<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424</id><updated>2011-12-29T06:51:53.348-08:00</updated><category term='Library Quilts'/><category term='The first snow'/><category term='Christmas 2007'/><category term='Creative Spirit'/><category term='Creativity'/><category term='Visual Recognition'/><title type='text'>The Dimpled Quilter</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>37</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3320030168875894322</id><published>2008-06-10T07:16:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-10T07:39:10.353-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Long Time No Blog</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NQY3jh1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/htqHJF2qisw/s1600-h/Prize+Peony.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210257131607131986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NQY3jh1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/htqHJF2qisw/s320/Prize+Peony.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NRJ0b0FI/AAAAAAAAAJo/kGSOf801md8/s1600-h/Angelica.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210257144747380818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NRJ0b0FI/AAAAAAAAAJo/kGSOf801md8/s320/Angelica.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NRrFJ9VI/AAAAAAAAAJw/BoM4HFDQYHk/s1600-h/Allium.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210257153675883858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NRrFJ9VI/AAAAAAAAAJw/BoM4HFDQYHk/s320/Allium.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Geeze!!! I can't believe it's been over a month since I've blogged about anything.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Things have been very busy at the Dimpled Quilter household.   My son is getting married the end of this month; the yard needed cleanup; and the gardens needed tending.  Besides, I'm not one to sit inside when the weather is gorgeous outside.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;As my creative studio resides in my third floor attic space,  when the weather is hot and humid, it is unbearable to do anything so, I catch up on my reading, take classes, and generally enjoy the summer months.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;The pictures above are some of the beauties in my garden this past month.  The peony is a prize winner named Charlie Rose; an old world peony with a great fragrance.   The next picture is of Angelica; an herb with both culinary and medicinal purposes; it stands presently  4 feet high.  The last pictures is of a global Alli um; part of the onion family.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;On creative front, I have enrolled in an online class give by Judy Coates Perez regarding Color Theory.  I admired her work from the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Quilting Arts DVD&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and look forward to taking this class. Check out her website and blog &lt;a href="http://www.judyperez.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://www.judyperez.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;.  I really like her attention to detail and her specific instructions. Her class starts on June 23 and is currently filled but she promises to offer additional classes at a later date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;My challenge to read this summer will be to finish &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;World Without End&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; by&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Ken Follett.  It is a continuation of the Oprah book club's &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pillars of the Earth.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;I promise to be a more current blogger but summer is here and I don't want to spend it inside in front of my computer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3320030168875894322?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3320030168875894322/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3320030168875894322' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3320030168875894322'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3320030168875894322'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/06/long-time-no-blog.html' title='Long Time No Blog'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SE6NQY3jh1I/AAAAAAAAAJg/htqHJF2qisw/s72-c/Prize+Peony.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-318152208018170917</id><published>2008-05-03T09:15:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-03T09:33:08.706-07:00</updated><title type='text'>May Days</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ7NJ31yI/AAAAAAAAAI4/UU0pMtFwUAo/s1600-h/bleeding+heart.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196187416896460578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ7NJ31yI/AAAAAAAAAI4/UU0pMtFwUAo/s320/bleeding+heart.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ7dJ31zI/AAAAAAAAAJA/Oh6prZ99hBU/s1600-h/epimedium.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196187421191427890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ7dJ31zI/AAAAAAAAAJA/Oh6prZ99hBU/s320/epimedium.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ79J310I/AAAAAAAAAJI/avWwgKLYQmU/s1600-h/Garden+May+1.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196187429781362498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ79J310I/AAAAAAAAAJI/avWwgKLYQmU/s320/Garden+May+1.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;I love this time of year.  Everything is turning green and the early perennials are in bloom.  The &lt;em&gt;bleeding hearts&lt;/em&gt; along the side of my garage were  a gift from my husband many years ago and every spring they make me smile.  They tell me winter is finally over and spring is really here.  The other side of the garage plays host to my evergreen shrubs and &lt;em&gt;epimediums&lt;/em&gt; which produce very tiny yellow flowers at first bloom and in fall their leaves turn a bronzey gold.   My backyard flower garden will contain various hardy perennials blooming  periodically from spring to fall.  The walnut trees provide some shade in this garden, but allow the early blooming  perennials enough light in early spring.  My oriole feeding in the center of the garden has already attracted a pair of orioles.   I hope Mother Nature co-operates this spring with no more frosty morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-318152208018170917?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/318152208018170917/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=318152208018170917' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/318152208018170917'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/318152208018170917'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/05/may-days.html' title='May Days'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SByQ7NJ31yI/AAAAAAAAAI4/UU0pMtFwUAo/s72-c/bleeding+heart.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-310680455211923056</id><published>2008-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-24T06:27:48.745-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Garden Favorites</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SBCHPdJ31tI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/TAn4znP59TA/s1600-h/Hyacinth+Garden.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192799069952005842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SBCHPdJ31tI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/TAn4znP59TA/s320/Hyacinth+Garden.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SBCHQdJ31uI/AAAAAAAAAIY/NCok8R0jkNU/s1600-h/Delph+Blu+Hyacinth.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192799087131875042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SBCHQdJ31uI/AAAAAAAAAIY/NCok8R0jkNU/s320/Delph+Blu+Hyacinth.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; I'm really into spring.  The colors of the garden, the blossoms on the fruit trees, the sounds of the birds; however, it's the yard work that throws me into a tizzy.  Winters are long, (or so they seem) and I can never really clean up all the leaves that fall before the first snow.  So, that makes  quite a bit to do in the early days of spring.  Raking, hauling manure to fertilize the gardens,  trimming the bushes and cleaning up the outdoor furniture tends to become an endless chore.  I want to go out to the garden centers and pick up my annuals but I know that tender plants are so susceptible to a frost that I must wait until at least May 15 before planting.  In my younger years I would head to the garden center at the first signs of warm weather.  Now, being a bit older, perhaps wiser also, I know that I must be patient.&lt;br /&gt;I do have some color in the garden now  with my beautiful hyacinths.  They are scattered around the yard and provide that much needed beauty of spring that I so crave.  So, patient I will be, and continue the yard cleanup with thoughts of sunshine and warm and sunny days.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-310680455211923056?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/310680455211923056/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=310680455211923056' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/310680455211923056'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/310680455211923056'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/garden-favorites.html' title='Garden Favorites'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SBCHPdJ31tI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/TAn4znP59TA/s72-c/Hyacinth+Garden.