a wistful day

Today is my Mom's birthday and I've given over much thought to her today.
I have to admit that I could never remember her birthday spot on..it floated between 11/2 and Election day in my mind but today, for the first time it was fixed and correct.

Jim read my mind and brought home a bouquet of red roses in her honor (she adored my husband).

This photo was taken in 2002 on one of her rare visits with us down south. She loved Jinx and Jinx seemed to love her right back. Miss you Rosie.

waiting in the wings

I'm finding there are some  problems and benefits to having a string of works-in-progress, especially if the the pieces are, if not a series, at least cousins in some way.

You fool with the thing until it begins to annoy you but don't set it aside at that point or you are asking for a permanent UFO bound for the shredder.  Find the problems areas and at least take some notes somehow towards remediation...that way you won't be stonewalled when (and if) you pick it up again. I unfolded this one grateful that I had pinned some bits and pieces of maybes and possibilities on it's face.

The base cloths for this piece are two very old huck tablecloths that came out of the dyes looking like a rainy weekend. Dreamy but coma inducting except for the way the woven textures came to light.

For a long time I wanted to examine just what the hell Jackson Pollock was up to/looking for besides wrecking his head. Without doing any reading or presupposing - except for that damn Ed Harris film - this piece is my exploration in that territory. It's going to be some time in the making because it will be all hand stitched in keeping with the very old and tender fabrics. I don't know how fast Jackson flung the paint around but I do know how long it takes to stitch a large piece by hand. Come next summer, maybe.

And now I have to go out and buy a new iron. The 9$ special that is at least five years old has bit the dust and puked on my cloth for the last time.

a push

My new business cards came today..I did away with the extravagant glossy color image on the other side, saving myself a bundle,  opting for a nice clean space where whatever could be written.

Now I have to challenge myself to the rest of the nitty gritty and finish the website makeover.

I taught myself as much html as I needed years ago and used to have real fun with it but the gloss has worn off that toy entirely. I'd really like to just hand it off to a pro..but I'm too cheap.

TGIF

I've been machine quilting this all morning and, as I suspected, have not much more than cold feet and hunched shoulders for my trouble. I'll keep at it though now that I'm committed.

And I am taking more than just a moment to give thanks for a roof over my head, a dry bed, someone elses cooking and loving companions here to help me make it through the day.

fretting & rejoicing

The problem with mixing hand and machine stitching on a piece is recognizing when your hand work is no longer for the purpose of the design...when you keep on stitching because it's a comforting action, like my drug of choice.

To keep from running off the rails I put this one back up on the design wall this morning and found a few places where less was more and few others where something else was needed. I hope to get it back under the machine needle tomorrow.

I meant to post this here yesterday...everyone is doing as well as possible under the circumstances

This morning Jake called to tell us that he has proposed to Missy and she has accepted and we are thrilled!