Around the World Blog Hop

Julie, aka Quiltdivajulie, tagged me to participate in the Around the World blog hop. The example she set in her post (which you can see here) was a bit intimidating but I took a deep breath and accepted.

First of all I'm going to take this opportunity to finally introduce myself visually. I've been keeping this blog since 2007 and to the best of my recollection I've never shared a picture of myself. This one's for you Julie!

 The blog hop invitation poses these four questions:

1. What am I working on?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. Why do I write/create what I do?
4. How does my writing/creating process work?

Currently I'm working at clearing enough space around my cutting mat to enable me to prune two large-ish quilts. They're large for me and my space even though one is barely twin size and the other will only fit a double bed. These two quilts were just quilted by my younger (adult) son who has become a professional long arm quilter during the past year or so. Now I have to cut away the excess batting and backing and make and apply bindings to them. Not my favorite steps in the quilt making process but necessary.

My work may differ from that of other quilt makers in that, lately at least, I work primarily from the scraps created when previous quilts were made. I have always enjoyed scrap or multi-fabric quilts more than the controlled, organized versions that seem to have been popular (and more socially acceptable) back in the day. For example, I could never make this:

I have the skills, I would just get bored after the first block! Plus, technical complexity doesn't do it for me. What I like is ingenuity, figuring out how to make something aesthetically pleasing out of a pile of apparently unrelated prints and colors. To which end I design my own quilts. I'm not sure I'm capable of actually following a pattern anymore. I will inevitably find something about it that doesn't suit me and make changes.

I also prefer to work intuitively. That means I will start out with a goal in mind but not much more than that. Most often there is a person for whom I want to make a quilt or who is in need of a quilt for warmth or comfort (generally both). That will help to determine the size the finished quilt will need to be and sometimes I can get color cues if I know the person's taste. For example, I just finished and shared this quilt for my father-in-law:

I did my best to incorporate his interests and color preferences. This one was not made from scraps but from a wide variety of prints. The quilts I make from scraps tend to look more like this:

In the beginning (around 1985) my motivation for making quilts was, I assume, much the same as many other quilters. I admired the traditional quilts of yesteryear and the make-do spirit in which many of them were created. Not that I had much personal experience with quilts growing up. All we ever had were store bought blankets until my folks purchased a lakefront cottage that came furnished. There were a couple of comforters in the bedrooms. Tied, not quilted, and made out of whole cloth instead of being pieced or appliqued. It was years later that I learned I had great grandmothers who pieced and quilted and that there were specimens of their work in the family. I have since become the curator of those heirlooms. :- )

One of the first big influences in my quilt making were sisters Roberta Horton and Mary Mashuta. Off the top of my head I don't remember which sister specialized in which type of work but one focused on the utility quilts of the past and the "imperfections" that made them so charming. The other promoted the idea of quilts as vehicles for art and expression. I've made my share of art quilts but at the moment I seem to be stuck on making utility quilts rather than show quilts. I believe I have Gwen Marston to thank for that. She has managed to show us quilt makers how to cross the line between art and function. Or better yet, how to combine art and function. I think that's what ultimately drives me, the desire to combine artistic impulses and function.

And so lately I've been cutting patches and strips from the leftovers of a quilt I just made and then piece simple traditional blocks from those scrap patches and use those blocks to create a quilt top that I will beg or pay someone else to quilt for me. Right now that's my process. This blog has always been the place where I share my textile processes, whatever form they may take. I do dabble in other forms of the needle arts, just not to the extent that I piece for quilts.

I have reached out to two creators whose work is very different from mine to carry on this blog hop. They are Maya of A Million Little Stitches, primarily an embroiderer who lives and stitches in India, and Cyra who lives a free form life and creates all sorts of textile art in New Zealand. Look for their blog posts next Monday, 22 September. Or go visit them now and see what they're up to! You won't regret it. :- )

Turkey Meme

I saw this over on Freebird's blog and thought it would be fun to share. :- )

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere? If I could I would go elsewhere, but since my husband - bless his heart - does most of the cooking for this meal it's like I already do!

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? We buy a fresh bird, organically fed and raised.

3. What kind of stuffing? I prefer the stuffing I grew up with, as does my husband. Which means we have two kinds of stuffing every year. I was born a Yankee [and have been trying to overcome it all of my adult life ;- )] so I like the bread stuffing seasoned with sage. He likes cornbread dressing. Truth be told, I like them both!

