i'm swamped!

Not quite in over my head, but close! I've been reduced to simply following my lists, robot style. There is so much swimming around upstairs, I have no other choice. I have been living in a fog of k-quilts, back-tack, vintage swap, birthday shopping for six (yes six!) loved ones, preparing our house for company, and preparing myself for two upcoming trips! I am terribly remiss in not providing all my lovely friends with photos of work in progress. My apologies. I have not the time for the luxury of photo shoots. Something new monday missed it's chance at celebrity, at least temporarily...trust me - self portrait tuesday was a MUST MISS this week ( I look like a crazy person!...this week would have made for a disturbing photo documentary, although I'm glad the new assignment is still a week away!). I think the gals over at port2port have the right idea switching to once a month posts!...out and about wedensday went unrecorded. I miss the photos and posting and surfing and can't wait to crawl out from under my pile o' life.

But for now, my sweetheart and I are off to Philadelphia in the morning for a 4 day get away (complete with a Los Lobos concert - acoustic style / fourth row!, a trip to Ikea and time with loved ones). Then it's home for a couple days, just in time for our dear friends Dan and Elin to arrive for a night, and then we're all off to Toronto and Port Hope for a great walling adventure until Monday. Just what the doctor ordered to reinstate sanity...I hope. Although time away from my sewing machine does not sound like a good idea at the moment my sweetheart is insisting! You get the picture. Looking up at this massive rambling paragraph I can see he's right. But I promise, pinky swear even that there will be photos up next week of all sorts of activity, including quilt #1! I'm out.

out and about wednesday

I went out and about and came back with this great piece of schumacher fabric. Played hookie today and went looking for new patterns and textures. I needed to re-charge! I plucked this 3 yard gem for 3.99...also found lots of odds and ends for two swaps that are up and coming: toni's vintage swap, and alison & nicole's back tack II. It's been such a thrill working on these swaps. I love spoiling someone I don't even know, what a joyful feeling. That's it for now, back to the sewing machine...maybe more photos later!

Has anyone noticed a trend? i'm addicted to these colors!

self portrait tuesday

my books, grandma's bracelet. see more at kath's new blog.

something new monday

For many of you it will be tuesday by the time you read this. That's how full my days have been. To be honest, I've been enjoying all the busyness. Lots of packages arrive each day, many of them with special surprises! I can't tell you how touched I've been. To see all of your squares in person, touch them, and know that your hearts are all so good warms mine. I intended to post a picture of the first quilt in progress today but by the time I got to it the lighting was gone. I plan on making up for it thursday or friday, by then there will be much more to look at! The squares look fantastic together...they're magic! For now, here is a photo of the last thing I worked on this evening; some thank yous that are long over due. All of you that participated in my first online charitable endeavor keep your eye on the post!

cozy goodness

I thought I'd take some time this fine Sunday evening to talk a little bit about yarn. There may be someone lurking about who's wondering what new endeavor I'd be keen to explore. Sad but true, I am only one and a half projects along my knitting journey. Being from California, you never really find a need for all the sumptuous knitted up things living in this world. It wasn't until I moved to Rochester that knitting and I were formally introduced, I of course made a scarf. I fell in love with knitting. An endless combination of colors and textures and patterns! I think what has stopped me from traveling any further is that I associate knitting with relaxing, doing something strictly for myself. I don't do much of that. So when it was made known that this time around back tack would be all about craft dreams I had a little grin going on the inside...dreaming up super chunky wraps, scarves, beanies, blankets. I love, love, love the super chunky stuff! Blue Sky Alpaca has some great bulky stuff, I love the colors in Two Pointy Stick's #49 Barley, and My Paper Crane's creative yarn always amazes me! It's no wonder she sells out promptly after it becomes available. One of the things I find most soothing about knitting is the sound bamboo needles make while they're click. click, clicking away. I started out using these, and don't think I could ever use anything else because of that great sound! I've only used size 12.00 (again, I love the bulky effect), but I'd be interested to see what different size needles can do. I'm such a novice that I still have to have someone cast on for me, so pathetic!!! The colors I dream in are very much reflected in the works of Loretta Lux, Georges Lacombe, Mark Bryan, Mucha, Heather Patterson and the like...geesh, I didn't expect to write so much! Well, "secret pal" I hope this was helpful!

out and about wednesday...on thursday

Better late than never. I didn't have a chance to snap any new photos yesterday, I've been deep in Quilts for Katrina land. Here is another photo from this summer's trip Storm King. What an all encompassing feeling of joy and connection I felt while walking these fields. A great storm landed while I was there, it was perfection. That's all today...short and sweet.

self portrait tuesday

No time for words...this says it all!

something new monday...here comes the sun

This is square number two for me. I wanted to do a square that imparts hope. I feel so deeply for all those affected by Katrina, and wish them all a life time of better days. Many more squares came in over the weekend and I'd say there are just about enough to finish one side of the first quilt. You guys are amazing! Keep them coming! The warmest of thanks to Staci, whom I've never met but purchased a pro Flickr account for me!!! I am speechless, and truly touched.

