Greetings, Polka Dot Exchangers!

Posted on April 14, 2014 by edges

Do you see your fabric yet??

OK folks, this is the first time I have ever participated in a fabric exchange. What a hoot!

So far, about half of the fabric has come in…I think. It was 60 that we sent out, so I’m guessing that it will be 60 that we receive. Just getting all the fabric is wonderful, but I am so pleasantly surprised and charmed by the lovely notes and greetings sent in each envelope!

I love quilters. No doubt about it.

And I am moved by some of the people in this exchange…like 85 year old Eula Mae in Kansas who’s been quilting for 65 years. Bless her heart. And Carollee in California who’s husband recently passed away and is hoping the polka dots will cheer her up. (Hi Carollee! Hope they cheer you up too! Aren’t they interesting to receive?)

As soon as I opened the first two or three, I decided to create a tiny scrapbook of the notes from everyone, which are just as lovely as can be, don’t you think? If you are receiving them, you know just what I mean–each one unique.

It’s also unbelievable to me the reach that was achieved on this exchange:

Texas. Washington State. Mississippi. Massachusetts. Californinia. Indiana. Virginia. Michigan. New Jersey. Colorado. And that’s just in the first half.

I can’t wait to start using all your fabric and I am SO grateful to all of you for participating!

If you want to send photos of any of your projects that you work on using the polka dots, feel free to contact me.

And I’ll keep up the posting when the rest come in!

All the Eggs in One Basket

Posted on April 9, 2014 by edges

I made this little basket (or bag) from the Easter egg files designed by Purely Gates.

She only works with distributors and quilt shops, so you can ask for them at your local quilt shop (or at Sew Generously if you ARE local.)

You use mylar in the hooping as an applique. The sparkle of the eggs is not showing up well in these photos because I took them with my iphone, and did not pay much attention to the light.

The sparkle is obvious when you view them in person and turn them toward the light. Each egg pattern is different and distinct and the color palette and instructions are very clear. Just be sure to purchase some mylar too. I guarantee you’ll have some fun with this.

Here in the midwest we have a stretch of mild days ahead. My plants are not yet showing any signs of life, but it’s early.

I have faith.

May your Easter holiday bring you the peace of knowing that even the viciousness of this past winter is not the last word, and we cannot possibly understand or anticipate the resurgence of life just by looking at the barren twigs of today. Somehow, some way, spring will come and new growth and new life will triumph.

It always has and it always will.

Thank You Robert Frost

Posted on March 10, 2014 by edges

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Cedar Waxwing. Is this not a stunning bird?

Cedar Waxwing. Dozens of them.

Feed the Birds

Posted on January 28, 2014 by edges

So, I ran out to the store the other day and purchased a small bag of general wild bird seed. I threw about half on the ground and the other half up on the platforms since all the birds seem to be willing to sit at the platform to eat.

Today, we have an actual temp reading of -10 with a windchill of around -30. Kids are all off from school. I have been watching the feeders and many of the birds bulked up right before the cold, but they have steadily been at the feeders the last few days, including today. I’ve seen all the familiar faces…red bellies, bluejays, cardinals, chickadees (of course, they were the first to approach), hairies, downies, doves, sparrows, even a few remorseful robins who must have decided against flying south.

The pics are from the kitchen window which has a screen. I did my best.

Familiar face gathering 'round. Cardinals, doves.

Familiar faces gathering ’round. Cardinals, doves.

Bluejay brought his mate.

Cardinal. We had many pairs this week…all bring their mates.

7 squirrels and a pair of cardinals. You knew the squirrels wouldn’t miss out.

The Most Beautiful Place on Earth

Posted on December 29, 2013 by edges

The temperature is dropping all day today. By tomorrow morning, we’ll be below zero. Not unusual for this time of year in the midwest, just a reminder that we don’t control much.

I’ve had the privilege of having a week off during these holidays, and while I’ve done some sewing and done some relaxing, I’ve also had the chance to get out for a walk or two. I have a stunned appreciation for the beauty of nature in my immediate surroundings.

You just have to know where to look.

I ran into a coyote the other day…one of my biggest fears. He did a mild assessment of me, and, as my husband likes to point out, he saw that I was not walking a chihuahua that would make a good lunch, and he turned away.

Nevertheless, the winter landscape never fails to leave me in awe.

I am sewing, I promise, and I’ll share some of my latest projects soon.

But for now, a brief winter interlude.

