Belittle Done Crossbar
Went to the NEQM to hear Julie Silber the other day- her collection of Maverick Quilts is up and Sylvia and I enjoyed their quirks. The next day was over 90, and today is 100. Sure glad I didn't head for Buffalo.
Speaking of Buffalo, I was photographing a quilt of my mom's to put up on eBay, an ugly sucker that I cannot use and doesn't have any provenance. TY couldn't believe I would get rid of one of my mother's quilts (meanwhile we have HIS mother's portrait in our dining room becauise he won't get rid of a thing that any family member has touched!) But back to the Ugly Sucker- I decided that the probloem with it was the awful binding, muslin brought around from the back, and the hideous 50's fabric sashing- so I cut it all up. I saved just the little 8 pointed stars and have been liberating those from their sashing for 2 days now.
I basically have 3 collages here- I have divided them up into piles I will call 'Rotating', 'Spinning', and 'Twirling'. I have been Twirling all day ! I have the blocks that contain polkadots in Twirling, the brown and blacks in Spinning which I will mount on an old piece of nice batik I've had forever, and the more boring ones in Rotating. Twirling has it's polkadot background all gued down but some of the under fabric bled through so I have to do a quick paint fix before I go further. I'll get photos up tomorrow when I process the next eBay batch.
Speaking of which- I only sold 3 things this time, a disappointment. I hope the African American quilt goes next time, also putting up a faded old family depression era Dresden plate, figuring maybe $35 each. This isn't MY old eBay!
Tomorrow I have to connect with David and pick up the slides we had done Thursday- they weren't ready yesterday. He is leaving Tuesday for Nova Scotia again so I hope I don't need any new slides for awhile.
Geesh I hope it cools off a bit. I need to get to Buffalo. AAACcckkk
June 19, 2005
Between Balm Slit
Here's the book cover I am putting Jamie on, and maybe another one for the OD's. For some reason Sparkpod woldn't take them both, probably because Jamie's is too damn big.
Jamie's picture has some unidentifiable whitish circle on his belly- looks like a flash reflection and I don't know what to do with it- I have asked Nate to come give me a tutorial before he takes TY out to the movie today. bet it won't get dsone with Hector here rampaging the place.
Category: Books
June 19, 2005
Pastel Recipient Chewy
Here's what I have been wrestling lately- I removed the background in this picture of Jamie and Hector Fishstick so I can send in the photo to www.dogs24/7. They then make it into a personalized cover for their book. he will love it as a Christmas present- matter of fact I am thinking of keeping the wonderful plate I got for the OD's because I like it too much to know they will have it...and making another cover for the same book with my only picture of their Portugese Water Puppy. It would be cheaper. Like me.
Can't shake this sore throat, been over a week now.
Quilt Progress: It's under control- I got it layered and ready to quilt today, an issue I am having problems with because I am terrible at machine quilting but yet have to do mucho stitchin' to hold down all the fused shapes- Am thinking of a simple diamond grid based on the bears paws positioning, then turning the lines 90 degrees when they hit the first border. Then I would run the straight lines to the circular design in the border and end it there. We'll see. I got some low tack tape yesterday so I am running blue lines all over the surface.
Today is Fathers Day so I have a call to make. I THOUGHT I was going to be able to hang by myself and get this quilting done today (another Mothers Day!) but just got a call from Amanda that Hector needs a sitter for the WHOLE DAY. Oy. I better get out my pet stain remover. Actually maybe I will lock the two doggies out in the hall and let 'em at it. Molly will be so overtaken with another dog here that she won't pay any attention to me.
So, it looks like my unfolding day has indeed folded right back up. I have One Hour to do what I need to do, then it's walkies ever hour. Save me from grandchildren...
June 10, 2005
Orwellian Cop Rampart
I added the photo below after I spent two days re-doing all the rpinting. This time it worked out well because it all matched at least. I redid all the tiny apples with a big French knot so they look good, though I took longer on the last batch and they were a bit neater.