the gang's all here

After a few minor bumps in the road everyone's here, safe and sound. Don't they look exctied to meet their new owners? Left to right the creators are: Sarah, Marilyn, Ez, Me, Caroline, Jess, Debbie, and Vicki. Thank you so much guys for joining me in this! I'm sure Artisits Helping Children will find wonderful homes for all!

square one

This is my first square for the Quilts for Katrina Project. For those of you who didn't sign up, and can't get into the group, the amazing Lisa has set up a slideshow on Flickr for ALL to see! Thank you Lisa! Squares are already showing up at my door, and it's been so wonderful to see them all in person. More to come over the weekend...I have one or two more squares to do, the monkeys to photograph and ship, and a quilt to begin! All that and a social life too=totally pooped by Sunday evening! I wish I could top it off with a great episode of Six Feet Under...

out and about wednesday

Ahhh, a sweet little oasis in the city. Such a delicious place to visit. I just love the colors and the vibrancy of the Little Bakery, it's very much alive and well. Right around the corner is the Little Theater-a great little indie movie house and cafe, as well as Arena's the best flower shop in town, the great NIX rubber stamp building, and so much more. I feel so grateful for my little city. Originally, I planned to head downtown last week, but was hindered by the remnants of Katrina. This week, I feel something within me has been altered. The sorrow I've felt while watching so much suffering via CNN and the beautiful outpouring of lovingkindness I've witnessed working on Quilts for Katrina has grown my heart tenfold. I have always been the helping sort, but never before have I felt such a call to action. And I am realizing that although my life was fulfilling before it is much more so now. I am so grateful for my life and circumstance, and so willing to do whatever I can to improve the lives and circumstances of others. I hope that this feeling has been awakened in many others after witnessing such a tragic event and that some great good will be born from it. First off: I'm ready to quilt my heart out!

self portrait tuesday

So this is stretching it a bit, considering I'm not even in the photo. This picture is quite representative of my heart and of my thoughts on life at present. It is my dream to have a barn house out in a lovely field someday. The sentiment of these words couldn't be more appropriate in light of all that has occurred over the last week. One of the sayings I often write in my own drawings is "roots never die" and in fact is what I'm embroidering on my quilt square. This poem was placed here by some interesting artists based in Massachusetts that my sweetheart told me about.

something new monday

Miss pompom, I hope you're not looking! This is a bag I made for my new friend Marion. Her favorite colors are red and orange, which was a welcome change to work with. It has a such a cheery personality! The pattern is Amy Butler's swing bag. The little double pocket I added myself, and is made of some great oilcloth I found in Seattle. Both the red and orange fabrics are Marimekkos from the Crate and Barrel outlet, and the fish I got at a great fabric store in Newton, KS. It's definitely a well traveled bag, and now it's on it's way to France...I think I'll have to call it the globetrotter, instead of the swing bag! In other news, I'm closing enrollment in the Quilts for Katrina group at roughly 6pm tonight, so if you haven't signed up yet, and you'd like to, get on over there! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you who have signed up. A wonderful outpouring of kindness lives over on the group page, and I feel it every time I visit to answer questions and view all of the great squares already posted, you guys work fast! I started mine last night, and with any luck, I'll have it up tomorrow.

Quilts for Katrina

I am in the early stages of pulling together a group effort to help victims of hurricane Katrina. I've set up the group over at Flickr. The plan is to put together as many quilts as possible using 10" by 10" donated squares. I'm hoping to get a big response quickly, and to get these quilts put together as soon as possible. As soon as they're completed I'll auction them off with all proceeds going to the Red Cross. If all you can contribute is a 10" by 10" square of fabric, anything will help. I'll be heading over to the local quilt shop today to ask for help in donating any batting, thread, or other material they can. The Flickr community of crafters is so large, and the potential to help in a much bigger way than I can on my own is there...sign up! And please post on your blog to spread the word!!!

what does it take???

So many unanswered pleas...I just have no words. The total devastation of an entire region and it's people is something I am grasping to get my head around. The failure to pull through in a timely manner for the thousands of people beyond suffering is even harder to understand. How is it that this is allowed to happen? Where is the water? Where is the food? Why haven't more camps been established? I just don't understand. Should we be forming protest groups on our own city streets? For now, all we can do is send money. It doesn't seem like enough. When will we be able to do more? At the very least, our crafty group should be able to pull something together. Should we do a few quilts to auction? Should we also make some t-shirts to wear and sell expressing our dissatisfaction, our personal pleas for those in need? Let's do something! Lisa, thank you for your post. Here are a few links: American Red Cross, Network for Good, Habitat for Humanity, NSLA, Crafter's United at Etsy, Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls auction. Please post comments or email me if you are willing to donate a quilt square, or take part in a t-shirt movement.