Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Appreciation of my Craft

Although I'm certain the humans who have my quilts and pillows and such appreciate them, its important to note that there's a lot of silent appreciation going on in the house too :-}
Basil is the black and white kitty, Buddha is the tabby, Moonie is the brown and white, and Kit is the dog.





Saturday, May 27, 2006

New Laptop!!!

Because ebay did so well, I'm getting my very own Laptop!!!
This means I can write ANYWHERE!! Inside, outside, all around the town. Well, mostly in the garden, or, once I have a recliner, in the livingroom. Maybe if I can find one of those armchair-shaped pillows, even in bed! Once we get wireless network installed, I can do my research anywhere too :-}

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!
The only downside is poor Moonie cat. He likes to snooze near my computer. But he can watch from my window :-}




Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Quiltling and stretching my wings

After I finish packging things for shipment (see my Otterwise blog) I plan to make a list of all quilting commitments I've got for the next few months, and put together kits for each project. I'm involved in a swap called "She Who Gets What She Wants" where each of us is assigned a month wherein we can ask for a specific type of quilt block. I chose Dragons, and I think I've got almost all of my blocks. Others chose Goddesses, or a specific colorway or quilt block. I thinkI still have half the months to go, and I want to get organized and get them out of the way. I'm not late yet, but I want to be done with the commitment so I can concentrate on other things.

Then there are the quilts for three of my neices. My eldest neice, Amanda, is moving here from the Baton Rouge area and I'd love to have her quilt and her sisters' quilts ready the next time I see them.

I have an exciting art adventure coming. One of my friends who enjoys exploring other forms of art is going to participate in an art exchange with me! I love her stuff, she has a beautiful spirit that shines through.. (see the link to Ysabeau's blog to the right). I want to clear the decks so I can move on from quilting for a while. I may come back to it this winter, but I want to stretch my wings, and I think I'll mostly be doing art quilts from this point forward.
The photos are some of the blocks I've made for swaps this year.





Monday, May 22, 2006

Eye of Horus and Seven Stone Dance

In another blast from the past, I found some images of projects I STILL haven't completed. One is an eye of Horus for my friends Lydia and Larry, the first time I used Lumiere paints to embellish a project. The other U.F.O (UnFinished Object) is the result of a Goddess quilt Round Robin that I participated in a few years ago, I made the center of the Seven Stone Dance and my fellow participants added the cool dragon embroideries and lovely applique. I should get these out where I can access them when I want a little hand work... maybe this fall? Although it wold be lovely to surpise Lydia and Larry in August, for their Wedding anniversary!




Saturday, May 20, 2006

On a visit home this week I had a nice time with my nephew Robert.
Dad was giving boxes of some of his 'junk' to my brother Kelly to auction off for the fire fighter's benefit June 1st and allowed us to go through the boxes first. I gathered up several (hook-free) examples of rubbery fishing lures, all sparkly and fun colored, as well as some felt discs meant for muzzle loading 38 caliber pistols. I don't have a muzzle-loading 38 caliber pistol, but the felt will take paint and dye wonderfullywell and look really cool on a collage.

When Robert asked what I wanted with the stuff I'd chosen, I told him I was changing from quilting so much to collaging. He came up with the idea of melting the rubber into odd shapes, and offered to keep his eyes out for shiny odd things I could use in collage. In exchange, on our many trips to library book shops I'll be collecting Dean Koontz books for him. (he also inherited my love of reading :-}
Robert and the Lures

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Wrist warmers

I'm currently knitting a pair of wristwarmers. The yarn is hand dyed by my Sister-In-Law Lynn Hershberger www.colorjoy.com

and that pattern is one of hers as well.

Here's a picture of the first one. Not perfect, but lovely and warm :-} The yarn is called Pink Grapefruit, and its dyed in a Swedish Flammegarn style.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Unabashed

This is one of the last items I sewed by hand. I worked on it this year, just before I started using the wheelchair more to get around the house. It seems using my hands for wheeling me around and using them for fine stitching are mutually exclusive. I'd MUCH rather be mobile :-}

So, After I finished working on her, I did my first elaborate machine stitched project, a Greenman to represent Earth in a 4 quarters swap.

It was wonderful to find out I could still create something satisfying to me using a machine. A few years ago I much preferred the look of hand applique, now I like both.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Kitchen Witch

I feel less than creative this month, I've been concentrating my store of energy on making some extra cash on Ebay, and have put almost everything else aside. (well, I guess cooking is creative, and I've been doing a little of that)

For the next few weeks, I'll blog about a few things I created in the past few years, to cheer myself up, and know that I will be creative again.

First, a poem that got published in Sagewoman.

Kitchen Witch
Copyright Diana Troldahl 2004

A pinch to the pot, a baste to the roast
My magic will nudge at your elbow when needed
I'll try and help keep you from burning the toast
No bad luck can enter today.

My legs are clasped tight 'round the stick of my broom.
I swoop and swirl gleefully, laughing out challenge
The tight-knotted straw sweeps away any gloom
No sorrow can enter today

This is my realm, the heart of your home
My twinkling black eyes seek out every corner
Your heart can be light, your feet free to roam
No evil can enter today.