Book Review: Art Quilts at Play

I was so excited to get my hands on the newest book by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston, Art Quilts at Play (C&T Publishing, 2009.) I love the work of these two amazing artists, and their first book, Art Quilt Workbook (C&T Publishing, 2007) is one of my favorites.

If you're not familiar with Jane and Elin's work, then you are in for a treat. They are both talented quilt artists and teachers. They're both bloggers, too, and you can find regular inspiration at Jane's blog Chary Sprouts, and at Elin's, will.love.logic. Both are on my regular reading list.

I'm drawn to Jane and Elin's work for a variety of reasons. I like the graphic quality of their compositions, their use of color, the perfect balance between simplicity and complexity that their work often shows. I can look at their pieces again and again, and always feel like I learn something new from studying it.

But back to the new book. The focus of their first book (and their terrific DVD) is on jump-starting creativity in art-quilt making through exercises and some techniques. The new book focuses on experimentation with surface design techniques and playing with new materials.

I've mentioned before how I dip my toe into the surface design world cautiously. It's not that it seems difficult -- it's that I tend to get overwhelmed by the processes. The lists of materials and preparatory steps and safety precautions and workspace set up suggestions tend to exhaust me before I've even started, to be honest. Someday I hope to have a dedicated wet studio space, but for now I'm stuck with the kitchen table or backyard patio, which means I have to set up, do the project, and clean up in the same session. So call me lazy, but sometimes I'm just not up for all of that.

That's why I'm encouraged when I find ways of playing with surface design that are quick, easy, and not terribly mess-making. And Jane and Elin's book has me chomping at the bit to experiment a bit more. They make it look easy, and not daunting. I know, I know, it's NOT hard stuff. But they make it look do-able and fun, without a ton of time and money invested in supplies and set-up.

The book covers a host of design play to try: screen printing, painting fusible web, stamp making, bleach discharging, paintstiks, shrink film, angelina fibers. The steps are clear and simple. Best, to me, are the examples of what they made with the techniques -- inspiration abounds. The artwork shown here -- from Jane, Elin, and various students, is exciting and gorgeous.

They also cover the fun of collaborative projects as a way to explore creativity. They suggest different types of challenges, swaps, and online connections.

So, if you're thinking that you might like to try some new surface design techniques but want a simple way of experimenting, give this book a try. I highly recommend it!

The Little Things

I can't seem to stop taking pictures of the fruit trees that are blooming around our neighborhood. I'm in love with the soft billows of white and pink I see see from afar, with the delicate fragrance of spring flowers as I stand under a blossoming tree, with the gentle buzz of the bees dancing among the blossoms, with the drifts of petals that have floated on the breeze to the ground below.

But most of all, I love looking at each individual blossom. They're so small, yet so different. Some are ruffly and jaunty, some are perfectly formed and upright, some droop or have petals flopping... But they're all little masterpieces, and when I get up close with my macro lens, I lose myself.

I suppose it's no accident that focusing on one tiny flower provides a bit of mental rest. Isn't there some Zen saying that applies here?! Most days I'm adrift in a sea of small details -- household stuff, and what homework Caroline has due this week, and what phone calls need to be made, and bits of clutter that accumulate around the house whenever I turn my back. Perhaps it's a lesson -- take one detail at a time, focus on it up close, take care of it, and then move to the next detail.

Take life one blossom at a time. Perhaps I've coined a t-shirt. :-)

Surprise! Quilting Content!

I've just returned to a visit with my aunt Carole and uncle Jack who live in Penn Valley, a town in the Sierra foothills of Northern California. I don't get up to see them as often as I'd like as it's a solid 3-hour drive up there, so it was good to have the opportunity to spend a bit of time with them.

The occasion of this visit was my appearance as "guest speaker" for my aunt's "Collectibelles" group. It's a group of senior ladies who get together once a month in their neighborhood to see someone's collection of something. When my aunt was designated to find a guest speaker, I offered to bring my quilts and show them... so that's what I did. I pulled all of the quilts down from the walls around the house (Roger asked whether I was moving out!) -- I'd never really seen them in one big pile like that, so it was kind of startling!

