Home safe: neighborly encounter

    My neighbor Jean collects our newspapers and mail whenever we buzz to NYC. I dropped by to treat her with a bottle bag from MOMA and noticed some cross-stitch that seemed from the past.  She said Anna her daughter had started it years ago (a UFO, unfinished object) and was completing it now. (click photos to enlarge)

   Years ago I did a large painting of Anna using Alice in Wonderland imagery that I like a lot. I thought I would share. Since the painting is so long, I pieced the image together here w two photos. Oh! I should go over to rephotograph with my newer better camera :*).

         




Jean liked that bottle bag so much I wondered if I should try knitting one that I had seen. So handy for trips to our restaurants where one has to bring one's own drink. What fun it is to have another crafter in the neighborhood. If it were mine, I would tack up Anna's cross-stitch in its  embroidery hoop right next to my computer to enjoy every day!

Busy Valentine Week: Survival accomplished

     After a week when I took a few days to iron and fold my stash, Joe and I drove to NYC to give Valentines to grandchildren and attend Erika's rock climbing birthday party. Two days later, there was a U-turn to return to a guild meeting, round robin exchange and bee hosting.

    The first day in NYC, while Joe took David and Erika on a subway ride,  I took Hannah to The City Quilter where she got stuffing and dog fabrics to make pillows for her siblings. The City Quilter has installed an art quilt gallery. Joe and I recovered at the movie Tinker Tailor, around the corner.

click to enlarge photos

     The weather was perfect for travel and I made it to the guild meeting on time. The hallway where we meet was filled with these enchanting portraits of children.

 

Double dose fun: beading and quilting on the road

    Today I drove south to see a dear friend, Donna Jean Downer, who both quilts and beads. Last year I took a winter workshop with her. She has stacks of heavily beaded pieces that amaze me.

     Today when I walked into her house,  I found she had continued work on curvy quilting that we workshopped with Diane Hire last week. She took a left-over block, quilted it and then did some hand embroidery and beading of the fields in this memorable landscape below right. Unfortunately you can't see the fields of flowers but you can get some idea if you click to enlarge. I was SO inspired! She said it took no time at all and was so enjoyable to work on.
   

     You remember I reported on the Chan Luu bracelets using leather and beads. Donna Jean does not let grass grow under her feet. This time she has created another bracelet using giant beads.

   
     Of course we had to drop by Pflora Beads in Canton for more leather and the wonderful help the store offers. Harry or Hairy the resident dog is very welcoming.

    After we had lunch at One Bistro in Norwood, I left to do some Valentine shopping and came home to find Joe had added built a shelf to raise his computer screen. He is feeling smug because he also took 40 years of files out to the shredder to make more room in the attic. He is one productive good man deserving of a Valentine!

(click on photos to enlarge)

Now We are Six: Erika's Valentine birthday card

     On birthdays, I try to make a quilted birthday card the children can keep. Erika was born on Valentine's Day, and this year I had trouble coming up with an idea.

     Not looking, I found a fabric lush with grown-up roses, probably two dark for a youngster, but I wanted to use it. Also Erika has taken to wearing a bee antenna headband on most occasions. Next, I thought of the six of hearts card,  had seen a quickie cathedral block technique I wanted to try, and had memories of the book, Now We are Six. If you click on the quilt to enlarge it, you can see all of these elements and how I combined them.

      Maybe I should record the poems on a CD for her and make a fuzzy pillow she loves. One can go on and on. There are beads sewn to the red hearts on the card, and I am thinking the rose fabric could be stuffed with rice and lavender for a pad to rest the eyes. Just a matter of time :*)  Ooops. Maybe I should return to the machine to stitch, "Happy Birthday!"

Round Robin needs a lift to fly!

    The Quilters' Connection is sponsoring about 5 different Round Robin groups. Each person makes a center medallion and passes to another person who adds corners to the medallion. The third round (this one) is squares and rectangles. The next round will be triangles, alas! The owner of the original medallion does not see her quilt until it is finished on reveal day. I don't relate to purples and pinks and the owner of this medallion hates red. Also, she prefers traditional to art quilts, so we are not on the same wave length. However, I know we will both get a "kick" out of what is returned to us at the end.

     One learns when out of one's comfort zone (especially a quilter like me who has belonged to the guild only a year and a half) . I am posting this to keep a record, seek advice. I probably need to add some leaves and stems along the side or appliques on the corners, but I need for the muse to visit or you to make a suggestion. I am going on to another quilt due, having the basics of this obligation mostly out of the way. Pardon the askew photo. The piece is getting so big I needed to fly over it to photograph and almost fell :*).