Sewing at Corky's 06-25-10

This isn't really "sewing", it is cutting and fusing. But it is a beginning after months of hardly fondling fabric. There is a deadline looming and I thought I would make a stab at it.

This is a background composted of one inch squares - to make a 13" x 13" square that can be trimmed to 12" X 12". I know it isn't very original, in fact I have done this type of background dozens of times in the past. But to make this I carried a filing box full of stuff to Corky's house.

I never want to throw away a scrap, no matter what the size, so I went into my workroom and grabbed some bags of scraps that looked like they had at least a few green fabrics. Also my sewing box, an iron, my small table top ironing board (you can't see it off to the left), a roll of Wonder Under, a Teflon sheet and a few sheets of release paper. Unfortunately, I forgot to take any iron cleaner (I'm a messing fuser) or a cutting board. I snooped around in Corky's dad's garage and found a piece of plywood about 14" square that didn't look as though it needed to stay pristine and I used that for a cutting mat - yes, it ruined my blade, but it did the job. It took all this 'stuff' to make the one 13" square background - amazing. I tried to pick up all the threads and snips that I created; Corky's house is not a sewing house and is always very, very clean. When he is at my house while I am sewing I always brush him very well to be sure he doesn't carry home threads and snips; his curly coat really picks them up. I rarely use white in my work, so it is easy to find all the colors against his whiteness.

NOTE: Sally Sellers sent me an e-mail about the house quilt I posted on Sunday and I have added her comments to that post. http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2010/06/sally-sellers-quilt-with-bling-06-20-10.html

Lilies 06-24-10

I am in Long Beach with Corky for a few days and today we took a different route for our walk. I've never noticed these lilies before - I think they are a form of spider lily, but can't find a picture that is exactly like this. I've seen these before in a huge bed at the Disneyland Hotel by the front entrance, but that was probably fifteen years ago.

These few plants are not as healthy looking as those at Disneyland, but everything is better at any Disney property - right?

Wordless Wednesday 06-23-10

Look back at the Beach Cities QGuild QShow 06-22-10

There are at least two members of Beach Cities Quilters Guild who like to work with large, bright prints. Too bad they can't visit Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove on a regular basis - they carry the best selection I have ever seen. I buy great fabrics when I am up there, but, unfortunately, I never seem to DO anything with them. These ladies used theirs with aplomb. These were shown at the quilt show on June 5 & 6, 2010.

Hard to get back far enough to capture this entire quilt. The name "Heatwave" seems perfect for this bright, hot quilt.

The quilt below actually hurt my eyes to look at it "in-the-fabric" and even the picture gives them a jiggly feeling! But this is a WOW of a quilt, beautifully done and beautifully quilted.

Corky and a Phoebe 06-21-10

Corky, the Poodle Prince, has been sick again with the intestinal problem he has had in the past. Poor little guy has been on an oatmeal, honey, yogurt diet and is taking sulfa drugs and something else with which I am not familiar. His parents were going to take him to Havasu for the weekend, but it is so very hot out there now - although there is air conditioning on the inside of the house, he still must go outside at least half a dozen times a day and then there is his daily walk. Besides, doesn't everyone want to be in their own house when they are sick? I know I do. So, I stayed with him in LBeach until his parents came home this evening. Of course, I took my laptop and all the papers necessary to work on the SQG newsletter. And I took a mystery novel along to read when I couldn't compute any longer. So, I did get some work done. And Corky got a lot of loving. He is back on his regular diet starting last evening, but he has to finish the pills - haven't we all heard that before. Of course, in order to get him to take them they must be coated with yogurt or peanut butter! He has his favorite friend, a lanky sheep with a Jimmy Durante snozzola (in brown velour, no less) and they spent some time snuggling.

It is almost as if they are telling secrets.


Nice to have a pal when you are not feeling good, eh?


I haven't walked Corky in his neighborhood lately, I usually have him at my house when his parents are gone.

And the Phoebes are back - we have them where I live, but not in the numbers found in the greenbelt alongside the boat canals. This one is an immature and is just starting to grow his white bib.

Here he is sitting on a wall where I could really get a look at the still developing bib. They perch on the sprinklers or the outdoor walkway lamps to dart out for their huge daily diet of flying bugs. I love the Phoebes for eating the mosquitoes, because the mosquitoes would eat me alive given half a chance.

Sally Sellers quilt with bling 06-20-10

Here is another of the foot square quilts I purchased at the SAQA auction. I don't have much information about it and Sally doesn't have images of her quilts posted on her website. But I have seen her work for many years, perhaps dating back to the first issue of Art/Quilts Magazine (which is no longer published) and have always admired it. When I think of her, I think of houses and beading, so this was the perfect quilt to fit into the TCQC.

"House" Sally Sellers - Vancouver, WA. 2007 12" x 12" Hand and machine stitching, hand beading.

Tiny blue beads form the moon and faceted blue beads sprinkle the roof. The bugle beads lined up on the roof top make me think of neon lights - don't know why. She has filled the shockingly pink night sky in the background with French knots and created a lawn in straight stitch with many color threads.

The back is made from a Sherrill Kahn print that I also had on my shelf and had a lot of fun with. You'll note that there is no label, instead Sally has signed the front of the quilt on the binding in the lower right corner. Note also that for the binding across the bottom she has used some of the backing fabric. It seems to extend the lawn into the binding.

http://sallysellers.com/sellersAbout.swf

06-24-10 Sally responded to my e-mail telling her I had posted her quilt: "This house was totally for fun, fun, fun. No agonizing over details, no angst about design, just grab some color and make it happen. I hadn't seen it since I sent it in to the auction, so am delighted to see it again now. I was doing all the things I love to do: stitch with embroider floss, add beads, use color. I continue to do that with larger projects. I have a zillion beads now but know nothing about jewelry -- I use them all on fabric. Thanks so much for purchasing it.