Hitchhiker

Colin picked up up a hitchhiker in the grocery store parking lot this morning. After much research this beast (that's a nearly 3 inch wingspread!) turns out to be a Royal Walnut Moth...the Royal Walnuts of Georgia to be sure. He/She? is free now somewhere in my backyard. Click on the photo for a closeup!

Road Kill

These are detail shots from the piece in the previous post which is done and about to be sleeved and photographed. The slightly smaller scale of this piece, roughly 30 inches squarish, called out for more stitching to pull the design together so I spent most of two days smoking away with Big J.

Lousy weather=good day in the studio

I started the day early doing my webwork. Sussing out the nitpicking details of transferring a domain and building a splash page for a new client. Because I have become a bit jaded to the Usual Suspects when it comes to deciding on shows to enter, I wavered just a little with a Google search on "call for entries" and came up with one of the comprehensive list of art opportunities I have ever found on the web. If you are at a place in your fiber art career where you no longer get any jazz out of entering quilt shows or maybe, like me, you never belonged there in the first place, here's your chance. Get on over to Artshow and be prepared to lose a few hours if you are the least bit serious about your work. I hate to admit it but I was ready to spend the better part of the day playing manatee out in the pool but one moment the sun was blazing over the rooftop and then next - cloud city complete with thunder, lightning and hours of rain. Oh Damn Well, there's always tomorrow for lolling about and reading a wet Sunday NY Times. So, I hiked up the sarong and let the muted daylight of the studio take me to a slightly different place in my work with the salt dyed damasks. Add to that, some of Joan McGee's silk scraps and a new piece rose up from the flames of an idle day.

Welcome Little Feather

A new Tool has come to join the crew here in my studio. Big J seems skeptical but it won't be long before Feather will be working alongside him. I have craved a Singer Featherweight for many years. My Grandma owned and treasured hers enough to never allow me to touch it - I was a well know "tinker" belle, inclined to de-construct anything mechanical - but she promised it would be mine, someday. After she died, her machine found another home somewhere and I never had the nerve to press the matter. At a recent lunch, a friend and I were talking about our respective sewing machines. (Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the gentlemen at the table leaning back and a glazed expression came over their faces) I mentioned my quest for a reasonably priced Featherweight and dear A. simply said "I will send you mine". Done and done. It arrived yesterday in a flurry of pink packing peanuts and I am smitten and so grateful.

after the crowds go home

We had a BBQ yesterday. Thank goodness one of our guests considers himself a Grillmaster. My idea of barbecuing is when enough smoke comes out from under the lid, it's time to turn things burnt side up, raw side down. Nice folks, too much food, water volley ball and a little thunder and showers. All and all a pleasant change of weekend pace. Company is always a great excuse for a little overdue housekeeping, pre and post party. A Braves game got underway a bit late due to the thunderstorm but once it got started it rolled on to a Turner field record - 17 innings and a badly needed Braves win. Although I missed the first half to hostessing, the cats and I watched the last half of the game right through to the last amazing frame.

Happy 4th of July

My deck garden is starting to make food. These are grape tomatoes which will probably be good for a salad a day for two weeks. The other shot is a green pepper, bell, I think, and a jalapeño which freeze well but may wind up in homemade salsa. I've been thinking about what it takes to "put food up" as my grandmother used to. I used to get to pour the hot wax over the top of the jam and relishes she made. She also put things in Mason jars and boiled them...stewed tomatoes, yucky. Liberty next year would be plowing under my whole front lawn and growing food instead of grass. And now that I think about it, I want a pair of mules and some goats and chickens. Folks are coming by today to grill and eat and swim. It will be nice to have a little company. Tonight I will watch the fireworks from my bed and listen to mariachi music. I can look out across the woods to the next street where, each year, they compete to burn down their houses with illegal fireworks displays.

back to the Studio

I finally feel like I'm waking up from the sludge of a long working trip. Thankfully, it's been deliciously cool overnight (for a change here in Georgia) as our AC has been on the fritz. Throwing the house open wide at night has made for good sleeping weather and renewed energy for the studio. I'm picking up this piece where I left off before I went to Tampa. Finished my one foot squares last night and will shoot and submit them to SAQA later today. Hmm, maybe I should pay my dues first... With an order in the pipe to Dharma and several juicy auctions in progress on Ebay, there's a big dye day coming up at the L'Ville Frankenstein Dyeworx in the not too distant future. Raquel wants to try her hand at color magic and having an assistant would be interesting. There are several handmusic projects in my magik basket and much contemplation afoot regarding a possible career change. Corresponding with AnneP has reminded me of keeping my eyes, hands and feet on my own artistic path. Lots to do, lots to think about.

making them last

I've been missing my Mom lately. She can't answer the phone easily anymore so I can only speak with her when someone else is visiting. This fabric flower is silk and metallic organza and cotton. I'll post another picture when she puts it on. Today we rounded up Jinx & Voodoo for their annual trip to the vet for shots and such. Had to knuckle under and buy that nasty crap for flea prevention (the collars were an expensive joke) and now NONE of them are speaking to me.

Happy Birthday Colin

Twenty-eight years ago today a nurse handed us this fierce little bundle. I told Jimmy "Go ahead and stick your finger in his mouth". Instantly Colin latched on like a snapping turtle. I was fortunate to have my finger on the right button to capture the moment. I may have posted this before but it's one of my favorites.

Home

It's so good to be home. That's my basket in the picture. I made the gentlemen from Africa un-bury almost all of the baskets they were offering so I could eyeball each color scheme until I found just the right one. Here we have the day and the night, the moon and the sun all worked in seagrass and leather. Jinx christened it as soon as I walked in and put it down and now I have put my first work in progress inside it - the eventual recipient will recognize it, I think. Many raveled threads to catch up and set right here at home but one by one each will be dealt with. I have a few pictures from Convergence that won't get me sued (un accustomed as we are to Happy Hour) but I'll clear them with the rest of the crew before any are published. Until then here's this from last evening. After the storm passed I watched the sky go from bright gold through pink and here before I made myself get up and try for a shot. Not doctored, this is really what the sky looked like!

signing off from Tampa.

More of this through the night and on and off throughout the day while I was mummified inside the bowels of the Convention center diddling bits and bytes and shuffling paperwork. I'm handing this laptop off to someone else on the staff tomorrow so I won't be posting until after I get home next week. While the impressions are fresh in my mind I have to thank all the wonderful people I have met and been working with here in Tampa. Folks have been so kind and thoughtful and gracious it makes one guilty to have a cross moment or thought no matter how long and difficult the days might have been. for now, sleep. ->>NOTE --all these photos from Tampa are not my work. All borrowed from public sites and will be replaced by my own photos once I get home where I left my transfer ability. But - the view (of the sky) from my hotel room window was just like this.