Fiber and Pulp

I am working ...

Isn't this a CUTE pincushion? :) I got it in the summer pincushion swap online (came in Friday's mail). I love it -- just the right size (as you can see, I'm putting my pins in it already:).

I"ve been working on two projects side-by-side and trying to finish both. :P One is my pincushion to send -- almost finished but I'm not going to share a photo til it arrives. :)

The other thing I'm working on for myself is a Layered Waves project using a BaliPop (Sherbert colorway:). Here is one half of the making:

Now I have to construct the other half. :)

Hazy Week!

My sojurn in western Maryland was not without beauty. These black-eyed susans were blooming at the rest stop for Sideling Hill on I68. This is usually my first rest stop when I am traveling to Ohio and I always look forward to it. Sideling Hill is a classic example of Earth's geologic movements -- upthrust and folded layers of rock (in fact, it's photo is usually found in geology basic text books:). Here is the view across the valley to the east of the Hill (with my back to the rest stop buildings):

There is always clean air and a fresh breeze up on the side of this Hill. :) Here is the hill itself, as you get back onto the interstate:

From any distance away, you can see the various layers of sediment and rock folded and bent by the Earth's upheavals. :)

Here is what I looked at for three and a half hours, waiting for that tow (thankfully it was breezy and mid-80's in temperature!):

Here are the hexies I managed to baste and sew together, waiting for said tow:

Obviously I had hexagons on my brain 'cause when the tow truck came, this is what I saw:

I think there is a quilt design in that tire! :)

Sniffles and Sobs

What a weird, weird week this has been! I'm afraid this post will have very little to do with needlework ... although there is some English Paper Piecing in it (saving my sanity). 

I was _supposed_ to be in Wichita, Kansas today. My niece is getting married and I've been planning the trip for months. The plan was that I would drive to Ohio to get my Mom and then to Olathe Kansas where my sister and her four children, two spouses, and three grandchildren live. Mom and I would visit ... I would drive to Wichita for the rehearsal and wedding, then back to Olathe to get Mom and homeward. I've not seen my sister and her kids for a couple of years and I adore them all. My niece's wedding has been in the plans for some time, too. <sigh>

so, I set out on Tuesday in my PT Cruiser to drive. Beautiful weather....very nice drive across Maryland into the mountains. Just before I got to the West virginia border, rolling along I-68 at about 75 mph, the car's engine stops running. Just stops! I coasted over the side of the road onto the shoulder and tried to start the engine again, thinking it had just stalled for some reason. No start. Let it rest a few minutes and tried again (in case I had flooded the engine the first time) .. still no start. It was about 3 p.m.

Thank God for cell phones!! I called AAA ... and proceeded to wait for a tow truck ... and wait ... and wait. Around 6:30 one finally came ... nice guy with a Jerdan ... took me and the car to exit 18, the western fringes of Frostburg, MD, to a place called Hilltop Automotive Services. Parked my car, locked it and he took me to the local motel (A nice new Comfort Inn). The auto place was long closed by the time we got there with my car. Ok, so, stayed the night at the CI. comfy.

Next morning, got in touch with the garage and the owner came by the motel to get my car key. Quiet, apparently capable (had an air of authority and calm confidence). He spent most of the day working on my car while I tried to sleep -- remember, by now I have been without my cpap machine for almost three weeks and I'm starting to get wonky.

Was a very stupid plan, in retrospect -- I was/am in no physical condition to be driving anywhere, never mid cross country alone. <sigh>

Eventually, the mechanic called and said the timing belt on our car had broken and it would take at least six hours of labor to fix it, once he got the part. :P

By the time the car was fixed, Skip talked me into coming back home instead of continuing with the trip. He is usually very supportive of my travels, but this time he actually pleaded with me to come home -- he was really worried about my health. <sigh> He is generally so supportive, the fact that he was worried made me wake up and re=evaluate my idea. :P so, back home I drove. Good thing, too. I kept blacking out and had to stop several times to rest. 

Have spent today only half awake ... thankfully my new face mask arrived (hooorah!!!) this afternoon so I can try to get real rest now. :P

Only thing I have managed to accomplish besides putting mileage on the car is to partially construct a Patchwork of the Cross block with EPP and some small four hex flowers. Actually, I'm grateful that I had spent the time to cut pieces and prepare a small sewing box to carry in my purse -- I pieced and joined NINE hexes while waiting for that tow truck! :P

Photos another time. I'm still walking into walls ... and I cannot find my niece's phone number to call her. Tried to call my daughter but her phone was on voice mail -- she and Alan were supposed to be going to the wedding, too. 

Talk about busted plans and unexpected mis-adventures!!! :P

Gratitude!

