What a week!

This was an anniversary week. It's been twenty years since I left corporate America to do art full time and earn a living at it. The good news is that it worked - I've never been a starving artist - and I have had a wonderful time in these years.

My first bunch of years was spent doing calligraphy full time and lots of craft shows up and down the East Coast. I had some specialty items that were custom orders and led me to meet many wonderful families. Along the way, I added watercolor painting to my lettering and sold paintings as well. Then this voice kept saying 'paint large,  on canvas with acrylics'. Even  though I put a lot of energy into resisting, I finally began that new chapter of making huge paintings in the shape of tapestries.

Then I moved to the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland and joined some women who gathered each week in the local quilting shop.  I was crocheting blankets for Project Linus as they sewed and quilted. And then I got hooked ... as they say, the rest is history. I returned to my first love - fabric.

I had intended to celebrate this anniversary somehow, but on Tuesday afternoon I turned and bent in the wrong way trying to help Bella and Shazamm! my lower back  went into a horrible spasm that has taken over the week. Knowing this was muscular, I saw my acupuncturist and got some relief. Since then, I've slept a lot and have just had to take care of me by going slowly. Today I have been vertical without pain, but still get tired quickly. All my plans of sewing has been put on hold.

Sometimes, we just have to go with the flow and pay attention to what is happening in our bodies.

I sure hope that I can do something tomorrow. I am bored with doing nothing.

Karen

easy stippling

I finished quilting one of the angels today and had some fun playing with stippling. I often procrastinate trying to come up with new quilting designs and try to avoid stippling again. But the ladybugs in the outer border seemed to call for stippling. It was an easy way to get the border done and not get caught up in my usual OCD quilting. I used the spaces between the ladybugs for the zooming around and found it fast. It occurred to me that a design like this could be a teaching tool - to quilt around shapes and not overdo it.



And the ladybugs seem to stand out. Now, it's time to put some binding on the quilt.

Karen



a walk in the woods

Spring called me to go to the woods for a walk today. There's a county nature center close by that has several trails. On the way there, I passed many gardens full of daffodils and hyacinth and wild bright forsythia. I love forsythia that is wild, not trimmed and shaped like a boxwood. Its yellow screams 'notice me, it's spring again'!

As soon as I got out of my car, I could hear the peepers at the pond and even some bullfrogs wanting to be noticed. Peepers are small chorus frogs that get very noisy when the weather warms. I enjoy driving with the window open and smile with delight every time I hear their spring symphony.

The path still looked a lot like winter - very little new growth yet. I was struck by these leaves in one of the marsh areas.

On the way home, I stopped to buy some daffodils to bring that delightful yellow inside. They are just starting to open up very slowly.

Take time to feed your soul with the delights of spring and drink in the sunshine.

Karen

Two more things

Spring has come early here in the Mid-Atlantic with temps in the 70's yesterday. Bella and I spent most of the day outside. She was thrilled to swing and go down her slide and just be outside. Then we got out the bubbles and she was sooooo happy. We blew bubbles for an hour, exhausting one container. Each time she filled the wand, she'd whisper to me 'a big one?' and puff away. She did not mind getting soaked from the drips at all. Life is good through the eyes and soul of a three-year-old! As I watched the bubbles float through the air, I starting thinking about how I could create that image with fabric. Maybe tulle or organza. Hmmm.

Spring also brought some good fortune for a local artist. While I was visiting the local arts council, a patron purchased Fernando Alvarez's onions (see an earlier post). I was so happy to see those luscious onions go to a new home. Happy for him.

What is spring saying to you?

