What The World (Quilt) Needs Now!

It was just one month ago today the last time I showed you this quilt.


It often takes time for a quilt to tell me what it wants and this one is very slow.
I cut out the quilt with a gentle curve on the edge. I finished the edge with a zigzag stitch.



You can see the zigzag edge in this photo. I added another layer of the fusible behind the quilt which meant there were 3-4 layers of fusible at this point. I then fused it to the green mottled hand dyed fabric which was fused to a batting. Now we had 4-5 layers of fusible. That was then fused to a backing which means 5-6 layers of fusible.

I then attempted to zigzag over the previous stitching and had a lot of trouble with skipped stitches. Eventually I realized it was because of the number of layers of the fusible. I will try again with my other sewing machine which is slightly less temperamental! Even a less temperamental machine may not be able to handle this many layers, but I'm going to give it the old college try! Wish me luck!

Let A Smile Be Your Umbella

Today's agenda was planned to include a walk around Market Square in The Villages, a late lunch at the Lighthouse Point Bar and Grill, a visit to Fresh Market and a ride around our community in my "convertible".

About 10 minutes before my friend arrived the skies let loose and even with an umbrella there was no way to get from the car to my house without getting 50% wet!


When the rain let up a little bit my friend went to the car and brought in a large bowl of gardenias from their established gardenia bush. I wish you could be here to enjoy the delicious fragrance they impart to the house.



I have always loved to look at gardenias. My parents had two gardenia paintings on their wall which I now own. This is the first time I have ever had real gardenias in my house.


The rain let up enough for us to get to the car. As we drove it rained so hard there were times when it was difficult to see the road.
We decided to skip the walk and shopping the sidewalk sales around Market Square as it was threatening more rain again as we arrived.


The rain let up as we parked to go into the restaurant. Knowing it could return at any minute I decided to use my magical powers and took my umbrella with me. It worked - it was NOT raining when we left.
I enjoyed my crab cakes, fries and slaw. My friend had a pasta dish with shrimp. Both were very good.



This photo taken by my friend is the view across Lake Sumpter after lunch. You can see what a gray type of day it was.

We then also decided to skip the visit to Fresh Market for the day. We were full and the thought of buying food did not appeal to either of us.



We returned to my house hoping to go for that convertible ride. It was just too damp, humid and wet to enjoy it so we decided to save that adventure for another day.

We sat on the lanai for a while to catch up on some of our mutual college girlfriends and then it was time for my friend to head south.

It's A Small World

This title applies to my life and my art.

I have been making these small bowls.

I took time today to pair more of the fabrics and bowls.



This green and yellow leaf fabric really sets off this bowl.



I love this grouping with the bowl and the two fabrics.



Another set which I didn't realize would complement each other as they do.



Someone said this fabric looked like it had fish on it! Another unexpected wonderful combination.

This has been the BIGGEST small world year for me with so many connections with friends and family. At times it has been almost overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time. I wouldn't trade this year for anything.

Most of my small world connections have come from the USA and that is why I have chosen this puzzle cut.

Give Me Land, Lots Of Land (and clay and fabric) Under Starry Skies Above

As I prepare to "move house" I am trying to fit in all the things I haven't done yet. Of course part of that is getting things ready for the house sitters.
The more important part is getting together with friends and saying Farewell until we meet again! That could happen as soon as next month!
I spent a great day with a friend who showed me the horse country in Ocala as well as many other places I was unaware of.

I knew Ocala and Marion County was an important horse area, but I had no idea how many beautiful horse farms there were and how large the area they encompassed was. With so much to see I didn't get any photos of the horses or horse farms but I have some other photos to share.



I love this old abandoned building. We think it may have been a gas station at one time. At the top is says J. E. TURNIPSEED & SON 1933
I would have loved to meet J. E. Turnipseed - what a vision that name conjures up.

We finished our tour at Amrit Indian Restaurant in Ocala. It was excellent.


We had the Chicken Tandori and lamb.


This shows all the food we were served.

After mango sherbet we each went our separate ways.

After a satisfying lunch and the late nights my cousin and I had spent catching up I came home and took a nap!

After I got my second wind I thought more about my color signature. I paired clay bowls and fabric I've created in photos.
I have a few to share with you.


