh!

Like you need to answer that! Lol... anyone who reads this who doesn't know by now that I start stuff and then dawdle to the finish line, if I head in that direction AT ALL, obviously hasn't been reading this blog for very long!

Truth be told, I am TERRIFIC at organizing things - in small chunks. The pencil and paper database that I put together for our wedding planning got me a job offer from a hotel manager! When I am gettting paid for something, I am likewise VERY organized. My books (when I can get to all of them and my back is cooperating) are organized by subject, and my undies aren't in with my jeans.

That being said, I want to know where all this money is that I'm supposed to be so good at organizing? Hand it over, and I'll get right to work on it. I promise!

BTW - I redid the applique for that "didn't come out the way I wanted it to" piece, actually called Mending Broken Dishes. How was I supposed to know that you can't piece appliqued bits until Melody alluded to this in her blog? Sheesh! (See? Now I can blame it on lack of info, rather than lack of precision. Much easier on the ego, if completely self-delusional...) The main lines of the broken dishes block didn't come out straight, but I had already determined that this is the first in a series, and that I can get it right next time around! Another good hint that I got from an AQ member? Experiment with stuff you don't care about - I had *scads* of purple and pink WU'd already (NOT my colors of choice) and a bolt of muslin. Presto whammy - #1 in a series! I still need to sew it down and finish it obviously (see above about my birthday - oy) but "progess in a day, not perfection in an hour" IS my studio motto!

Also? I cut up the didn't-meet-my-expectations first draft of the piece, and got the makings of two art postcards out of it! If you get a pink and purple card from me, now YOU TOO have been blessed with a little piece of my creative process!! Lucky you! Yah right. Honestly, I really like the pieces, and am playing around with beading ideas for them. This is also my first time playing with vast quantities of monofilament, and the blind hemstitch applique idea. I'm getting mixed results, but that is all part of the process too, right? Anyway, I'll put pictures up as soon as DH gives me back the memory card for the camera!

On a completely NQR note, I am on track with my cycle to get to trigger ovulation early next week. Nothing like getting back on the horse! Meanwhile, I am grossly underwhelmed by my life, but, hey, that happens sometimes...