Karen

Something old, something new

When I graduated from high school in 1963, I was going to business school while working full time at a medical center. Singer was advertising their newest line of sewing machines called Touch And Sew. It had stitches and was easier to use than the older one in our house. I had to have one. I traded in my mother's older Singer and had the delivery man install it in the old cabinet. My mother was not happy with me. I am not sure why since she never used that older machine, not even once. I just wanted that new machine and a trade-in made it more affordable, as did the monthly payment plan with the coupon book (remember those). The bobbin sat horizontally under the needle and was wound through the needle. Really cool. And it had many built-in stitches and cogs for more stitches. I was thrilled with that machine. Over the years, I made hundreds of items with it - clothing, toys, bazaar items, prom and wedding dresses, costumes and my first quilt. When I began quilting in 2005, I put that machine through its paces in a new way, even buying a walking foot and free motion foot. Then I met a Janome 6600 and fell in love again. I had to have it. It hummed a new tune as I began my new love of quilting My Singer sat in a corner of my workroom except when Abigail came to Camp Mimi and was learning to sew. Since she and I were focusing on clothing items, I taught her how to use my Singer. It is probably more of a clothing machine than a quilting friend. When I moved to my current home, I decided it was time to pass the Singer on to Abigail, but some flooding problems in her home kept us from setting up the Singer for use and it sat in an unheated garage for a year and a half. Finally, this past Saturday, I reunited with my Singer. I was a bit concerned that the cold storage may have harmed it, but was relieved when I opened up the bottom to oil and lubricate it and saw it looked just fine, a bit dusty, but fine. I remembered what Mr. Olin had told me when he did the only repair it needed in all those years -- that this machine had all metal parts and could last forever. I dusted, oiled and lubricated my old friend, then plugged it in for a test. After a very, very brief sigh, the Singer came to life and hummed along stitching on some scraps. My friend is ready for a new life with Abigail. I am happy to pass this on to her, sensing she will love sewing as I do.

I returned home to continue working on my new angels. Time for FMQing. Time to try something new. I like to 'play' on quilts I make for Project Linus. I practice new quilting designs and just have fun. After all, I don't think any of the children who receive Linus blankets belong to the quilt police or notice that my FMQ stitches are not perfect. I noticed that Mary Lou Weidman had used the feather motif in the wings of her angel featured in her book. So, I took a deep breath, cheated by using a blue pen to draw the design, and started 'feathering'. It worked. I learned a NEW thing!. About time. Here's a photo. I may even try them without drawing first in the large border. Maybe...

How do you celebrate something old and something new?

Karen

A bit of this, a bit of that

This is a bit of catch-up tonight. This week has been busy, car stuff, starting a retreat, sewing some angels, and just plain catching up on life stuff.

First, just a short bit ago, the moon rose. It was full last night, but clouds kept it out of sight. Tonight is clear and the moon rose like an orange ball on fire. As it rose above the horizon, it began to change color to its usual buttery yellow. So glad I got to see the orange. Just gorgeous! I always try to catch the full moon - there's a special energy around that rising.

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about an exhibit at our local arts council and promised I'd get back with photos of one artist's work. Here are two from Fernando Alvarez, an artist from Columbia. These are alive, vibrant and sensuous, just as he is. Enjoy. (The exhibit was at the Carroll County Arts Council.)

I've been shifting gears since the ACC show. As I get in this phase, I like to do fun things to recharge my energy and focus for new work. So, I pulled out Mary Lou Wiedman's latest book, Out of the Box with Easy Blocks, and made another cow and two angels. These will all go to Project Linus when complete. First, I need to embroider some eyes and a mouth on each, but wanted to share them today.

What helps you recharge your batteries?

Karen

What is success?

So, what is success? I have been struggling with to define it  since the ACC show ended. I had a lot of hopes for that show. I had focused a lot of energy on it. Now it is over and I am switching gears and have been processing the outcome of the show and how I have responded to that outcome.

A couple friends congratulated me on my success at the show. I probably responded to them not nicely, because I did not feel successful. Their comments and my response to them stopped me in my tracks, so to speak, and called me to examine this thing called success.

Is success the achievement of a goal? Is it accomplishing something that one has wanted to do, such as a bucket list item? Is it something purely internal, perhaps defined in personal terms and not always measurable? Is there a spiritual aspect to success?

If I use accomplishment as the only criteria for success, then "doing" that show and being there was a success. But (there's always a but), participating in a craft show brings the desire to sell one's wares and make money, to make a profit over expenses. In our culture, that would be the only measure of success at a craft show. Using that measure, my show experience was not a success. And it is too easy to fall into the trap of that cultural view. That view can easily lead to negativity and unhealthy reflections on one's self and can be self-destructive. Not what I want.

