Oh Phew!!!!

Drove over to the coast and found someplace to park where they were not charging an arm and a leg ($15-20.00).  They were hawking boiled peanuts and t-shirts commemorating the launch.  All for naught.  After I parked, I check my Blackberry and the Internet to find that the launch had been cancelled 10 minutes before I turned off the car so I started the car back up and drove back home.  I had killed at least love bug populating of Central Florida on my trip over and the car was covered with the dead and dieing bugs and their spattered remains coated the windshield. 
One good thing about owning a Mini Cooper; they give free car washes.  So before I came home I stopped by the car lot and got all the bugs removed so I could return a nice clean car to my daughter since she told me she had washed mine for me the evening before when we swapped.
I hear that they will try to launch again on Monday.  I'm going to try it one more time.

Staying busy

I am currently working on another commission for the same person I made the white on white wall hanging with a butterfly for. Plan to have it done and on its way to her in a week, ten days at most. I started on this last week after I got home with my search for the right fabrics. This is my second butterfly, the first one wasn't working/doing it for me. The piece when completed with measure approx 24 x 30 inches. Not sure if I told you that already.
Went to the Library on Monday and got a selection of book on CD. Am listening to The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner. Haven't read/listened to anything by her before, but this ones is a good read/listen so far.
Tomorrow I am off to see the shuttle Endeavour take off.  Let's hope all goes well with the launch. I am taking my camera.  Rene' tells me without the aid of a GPS I should be able to get there without any problems but I am using it anyway. Also taking a book to read, a bag lunch and bottles of water since it is advisable to get there several hours before launch time to get a viewing spot. Oh yeah, a hat, sunglasses and a folding lawn chair.
Will let you know how my latest adventure fared when I get back.

What's not to love about petunias

Pink and Hot

I went out today to find pink fabrics for my next commission. Pink! Can you believe it. I had no problem and found a wide assortment to choose from. Pink must be in fashion. In one stop I got all of the pieces in the foreground. The two larger cuts in the background I brought while in Louisville. Sorry,  because of my luck there are no pictures of quilt shops I had planned to explore today. Everything was brought at the  Joann's less than 2 miles from home. Plus see below for reason why I called it quits for the day after my second stop at the Harbor Freight.
I'm showing you pictures of I-4 heading east toward home. I was making good time until I came to this point in the trip and the traffic began to slow down to a crawl, slow enough and stopped long enough for me to take pictures.  This slow down and stopping every hundred feet or so continued for miles. Finally gave up and got off the Interstate and took the local roads home.
I had ventured to the south side of Orlando (15 miles) guided by my GPS in search of the 48" long drywall t-squares at the second Harbor Freight location and I found what I wanted. To keep from making a trip for naught, I called the store before I went. Once there I brought two of them to go with my collection of carpenter squares and straight edges. All must haves for squaring quilts.
The getting there wasn't all that bad when I looked past the fact that half way there my air condition decided to stop working. Believe me mid afternoon in Orlando is no time not to have air conditioning in your car. So I rolled down the windows and dealt with it telling myself that the god of "you ask for it" was just getting back at me for wishing all last week that the weather in KY and OH was more like FL. I wanted warm, well today I got more than warm, I got down right HOT.
There are two movies on my list of must sees for the weekend. The Conspiracy a movie about Pres. Lincoln and the new Tyler Perry Movie.
Happy Easter. Here hoping you get your share of jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and Easter Eggs. Oh and Peeps.

Balcony view

Yesterday's trip out had me driving up the road toward Casselberry to find the Harbor Freight store. I found it easily but did not find what I was looking for. Which was a 48" drywall t-square to use for squaring up my quilts. Not to leave empty handed I picked up a box of much need filter mask for when I am measuring and mixing dyes and a box of disposable latex gloves. Oh and set of picks for I don't know what, but they looked like something I should have, just in case.
Then it was off to the nursery where I walked and looked and couldn't decide of what to buy then narrowed it down to flowers that love full sun or part-day sun. My favorite petunia came in many colors, mounding and trailing and I chose both for the rail baskets. I decided on Moss roses in my favorite color (yellow) because they too are trailing plant and hopefully they will grow long enough to trail over the side of the railing without looking straggly like the philodendron I planted last fall did.
Since I only have this small space to use my green thumb I thought I'd try to grow some cherry tomatoes and some green peppers trusting I will not be growing more than I can eat as they ripen.
Lovely day today. Perfect for breakfast outside.
There is a second Harbor Freight location in my area. I think I'll give them a call to see if they have the t-squares as I will be out and about shopping for some commercial prints in pink, coral and fuchsia to go with my hand dyes for my next commission.
There are several quilt shops I have not visited before but I plan to rectify that today. I'll take my camera along.
There might be something interesting to share.

