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The International Quilt Festival Silent Auction

October 19th, 2013

Be Humble for you are made of Earth, be Noble for you are made of stars.

Sorry about the photo quality!  My donation to this year's IQA silent auction

Sorry about the photo quality! My donation to this year’s IQA silent auction

Sheesh…. you’d think I’d take a PHOTO of one of my quilts before donating it and sending it off!   Yes, Labyrinth is going to be a part of the International Quilt Festival silent auction this year!   Alas, I did NOT take a good photo of it!  At least I will be going to teach at Festival and will swing by and take a better photograph then!

This quilt was for our local Coastal Quilters challenge, 13 x 13 inches, with the theme of Exit.  I figured an entrance and exit are the same, so I made this labyrinth and did bobbin work using Razzle Dazzle on the edges of the “stone.”  The green is one of my hand-dyes, and the background is quilted with two quotes.  The one surrounding the maze is apparently a Syrian proverb, Be Humble for you are made of Earth, be Noble for you are made of stars.  I love that!

The second quote is from one of the China Bayles mystery novels:

I’d already done a bit of both [rest and thinking], enough to realize that the only thing wrong with my life was an overabundance of *good* things.  All I needed to do was search out the center–the thing I wanted most to be, wanted most to have and do–and use it as a compass.

Susan Wittig Albert, character China Bayles, in Rueful Death

 

Cross Country Season is in full swing

October 17th, 2013

One of the lovely things about kids’ fall sports is being outside in a Maine Autumn.  As I type, I am watching an ever-so-pale pink on the  clouds underlit by the late sunrise (it is 6:56 a.m.) drifting across the distant hills, which range from deep pine to russet, gold, mahogany, bright green (the willows along the drive), deep umber on the trunks of trees that have lot their leaves already, and the burnt crimson of the blueberry barrens on the next hill over.   Going to Eli’s cross country meets is just as glorious, and we’ve had not-rainy weather the entire season!

Part of the trail at Camden Hills Regional High School; Eli is in red.

Part of the trail at Camden Hills Regional High School; Eli is in red. 

Eli had a bumpy start to his season, coming down with a flu just a couple weeks in to school.  That affected his breathing and therefore his running, but he finally had a race with which he was happy last weekend at Homecoming.

The starting gun has just fired, and Ben Trapani. Caleb Love-Webb and Eli are in the lead for Camden (the three in red at the left).

The starting gun has just fired, and Ben Trapani. Caleb Love-Webb and Eli are in the lead for Camden (the three in red at the left).

Senior Ben Trapani is poised to come in near the top in the state this year.  I remember when Eli was in 6th grade and Ben in 8th and we would watch him at track meets, a full lap ahead of the field.  Not much has changed in four years, except that he is bigger, stronger, and even more of a fine young man; well, I would say that his confidence in himself and his running has grown, and it is good to see because it is confidence well-placed.   Will sure miss him after he graduates, but his younger sister Emma, a Freshman, is already at the head of the pack in the girls’ races!   Caleb is a Freshman, and is now the second-fastest on the team, something Eli predicted before the season began.

Caleb (left) and Eli (just behind him) coming round the bend side by side after about 1.5 km of the 5k race.

Caleb (left) and Eli (just behind him) coming round the bend side by side after about 1.5 km of the 5k race.

I see in Caleb the same focus and drive that I see in Eli, so it’s going to be a good few years for the boys.  And Eli, though not a typical runner’s build, is determined and fast as ever.

Eli coming around the back side of the second field at the high school.  There is a spot where you can get the into-the-woods view then move about 30 feet to see the kids come around the loop to this spot.

Eli coming around the back side of the second field at the high school. There is a spot where you can get the into-the-woods view then move about 30 feet to see the kids come around the loop to this spot.

Eli has an incredible drive to compete and win, and it comes out at the end of every race.   He can run down kids like you wouldn’t believe if they are anywhere near close.  Here  he’s putting it into overdrive:

How can that kid be so strong?  He clearly gets  his physical prowess from his dad!

How can that kid be so strong? He clearly gets his physical prowess from his dad!

And checking his time after crossing the finish line:

Better! Next up, the very hilly, challenging course for KVAC (Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference) race at Cony High School in Augusta, followed by Eastern Regionals in Belfast and states at Cumberland the following weekends.

Better! Next up, the very hilly, challenging course for KVAC (Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference) race at Cony High School in Augusta, followed by Eastern Regionals in Belfast and states at Cumberland the following weekends.

