Red Vase quilt in the works

I'm working on my third flower vase quilt, and this time I'm using RED, a color I hardly ever use because it's so intense. I thought it would be good to stretch my wings a little.

Since most of the flowers are printed with black outlines, I'm free-motion quilting in loose, scribbly black lines. I used to hate doing free-motion quilting until my friend Sherry insisted that I try it with her quilting gloves. That was a game changer and now I love doing it!

I'm using black thread in the bobbin so that you can see the flowers and vase on the back. I think I'll do the background quilting with red in the bobbin so that it doesn't distract from the flowers.

Here's the back and the front of the cocktails. I'm using the fancy drink fabric for the simple reason that its colors go with the flowers and will make it look like happy hour.

The first step was to cut out flowers and stick them to one side of Steam-a-Seam 2. Then I cut them out and auditioned them with a variety of vase and background fabrics. I never dawdle over these decisions -- because dawdling's not fun. 

I'm linking here to Nina-Marie's blog in case you want to see what other quilt artists are up to this week:  /

Have a colorful day

Mah Jongg, a concert and creativity

Some of us from Eating Club -- oops, I mean Book Club -- decided to learn Mah Jongg to give us something to do to pass the summer days when it's too hot to go outside except before dawn. So our expert Mah Jongg player, Kathie, volunteered to teach us. Here she is with her t-shirt that says: "It's a Mah Jongg thing ... You wouldn't understand," and her Mah Jongg earrings.

"You wouldn't understand" is exactly right! This is just a tiny bit of what we have to learn!!! And this is Beth's "You've got to be kidding me!" look.

Kathie went around the table and advised us on how to play our tiles. Sandy is taking it more seriously than Beth.

But guess who won? ME!!! We played two games and each time I got three Jokers (a good thing) and they didn't think that was fair!

Here's my winning hand (or whatever you call it).

Last night we went to a Tucson Pops concert at Reid Park. The evening weather was delightful.

And I took this quote to heart and started cutting out flowers and fancy beverages for another vase quilt. No thinking, just doing.

Have a colorful day

Wedding dress and summer dresses

 

My daughter is thinking about wearing my wedding dress for her rose garden wedding in September! I pulled it out of the cedar chest and it looks good as new, 40 years later, except that the elastic around the neck and waist had lost its stretch. It's pure white cotton, although this photo makes it look darker in the center.

I inserted new elastic, washed it, and now it's good to go another round.

Speaking of dresses, I added to my collection of summer dresses that I live in from about April through October when it's really hot here. (Almost 100 today.) My goal is nothing constricting around my waist and pockets in everything I wear. And breathable and colorful!

This is the Mother's Day card my daughter sent me. Believe it or not, this desert card is from the Trader Joe's in Spokane. I'm going to frame it.

Have a colorful day

Scary critters on the trail

 

Yesterday Beth and I encountered a rattlesnake AND a Gila monster on our hike within about 10 minutes of each other! We had a standoff with the rattler waiting for it to move off the trail. It wouldn't, so we finally stepped carefully around it.

The Gila monster, luckily, is a very slow moving animal and it lumbered off the trail as soon as we saw it. It's very rare to see a Gila monster, but this is the second one we've seen in the few years we've been hiking together.

And here's a not-so-scary desert dog. This is Sunshine, Beth's Wheaton terrier who likes to hike with us.

This is the view from where we saw the rattler.

We like to stop at this shady spot by the creek, although this week the water was pretty low. We haven't had rain in awhile and it's been in the 90s.

Also, the Mexican bird of paradise has burst into bloom here! It's flashy and sassy and big!

I like this quote. I need to remember it when I'm tempted to give my unsolicited opinion.

Have a colorful day

"Pink Vase" finished

I just finished my second collaged vase with flowers and I'm really loving the technique!

It's similar to Laura Heine's technique where she cuts out fabric motifs and fuses them to a collaged background using Steam-a-Seam 2. The difference is that I don't draw out a pattern first -- I simply start collaging free form. The Steam-a-Seam allows you to temporarily stick the motifs onto the background and move them around until you're satisfied. Then you iron everything to fuse it permanently.

I used free-motion quilting to further secure the flowers.

Meanwhile, flowers are continuing to put on a show outside. This bush full of red flowers that the hummingbirds and bees love is a Baja fairy duster, and it's right outside my bedroom window.

This giant creamy bloom -- several feet long -- is on the soap tree yucca in my backyard. After a month or so the flowers will fall off, leaving the spiky stalks you can see from last year's blooms. The birds love to perch on top of the spikes and look out over the neighborhood.

The saguaros are flowering all over town with crowns of white blossoms. This one is in Catalina State Park where I hike.

Finally, not flowers but fruit! I'm trying to have healthy snacks.

 Have a colorful day

Mother's Day in LA

 

I just got back from visiting my 91-year-old mom in LA. She's doing great! Here we are with my dad and brother.

I made her a set of quilted placemats

with matching napkins. 

Their part of LA is drowning in wild mustard after all the winter rain. It's beautiful, but the city is trying to clear it out because it's invasive and will be a fire hazard. You can see below how it's taller than these two adults!

It does contrast nicely with the ocean, though. I took these pictures on the cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in the southern part of LA.

Their neighborhood is just gorgeous with other flowers.

I spotted this sign in a neighbor's driveway. She was outside so I stopped to chat and she said she started putting out a different quote every day during Covid. Now she just changes it out when she thinks of it.

In the Tucson airport there was a display of art by Diana Madras, who painted saguaros in the style of different famous painters. These are my favorites:

"Saguaro Frida"

"Saguaro Matisse"

"Saguaro Pollock"

I'm definitely a happy mom!