Birthdays at our house are, hopefully, followed by thank you notes. The Child has an end of November birthday, which means that thank you notes need to get taken care of in a timely manner or else Christmas gifts start arriving with their requisite thank you note requirements.
The Child is a budding cartoonist and this one is based on an experience he had this summer with his grandfather, who is an avid fisherman.
Grandpa (on the left): I got a fish! The Child (on the right): Me, too!
Grandpa (on the left): I got a bigger one! The Child (on the right): Me, too!
After Thanksgiving, I took my cousin, who was visiting from Arizona, and a bunch of other kids downtown to look at the recently Christmas lights. In a recently renovated mall, I followed the strings of lights with my eyes up to the ceiling and was rewarded with this view.
This is a floor at the Westin St. Francis.
This is the corner of the mosaic work. I would love to use this as a design for the border of a quilt. I think it would probably have to be machine appliqued.
Here is some carpet at the Grand Hyatt. I like the way the spirals curl around each other as well as the way they are echoed with some additional curves a few inches away. Definitely inspiration for a quilting design.
The old and boring art vs. craft debate takes on a new view in this To the Best of Our Knowledge episode. As with many topics, looking back into the past and reconsidering past attitudes provides insight into the future.
America’s gone craft crazy. Everyone’s knitting, or keeping scrapbooks; throwing pots or wood-working. And naturally, there are new chains of stores that carry all the supplies these crafters need, or think they do. In this hour, To the Best of Our Knowledge considers what we mean by the word craft.” Does it mean a hand-made object that’s almost art? Or could it be anything that’s thoughtfully done to the very best of the doer’s ability? Reconsidering crafts, next time, on To the Best of Our Knowledge.
Last week I mentioned that Camilla, of CamillaKnits, called for blocks for a family who had recently lost their father and husband in a tragic accident. I thought that it wouldn’t be very difficult to whip out something and send it off.
My block is above. I wanted to make it cheerful and I think it does come across as cheerful. Camilla’s rules were 12×12″ finished blocks. Mine isn’t 12×12″, so it will probably end up on the back, but that is no problem for me. I am finding that it is almost impossible for me to follow new directions lately, though I did try.
I have to say I would have done well to just get out Around the Block and make a normal block. This one took me about 2 hours rather than the few minutes I thought it would. I don’t regret the time, because it gave me the opportunity to think about the changes to the lives of family involved. I was also able to contemplate the projects in which I used these cheerful fabrics.
I hope Camilla can use my block and that the family takes some comfort from the quilt.
This is one of the most cheerful quilts I have seen in a long time. I really like the background squares butted up against each other and the circles taking up almost all the space, but leaving just enough for the backgrounds to peek through.
Last year, Mary-Jeanine and I exchanged emails about gift bags. She had already put her Christmas ornaments away when we had the conversation, but she promised to send me one of her bags this year. I also sent her one of mine.
Mary-Jeanine’s are about the same size and proportion as mine. I am sure hers vary depending on the size of the gift, though. She serges the inside of her bags, which, I am sure, makes the construction go a lot faster.
M-J also does a little different closure construction. She puts a grommet in on each side and makes a casing, so the wrapper can pull the top tight
I really like seeing different takes on these gift bags, especially on the closures.
I always like to see different people’s interpretations of blocks. The Bullseye design is no exception.
I am still working my way through the DS Pool on Flickr. There are a lot of great quilts and projects in that group. Part of the reason is that the the DS fabrics are pretty great. Here is a bullseye, which I came across. It is a different looking Bullseye than the ones that the Julie and AJA and I have done. I like it.
I have, as you know, been thinking about turquoise A LOT lately. I have, at the same I think about colors in and for quilts, been thinking about what color to paint my bedroom. So far I have been leaning towards some type of periwinkle. Truly I am actually thinking of painting my bedroom the same color TFQ painted her bedroom. Partially, because it is a very restful color and partially because the decision is already made.
Yesterday, however, all that changed. I am thinking that all the trouble I have had for years identifying my very favorite color is because I haven’t wanted to acknowledge that my favorite color is blue. I am still not willing to acknowledge the humble blue as my favorite color, but progress on self improvement is always slow.
copyright Anna Maria 2008
When I saw this picture on Anna Maria Horner’s blog yesterday, it occurred to me that I need to rethink my thoughts on color. I like the whole look that Anna Maria has created here. And part of the issue for me is the whole look. I can just plop that lovely (if a bit dark) blue onto my bedroom walls and call it good. However, there is a look here and I will be disappointed if I don’t do something about the rest of the parts. I would have to think about what could realistically translate from here into my bedroom.
Anyway, Anna Maria has a bunch of photos of her Houston booth so go take a look. All the photos I saw on her blog are wonderful. Sigh. I have a ways to go in that department.
Any suggestions on dealing with a look, especially on a budget, are welcome.
I linked to this site from somewhere else and found it to be interesting. I see that the owner, Judy, has posted some history of quilt blocks, with references. This makes my librarian heart sing!
Here you will find quilt patterns like the ones that women shared with each other in days gone by. I’ve used Electric Quilt 6 software to design these free patterns for you. With each one you will discover a bit of history that will give you a sense of what the pattern meant to quilters of the past.
Aren’t these cupcakes gorgeous? I delighted in the artistry the bakers exhibited and it made me think of the human need to create. Some of us make quilts, some knit or crochet; some people create with wood, glass or metal. I think all of us have an innate need to create. I think these bakers are lucky that they get to create something like this as a job.
Lisa Call had a lovely post on her blog yesterday. It was all about stillness and things that winter is good for (resting, regrouping, being quiet). Nice to remember.
As an aside, Lisa and I have Internet-known each other since about 1992 or 1993. We were on the original quilt listserv, QuiltNet and I was in a block swap that Lisa organized.
Today was gray and cloudy and bitter cold. It was the first day it really felt like winter this year. Driving to work in the snow, not seeing the sun all day. Too cold to be outside.
It was fabulous! I loved it. Winter is a time to take stock in where we are and rest. To sit for a while and just let things be with needing to go muck with them. It’s such a great time to get quiet and enjoy a bit of stillness. Nothing ever seems as silent as watching the snow fall.
The short days, the cold cold nights, the sunless colorless sky – to me these are all signs of really amazing things to come. Without this quietness the brightness of spring wouldn’t feel so wonderful.
I found great joy in being in the stillness today and am reminded of the growth that will come as a result of this rest.
I was listening to the Quilting Stash podcast today and Annie was interviewing Elizabeth Hawkins x2. Yes, that’s right, the owners of Lizzie B Cre8ive are both named Elizabeth Anne Hawkins. I am generally interested in hearing interviews with designers and these ladies seem to have their act together in the business end of things. Later I went and looked at their website, blog and subscribed to their podcast. I wasn’t able to find their Facebook group, so that will have to wait. Perhaps I am going overboard a bit, but I am feeling a lack of creative stimulation lately. It doesn’t seem to be bothering my production as the Eye Spy is coming along nicely.
Lizzie B is essentially a pattern company. I usually don’t do patterns, so I probably won’t buy anything from them, but they do have some nice bag patterns. If I can figure out how to make them useful, perhaps I will make one. In the meantime, I will just admire. I did find that the photos and text on their website and blog were rather small and hard for me to see. Perhaps it is time for a trip to the eye doctor!
I thought this quilt was a great use of Black and white fabrics (white on black and black on white), AND a great and different use of the Denyse Schmidt pattern from her book Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I like the very graphic nature of the fabric choices.