Back in Louisville

I went to see the solo exhibit of Pat Darif on Tuesday. Three of the piece were influenced by trees. Next to flowers, tree are my next favorite subject.
The three pieces shown behind the receptionist desk were created by my friend Marti Plager and are permanently installed at st. Matthews Episcopal Church on Hubbards Lane in Louisville.
Aren't these Dogwoods wonderful. I took then as I drive through a subdivision on my way to dinner with two friends on Monday.
This church standing on the north edge of Old Louisville has always grabbed my attention whenever I get off I-65 at the St. Catherine exit
The last two images are of parts of downtown Louisville as I drove east on I-64. Each time I return to the city I see something new has been built. It's good to see my home town grow with new business, and sad to see some of the ones go and old building being torn down.
Yes I miss Louisville, but it was cold the entire time I was there. I was cold. It rained. The wind blew.... HARD. Tornado sirens went off as they often do this time of the year and into the summer in Louisville.
I was so busy the entire time I was away. I have never been able to sleep on a plane until this trip home. Despite the plane dancing through the sky for most of the two hour flight, I napped. We bounced about so much that we were never offered peanuts or pretzels and the drinks did not come until the last 30 minutes of the flight.
But I am home and unpacked and went marketing to restock the fridge.
Tomorrow, I will show you my new plantings on the balcony.
My commission quilt was delivered and was well received and the buyer commissioned me to do a second one with flowers and a butterfly. This one I will get to do with some color, yeah!!!!!!

Cincinnati class

I had fifteen students in my two day painting on silk class.  Here are some candid shots of the class as they were showing off what they had painted.  Some are shown machine quilting, others were still painting their second project.  They were all given the same pattern but look how different they look.  No one selected the same colors to use for their flowers or their leaves.

The room was really  a treat to teach in and well suited for this class with enough room for everyone to have a table of their own. Great natural lighting as well as overhead lighting.  There was a utility sink and a small kitchenette that allowed the host to organize a pot luck lunch the first day and pizza was delivered on day two.  As with all quilt gatherings there was more than enough food, the good healthy stuff as well as the not so, like cookies and chips as well as  chocolate which I think of as a GOOD THING, especially chocolate with almonds.

As I drive down the hill to the Ohio River from the Kentucky side, the sky line of Cincinnati is a post card opportunity but not when you are the one who is driving.  I took this after I pulled over to the side of the road as I was driving up the hill leaving the city behind.
I hope I get invited back to teach for the group, they were wonderful.

A quilt exhibit

While in Ohio teaching I accompanied my host and her husband and three other couples to see the exhibit of art quilts created to honor the election of Pres. Obama. The exhibit was at Wilberforce University. It is a traveling exhibit with many great pieces. I think Dr, Carolyn Mazloomi publish a catalog of the show, but I understood from conversations with some of the artist in the show that additional pieces have been added to the exhibit since the book was published
. The pieces I singled out to show you are by my friend Valarie White, Louisville, Carolyn Crump, Texas, and Valerie Goodwin, Florida. Sorry I did not get the names of those shown in the wide gallery shot.

