How Cute is This?

Grandma had fun finding this FIND! And my grand kids are going to LOVE IT. You already saw the costumes I found them for their birthday for playing dress up. The other day I found this in the thrift store (where all proceeds go to the local battered women's shelter).

It's a little "dress up clothes chest" and it is FULL of dress up clothes and SHOES!This little chest has holes on both ends just in case a child thought it might be fun

to go inside it and close the top. A safety feature! There are those who strongly believe that a gal can't have too many shoes (Jeri and Patty are among my friends who religiously believe this and their closets show same!) Well now my Darling grand daughter will have three pairs of her own dress up shoes. The pink ones on the right light up when you step down (really, they have batteries in them that still work), the purple ones in the middle have little heels, and the other pink ones have wedged heels and gold spangles with red rose centers on top! Inside is swimming in skirts and tops and veils and all sorts of things to feel pretty wearing! And this huge expenditure was a total: $6.75!!!!

Yes, this grandma is the bargain Queen of all time!

Look What Goodies, I mean Giggles I Got Today!

Soulbrush asked us a while back if we wanted a Giggle, one of the delightful pictures she draws and paints that contain a joke, and I said YES! I said I'd love the one with the woman on the scale, as it seemed to FIT my new health routine I started in January 2008! Today the giggle arrived...

along with a second Giggle with this old woman being helped across the street by the chicken, or is it the other way around? Which came first? ;-)

Thank you Soulbrush, I love my Giggles!

And they will look grand on my artists' wall in my bedroom!

As a part of my exercise program I often walk at noontime. Today was no exception.

First I walked to the post office and mailed the Tribute To Jim Quilt off to his daughter Abby in Oregon.

Then I walked to the hospital guild thrift store and they had some real gems for me to find.

They have a 5 cents bin that was full of ribbons, yarn, and other embellishments that can be used for the ATCs I want to start making.

One of the ribbons caught my eye because it had birds on it. My SIL has asked me if I'd make her a quilt wall hanging for her den that represented her mother. Well, my mother in law is a great lover of nature. She has been an avid bird and squirrel feeder for years all year round, sun or snow, nothing kept her from feeding the critters in her backyard. So the ribbon with birds was very fitting. My MIL is from Berlin, Germany. And when I got the bundles of ribbons home I opened one bunch of ribbons that were all layered together and in the middle of the bunch was a lovely long strip of rich soft ribbon that is very German. It has a couple with the man wearing typical laderhosen (sp?Andrea) and a German crest. There is also a red heart. It seemed that the universe was directing me to items that would be perfect on any quilt I made about my dear Mother in Law. I spent a total of $1.40 for these items including the checkered cloth you see here and a bundle of batting not shown.

My walk was very profitable in all ways, it totalled 45 minutes with power walking between stops and great deals found. ************************

To all my Jewish Friends I wish a Happy Rosh HaShana, A year of sweetness and peace!

Art Gallery Reception and Show was a Huge Success

Art in Solano County by local artists

An amazing quilt made by a group of local quilters

and check out the long narrow cloth piece with black borders above the window over the peoples heads

Yesterday was the opening reception at our local art gallery for the "Life In Solano County" art show. It was held both outdoors and inside the gallery. Food, drink and live music entertained as we milled about outdoors looking at the metal sculptures of a local artist, Phil Glassoff. Inside was the art of many artists of many different medias: oils, watercolors, mixed media, art quilts, collages, ceramics, tiled mosaics, small dolls, photography, and so on. I met some very interesting artists and had nice conversations with several. I loved the live music that was from my era. So I think were the musicians. ;-) or there abouts.

Oh look there is my collage above the doorway!

3rd and FINAL post on Tribute To Jim Quilt REALLY

See Jim's abandoned row boat above his head The boat The whole finished for the final time quilt with added boat Probably the neatest back I have made to date.

No puckers!!!! Wow.

I must have done something right! ;-)

Imagine a photo of me top sewn by hand to the very right bottom of the story-letter

in bottom right corner.

