Hi! If you’re looking for Sarah’s teaching schedule, look for a post dated the first of the month. Just scroll down, and there it will be! Thanks, Sarah

TOTALLY NQR, i.e. Not Quilt Related! Deb Boschert is a friend, a member of the Artful Quilters ring and diligent blogger, and has been posting off and on about this show. I’ll confess–I’m totally hooked! At this point, all the weakest links are gone, though I have to admit the least of this crowd makes the best of American Idol look like the bush leagues…..

JD–always manages to put his foot in it somehow, which is a shame. He’s an amazing performer, and I get the feeling that the music inside his head is fantastic…that he’s probably the strongest of the bunch remaining at writing music and lyrics, arranging, editing. But, he needs to grow up. It seems the show editors have played up his goofs (and there has been enough to play with!), but it also seems like he really cares that the others like him, so I’m sure there’s a saving grace. The question is, will INXS want to deal with his personality? They are all older, and may be old enough that they don’t want to “raise” JD. If you have to deal with teaching someone music and musicianship, or teaching someone to grow up, which would you pick?

Marty–really doesn’t do much for me. I admire him for sticking to his guns, politely, in the face of prodding by INXS. But I just don’t personally care for his style of music (too much screaming, not enough melody). And his intensity almost scares me off….when you think about a band touring, that’s a lot of togetherness. What would he be like to be around 24/7? Not sure I’d want to find out.

Jordis–an amazing talent, and I can’t believe that she is that self-possessed, and knows that much about herself at age 23. Dave Navarro said the other day that he loved watching a star be born, and I agree. She will make it. But not with INXS. Somehow, as phenomenal as she is as a singer and performer, she seems fairly toned down, restrained in her performances. That is “her,” and she is amazing, but I just don’t quite see the fit between her and INXS. May she get a major record deal immediately upon leaving the show, and may it streak to the top of the charts…personally I think she deserves it.

Suzie…now there’s a cypher. The band clearly likes her, and she’s good, and I agree she doesn’t belong in the bottom 3 so often. She seems like she’d be fun to be around a lot, that the band would find her easy to get along with on the road. And (since I’m not musically inclined) the band hears things, good things, in her voice that I don’t pick up on (to dangle a participle or whatever the heck part of speech that is). Not sure how far she’ll go.

Ty: oh those EYES! Talk about bedroom eyes…he’s gorgeous! And if you’ve checked the blogs (yep, I confess, I’ve checked the rockstar.msn.com website blogs) he and MiG, and also to a degree Marty, are the class acts of the crowd. They write well, express themselves well, work hard, and have their eyes on the prize, in addition to being awesome singers and performers. I think Ty has a great heart, and I really would like to see him in the final 3. And I’d buy his records, and considering how few albums / CDs I’ve bought in the past ten years, that’s saying something. I’d buy Jordis too I think…

MiG: If I had to pick one person today that I’d like to get the lead singer spot, it is MiG. Not only is he really good at what he does, he seems to be a genuinely considerate, wonderful human being. From what we’ve seen on the show and what he has written, he works well with others, is willing to take the lead and strike out on his own AND also willing to know when to let the band guide. He may not have the full vocal range (again, I’m outta my league here) of some of the others, or JD’s arranging or music-writing talents –or he may– but he’s got the whole package. And I think he’d be good for the band…..

Who would you like to see in the final 3? I’d go for MiG, Ty and JD…….Cheers, and signing off. Enough of this prattle LOL!

As you might guess, I’ve been trying to get caught up on a lot of “little bits and pieces,” mostly so I can get started on two big quilts I’m hoping to make this coming year. I had volunteered to make blocks for two projects. The first one is part of a fund-raiser quilt being organized by Annie Copeland. She has curated two great exhibits (so far, and a third is in process), and I’m fortunate to have two pieces in the second one: Myths and Legends. To see this show on line visit her website for the Fiber Arts Connection of Southern California: www.fiberartsconnsocal.org .

Annie asked us to make 12 1/2 inch square blocks in batiks using a heart-in-hand motif. So I did, and I love this block. Hope you and Annie like it, too! Annie will assemble all the blocks into a top, have it quilted, then use it as a fundraiser for her non-profit organization.

The second “block” (OK, rectangle…I’m not always wild about rules….) is for a (shhhh, don’t tell) wedding surprise. So if your name is Tristan and you’re getting married in October, stop scrolling here. Anyway, Tristan and Jon are getting “civil unionized” in October, I think because that’s as soon as they can (they live in Connecticut). A fellow pirate had what I think is the most sane idea on it all I’ve heard in eons: the government should be in the business of civil unions, whether between a man and a woman, two men, two women, whatever. They should not be in the business of marriage. Churches, synagogues, mosques and whatever should be the ones to decide who can get married in their holy place. Period.

This is a lot like Latin America, where you marry in the church, but also have a civil ceremony at the courthouse. If you don’t have the civil paperwork, at least according to most governmental rules, you’re not legally hitched. Sounds right to me. So here’s to Tristan and Jon’s civil union, and here’s to Deb Richardson who is assembling the top/quilt for them. And we won’t talk about how green with envy I am that Tristan and Jon are going to Greece in March for their honeymoon…..sigh…..

Still can’t figure out two photos where I want in one blog, so skinning this cat a different way…another post dated and timed to fit where I want!

OK…here are the next two blocks in the Nourish quilt….oh, I kinda hate to do this, but don’t know how else to put the dreaded “fine print” stuff on this site. All these designs are copyrighted, so please don’t copy them! I know pretty much everyone who knows me knows all this stuff, but in the event someone actually surfs into this blog that isn’t a quilter, you either need to purchase the pattern (contact me using the links on the right) or make your own designs. Sorry. Well, actually I’m not sorry…it’s part of how I make my living, and I love doing the designs! So hope you like them….