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin, hands down. One of my favorite memories of Thanksgiving Days in my youth was the buffet of pies my mother and her sisters would make. We had our choice of apple, cherry, pumpkin, and mincemeat. There were years when I think we had an even wider variety. It was common to see three or even four skinny slices of pie on a plate when it was time for dessert.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? At this point in my life the leftovers are the reason we do the whole bird. That provides me with meals to eat for days afterward. DH is pretty well done with turkey after the second day.

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu? Probably the cornbread dressing. Oh, we also have to have black olives!

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock? I'm not the cook so it depends on how DH is feeling any particular year. He has made both soup and stock from our birds a couple of times. It's nice to have the stock on hand because then it's easy for me to put together a soup for myself if I'm in the mood.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier? A little bit bigger dining room so we could have a bigger table. There's never enough room for all the food and all the place settings, never mind having a centerpiece!

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour? We've done both, but most recently we've been eating close to our regular dinner hour.

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring? Probably my mother's frozen cranberry salad (which isn't really a salad in my mind, but more of a dessert). It's a high treat and can be made ahead of time. Plus it's one of those dishes that goes a long way amongst a crowd of people.

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house? Everyone has to be very mindful of any fragrances they may bring in with them. It's amazing how little will set me off.

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see? It's usually just our immediate family any more, and not even all of them, so we're happy to see them. It was a joy to get together with aunts and uncles and cousins on my mother's side of the family when I was a kid. (We hardly ever saw my dad's side of the family, except during summer vacations.)

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu? I think I would have to agree with Freebird on this one: the pumpkin pie! Or maybe the stuffing... either variety! It used to be my mother's cranberry salad but I can't eat most of those ingredients these days.

14. What are you thankful for this year? So many things! First of all, that we are able to afford the more expensive organic foods that my body now requires. I'm grateful for a cozy little home in which to gather our family together. I'm grateful for the two darling little granddaughters we already have and the two that are on the way. And, among other things, I am grateful for the new friends I feel I've made in keeping this blog. I truly appreciate those who take the time to leave comments and those who give me support when I'm feeling less than confident or even unwell. I am also grateful for those who may not leave comments but think of me on occasion or remember me in their prayers.

And now it's your turn! If you feel inclined to play along be sure to let me know so I can swing by and see what you have to say. :- )

She Who Hesitates Gets Tagged Twice!

Beadbabe tagged me to do a meme late last week. Only a few days later I got tagged again by Hilhne! I have five things to reveal to you:

What was I doing 10 years ago? This was actually the hardest of the questions to answer. I don't have the kind of memory that retains that kind of information. I had to go back through calendars and journals to get a feel for what was going on in my life at that time! What I found out was that my two of my three children were in middle school, the third in his final years of elementary school. So I was busy with everything that goes with having three school-age children. But I was also involved in a new cloth dollmaking club that a friend and I started in the area, and two quilt guilds. I sold a few of my creations at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. I worked in a local fabric store too (part time). My husband was finishing up his Associate's Degree at the community college.

Five things on my To Do list today:

1. take a shower (before I do anything else!)

2. call to make an appointment to have my hair cut (There's a gal who comes to my house to do that for me. I can no longer tolerate a beauty parlor.)

3. get more of the beads I want to use in the background of my May journal quilt

4. stop at the organic food market for this week's groceries

5. pay the bills :- (

Snacks that I enjoy include Kashi TLC original 7 grain crackers, organic blueberries and almonds, and Endangered Species extreme dark chocolate bars.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire... DH and I have fantasized about this many times. We want acreage, preferably on the coast somewhere (tsunamis be damned!). In addition to the house we would have at least one outbuilding. It would house his home theater, photography studio, and all of his other interests. My studio would be in the house and be larger than what I currently have. Obviously I would have any and all of the supplies I wanted! The grounds would be maintained organically and we would probably grow a lot of our own food (with the assistance of real gardeners!). Then there's the whole making sure the kids have what they need and all that. If it were possible for me to travel I would also have a home in the sunbelt somewhere so I'd have a place to run away to when the cloud cover became unbearable (like now).

Now for the list of places I've lived.

In Michigan: Pontiac, East Lansing, Detroit, Lansing.

In Ohio: Cedarville, Xenia, Dayton.

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina

In Texas: Wichita Falls (although when we got there it was right after a tornado and the locals were calling it Wichita Flats), Lubbock, Abilene, Houston, Richmond.

And finally under the blanket in Skagit Valley, Washington.