 

In the studio

October 15th, 2013

What a concept… I actually am making a small art quilt!   I’ve been slamming busy as usual, and this time it is in the “oh I should make just one more new sample for Quilt Festival/teaching” mode!   On Saturday morning, I’m talking about thread-coloring, so decided to make a new piece, a lily.  Here it is in progress:

Pink lily, in progress

Pink lily, in progress

I’ve managed to quilt the pink, so this afternoon I’ll start in on the foliage.  I’ve used six or seven different pinks/reds.  As you can gather by the reference photo, it is  about 14 x 20 ish, but will be seriously cropped.  The current proportions/composition need fine-tuning, but decided I’d quilt first and chop second (probably at least an inch on all sides, more on the sides).

It is also glorious color time in Maine.  This was the wooded acres behind our house at sunrise this morning:

This morning at 6:35 a.m., lit by the rising sun

This morning at 6:35 a.m., lit by the rising sun

And I’ve got a new chair that doesn’t make my creaky bones ache;  clearly, the cats approve!  I’ve started putting the back cushion down and covering it to avoid them destroying the back cushion by cat-squishing it!

The cats like the new chair...all FOUR of them on the turned-down back cushion!

The cats like the new chair…all FOUR of them on the turned-down back cushion!

And a glorious sunset the other evening…. one of the most glorious in quite a while.

Sunset Friday at the high school in Rockport, Maine...GLORIOUS!

Sunset Friday at the high school in Rockport, Maine…GLORIOUS!

Off to enjoy autumn!

The Eye of the Quilter

October 13th, 2013

I’m thrilled to share that I will have all THREE of my photo entries on display at the Eye of the Quilter Exhibit in Houston this year!  Since I don’t want to spoil the surprise, I won’t share THOSE three photos until Quilt Festival opens, but I will share a couple of my entries from past years.  I just love seeing the photos, and this time I totally think that my Queen Anne’s Lace photo from this year needs to become a quilt!   Last year, I only got one photo in, but it’s a keeper:

I navigate the world by ice cream stores.  When I taught at Vermont Quilt Festival, of COURSE I made the pilgrimage to the original Ben and Jerry's (twice!).  The theme this year was "Favorite Things."  Ahem!

I navigate the world by ice cream stores. When I taught at Vermont Quilt Festival, of COURSE I made the pilgrimage to the original Ben and Jerry’s (twice!). The theme this year was “Favorite Things.” Ahem!

To go back to the beginning…..

Circles Collage was one of my first entries accepted to Eye of the Quilter.   Look at all that design potential!

Circles Collage was one of my first entries accepted to Eye of the Quilter. Look at all that design potential!

In 2011, I had three accepted with the theme of Friendship:

Pigwidgeon on top of Yeti.  'Widgeon was just a puppy, and he loved his big dumb dog!

Pigwidgeon on top of Yeti. ‘Widgeon was just a puppy, and he loved his big dumb dog!

And 2011 was the year Mama finally joined her Mama.  The bottom right photo is the last I took of her.

Say Hi to Gramma is a collage honoring my mom, who died that year.  The photo in the bottom center is our last Mother's Day together.

Say Hi to Gramma is a collage honoring my mom, who died that year. The photo in the bottom center is our last Mother’s Day together.

My Frayed Edges friends are another source of joy in life:

The Frayed Edges, Summer 2011

The Frayed Edges, Summer 2011

Congrats to Gail M, Winner of the Grand Finale Giveaway

October 10th, 2013

Congratulations to Gail Myrodhosky who was number 42 in the comments on my Grand Finale Giveaway to celebrate the release of my DVD workshop, Art Quilt Design From Photo to Threadwork.

To order a DVD, visit my Store page here, or to order either the DVD or a digital download, visit Quilting Arts' Interweave Store, here.   And, of course, you can enter the various giveaways thanks to the generous quilt artists who are helping me give away copies!

To order, see below.

Here’s what the random number generator told me–I just think these things are so cool!

Random.org is a random number generator (found by Google, thank you Google)

Random.org is a random number generator (found by Google, thank you Google)

Thank you to all of you for reading, commenting, participating in the giveaway!  Thank you to all the bloggers who participated, and to Quilting Arts/Interweave, Mistyfuse and Havel’s Scissors for donating prizes!   Now…on to blogging about more art, quilt and family life!

And for those of you wh o didn’t win (I’m sorry!  I wish I could have a copy for each of you!), visit my Store page here to order the DVD,  or to order either the DVD or a digital download, visit Quilting Arts’ Interweave Store, here.