Oh, the other thing I did was to remove the apple basket from the first effort and I hung it on the big monkey tail on the right. Also I have added some leftover branches from the other set, put 'em on with Elmer's glue because they were to intricate to re-cut the fusing for. This is such a one shot deal, and I **just**don't**care!
Went down to Providence Sunday to a great restaurant, very European feeling in a stone basement, darkly lit, with a brick floor. I am sure it wouldn't havce looked nearly so romantic in the daylight but the food was great, wonderful service and I had a lamb special thing that was to die for- pounded think and rolled around a pistaschio filling of some sort. The whole thing was on a bed of mesclan and doused with a vinegrette which was a perfect counterpoint to the r richness of the lamb. A whole lot pricey, probably wont' be going back any time soon. We had to leave before the water/fire thing happened later that night, had to get home for a lonely Molly.
Long Winded Rant----So, today I had my regular gyn appt- the doc gave me a new Fosamax prescription and told me to schedule another bone density test. OK, out I go to the desk, and the secretary tells me that I have to have my primary doc schedule it for me. Nuts, but down I go 2 floors to his office, where I haven't shown my face for over 10 years! OK, so I am healthy... That receptionist tells me that of course the gyn has to schedule it for me. so back up I go to the 7th floor to confront them again. They whole staff comes out to tell me ~we~don't~schedule~bone~ density~tests~because we don't TREAT it...(even though she has my last bone density which she scheduled and I have in my purse my prescription for Fosamax) and I go back to the 5th floor where they are at least nicer even though they don't know me from Adam. So I schedule an appt to see the doc who doesn't know me in August, they promise to straighten it out and contact the gyn and yell at them for me, and I am to sit here ant wait because SOMEONE WILL CONTACT ME. Hmm, should I hold my breath?
It was 90 degrees today and while I was waiting for my appt I sat in my car in the aprking garage and glued labnles onto my eBay sales. Got out all the books today, but am still waiting payment for a tablecloth and pillowcases- I will send a reminder tomorrow and see if we can get that cleared off the dining room table. I am not getting rich, but I am getting rid of a load of stuff and it's forcing me to dig into cupboards I don't want to know about.
Category: Life As I Know It
June 10, 2005
Planetaria Candlestick Moscow
Why I Don't Make Quilts Anymore: Well, I got the toile all cut out- around a scillion teensy leaves and branches. Got it ready to fuse and up on the wall to see. Got the monkey faces cut out and fused over the boy faces and even added a full monkey and a monkey-mom and baby. I found some old black and tan bears paw blocks left over from the 50 or so I had but they are really dark and don't work against the white white of the background, so I bleached the hell out of them and they are drying on my counter now. Also I have a strong tea bath to douse the whole white background in and maybe the two things WILL work together if I can just UNbright them. I want to do a bit more embroidery, add some borders of some sort and then get it out of here and off my mind. Oh well, I guess I will take a picture of the white and at least you can see the monkey faces. I may call it either Hunters and Gatherers or maybe, if I get brave, something about Evolution. I have always complained about the male behavior when Nate and Ralph get together- head butting and grunts, very primal. I was talking to Sylvia about how ridiculous the over abundance of testosterone is and she told me she has always called it Baboon Behavior- and with 2 sons she would know. That may work as a title too.
Here's one for the books: I went to take a picture of how cool it was coming out but decided to go ahead and douse it in tea first so I fused all the hundred little piece together on the background and went and did a test piece of the background to make sure it would dye- It worked fine so I stuck the whole piece in and ALL THE FUSING CAME OFF IN THE HOT WATER. Not only that, but it doubled back on itself and re-fused to itself in interesting three dimensional ways! So I drag the whole dripping mess to the ironing board and start to untangle and fuse and dry it all in one step but then I notice that one of the fabrics I used to print on took the tea so well that it turned siena brown while the rest just turned pale tan. Looks very funny, and I do not mean ha-ha- so I am pressing and straightening and cursing when I notice that the iron is picking up the ink from my printing from the very dark places and dragging it across the surface in wide swaths. It is ready for the trash pile and I have to start over with printing all over again. What a screaching mess . Damn.
To be continued.
