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Archive for October, 2007

Grandma’s Rules…

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

or What Happens at Grandma’s Stays at Grandma’s.

  1. Make hot chocolate from scratch with the best cocoa and serve it with cereal (without milk) in the family room with the TV on.

2. Let your grandchildren play with your studio bling while you get in a half hour of sewing.

3. Instead of taking them to the library (as suggested by their mother), take them to the toy store and buy them some new toys.

4. Let them pick out whatever they want for lunch at the grocery store. Even if they don’t eat it, give them dessert.

5. Squirt whipped cream into their mouths and tell them to never, ever tell their mom!!!!

6. Allow them to plant tulips in your living room sofa — hold the water.

7. Have Grandpa get on the floor and color Hello Kitty with them.

8. Have a match box car rally on the kitchen island.

9. Give them hugs and kisses every hour on the hour.

10. Tell them you love them over and over.

TGIF

Friday, October 5th, 2007

This was our mantra when I was in college. We had TGIF parties, and it seemed as if we lived for the week-ends. Later, as a wife and mom, I looked forward to Fridays and week-end activities with the family. Then, when I went back to work, I looked forward to the week-ends to do what I wanted or to catch up on household activities. When we retired, Fridays no longer took on any kind or special significance.

So, I was amused this morning when Miles announced that Friday was his favorite day. I guess it is hard to be an almost 6 year old, trudging off to school all week long. I was thinking about all the reasons in his future that will make Fridays a great day for him.

I survived the morning routine and got them to school, a little early.

Mia, of course, has to do the silly pose for me.

After dropping them off, I realized that I had about 6 hours to get some work done, well maybe 4 after some computer time and an hour walking the dog. Last night, I started cutting the panels for the new curtains for our bedroom redo. So I worked on those today and almost finished before it was time to pick them up. Look at how nicely I matched the seams.

Miles brought his quilt with him and since I don’t have photos of it, I took some today. It looks pretty good for having been dragged around and slept with for 5 years. And look at how square and flat that baby is.

Here is a closeup. Each window had a fussy cut funny face in it. For some of the windows, I printed pictures of the family and Maggie. Those are quite faded now.

I had fun doing the machine quilting on this. It is called two way traffic because the quilted traffic is going in the opposite direction.

I hope you are having a good week-end with loved ones.

On Being a Grandma

Thursday, October 4th, 2007

We picked up Mia and Miles from school today and we will have them until Saturday. Miles is in kindergarten. I looked through the window of the door and caught his eye in circle time and he gave me a great big smile. Mia, on the other hand, saw me waiting for Miles and told me she would be waiting outside. She got her Grandpa to carry all of her stuff to the car!!

I believe that 5 and 7 year olds take extra oxygen from the air, leaving the grandma exhausted when it seems as if she has not done that much! Having them here for an extended time makes me appreciate what a good mom Stephanie is. It is almost impossible to keep a neat and orderly house. As one mess gets cleaned up, another is created.

We took a quick walk through the Rhododendron Garden and fed the ducks. I thought if they got some exercise and fresh air, they might settle down more easily tonight. It worked. After supper and a little Sprouts TV, they are sound asleep.

There will be no retirement sleep-in tomorrow. I have to get up early to make breakfast, pack lunches and get them dressed and out the door. Miles wants scrambled eggs, bacon and waffles.

Round Robin Collage Comes Home

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007

First, a Wednesday weigh-in report. I was only down .2 of a pound at WW, but I know I have lost more than that in the past week. Our leader calls it the Oregon Hibernation syndrome. Most of us were up or had lost very little. We were wearing warmer clothes which do weigh more. At least I was down!!

In July 2006, I joined a group of artists from the Quilt Art list to participate in a round robin collage. There were 11 of us. I sent off this piece of water color paper with my hand dyed silk fabric fused t the surface.

I periodically got a peek of a photo on our Yahoo site, but couldn’t get a real sense of what had happened to it. Today, it finally came home and it is a sight to behold. It is embellished with all sorts of lovely things. I can still see my fabric shining through the background. I have enjoyed just sitting and staring at all of the goodies. The last person to work on it was Frances Alford and some of you on the QA list or readers of Quilting Arts, might be familiar with her work. I think she spent quite a bit of time making this the beauty that it is.

Here are some close-ups.

Now, I have to figure out how to frame and hang this.

In the box was another member’s piece that I need to work on and send on its way so that she will finally have hers to enjoy.

Twilight House

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007

It took me awhile, but I finally finished cleaning down here in the studio. For the last couple of days I have been working on reorganizing and cleaning the little kitchen area next to my studio. It is where I do my dyeing and wash paint brushes and screens.

I decided to move my paints to a rolling cart out next to my surface design table. It was too difficult to find the color I wanted in the cabinet. Now I can just remove a drawer out and take to the table to work.

This afternoon, I decided to finish a piece that I started long ago, before I moved to Portland. In fact it was almost exactly two years ago, in a class with Mrs. Mel at PIQF. I did independent study because I had taken her class before.

While perusing calendars in a bookstore, I came upon the work of Ton Schulten. I wanted to try to do some landscapes in his style, but with fused fabrics. So I experimented with making a piece in the class. I had never quilted it. How to quilt it had always eluded me. Today I just decided to jump in and do it. I call it Twilight House.

In December, the High Fiber Diet group is having a show of Journal size quilts at the Unitarian Church gallery in Beaverton. My plan is to make one a week through November.

I am so excited because I have signed up to take a class with Wendy Huhn at the Contemporary Crafts Museum. The class description is:

explore hands-on a myriad of techniques for transferring images onto textiles. Participants will work in small format with a focus on experimentation, transforming ideas into imagery, and developing a personal vocabulary.

Except to report that it is raining and cold, there is not much else to report. Steph and Jack just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary and they are going on a little trip up to Seattle at the end of this week. I will be packing lunches and doing the driving to and from school for a couple of days.