In any event, the talk went well -- there wasn't a quilter in the bunch (to my great surprise) but they all oohed and aahed and fondled them and argued over which were their favorites, and my aunt just sat there grinning with pride. It was fun, and my aunt was pleased. She's not a quilter either, and I don't think she expected the pile of them that I brought along. She kept saying, "You've made ALL of these???"

On the way home, I took a short detour to visit a quilt shop I've heard raves about -- Cabin Fever Quilt Shop in Auburn, California. What a fun place -- great quilts on the walls, a wide assortment of fabrics, all sorts of stuff to admire. I did break down and buy a few fat quarters (from Moda's new Momo collection) and a magazine.

Now I'm rehanging quilts (and moving them around to "refresh" the collection) and preparing to start my "windows" quilt for the Twelve by 12 challenge due in two weeks.

Only YOU can prevent endangerment of helpless words!

We are all taking part in one of Caroline's homework assignments this weekend, and we're darn proud of it. In fact, we're ecstasiated to participate.

Savethewords.org is a site designed to bring disappearing words back into use AND back into the dictionaries. When you go to the site, you can register (which just requires a user name and email address), choose a word, and then adopt it by promising to use it as frequently as possible in conversation and correspondence. It's quite empowering, thinking that you can --through your daily communications -- give life to a withering piece of language. No wonder I'm ecstasiated, yes? (My word: Ecstasiate, to go into ecstasy or cause to become ecstatic.)

You receive (via email) a lovely certificate and can even order a t-shirt proclaiming your chosen word.

So go look, rescue a poor, withering word, and come back and tell me what you've adopted! Please, ecstasiate me!

Civics 101

So, how'd you do on the Civics quiz?!

Here are the answers, in case you were wondering:

1. What are the three branches of the US government? Legislative, judicial, executive

2. What are two requirements to be president? Age 35, born on American soil

3. Which house of Congress can propose bills to impose taxes? House of Representatives

4. Name 4 rights guaranteed by the 1st Amendment. Freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and press.

5. Which amendment gives you the right not to be searched without a warrant? 4th Amendment

6. Which amendment protects your right to own a gun? Second.

7. Which amendment provides that you cannot be tried twice for the same crime? Fifth

8. What is required to override a presidential veto of a bill? 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress

9. Can you name your two senators? You can find yours here.

10. How many members are in the House of Representatives? 435

11. Which two amendments granted voting rights to groups who had not been able to vote, and what are the groups? 14th (blacks) and 19th (women)

12. Which amendment outlawed slavery? 13th

13. What are 3 things that the states may regulate, and the federal government may not? Schools, private property, marriage

14. How many people are there in the President's cabinet? How many of the positions can you name (by job title)? 15 not counting the Vice President; Examples are secretaries of housing and urban development, defense, education, health and human services, attorney general...

15. How old do you need to be to be a senator? 30

16. How old do you need to be to be a member of the House of Representatives? 25

17. The legislative branch is empowered to impeach the president. What is the House's role, and what is the Senate's role? The House votes whether to impeach and the Senate hears the impeachment trial.

18. Which branch of government ratifies treaties with other countries? Legislative (Senate)

19. Which branch of government has the power to pardon convicted criminals? Executive

20. What is the 16th amendment? Income tax

Now, don't you feel informed and patriotic?!

Are you smarter than a 7th grader?

Miss C has been studying for her trimester final in history class, and they have been studying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and basic function of the federal government. It's kind of amazing to realize how fundamental this stuff is, and yet how it's not stuff most people know off the top of their heads. So, in the great Blog Quiz tradition, here's a Federal Government quiz to see whether you can match up to a 7th grade history student!