Category: Whining
June 09, 2005
Casework Void Axis
Got an e-mail from an engineering firm that is interested in a commission of about 5' x 6'. Raised my price because I am kind of busy (hahahahaahhhahahahhhhhahah, sometimes I kill myself!) Anyway I am sure she will be put off by my methods and prices. We'll see. I was feeling kind of good that at least I was ASKED, when Sylvia brought the same e-mail into crit group. Oh well.
Also, the Fuller called and is interested in a class in conjunction with the Michael James show in the fall. Wouldn't he plotz if he knew? You betcha. The thing I would like to teach would be photographic collage but I don't have a portable printer any longer so will think on it a day or two anhd see what I can come up with that would be a seller for them.
Tomorrow I am going with Sylvia to see the Gees Bend show at the MFA. Like a friend said, she was 'whelmed' by it. Maybe because it has been so pervasive in the art world for these last 2 years! Nancy went to the opening panel and the women from Gees Bend seemed to like to sing better than quilt, she was quite taken by them and pleased that the money is goiong into a fund so whatever sells, they all benefit.
OK- remember I was saying I was going to embroiider monkey faces on the toile boys in the trees? Change of plans because I FOUND MONKEYS in another toile I had lying around. There were three in the scraps I had, perfect because I need just that many. The scale is slightly off for the boys bodies but hey, this is AHRT, so it doen't make no matter.
Lazarus made it back to the assisted living place on Monday. We'll see for how long this time. It's a good thing I was brought up to know I wouldn't get any inheritrance because if I had any idea what this is costing I would freak out. Of course it COULD be a lot easier on everyone if he would have just moved to Boston in the beginning. Sure hope I am not that stubborn when my time comes. Aaackkk.
I have the front of one side and most of half the back done on the Koigu Toreador jacket. I am not happy with the front because it took me that long to get a rhythm- wish I could tear out that6 part but I can't without doing the whole thing again and that is not gonna happen. Hmm, should take a picture.
Lost my entire calendar today in a mini-crash- for some reason the Palm program lost all the information I have put on it in the last year- I didn't check back further than that. I have spent the day playing phone tag with allo the receptionists I have made doctor appointmentw with lately- am still waiting for the eye doc to call back but recovered the others.
Category: Life As I Know It
June 05, 2005
Flinty Aspersion Blouse
Book for SALE, getcher quilt books here! indeed.
Got a bunch of quilt books up on ebay last night- still takes me forever even when they are basically the same thing and all I do is change the photos and the name! Anyway, a good job done and whatever doesn't sell I will haul off to the quilt museum. Hmmm, wish there was a collage museum too.
Lazarus will be released from rehab tomorrow if all goes as scheduled, then I have to find my 'window of opportunity' to get top Buffalo before he falls again and ends up in a hospital again and perpetuates the cycle. I sure don't want to take Molly on another trip in the hot weather- hope TY will step up to the plate and take her off my6 hands for this one.
Gotta get back to work- I have to print out the second toile picture- my arm is so bad I can't use the mouse and erasing background needs some modicum of control. I do have to say it's slightly better today finally- we're now into month five of having a useless apendage.
June 01, 2005
Williams Woodbury Bridesmaid
Ironstone. Oy. This is only the tip of the iceberg. eBay here I come
Did a final tally of the eBay tablecloth 'give-away' and I sold half of them (9 out of 17 but two were cutters bundled together) for a total of $130. Guess this isn't the way to get rich quick, and I am off to the post office.
Yesterday I took a whole lawn and leaf bag full of linens to Goodwill- maybe 15 pillowcase sets, some with nice embroidery, several sheets, and bunch of damask tablecloths that are uninteresting, several sets of odd napkins. I am feeling so good about dumping this crap. I have to keep going now- going to go through another cupboard and box and might even dislodge some ironstone (be still my heart- I still love it so much)
My mom's Fostoria crystal (?) that I loved as a kid is out in the storage area in a box- I will never use the fussy Victorian pattern- maybe that will be next. I feel somewhat guilty getting rid of the stuff she collected for so long but neither Mandy or I want the burden. So out it must go.
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