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3205734959720052039</id><published>2008-04-21T04:51:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-21T05:11:09.385-07:00</updated><title type='text'>More pics from IQA Chicago</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA0g56d1I/AAAAAAAAAH0/rjiZnPadRMc/s1600-h/DSCN1115.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191666110125733714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA0g56d1I/AAAAAAAAAH0/rjiZnPadRMc/s320/DSCN1115.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA1A56d2I/AAAAAAAAAH8/MIupHOtVSvo/s1600-h/DSCN1170.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191666118715668322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA1A56d2I/AAAAAAAAAH8/MIupHOtVSvo/s320/DSCN1170.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA1Q56d3I/AAAAAAAAAIE/4210FH7u65g/s1600-h/DSCN1152.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191666123010635634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA1Q56d3I/AAAAAAAAAIE/4210FH7u65g/s320/DSCN1152.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;The above are some of pictures of quilts I took at the IQA show in Chicago. Though I took over 60 pictures of different quilts , these three quilts are my favorites.  The first one is  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fatal Attraction &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;by Sandy Curran; the second is &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Turbulence &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;by Diane Firth (can you believe each of those strips were torn then sewn to create the concentric circles); and the bottom quilt is &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Twilight Dance &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;by Charla R. Gee ( love the colors of this quilt). I also enjoyed the &lt;strong&gt;SAQA &lt;/strong&gt;exhibit of quilts but they were off limits to photograph. As I review the pictures of these truly superb quilts I marvel at the artist's techniques and their attention to detail and choice of colors. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;When telling the uninformed about my trip to see quilts at an international venue such at IQA, many vision the quilts their grandmothers and great grandmothers made.  When I show them my pictures they are left speechless.  I do love the traditional quilts and many traditional patterns, but my heart leaps when I see these quilts; contemporary, artistic, and innovative. Traditional quilts may warm the bed at night, but these artistic wonders warm my heart.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3205734959720052039?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3205734959720052039/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3205734959720052039' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3205734959720052039'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3205734959720052039'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-pics-from-iqa-chicago.html' title='More pics from IQA Chicago'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAyA0g56d1I/AAAAAAAAAH0/rjiZnPadRMc/s72-c/DSCN1115.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3405756168398599511</id><published>2008-04-20T08:13:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-20T08:32:51.954-07:00</updated><title type='text'>IQA Classes</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAteIA56dzI/AAAAAAAAAHk/xbZ8ShdKIUA/s1600-h/DSCN1073.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191346487249499954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAteIA56dzI/AAAAAAAAAHk/xbZ8ShdKIUA/s320/DSCN1073.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAteIQ56d0I/AAAAAAAAAHs/D6cEKzEYPHE/s1600-h/DSCN1085.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191346491544467266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAteIQ56d0I/AAAAAAAAAHs/D6cEKzEYPHE/s320/DSCN1085.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;While attending the IQA show I was fortunate to take two wonderful classes from two very creative and innovative teachers.  The first class involved making a purse from Tyvek.  Yes, tyvek, the building material used by home builders to moisture proof a home during construction.  The teacher, Tricia Spitzmueller, &lt;a href="http://www.triciaspitzmueller.com/"&gt;http://www.triciaspitzmueller.com&lt;/a&gt; showed us varied artistic uses for this material and how much fun it was to experiment with this recyclable .  The first picture above shows the sample purse.  It is fun, durable, and so light weight, it's hard to believe you are even carrying it around.  Thanks Tricia, I really enjoyed your class.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;The class on Friday was presented by Lisa Engelbrecht &lt;a href="http://lisaengelbrecht.com/"&gt;http://lisaengelbrecht.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;a master at calligraphy.  Even though it may take years before I perfect my skills with ink pen and paper practicing this art, she made the class fun.  I personally think she was extremely generous with letting us use different types of pens, inks, paints,  stamps, and other creative materials.  The second picture is a project done by Lisa which appeared in&lt;em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Quilting Arts Magazine&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.  I know I will have fun continuing my practice on canvas of using inks and paints.  She has a DVD which can be purchased at her above listed website.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Attending classes at this IQA show is exhausting but nevertheless it gives you a chance to try things you may never have tried before, and with the help of teachers as listed above, it is always a delightful experience&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3405756168398599511?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3405756168398599511/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3405756168398599511' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3405756168398599511'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3405756168398599511'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/iqa-classes.html' title='IQA Classes'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAteIA56dzI/AAAAAAAAAHk/xbZ8ShdKIUA/s72-c/DSCN1073.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3120078448533618635</id><published>2008-04-17T11:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-17T11:42:42.625-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Chicago Memories</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAeU89tc7YI/AAAAAAAAAHU/p3Gz0mKeL7U/s1600-h/DSCN1144.JPG"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAeUsttc7XI/AAAAAAAAAHM/DbzHKtzkOsM/s1600-h/DSCN1143.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190280591473175922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="342" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAeUsttc7XI/AAAAAAAAAHM/DbzHKtzkOsM/s320/DSCN1143.JPG" width="191" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;I'm finally back to somewhat "normal" after a whirlwind 4 days at the IQA show at Rosemont, near Chicago. It will be difficult to fit in all my memories in one blog but I will attempt to start out by saying that it was exhausting but I had a great time. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;One of the events I attended was the Bernina Fashion Show luncheon. This is one of the entries of the show called &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;A Snowflake's Journey&lt;/em&gt; by &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Donna M. Brown. It was gorgeous; a wool cape embellished with wool fibers and a silk sheath overlaid with machine embroidered lace and Swarovski crystals. It literally takes your breath away. There were over 43 garments in the show each as beautiful as this one. However, this was not the only fashion show I attended while at the Quilt Show. On Thursday, I went to the &lt;em&gt;Surviving Project Runway&lt;/em&gt; luncheon sponsored by Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts Magazines. If you have ever watched Project Runway on Bravo you can just imagine what fun I had being a participant in the afternoon shenanigans that followed the luncheon. I don't want to give too much away, but if you have the chance to attend the luncheon at the IQA Longbeach Show, please do not hesitate. I never laughed so much in my life. In my next blog I tell you about the classes I took from some very  good and patient teachers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3120078448533618635?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3120078448533618635/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3120078448533618635' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3120078448533618635'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3120078448533618635'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/chicago-memories.html' title='Chicago Memories'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/SAeUsttc7XI/AAAAAAAAAHM/DbzHKtzkOsM/s72-c/DSCN1143.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-8872667328215311667</id><published>2008-04-09T03:58:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-09T04:16:23.388-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Chicago, my kind of town</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_yhWUZsXcI/AAAAAAAAAHE/hGYuzrAzuA4/s1600-h/Chicago.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187198275629637058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 237px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="179" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_yhWUZsXcI/AAAAAAAAAHE/hGYuzrAzuA4/s320/Chicago.jpg" width="207" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Leaving today for a trip to the International Quilt Show  at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.  