Now it's my turn to tag a few other folks. Let's see.... how about

Finn at Pieces From My Scrapbag

Judy at Possiblilites

Calamity Kim

JoWynn at Parkview 616

and Holly at And Sew It Is

All you have to do is answer these five questions and then tag 4-6 more people to play along! Make sure to leave them a comment or message that they've been tagged ;- )

7 Random Things

I'm feeling a little blue this morning. Well, more than a little really. The sky has turned gray again, it rained overnight, and I think I must have been exposed to something yesterday that has not yet worn off. Either my resistance is up (hurray!) or it was a very mild exposure because I wasn't even aware that it had happened until I realized last night that I was cold and cranky. This mild depression signals the tail end of the recovery process. Let's just say I'll be glad when it's over and leave it at that.

Freebird tagged me to reveal seven random things about myself and then tag 5 other bloggers to do the same. Here are my seven random facts:

1. I am the oldest of four siblings. I haven't seen my brothers in person in the last few years but I think it's safe to say that of the four I have the least amount of gray hair! (Without benefit of dye I might add.)

2. I attended three colleges for one year each but do not have a degree from any of them. I earned a certificate in animal health management from the last college. I think if I had known about ART and could have studied in that field I might actually have made it to a Bachelor's degree!

3. I wear an Elmo wristwatch.

4. I would rather sweep than vacuum. Vacuum cleaners are too loud and cumbersome. Give me a hard surface floor over a carpeted one any day!

5. I think my favorite cartoons from my youth were the "Fractured Fairy Tales" on the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show.

6. I have lived in six states: Michigan, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

7. I buy cut flowers for myself. I started doing this a couple of years ago, probably shortly after my diagnosis of chemical intolerance. My DH has been seriously allergic to air borne pollen since childhood so he sees flowers as sneezeweeds and nothing more. It doesn't occur to him to bring me flowers except on rare occasions, and even then he'd rather gift me with something else. Fortunately, not all flowers set him off. Since flowers lift my spirits I decided that I'd rather have them around to enjoy while I'm alive than at my funeral so I started buying them for myself!

These are some I have on the kitchen counter right now. (You can see how gray it is outside from the picture!) The pussywillows add a touch of spring to the mums. I've been tempted by the more colorful primroses at the market but I'm afraid I won't get them in the ground before they expire!

Now, the five bloggers I'd like to invite to play this game are:

1. Embellisher

2. A Bead Lady

3. Connie at Life Scraps and Patches

4. Helene

5. Beadin' Gram

I'm off to go tell them they've been tagged :- )

Take the Quiz here!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Okay, it's been a while since I last posted. What can I say? I've been sewing and shopping and playing with grandchildren and recovering. I've also been lazy. Our tree is up and decorated and many of our seasonal ornaments are on display but I have not photographed them. You are going to have to be satisfied with a couple more blocks from my Someday Christmas Quilt and a holiday meme.



Erin was recently tagged to do a 5 Random Things Meme. She left the tag open for anyone who wanted to play. I decided to take her up on the offer with a slight variation: mine will be 5 of My Favorite Things During the Holidays:

1. My favorite Christmas CD is Christmastime by Ricky Tims. I fell in love with it when I was working in the gift shop of the La Conner Quilt Museum; I played it all the time! Finally I had to just break down and buy a copy for myself ;- )

2. My favorite holiday movies are "A Boyfriend for Christmas" and "Borrowed Hearts." Confession time: one of my favorite things about this time of year is all the hokey, cheesy, wholesome made-for-TV movies. My television is almost always turned on to either the Hallmark channel or Lifetime these days. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. On the other hand, I can't bear to watch the animated holiday movies of the 1960's anymore, even in the name of nostalgia.

3. My favorite holiday treat: Teuscher's champagne truffles. DH and I used to share a couple of these on New Year's Eve to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement. Now that we know about my allergies to butter and cream we've had to substitute other treats. None of them are worth mentioning in the same paragraph with Teuscher's truffles. (Can you see my lower lip sticking out from where you are?)

4. My favorite gift to receive: books. In the past I especially loved to get quilt or art books with lots of color pictures. Now I content myself with works of fiction (or fabric or beads!). I also love to give books!

5. My favorite dish from Christmas dinner: my mother's frozen cranberry salad. I'm sure she got this recipe from some magazine, cookbook, or ingredient package in the 1950's. I can't eat it anymore either, but I thought I'd share it with those of you who can:

1 can whole cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

one 3 ounce package cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 pint whipping cream, whipped OR one package Dream Whip, prepared per the directions

(Is that stuff even available anymore? I used an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip the last time I made this.)

nutmeats*

candied cherries*

*Mom just eyeballed these ingredients. I have no measurements for you. The nuts were probably chopped walnuts or pecans. The candied cherries were sliced or chopped.

In a bowl, blend the lemon juice with the cranberry sauce, mashing the berries slightly if necessary.

Line the bottom of a mold with the cranberry sauce mixture.

