I know a lot of you are living with a

lot of white stuff on the lawn, but here in my neck of the woods (mostly palm trees) the sun is shining and it is warm. So it is no wonder I haven't gotten in to making art in my typical fall/winter palette (browns, blacks, greys. Even my favorite background color, dark dark purple, has taken a turn toward red as seen in the background of one of my latest two pieces. These are not very wide, the orange flower measures 20 x 40 and the red one will be 17.5 x 40 when faced. Both will be part of the exhibit in Ann Arbor. Here are some close-up images of the quilting in both pieces for those who have wanted to see more of my quilting.

 

 

Went to see Up in the Air with George Cloney. Good movie. Lots of aerial views that make you think of quilts by the way. And for anyone who travels a lot, it offeres moments of memories, if you have a fondness for airports. Today my youngest child is 39 years old, My, there was a time in his life when I didn't think he would live to see his teens. He such a dare devil. But he was afterall a BOY who turned into a nice man in my opinion, but I AM HIS MOTHER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYKE.

So here is my latest piece

that still needs facing and sleeves. As is when faced it will measure 30" x 60" but I am contemplating cropping it a little on the top and maybe some on the left side. Will leave it pinned to the design wall overnight and look at it some more over coffee in the morning before deciding to face as is or if I should get out the trusty rotary cutter and a long straight edge.
My cough is better, food taste like food again and while I felt well enough to get back to walking this morning, surprise, surprise, it was raining when my feet hit the floor, so I put off walking one more day. Yeah, yeah, I know I could have taken the elevator to the seventh floor and walked on the treadmill, but, well...I'm sorry to say a week off just made it easy for me to find an excuses for not doing what I know I should.
A NOTE TO MYSELF: I promise, I promise, sunshine or rain I'm walking tomorrow, I promise.
I forgot to go to the park on Saturday for the lighting of the Christmas tree, but heard the fifteen minutes worth of fireworks that were set off. Last evening on returning from the CVS drugs store I drove slowly along Cranes Roost Blvd and looked at the lights. Very nice! Maybe one evening I will see if I can capture the lake at night all lite up for the season.
My search for Superior Mono-poly clear has ended. Tuesday on-line I found a quilt shop (The JaM Place); 2 hours drive from my door that carries the thread. Over the phone I brought the three spools she had in the shop and she very helpfully put them in a Priority Mail soft side envelope and sent them to me. They arrived today.

 

You don't need any formal medical training

to know that you can be perfectly fine one minute and within the hour be sicker than a dog. I honestly can not say I am sick, I just feel yucky. For certain what I have is not the flu, I'm not that sick. Just under the weather so to speak having what my granny would classify as " a cold that settled in my throat" as opposed to settling in my head or lungs. With a nod to my RN training and medical correctness, I have a case of pharyngitis that I think is more viral than bacterial since I am better with no medication after three days even though I still have an occasional spells of coughing.

On Monday my Sis-n-law Brenda from LA stopped by with three of her college classmates/sorority sisters for a four hour visit. Today the conversation was more general and the time passed quickly. My daughter Rene dropped by to see her Aunt and after they left Rene and I went out to my favorite eating place, "Sweet Tomato",

All of this sickly stuff started on Tuesday.I could tell my taste buds were off as I was eating a salad in the food court at the Mall to which I had walked because I was in search of a small back pack or back pack purse to wear when I do my morning walk. In it I plan to put my camera, a journal and a pen, maybe some fruit, nuts and a container of yogurt. I can't tell you how many mornings I have wished for my camera to capture some texture, pattern or image. I have often thought how nice it would be to sit near the water to journal as well. Alas, no small back packs to be found,

On Wednesday with a cough and a low grade temperature I finished hand stitching the facing on my last piece and began to plans for my next one.

Note: to all who are concerned that I roll my work and put them in the closet. Don't worry, they will be seen as I am working toward the total number of pieces I need for an exhibit in Ann Arbor, MI that opens Feb. 12th, 2010. In my next post I will give you more details about local, etc.

On Thursday, I was alternating between hot tea with lemon when I had a chill and cold ginger ale when my temperature spiked and I took to my bed with some knitting which I did between periods of drowsiness.

On Friday I was out of bed and working in spurts interrupted with periods of sitting on the couch with my feet up knitting.

On Saturday I made a trip to one of the local quilt shop to buy 505, thread and some fabric for the backing of this current piece, since I did not have a two yard length of any thing suitable for a backing in the house.

So sad... I still have not found that one quilt shop that carries all of my favorite things. Right now I am not having any luck finding Superior Mono-poly locally that I use as my bobbin thread. By local I mean withing 15 miles. I think the shop in Deland has it but that is about 40 miles away.

Today I sandwiched and began quilting on this piece. It measures 34" x 65" at this point but will be smaller once quilted, blocked and trued up.