As I have struggled with all this for the past few days, I have heard echoes from my past, of my own voice as I taught The Artist's Way to many, echoes of how creative people deal with disappointment and failure. Studies (those infamous authorities) have shown that highly creative people are able to reframe failures, to turn them around, and to view them differently to be able to feed the future in a positive way. Well, I am pretty creative and I've been listening to what I teach. I cannot change the monetary results of the show, but I can and I must change my recollection of this past weekend.

It would be wonderful if I had a video of all the visitors to my booth this past weekend so that I could replay our interactions and hear and see what happened. With a booth filled with quilts, I attracted many quilters who admired my work and wanted to know more about what I do and how I work. We talked about about colors and fabrics, about my hand dyed fabrics, about free motion quilting, about design, about the need for a design wall, about inspiration and about the need to practice and to JUST DO IT a lot. I talked, I shared and I listened. I was present to those people and I enjoyed myself.

There is something about being in the right place at the right time, maybe for reasons we don't plan or realize for a while. I believe that was my success this past weekend - to be there for others. That might sound loftly, but it feels right to me.

How do you define success?

Karen

The show is history

I woke up Friday morning with a great sense of relief  and excitement - the show was about to begin - at last. And now it is over. Lots of mixed emotions and just plain being tired.

If you have never been involved in having a booth at a craft show, I can tell you it is very little glamour and lots of hard work. But usually fun. It's been eight years since I stopped participating in the show circuit. This past weekend reminded me of the highs and lows. And now it is over.

Here are some photos of my booth in full regalia.

I am so thankful for all the help from family and friends and for all my friends who came to visit. Some former students and dear friends sent me some congratulatory flowers today - a bouquet of sunflowers and lovely purple somethings - a great contrast of colors. They know my love of purple.

How was the show, you may be asking after following me for months now? I had a lot of fun and talked to many, many people (lots of quilters). Compliments were shared freely and frequently. I felt a bit like Sally Field: "you like me". Sales, however, were low - some disappointment for me to process and just accept "it was what it was". And now it's over.

Time to rest a bit, get back to my usual routine and then pick up the unfinished projects and move forward. Thanks for following this journey.

Oh, I can check this off my bucket list and pick the next right thing. What are you moving toward?

Karen

Really close

Two days and closing in on the start of the show. Today we set up the booth. We got there early and had no wait on the loading dock. I'm guessing that tomorrow will be much busier with lots more exhibitors coming from out of town. That's why we went today. The booth looks good. The quilts look good hanging up together. I used several from my southwest series to start the show. My son helped and when I asked what he thought, he said I use color well. That's pretty good coming from a really good photographer. I'll  take a photo of the booth before the show opens to share in this blog.

So, it's really happening. My hardest task of the day was deciding what clothes to wear for three days. I thought about a dress, but it has no pockets and I like to have pockets at shows. Plan B includes some nice pants with accent pieces. The suitcase is packed and I'll be off to the monastery where I'll be staying in the morning.

I'm thankful the show is almost here, for this springlike weather and for all the help and good wishes from family and friends. And I'm ready for showtime.

Karen

Three days!

At last, it's almost show time. I've spent so much time getting ready and anticipating this show that I'm antsy and tired of waiting. Now, it's time for real action. Today I borrow my daughter's minivan and start loading it. Tomorrow my son and I head downtown to unload and set up the booth. Whew!

Thursday I'll move in with some friends for a couple days and spend the day at my bookkeeping job.

Then it's really show time on Friday. Woo Hoo! Say a prayer for me that all this goes easily with no problems. Thanks.

This show is big for me for several reasons. It's a great opportunity to show and sell my work. It is an honor to have juried into the show and be included with so many outstanding artisans. And it's a dream come true. I have done a lot of craft and art shows over the past 20 years and have dreamed of doing this one. So, come Monday morning, I get to check this off my bucket list. Life is so very good.

What's on your bucket list?

Karen

More twinchies

I took some time this past week to play with more twinchies.
These were made from leftover pieces from the last shoulder bag I made for the show. I never thought I would be having fun with such small pieces, but I am. After I cut all the 2" squares, I had to put something together. This Kokopelli cloth jumped out and became the center. First, though, I bordered the image with a hand dyed orange piece. Then I arranged twinchies all around the image as a sort of frame and fused them down. Twinchies formed the next border with a bit more orange on the outside. I hope to have time to quilt and bind it tomorrow or Monday, then add it to my inventory.