1. What are the three branches of the US government?

2. What are two requirements to be president?

3. Which house of Congress can propose bills to impose taxes?

4. Name 4 rights guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.

5. Which amendment gives you the right not to be searched without a warrant?

6. Which amendment protects your right to own a gun?

7. Which amendment provides that you cannot be tried twice for the same crime?

8. What is required to override a presidential veto of a bill?

9. Can you name your two senators?

10. How many members are in the House of Representatives?

11. Which two amendments granted voting rights to groups who had not been able to vote, and what are the groups?

12. Which amendment outlawed slavery?

13. What are 3 things that the states may regulate, and the federal government may not?

14. How many people are there in the President's cabinet? How many of the positions can you name (by job title)?

15. How old do you need to be to be a senator?

16. How old do you need to be to be a member of the House of Representatives?

17. The legislative branch is empowered to impeach the president. What is the House's role, and what is the Senate's role?

18. Which branch of government ratifies treaties with other countries?

19. Which branch of government has the power to pardon convicted criminals?

20. What is the 16th amendment?

Answers tomorrow. Pat yourself on the back and consider yourself a good citizen if you can answer most of these!

Unfortunately

"Small things amuse small minds," my mother used to joke when one of us kids would become absorbed by something silly. I think of this saying often, especially because I'm often entertained by goofy little things.

Helen turned me on to something that amuses the heck out of me -- and at the risk of demonstrating how easily amused I am, I'm spreading it here. It's one of those Google games. You search the phrase "Unfortunately [insert your name]" and then read the results for general hilarity.

Here are a few of the ones that got me grinning:

Unfortunately, Diane is no longer breeding

Unfortunately Diane didn’t have the strength to take on a troubled teenager

Unfortunately, Diane can only offer this service for brides who have booked a couture gown with her

Unfortunately, Diane (The Cake Lady), has retired.

Unfortunately, Diane could not easily use the new gadgets

Unfortunately, Diane had an accident while away last week and will be convalescing for at least a month

Unfortunately, Diane had to take a break from teaching because of the devastating effects of a rare and incurable blood disease.

Unfortunately, Diane who is estimated to be 13 years of age, was found in lower Manhattan with a severely arthritic wing

Unfortunately, Diane isn't a credible character

Yeah, I know. Easily amused. But I'll bet you're headed off to Google now to see how YOUR name comes up...

My Dear Fabric Store,

You haven't seen me in a while, I know. It's been far too long since I've visited, and many is the time I've been tempted to give in to my longings and cross your threshold.

I miss fondling your soft cottons, running my hands over luxurious fabrics flowing from bolt after bolt. I miss gazing at the array of vivid colors laid out on your shelves. I miss the anticipation of the hunt for new bolts of fabric peeking coyly out from behind familiar friends. I miss the gentle dance the book rack and I do together, as the books twirl their colorful covers past to tempt me. I miss scanning the neatly arranged notions for shiny new gadgets, and running my eyes over the lush piles of hand-dyed fabrics and threads.

Yes, I'm longing to see you. But I dare not place myself in your presence.

You know all too well that I have made commitments to others. During our past dalliances, I have succumbed to your temptations. Under your spell, I have purchased yards of fabric, piles of fat quarters, spool upon spool of finely-woven threads. I have drawers filled with the gadgets you've so cleverly promised will improve my life.

I am only one woman. I have only so much time, energy and money to devote to your wares -- and I have over-committed my loyalties to the investments I have made in our past encounters. I must pay some attention to the offspring of our encounters, so to speak, before I can in good conscience return to you for more.

I weep for the distance between us. But know that you are ever in my thoughts, and that I will be dreaming of the day when I can once again surround myself with the warmth of your fiber-filled embrace. In the meantime, please understand that I must devote myself to the closets-full of materials you have already bestowed on me. In short, my stash is full and my pockets are empty.

But I do not love you any less, but I will not be jealous. May you stay well, and be comforted by the company of others.

With fond fabric memories,
Diane

Six Degrees

Several months ago, I got telephone call from a woman who introduced herself as Liz and explained that she'd gotten my name from my friend Cleo in London.

Yep, London.

