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Archive for August, 2010

A Cool Day

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

I have a short blog tonight. I have been working most of the day to finish my lorikeet quilt for the 12 by 12 reveal tomorrow. So be sure to check back to see what I have done. It is quite wild and a departure for anything I have been doing lately!!

Above is my fiber sketch for today, done in cool colors. It was cool enough in the house today to warrant having the furnace on, but we put on layers. However, when I was down in my studio, beading, I had to turn on the heat so that my fingers could move. This weather system is supposed to pass and we will have weather in the 80s for a few days. Here is some interesting Portland weather facts. We had high temps in the 70s and the 90s for this past month, but not in the 80s. However, the average temperature was 80!

SAQA Auction Soon

Monday, August 30th, 2010

This is my piece for the annual SAQA auction. I call it Entwined Roots. I used fused skinny bits that were left over from another larger quilt. The SAQA quilts are 12 by 12. The bidding starts on September 20th You can go here to see all of the quilts.

Here are some other quilts that I thought would play nicely with mine. I like the use of lines in these pieces.

Mary E. McBride  Mangrove Jack’s Home  

Catherine Timm Unnamed

BJ Parady Goldenrod Galls 5

I have purchased a piece each year that the auction has been in existence. It is a chance to get a piece of great fiber art and start a collection.

A Prairie Home Companion Evening

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Last night, we took Mia to see the Prairie Home Companion concert at the Oregon Zoo. After collecting Mia and lawn chairs and books to read, we drove down town Portland, parked the car at Trinity and walked to the MAX station for the final leg of our adventure.

Mia is a delightful companion and loves an adventure. She is inquisitive and full of knowledge about our city and the radio show. She kept us entertained. Here she is letting us know that the train was coming.

It was a sold out crowd, so we spent lots of time waiting in lines. We had books to read, but I really enjoy just observing people. It is one of my favorite activities.

We were able to get very good seats and unknowingly, we sat just behind a concrete riser that was kept clear of people so that Garrison could walk down it to mingle with the crowd. So we got up close and personal with the star and got to shake his hand. It was a very beautiful evening – warm and sunny.

I was warned that the sun shines right into your face as it sets in the west. I bought Mia some Foster Grant sunglasses, which she loved.

Mr C and I were introduced to The Prairie Home Companion back in the 70s, when we were introduced to it by friends from Minnesota and Wisconsin. We have listened to the show off and on since then. Mia and her family are avid NPR listeners and so she has grown up with the show and knows all the characters and the people who play them. When the sound effects guy came on, she exclaimed – It’s Fred Newman!!

It was lots of fun, but Mia thought there was too much singing. We were both hoping for more of Garrison’s skits and monologues. We left a bit early because we needed to get her home and to bed. Her Mom and Dad are taking her backpacking for the first time. They are going close to home and just a 2-3 mile hike to spend one night. She has her own pack. Miles is coming to stay with us so we will have to do something special with him – perhaps the Lego store!

We had to wait a bit for the train back to our car, but we enjoyed seeing the wall art on the station walls.

I bought Mia a t-shirt and I got this bag for my grocery shopping.

You can see all of my photos from the evening and more station wall art on my Flickr Set.

As an aside, I think I had a minor flu bug last week. I woke up yesterday feeling like a new person. I am looking forward to a week of renewed creativity and inspiration.

Feeling Flummoxed

Friday, August 27th, 2010

I have lost my focus. I am finding it very difficult to concentrate on anything for very long. I am spending too much time playing games on the computer and staring at the wall. I fool around all day and don’t make it to the studio until late afternoon. This is a funk that I have been in before so I know I will work my way out of it. Once I start in the studio, it is great, but why can’t I get more discipline? Argh!

I have been working on Allegro:

I think I need to set aside some time to make some new fabric — I want to screen print, discharge, soy wax, etc. I need some stimulation for new work.

I have been beading the Twelve by Twelve lorikeet quilt. I haven’t done beading lately and I am finding it very soothing.

I did get set up with Skype yesterday and talked to Diane Hock and Brenda Gael Smith of the Twelves. So much fun. Of course, I know Diane well, but it was fun to hear Brenda’s Aussie accent.

My other creative endeavor today was to make this very delicious rustic peach tart.

Tomorrow, we are taking Miss Mia to a Garrison Keilor concert at the Oregon Zoo. She is a big fan of NPR and The Prairie Home Companion. I promised her that if Garrison ever came to Portland that I would take her. I hope she enjoys it. Unfortunately, it is outside and the weather forecast is not that great. But, we are hardy Oregonians!!

What Do You Mean It’s Wednesday

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

I was too hot and tired to blog yesterday. I didn’t accomplish much other than getting to my Dr’s appointment in the morning. I got to see my CT Scan and was shown how clear all my sinuses are except for that bit of blockage behind my right eye near the optic nerve, the carotid artery and my brain! Not a fun place for someone to be poking around. He believes that my headaches are from allergies and not blocked sinuses. I am following good hygiene of saline rinses and cortisone nasal spray – without those, I would have more problems. So for now, we are putting surgery on the back burner. I will go back in December and probably have another CT scan.

Yesterday, we had the east winds which are hot and dry and blow everything around. Today, I had an allergy headache, but I dealt with it. It is probably something I will have to live with here in the NW.

Today, I went to Terry Grant’s house to help check with the color proofs of our Twelve x Twelve book. We found a few blips, but overall it looks fantastic. It is really gorgeous – bigger than I expected – nicely laid out. I can’t wait for it to arrive next March.

Tonight, I was determined to do something in the studio so I did another fiber sketch which is a variation on a theme. It is the photo up at the top. I am working up to making some of these larger.

I have also been working on allegro, thinking about various layouts for it.

I have been thinking about going back to making some of my own clothing. I love artsy things and it is very hard for me to find clothes in a retail shop that fit me without some altering. I love this outfit that Michelle Obama was wearing on Martha’s Vineyard.

I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest tonight. I enjoyed the trilogy and am sorry that there will be no more. I am happy that I have gotten back in the habit of spending some time reading a real book every day.