I love both of these pieces and they complement each other.


These look like they were made for each other.

The round shape of the bowl suggested this cut to me.

So Long Farewell, Auf Weidersehen Good-bye

I hated to see Jim and Marilyn leave this morning. Their visit was one of the highlights of my time in Florida this season.

It is interesting how much Jim and I have in common. We are first cousins. We saw each other sporadically during our growing up years as we lived in different parts of the country. We lost track of each other for 40 years.

Yet, when we get together it was so obvious that we had so many similar personality traits and a family resemblances. I am already looking forward to the next time I will see them.

Our parents spent time together in Florida many years ago and I was able to give Jim a photo of our dad's, who were brothers, when they were together in Florida from that time.

I had dinner with my friends Lynn and John at their house this evening. It was a delicious dinner of salad, steak, baked potato and corn on the cob. After dinner John had things to do but Lynn and I got to catch up a little with our lives and activities.



When I returned home I cut the pieces for this quilt and sewed them together.
I am quite pleased with it. These were 3 of the fabrics I used flour paste resist on and/or painted.


It will be interesting to see how easy it is to put the pieces of this simple, yet complex cloth quilt together.

Moonglow

We came home from dinner tonight about 7:30. When we looked at the sky in the front yard we could see the moon. You can see it approximately in the center of this photo.



This is myself and my cousin Jim. It is the first photo of just the two of us in years.


This is a photo of me and my cousin in law Marilyn. This is the very first picture ever of just the two of us!


After we took a few photos of us in front of the house we walked to the back yard and in the back yard we had one of our beautiful sunsets. It is not often you are able to see the sun and moon at the same time.



Jim and I spent a lot of time sitting in these comfortable chairs with our laptop computers. We were working on updating our family genealogy. Jim is the web master of our family site.

We accomplished a lot updating our records and had a lot of fun doing it. We shared family stories and enjoyed looking at photos of each others families.

While we were working on this a message popped up on Jim's computer from a man in Germany who is related to our great great great grandmother Maria Barbara Fonkol.
She was born in the Wolff House, Rahrbach, Germany. She was born there in August 27, 1767.

You Can't Take that Away From Me

I am so fortunate to come from a large family.
I am even more fortunate to have reconnected with long lost family members recently.


Yesterday my cousin Jim and his lovely wife Marilyn came to visit for a few days.

We haven't stopped talking since they arrived a little after 3 p.m. and it is now after midnight!

It was a beautiful evening and not too hot. We were able to have dinner on the lanai and then spend some time visiting out there.

Jim and I spent quite a while on our computers working on our family geneology. I shared the information I have that he does have as he is the family expert and web master of our family heritage site.

I have sent messages to some of my close family hoping to get some information we need to fill in some blank areas.

Today's puzzle is family.

Am I Blue?

At one time I had so much blue fabric I never wanted to see another piece of blue fabric. This was in my early quilting days and finding fabric to use to make a quilt wasn't easy back then. So every time I found some I bought it. The problem was most of the good fabrics were blue! I stored them in cardboard boxes in a store room. I didn't realize I had 5 (five) boxes of small blue prints and similar things until I moved everything into my studio.
Over the years I've made a big dent in the blues and can look at them again.



This piece has some unusual asymmetrical markings. I think it has some great possibilities.



When I look at this piece I feel like I am seeing some beautiful tropical water.



The various layers of dye in this piece have different patterning which makes for a very complex yet simple piece of cloth.



Because of the subtle differences in the dye colors used in this piece the patterning is also very subtle and feminine.

It's been a while since I have used this cut and I thought it would be an easy one with the subtle coloration of this piece.

Irresistible

I have to admit when I look at the fabrics I paint and dye they are irresistible. The fabrics I am showing you today are cottons. The techniques I used on these are similar to those I used on the silks I shared on Friday.


To create this effect I used many layers of dyeing on this piece of fabric. It is one of my favorites.



This started as a pale yellow fabric with a white design. The white design is more like a paint and doesn't take the dye. You can see the reverse of the fabric here.
I creates a slight show through texture on the right side.



This piece also has at least three layers of pattern because of the multiple dye baths. The colors are cooler and not as strong as the red piece.