Turns out that Liz -- who lives right here in Healdsburg -- is a consultant who specializes in organizational development and transitions. (You can read about her interesting business here.) She'd met Cleo online, though Cleo's blog, when she realized that Cleo had linked to Liz's book on women in management transitions. Cleo blogs as the leader of Price, Waterhouse, Cooper's Gender Advisory Council, and writes about gender issues in the global workplace. (It's a fascinating blog -- you can check it out here.) So basically Liz and Cleo have a professional connection, which led to Liz mentioning where she lived, which led to Cleo saying "My friend Diane lives in Healdsburg!"

Cleo and I have been friends for years... maybe 15 years, I'd say. And, funnily enough, we met online. She and I were active in a Compuserve craft-related message board (back in the day when it was all DOS, and Compuserve and AOL were the height of online-connectivity). We not only had crafting in common, but rapidly discovered that we both loved to read and had very compatible taste in books. We started recommending novels to each other, then talking about our lives and families and more. We met in person when Roger and I traveled to London "BC" (before Caroline), and since then Cleo has visited us here in the US a few times. What started as an online, email-friendship became a close personal friendship in which we've shared a lot of personal and professional changes over the years.

So, back to Liz. We chatted on the phone that day, but as I was in the throes of the Month of Migraine Madness, we agreed to meet in person after the holidays and when life calmed down. And, finally, today was the day.

It's a funny thing, meeting someone in person with whom you've emailed and talked but not met face to face before. I suspect many of you bloggers will know what I mean, if you've had the opportunity to meet someone whose blog you follow. There's the simultaneous feeling that you're talking to a friend whose life you know, even while you're looking at the face across the table and it's a complete stranger. It occurred to me, as I entered the Starbucks where we'd agreed to meet, that we'd not talked about how to identify each other. And as I approached the line to order coffee, I heard a woman say to another, "I'm meeting someone I don't even know!" That was her, and we laughed about the fortuity of my coming up just as she said that. Instant recognition.

Liz and I chatted away, and discovered that we have a fair amount in common: many mutual friends, active involvement in the school system (how we didn't meet in that context we can't figure), and an avid interest in reading fiction. 90 minutes flew by as we talked about our professional and personal lives, balancing work and family, living in our community, and more. We exchanged a few book titles, too.

We parted with plans to meet again. It was a wonderful encounter -- and a reminder that the world is a pretty small place.

Taking myself on a date

Yesterday, I gave myself a play day. I had an artist date with myself, and I had a grand time.

My first stop was a tree farm in the area. It had rained in the morning but it had stopped by the time I arrived -- perfect picture-taking conditions -- so I slogged around the mud, taking pictures of the newly-blooming fruit trees and other things that caught my eye.



From there, I headed to a shopping center that's great for roaming purposes. I wandered around Marshalls (found 2 different black toile plates -- I have a small collection of them, each one different, that I love using...)



I can wander for hours at Target. My big find there was some pretty turquoise stoneware bowls to go with the new spatterware plates we have...



After lunch (the honey mustard chicken salad from Quizno's -- yum) I headed to Border's bookstore, in search of this magazine:



And there it was -- I got the last one on the stand. I'm loving these specialty magazines that Somerset Publications is putting out. They're pricey but I generally find a lot of inspiration there.

And I stumbled onto this, which I couldn't resist...



Have you seen this magazine? It amuses me that there are magazines and books about blogging ... but this is well worth a look if you've not seen it, especially for us visual types. It's lovely to look at, it'll show you more blogs (like we all need more blogs to read, right?) and it provides good food for thought about where you want your own blog to go. Since I've been in a sort of slump blogging-wise, this is just what I needed. (Oh! Guess who's blogging now? Jane Fonda! You can check out her blog here...

Then, because I had an hour to kill before I picked up Miss C from school, I treated myself to a caramel latte at the Seattle's Best Coffee, right there in Border's, and I sat and looked at Photoshop books. (There's just SO much to learn about Photoshop...)



By the time I got home, to the smell of stew simmering away in the slow cooker, I was rested and happy and recharged.

Boy, I needed that.

In Bloom

The fruit trees are starting to bloom, and there are clouds of pink brightening many of the streets in town. Our flowering plum tree is showing off a stunning color, and I can't resist taking picture after picture...



after picture...



after picture...



