intermediary countrymen

  There are two theories to arguing with a woman. 

Neither works.   Will Rogers 

I was out of the studio so much last week that I need to skip a lap to finish at all.  I got one table cleared off to do the handwork on the 'What I Should Have Said' piece but most of the appliqué work is (UGH) circles.  I have to wear my readers with my nose on the work to see what Im doing, I hate this handicap accessible stuff-  what I need is a seeing eye dog.  One that can thread needles.  It sure seems like 36" go thread lasts about a minute and a half before I need more.

I stopped in the local quilt shop for more thread the other day and it has a new owner.  The place looks great, all cleaned up and streamlined.  They eliminated clutter and put the fancy new machines front and center while the quilting fabrics are less featured.  Sound decision.  So I chatted for awhile and looked around and BOIIING!  They had the Bernina Q-20 on display.  I fell madly uncontrollably, passionately in love.  It is unfortunately $12,999 so I won't be breaking the change jar open.  You read that right.  All I can think about is how wonderful it would be to bang out the two huge pieces I'm working on.  In reality, remember I recently cut up every quilt I ever made that wasn't sold or lost and vowed to make quilting secondary to playing around with Other Things.  Wonder if I would get anywhere with Kickstarter...  Wish I had a stable of other quilters around here to rent it out as needed, but this bunch is all sporty and doing other stuff like playing golf and exercising daily.  Pooh.  I will take donations!  Yeah, that's the ticket.  



I got in touch with my friend, who owns a long arm and does wonderful work, for advice.  She told me the next best is not even half that price so I guess I should look for a dealer for that and get a demo.  But the truth is after you've sat in a luxury car, the old Mini just ain't flipping your hear any more. 


I came home today after a whole day or errands and felt sorry for myself-  but I did it under the sunset in the hot tub at 104 degrees, and a coldglass of wine provided by my butler.  Trying real hard not to love the palm trees blowing overhead.  What an ungrateful shit I am.  I will instead invest in bottles o' glue in many varieties, perhaps a new kneaded eraser, and be happy happy.  Hell, I have been making stuff since I was 8 or 9 out of stuff I find.  I don't need no stinking' quilting machine.

Today I had to go to the pet store and then I went to Home Goods where I found this guy (didn't BUY him, only stole his image, enough with the squirrels, already).  He was big and would have possibly not gone on the shelf where the other one is, so even though he was nicer I let him live on at HomeGoods.  What I did buy were 3 10' long garlands of different kinds of carrots.  I am decorating for Easter with carrots.  And believe me I felt that buying all 3 strands were an extravagance, especially since I do't celebrate Easter, well, except for the bunnies and lamb and colored eggs.  Carrots solve the problem.  Got a few other things for Easter baskets, now just must find perfect baskets!  And grass, and egg coloring kits.

While I'm in holiday mode, I also picked up a corned beef, so that will be my next creative project.  Lets get ARTY and out of this funk.

Japan has a rich tradition of food carving called mukimono. If you’ve ever eaten at a fancy restaurant in Japan you might have found a carrot carved into a bunny, garnishing your plate. But in the hands of Japanese artist Gaku, the art of fruit and vegetable carving is elevated to a new realm of edible creations.

When asked what he does with all his creations after he’s done, his reply is simple: he eats them.

OK, I feel more grounded.  Thing guy does such detail work with nothing but a paring knife.  Shame on me.

ungrateful wench.