Saturday, January 15, 2011

Ricky Timms, Alec Anderson, etc.

Just got back from the 2 and 1/4 days seminar. My head is spinning. All those bright fabrics!
All the teniques. Alex was a doll. Her husband was with her. Ricky, and she and husband are going to Africa from here. Not sure if Libby Lehman is going or not.
There must have been 1,200 people there. I counted 2 men, not counting the speaker.
I resisted buying the beautiful bright fabrics, $27.00 per yard for the hand dyed. I have so many brights already.
Going to have a pizza and veg out in front of the TV and watch football.
Sara in Fla. where we are the only state in the 50 that didn't have snow this week.

ROCKY PREPARES FOR LANDING



Lower the landing gear and fasten the seat belts.

This picture was taken by friends as they hiked with their four spaniels along with Rocky who always joins them. Betty said she took picture after picture of him but he moves so fast all she got was a bunch of pictures of his hind end as he passed out of view of the camera. Finally she got lucky and here he is. Sadly, Kit won't go with them although she gets along with the dogs and has allowed Betty to pet her in her home but sees them as threats when they stop by to pick her and Rocky up. We are on adjoining property but I'm 300 or 400 feet apart. I think this shot was taken in my driveway before I had is scraped out Thursday. It's still impassable due to packed frozen snow and ice but temps in the 40sF due next few days.

Needless to say, I'm car shopping. The Prius was a serious mistake. I'm hoping to buy a car with a few years and not too many miles on it with AWD. I hope that will bring the cost as close to possible to a trade off.

Jane with lots to do

Friday, January 14, 2011

binding

I've decided to go with my original intent, which was to use the dark green. Thanks for your input.
We have actually shoveled snow, for the first time in the 36 years we have lived in the south. There is still snow on the ground, and school has been canceled again for today. We've been out for 5 days.
Tomorrow, it's supposed to get up to at least 40* F and rain, so I guess it'll finally begin to melt.
I'm going down to visit my parents, since I have an extra day on what was already a 3 day weekend. It should be slightly warmer there.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Following your Eye


Laura, I've enlarged your quilt photo and while I can't pull up the dark colour I believe it is the dark green. If so, this is a dominant part of the quilt. Correct me if I'm on the wrong path, okay. So, if the green is the dominant colour in the quilt, maybe the dark green on the border may frame the quilt. What do others think about the binding for Laura's quilt.

This is a photo from Jon Katz's Bedlam Farm Journal this evening. Don't just look at the can of soup as a can of soup. Look at the colour of the background then the colour of the can. They are complementary colours, opposites on the colour circle which is why the blue of the can stands out so well against the colour of the background. Notice the colour of the peas on the label. See how the light brown colour relates to the colour of the log post. The white snow is reflected in the lower background.

The eye is a very important tool in designing a quilt. Watch where your eye travels and decide if this is the part of your quilt you want to emphasize or you want to recede in the viewer's attention. If the binding used on Laura's quilt is the dark green, it will tie in with the green stars in the quilt. It will also look a bit like the frame on a picture. If Laura feels the green stars need the focus, the binding probably should fade more into the background, thus the green print could be used. It all depends where you want the viewer's eye to travel...out to the edge of the quilt, which may balance visually with the centre, or if the binding appears too weak, the quilt may feel like it's falling off the edge with no definite finish.

Just my two cents worth although a lot of verbiage. Start reading your eyes and minds when you look at quilts. See where your eyes travel.

Rosey

quilt


This quilt is for a friend who is very feminine. She likes pink, lace, and ruffles. She picked the floral border and asked me to make a quilt for her master bedroom, which she shares with a husband who hunts, and is very much into "manly" sports.
The quilt proper is a series of variations on pink and green 8-pointed stars, frequently with floral centers, set so that the star blocks are themselves the centers of stars formed in the dark green. The overall appearance is very geometric, but softer because of the flowers. So far, both of them say they like it.
So, softer, like Rosey said, or more dramatic for the binding?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow Dogs & Quilt Binding

I LOVE the pictures of the snow dogs and the berries on the bush...wonderful pictures, all of them. Laura, my feeling when looking at both pictures of the quilt is that the upper picture with the print binding gives it a softer appearance; the dark green in the bottom picture gives it a crisp, stronger and more intense look. Figure out what your friend hopes to achieve or you, with the binding. The eye is drawn more to the dark green but you have to decide if this is what you want or something softer looking. Depends where you want to draw the eye.

Rosey

more snow and a quilt question

I went for my walk with the dogs this morning, and someone had driven around in the field where we walk, rutting up the snow all the way down to the grass and mud. I was more than a little perturbed, but since it's not my property, there's not much I can do. I'm sure the church that owns that lot did not give them permission to tear up the field!










I have another day off from school, and I'm going to start binding my friend's quilt. I had intended to use the dark green, didn't have enough, bought the print, and then found more of the dark green at a local shop. Which do you like better? I already have an opinion, and I may ignore yours. (VBG)

As long as we're showing snow dogs.....


Here's a picture I took of Murphy this past weekend at the cabin. The weather in the previous week had reached -28*F and the snow was like spun sugar. Gus didn't stand still long enough for a picture. He gets "snowballs" on the bottoms of his feet and can't stay out as long as the Murph.


