Between Threads

New Work..........

2009-06-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have just finished up my newest quilt. I typically don't create political statement quilts, but AQUA is having a show based on the theme Atrocities: Women and War. I love this group, as it pushes me to work outside my comfort zone and discover new things.

I am intrigued with the history of the lachrymatory. These are small, narrow-necked vases found in ancient Roman tombs, thought to have been used to catch and keep the tears of bereaved friends. They are still used in present day.

I envisioned tear bottles overflowing and decided to create a quilt based on this idea.

Lachrymatory: Tears Overflowing

Lachrymatories overflow with tears of sorrow and despair. Tears of war. Women being brutalized, raped and denied any sense of worth. Losing children to land mines and terror. When will the madness stop? Legend has it that when the tears evaporate, the mourning process is complete. Will the tears ever evaporate, or will the bottles continue to collect tears of war? Tears overflowing………enough tears to flood the universe with an ocean of peace.

Soggy Weekend...A Photo Journal....

2009-06-02T09:21:00.001-07:00

Walking the docks of the Seward boat harbor conjures up all kinds of stories in my mind. Thousands of masts rising to the sky. Where have they been, and where are they going? An adventure on the sea lies just beyond this quiet harbor, nestled between majestic mountains, where misty clouds roll in and out, and signs of winter still cling to the landscape. I want to know their stories....Paint, weathered from years on the water must have tales buried among the chipping layers. And, who is this Isabelle? A wife left behind, to hold down the the fort at home? A Mother, a sister, or, perhaps a mermaid?

Oh, the tales these vessels must hold! Of love and loss, fishing and crabbing, whales breaching, waves crashing. I want to know their stories....

As I try to imagine a life at sea, we head back to the campground on the shore of Kenai Lake. The water is calm. Casting a hue of such brilliance, as if someone had covered the bottom of the lake with turquoise and emeralds.
My mind begins to wander....The old dock washed up on the shore, the burned trees in the distance, the driftwood that has made it's home here, perfectly placed among nature's treasures.
I want to know their stories....

A Colorful Adieu.....

2009-05-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

There's an explosion taking place in the desert. Like a painter dabbing an empty canvas, nature has once again created a masterpiece among the arid landscape of western Colorado.

Bees celebrate as they plunge into the cactus blossoms, vigorously extracting pollen by diving into the center of the flower. Nature is such a miraculous event to observe!
Beautiful color and texture on this rock makes an impressive back drop for the yellow blooms.

These are just a few of the cacti covering this area. In a few days the entire hillside will be bursting with color. What a spectacular sight it will be!

From desert to glaciers, I'm heading back to Alaska, where the landscape is drastically different from where I've been the last several months, but no less beautiful.

I'm blessed to live in two such alluring places.....

A Little Rusty............

2009-05-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

After spending some time at the metal scrap yard, I finally tried rust dyeing. I'm not sure which was more fun...scavenging through all the fun junk at the scrapyard, or seeing the results when I unwrapped the fabric from the rusty treasures! I soaked fabric in a mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water for ten minutes. I then wrapped the fabric around the rusty objects, covered it with plastic, and let it sit overnight.

Once unwrapped, I soaked the fabric in saltwater, rinsed, washed and ironed. Here are a few of the results! I'm very happy with some of the textures I got from this process.

So, I managed to bring an extra piece home from my scavenger hunt. This piece of rusty metal was laying in a heap, just calling my name. I thought it would make a great yard sculpture. It was quite an adventure getting it in my little Jeep, but I was determined. Warren just gave me that look........you know..........the "you are very strange" look. I had plans of framing it with copper tubing or re bar, but Warren.........the one who thought I was off my rocker........came up with framing it with 4 x 4 posts. For a cheap piece of rusted metal, I think it turned out pretty cool! I think my husband has quite the artistic eye!
I think I'll be going back to the scrap yard to find more treasures. Now, I want to learn how to weld.........

Collage Mania!

2009-05-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Collage Mania preview is now open! 384 fiber collages donated by 161 artists are available for viewing now! Collage Mania opens May 5 with a minimum donation of $80 for each artwork and continues May 6 and 7 when the donation minimum drops to $40. This is a great way to purchase wonderful art work for a great cause, with all proceeds donated to The American Cancer Society.

For more information go to
http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageMania09Directions.html

House of Cards 1
by
Jennifer Solon

Gravid
by
Beth Wheeler

Happenings..........

