Tag: Off Topic: General

Sad Day

Today I lost my thimble. It was in my little handwork bag, I think, when I worked on the Cross Blocks (Flowering Snowballs) on Tuesday. Now it is not there. I loved that thimble and used it constantly for handwork. I can’t do handwork without it. It was a small silver thimble in a very classic style that my mother gave me some years ago. I supposed I have to go and seek out a new one, but it won’t be the same. I am really sad.

Readers and Links

In the course of my non-quiltmaking work, I read a newsletter which periodically tempts me to try new technology. Today I tried Keotag. Keotag appears to tell you about references to your search terms (blog, in this case). I found that this blog was linked by the Thumbelina Pear blog. It is a foodie blog (I wonder if s/he posts on wheat-free dishes??). It is a nice looking blog – clean look and fresh colors which appeal to my sense of color and design.

I am also quite flattered that a foodie would link to this blog. Check it out!

Sacchi Creativity

I received a Sacchi tri-fold portfolio with paper and colored pencils in it as a Christmas gift. The portfolio is turquoise. I love it. I have started to carry it with me in order to have art supplies available when I feel creative.

Last night, on the way home on the train, I took it out and doodled while I listened to Anita Shreve’s book A Wedding in December. First I doodled the designs that are stamped on the edge of the pencils, then I drew some blocks. I felt so out of practice. It was hard to doodle. I need practice.

I am glad I took the Liz Berg class, because hopefully, it will get me going. Not sure if I will be able to create an idea journal like Liz’s but I can do what I can do.

Sun in DC

We had sun in DC today for the first in 2.5 months. It was a thrill to get off the train and see sun. I know some of you are sick of the sun, but I have worn a jacket and long sleeves all summer. School starts tomorrow for the kid, so I have been working on that rather than sewing. Still, I did finish sewing the binding on to Feelin’ Blue, Too yesterday and immediately started working on the sleeve. The sleeve is just a tad too big, but I will sew it to the binding rather than redo it. This means that both bindings are done. Hopefully, I am on the home stretch.

Views

I contemplate this view a lot. I am not always sure if I am thinking or just pretending to think so nobody will bother me. It is hard to know when I am writing about it and not doing it now. This is the Real View.

I took the Real View because of the fog… and in spite of the fog. It is a kind of defiance, I think. Summer is such a foggy time for this area. I feel I have to see the beauty in the fog. I don’t really see beauty in this photo itself, but there is a kind of beauty in the calmness of it.

After I took the photo, I couldn’t stop thinking that someone would be able to find my window by looking at my neighbor’s house and that I should conceal my view further.

All I could think of was a view I call the Pencil View.

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I did it with Paint Shop Pro. I didn’t draw it as I possibly would have at another time. I am not very confident with Paint Shop Pro, but I am pleased with how this turned out. Not completely pleased, though. I wanted less details and more lines and contrast. I couldn’t figure out how to adjust the pencil view to just leave the lines and eliminate the dots. No, I didn’t read the help file.

I tried another of the “Artist’s Effects” in PSP and came up with the Blue View.

This view has the clarity I want. This reminds me vaguely of a quilt I saw at New Pieces a long time ago. The quilt was made by Angie Woolman for a series of classes she taught there called Color Me Orange. Color Me Orange was very blocky and orange. Somehow this picture is just an impression in my mind of that quilt.

Books and Moods

I am more than half way through Five Quarters of the Orange, listening to the digital version as I drive around. I like the descriptions, especially of the food. I am not much of a gourmet, so I think it is hilarious how much I enjoy books about food- this one and those such as Ruth Reichl’s books. I am enjoying it, even though some people don’t like it. It is nice to have something to listen to as I drive around. I have been out of sorts today. I am not sure why. Not enough sewing, not enough free time, I imagine. Perhaps I’ll have some time off after next week. I haven’t made any appointments. I have a hard time sewing during the weekdays, so we’ll see