Kathi

Monday, January 10, 2011


I ended up with 7 inches of snow. This is the third snowfall this school year, and it's just January. We are not set up for this kind of weather!
The dogs enjoyed our walk this morning, as you can see. This doesn't really show how deep the snow was. I think they had packed it down playing.

Quebec City

Joleen, as much and all as I am a Canadian and in distance, could fly to Quebec City in about and hour and a half...I've never done it and envy you your trip. The Winter Carnival is famous. Louise Penny's last book, that is on stands now, her next one comes out this coming September, is centred in Quebec City. She and her husband spent some time there while gathering background for her book...I think it's her fifth.

Enjoy your winter holiday. I love the cold myself. Mind you, once down in Florida during the wintertime, I'm not of a mind to rush back home. But, if I have to be cold, I'd rather have the bitter cold of Southern Ontario than the damp cold of Florida.

Rosey

Snow storms

About the mail. When we had the 20" snowstorm in early Dec. it was on a Saturday. We didn't get mail that day OR on Monday! I'm betting they will pull the mail service in AL in spite of the neither rain, nor snow nor hail or dark of night........

We are getting very small snow coming down, almost like rain. Naturally, I washed the van yesterday, teehee. And it's relatively warm at 17 degrees.

I haven't read Mark Twain's auto but I understand that there are lots of footnotes and it's kind of a slow read. I want to read it, in my spare time.
Happy Monday!

Monday in snowy Minnesota

The father of the little girl that was killed in Tuscan was on one of the morning news shows. He said she was born on 9/11 so both ends of her life were tragic but the middle they will never forget. Very sad for all of the victims and their families.

Rosey - the Louise Penny books sound great to me as well. I read the reviews of some of her books - she has won major awards. I ordered some of her books over the weekend. Thanks for mentioning them.

Many people who take winter vacations head to warm, tropical sites. Not us. Oh, no. We are heading north to Canada to the winter carnival in Quebec City. Any of you Canadians going to be there? We will be there the last weekend - thru Monday the 14th. DH and I were at the winter carnival one other time. We were there during the week so there weren't alot of activities but we did see beautiful ice carvings, etc. In fact, that time - 20 years ago - we had no idea the event was going on. We just thought it would be fun to go to Quebec City for a couple of days. This time we are going with another couple and are getting excited. Should be fun but cold! Joleen in MN

snow

I am listening to the local weather as they give snow totals from all over the area. The lowest I've heard so far is 6 inches, and the highest, 9. the temperature is not supposed to be above freezing all week. There is a possibility of freezing drizzle this morning, on top of the snow. This is not why I live in Alabama! At least they went ahead and canceled school last night so I could sleep late!
This is our third snow this year, already. We can't handle much of this; we don't have the equipment or budget because it's not supposed to do this here. Everything is closed; they're asking everyone to stay home unless it's an emergency. The girl who cut my hair Saturday told me the mall never closes, and that she was expected at work no matter what, because the mall would fine the shop if they didn't open. I hope she's OK.
I'm planning to do Facebook, quilty stuff, and grade the papers I didn't finish last night. I'll probably take some pictures later when I walk the dogs. It won't be impressive to anyone who doesn't live in the south, but it's a lot of snow for us!
The books sound interesting, and I'm planning to check them out next time I'm at a book store.
Has anyone read Mark Twain's Autobiography yet?
Laura in snowy Alabama

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Louise Penny books

Sara, you should be able to buy or order her first book at Barnes & Noble down there in Fla. I wouldn't say not to read them in order...it's just helpful to read them in order as the characters are developed from one book to another and you become familiar with each of them from the beginning book, Fatal Grace (in the US). Try your local big book store. If they don't have it they should be able to order it for you...softback.

Rosey

Louise Penny book?//sinus stuff//Arizona

Being a mystery fan I always want to read a new (to me) writer. Our local library doesn't have the first book, Dead Cold-Fatal Grace. Do you think it is important to read them in order, or can I just jump in anywhere? The library has some of the newer ones.
DH and I still are suffering with sinus stuff, sore throats. I believe we are either passing it back and forth, or are just run down. Was feeling reasonable last week end, but this weekend have it back. Maybe doing too much.
On Fri and Sat. my guild had a guest teacher, teaching "Figure Friendly quiltwear". Basically jackets. It was much more work trying to get a sample muslin to fit me than I thought. About 20 of us there Fri. morning. It was more like a 3 ring circus! Finally got an idea, cut my pattern out, did it up in muslin, added back waist darts, moved the bust darts down, up, then up some more. Gee! It wasn't this hard when I was 20. From there cut out the poly-fleece, mine is navy blue, sew l and 1/2 inch strips onto the poly fleece. So far I have 1/2 the front done. It may be 2012 before I have a jacket at this rate.
Her samples were beautiful, so hopefully will have something wearable.

Our prayers go out to the Congresswoman from AZ, and the families of the others shot and killed by the gunman. The young girl that was killed was only 9.
Sara in Fla.

Snow storms

Good luck to those in the south expecting snow. I posted a link to a humorous youtube video that you might get a kick out of. I can relate completely!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ii8lwN-edA

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