The Frosting on the Cake

For anyone who has been following my studio renovation, todays' work is the piece d'resistance that I have been waiting for. What was once a blank wall now has a new window that faces north and the room is now flooded with light. I'll spare you the process pictures because I HATE the construction process. Although it's Jim's line of work, when it's happening in my own house, it makes me nervous and anxious. It's two stories down to the driveway outside this window and the whole time he was on the ladder I stalked around the house pretending to clean. And he wonders why I have heartburn. I refuse to attribute it to the fabulous batch of chili he made yesterday - it's strictly renovation heartburn but I am so pleased with the results. Thank you Sweetie. Of course I asked for the wide window ledge to accommodate cat asses but Jinx insisted on ignoring the new view and interjecting herself into my art.

Braves Pound Mets

Braves 7, Mets 3 and it was a beautiful thing to see. Besides a roster full of 300+ bats, I think the Braves were in their element weather wise. It's been Atlanta hot and steamy in the Poached Apple and our boys are used to it. Of course I have a new appreciation for "Buddy ball" too. My team's momentum drove me on at the machine and I got 75% of this piece quilted in nine innings last night. The stitching motifs are more complex than the others in this series although it was my intention to be less restrained but the colors took over and led my hands and eyes. Who am I to be in charge? Somewhere, someone broke some kind of record. I remain oblivious.

Busy week half over

I started out the week being bored before lunch on Saturday. My solution to boredom is always the Dye Solution and as my favorite old Land's End carryall had gotten pretty dingy, it became my logical victim. The next morning I was fiddling out widgets from beads and wire before I even got out of bed for coffee and the little tag on the bag is all I can say about what the workweek has in store for me. I'll go on about it at length when it's over. Then......... Remember those cute shoes I ordered from Sketchers last week? We were on our way out to see the"Simpsons" as the package landed on the doorstep so I just had to snatch them out of the box and jam on my sweaty feet. Cuter than the pictures and beautifully made BUT (and it's a BIG BUTT) by the time we walked from the car to the theater I felt like I was walking on cheese graters and several of my grotesque toes were being ground down to the bone. I laughed until I cried at the movie - (I've been loving the Simpsons since Homer was really mean and Marge was a 2D doormat) - and then I wanted to cry some more as I hobbled back out to the car. It's not Sketchers fault! The trouble is, I go around barefooted or barely shod most of the time with my giant, prehensile toes flapping in the breeze and clutching at things like a giant sloth so when it comes time to stuff my feet back into respectable shoes, they HATE IT! Does anyone have any foolproof methods for breaking in new shoes that don't involve ancient Chinese foot-binding techniques or spending hours karate kicking sacks of dry rice?

Other Artist at work

My friend Jan Thompson has gone completely nuts for polymer clay. She's so deep into this stuff sometimes I don't know what she's talking about anymore - the technical lingo is way different than dyers or quilters. She brings her California color and design sensibility to everything and is coming up with ever more fun and entertaining pieces. These are two of my favorites. Makes me wish I was a jewelry gal. These make me think of sugar cookies at Christmas.

The tough job

As summer deepens, water mishaps are on the rise as lifeguards become bored at their posts.