There's Always Books, and Books are Always Great

So the weather was crummy. Molly K9 and I had a nice walk on the beach very early; the sky low, no dawn to speak of, and humidity high. I was in a serious sweat after our mile or because I hadn't reckoned on how hard it is to walk in sand wearing sneakers. So I had a getter work out than Molly. I hoped it would clear, and it looked like it might, but it didn't.

I had finished a shortish book by Ian McEwen, Oh Chilsel Beach, yesterday and got well started on the next. I saw, too that the back issues of The New Yorkers weren't going to be enough reading matter. No prob. On Hyannis' main street is Tim's a big, used book store. I had picked out three and was about to pay when I noticed the Pico Iyar book about the Dalai Lama at half price right by the cash register. More about it including title when I read it which will be soon --after the one started last night. Serendipity! Love it!!

So no warm sun and wonderful shade, but the soothing sense of plenty to read. And then I made the de rigeur trip to Joanne's and bought fusing so I can plung into the no sew project I brought along, fancy cutting roosters from a fabric I love to go on a background I put together many months ago. The cutting will be tedious but fine whatever the skies hold tomorrow, at the kitchen table or out on the patio. A UFO on the way to completion, or at least the next step along the way. So, no complaints. The break is going nicely and I am, indeed, not alone. Grandson, Noah is home -- in and out in the way of teens. We're ships that pass in the night. But I'm glad he's here.

Inspiration and Quilts to give away

Since I won't be able to upload pictures for several days but may blog in that time, I thought I'd add two today. This is Karen Griska at the June Empire Quilter's Guild meeting at which I bought her book that inspired the selvage quilt. Her website is in the right column for anyone who wants to know how to get the book which is also being distributed by the American Quilters Society. I don't have a picture of Sharon Pederson whose book of double sided quilts inspired the construction method of this quilt. The quilt name will be "Thanks to Karen and Sharon." I had once tried a version of this construction on a log cabin quilt that was sewn in three layers as this one is being sewn. But my construction was less well thought out and proved to be a somewhat lumpy. Sharon's directions work excellently.
This is one of two quilts I'm about to send to an ovarian cancer support/education group who have asked for donations. In the past several months I've made three in this method I call "chopped up nine patch" that I found first online and then, I believe, in an article by Eleanor Burns. Easy and fun. I got curious how it would work with various colors. But heaven knows I didn't need the quilts although I always inaugurate my quilts that are bed size by sleeping under them at least once. This one, as noted a couple of months ago, has barnyard animals fused and appliqued on. It's a pleasure to make quilts ahead and then find places to send them. Not that I wish for anything like cancer to happen to any one. It was satisfying that I had quite a few that I could give to people after the Katrina catastrophe.

One does not need an excuse to make quilts, even when the closets are bursting and you don't need them to sleep under or hang on the walls or warm feet and shins while reading at night, they can be saved for when appeals come in. I read a blog a couple of days ago where the author says in her personal statement that she believes the world would be a little happier if everyone on earth had warm quilt to cuddle under. I agree and how satisfying it is to do my tiny part toward that end.

Anticipation

Anticipation is like the scent of coffee and bacon pulling you out of bed in the morning. I'm thinking of anticipation of a trip -- any trip, really. I love the time when I know I'm going to be going away and my mind drifts over to what shoes I want to take, what book I'll read on the way, and so on and on, all kinds of details which, of course vary with what kind of trip.

The trip I'm anticipating at the moment is small and not exotic but I'm thoroughly happy it's happening -- just a few days on Cape Cod at my daughter's house. The family will be gone, but Molly my doggy friend for many years will be there and so will Dust the cat who is mellowing as she gets older and comes to my lap as she never used to do. There'll be a car to take me to the beach for early morning walks with Molly and to Joanne's to get a few quilting odds and end, and maybe a sale fabric or two or so... and there will be fried clams and there's a great patio where I'll eat meals unless the weather doesn't cooperate. Oh! How lovely to anticipate!!! I'd love it if Rachel and the family were there too but three days alone has it's own pleasures.

Picture above was last summer on the beach there, pebbles and seaweed.

About sewing selvages

Stephanie asks if I left a "tag" on the selvages so I could sew them down. The answer is sometimes. I began cutting selvages four or five years ago with the idea of using them some day but didn't actually consider how I would use them. Not until I heard Karen Griska speak, saw her work and her book was I impelled to finally get on with it. I recommend clicking Karen's link to the right of this column and looking at her work. You'll find how to get her book which has instructions and ideas.

But for myself, a confession. I am a "hold your nose and do a cannonball into the pool" type of sewer. So I just started sewing the selvages however wide or narrow, overlapping the finished side against the cut side as I went along. Mostly this was fine, but as I work with the piece I see there are places that pull apart because I did not overlap properly and I have to go back and resew. Which is okay in this case because the thread on the dark side disappears, mostly, as the quilting. This is, I admit, not optimal but the quilt is just for me and I don't mind.