Christmas Embroidery

Posted on December 20, 2013 by edges

Maybe I’m feeling blue this Christmas. Maybe I’m just inspired by all the recent snow we’ve had. Whatever the reason, the other day, I was driving down Randall road and a small grove of trees (weeds?) against a snow bank caught my eye.

On a side road I can usually stop and take a picture to capture the scene and the light. But not this time. This time I was in a hurry, running around doing Christmas errands, etc. No time to stop and enjoy anything. No time to stop and take artsy pictures. No time.

But the little vignette stayed with me.

And eventually, I had to sketch it out.

Within minutes, I had embroidered it in my mind. If I were using paints, it would be so much easier. Mixing a paint color does not require hunting down the right fabric. When you paint, you don’t have to purchase 3 different colors of paint to help decide which is right. You simply mix the colors yourself.

Besides, I wasn’t thread painting. I was digitizing. When you digitize you can start with a very simple sketch. The rest is done in software. I drew and assigned colors in software.

Here’s my little sketch. Squeezed in during the holidays, because it simply wanted to exist. I had no time for it. But it found its own way out.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and a happy and blessed new year. May all your artwork find its way out.

It’s about 12 inches wide

In progress.

The view from the sewing room.

The 30 second sketch I used to start digitizing.

The 30 second sketch I created to start digitizing.

I am grateful for…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by edges

…family. Immediate and extended. Functional and dysfunctional. Near and far.

…friends. Old and new. Tried and true and even those who think I’m the crazy one. It’s OK. They may be right.

…work. Getting paid to do things I love, to work with my hands, to teach.

…students. Passing along knowledge to those eager to learn. It’s lovely.

…a roof over my head. After recent storms I am reminded – it’s a gift.

…a warm bed. Enough said.

…more food than anyone at our house will be able to eat in one day on Thanksgiving. The abundance is embarrassing, and I’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

…snow. Giant quiet flakes or howling blowing tiny ones that swirl on the driveway. There will come a day in a few months when this will come off the list and all I’ll be able to think about is spring. I am grateful for that too–that every season holds its own beauty here in the midwest.

…volunteer work. Knowing that at least I tried.

…creative outlets. Photography, painting, sewing,. Without them I would explode.

…good books. (If you like a good mystery, start with “Still Life” by Louise Penny. Follow it up with “A Fatal Grace”. Both perfect for the season.)

..nature. All of it. From the tiniest seed to the vastness of the stars. I don’t get it and I don’t have to. I’m grateful just to be a part of the mystery.

…faith. Knowing that I know nothing, and that my puny mind is not the last word.

…hope. “Sun follows rain. Peace follows pain.” (yikes, what a time to quote a Marie Osmond song).

..love. Without it of course, the rest doesn’t matter.

Wishing you and yours a blessed, abundant, creative Thanksgiving. Thank you for reading this blog.

Feeding at the Feeder

Posted on September 11, 2013 by edges

My favorite moments are when the parent birds bring their babies to our feeders and show them how to eat. I don’t know why but it stops me in my tracks every time. The natural and spontaneous affection between Mama Cardinal and Baby is both endearing and instructive. The baby is trusting. The parent is protective and gentle.

It scares me when I watch the animals for any length of time. It scares me because they behave just like we do in so many ways.

They are us. We are them.

And I wonder if, just because we can agonize over every move, (Am I at the right feeder? Will this feeder always be there for my baby? Is the food here healthy? Am I teaching my baby the right things?) does that make us any different than the birds? When all is said and done, we may be a little more complex and wonder about a few more things.

But it’s all a matter of degree isn’t it. I can question more, care about more, work more, worry about more, suffer more. But do I enjoy more?

The animals in our yard seem blissfully content with their lives.

Every day they teach me something new.

World’s Most Relaxed Squirrel

Chicago Botanic Garden

Posted on August 19, 2013 by edges

This week I went to Chicago Botanic Gardens. It was on my list of things to do this summer and I’m just squeezing it in under the wire before school starts. I went alone.

And what a joy.

Can you see the hummingbird?

How did I live here all my life and not spend time in these gardens? Actually, I was here once before about 20 years ago. I was managing a photo shoot and was overwhelmed by the work. Were the models on time? Was the photographer happy? (Because there’s nothing like a photo shoot with an unhappy, temperamental, egocentric photographer.) Was the merchandise correctly displayed? Were we on time and on budget? Would the weather hold? I can barely remember the scenery.

But this time was a different story. I strolled. I took pictures. I contemplated. I noticed.

It was lovely.

A few pictures to share.