Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Good Old Days


The last week turned out to be much busier than I had anticipated. Eldest daughter was home from college, and there was catching up to do, and family time to enjoy. It took me several days after designing the layouts for my square quilts, (see post below) to actually find the time to begin constructing them. Unfortunately, once I had the time, I had lost the desire. That happens all the time with me. I need to strike while the iron is hot, (that is how the old saying goes isn't it?) Otherwise, the inspiration cools and new ideas pop up demanding my full attention. This time around my brain was only seeing retro TV's and I had to make a "Boob Tube" quilt! I am not sure why my mind is all of a sudden focused on TV images. Maybe it's from all this talk of everything going digital, or whatever it is that television is going to be doing soon. Something about a converter box, and government mandates. Uhgg. I miss the days when all you had to do was plug it in. No muss, no fuss. Except the reception was often bad, prompting my Dad to start fooling around with the buttons on the back of the set. Then the whole screen would go hay wire, and he'd ask me to come up and move the rabbit ear antennas this way and that way. Off he'd go into the kitchen to get a bit of aluminum foil which he would wrap around the antennas. Dad would stand back and direct as I would wiggle those rabbit ears all around until... "Hold it! Don't move! Stay right there! Perfect!!" Ever so slowly I would move away, one inch, two inches... And then the reception would go out again and we'd get to start the whole process over! Yup, those were the good old days!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

In Search of the Perfect Martini



Here's my newest space spore quilt. I call it "Space Spores in Search of the Perfect Martini". I was inspired by those quirky little green olives with the mysterious red pimentos in them. Does anyone know exactly what a pimento is? I have never figured that one out!

I really enjoy making these quilts! However, they always take me way longer to complete then I think they will. I obsess over each stitch, and I am continually removing stitches and redoing them. This is a habit I would like to break, as I am sure that the small imperfections I see in a stitch that is slightly not where I think it should be, is only bothersome to me. Maybe before I sit down to embroider my next quilt, I need to have a martini to help me relax a bit and to stop all the obsessing!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Signed, Sealed and Delivered


I can now breath a sigh of relief! The three mini art quilts for Lark Books have been finished and have arrived safe and sound! All is well! Whew! Now I can start obsessing about something new! Shown above is a detailed section of one of the three mini quilts sent.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Once Upon a Time


I spent the day finishing up the directions and rough illustrations for the three small quilted wall hangings
that Lark Books requested. This, as most things I set out to do, took me way longer then I anticipated, so I am glad to finally have it done. I have also been requested to send a baby photo of myself! When I read this, I went into a bit of a panic... I have tons of treasured old family photos... Parents, grandparents, great grandparents. Aunts and uncles and many faces that I know I am related to but haven't a clue as to who, how and when. But a baby photo of me... I had no idea if I even had one. But sure enough, among all of the other wonderful family photos, I found this photo, circa 1963. A million years ago. Yesterday. What a two toothed cutie-pie I was!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Tagged


I have been tagged by the very sweet Kim, of Persimmons Gal
This is the second time I have been tagged, but I shamefully never responded to the first. I am suppose to list 7 quirky, not to well known facts about myself, then tag 7 other people, so here goes:

1) I am "phone phobic". I have an extremely hard time calling people I am friends with for fear that I may be interrupting them from something they would rather be doing. So I rarely call my friends, (yet am delighted when they call me.) I have no such fear though calling up a stranger to set an appointment, or gather information, etc.

2) Up till very recently my husband and I believed, (and took great pride in) that we had been married by the person who wrote the "I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer Weiner" jingle. Why did we believe that? Well, we heard it from many people who knew the wonderful person that married us, and I had read it in an interview that this lovely person once gave to a local magazine. However this past summer, we saw a T.V. show about the Oscar Mayer company, and it's famous jingle. They interviewed the person credited for writing it, and it was absolutely not the person who married us! Now I wonder if our marriage is even valid!

3) When I was 14 I hitchhiked from Pennsylvania to Florida. (Sorry, Mom.)

4) I have a fear of condiments used in excess. I am okay with a little mayo, but if it is oozing out of the sides of the sandwich, gross!
I am fine with a small amount of ketchup placed to the side of the fries, but am freaked if the same ketchup is poured onto the fries.
Mustard scares the crap out of me.

5) I am afraid of the dark.

6) I gave birth to one of my children at home, (intentionally) but I can't say which one, because she doesn't want anyone to know.

7) Even though I am suppose to pass this on, I am not going to, as I have a fear of tagging people, (same reason as phone phobia).