2009-05-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot going on around here the past few weeks, so thought I would post a few pictures of some of the events.

A few posts back, I showed a piece in progress for the St. Mary's Hospital rehabilitation room. We finally finished it, and it was dedicated to the hospital last week. Here is a picture of the finished piece. They plan to use this in different areas around the hospital for meditation purposes.
Jen came to visit us in Colorado, and we enjoyed showing her some of the Jeep and hiking trails around here. We took the Jeep up Top of the World Trail, off Utah highway 128. That is one rough road, so Jen and I ended up walking part of it. After bouncing around the Jeep for about an hour, we all decided to park, and walk the rest of the trail. A nice ascent led us to one of the most spectacular views I have seen. We came to a sheer drop off, where the Fisher Towers were below, the snow covered La Sal mountains reached to the sky, and the grand vistas gave us all a sense of awe. A very special place, indeed.

Warren's sister, Jill, and brother in law, Gary, came for a visit. They arrived in the morning, and I quickly took Jill to the Fabric Arts Studio, where we had a fun afternoon of learning how to use the thermofax machine, and the technique of deconstructed screen printing. We had so much fun, and I'm looking forward to using both of these techniques in my future projects....I just need to figure out how to get my hands on a thermofax machine!

Jill working on her thermofax screen print.

Here's a screen that I did.

Another day of hiking led us to the Fisher Tower Trail, which Warren, Jessica and I hiked to the half way point earlier this year. With the red rocks towering above, I truly have the sense I am in nature's cathedral.

Notice the climbers on the top.... pure craziness.....

We had some fun days of hiking and wine tasting, but Jill and Gary had to head back to Pennsylvania. Great memories.......until next visit............

Now, on to the next hike. Do you get the idea Warren and I like to hike around here??? Earlier this year, we attempted to hike the Rattlesnake Arches Trail. It's a fun, but strenuous hike, with many canyon crossings along the way. We reached a point where we decided we would run out of daylight if we didn't turn around, so opted to save it for another time. There is an alternate route open April 15 through September 15, which makes the hike much shorter. We drove about 13 miles, then started hiking. This is a great hike of about 3.5 miles. We had the option of turning around at the end of the trail, or hiking up and through the last arch. We opted to climb through the arch, which was great until I looked down!! We managed to scramble up the arch and over the other side. I must say, it was quite invigorating!

This is the arch we climbed up and through to the other side.

What was I saying about pure craziness??

A view from the other side, once we made it through.

Here are a few of the other spectacular arches we saw on our hike...........

I'm going to miss this place when I leave for the summer........

Wade Into Your Well of Creativity...

2009-04-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Water flowing deep beneath the ground sometimes needs to be encouraged to percolate to the surface. The same goes for getting our creative juices flowing. We sometimes need to search deep into our soul to find that one small seed to bring our ideas to fruition. With daily practice, and awareness of all the inspiration around us, creativity can infiltrate into the pores of our creative being. I believe everyone has a creative vein.

The Art Quilt Association will be having a special exhibit at Denver National Quilt Festival, April 30 - May 3. The theme is Aquifer. Several posts back I had started my piece, and I thought it would be fun to show the process of making this quilt.

My idea started with a very rough sketch. When I had the basic shape decided, I enlarged my drawing to the size I wanted to work with.

I wanted to use some sheer fabric in this section, and just happened to have some organza I had painted earlier.

Once the lower section was pieced, I had to decide on the remainder of the background...hmm...I'm liking this hand dyed piece for the upper section. Now, to get the figure in the proper place, and what type of fabric should I use to create the figure? I decided to paint some organza to pick up the rust color of the background piece. Do you get the feeling I like working with sheer fabrics?

Now, I need to decide how to embellish and quilt this piece to convey the feeling of wading into the well of creativity. I doodled and sketched a couple of ideas...

By adding bright colors percolating up from the murkiness, I hope to give the sense of one's ideas accumulating into creative freedom.

The mirrors are added for a bit of reflection.....

And, here is the finished piece..........

I enjoyed working on this piece, and hope you've enjoyed the journey of my creative process!

Visual Meditation..................

2009-04-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

I love photography. I have much to learn, but still enjoy capturing the beauty that surrounds me while out hiking the trails. These are the places I go to find peace.

If you have about twelve minutes, grab your favorite beverage, sit back and relax. I've created a slide show of photography I've taken on my adventures in Colorado and Utah. Enjoy this visual meditation.......

A Fun Afternoon of Work..........