Now there are many more sensible and thoughtful people who think of qusetions like Stephanie's. That's why there are quilting teachers and books -- to answer those quetions in advance and give you a leg up so you don't have to go back and fix your mistakes. So, yes, I think you should leave at least a quarter inch tab and I'll try to do that in the future. I do learn from mistakes. In fact, I'm becoming, slowly, a better quilter having definitely learned to measure and cut carefully and to square up blocks before putting them together.

But we humans have different temperaments. My cardiologist is a type A who pays attention to every detail and I feel secure because of that. I know a type A cook who must measure and time everything on the stove and I have to run out of the kitchen -- and beleive me, my pinch of this, dollop of that method produces excellent results.

Not done but making progress

Yes, I've been working on this reversible quilt with selvages used to make one side. As can be seen, once put together it's already quilted. This is a light/dark quilt. I am just today working out the border design and will start sewing later on and more tomorrow but, like all else, it's labor intensive...but such fun labor!

I like the dark side because it has surprising flashes of color -- and a bunch of designs that would clash horribly anywhere but in a quilt context. The background fabric with batik-y diamonds is a Hoffman fabric that blends very nicely and the batik-bordering fabric is Hoffman also. Hoffman fabrics often seem to me busy and confusing on the bolt but then I find them very useful.

The writing on the selvages always has fascinated me so I'll enjoy looking at that side too. In the past week two wonderful swapping friends have sent me selvages and a third says she's going to do so too. Bonanza! Couldn't be happier.

I'm very fond of these surprising fabrics, with veggies printed on them. A European woman sent me a color-ways set. I did not imagine when I first saw them that they would go into the same quilt but I'm happy with them here. It's not a fabric I would have bought if I found it in a store but I think it's sretching my sense of what works.

As always I have my work cut out for me [in this case literally for I've just cut the pieces of the border] and it will be at least two weeks before I finish this. Final picture in the fullness of time.

I want to thank the two readers who gave me some input about the electronic book I mentioned in the previous post. I am never an early adopter of technology and I DO have a bookcase -- four shelves -- of to-read books but I'm fascinated and just may do further research.

Times They Are A-Changng

Two examples of our changing world: a few days ago when in the ATM vestibule of the bank I found there were no deposit envelopes. The guard said, "No more, you just put the check in the ATM." After a moment of incredulity -- I'm going to put my check in there naked!? You gotta be kidding. I saw the screen messages were new, clearly there was a new program. Okay, I'll try. It showed me the check and asked me to okay that that was the amount to be deposited and it worked. We are moving a little more toward a paperless world. I know I could have direct deposit, except that's not a choice right now. One I did have it until the frequently changing powers-that-be where I work found it unweildy. So much for the world of high finance. [Don't I wish?]

For the first time in quite a while I had time to stop at my fav Chinese restaurant for lunch. Another eating-alone-woman at the table next to mine was reading a book -- but not the usual book. No holding the page open so it won't close when you pick up a fork of chopstick. Her "book" was about 5x8, which is trade paper back size. Not more than an inch thick, with a small keyboard at the bottom and a button she touched to "turn" the page. I stared shamelessly but she was absorbed. Had she not been I would have talked to her about it. It looked like the print was a comfortably readable size, in fact on the large size. I wanted to ask if she could adjust the print size -- I suspect the answer is yes. I wondered where she got the "books" and how she downloaded them. I wondered if it has rechargable batteries, if the screen lights at night. I realized I could find out all those answers either online or by going to an electronics store.

When she was finished with her lunch, she turned off the picture, I assume saving her place, and closed a thin lid and slipped it into her fairly large purse. It looked very lightweight. I've thought UGH! I want a REAL book to hold in my hand. But after watching even those five or ten minutes I thought the time may come when I'll want one of those "books". And what about paying attention to the food you eat and savoring that experience? I like the theory, but I don't do it very often -- how but at meal times can I get through the papers and magazines since evening reading is for real books?

No, I am neither reading nor eating in the above photo, but actually pausing to enjoy a view of the Great Salt Lake from a small promentory on Antelope Island which is a park in the lake. It was a lovely, lovely day, the start of the vacation I am still savoring in moments of clear and treasured memory.

Wish I'd Done That

I was sent this neat quilted version of Modigliani's "Woman in a Black Tie" -- so neat. It has netting over the raw edged applique and the netting give the whole a wonderful sheen. It was made by Elizabeth Mitchell, a swapper from Alaska who clearly put a lot of thought and time and artistic talent into it -- but she didn't put any sort of label on it. I've put a sticky note on the back so I won't forget and have asked her to make a label which I'll sew on the back. She hasn't responded so I don't know if she'll do that or not. I think we should be proud enough of our work to sign it. Others now and in years to come, will want to know at least the bare facts.

Stephanie responded to my previous post about the sensuality of fabric by saying she loves to wash and iron new fabrics for the same reason I love folding them -- I'm a bit lazy about washing until I've decided to use a fabric -- I like the crispness -- but I totally understand what she's saying. Thanks, Stephanie.