They're just so... pink.

A dose of pinkness

I'm ready for spring! Our little flowering plum tree has started to bloom, and it has put me in a seriously PINK mood. You've seen me go through this before, I know. But what can I say -- sometimes I just need a serious dose of pink.

So, in celebration of spring (and because I'm sick of the other UFOs currently pending) I started a new project. Last October I fell in love with some beautiful, large-scale floral prints and bought a batch of them --- so I've started on a pieced quilt using lots of pinks and greens and aquas, with flowery prints. I'm making Pauline Smith's "Blooms Quilt" out of the Kaffe Fassett book "Country Garden Quilts" - it's easy piecing, quite calming and enjoyable.

And, for the ultimate enjoyment, my friend Pat came over today and brought her machine and we sat in the kitchen, sewing and chatting for much of the day. It was so nice to catch up and just talk and sew and talk and sew -- with dark chocolate snacking to keep us going, too! We both marvelled at how pleasant it is to sew with a friend and how well worth it it is to go to the trouble of hauling the machine out of the house.

Tomorrow we are supposed to get 3 inches of rain ... but I will be brave and head out to my Practical Design workshop, which I've not been able to attend lately. I'm looking forward to the inspiration.

Book Review: Color Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts

I know a lot of quilters who aren't confident about their color choices and who are always looking for information to help them. I also know quilters whose instinctive color choices are great but they don't know how they choose what they choose. Whether you're in either of those categories -- or whether you just like exploring color in your work -- you'll be interested in this new book by Maria Peagler. It's called Color Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts, and it's terrific.

You might know Maria from her blog, Quilts and Creativity. Maria teaches color classes to fiber artists of all kinds, so she's working from a wealth of experience when she sets out some basic principles to guide working with color.

The principles are clear, well-explained, and beautifully illustrated. Maria not only shows different ways of working with a color wheel, but also PROVIDES a color wheel with the book! What more could you ask?! The principles are explained through projects which Maria made pulling from her stash -- with the idea that this book can help any quilter work from her stash, and/or understand what her stash is lacking to make colorfully dynamic quilts.

The nice thing about this book (well, ANOTHER nice thing) is that it's really suitable for all levels of quilters, and the principles apply to all methods and techniques. Whether you make art quilts or traditional quilts, the color concepts can make or break your final piece.

This book can definitely help you improve your work with color. You can order your copy here.

Check back here soon, by the way, for an interview with Maria herself!!

Birthday Season

Thanks for all your nice emails, guys -- I've appreciated your good wishes. Life stuff is just so ... relentless, sometimes, isn't it? But friends make all the difference.

We are in our household birthday season. We celebrated C's birthday earlier in the week, trying to cope in as "fun" a way as possible while getting a pile of homework out of the way. Today is my birthday and I am celebrating with an indulgent day of sewing, to be followed by a family pizza night in front of Wall-E. Tomorrow we will go out to our favorite sushi place with some friends. And next week is Roger's birthday, which we will celebrate by going into San Francisco to watch the big Chinese New Year's parade.

Fun! Lots of fun!

I am happy to be back at the sewing machine, finishing my "chair" piece for the Twelve by Twelve challenge. The reveal is tomorrow, so check in there to see the results!

Oh! One more fun thing: Don't forget to check out the Animal Planet channel tomorrow for its annual Puppy Bowl, broadcast during the Super Bowl (who wants to watch football when you can watch frolicking puppies?!) It is the cutest, happiest, smile-makingest thing you can imagine. And then some. They do re-air it after the football game in case you want to see both events, and I think they stream it online for some time too.

Have a fun and puppy-filled weekend -- I know I will!

Quiet time

I have to apologize for my silence over the last weeks. I started the new year planning on blogging every other day or so... but life events have a way to taking their own path. Life has been complicated, with just too many hard things going on at once. I haven't been quilting at all, and I have to admit that I've not been in the mood to chat about books and other stuff.

So, sometimes, life requires some quiet concentration on family and friends and home.