2009-03-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to help create a wall hanging for the rehabilitation center at St. Mary's hospital, in Grand Junction. Kathy had a rough idea of what she wanted, but was unsure of how to start. I drew up a plan, and we met today to work on it. Jane graciously opened her studio, and amazing fabric stash to us. I wish I had 1/4 of the fabric she has!!! The three of us got to work, cutting and fusing the pieces. Check out those great rust dyed pieces Jane made.....and, the quilt by Rayna Gillman, who will be teaching at Jane's studio in April!

Kathy is busy cutting out the "stained glass" pieces. She is a joy to work with.....so excited about the whole process!

We've got a few pieces in place...........

See Jane...See Jane working on water......
and, here's where we ended for the day...........
We had a productive afternoon! I'll work on getting things stitched down, along with trees and flowers added. This is a fun project, and I'll be posting more pictures as it progresses. We're going to meet again next week to put the borders and finishing touches on it. Stay tuned..............

A Touch of Spring & A Good Cause...........

2009-03-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

The weather has been a bit cool and cloudy this week, but we did take advantage of the few nice days we had to get outside and do some exploring. We took off in our Jeep to do some four wheel'in in Utah.......It's a guy thing, I tell you! Just off Utah Highway 128 is one of many dirt roads, which lead to some incredible scenery........as if the scenery is not incredible on the main road! Traveling these bumpy roads makes me admire the pioneers who traveled across this rugged land in wagons. Even with the modern conveniences like good shocks, good tires and comfortable seats, we still got jostled around a good bit! I can't begin to imagine what travels were like back then, other than very difficult! I've decided I would not have been an admirable pioneer woman! This area is the Dome Plateau, with several arches, and those beautiful red rocks that I love so much. There were far too many roads to venture on in one day, so we'll have to return to this spectacular place.

We ventured down Utah highway 128 a few miles to see a partially built, abandoned cave house. Some brave soul decided to build a house in the rocks, but must have decided it was not the best idea. There was a brick wall, cement staircase, and I'm sure a lot of blasting to get it to the current stage. We did not spend too much time in there, as you could see where chunks of rock had fallen from the ceiling. That would be a rude awakening.........or not!

Today was a very windy day, a good day to finish up some pieces I had started for the Collage Mania, which will take place in May. I started this little piece a very long time ago, but decided to get it finished up for the fund raising event.

"Growth"

The piece below is based on a photo of thistle I took last year.

"Thistle"

The Fiber Art for a Cause fundraiser has raised over $ 170,000.00, which has been donated to the American Cancer Society! That is amazing!

$6,250.00!!!!

2009-03-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

This is how much was raised in three days for the American Cancer Society, through Virginia Spiegel's Invitational Fiber Art Reverse Auction. Congratulations to Virginia, the artists and patrons for a job well done! The next big event will be Collage Mania, May 5 -7, so be ready to purchase more wonderful art work for a great cause!

Fiber Art For A Cause....

2009-03-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Sir Winter McDormant
by
Roxane Stoner

It's not too late to purchase some wonderful art work for a GREAT cause! Virginia Spiegel's Invitational Fiber Art For A Cause~Reverse Auction is now in progress. This is a fund raiser for The American Cancer Society, so go check it out now!!

Noshi Ribbons
by
Gerrie Congdon

Okno V Dom/ Window Into the Home 2
by
Natalya Aikens

And my friends think I'm organized.......

2009-03-19T23:57:00.001-07:00

I must say, I do like to be organized. However, when I start working on a project there is stuff flying everywhere! Case in point...I've been working on a project for Collage Mania 2009 , a fund raiser for cancer research. I finished this little number tonight, so my studio is a bit more organized than the posted photo above! I can't stand clutter for too long! I started with some fabric I dyed with the shaving cream method, which was in my last post. Hand dyed cotton and painted organza make up the flower. I then embellished it with stitching and beads. I finished it by placing it in a black mat, so it's ready for framing.
Hopefully, this little piece will find a good home!

How About A Little Shaving Cream With That..............

2009-03-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the Tuesday Dye Club at the Fabric Arts Studio. Jane asked if I would do a demonstration on shaving cream dyeing. This is such a fun technique, which I like to call adult finger painting! A solution of water, photo-flo, glycerin and dish washing soap is mixed, then let to rest for several hours. Once ready to dye fabric, the "solution" is mixed with Procion dye powder. This mixture is then added to shaving cream until the desired color is achieved. There are many ways the shaving cream can be applied to the fabric. It can be "painted" directly on the table in the design of choice, laying the fabric over the painted design and gently patting or braying until the dye is transfered to the fabric. It can also be brushed or stamped directly onto the fabric. There are no rules here............just fun! Once the fabric is dyed, it needs to be "batched". The fabric is placed between layers of plastic for about twenty four hours. Once the curing has taken place, the fabric is ready to be rinsed and washed.