Okay, DH and I had to discuss one last feature on the quilt. He wanted a picture of Jim's boat on it center front. It's a picture that shows his boat abandoned in a field by his old house. I first found the only picture I had of a boat from there and used it on the top of the letter to Abby. But when DH saw that photo he said, "That's not the boat." Jim's boat was a smaller row boat in front of that larger boat. I didn't know! So I had to re-crop that photo and try to figure out where to put it on the quilt. He wanted it dead center (instead of the colorful parrot in the tree). I wanted the colorful spot in the center to give the quilt more pizazz! So we compromised. It is now above the photo of Jim surrounded by his beloved fish. A fitting spot we both agreed. DH also insisted I put a photo of myself on the back. I did. I am not photographing that. You've seen me before! But it is there for posterity sake.

Jim's Tribute Quilt Finished

Letter to Abby about our friendship with Jim and his life accomplishments

The photo is two of Jim's boats The back of the quilt with hanging sleeve at top & Story-letter at bottom Close-up of hanging sleeve cut from a shirt back The last finishing touches to the back of the quilt were done last night. Some machine work to make a frame (cut from his shirts) for the printed cloth page with story...facts about our friendship with Jim and his accomplishments over the years of his life for his daughter to keep, hand sewn to the back...a hanging sleeve cut from his shirt hand sewn to the top. It is now ready to mail off. The front can be seen in the previous post.

Tribute to Jim Quilt almost done

I worked hard today on this quilt. I'd say there are at least five hours put into quilting it with free motion sewing using turquoise variegated thread around the framed photos and objects. I think it has a mix of a Mexican look and water where the fish are swimming and Jim is fishing.

I then cut up pieces of his Hawaiian shirts and pieced them together and used that long strip for the binding, which brings together all the colors in the quilt. It's pinned down and I will hand sew it into place while watching the Presidential debate tonight on TV.

These photos unfortunately do not bring out the vibrant colors in this quilt. But enlarging them will show you more detail.

New Hat for Grand daughter!

The hat is knit with red Lion Brand Woolese yarn left over from a sweater I made her last year, and the rust from a sweater I knit her brother last year, and the green from his this year sweater (for the leaves). The flowers, leaves and trim are crocheted.

Reminder of Time to Vote Coming Up

Remember my Life's Crazy Pieces art quilt? I entered her in a contest for artists over sixty five in New Zealand which will be held in October 2008. If you want you can cast a vote for me THEN, between October 1 and October 5th. If I win I'll be one of 12 out of 300 pieces selected to be in a calendar for 2009. The voting site is: dale@tart.co.nz. Don't do it now, but save the date and do it then if you like.

Thanks....

Hint of another quilt in the works

I am making a big wall hanging/or lap quilt for Abby, the daughter of our friend, Jim, who died this past July. Jim loved wearing Hawaiian shirts. When we were there for his memorial service I took home a pile of these shirts, cut them up and am using them to frame photos of him and his family. He was also a fly fisherman. Therefore, lots of fish on this quilt too, also cut from the shirts. This is the center square made up of several different shirt pieces and is surrounded by eight other like framed 5" X 7" photos. These pieces are top sewn onto a piece of sandwiched black broadcloth.

How to best describe 24 hours of our grand kids first over night visit (without parents) at our house?

. 24 hours of bliss . no whining no crying . only laughter and joy . started with a trip to visit fire trucks and police cars and motorcycles . seeing Smoky The Bear and a remote control fire hydrant . seeing and climbing on piles of pumpkins . getting to grandma and grandpa's house to play . riding bikes to the park up the street . enjoying the play structures there and watching soccer and basketball games . enjoying watching men in mid-evil costumes sword fighting . playing with other kids at the park . back to the house to play out in the back yard raking, shoveling dirt . mowing the grass (pretend) GS remembering this as a favorite toy for past several years . inside with doll house and furniture; doll crib remembered from before . dolls and puppet shows . art stamps and drawing with marking pens (gift from Cris for them) GD saying "I want you to quilt this one for me Grandma!" . snacks . dinner out where they behaved beautifully and ate all their dinner . taking a drive out in the country (3 miles from home) and seeing: 2 burrowing owls, several egrets, lots of squirrels, 1 llama, a herd of goats, several herds of cows, 14 wild turkeys, and 4 full grown big buffalo! . baths before bed; brushing teeth, learning to use the Waterpik~ . story reading before bed (a stack of books) GS saying: "When I come here again I am going to play with..." . bed time without problem . sleeping through the night (no bad dreams, no getting up for any reason!) . GSon asking if "he'd still be here in the morning when he woke up?" . waking happy in the morning . playing more with toys, making music, learning letters, Both kids cuddling up close to me on the easy chair... . drawing pictures . putting on a puppet show . playing with doll house . eating breakfast outside on the picnic table . making more music . drawing more pictures . playing more with dolls . playing with little cars and sitting out front waiting for parents to come . weeding grandma's garden and finally parents arrive . big smiles . hugs and kisses and plans to do it again real soon. Now Grandma might go take a nap. :-)

One thing I am yet to "get": My daughter THANKS ME for taking the kids (babysitting, visiting, whatever we do.) It feels so strange to be thanked for what feels more to me a blessing I am being given, a gift, to spend time with my grandchildren (and children too). I thank HER.