I've been looking forward to this trip for quite some time.  IQA puts on a fantastic show in the windy city with over 800 quilts on display and 400 vendors setting up shop. It's a mini version of their big show that takes place yearly in Houston in October.  It's a chance to see  traditional and art quilts in one venue and it offers the a chance to take classes with famous teachers well versed in varied aspects of quilting. The wealth of information is staggering.  At this show, as in Houston, the very gracious, Karey Bresenhan, hosts a get together with SAQA and quiltart members which includes the traditional tiara parade. Meeting with other art quilters at this get together is the highlight of the trip for me.  My mind explodes with ideas by just talking with this very talented people.  Of course, I do also enjoy the shopping at the vendors on the convention floor. I guess you could say "Chicago is my kind of town".  &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-8872667328215311667?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/8872667328215311667/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=8872667328215311667' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8872667328215311667'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8872667328215311667'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/chicago-my-kind-of-town.html' title='Chicago, my kind of town'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_yhWUZsXcI/AAAAAAAAAHE/hGYuzrAzuA4/s72-c/Chicago.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-4286075535980254039</id><published>2008-04-01T06:52:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-01T07:03:13.102-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Library Ladies</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_JAOUZsXbI/AAAAAAAAAG8/pBQtwJcOJBc/s1600-h/DSCN1056.JPG"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_I-bUZsXaI/AAAAAAAAAG0/a__jh2b4SwM/s1600-h/DSCN1053.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184274760110726562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_I-bUZsXaI/AAAAAAAAAG0/a__jh2b4SwM/s320/DSCN1053.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Every Monday a group of quilters meet at my local library. We range in ages from 50? to 85. Though we differ in our choices of quilting, fabric selection, and techniques, the things we have in common are community support and a love of quilting. We share ideas, family news, and offer a hug to one another in trying times. Each of us brings something different to our Monday get-&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;togethers&lt;/span&gt;. On the first Monday of each month we have a potluck lunch and the food is delicious.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Once a year our group is asked to display quilts and other quilting memorabilia in the main library and display cases. This year my faithful quilting companion, Charlie the chicken, is making his debut at the library show. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-4286075535980254039?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/4286075535980254039/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=4286075535980254039' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4286075535980254039'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4286075535980254039'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/04/library-ladies.html' title='The Library Ladies'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R_I-bUZsXaI/AAAAAAAAAG0/a__jh2b4SwM/s72-c/DSCN1053.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-9188888991563956139</id><published>2008-03-27T11:54:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-03-27T12:16:07.735-07:00</updated><title type='text'>I'm drooling</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-vt8kZsXZI/AAAAAAAAAGs/cXPN1CLWT2E/s1600-h/Pincushion.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182497421039263122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" height="320" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-vt8kZsXZI/AAAAAAAAAGs/cXPN1CLWT2E/s320/Pincushion.JPG" width="304" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p align="justify"&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-vtz0ZsXYI/AAAAAAAAAGk/CeskDzK2HfY/s1600-h/Studios.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182497270715407746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="320" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-vtz0ZsXYI/AAAAAAAAAGk/CeskDzK2HfY/s320/Studios.JPG" width="314" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Just got my copy of "Studios" a special publication from "Cloth Paper Scissors". I'm drooling. Pokey's studio makeover is to die for. What peaked my interest the most was that creativity can evolve no matter how small or large the space you set aside as your studio. It's that place where you are in your zone and where your imagination has no limits. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Besides a look at other people's studios, there are suggestions on organization, budget storage ideas and fun projects. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This morning I decide to do one of the projects in the magazine. It showed how to make a yo yo pincushion. The instructions were easy to follow and the possibilities endless. I used some scrap odds and ends and in about 2 hours, I finished the project. It was fun. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;You can still order "Studios" from "Cloth Paper Scissors" at &lt;a href="http://www.quiltingartsllc.com/"&gt;http://www.quiltingartsllc.com/&lt;/a&gt; I'm glad I did!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-9188888991563956139?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/9188888991563956139/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=9188888991563956139' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/9188888991563956139'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/9188888991563956139'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-drooling.html' title='I&apos;m drooling'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-vt8kZsXZI/AAAAAAAAAGs/cXPN1CLWT2E/s72-c/Pincushion.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3289562117348101246</id><published>2008-03-24T05:27:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-03-24T05:36:59.361-07:00</updated><title type='text'>New Art Work</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-eeh0ZsXXI/AAAAAAAAAGc/LvNXCy56yNo/s1600-h/DSCN1039.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181284200152325490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-eeh0ZsXXI/AAAAAAAAAGc/LvNXCy56yNo/s320/DSCN1039.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;The dust bunnies are gone and I'm back to creative pursuits.  I copied the above picture from the Quilting Arts DVD featuring Judy Coates Perez.  I then painted it with fabric paints, quilted the background, water colored the mat (it was white) and framed the piece.  It hangs in my quilt studio.  I call it "Bird on a Limb". I just love the colors.  Painting on fabric can be challenging.  It takes time and patience and a steady hand (no Starbucks here).  It also gave me an opportunity to break out my water color crayons and play.  I've used oil paint sticks before but never ones that were for water color.  I think I'm in love.  Time to find some watercolor paper and play!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3289562117348101246?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3289562117348101246/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3289562117348101246' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3289562117348101246'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3289562117348101246'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-art-work.html' title='New Art Work'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-eeh0ZsXXI/AAAAAAAAAGc/LvNXCy56yNo/s72-c/DSCN1039.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-9069991077654156950</id><published>2008-03-22T06:19:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-03-22T06:29:04.906-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Spring???</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-UHsUZsXWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cggITbqYIU0/s1600-h/Easter08.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180555404331736418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-UHsUZsXWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cggITbqYIU0/s320/Easter08.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Haven't posted in a while as I've been busy "spring cleaning".   There isn't much to say except that when the patina of dust encompasses your creative space, it's time to get out the "Pledge" and disperse the dust bunnies.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Did I mention the word "Spring"?  It's beginning to feel like I'm stuck in that movie "Ground Hog Day".  The calendar says Spring arrived on Thursday, but somehow I'm caught in a time warp.  This morning, March 22, I took the above picture of my bird feeder.  Does it look like Spring to you?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-9069991077654156950?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/9069991077654156950/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=9069991077654156950' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/9069991077654156950'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/9069991077654156950'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/03/spring.html' title='Spring???'