KEEPING BUSY

Although I'm still sewing....I'm also spending time doing over-due tasks. 

  Next on my list.....get rid of all those out of date CD's that can no longer be played by any of my current computers.  Yes, I even have some on tape!!

In the past I have disposed of a lot of slides since this medium is out of date. Now it's time to get rid of the rest. AND...the stacks of photos I have need to be reviewed.  I have folders and folders of pictures, esp. from all the cruises and tours I hosted.  My scanner will be very busy, documenting and preserving these memories and freeing up cupboard/shelf space.

What are you doing to keep yourself busy???

GRANDKIDS STUCK INSIDE TOO!

Lifting the spirits of our San Francisco grandkids......2 very active little boys stuck inside while their parents are struggling to balance keeping them occupied while also working full time from home.

Perhaps these greeting cards (winging their way to SF now) will brighten their days.

Blank card stock, egg shape of card stock layered with felt, yarns, & zig zag trims.

FILLING THE TIME

Puttering.....low motivation after hearing stay at home orders will be at least 30 additional days....understandable and wise, but like many, I'm getting itchy. So, what's to do......get out fabric of course. This is a boring utitarian lap quilt for the man cave. Sadly, I'm very low on brown fabrics. Not rushing.....here's some progress photos.

POWERFUL VIEW

AMERICA = STRENGTH = SISU

MORE SPRITZER SISTER FUN

In no particular order.....here's some of our correspondence & a visual.  It may be that these are the kinds of things that 'one would have to have been there' to appreciate, but I offer them in the hope that it will bring some levity to our now isolated days.

 Click on image to obtain a more readable view.....

Francie is the one with short hair, mine is long...... Top two photos are of our projects at the first Split Rock class we took, minus the instructor who left after the first day.  Bottom photo is how full my car was packed as we headed off on this first class together.

This is a fill in the blank letter we sent to a fellow student who sent the Spritzer Sisters South West style cow pins after we returned home.  Since you won't have a clue about who the others mentioned are.....I didn't redact their names.  Francie typed the letter and Mary filled in the blanks.  An amusing method for a two-person letter to be penned.

This was a 'safe' correspondence.....no names to redact....just another example of the lighthearted view the Spritzer Sisters have on life.  One we all need right now!!

Here's the original copy of our camp song.....I've tried to darken the type for easier reading....again, you should be able to click on the image to enlarge it.

This will probably be the final installment of the Spritzer Sisters......as too much redacting would be necessary on other documents.  The Spritzer Sisters often had strong opinions and our correspondence was never intended for public disclosure.    Be safe out there everyone....and SMILE.....SISU....

MORE SPRITZER SISTER LAUGHTER

I've received a lot of reaction to my Spritzer Sister post.....so I thought in these 

stressful times, you might enjoy a few more ditties about our adventures.

As I mentioned in my last post, the Spritzer Sisters wrote a series of articles for Ladies Circle Patchwork Quilts magazine.....here's one that appeared in June 1997.  You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it....all contact info on lower right is out of date.

Our guild motto was "Open Mouth Insert Foot".  SSF made one for each of us.

 Upon returning from another (AND LAST) week long quilt class at Split Rock, SSF sent me this card.  The only redeeming thing about all the classes we took was our time together and a couple of wonderful friends we met along the way.

 Inside was her small drawing of one (very typical) moment together.  We had forgotten that I drove my car to the hall where our class was held at the U of Minn. and after class, we simply walked back to our on-campus apartment. After heading to bed, suddenly I hear this screak from SSF......followed by much laughter as she asked if I knew where my car was.  We weren't allowed overnight parking in that lot so we had to get dressed and limp down the many steep hills to retrieve it.  We both complained of having shin splints due to the ever present steep hills we had to traverse on this campus.....

As I've gone through my (memory lane) Spritzer Sister folder, I've come across such amusing escapades......  There a many newsletters, special reports, board meeting minutes, our camp song...etc.  I may share more assuming I can figure out how to redact the identity of certain people that may not have appreciated our fun loving ways.  Therefore, the Spritzer Sisters didn't enjoy them!

CHRISSY CRISIS DOLLS

Francie Ginocchio and I are the founding members of a two person quilt guild called the Spritzer Sisters. (To honor our favorite adult beverage, white wine spritzers.)  I believe I posted snippets of our hilarity sometime in the past.  We enjoyed writing articles about our 'guild' for Ladies Circle Patchwork magazine back in the day.

 SSF (Spritzer Sister Francie) just sent me (SSM) this photo.... no words were necessary.  Wow...what a spirit lifter and memory reawakening this is.  So....here's the story:

SSF and I (SSM) attended a Split Rock week long quilt retreat many years ago in Duluth, MN.  The UWM campus was also hosting a gathering of Finnish folks.  Everywhere we went we heard these happy adorable people calling out  'SISU' as a greeting to each other.....naturally we were curious.  Soon we adopted this phrase.  Here's the definition:

To the Finnish people, sisu has a mystical, almost magical meaning. ... It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage.

At our next Spritzer Sisters "annual meeting" (at my Wisconsin weekend cabin) we held our annual two-person quilt show, voted and presented ribbons for two viewer choice awards, had show and tell, commenced our annual board meeting with election of officers, reviewed our bylaws, and enjoyed white wine spritzers.

SSF made & gifted me this Chrissy Crisis Doll.  She was inspired by the notion of SISU....  We both hold our dolls very dear and will keep them forever.  So....in these difficult times SSF & SSM want to say to you all.....SISU!!!

NOIR ET BLANC

Self-isolating has provided plenty of time to complete this large wall quilt.  One I hope will be visibly striking to a buyer, additionally a design they can live with for a long time.  Photographing this high contrast piece (in my less than ideal studio for this type of task) unfortunately yielded a visual that doesn't measure up to the finished piece.  Hopefully someone will see beyond that!

Dear readers, please stay safe and well...this won't last forever....we can do this.

NOIR ET BLAC - 60.5" x 60.5"

AVAILABLE HERE

Cotton fabrics, machine pieced, appliqued, & quilted.

Linking to:  Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday

SPRING - OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Let's enjoy what we can.....Spring is not closed.

FINAL ARRANGEMENT

I've often said, the simpler the basic quilt design is....the more difficult it is for me to create a successful piece.  This one was a hair puller for sure.  

If you saw the last post......my idea was to highlight the black and white fabric with red.  Unfortunately, the reds I had in my stash simply weren't right.....too bright, too pink, too dull.  Sale-ability is also a factor.....in your face designs are what I prefer, but that's not necessarily the case for shoppers who wish to own a piece they can live with daily....and NOT tire of it.

 I'm now committed.......the appliqué is complete and pin basting has begun.  I wish I could turn it over to a long arm quilter to tackle that task since it's rather big 60" x 60", but I simply can't.  Selling work for me means selling myself...my work.....so I'll struggle through....stay tuned won't you?????