Chris is having fun with stamps...

Here is one of her finished pieces. Nice job!
Carol has placed her fabric over the dyes she painted on the table...
Tana and Laurie are having fun!

The beautiful quilts adorning the walls are made by Rayna Gillman. She will be teaching workshops here April 14-17!

This is one of Tana's finished pieces. I love the marble effect of this one!
Jane is into saving everything these days. These are the paper towels we used to clean up our excess dyes. They look quite pretty, don't you think? Hmm..... I wonder what she has in store for these?It was a great day in the studio! I'm anxious to see what everyone does with their beautiful pieces!

Mt. Garfield...Conquered!

2009-02-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

Warren and I decided to go for a hike today, and it was quite a challenging one at that! We climbed Mt Garfield, which rises to an elevation of 6,765 feet above the town of Palisade, Colorado. Heading east from the main trail head, we hiked the Gearhart Mine Trail, which was a "gentler" climb up the mountain. After our descent down the main trail (basically straight down the mountain), we decided it was also a more scenic trail.

This area is known as the Bookcliffs. These sand and stone cliffs are beautiful in a very mysterious sort of way. They look very unforgiving, but at the same time are so texturally interesting. There are also wild horses in this area, but unfortunately we didn't see any this trip. The following photograph shows Interstate 70 way down below!

This guy is really contemplating, don't you think?

A bit of quilt inspiration..........

We were almost to the top of the mountain, when we came across ice and snow on the "trail", which was basically rock climbing. After a few tense moments.....and a bit of coaxing from Warren, we made it to the top! My camera was in my backpack so it wouldn't get damaged from hitting rocks..........or falling off my shoulder, so no pictures of that part of the adventure. It was quite a view from the top, looking west over the Grand Valley.

After spending way too much time getting the camera propped up on rocks and sticks, I managed to get to the pose in time! This is a view facing east from the top of Mt. Garfield, with the Grand Mesa in the background.

So, we made it up the mountain........now we need to get back down!

Red Cliffs Retreat................

2009-02-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Is it possible I'm turning into a quilt retreat junkie?? Never in a million years did I think I would enjoy going to a quilt retreat. Packing gear and supplies for two days of sewing in a room full of women, instead of staying home in my own safe haven, where no one can see what I'm working on.... and to room with someone I hardly know??? Are you kidding me???

I just spent a glorious weekend at the Fabric Arts Studio quilt retreat. We stayed at Red Cliffs Lodge, which is nestled among the red rock canyons and the Colorado river, near Moab, Utah. It was such an enjoyable weekend. This group of women has been so welcoming to the "part timer" from Alaska! Jane( pictured below) is the owner of the studio, and coordinated the retreat. She did a wonderful job of getting everything organized........thanks, Jane!

Here's Susan working on her "house" project...........
and here's Rita working on her coiled rug..........
Jan, Christie and Marla busy at work.........

Marla was the overachiever of the group! She cut and pieced this beautiful quilt together in two days.......way to go, Marla!

This is just one of the many beautiful quilts Jan was working on........... Cathy, at left, playing with paints on fabric. It turns out we both grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania.........small world! On the right is Angela, who was my roommate. She is a very talented quilt artist and a great roommate! My " Aquifer" piece is sitting on the table in the foreground. I was making great progress until my sewing machine decided to act up. Luckily, it started working fine when I got back home!

I could not be this close to the great outdoors without a bit of hiking! I tagged along with Carol and Maxine. Maxine came all the way from Michigan to spend the weekend with her sister Carol! How fun is that?? We hiked to Corona Arch, which is a FABULOUS hike! Exhilarating, beautiful, FABULOUS!! I sputtered that word many times during our hike! Here are a few pictures I took along the way.......

Maxine on the left, Carol on the right...........
Awesome.....................

Corona Arch...........

Wow..............
Needless to say........I had a great weekend............

Family, Photos, Fun........

2009-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

We've got both the "kids" in Grand Junction this week, and it's been so much fun! Jessica is visiting from Alaska and Craig is back from Denver, after finishing up culinary school at Cook Street School of Fine Cooking.