Tomorrow we celebrate Abigail's 15th birthday. How did that happen? She is a delightful 15 year old. I am so happy to be her Mimi. Here she is with her cousins, Juliana and Bella - all three of my girls together.

Karen

In the homestretch

I'm down to one week until the show. It's time. I am eager to set up and meet all the visitors to the show. This week was focused on final details and a lot of administrative stuff - pricing, labels, signs, packing quilts, gathering all the stuff needed to do a show.

I took a break and visited my friend in Delaware overnight. We had a good visit and caught up on many topics. On the way home, I was able to stop at Assateague National Seashore and walk along the beach. It felt so good to be near the ocean and hear the surf, walk on the sand and relax and be refreshed. I want to plan a longer trip after the show is over - probably spend some time near the Chincoteague Refuge and just sink into nature. I love the quote from the book of Job: "listen to the earth and it will teach you." I am ready to listen and be taught.

Today, it was 50 degrees here in Westminster - a great day for a walk. Surprises popped up everywhere in the form of flowers and greenery breaking through the dirt. Yes, it is early to see crocus and vinca and pansies, but I am loving this mild winter. I am very happy to be free of possible snow next week. Here are a couple of the surprises on my walk. Lovely.

What tells you that spring is on the way?

Karen

Little things ...

Today I welcomed coffee and chocolate back into my life. How wonderful to be back to normal.

After spending a few hours organizing for that show, I pulled out some fabrics and started building strata to make another bag. It's amazing how doing what I love changes everything. My spirit lifts and focus returns. Joy. It is so easy to get tied to things that need to be done and put off what feeds me. I can only do that for a couple days and then I get on my own nerves. Today was grand. Chocolate. My favorite decaf coffee. Pasta for dinner. Time to sew. The snow melted. I called a friend and reserved a room in her house for an overnight next week. Lots of little things that bring contentment. Life is good.

What brings you joy?

Karen

Hooray for chicken soup

The nasty virus is history for me, but I am still eating lightly. The funny thing is that I have had no desire for my decaf coffee or my dark chocolate treat since last Wednesday. For now it's tea and toast.

I did get some things done in the past few days. Nothing exciting, just those mundane things. I made hangers for all the wall quilts. I got the merchant card thing straightened out. I emailed the world with show and discount info. I delivered postcards to a couple shops. I got labels on all the quilts. The list is getting smaller. Whew!

In the midst of trying to get better, I got a phone call from the local art council asking me to be an exhibitor in a quilt show. How nice to be invited to show my work.

I have a few days at home to do what has to be done and maybe play with those "twinches" I made, when? Let's see what I can get done tonight and get organized for tomorrow.

What was the last surprise phone call that you received?

Karen

This was the week that wasn't

Or maybe I should say that this was the week that dissolved. First into some tough stuff that ruffled my feathers, nothing earthshaking, just stuff that I let bother me and had to spend time fixing. Then on Wednesday night I had a very unwelcome visitor -- the nasty digestive system virus that is "going around". Two of my grands had it, but somehow the virus decided to stay longer with me. I am back up today, but just going outside and downstairs to do laundry is using up a lot of energy. Enough of that. I am on the mend.

I had emailed some friends about the show and mentioned that I had a virus attacking my system. One friend wrote back that first she thought a computer virus had attacked that system. Funny how words have taken on new meanings connected to our world of technology. Virus. System. Network. Bugs. Apps. Text. Her email did remind me to run a virus scan on my PC so that it stays healthy. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could run a virus scan on our bodies and detect the germs and erase them?

Hope you are well and avoiding these winter bugs - all types. I hope to get a bit of work done while I have some energy.

Karen

Ten hours of daylight

Ah, the earth is tilting and we now have ten hours of daylight. I love reaching milestones like this one. The waxing crescent moon has been lovely in the evening sky and the temperatures have been warmer than usual for the end of January. I've walked outside several times this week and noticed tiny buds starting to form on the trees. It is too early but I enjoy seeing them and feeling the sun on my face.