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R-UHsUZsXWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cggITbqYIU0/s72-c/Easter08.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-8103830696743413634</id><published>2008-03-11T03:46:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-03-11T04:06:52.557-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Lessons from Rejection</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R9Zjz7s0dTI/AAAAAAAAAGE/tjUw1H3Se-Q/s1600-h/True+Colors+Quilt.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176434565559121202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R9Zjz7s0dTI/AAAAAAAAAGE/tjUw1H3Se-Q/s320/True+Colors+Quilt.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Art is subjective; at least that's what I'm telling myself today.  My entry, Michigan Summer, was not picked as one of the quilts to be displayed at the International Quilt Show in Chicago via "Quilting Arts Magazine".  Feeling a little rejected right now, but not totally dismayed.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;It was a fun quilt to do and I learned quite a bit along the way.  The process of picking a subject for the theme, looking for suitable materials (remember it was a paper quilt) and the tricks to assemble the quilt was a learning process I could not  have experienced unless I had tried.  What is that adage " It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved" or in my case "It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all".&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;There will be more creative challenges along the way and I'm hoping that next time I will approach the subject matter with the same amount of enthusiasm  as I did this time.  The end result is not the lesson; it is the experience of doing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-8103830696743413634?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/8103830696743413634/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=8103830696743413634' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8103830696743413634'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8103830696743413634'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/03/lessons-from-rejection.html' title='Lessons from Rejection'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R9Zjz7s0dTI/AAAAAAAAAGE/tjUw1H3Se-Q/s72-c/True+Colors+Quilt.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-8380235175661892762</id><published>2008-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-03-04T12:34:59.650-08:00</updated><title type='text'>A hint of spring</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R82wtZF8IwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/pF4wUNDOP0I/s1600-h/First+Signs+of+Spring.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173985840794968834" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R82wtZF8IwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/pF4wUNDOP0I/s320/First+Signs+of+Spring.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R82wupF8IxI/AAAAAAAAAF8/aD4kVbv7H4k/s1600-h/Spring+Green.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173985862269805330" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R82wupF8IxI/AAAAAAAAAF8/aD4kVbv7H4k/s320/Spring+Green.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Can it be?  A sight  for winter weary eyes; daffodils peaking up from the ground and the first glimpse of new green grass.  I think spring is not far away.  I took these pictures today as we are expecting more SNOW tonight. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Additional good news:  my friend who ended up at the sewing machine hospital is back home and fully recovered from a bout of thread freeze.  Hurrah!!!  Now, back to my creative  endeavors.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-8380235175661892762?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/8380235175661892762/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=8380235175661892762' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8380235175661892762'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8380235175661892762'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/03/hint-of-spring.html' title='A hint of spring'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R82wtZF8IwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/pF4wUNDOP0I/s72-c/First+Signs+of+Spring.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-8073411564646956747</id><published>2008-02-27T08:27:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2008-02-27T08:44:47.331-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Experimenting with Technique</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8WPxnOYfWI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KpREwSZaZ0U/s1600-h/Art+Week+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171697829610552674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" height="229" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8WPxnOYfWI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KpREwSZaZ0U/s320/Art+Week+2.jpg" width="423" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;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.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;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.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;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.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-8073411564646956747?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/8073411564646956747/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=8073411564646956747' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8073411564646956747'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8073411564646956747'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/02/experimenting-with-technique.html' title='Experimenting with Technique'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8WPxnOYfWI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KpREwSZaZ0U/s72-c/Art+Week+2.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-8363263920443570207</id><published>2008-02-24T04:07:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2008-02-24T04:17:30.507-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Sixty-one and a day</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8FedXOYfTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/MCZze85TMQY/s1600-h/Birthday+Flowers.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170517705741598002" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8FedXOYfTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/MCZze85TMQY/s320/Birthday+Flowers.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8Fed3OYfUI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Xvp_RiDLrAU/s1600-h/Sunshine+on+Snowy+Day.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170517714331532610" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8Fed3OYfUI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Xvp_RiDLrAU/s320/Sunshine+on+Snowy+Day.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today I'm Sixty-one and a day. Yesterday was my birthday. Yup, made it through another year and hope for many many more. &lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-8363263920443570207?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/8363263920443570207/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=8363263920443570207' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8363263920443570207'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/8363263920443570207'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/02/sixty-one-and-day.html' title='Sixty-one and a day'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R8FedXOYfTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/MCZze85TMQY/s72-c/Birthday+Flowers.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-384850772628294528</id><published>2008-02-18T11:54:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-02-18T12:07:30.985-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Good Things in the Mail</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7ni8XOYfSI/AAAAAAAAAFM/nPIbFKJhbWE/s1600-h/Quilting+Arts+DVD+(2).jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168411574038723874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7ni8XOYfSI/AAAAAAAAAFM/nPIbFKJhbWE/s320/Quilting+Arts+DVD+(2).jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 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. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-384850772628294528?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/384850772628294528/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=384850772628294528' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/384850772628294528'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/384850772628294528'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/02/good-things-in-mail.html' title='Good Things in the Mail'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7ni8XOYfSI/AAAAAAAAAFM/nPIbFKJhbWE/s72-c/Quilting+Arts+DVD+(2).jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-1505897425626101503</id><published>2008-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-02-13T06:08:53.118-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Eye Candy</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7L4W3OYfRI/AAAAAAAAAFE/f9wp-rR2gXk/s1600-h/Delicious+Thread.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166464794212465938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7L4W3OYfRI/AAAAAAAAAFE/f9wp-rR2gXk/s320/Delicious+Thread.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;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 &lt;a href="http://www.ericas.com/"&gt;http://www.ericas.com/&lt;/a&gt; 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.