I guess it is a mutual admiration society! PS: Daughter liked the Riding The Rails Quilt on the wall and asked is she could have it! Now Happy Mother is floating on cloud nine! Of course she took it with them~ Can't wait to see it hanging in her home.

A HINT of Something New

On Around the World in 20 Quilts we have a new challenge called "Stellar". We aren't allowed to post the finished work until the three months are up, but you know me, I work fast and once the assignment is given out I am on it. (Just how I worked in college too!) But we are allowed to leave a hint, and I did on that blog, but decided to post here as well. Okay, a hint, a tease of what I am making for my "Stellar" quiltlet. I call it a quiltlet because these are so small! 8" x 11". I am using Angelina fibers, and I did teach myself to hand needle felt using a set of needles I picked up on a trip this summer in Minnesota. There is a marvelous shop there run by Susan Stein, who is an art quilter and so her shop has every art quilters dream fabrics and embellishments and tools. I have her book (one of several she's written) called Fabric Art workshop Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists & Quilters.

Yes, I am still being creative...

UPDATE: Top Three photos are the blocked scarf. Trying to photograph a scarf on one's self while wearing it is a joke. So here it is hanging on my design board post blocking. The white dots are holes (eyelet design). And while wearing it through the mirror... ( this was the beginning of this post yesterday...)

Lest you think I have fallen behind on my creative endeavors I will share the latest.

Welcome to the blocking of a scarf. I got this yarn at a thrift store a while back and I have no idea if it is wool or what it is. It is not as soft as acrylic yarn. So I thought I might try to felt it. But for now I am blocking it to see what it looks like as a scarf. I had to laugh at the shape it became as I was following a pattern from one of those calendar books that a friend gave me that has a new pattern for every day of the year...I just sat in front of the TV knitting while watching and obviously I'd drop stitches or gain stitches as I went without much notice. Therefore it has a very arty look to it (in my humble opinion). I love the colors and the eyelet pattern is hit and miss but I like it. Eyelets are made by a YO (yarn over) and then a knit stitch, K1 and then K2together. I have another ball which may just be enough to make a hat to match!

I'll show you what it looks like natural once it's dried and blocked.

****************

PS: I got a very sweet appreciative thank you email from my fifteen year old GD who said she and everyone else who saw it said the collage I made her for her birthday was "awesome!" She said she "loves it".

That makes a grandma happy!

September 15, 1978

My DH came home tonight

wearing a baseball cap.

When he took off the hat two numbers were glued

to his forehead.

3 0

I looked at it and went, "WHAT?"

He just stared at me.

"WHAT???? What does 30 mean?"

"What's the date today?"

"September 15th. So?"

OY.

I met DH 30 years ago today at the Starry Plough, an Irish Pub, in Berkeley, CA.

He was the good looking guy in an off white waffle material three button shirt

with holes in it

and blue jeans with holes in the knees

across the room

I smiled at.

He came over and asked "Is anybody sitting here?"

"No"

Before he left that evening he got my phone number

and we've been dating ever since.

;-)

Hopefully I'll remember 31!

More fun time at the Gym on Birthday and Fun with Gifts

So heart warming and fulfilling to see the kids enjoying and seemingly appreciating the gifts I made for them... GS is showing off the guitar pic his grandpa gave him to use on his guitar. The sweaters and hats were great hits too, as was the quilted art. Can't see it in the collage but in the middle row third picture across GD has her hands deep in the sweaters pockets.

My brother gave them Mr Potato Head and you can see in bottom row how funny they thought this. Remember playing it as a child using a real potato? Flying is fun!

***********************

My other Grand daughter, who turned 15 this month, received her gift of the collage of photos from my son's/her father's wedding. Lots of her in it.

She emailed to say she "loved it", it was "awesome!"

Nice to hear!!!! Glad it was a success!

Happy Birthday All