I took a few hours away from working the to-do list and dug out the first quilt top I made using a pattern. I have always liked the spring feel to this top, but never finished it. One of the local Guilds is sponsoring a project to provide quilts for each bed in the local women's and children's shelter. Some other groups have painted the walls and done some other things to brighten this transitional shelter. I wanted to participate but felt I could not meet the spring deadline in the midst of my show preparations. Then I remembered this sweet top and found it quickly. It wasn't quite twin bed size but I had matching fabric packed with it. I added two more borders that brought it to a good bed size. It feels good to participate in this project. A guild member will long-arm all the quilts and hopefully someone will be able to bind this.

Today I looked at the list and picked a project that I have been postponing. No excuses now - got to do it. This quilt has always been a favorite of mine. It's titled Earth, Sea and Sky and was made using Karen Eckmeier's layered wave technique. I used some gold and silver metallic threads for the quilting and left the threads hanging on the front. It has an organic feel to me.

The reason it was on the to-do list is that I did not like the way it hung on the wall. I had originally used plastic rings on the back to hold the branch in place, but those rings were too bulky and caused the quilt to hang awkwardly. A friend recommended using Velcro instead. What I thought would be a quick job wasn't - Velcro is a buzzard to stitch by hand, especially so that it looks more than decent. Finally, I got it sewn down and hung it. The work was worth it - it is flatter on the wall and just looks even nicer. (Thank you Penny.) Here are some photos of the 'after' with Velcro.

Tomorrow, Abigail, my almost 15-year-old granddaughter, is coming to help with postcards and labels and some basic organization. I hope to work on the labels needed for a number of quilts and will enjoy her company.

Do you notice the lengthening daylight? How do you respond to it?

Karen

Two more and the list still is huge

In one month, the show will be over. This has been busy and too consuming. Of course, I've let it consume me. I'm getting down to nitty gritty things to do ... make labels for quilts, make hanging devices, send out postcards and emails, buy lights and little things. Enough already! Years ago, I had a recurring dream that my to-do list had legs and was chasing me down a long road. That dream has not returned, but I feel the nagging list on the counter yelling at times. That's when I have to remind myself that this is a really good thing to do and I am on schedule.

But I want to play more. I want to go see the Stephanie Plum movie when it comes out this week. I want to do a jigsaw puzzle. I want to figure out what to do with all my twinchies. Soon.

Today I finished another bag and the Winter Trees. I am pleased with the Trees

As I finished the quilting, I saw that the outer border did not lay quite as flat as I wanted. So, I stuck it in hot water for a few minutes and laid it flat to dry. Not only did it flatten out, it also got more textured. The trees look more real and want to be touched. Here's a bit of detail that shows the quilting.

Tomorrow I will work on a new method for hanging one quilt and see what else I can do on the list. It's going to rain so I'll probably stay inside all day and maybe play a bit.

Karen

Iced in

Winter came last night and dumped a bit of snow and too much ice. I'm happy to be inside and warm, even though I probably won't get to the SAQA meeting today. It took one of my neighbors over half an hour to chip away the ice and get up the hill out of our driveway. I think I'll wait for warming.

Last night I went to an opening of two exhibits at the Carroll Arts Council here in Westminster. My friend Donna Yarish had several of her abstract paintings in one exhibit - they were bold and colorful and exciting. You would not know that she is fairly new to painting - she has found her niche.

One of the other artists was a man who had moved to the US from Colombia a year ago. Fernando Alvarez does these vibrant, sensuous paintings, mostly still life and landscape, that brought a smile to my heart. All his paintings are full of life and joy, even when the subject is a tomato. I want to go back and maybe take some photos to share (he doesn't have a blog or website).

I came home with a full heart and a smile on my face. Balances out this ice mess.  Now I need to finish quilting my trees.

Karen

Good to be home

I've been out a lot in the past few days and I am happy to be home for a couple days.

I have to pay attention to some business stuff tomorrow, but then I can play again. I pulled out a bag of scraps from a quilt I made two years ago and found some strata in big chunks just waiting to become something new. Once again, I plugged in a DVD and started stitching them together, making new fabric. I now have a stack of pieces.