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-1505897425626101503?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/1505897425626101503/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=1505897425626101503' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1505897425626101503'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1505897425626101503'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/02/eye-candy.html' title='Eye Candy'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R7L4W3OYfRI/AAAAAAAAAFE/f9wp-rR2gXk/s72-c/Delicious+Thread.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3739507616387292983</id><published>2008-02-10T05:36:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-02-10T05:59:12.808-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Thoughts of Spring</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R67-93OYfQI/AAAAAAAAAD8/icbMMyLxjig/s1600-h/Thoughts+of+Spring.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165346161390288130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R67-93OYfQI/AAAAAAAAAD8/icbMMyLxjig/s320/Thoughts+of+Spring.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 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. &lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3739507616387292983?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3739507616387292983/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3739507616387292983' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3739507616387292983'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3739507616387292983'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/02/thoughts-of-spring.html' title='Thoughts of Spring'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R67-93OYfQI/AAAAAAAAAD8/icbMMyLxjig/s72-c/Thoughts+of+Spring.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-7871377454425706720</id><published>2008-01-26T05:26:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-26T07:10:51.059-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Paper Quilt Challenge</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5s1dSuW1mI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jdjVUtVd_Ac/s1600-h/Paper+Quilt+1.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159776575441786466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5s1dSuW1mI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jdjVUtVd_Ac/s320/Paper+Quilt+1.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Are you up for a challenge? I am. "Quilting Arts Magazine"&lt;a href="http://www.quiltingartsllc.com/"&gt;http://www.quiltingartsllc.com&lt;/a&gt; is doing a paper quilt challenge for their upcoming show this April in Chicago. The theme is TRUE COLORS. Since "Quilting Arts Magazine" and their sister magazine "Cloth Paper Scissors" are two of my favorite reads, I've decided to take up the challenge and make a 12" square mixed media paper quilt. Not an easy task for a left brain individual but something that is fun if not frightening. It gives me a chance to play without constraints. No rules, just let your creativity flow. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;As not to reveal too much, the above is a picture of a portion of my progress thus far. All I can say is that the theme is a diversion from the cold and snowy weather outside my front door.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-7871377454425706720?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/7871377454425706720/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=7871377454425706720' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/7871377454425706720'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/7871377454425706720'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/paper-quilt-challenge.html' title='Paper Quilt Challenge'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5s1dSuW1mI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jdjVUtVd_Ac/s72-c/Paper+Quilt+1.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-1867215645821990314</id><published>2008-01-21T05:07:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-21T05:15:43.067-08:00</updated><title type='text'>BRRRRRRR!!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5SZSQx0-rI/AAAAAAAAADs/Jpalj1_YOjI/s1600-h/Nanuck+of+the+North.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157916012266715826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5SZSQx0-rI/AAAAAAAAADs/Jpalj1_YOjI/s320/Nanuck+of+the+North.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;This is the answer to what to wear when going outside in frigid weather.  Yesterday the temperature outside was 8 degrees  with windchill at -20 below.  My DH needed to shovel our driveway from 5 inches of snow.  He dressed appropriately; a little scary, don't you think?&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-1867215645821990314?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/1867215645821990314/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=1867215645821990314' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1867215645821990314'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1867215645821990314'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/brrrrrrr.html' title='BRRRRRRR!!!'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R5SZSQx0-rI/AAAAAAAAADs/Jpalj1_YOjI/s72-c/Nanuck+of+the+North.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-4370068201353602308</id><published>2008-01-17T04:21:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-18T03:56:10.295-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Quilt Studio Companion</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R49Ipwx0-qI/AAAAAAAAADk/GV4nA1Sevw8/s1600-h/Charlie+the+Chicken.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156419980668238498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R49Ipwx0-qI/AAAAAAAAADk/GV4nA1Sevw8/s320/Charlie+the+Chicken.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Most of the time before the creative side of my brain can function, I have to be in the "ZONE". It's a time when I can focus and be without distractions. That usually means, shutting the door to the attic studio, turning off the telephone, turning on some great WAUS classical music, and shutting out the rest of my world. Unfortunately, sometimes, being in the zone can be a lonely endeavor. But, I am not alone. I have a creative studio companion called "Charlie". Charlie is a chicken made from a pattern by Eleanor P. Bailey. The bright colors of Charlie can perk up any dreary day and put a smile on my face. Every creative place needs a mascot, your silent partner when you are in the "ZONE".&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-4370068201353602308?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/4370068201353602308/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=4370068201353602308' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4370068201353602308'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4370068201353602308'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/quilt-studio-companion.html' title='Quilt Studio Companion'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R49Ipwx0-qI/AAAAAAAAADk/GV4nA1Sevw8/s72-c/Charlie+the+Chicken.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3448140060034926770</id><published>2008-01-13T07:57:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-13T08:08:08.301-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Inspiration</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4o1Qgx0-pI/AAAAAAAAADc/E-TtI_p_ONU/s1600-h/Creative+Embellishments.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154991281272060562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4o1Qgx0-pI/AAAAAAAAADc/E-TtI_p_ONU/s320/Creative+Embellishments.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Sometimes on those depressing Midwestern winter days when the skies are permanently gray and it's rainy,  it good to have something that inspires you to create.  I have a collection of kimshee jars filled with threads, ribbons, floss, buttons and rubber stamps.  The colors of ribbon, thread, and floss are bright and colorful and just looking at them makes me smile.  They represent endless possibilities of things to make and inspire me on those dark, and dreary days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3448140060034926770?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3448140060034926770/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3448140060034926770' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3448140060034926770'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3448140060034926770'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/inspiration.html' title='Inspiration'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4o1Qgx0-pI/AAAAAAAAADc/E-TtI_p_ONU/s72-c/Creative+Embellishments.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-550701336489314092</id><published>2008-01-08T08:27:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-08T08:35:29.353-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Work in Progress</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4Ok4Qx0-oI/AAAAAAAAADU/S701gMgOnKs/s1600-h/Wildflower+Design+Wall.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153143685125569154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4Ok4Qx0-oI/AAAAAAAAADU/S701gMgOnKs/s320/Wildflower+Design+Wall.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;My current undertaking is to finish my wallflower quilt.  I embroidered several flowers onto some hand dyed fabric from Cherrywood Fabrics. I love the look of this cotton; it looks like suede!  I needed some additional yardage as the original pieces of fabric were purchased in Chicago several years ago as a scrap bag. There are presently 12 or 15 embroidered center blocks.  