Isn't this picture pretty? :) Cheerful and summery -- definitely 'hits the spot.' :) Thanks go to Ginny B from the Year of Color IV group -- this is my 'receive' from the Summer Flowers Collage Swap. :) I hope I remember to write a direct thank you note to Ginny!! I am leaving on a trip Tuesday and there are about a million things I need to do before I go. :P

Now, Ginny, no peeking! :) Here's what I made in return to send to Ginny -- the directive for the swap was ' a collage that says summer' -- beach-y was what I had in mind ... but this is what my fingers made. :)

This is a 9x12 canvas that I first covered with water soluble oil pastels in blue and green (my favorite nature natural colors:). There is hand painted gold paper, fabric, rickrack, printed tissue paper with butterflies, and two fabric flowers. This one:

I made the rose above with a length of my hand painted silk fabric and a vintage playing card with an 'Oriental' design ... the green leaves are strips of batik fabrics (from my over-flowing scrap box:). 

This flower:

 is made with more strips of batik fabrics sewn together. I tried to make a flower like one that was demo'd earlier in the spring on the year of color blog. Again, the greenery is strips of batik fabric scraps.

Our 'color' this month in the year of color group is Stripes -- you can't see them but I used a pink and green striped fabric to edge the sides of the canvas, a la framing. :)

I will let this dry all afternoon and then box it up to send off in the mail tomorrow a.m. to Ginny. I sure hope she likes it!!

Oh, here is a close up shot I took of the flowers Ginny made -- love the bees and butterfly!

My house seems very quiet without Foxy, but my heart pain has subsided to a dull ache. <sniff>

Requiescat in pace

I have a heavy heart today. My little dog, Foxy, had a massive heart attack this morning and passed away. He was in care at our vet's office so I know he was in good hands. I guess my nonverbal sensory equipment (a.k.a. 'gut') was correct to be worried about him. <sniff>

Foxy was my constant faithful companion for 12 1/4 years -- always within arm's reach, always ready to be petted. I will miss him terribly.

Uh, What Day is it Again?

  These are the photos of the small quilt top I finished on the 4th for my Mom. The blue calico border print I purchased in 1998 along with the blocks of the month packages (the shop had used a very dark navy background floral print for the sashing but I knew Mom wouldn't like that:).

My friend Barbara B chose the nice yellow-gold batik fabric in the inner border and the outer border corner square print with butterflies -- well, she scouted them out and I chose them. :)

My little dog is still sick -- he's spending the night tonight with the vet. I feel anxious about him, not sure why -- I'm pretty sure he is ok. <sigh>

OH, My Aching Stars!

 A very happy 4th of July to all you Amerians!!! :) I feel some sisterhood with this version of Lady Liberty today -- I want to 'rest on my laurels now'. LOL

I've been sewing all day (well, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) - and my back aches from bending over the sewing table - but I have LOTS to show for it. I have AT LONG LAST completed the top to my Mother's quilt. I started making this in 1998!!! :)

I didn't take a great photo (it was laying out on the table) but I did want to share how I put it together and what I chose for the inner and outer borders. I had a great helper choosing the inner border and the corners for the outer border fabric -- my friend Barbara B was here with me today and she went gathering on the sales floor amongst the bolts to find these prints for me. :)

...

Well, isn't this a fine how-de-do! <grrr> My accessory disk drive has unmounted itself and that's where I store my photos. :( I'll have to go check all the connections (the light is still green so I know it's on) and post the pictures later. :( <grrr> I do not like machinery that fails -- and it never fails at a convenient time. (guess that would be impossible since it is _never_ convenient, eh?LOL)

Late Breaking News

 Color, glorious color!! I bought a ball of this soft, squishy yarn next door at Cloverhill Yarn Shop. Luscious to knit with. I"m working with this to knit a very simple pair of fingerless gloves -- I'm about to start the thumb gusset for the first one. :) 

I finished my eleven compases (MAJOR SHOUTS OF HAPPINESS!) and packaged them up to mail off in the a.m. Now I'm going to knit and watch the rest of the week's TV shows in happy brainlessness. LOL

Day Off?

Isn't this a lovely pattern? This lace is made using the crystal structure of the insulin molecule as the design. I love it when I can find examples of science and art colliding in beauty! :) I am still mentally mulling my design plans for an entry into the Art of Science competition being mounted by SAQA. Hopefully I"ll have something to show soon.

Today my store is closed and I have _no_ doctor's appointments, urgent errands, or other distractions from a QUIET day at home. <happy sigh> Well, except that I have to applique the central circles onto eleven compass blocks. :P I've done about five of them this afternoon while watching my weeks taping of TV shows on our TIVO (thank you to my s-i-l for the equipment!!:). Many episodes of NCIS and CSI:NY ease the chores. LOL

I have absolutely no other ambition for today -- I'm not planning to go outside. Might do a little housework when I'm done with the sewing. I would like to get started on making the pincushion for the Summer Pincushion Swap. :) We'll see (news at 11 or so?:) LOL