Again, I have that urge to cut them into 2" squares to see what I can do with them. Who is this person cutting small squares in my studio? She seems to be having fun.

Last week, I did make some progress on the TO-DO list for the show. I got info on merchant card services - I'll make a decision this week on which company to use. I also did some remaking of the covers for my booth panels. They are okay. I don't want to make all new covers for the panels because I don't know if I will be doing more shows. That's a decision for after this show and some pondering over directions I could go in.

For now, I think I'll put on my jammies and curl up with a book and get back to all these things tomorrow. Scarlet had a good idea for some days.

Karen

Taking a break

I've been playing. I needed to take a break from the show to-do list. I did research some merchant card services this week and that seemed like enough for a couple days. So, I found those geese I made last week and cut some more strips and put together some wonky stars and threw them all up on the design wall. Something may come of these.

I was left with a pile of pieces of many sizes and shapes and didn't want to toss them in the trash. I knew better than to put them in a drawer - they'd be there forever and get ignored. So, I put a DVD in the player and started stitching them together - just to see what might happen. I got many pieced pieces - small but nice. I cut them into 2" squares - lots of them. They look nice laid out together. Can't call them inchies - maybe twinchies.

Next step was to stitch them together with yellow squares in between and throw them up on that design wall.

That's enough for today. I guess I should look at the show to-do list tomorrow, but these things were fun and could become something all together.

Are you taking a break and having some fun?

Karen

Details, details, details

When I first posted this finished quilt, I did not have a name and I forgot to post some close-up shots. I've named this Color Play - later it may become Color Play 1. Not very original, but it fits. While I was working on it, I referred to it as "Rayna #1" since it was the first piece I made using Rayna Gillman's book "Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts". Great book.

I had fun with FMQ, putting slightly different designs in the body and overlapping leaves in the border.

A couple years ago, I started using the same thread in the bobbin as I was using for FMQing on top. I like seeing a separate design on the back of a quilt. Some viewers of my quilts like that surprise on the back. Here's the back of Color Play.

Here's a close-up of the back quilting.  I like it.

Time to get back to work. I have two pieces I am working on and hope to have one ready to share later today.

Karen

Check off one more thing

I am making progress. I have to keep telling myself that so that I do not panic. Today I designed and ordered postcards to mail out and to hand out. Of course, it took longer than I planned. And that was with help from a friend. Last spring, the Baltimore Heritage Quilt Guild had its biennial show and exhibitors had the opportunity to get some postcards with their own image on the front. Cathy Kleeman took the photos and handled the processing for us. I am very grateful that she still had the jpeg file used for my postcard and was willing to share it with me.


So, one more thing is done. Since the sun is shining and it's over 45 degrees, I need to get outside and walk. Then, I'll get back to the next right thing.

Don't you just love to check off things on your to-do list?

Karen

One more

Here's one more quilt for a wall that is almost finished. I just need to sew the binding and sleeve down. It is bright and in a class by itself - different from my other pieces lately. Do you have any ideas for a title? What do you think of it?

Karen

A New Year and Some New Projects

Yesterday I was speaking with a painter friend of mine about getting ready for shows where we exhibit our work. She's leaving for Florida next week to do some shows there and is busy painting the small originals that usually sell. I've been in a similar mode, trying to make things that might sell at the ACC show in 49 days. After I got off the phone with her, I realized that this mode is making me tired and not very productive. This seems to be a lesson I have to learn every so often - to make things and create from my heart and soul, not for the sole purpose of selling. Many years ago when I was primarily a calligrapher and painter, I decided to make a piece about boats for an upcoming show in Annapolis, MD - a boat town. I came up with a product, had 20 copies made (I sold a lot of prints at that time) and got ready to sell out. Well, I did not sell any at that show and it took over ten years to sell those 20 copies, some at rock bottom sale prices. Here I am learning that lesson again. I have been so focused on having enough stuff to sell and trying to make what I think people will be drawn to that I feel dry. This realization was good to ponder and got me thinking differently about what I do next.

First I made some wonky geese using Mary Lou Weidman's spontaneous technique. They are fun and quick and make me smile. I don't know how I'll use them, but they look good on the design wall.

