Detail from "Rain Dance," an original quilt by Sherrie Spangler

Friday, November 28, 2014

Giving thanks

 
'Tis the day after Thanksgiving and I'm giving thanks for the wonderful people and bunnies in my life. Here are Bunners and Frankie celebrating the holiday with the ones they love!



I'm also very thankful for the family and friends who joined us around our table this year for a fabulous feast and rollicking conversation. And thank you to all of my blog readers who leave me nice comments and emails!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving


Have a colorful day

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sew Day with the Nuts


Today I hosted Sew Day with the Nuts, which means I set a colorful table. Here it is, ready for breakfast casserole, fruit salad, banana bread and pumpkin bread. 


Then we had a hefty show and tell, with Nancy showing us a striking quilt top of overlapping squares (detail above) and a Christmas pillow top that she just finished embroidering (below). 




Linda J. showed us this VERY colorful bag she made that opens to store sewing necessities or whatever else you want. Speaking of bags, another show and tell was a gorgeous red, black and white one with zippered storage leaves inside made by Linda P. I was so awestruck by it that I forgot to take pictures.


Break for lunch -- turkey and cranberry sandwiches and more fruit.



Back to sewing, I worked on my embroidered and beaded fractured circles (above) and Nancy did some red work embroidery on another Christmas piece (below).


Carolynn used gold thread to quilt a fall table runner. Another productive day for the Nuts!


Have a colorful day

Friday, November 21, 2014

Snippets


This is what it looked like at only 3:30 from our living room a few afternoons ago. Beautiful, but so early! The rain makes me want to drink coffee and read all day, while the early dark has me heading to bed hours earlier than the rest of the year. Hibernation time. Not much sewing going on, but I did make these two dolls for some special friends:


Another friend brought two big bunches of cheerful orange flowers over a few weeks ago and even when the last few started drooping I kept them to brighten up the kitchen. I love flowers in all their phases.


For years I've been looking for a nice date book where I can record birthdays, and I just found this one on sale at our local quilt shop. Lots of eye candy and inspiration.


And of course there's nothing better on a rainy day than visiting Rocket Donuts in Bellingham. Here I am with Julia and my sister and her husband a few weeks ago. Love those custard filled donuts.
 

The rain and dark days also call for a lot of cuddling with Bunners.


Have a colorful day

Friday, November 14, 2014

"Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting" review


I was the lucky winner of this new book that was given away recently by Kathy Loomis at http://artwithaneedle.blogspot.com/.
 
"The Ultimate Guide to Art Quilting"
by Linda Seward

... covers just about every art quilt/surface design technique I can think of, and I've been making art quilts for decades. Click on the photo below of part of the table of contents and you'll see what I mean.


Linda, who lives in London and Oxfordshire, even covers physical exercises to prevent repetitive motion injuries and has a chapter on organizing school and community quilt projects, going way beyond writing just a technique book.

The photos sprinkled throughout are from more than 140 quilt artists from around the world, making the book well worth reading even if you already know all of the techniques.

It's been my bedtime reading ever since it came in the mail, sending me off to dreamland with images of gorgeous art quilts.

Have a colorful day

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The party is over


Dawn breaks with a melancholy beauty
before the latest storm moves through.


We tipped over our swivel chairs
so they would stop spinning in the latest gale.


From my living room shelter I photographed the storm;
a reflection of our fire burns in the chair.


In between squalls, sea gulls swirl and dance
before flocking again to the water.


The golden leaves have taken a seat ...


... and the last of pink blooms sift to a stone bench.


Fish are sheltered ...


... and Buddha and bunny snuggle through it all.


 Have a peaceful day