The Patient

It was a long day yesterday. The anxiety of waiting for a 3 o'clock surgery, the surgery, the recovery, the immobility. navigating the stairs, and finally the sleepless night. My Patient is a bit cranky this morning and it has dawned on us just how immobile he will be for the next four weeks. I was thinking it would be like me when I broke my ankle and had a walking cast. This injury requires that he keep his weight off of it. So that means crutches and hobbling. Oh my. Anyway I will be doing a lot more waiting on the patient than I had expected and will again be the house chauffeur after years of retirement. But it will heal well and he will be back to normal in a few months. That is a blessing we are both grateful for.

SunDance

The newest issue of Quilting Arts is on the stands and that's my quilt SUN DANCE on the cover. Inside is the first installment of a two part article on machine quilting. Of course it is ideal if you can take a class from me on machine quilting, it is always easier to learn by doing then by reading, but this is a close runner up. Inside are samples of quilting designs and step by step directions to help you be a better machine quilter. Enjoy!

On a more somber note, my husband Brett is going in for surgery today. This fall after his annual (every ten years) physical his doctor told him to get out and get more exercise - other than golf four times a week from spring to fall. So he started playing racket ball again. Last Tuesday in the sixth and final set of a heated game, he said it felt like someone had hit him with a bat in the back of his right calf. Needless to say he blow out his Achilles tendon. So today he goes in to have Achilles tendon repair. The really sad part is, now he can't go on his golf trip to Phoenix next month. It must really suck to get old!

Ocean Blooms

As a good friend said "Let the fabric do the work!" With silk that is so easy to do. Ocean Blooms is made with a 1/2 yard of my special edition hand dyed silk. The stems and leaves are cotton. But look how wonderful the quilting looks on the silk, it looks like it is embossed.

Collecting

I don't know why I have the desire to collect some things, but I do, not only do I collect batiks now, but I also collect Black and White fabrics. The fun thing about Black and White fabrics is that there are black fabrics with white on them, and white fabrics with black on them. I want to one day make a black and white quilt. I haven't found the perfect pattern to showcase them yet though. If anyone out there has seen one or knows of a pattern that is very striking please let me know. Until then I will continue to buy the ones that catch my eye. I seem to particularly like circles and dots. But then who doesn't?

Batik collection

This week I traveled to Clarkston MI to lecture at the quilt guild there. On the way home I decided to make a small detour to the town of Shipsewana IN. This is an Amish town with a great general store in the middle of town. It had been years since I had been there and I was in the mood to do something just for me. The town is only about 12 miles off of Interstate 80, so I planned my trip back to stop in town. I hit town around noon and went straight to Yoder's General Store. This is the way all stores should be, inside the building was divided down the middle with a long aisle. On the right was a nice grocery store and next to it was the perfect hardware store. They had wonderful farming and canning items as well as all the little do dads that 5 and Dimes used to carry. On the left side of the aisle was a shoe store, with all the name brands, a general mercantile store, with clothes and towels and table clothes and finally a great FABRIC store. After treating myself to a few fabrics I went over and walked thru the huge antique barn next door. Disappointedly I did not find any hankies.

Several years ago I started collected batiks again. I just love the simple patterns and colors of batiks and had stopped using them in my own work. But I decided that I needed to make myself a bed quilt and started collecting. The picture at the top are the ones I find this trip.
When I look at all the ones I have I realize that each time I buy I am attracted to a different color scheme. I will have to make multiple bed quilts. I keep watching Wanda's site to find a pattern that I just must make with these fabulous fabrics. Stay tuned.

SILK

I finally finished quilting "Springs Greeting"
This quilt is made with silk charmeuse fused to cotton. The blue background is all silk as are all the flower heads and bud heads. (I love saying bud heads, living with all those boys all these years has given me a silly sense of humor.) I love working with the silk and it certainly gives the quilt a beautiful lustre and shine that cotton just can't.

Quilting on the silk is really a dream too. Once the fabric is quilted it has a delicate loft to it's appearance, giving it a very elegant look which just makes me happy. Certainly the colors and subject of this quilt make me happy too in this dreariest of winter months.

1974

I said I would dig out the picture of me in London in front of a Henry Moore, but when I looked on the back ot the picture it says -
Dublin, Ireland, Trinity College November 1974.
My mother always reminded us to put names and dates on the back of pictures. Boy was she right, I would never have remember the place or the date. Look how young I look, I was just 21 years old. If you are wondering I have my hair in braids crossed over the top of my head, very Princess Leia like. My hair used to reach all the way down my back, long and flowing.

New Poppies

I am making a commission piece for someone. They loved my Petite Poppies quilt but wanted it in softer more muted colors. I love this new version and colors. Sometimes it takes someone else nudging you to go outside your own comfort zone to achieve new and exciting work.

I like it so much I am going to put a picture on the back of the existing pattern and offer a kit of fabrics in this color choice as well.

Breakfast with Friends

Anne Lullie and Laura Wasilowski.

Having breakfast with friends in frigid January sure does brighten up the day. Of course we are missing Melody to make us all laugh.
The subjects this morning were all about our Christmas's, our husbands, and trying to get in the mood for making art. Just the typical breakfast fare.

New Ironing Station

My Christmas present this year is a new ironing station. It was built by Tracey's Tables in Wisconsin and delivered two days ago. I love it. It has a nice big surface to iron and work on and it also comes with a cutting mat if I so choose to use it it as a cutting area. I already have a sewing table from Mike at Tracey's Tables and I love it too.

2008 Calendar

The 2008 calendar is ready for shipping. If you are like me you need to get this up right away and start marking dates on it. It is the perfect pick me up for your studio or office space.
The price went up from last year. I discovered that in order to mail it flat it cost $1.14 so instead of $3 it is now $5. Still a bargain.
Thank you to all the people who bought one last year. CALENDAR

Happy New Year

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin