Experimenting with Technique

A very good friend of mine got sick last week and needed emergency treatment immediately. I'm lost without my friend and it will probably be 12 days before any diagnosis is made. It happened all of a sudden. We were together in my attic/quilt studio and my friend suddenly froze up and was unable to move without my help.

Yes, my good friend of 10 years, my Janome 4800 sewing machine, is in the shop for repairs. I am lost without my trusty machine, which has been worry free until last Thursday. I'm hoping for a good prognosis.

There has been a good outcome to not having a sewing machine at my disposal for over a week. It has given me the option of experimenting with different techniques of mixed media. Some of the experimenting was messy and didn't work out; others were tons of fun and will probably be incorporated in future projects. The picture above shows some mono-printing using transparencies; making fabric paper; foiling; combining Angelina fibers with stamps and other objects; and my favorite thus far: painting and stamping on tyvek. Each of these techniques needs more practice on my part, but they have been fun to do.

Sixty-one and a day

Today I'm Sixty-one and a day. Yesterday was my birthday. Yup, made it through another year and hope for many many more.
What makes my birthday so special? That's an easy answer. . . family, good friends and sunshine; and I had them all yesterday. Don't you just love those tulips which I received from my DD. And even though it was cold outside, I was able to capture a little sunshine to brighten the day. Thank you everyone who remembered my special day with cards, gifts, dinner, and flowers. I love you all.

Good Things in the Mail

Trudging down a slippery driveway to get to the mailbox in winter can be a real drag. The fancy catalogues that filled my mailbox during the holiday season are absent and because of e-mail all that is left are bills and junk mail. However, last week I received a real treat.

I had placed an order in December for a DVD of the PBS television program of Quilting Arts TV. It came last Thursday along with an order of some lucious wool pieces from Moondance Designs. Now that will brighten up any perma-gray sky and a bout of winter doldrums.

Eye Candy

Recently I did a little thread shopping. Nothing makes a quilt more a quilt than beautiful threads used in the quilting process. I was at my local quilt shop http://www.ericas.com/ when I noticed these beauties. They are Wonderfil thread sets and were on sale!! I plan on using them with my embroidery machine and also for thread painting. My DH can't believe I get so excited about thread. But, what does he know; he is not a quilter. Enjoy the eye candy.

Thoughts of Spring

You ever watch those movies where two explorers are out at the ends of the earth, like the South Pole, and the winds are blowing, and the temperature with wind chill is about -35 below? I can now sympathize with these explorers. Not at the South Pole, but right here in the southwest corner of Michigan. It is brutal outside. Even my dog, a shephered-chow mix, refuses to go outside. Winds have been blowing continously at 20 to 30 mph since last night and the temperature has dropped from 10 to 2 degrees in just 2 hours. This seesaw of weather can leave one depressed and wanting nothing more than a cup of hot cocoa and a nap.
To a creative artist it does give you the opportunity of burying oneself in their work. The variety of colored fabrics, paints, and photos can transform any dark, dreary, and cold winter day into thoughts of spring. The photo above, taken during a walk in the woods with my dog, acts as inspiration and can be just the thing to get those creative juices flowing again. Mother Nature is never boring, but sometimes we grow too impatient with her.