Then I pulled out two blocks I had made years ago for a quilt for myself that did not get made (the Hummingbird and Sunflower of past posts were part of that group) to see what they were saying to me now. The first one, this spiral, is too dark - dark image on a dark background. I'm thinking I may brighten it with paint of the background. These fabrics may be good borders. I like spirals - they indicate change and growth in many cultures.

Next I spent some time with my trees. I love trees in all seasons. These are definitely winter trees, naked yet standing in community. I took these trees from a painting I did in 1995. That painting was in many shows and exhibits, yet did not sell (several people wanted me to make prints of it). I am so happy that it did not sell so that I can look at it every day and remember the trip that inspired me to paint it.

I have a couple ideas to try with this block. I'll get to those tomorrow. First, I wanted to share just the basic block. One thing I know for sure is that any quilting will be minimal, not my often used OCD FMQ.

I feel much different at the end of today than I did after my phone call yesterday. I am back to creating from my heart rather than trying to fill a booth just for the purpose of having stuff there. Lesson learned -- again. Isn't that part of the fun of this growing stuff?

What lesson do you seem to need to learn again and again and again? All we have to do is listen to our hearts and be true to who we really are.

Karen

Paperwork - arrghhhhh!

Well, it's actually it's electronic work now, but I did a mess of it this morning. Whew! I finished the contract for the ACC show and ordered my electric service for it and did some other administrative type stuff for this show. Now I want to get back to making something. The holidays have distracted me from being in my studio. Now it's time to get going.

Today's morning pages were so helpful. I dumped some frustrations on the page and then started brainstorming, mostly asking myself what I wanted. My answers were all about making things. I need to be creating stuff in order to get my energy zooming. That may sound backwards, some people feel they need energy before they can get creative. But I have found that I cannot wait for that to happen -- I need to get moving and get involved in making something in my studio. Then I feel energized. So, morning pages once again got me back on course. Thanks again to Julia Cameron and The Artist's Way.

First, though, I want to get outside and take a walk. It's in the low 50's and mostly sunny today - such a treat for winter. I've been using a DVD for exercise inside lately, but I miss the sun on my face. So, off I go.

It's New Year's Eve and like so many folks, I'll think about making some kind of resolution. A friend of mine always chooses a theme for the next year. I guess mine might be about being more positive and more compassionate in our crazy world. Hard to come up with a word or theme that feels right. I'll ponder for now.

Happy New Year to you and yours. I hope that our world calms down in this coming year and that we will see positive changes for so many who are struggling. Peace and hugs, Karen

Christmas Blessings to All

It's that time of the year when we get stressed and run at warp speed, trying to get everything done until we finally make ourselves stay "STOP" and take time to get quiet and realize what's really going on -- Christmas. Christmas means so many things to so many people. First and foremost, it is the birth of Jesus and time to savor the mystery of faith and hope. Right about now, I'd love to be walking on the beach at Chincoteague - it's where I feel closest to God and the intimate immensity that the ocean brings reminds me of the bigger picture of life.

Christmas is also family, traditions, memories, time together and time to remember others. If you have time, check out this video using Mary Chapin Carpenter's Come Darkness, Come Light  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb4id4rDwd0&noredirect=1 . It says a lot about Christmas and what we celebrate.

I hope that the mystery and miracle of Christmas touches you and blesses you with love for the new year. Karen

Progress

Finally, some progress. I just finished the fifth shoulder bag. I always forget that these things take longer than I think they will. So, I am happy that five are ready for the big show. Here are some photos ...

This is what I call my crazy quilt design. It's made of layers of fabrics, all fused down, then stitched like crazy. I love using the stitches on my machine to decorate these.

This is a nice applique (machine, of course) bag. The opposite side has a fish design.









This last one uses layers to create a landscape of sorts.

I guess I'll start another. Maybe I'll use some of these batiks I've been collecting. It's a good evening to stay in. We are having some snow showers here and it's chilly out there, but cozy inside.

I want this week to go slowly, this last week of Advent. My devotion booklet this year has hope as its theme. With all that is going on in the larger world, we need hope and we need to be God's presence in this world for others, however we can do that. I hope you have time to ponder what this season means to you.