The layering on this is created with monochromatic blue dye baths. It almost looks like an Xray!

Don't Fence Me In

You see quite a variety of things on my blog.
I have been sharing fabrics I have created recently and have two more for you.
These are different than what you have been seeing recently and also quite different from each other.



This started out much like the fabrics I showed you yesterday. I did two different layers of dye. I hand carved a stamp that I used to print the rust design. Since I wasn't too careful when I carved the stamp a piece broke off. I then stamped the black with the piece that broke off and feel that creates an accent while also unifying the design.



This design is painted with undiluted Seta-color paint. The consistency of the paint lends itself to this style of painting. Symmetrical designs such as this are usually out of my comfort zone. I enjoyed creating this and am very pleased with the finished look.

You've Got A Friend + Colors Of My Silks

I had a great visit with a long time long lost friend today. Although we did see each other recently today was a "Girlfriend's Lunch".
I remembered to take the arrival photograph that I take when friends visit for the first time.



Once we started talking I never remembered to take food photos or the "Ladies Who Lunch" photo.
It's wonderful to see someone you haven't seen in 47 years and still be able to pick up where you left off and catch up on the years you've missed in each other's lives.

We've got a lot more catching up to do and we won't wait 47 more years to do it.

I also want to share some silk fabrics I have dyed and dyed and dyed! These have at least 3 dye baths on each piece to give depth of color and pattern to them.


I can not remember the order I dyed the colors in this fabric. I folded it differently each time I dyed it and the resulting fabric has many variations in patterning.


I also used at least 3 layers of dyeing in this particular fabric. Again I have no idea what colors, manipulations or order I did things in. These are not fabrics that are meant to be reproducible.



The patterning in this fabric is quite different than the first two. It also has at least 3 layers of color.

I can not bear to cut up any one of these so I would guess each will be used in a pillow.

I hope you enjoy the challenge of this puzzle.

The River of No Return

You are going to think I am the most fickle person you've ever met.
First quilts, then clay, then fabric painting.
You are probably thinking what is she so infatuated with now?
BREAD!
Ever since we moved to this area I had heard about a wonderful bakery and their breads. No one ever said, well let's drive down there so you can experience this place.

So last week a friend suggested we do and we did. I could never have imagined anything this wonderful.



This is the Bavarian style of the outside of the building.
It is a destination and while we were there a tour bus stopped to shop for breads, cakes and pastries.


This is one of two bread cases as you come in the front door. I knew I had found my spritual home the minute I saw the cases of bakery.



This BIG pretzel was in another bread case. I left some of the image around it so you could see the size of it. I'm not sure if this was for sale or just display.
There were also cases of pastries and cakes but I didn't photograph them as I knew just taking a photo would add calories around my waist.



Fortunately I took food pictures before we devoured our food.
We each selected the Rueben sandwich. I hereby declare this the World's Best Rueben.
It was served on Pretzel bread with real German sauerkraut and a Green salad. When I saw the size of the sandwich I thought I'd never be able to eat the whole thing. Well, there was not so much as a crumb left on my plate when I finished. I get misty eyed just thinking about this again.

I forgot to take the "Ladies Who Lunch" pictures to share today.

As you do this puzzle just try to experience my visit here and the food we enjoyed.


I realize I haven't been posting a daily puzzle recently and I am wondering how many of you are still doing my puzzles. If you are I'd sure like to know. You can post a comment or send me an email so I know if I should be continuing to do this.

Misty Water-colored Memories

These pieces were done with a transparent paint which gives the effect of watercolors.
The paint I used was Seta-Color Transparent. It can be thinned to a very weak consistency with water or can be used as a stronger color with less or no water.



I placed leaves on the wet painted surface and the paint migrates away from the covered areas making marks on the fabric.



This piece also had leaves placed on it while drying. If the fabric is manipulated into hills and valleys while it is drying you get darker and lighter areas.
People think you have to do this in the sun. That is not true as these were done in my studio.


Not only do these pieces invoke the memories of the leaves I imprinted on these fabrics, but as I look at them I remember spending the day with my then 11 year old granddaughter.
Her fabrics turned out better than mine did but I have no photos to show you.

It was a lot of fun to create these fabrics and to create memories at the same time.