Happy Mother's Day

This small (8.5x11") quilt was made for and displayed in the 2004 International Quilt Festival Journal Quilt exhibit. The picture was taken 35 years ago when I was cradling my 6 month old son. It is fused applique with a bit of embellishment and minimal thread painting.

Calendar Cover

The 2012 calendar cover is made, finally. I carry a calendar every week day because of work and I decided many years ago that it did not have to look utilitarian. This one is the Quilt Art 2012 calendar published by American Quilting Society. Small projects like this are a wonderful place to use up cheap fabric. Want to make one for yourself? Search for notepad/portfolio/journal cover tutorials.

Refrigerator

What have I been up to?

Really, I've been doing something! Although I haven't got much to show for it. I am not working on any new quilts because I am going to a quilt guild retreat on March 31. And in the spirit of the April Use What You Have month I am not purchasing anything for the retreat. In fact, I already have two projects ready to take. Because I will be doing these two projects at the retreat, I don't really want to start a third as the two I am taking will need to be finished at home.

I am still knitting on a pair of socks. I'll post a photo when I have them done (which could likely be later in the weekend). These also are in the spirit of the Use What You Have month challenge. You will see what I mean from the photo.

What have I been working on? I've been drawing more earrings in my journal. I knew I had a lot of earrings but never realized how many. I have started wearing a different pair of earrings every day in the lower set of piercings and drawing them. And I've been reading. I have finally waded through the pile of magazines and quilt books on the coffeetable. I'm down to one magazine and one quilt book. Maybe I can start the next Harry Potter book now?

Weight

Sunday Doings

The paper in this journal was handmade. I found that it took ink and paint way too well. So I this journal is mainly a glue book.

I've been busy on the books. I culled all the cookbooks, college textbooks etc and am donating them to the Friends of the Library booksale. The whole back of my minivan is full of books. I hope there is a cart at the library that I can use, otherwise it will take about 8 trips back and forth to take all the books into the library.

I have also been gathering up supplies and getting things ready for the guild retreat this month at Little America in Cheyenne. I know it is early, but if I don't pile things together I just know I'll forget something.

The Kid stopped by this morning. He is on vacation from the newspaper for the next week. He has his car all packed but doesn't know where he's going! He said he'll go to denver-town and then decided if he's going left or right or south. South is a friend, left is an ex-girlfriend and right is Steamboat Springs and snowboarding. (His snowboard is in the car). Gee, I wonder which way he is going to go? Hmmm?

Adornment

I have this love affair with earrings. I especially love hoops and the long dangling kind. I have a lot of earrings. And to record them, I've been sketching them in my journal. If you click on the link to the right (My Photos) you will go to my picturetrail site. The album is Dec'05-Feb 23, 2006. The cat earring is the last page in the journal. I will be starting a new journal tomorrow. Or maybe later today, it depends.

I have found that drawing my earrings is a rewarding task. I had gotten in a slump in the wearing of them. In fact, I only wore 2 sets and a single hoop -- all the time. I wasn't changing them at all. This is sad, really, because I have a lot of fun earrings. By making the decision to draw them, I have to study them them. What will look good with what I'm wearing? Is there something on the earring that will catch in my sweater or scarf? I have to study the earring even before selection. And I have to clean it. I said that I haven't been wearing them didn't I?

I have 2 sets of matching piercings and then in my left ear a single piecing. I have started mixing up the earrings -- you know, not wearing the set or wearing a set in one ear and a set in the other ear. It's fun to watch a person's reaction when s/he realizes that my ears don't match. It's artful earring wearing! Kinda like the socks I knit. They are artful too, because I don't bother to match up the stripes. I like that non-conformity, right brained activity.