I have several photos to share, since we've been busy taking some nice day trips. We took a drive out Escalante Canyon Road, stopping by Captain Smith's cabin. This is a very interesting historical site with spectacular views. I've posted pictures of this before, so won't add too many of this site. Of course, Warren and I each had to pose with our daughter!

We've all been in traffic jams, but how often do you get in a "cattle jam"? We enjoyed watching this cattle drive, especially since we own herding dogs. It was interesting to watch the dogs at work! They don't let those cows stop for anything!Speaking of spectacular views.....Warren, Jess and I took a hike to Fisher Towers. This is located on Utah highway 128, which is the back road to Moab. Since we wanted to make a few more stops on our day trip, we decided to hike to the half way point of this trail. We will most definitely go back to finish what we started. I sometimes wonder why we humans build huge cathedrals, when nature provides such spectacular places to worship the creator......... just something I ponder.....

Jessica aptly named this the Dr. Seuss spire.............

I've always wanted to be tall and skinny, so couldn't resist taking this "self portrait"! Look at those long legs! Ha!After our hike at Fisher Towers, we headed to Gemini Bridges near Moab, Utah. Warren and I mountain biked this trail several years ago, so thought it would be fun to drive the Jeep this time. Here is a picture of one of the "bridges". Pretty amazing sight, but I sure didn't want to get too close to the edge!

Here is the view from the "bridge". The contrast between the desert and the snow covered mountains is so dramatic..........

Warren and his toy.........
Back home with the kids. The neighbors must think we're crazy.... sitting outside in January! Those crazy Alaskans..........

Jessica heads back to Alaska today, where the temperature is showing about 5*. I wish I could pack some of this Colorado weather in her suitcase! I'm going to miss her!

So, I Had This Idea.................

2009-01-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

Aquifer..........An underground bed or layer of earth, gravel, or porous stone that yields water.

This is the theme for an exhibit opportunity for the AQUA group. My plan is to "wade into the well of creativity". After doing a very rough sketch, I decided on a technique, and got started on my idea. Have you ever realized you picked the wrong technique, once you got started?

I'm using cottons and sheers for this part of the quilt. Rather than using the freezer paper piecing technique, I wish I would have started out using a reverse applique technique. I'm too far along to change my plan now, so I will keep with the program! Once I finish this section, I will evaluate where I want to go next.

We'll see if it turns into anything!

Cook Street 180 October Class

2009-01-13T16:49:00.001-08:00

My son is finishing up his Culinary School experience in Denver, and just shared this slide show with me. I thought I would share it with you! He'll be heading to Italy and France for more training, then will hopefully find a nice job here in Grand Junction. After seeing these photos, I'm thinking I better start walking for two hours a day! That is some very rich looking food, but oh, so beautiful!!

Cook Street 180 October Class

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: students cooking)

From One Extreme to Another.........

2009-01-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

I was in the deep freeze of Alaska a few days ago, where the temperatures have been below zero for the last two weeks. As bone chilling as those temperatures have been, the scenery is some of the most beautiful there is. The bright blue sky against the white mountains, heavily frosted trees, and the beautiful sunsets this time of year did make me wonder why I was leaving.

After arriving in Grand Junction, it didn't take me long to realize why I headed south! It is winter in the desert, but the temperatures are reaching the thirties during the day, and the sun is shining brightly. It feels like spring!
With paintbrush in hand, I got right to work shortly after I arrived here. My friend, Jane, has opened a new business, Fabric Arts Studio. It's a wonderful studio, with everything the fiber artist needs. From a dyeing station, to a long arm sewing machine. From a photography wall to a thermofax machine........she has thought of everything. I offered to do some faux painting for her, so I got the break room done in the color of her choice before her open house, which took place today. It was a lot of fun, and what a great way to meet people! She was having a sale on items she no longer needed, so the stations were not set up the way they normally are. The loft upstairs is her private studio, which will also be used as a place for out of area teachers to stay. It's such a great place, and I wish her the best of luck in her new venture!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

Holiday greetings to friends and family.......near and far! May you all have a joyous time with your loved ones this holiday season. Best wishes for a healthy, happy 2009!

Sun, Sun, Sun.........Here it Comes............

2008-12-21T23:46:00.001-08:00

Today is a day to celebrate! It's the shortest day of the year, and that means...........we will start gaining a bit more daylight every day until June 21! Bring on the sun!
I just had to do something to celebrate..........
Happy Solstice!!