Blessings, Karen

The tradition continues!

Wednesday was our annual Cookie Day. This tradition began before I was married when I spent a day with my then future mother-in-law who taught me some of her favorite recipes. My second married Christmas season found me doing cookie day alone since Katherine had passed away that year, way too young. I have continued making two of her recipes ever since. This was my daughter's 45th year of cookies (sorry Susan for the number) - well, the first two she sat and watched, just as all my grandchildren have done. This year, my daughter Susan, my daughter-in-law Jessica and I were assisted by Abigail, Josh and Bella. It was Bella's first Cookie Day and she became an excellent smasher of peanut butter cookies, with instruction from Abigail.

We've settled on five main cookie recipes, but we make many, many of all of them. The day begins around 8:30 and continues til we are finished - this year it was 12 hours by the time we cleaned up and packed cookies. Here's the morning's first round, which included peanut butter cookies, two kinds of chocolate chips (dark and white chocolate), and Katherine's riscottas.

Then we moved on to do sugar cookies and jelly roll cookies (another handed-down favorite) and Jessica made her peanut candy.

Here are our helpers, Abigail, Bella and Josh celebrating their success and ready to eat COOKIES. All the children  love Cookie Day because all dietary limits are set aside, as you can see from Bella sampling her mom's peanut candy.

As you can tell, this is a wonderful and important day for me. It's so nice to spend time with family, making yummy goodies and carrying on the tradition. Cookie Day adds to the specialness of the Christmas season and gives us gifts to share with others.

Now I have to get to work. I have gatherer's bags in progress and fabric and socks ice dyeing (some are gifts). More later.

What special tradition do you cherish? Karen

No photos today

Today I received an early Christmas gift from my daughter Susan and her family - an orchestra seat at a matinee performance of The Lion King. It was amazing, magnificent, wonderful, breathtaking. I was enthralled and mesmerized. If you haven't seen it, go. The music was energizing and took me back to my days spent in dance studios. I'd love to dance like that. The costumes are amazing - they take the place of scenery. Rich textiles were used in wonderful ways. I really don't have the words to describe all of it. I'd love to see it again and again. I'd love to go backstage and see things up close. Thank you my dear family for a day of magic.

What has left you speechless lately?

Karen

Some progress with a break for tea

The past few days have been busy - time in my studio and time for tea. Actually, tea was a lovely annual Christmas Tea at my daughter's church. Yummy scones with clotted cream and jam. Tea sandwiches. Tiny carrot cupcakes. And, of course, tea and cucumber sandwiches. This year was extra nice because Jessica, my daughter-in-law, sang several seasonal songs and led us in some carols. Jessica has a beautiful voice and was a gift for all of us. Susan, my daughter, gave a great introduction, pointing out that the rest of the family cannot carry a tune or stay on key - it's true, singers we are not and we all admire Jessica's talents. The tea was a nice break from work and a true blessing in this Advent season.

The previous few days have been fun and productive. I played with one of my fused pieces and now have two versions, each with different finishing touches.

First, it was horizontal with confetti. Hmmm.

Then it became vertical with some skinny pieces.



I'll look at them for a couple days before I do the next thing.


Then I took a break from these color play blocks to start some crazy quilt fabric for some bags to sell at the show. I have made several bags of different sizes for myself using this method and constantly get admiring comments on them. So, I'll see if others want them. Here's side one.

Color play and Tea - a lovely start to a new week.
Karen

So much fun

Oh what fun it is to play with fabric and try new things. I put together two pieces following Rayna Gillman's book - well, kinda followed. I'm not sure where either is going. I just have to go to the next chapter in her book. Both have promise. The first is using two of my hand dyed, stamped fabric from a workshop. I like what the turquoise is doing. The orange brightens it. This odd shape is inviting in a goofy way.

This strata (or is it stratum?-don't like that word) was put together by just pulling some strips from a drawer of scraps. I will chop it up and add some boundaries.

Today I plan to do some fusing to make some crazy quilt fabric that will become bags for the show.

It's a gorgeous day, not too cold yet and the sun is shining. My kind of day and a good day for a walk - to walk off some of those calories from all that good food last week.

Enjoy. Karen