Tulips and Dogwoods

I was in Louisville last week. There are many things I really miss about living there. Not counting family and friends, Tulips and Dogwood trees blooming in the Spring are two of those things.
As I was leaving the airport I got my first glimpse of tulips and looked wistfully at each bunch I saw growing as I traveled about the city. There are no tulips in Florida. The ones pictured above were growing in the yard of the condo unit next to where my friend Kathy A. lives. But they were everywhere and in every color. Once again, Kathy made me welcome and I enjoyed my time with her. I tried to see everyone near and dear and spread myself way too thin and I'm afraid I didn't get to everyone.
I went shopping while I was in Louisville, venturing briefly into Stein Marts to get my "Derby Hat I want one fix" and the hats did not disappoint. They were to die for. I know, those of you who are not native Louisvillian or of the age where donning a hat on Sunday was the thing for ladies in the South who Church did. And so was wearing the most beautiful hat you could find and afford on Derby Day. If you did not do one of these things you can not imaging how seeing hats of many colors bedecked with flowers and ribbons and bows and netting can make the heart flutter. My heart fluttered and fluttered and fluttered. I know I could wear a hat anytime I want to, but the ones I want to wear don't go well with jeans and white t-shirts. Then the other part of that is; I do not want to be seen (looked at or pointed at, snickered about, or seem as an odd duck) and I most certainly would if I wore one of those Derby Day hats in Orlando. In Louisville on the first Saturday in May, (Derby Day) a hat is a must and the most outrageous show stopper is noticeable only if you do not wear it well. I sigh......

They label them like a package

Made the drive to Jacksonville to see Justin get sworn in. Got there at 10:00AM but the ceremony wasn't until Noon since he was not leaving the center for the airport until 2:00 PM. I thought it was rather funny seeing all the new recruits with bar codes on their chest. (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guards) are all processed from that center so there were many young bodies, both male and female gathered there; tagged and labels I guess so they don't get misplaced.

After the swearing in for those entering the Navy, they were dismissed and all left the room in formation with permission to return for final hugs or snapshots since camera's were not allowed to be used during the welcome to the Navy speech and the swearing in.

So here's Justin raising his hand just for me and so I could send the image to his Mom and Rene'. We will travel to Great Lakes when he gets through basic. Okay, now it's back to packing for my trip with just a little left to do.

I promised myself

That I would be more observant of my surroundings. That I would take note of the palm trees in the Garden my balcony overlooks.
So I have been looking at then, really looking and have taken pictures of them from time to time. And yes I can tell they are growing especially now that my eye level from the balcony is more in line with the tops of them. To my surprise, the tree trimmers came and began removing the older growth. Remember last October then left about 4-5 fronds on each tree and they did that again this time.
So I guess the trees get trimmed twice a year instead of once. Hmmmm!

Things are coming together

This is my commission piece. Measures 24" x 60". Almost done. What's left to do before I get on the plane on Wednesday. The sleeves, label and some tweaking. I am happy with the background and the flowers, but the butterfly needs some more work....color or gold thread in the upper wing. The color does not seem to flow or smoosh just right. It is pinned the design wall. Well I'm off for now. Back to tweaking interspersed with packing both clothes and class supplies. Justin took off for the beach today for a last fling in the sun before reporting to the Navy processing center tomorrow. I will be driving over and up to Jacksonville on Tuesday to see him raise his hand.

When I love color

why would I accept a commission to create something without it? For the challenge I suppose. This piece when completed will measure 2' x 5' and is for an over the head board space in a bedroom. My client is in Louisville. It's a good think there are flowers. One saving grace I will add a touch of gold foil and a little teal in the flower centers but that's all. Will give you a look at the final version when it is completed. Justin is home. My company (a friend from Louisville) has come and gone. It was great while she was here. The sun shone every day and of course we had the day trip to the beach. The day after she left we had two really bad days of gray skies, heavy rain and WIND. They are saying that the rain will come again tomorrow. I have been really busy. I am on the committee for the Donation Fund Raising quilt for the Quilt Guild I belong to. I taught the second half of a two session class in Kissimmee last Saturday and spent Sunday afternoon on the Internet ordering the supplies I need for a two day class I am teaching in Cincinnati on the 16-17 of April. Might be a while before I get back to blogging. Work, work, work which I really don't consider it work is what I will be doing. Along with the quilt and organizing class supplies, sometime in the next 8 days I need to work up a power point presentation for a guild talk I will do in Louisville while I am in the area too. Told then there wouldn't be too many quilt with the talk mainly because I don't have an inventory anymore. I am looking forward to seeing my Mom and friends while in Louisville. I hope I have not scheduled myself too thin with more to do and people to see while I am there. Got my quilt packed and sent off to Paducah for the show. But I won't be there to see it. My goodness, is it that late. 1:10AM. I just noticed the time on my laptop. I am way past bedtime. Bye!