Sunshine

We were scheduled for a "storm" yesterday which didn't happen. One inch of light snow by bedtime and another inch by morning. Easily shoveled and now we have sunshine and bare asphalt driveway. Lovely.

Today we (I) will be doing some much needed "tidy business". There is something stinky in the fridge that needs cleaning. I think my bag of kale has gone round the bend. And I have several kitchen counter bags of compost (veg peelings) for the garden and have asked G to "handle" that job. Also a few houseplants have passed on and need to be composted. So G is out shoveling a path out to the garden/ into the garden/ to the compost bin. Riley is softly whining-- wanting to join him out there. Have I mentioned Riley's admiration of compost piles and their contents?

Today I also have to do major repairs on Riley's crate bedding. Riley goes to bed, not quite sleepy enough, and spends time chewing big holes in the denim bedding ($89) and pulling out all the fiber fill. I try and keep it patched and sprayed with bitter apple but it's a large bed and he's a creative pup.

In answer to your questions: The portrait at the top of the last post was of Pandora. In a past life I taught creative art quilting workshops and Pandora was a class sample for that workshop. I think I taught it three times and it was wildly popular and the results for the traditional quilter were astounding. I even mounted a display of about 20 pieces for the annual Maine Quilt show in 2002 and there was always a crowd around it. We used commercial art (calendar, postcards, magazine art etc) and then translated it into a small art quilt with a twist. At several points in the workshop I had them pass their work and the picture they were working from on to another person. Sort of a round robin. This kept the piece from being too precious and also the next person had to work with the fabric she had brought for HER piece. So they had a different picture and the wrong fabric. After two or three changes the piece was returned to the owner. And then I discussed finishing techniques with them and had several colors of tulle available for them to audition over their piece. We used glue stick to hold the bits of fabric to a background layered with cotton batting. They could stitch the raw edges of the pieces and/or cover with tulle and randomly top stitch by hand or machine. The owners were also "allowed" to remove or change anything that had been added to their piece. It was after all, theirs.

The wonderful thing that often happened was that what one of the others had done to the piece--sparked a new concept or idea for the piece and for some--a new direction. So they removed what THEY had put down and kept what they HAD NOT added. And best of all for the teacher (me!) they absolutely loved what they had made and were so very proud of the work!

Perhaps tomorrow I can work on a tutorial for this process and photograph the steps. Would you like that?

Gema my email address is jsuley@suscom-maine.net. Use it if you want.

What's Good Today: Warmer weather and sunshine. A nice new Goodwill (thrift) outfit of brown corduroy pants (12) and a brown tee for a total of $7.00. A new hole punched into my brown belt. Multi grain bread toasted with crunchy peanut butter for breakfast. Little valentine cards made last night and to be photographed later today and a link to the original creator. A loving puppy with his head on my hand while I type.

What's Not: That more and more of the nice people in my small town are shopping for clothes at Goodwill. I think this says more about the condition of the American economy than any stock report. Walmart reported that Christmas gift cards were being used for diapers and food not iPods or other gadgets. People are losing jobs, not being able to pay for heating oil, and having trouble putting food on the table. America. Nothing to be proud of.