Fiber and Pulp

The Power of Quilts

I've been feeling sorry for myself 'cause I can't go to New York City to see the red and white quilts exhibit (I am leaving on a road trip in the opposite direction shortly and only have so much 'go' in me:) ... imagine my delight when I found out THERE'S AN AP FOR THAT!!?! :)

I just downloaded the free application for viewing ALL 651 quilts in the Armory exhibit onto my iPad (can get it for the iPhone and iPod, too:). Now I can take my time and view all that red and white good-ness whenever I like, at my own speed, and sitting down. :) Share it with my Mom, too.

I'm off on Wednesday morning for a driving trip - first to southeastern Ohio to pick up my mother, then across the midwest to the prairies of Kansas to see my sister and her gaggle of offspring and offspring-offspring and to attend the wedding of my niece, Stephanie. :) A week in KS (hope the weather is nice!) and then a three day drive homeward.

I'll be taking some knitting and some embroidery along (can't stand to just sit, gotta do something with my hands) and hope to post now and then while I'm there. Hope I remember my camera!

:) Linda

Quilts for Japan (edited)

 

I'm reposting here as this is important to me: there is a quilt relief project underway for people hardest hit by recent earthquake and tsunami violence in Japan. Please contribute:

    "It is still bad situation now in Japan. We are still nervous about shaking and radiation, but no way to escape.

    "I start to announce to the quilters to send us comfort quilts for the people who are suffered. I would like to do it to the world quilters. We will deliver the comfort quilts to the people who are very difficult situation. Could you please help to announce it to the quilters? 
    

    "We accept any size of quilts (baby to adult), new or unused. The deadline would be the end of May or later.
    "Send the quilts to: (until the middle of April)
        Naomi Ichikawa,Editor of Patchwork Quilt tsushin
        Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
        5-28-3,Hongo,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,

        Japan zip:113-0033

        "(after the middle of April)
        Naomi Ichikawa
        Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
        2-21-2,Yushima,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,

        Japan zip:113-0034"

 

Recent events make the traditional banner design above poignant with meaning.

 

Linda

 

NEWS: Quilter's Newsletter magazine is collecting quilts for this effort and sending them to Japan. You can get the info here. Also there is a large sale/raffle effort going online to raise funds for relief:

Artist's Book

I just uploaded 19 new photos to my Altered Book album. This picture above is of an artist's book (I'd have said 'altered art' book, but, technically, it isn't:) I finished as a gift for my beloved daughter, Eva, as a gift for her 30th birthday. You can see the pages in my album (on the left sidebar:). I haven't figured out how to add comments to my photos, yet ... when I do, I'll put some in with the photos. The book basically celebrates women in the sciences during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.

Today is my day off and I generally spend it at home, puttering. I came in to the store this evening to be with my sweet husband who is doing book keeping while I sew (well, I'm off to hand sew and embroider on my Civil War Bride block, now that I've finished packing up and preparing Eva's book to ship:).

:) Linda

Where Have I Been?

My beloved daughter and her husband came to visit with us for a week (all the way from WI) and I was gone, gone, gone from daily life. :) Eva has not lived at home with us for over ten years, but she still had most of her childhood 'stuff' here. She spent large chunks of the week they were here sorting, moving clouds of dust, and prioritizing. They did actually manage to squeeze it all into her mother-in-law's minivan to take back with them - surprised the heck out of me! :)

Ethne over at Flaming Stitches is organizing a Quilt Along for folks interested in the artwork of Charlie Harper. You can see the three posts she has made, to date, for more images and info. I had seen some of Mr. Harper's images before (and been arrested by them) but did not know him -- every time I find a new image, I am riveted all over again! Here are some of the ones I am dithering over:

Does my collection seem a bit heavy on the avian side of the scale to you? I'm surprised how many of them are birds, too! 

Ethne's aim is just to use the image chosen as inspiration for some kind of quilted article - whatever the participant wants to do. Heaven knows where I will find the time ... but my cricket brain wants to lead me hopping off onto another tangent from daily duties most urgently. LOL

I finished my daughter's birthday present last night, at long last (been working on it  over a month). After I take photos it will be off to her and I'll share images once she has gotten it (I know she reads this blog occasionally). :)

Otherwise, I am pondering a baby gift for my niece Michelle who is due to deliver on June 1st. I bought some gorgeous hand dyed fine merino yarn from Dancing Leaf Farm in a rainbow-type color way recently ... I'm thinking of knitting a baby cocoon for her. When my babies were tiny, they loved being swaddled up in wrappings - I think most newborns do? Gotta get started soon if I am to get it done before her baby shower. :)

My niece Stephanie and her sweetheart are going to have a wedding early in April and I need to be thinking about some kind of gift for them, too. I love having family reasons to produce fiber work!! :)

On the daily front, I am busily churning out copy for my shop's spring newsletter (and getting photos of samples and building the website's class page, etc). Someday I'll get to sew something again. :P