Haven't decided on whether this will end up as a wall hanging or a large bed quilt. During the dreary days of a "perma-gray" winter, it's nice to work with some bright colored wildflowers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-550701336489314092?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/550701336489314092/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=550701336489314092' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/550701336489314092'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/550701336489314092'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/work-in-progress.html' title='Work in Progress'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R4Ok4Qx0-oI/AAAAAAAAADU/S701gMgOnKs/s72-c/Wildflower+Design+Wall.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-773934664229078269</id><published>2008-01-05T06:24:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2008-01-05T06:34:42.761-08:00</updated><title type='text'>A New Year Resolution</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3-U1Ax0-nI/AAAAAAAAADM/vUFqQ5ebZuE/s1600-h/glass+of+water.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152000137198107250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3-U1Ax0-nI/AAAAAAAAADM/vUFqQ5ebZuE/s320/glass+of+water.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;The holidays are packed away and I'm into an organizing type of mood. I've cleaned up the quilt/art studio and even my work table is empty. As I go through some of the UFO's of last year, I often wonder "what was I thinking". Art is a "try and see", "success and failure" pursuit. Not every thing I start ends up as a masterpiece and everything tried should not fall into that category. Failure is part of the process. It is the doing that is important. Inspiration comes slowly and from different aspects of life. The hard part is putting the inspiration in a viable art form. Ideas constantly swarm in my head but sometimes get stymied along the way. I think this years resolution will be to see the glass has half full instead of half empty. After all, art is a process of self-expression and it is the process that is important, not the end result.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-773934664229078269?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/773934664229078269/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=773934664229078269' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/773934664229078269'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/773934664229078269'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-year-resolution.html' title='A New Year Resolution'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3-U1Ax0-nI/AAAAAAAAADM/vUFqQ5ebZuE/s72-c/glass+of+water.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-5612438184520416640</id><published>2007-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-28T12:07:46.896-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Home for the Holidays</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3VVeAx0-lI/AAAAAAAAAC8/IGDHFAA08yE/s1600-h/DSCN0938.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149115723061459538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3VVeAx0-lI/AAAAAAAAAC8/IGDHFAA08yE/s320/DSCN0938.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; The best part about the holidays every year is our annual Christmas Eve picture.  We have been taking a picture of our family gathering at this time of year for the past 15 years.  Here is a picture of our happy group this year minus my son-in-law, who unfortunately had other family commitments.&lt;br /&gt;To you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year from our family to you.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-5612438184520416640?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/5612438184520416640/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=5612438184520416640' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5612438184520416640'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5612438184520416640'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/home-for-holidays.html' title='Home for the Holidays'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R3VVeAx0-lI/AAAAAAAAAC8/IGDHFAA08yE/s72-c/DSCN0938.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-1073913893199134570</id><published>2007-12-22T06:19:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-22T06:25:22.824-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Ready for Christmas</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R20dGAx0-kI/AAAAAAAAAC0/y8g-0CjkRFA/s1600-h/Christmas+stockings.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146801938279758402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R20dGAx0-kI/AAAAAAAAAC0/y8g-0CjkRFA/s320/Christmas+stockings.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; It's almost here.  The stocking are hung as they are each year and we are all awaiting the arrival of Santa.&lt;br /&gt;But sometimes I think we really forget the reason for the season.  Christmas should be a time of peace, thanksgiving, and love.  Something that was present at the very first Christmas over 2000 years ago with the birth of the Christ child.&lt;br /&gt;May the holidays find you and your loved ones encompassed  in the real meaning for the season with peace, and love in your heart and a time of thanksgiving for all that you have and hold true. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-1073913893199134570?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/1073913893199134570/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=1073913893199134570' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1073913893199134570'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1073913893199134570'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/ready-for-christmas.html' title='Ready for Christmas'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R20dGAx0-kI/AAAAAAAAAC0/y8g-0CjkRFA/s72-c/Christmas+stockings.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-1294574376992016661</id><published>2007-12-20T04:53:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-20T05:05:27.381-08:00</updated><title type='text'>A time to relax</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2pnzgx0-iI/AAAAAAAAACk/1XWVRNXeYeg/s1600-h/hot+tub1.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146039658894129698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2pnzgx0-iI/AAAAAAAAACk/1XWVRNXeYeg/s320/hot+tub1.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;The holidays can create a sense of being overwhelmed. This year I baked over 750 cookies and am happy to say gave them as gifts to many, many friends and relations. I really enjoy doing this yearly ritual and when I was unable to do it last year felt as if something was missing in my Christmas spirit. Perhaps it is the act of giving something that I created that I so missed. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Now that most of the gift cookies are gone, the house is clean, and the menu for a holiday brunch all set, I took some time to "chill"; well not actually "chill" it was more like a nice hot soak in the hot tub. Something I always wanted to do when the temperature was below freezing and the snow had fallen. It was so enjoyable.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-1294574376992016661?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/1294574376992016661/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=1294574376992016661' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1294574376992016661'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/1294574376992016661'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/time-to-relax.html' title='A time to relax'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2pnzgx0-iI/AAAAAAAAACk/1XWVRNXeYeg/s72-c/hot+tub1.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-4948024001023068367</id><published>2007-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-16T05:15:28.505-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Winter Storm Advisory</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2Uh1Qx0-fI/AAAAAAAAACE/OTKoaQQVD-k/s1600-h/Winter+Scene+07.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144555348261403122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2Uh1Qx0-fI/AAAAAAAAACE/OTKoaQQVD-k/s320/Winter+Scene+07.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; When I lived in a large metropolitan area a winter storm advisory meant that there would be traffic delays, noisy snowplows,  and  worries of just how to get from place to place. &lt;br /&gt;I now live in a small rural town where winter storm advisories mean a time to snuggle up with a good book, listen to the quiet  of softly falling snow, and a time when art overrules logic.  Somehow there is no better place and time to let that right side of my brain play as the world slows down to a halt, and the crisp cold air lets those creative juices flow.  Summer doesn't do it; spring beckons to garden; and fall is a time to rake and repair.  But, winter and snow, when the world is black, gray and white, that's the time I like best.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-4948024001023068367?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/4948024001023068367/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=4948024001023068367' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4948024001023068367'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4948024001023068367'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/winter-storm-advisory.html' title='Winter Storm Advisory'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2Uh1Qx0-fI/AAAAAAAAACE/OTKoaQQVD-k/s72-c/Winter+Scene+07.