With an electric mixer (remember the Sunbeam Mixmaster?) cream the cream cheese with the Miracle Whip and confectioner's sugar until smooth.

Whip the whipping cream if you have chosen that route. Fold the whipped cream or Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture; fold in the nuts and cherries.

Spread the whip cream/cream cheese mixture on top of the cranberry sauce in the mold and freeze.

This makes a very colorful presentation when unmolded. The bottom is white and the top is red. Of course you can garnish it anyway you like, and some of you will undoubtedly be much more creative than we ever were! I loved the texture of the foamy white layer and the coolness of the cranberry layer. :- )

And just in case I haven't whetted your sweet tooth enough:

P.S. If anyone wants to take this meme and use it on your own blog feel free to do so. Leave me a comment so I can come and see what your favorites are!

7 True Things

I've been tagged by Melzie to do the 7 True Things meme. This should be an interesting exercise! (At least for me. I hope you'll find it interesting too!)

The rules are:

1. Link the person who has tagged you.
2. Tell seven true things about yourself.
3. Tag seven new people.
4. Leave a message with the person you have tagged so they know about it.

Here we go...

1. As we get closer to Halloween you will see how much I enjoy the macabre. I have cute witches but I also have a ceramic pile of skulls that are decidedly not cute. (I was going to put in a photo here but Blogger is having problems so we'll try again later.)

2. When I was in high school I ran hurdles in track and field. I placed second in our regional race, up against a girl whose legs were almost longer than I am tall! (I'm only 5'3".)

3. My two favorite shows on TV at the moment are "Ace of Cakes" and "Dancing With the Stars." (I could give you a lengthy list of television shows I enjoy!)

4. I was widowed at age 27 when my first husband died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

5. I journal for half an hour every morning.

6. I used to enjoy baking but have never enjoyed cooking. (Since I can't eat baked goods anymore I don't make them.)

7. I have always found it fascinating that I was born under Gemini (the twins) and have felt like two completely different people coexist in this body.

And now for the really hard part: tagging seven other bloggers! How about...

1. Clare at Dordogne Quilter

2. Erin at Go Doodles N Quilt

3. Yankee Quilter at Scraps and Threadtales

4. Holly at And Sew It Is

5. Lin at Purple Fan

6. Sammy at Sammy Stuff

7. Corry at Dutch Blue

And now for that picture I promised you. This is one of the things I've been playing with lately. It may or may not become an official journal quilt but it is that size (8.5" x 11").

This goes back to my love of the macabre. I've had the skeleton print in my stash for at least a year, well before the movie "Ghost Rider" came out. We enjoyed the movie enough to buy it on dvd when it became available. After watching it again recently I was going through my two stacks of Halloween prints and found this print and immediately thought of the movie. I see it as the ghost rider passing by a graffiti-painted wall in an alley. Not quite sure how I'm going to embellish this one but it's tempting to highlight the flames under the bike with beads... After that I don't have a clue!

Monday MeMe!

Okay, in response to Finn's tagging me for this meme, here we go!

5 Things To Do Before I Die:

Overcome or recover from my chemical sensitivities
Make a family heritage quilt
Swim with dolphins
Visit the American Visionary Museum and Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland
Go to Lego Land (with or without grandchildren!)


5 Things I Can Do:

Visually identify nearly all of the dog breeds currently recognized by the AKC
Give a man a decent haircut
Teach
Read in a moving vehicle - as long as there's no scenery to look at!
Always find room for more beads, sequins, or fabric!


5 Things I Cannot Do... Yet:

Eat pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberry shortcake (and a whole host of other yummie foods)
Keep a clean house
Decide what picture or image to use for my blog portrait
Stop eating chocolate (I found one that falls within my dietary restrictions!)
Move to a Caribbean island


5 Things That Attract Me to the Opposite Sex:

A healthy sense of humor
Kindness
Compassion
Integrity
Generosity


5 Celebrity Crushes:

Cary Grant
Pierce Brosnan
Matthew McConaughey
Cap'n Jack Sparrow
Elmo


5 People I'd Like to Do This (Tag! You're it!):

Atet at Quilting in Cornfields
Barb at Why Not?
Beadin' Gram
Freebird
Janet at I'm Going Crazy; You Come Too


This was fun to do. I came up with twice as many Celebrity Crushes as I needed! What does that say about me? Coming up with things I Can Do was a bit of a challenge. Made me think outisde of the box as it were. Figuring out who to tag was the hardest part! I read so many blogs in a given week, across so many different categories of interest, it was difficult to know who might be of a mind to play this game. Hopefully I have chosen well. Now I have to go tell them they've been tagged!

I do have a show and tell for later today...