Memorial Day stands for more than a day off work and picnics.....let's remember the true meaning, to honor the men and women who died for us while serving in our military. To every soul that’s served, THANK YOU, your efforts and sacrifices were not in vein. We all need to remember, the price of Freedom is not Free!
With little chance of rain.....pals from our car club suggested a drive. As usual taking the backroads = curves galore. Since it was a day before the Memorial Day weekend, we knew we wouldn't have the roads to ourselves, but the lure of asphalt overcame the guys.
We were without power for over 4 hours the other day......that means: no iron, no sewing machine, no lights, no computer..... Grrr! What's a gal to do.....well I don't need electricity for my rotary cutter.
There aren't many aspects of living in Upper Crabtree valley in the mountains of NC. However, this year one has me totally grumpy. It's the HUGE abundance of poison ivy. I'll spare you photos of my nasty rashes.....beyond itching....they are painful.
I'm super sensitive to the stuff and we try very hard to stay away from it.....even walking Sooty (our black lab) on a short leash as this stuff is everywhere.
Hurrah.......after more than a year our PTA (Professional Textile Artist) group met in person, almost all members were in attendence. The meeting was held at Georgia Bonesteel's house, gathering on her beautiful patio. We chatted, snacked, chatted, enjoyed beverages, chatted...yes non stop talk. and laughter!!!!
Of course the highlight is always Show and Tell.....this is only a brief overview....it was quite sunny so many of my photos were too disappointing to post.
Gen (seated) brought one of her scrap quilt masterpieces. The paper hled on the left is the color her bedroom is now being painted to coordinate with this quilt.
No one wanted the day to end......and everyone is looking forward to next month.....it truly did seem like forever....but here we all were, unmasked and having such a great time together.
It's a happy day when a Mother feels needed! Our son requested a few more lap quilts for their Tahoe vacation home which can get chilly in the evenings. I'll be creating more but this is #1, extra long for the male members of the family.
Gas is slowly returning to our state but as of this morning, over 50% of stations are still without gas. All the excuse (not that I need one) to spend excess time in the studio.
Now that Covid restrictions have eased, we are again isolated in our homes without gas to travel anywhere. 78% of gas stations in NC are w/o gas, and that figure was as the evening of the 12th. There is none to be found here in the mountains. What's a gal to do?? Oh ya.....how about continuing work on the lap quilt for our son's family.....they need longer ones for the males in the family. Dashes of earth colors punctuate the black and white fabrics....many are fussy cut to highlight interesting motifs.
I was so pleased to receive a commission to create two small pieces in my silhouette series. This is the 2nd piece. The buyer expressed a desire to include a black lab in each....which was easy to do since we have our own black lab that we love.
One of the many perks that came my way while I was a full time instructor on the quilting highway, was the generosity of the many businesses that supported our industry.
20-25 years ago hand-dyed fabrics were rather new.....small companies popped up and were eager to share their products. Now I work mostly with my own, but coming across two dozen bundles of gradations of a variety of colors in my stash perked my curiosity. What could I do with them?
I realized from past experience that most of these fabrics probably had never been washed more than a casual rinsing, (not so much the case now with dyers).
The project I had in mind was for a family member and would certainly require washing from time to time. So before I began, I selected two colorways to test.
I've been hunkered down......working away on a commission for a pair of small art quilts...in my silhouette series. I purposely have stayed away from 'developing a series". Of course working in a series can be very helpful for artists looking for their own voice and to refine techniques and ideas. And honestly, I am sure I could benefit, it's just that after 30+ years as a professional in the quilt world, not to mention my age, it's not how I want to spend my time. My choice is to just get on with whatever ideas come into my head. My work is now made strictly for sale and it's clear (at least in this area) that one needs a variety of color, size, themes, style, and prices in order to stay out of the red.