2008-12-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

Living in the mountain shadows of Eagle River, the sun disappears early in the day. The late sunrise and early sunset make it hard to get motivated, but it is beautiful when the air is cold and crisp. At around 1:50 this afternoon, I stepped out on the back deck long enough to snap this photo of the sun setting behind the mountain. As I look toward Anchorage, the sun is still shining brightly. I'm not complaining.........at least we're getting sunshine instead of gray, slushy weather!

I have finally returned to my studio to do a bit of work..........or play, whichever you want to call it! Jessica (my daughter), and friend Stephanie, joined me for a morning of creating beaded hors d'oeuvre servers. They are a snap to make, and so much fun! We used turkey lacers for the skewers, and I was amazed at how hard it was to find them this time of year. Luckily, Jessica saved the day by finding them at Bed Bath & Beyond. There are several great bead shops in Anchorage and Eagle River, which made it easy to find a nice variety of beads to use. Of course, we had to dig into my bead cache every now and then to find that perfect bead! Arranged nicely in a box, these make perfect little gifts. The girls wanted crepes for brunch, and since this was only my second time making them, I got some much needed technique practice in......and no....there will be no pictures of me flipping crepes!

I have a lot of painted canvas from various painting sessions, so I decided to use some of it to make book markers. Everyone needs a book marker, right?

I started by cutting black card stock into two inch lengths. Once I determined the width I wanted for the canvas, I cut and fused it to the card stock. I decided to fuse another layer of card stock to the back side to make it a bit more durable. Once they were fused together, I added some decorative yarns through a hole in the top, which I reinforced with a metal eyelet.

Pretty simple, but fun and colorful!

Dark Days of Winter....

2008-12-06T10:42:00.001-08:00

It seems this time of year we have to make our own light, so what better way than candlelight? The wonderful aromas floating from the kitchen, and the question "Where's the yeast?" prompted me to go see what was going on. I'm typically the one doing the cooking around here, so I was surprised and pleased to find Warren working on a bolognese sauce and bread sticks. I almost felt like I was walking down a cafe lined street in Tuscany! The bolognese sauce was served over linguine, and the bread sticks and Chianti were the perfect complement. The movie Cinema Paradiso and some wonderful eggnog cheesecake made a nice finish to an otherwise dark, dreary Alaska day. Now, off to the treadmill I should go!

I feel as though I've been hibernating, but I've actually been very busy in my "den". Not much work going on in my studio, but a lot of home decorating taking place these days. I've been painting the master bedroom and bath, and Warren and I made a fabric headboard to go with our new bedroom furniture. A few more accessories, one more nightstand.... which seems to be lost somewhere, and the rooms will be finished. Now, on to the next project.............. maybe a little studio time?

Catching Up.................

2008-11-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a very long time since I've posted anything, so I thought I would do a little catching up.

After a busy summer working on quilts for my September show, it's been a nice break to work on some simple strip piecing. I'm making this bargello quilt for a friend. All that's left to do is the quilting and binding.

My friend Jen makes quilts for her kids for their 18th birthday, so she brought her squares up to my studio one day. We had fun playing around with different arrangements, and this is the one she decided on. The back will be denim squares, and will be constructed with one side having raw edges. I think it's going to turn out pretty cute!

Warren and I have been in Pennsylvania since last week, and were pleasantly surprised to see there is still a bit of fall color in the area. The weather has been beautiful....much nicer than the summer we had in Alaska!

Yesterday was a road trip! I love road trips! My sister in laws, Mother in law and Mom went to Cambridge Springs to Campbell Pottery. What a beautiful place! Set in the country, they have renovated an old barn into a beautiful gallery, with pottery on the upper two floors and rotating art shows on the lower level. We picked a great time to go, as there is a wonderful fiber arts show currently on display.

Warren has been busy working on the "Done Roaming" Dobson camp, and I've been busy helping my Mom & Dad "update" their bathroom. My Mom had the old seashell wallpaper ripped off, but it needed a lot of patching, sanding and priming before any painting started! I spent a few days painting and glazing the walls. We had fun shopping for accessories.........I felt like I was on one of the HGTV shows! Here are a couple of pictures of the finished room. I call it Mom and Dad's new spa!

Dad and I finally got a walk in this morning. What a peaceful morning, with the fog hugging the trees. The fog lifted, the sun came out, and we've had another beautiful Indian summer in Warren, PA. We'll soon be heading back to Alaska, where winter has settled in for the season.