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-2261959685349689004</id><published>2007-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-15T05:48:15.681-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Christmas 2007'/><title type='text'>The Perfect Tree</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LRRAx0-eI/AAAAAAAAAB8/ekzNU_vHUBQ/s1600-h/Tree+2007.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143903814607501794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LRRAx0-eI/AAAAAAAAAB8/ekzNU_vHUBQ/s320/Tree+2007.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;This year I tried to buy an artificial tree. Really, I did! However, after browsing through the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Internet&lt;/span&gt; and visiting &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;Lowe's&lt;/span&gt;, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, Target, and other stores I just couldn't do it. True the ones I &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;oogled&lt;/span&gt; after cost more than I wanted to spend, but all and all I just couldn't tarnish the image in my mind of Christmas past, the wonderful scent of pine, and the look of a not too perfect holiday tree. Perhaps it is the fact that I live where the weather is cold and snowy and evergreens are plentiful or maybe it is just the adventure of driving to the tree farm, walking in the snow with saw in hand, and the arduous task of chopping down your own Christmas tree and hauling it back home. I call it part of the Christmas spirit and tradition; a feeling of holiday magic.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-2261959685349689004?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/2261959685349689004/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=2261959685349689004' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/2261959685349689004'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/2261959685349689004'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/perfect-tree.html' title='The Perfect Tree'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LRRAx0-eI/AAAAAAAAAB8/ekzNU_vHUBQ/s72-c/Tree+2007.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3779239899309315202</id><published>2007-12-14T10:24:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-14T10:39:15.833-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Creative Friends</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LKvAx0-bI/AAAAAAAAABk/osa0LqsMw2U/s1600-h/Christmas+goodies.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143896633422182834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LKvAx0-bI/AAAAAAAAABk/osa0LqsMw2U/s320/Christmas+goodies.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; I have a very creative best friend. She's not really just a friend,  I consider her like a long lost sister.  We met on the Internet and then through a quilt group and then at a quilt gathering.  That was 10 years ago and we have been friends ever since.  &lt;br /&gt;Every Christmas we exchange gifts and every year I can't wait to see what she has sent.   They are always wonderful and special.  She can read my mind.  Take for instance this year I purchased some gift baskets from Stonewall Kitchens as gifts for some friends and said  to my  DH that I wish someone would send me a gift from Stonewall Kitchens.  A week later I received the above.  A box of goodies consisting of jams, jellys, apple butter, and scone mix from her together with a Nantucket basket (which I adore, as I have not been able to make one for myself) and an array of quilting fabrics and a pattern.  I swear, she can read my mind.&lt;br /&gt;And, that's what is so special about having a creative best friend. She views our friendship with a creative flair.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3779239899309315202?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3779239899309315202/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3779239899309315202' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3779239899309315202'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3779239899309315202'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/creative-friends.html' title='Creative Friends'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R2LKvAx0-bI/AAAAAAAAABk/osa0LqsMw2U/s72-c/Christmas+goodies.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-6563667106978735283</id><published>2007-12-06T11:43:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-06T12:03:47.231-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Creativity'/><title type='text'>Creative Decorations from Nature</title><content type='html'>&lt;div align="justify"&gt;                                                                                     Winter Bird Bath              &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRoLX-ItI/AAAAAAAAABc/x5kjeAuiAho/s1600-h/Winter+Swimming+Hole.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140948725333369554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRoLX-ItI/AAAAAAAAABc/x5kjeAuiAho/s320/Winter+Swimming+Hole.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140948712448467650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s320/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;     Nature's Holiday Icicles&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRnbX-IsI/AAAAAAAAABU/Ct7PbU1eayk/s1600-h/Nature%27s+Holiday+Decoration.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;   This morning I was greeted with some creative inspiration Ala Mother Nature.  The snow surrounding my bird bath glistened as the sunshine touched it.  Also my garage was be speckled with icicles hanging as though suspended in midair.  Everywhere I looked, Mother Nature had put up her holiday decorations and they always look spectacular.  No special glitz or paint used and yet it is so hard to duplicate the work of a master.  Whatever the season, she does her art without hesitation, or fear of criticism.  Sure, I do complain when the temps are too cold or too hot, but all and all I find her creative art truly sensational.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-6563667106978735283?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/6563667106978735283/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=6563667106978735283' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/6563667106978735283'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/6563667106978735283'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/creative-decorations-from-nature.html' title='Creative Decorations from Nature'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1hRoLX-ItI/AAAAAAAAABc/x5kjeAuiAho/s72-c/Winter+Swimming+Hole.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-5389231898537955786</id><published>2007-12-04T07:39:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2007-12-04T07:54:13.156-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Library Quilts'/><title type='text'>Creative Mondays</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1V1DbX-IrI/AAAAAAAAABM/6qhLjpEBpms/s1600-h/Kay%27s+Quilt.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140143251461644978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1V1DbX-IrI/AAAAAAAAABM/6qhLjpEBpms/s320/Kay%27s+Quilt.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Where does inspiration come from to be creative?  What does it take to get those ideas flowing.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;For me it comes from other quilters. I belong to a group (not an official type of guild) but a group of women some older than myself; some younger; who meet weekly at our local library. Some of these women are snowbirds some are life long residents of the small town.  There is no official meeting just quite a bit of "show and tell" and a lot of discussion on various ongoing projects.  Some bring sewing machines, some do hand work, some just come and drink coffee and visit.  But, all and all, they are the nicest and non judgementmental group of women I have ever met.  They are open to all types of creativity and eager to find out what current projects are and what's new in the world of fiber.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Above is a quilt that one of these women brought for "show and tell". She worked on it during a long RV trip to Florida.  It's all hand appliqued and hand quilted.  It is gorgeous. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From time to time I bring some of my work for "show and tell".  It's usually not traditional in nature, but it is appreciated by everyone.  No quilt police who tell me it's not really a quilt or that it has to be hand done. Everyone appreciates every one's efforts and that is a gift in itself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-5389231898537955786?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/5389231898537955786/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=5389231898537955786' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5389231898537955786'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5389231898537955786'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/12/creative-mondays.html' title='Creative Mondays'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R1V1DbX-IrI/AAAAAAAAABM/6qhLjpEBpms/s72-c/Kay%27s+Quilt.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-4352202476361087000</id><published>2007-11-24T05:24:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-11-24T05:40:35.050-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='The first snow'/><title type='text'>Midwest Winters</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R0gpLm2FmxI/AAAAAAAAABE/Q3lqCu_rlHo/s1600-h/Now+That%27s+Thanksgiving.