Nothing drastic is happening, no need to imagine dire things. It's just life throwing a few curves (gee, how many cliches can I throw out here?) and blogging is taking a back seat.

My 12x12 challenge deadline is coming up this week, so I've got to get my "chair" piece finished. So that'll get me into my studio to throw fabric around. You'll see the results soon!

Expect Happiness

I know, another photograph of a random child from my day at the zoo ... I promise, I'm not going to start shoving pictures of babies and kittens at you (oops, I HAVE done the kitten shots, haven't I? Can rainbows be far behind?)

As I've been working through the pictures I took at the zoo last week, I keep stopping at this one. We were at an exhibit where owls, hawks, and other big birds one doesn't usually get to see up close were on display, and I was happily photographing birds. As I turned, I saw this sweetheart posing for her big brother, and she sat waiting and smiling while he fiddled with his camera. I simply couldn't resist photographing that lovely expression.

What stuns me in this picture is this girl's happy expectancy. You can tell that she's looking at someone she loves, can't you? She looks so open, and eager, and yet totally relaxed.

So she's my poster for another resolution for the year: remember to expect happiness. Look forward with a smile, not with fear or worry. When we expect happiness, we will find it.

My favorite novels in 2008

While I'm thinking about books, I thought I'd wrap up 2008 (I know, I know, but school isn't back in session yet so I can't seem to think of it as 2009 already) with a list of the best novels I've read this year. Some of them I may have mentioned already, but I'll list them again because I thought they were *that* good! And rather than try to describe them to you, I'll link you to Amazon where you can read summaries and see what you think. I truly enjoyed all of these books enormously and highly recommend them.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Likeness by Tana French

Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond

There's No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen.

How to Be Good by Nick Hornby

How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life by Mameve Medwed

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons

If you've read something that you've loved in the past year, please feel free to pass along the recommendation in a comment. I'm always looking for the next thing to read!

Start off the year with a good book

If you're looking for a terrific book to dive into to get you through the post-holiday blahs, I've got just the book for you. It's America America by Ethan Canin, and it's well worth your time.

I picked this up off of the new book shelf at the library a week ago, and was immersed immediately. The novel tells the story of a journalist who, upon the death of a prominent senator, reflects back on his youth working for a wealthy man who played a big role in promoting the senator's career. The novel was reminiscent of Great Gatsby -- innocent ordinary man getting an inside look at the life of privilege -- and there are many overtones of the Ted Kennedy/Chappaquiddick scandal. The story touches on the nature of father/son relationships, and loyalty, and innocence, and politics, and idealism. All of this -- and it's beautifully written.

There's another aspect of this novel that I loved -- the sense of layers of events, and how one can live through something at one point in one's life, and only later look back and understand that very different things were going on under the surface. Canin conveys that so well in this story.

This is the sort of novel you'll want to sink into with a cup of coffee at your side and a bit of time to dive in. It's not superficial or straight forward... but that's exactly what I liked about it. I was sorry to see it end.

Starting the New Year with Joy

A few days ago, we went to the zoo for the day. It'd been a few years since we'd been there, and we had a grand time strolling around, watching the animals, and taking pictures. Perhaps because I was armed with my camera, I found myself looking at things a bit differently -- and I started thinking that watching the people was actually more entertaining than watching the animals. It's certainly a great place to find a lot of smiling kids, that's for sure.

This one adorable little girl caught my eye as she was blowing bubbles with her grandma. I snapped a few pictures, and the sheer happiness on her face in this one just takes my breath away. So I've decided that this will be my "goal" picture for the coming year -- to remember to enjoy the moment, to let myself be surprised and delighted by the little things that happen each day.

I wish I could send this picture to this girl's parents, to tell them how much her spontaneous smile inspires me.

A Look Back

2008 in pictures...

Happy 2009, everyone!

The holidays here have been fun and busy, with many friends and family members popping in and out. Today we are all set to have a hanging-around-the-house-in-jammies day, playing Rock Band (yep, Santa brought it to Roger) and reading and, most likely, napping.

Now, to refill the coffee mug....