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136400654398757650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R0gpLm2FmxI/AAAAAAAAABE/Q3lqCu_rlHo/s320/Now+That%27s+Thanksgiving.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R0gnxW2FmwI/AAAAAAAAAA8/IrFpxCUoy5o/s1600-h/Icicles+in+the+Sky.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136399103915563778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R0gnxW2FmwI/AAAAAAAAAA8/IrFpxCUoy5o/s320/Icicles+in+the+Sky.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Does creativity have a season? I think so. In summer I'm usually lethargic wanting to sit and read or putter outside, smell the flowers or work in the garden. However, as the seasons change and the weather gets colder, the creative juices start to flow. Sort of the reverse of the maple syrup run in the Eastern US. Even the sight of snow does a lot to prompt my willingness to spent hours in the studio trying out new techniques.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;But the colder weather in the Midwest does not stop all warm weather fun and frolic. This Thanksgiving my DD spent some time enjoying the soothing benefits of dip in a nice and toasty hot tub.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-4352202476361087000?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/4352202476361087000/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=4352202476361087000' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4352202476361087000'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/4352202476361087000'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/11/midwest-winters.html' title='Midwest Winters'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/R0gpLm2FmxI/AAAAAAAAABE/Q3lqCu_rlHo/s72-c/Now+That%27s+Thanksgiving.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-3161487978627985421</id><published>2007-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-11-17T07:26:28.999-08:00</updated><title type='text'>A Semi-Creative Week</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/Rz8Hem2FmvI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ZAtObIFThck/s1600-h/Thread+Paint+Brown+Jug.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133830322630531826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/Rz8Hem2FmvI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ZAtObIFThck/s320/Thread+Paint+Brown+Jug.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/Rz8G5G2FmuI/AAAAAAAAAAs/820StmyjhDg/s1600-h/Thread+Painted+Jugs.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133829678385437410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/Rz8G5G2FmuI/AAAAAAAAAAs/820StmyjhDg/s320/Thread+Painted+Jugs.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;It seems every time the creative urge strikes, I'm off doing something else. Case in point: It's time to do those mundane household chores . . laundry, grocery shopping, raking leaves, or preparing dinner. Now I don't mind doing these mundane activities, but what is one to do when the creative ideas are crowding your mind. I've tried writing things down, stopping what I am doing and proceed to my ZONE, but then the guilt sets in on what needs to be done&lt;/span&gt; .&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The photos above are sneak peeks at a project I'm currently working on.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This is my first attempt at thread painting.  Not sure whether this will end up as a quilt, but it was an interesting learning experience.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-3161487978627985421?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/3161487978627985421/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=3161487978627985421' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3161487978627985421'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/3161487978627985421'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/11/semi-creative-week.html' title='A Semi-Creative Week'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/Rz8Hem2FmvI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ZAtObIFThck/s72-c/Thread+Paint+Brown+Jug.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-372369163907829395</id><published>2007-11-09T11:44:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-11-18T12:27:11.295-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Creative Spirit'/><title type='text'>Current Projects</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS64dh0p8I/AAAAAAAAAAU/ghmxG2C2StI/s1600-h/Felted+Garden+Purse.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130931354643769282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS64dh0p8I/AAAAAAAAAAU/ghmxG2C2StI/s200/Felted+Garden+Purse.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS65Nh0p9I/AAAAAAAAAAc/uPZao8ZgK7E/s1600-h/Quilting+Arts+Special+Issue.JPG"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130931367528671186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS65Nh0p9I/AAAAAAAAAAc/uPZao8ZgK7E/s200/Quilting+Arts+Special+Issue.JPG" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS5gNh0p7I/AAAAAAAAAAM/HsCaa5EHqZs/s1600-h/Summer+Solstice.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130929838520313778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="299" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS5gNh0p7I/AAAAAAAAAAM/HsCaa5EHqZs/s320/Summer+Solstice.jpg" width="325" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;I've taken a few pictures of a current finished project entitled "Summer Solstice". It was a kit quilt from Fons and Porter and I added some cystals. It was a fun piece to do and used stencils and Shiva Paintsticks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Another venture into my creative spirit comes from the special issue of &lt;em&gt;Quilting Arts Magazine&lt;/em&gt; called&lt;em&gt; Quilting Arts Gifts. &lt;/em&gt;It is a needlefelted purse by Janet Crowther. I've just started playing with it but here is the progress so far.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Sorry the picture are a little out of order, but I'm working on the format.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"&gt;Back to the studio for more creative input.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-372369163907829395?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/372369163907829395/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=372369163907829395' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/372369163907829395'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/372369163907829395'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/11/current-projects.html' title='Current Projects'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t-4ZDo7-Dg/RzS64dh0p8I/AAAAAAAAAAU/ghmxG2C2StI/s72-c/Felted+Garden+Purse.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-5546046522667143389</id><published>2007-11-08T05:18:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-11-08T05:30:35.009-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Creativity'/><title type='text'>The Creative Spirit</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;Tried to be creative yesterday. I actually did spend time in my studio for about 2 hours. But, after dealing with mechanical problems (the darn tension on the sewing machine) I was only able to be in the "zone" for about 20 minutes. You really can't accomplish much in 20 minutes; you can experiment with technique but no end results worth noting. They say experience is the best teacher and the tried and fail approach to creativity does work, but the process can be very slow and boring at times. It's hard enough to find that hour to create and discouraging when mechanics get in the way&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;You can't squash a creative spirit that easily and any attempt is worth the try.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-5546046522667143389?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/5546046522667143389/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=5546046522667143389' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5546046522667143389'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/5546046522667143389'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/11/creative-spirit.html' title='The Creative Spirit'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8948141745389121424.post-6091284791432633105</id><published>2007-11-07T04:25:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-11-07T04:31:29.499-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Visual Recognition'/><title type='text'>Why the Name?</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;Why the "Dimpled Quilter"?  First of all I have two very noticeable facial characteristics:  I have two dimpled checks and I am a "quilter" or fiber artists; take your pick.  I am starting this blog to spur my creativity.  I am not really a visual person but I am creative.  We'll give this a try and see how it goes.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;First order of business:  Spend at least 1 hour a day creating .&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8948141745389121424-6091284791432633105?l=thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/feeds/6091284791432633105/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8948141745389121424&amp;postID=6091284791432633105' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/6091284791432633105'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8948141745389121424/posts/default/6091284791432633105'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thedimpledquilter.blogspot.com/2007/11/why-name.html' title='Why the Name?'/><author><name>JJO</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09351919950794085958</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
