The Weather Outside Is Frightful, But The Fire Is So Delightful

Like many parts of the United States, our neck of the woods has been frigid--breaking a 25 year record of continuous days with the high temperatures under freezing. And it doesn't look as if it's going to get much warmer in the next few days.

When I came down into my studio the other morning, the temperature in the room was 45 degrees! That was too cold to even think about working. And this is the kind of thing that can happen when you buy an old house (55 years old) in the summer. It was nice and cool in the house then (we're in the mountains, after all), but it held no hint of what the furnace would or wouldn't do once winter hit.

BUT, now I'm a very happy camper. We have had a set of sealed gas logs installed in the fireplace opening (it's another long story as to why the 2 fireplaces can't be used) and my room is almost toasty. I am greatful, ecstatic and just plain happy. And while we were at it, we also had them installed in the upstairs fireplace and a pellet stove in the garage/workshop. So now I can say, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

I have begun to quilt my Summer Beauties wallhanging. I was really at a loss about just how to quilt the background for the basket of flowers. I love the gradated fabric and didn't want to lose that in the quilting process. I did find thread that matched the three main shades of the background and started quilting it that way, but I hated it almost right away. (Thank goodness, because that meant a LOT fewer stitches to pick out). So, I decided to go with a color that matched the darkest part ( poly thread instead of cotton) and I am very happy with the result. It's one of those things that you're not really sure about until you go ahead and try it--and that's why I'm probably one of the Queen's of the "Pick-Out" Club!

Keep warm everyone.

Just A Little Addendum

For those who are interested inn learning more about molas and their cultural history, the following website has lots of interesting information. For instance, I now know they were made as fronts and backs of blouses for the women and they were usually made in pairs (although not perfectly matching pairs.)

http://www.quiltersmuse.com/a-history-of-molas.htm

I hope you enjoy it.

Molas--New and Old

Molas have been a fiber art that I've appreciated for many years. My father was in the Foreign Service and was stationed in Panama for about 6 years in the 60's and 70's. While there, he would travel by boat to the San Blas Islands and visit with the Indian women who created this wonderful type of needlework. The thing about my father was that he was someone who absolutely loved to go through the process of bargaining about a potential purchase--which is exactly what the craftspeople expected. He would stop thinking about time and schedule and just enjoy the conversation. During the course of their time in Panama, my parents built quite an extensive collection of these molas--and they have come to me in recent years. It is a gift that I treasure above most others.

My sister has always had the traveling bug and Panama is one of the places that she has revisted in the last couple of years. Since she knew of my passion for molas, she sent me several. One of which I decided to use as a new cover for a stool in my studio. You can see here the before and after. This is typical of the newer molas that are now being produced. They are generally appliqued in the manner of our needleturn method and have a more sophisticated appearance than earlier molas.

These are some examples of older molas--at least 30 years old--maybe more. There is a lot of reverse applique on these and the themes are quite diferent from the more recent work. One of the things that I have really enjoyed with some of the older pieces is they way in which the Indians looked at life around them and interpreted it in fabric. It can be seen in this example that seems to be a beer label. The maker was spelling out the word "cervesa" but obviously ran out of room before she got to the "a." I have others that relate to political campaigns and helicopters flying overhead. And they would have seen many helicopters most likely because the United States still was in charge of the Canal Zone at that time.

So I suppose that these molas were a true example of folk art at its finest and I'm glad that they are still being made today even though the style and emphasis may have changed through the years. And there are also some modern American quilters who are including this same type of applique in their work. I'm glad because I think it is joyful and celebratory-- both of the past and the present.

Blooms In the Studio

I have been working concurrently on two quilts (the first of which was in my last posting). This wall hanging (no name yet) is one that I started quite a few months ago. Once I had finished the floral section, I didn't know how I wanted to finish it--so I put it aside until inspiration struck. As it turned out, that took quite a while. A couple of weeks ago, I drew out an idea that I thought might work and I finally added the borders the night before my art group met (nothing like a fixed date to serve as an incentive). They affirmed my thought that I needed something more in the corners, so I worked on that the next day and, voila, it is done.
The background fabric is a wonderful commerical cotton that has progressive color hues. When I was in Florida a couple of years ago, I saw it in a quilt shop. There were several different pieces and my husband--who is a quilter's dream husband--said I should buy ALL of them. So, of course, I did. And I think it made him feel really good when I actually used one of them.
So now I have two quilt tops awaiting the final part of their journey. Hopefully, they'll tell me what they want me to do with them VERY soon.
I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year that is filled with many, many blessings. I have just finished reading Wayne Dyer's newest book, Excuses Be Gone, and I intend to incorporate a lot of what he says we can do to change unwanted or negative behaviors in our lives. This new year is going to be a blessed one for me because I'm going to do my part to make it happen.

A Different Form Of Art

I haven't posted anything in a while because I've been working on a larger project--remodeling the kitchen in the house we bought in Hendersonville, NC--our new home. My husband spent almost two weeks getting up old layers of flooring (can you believe the former owner laid ceramic tile over four other layers of flooring--you almost tripped when you walked into the kitchen!). Anyway, he did that and also helped me with the cabinets. We really couldn't afford to put in new cabinets right now but I really hated the old ones, so I came up with the idea of adding trim & knobs and a great shade of paint. You can see what all of the original cabinets looked in the picture on the left. And the new, improved appearance on the left. We are a long way from being finished but, already, I feel as if I'm cooking in a new kitchen.

In the meantime, I've finished the top of my quilt that I've been working on for quite a while.

A good part of the time recently it's been up on the wall with me thinking about how to finish off the area where the corner stems met. I tried something else first and, after sewing them all down with the blanket stitch, decided that it didn't work. After a few more days I came up with the 3-leaf idea and am pretty pleased with it. And NOW it's back up on the wall so I can think about how I want to quilt it. Hopefully, inspiration will soon follow.

A book that I have recently read, The Talent Code, has been very helpful in terms of thinking about how we learn and how we can learn to create better. Read it if you want to think about learning in a different way. I was talking about it with my art group this week and they asked me what I had learned most from reading this book and I said that the main thing I had learned was the reinforcement of what I have been gradually learning over the past couple of years. And that is--to take your time in the creative process. Don't just rush your way through a project so you can get on to the next one. If you take time for reflection and letting your spirit guide your way, you will be amazed at what will follow.

And, finally, many of you know that the mountains of North Carolina had a pretty major snow event yesterday. We got about 12 inches of snow and, thankfully, kept our power throughout (so far). I LOVE the snow. I love the quiet that surrounds you as you step out the door. I love the opportunity to slow down when you really can't go anywhere. I love the great excuse to curl up with a good book. And, amazingly, I love to shovel the driveway so we can get out if we really need to. This afternoon, I took a walk and photographed this old spring that is near our house. I love it, too.

I'm at the Arboretum

I'm a member of the Asheville Quilt Guild and each month members of our guild are invited to display quilts at the North Carolina Arboretum. The Arboretum is a beautiful, beautiful place to visit and is the site of the annual Asheville Quilt Show. We are allowed to hang our quilts along two walls of the upper level in the main building. And THIS month, my quilts are on display. It's really a wonderful space and I am thrilled to have my quilts there. It's quite exciting to see so much of your work showing in one location and I hope that those who visit from now until the 5th of January will take the time to stop by and view my quilts. After the show was hung, I took a few pictures and I hope you enjoy them.

Magical Thinking above

This hydrangea quilt (Shady Ladies) looks so nice in this spot with the plant underneath.

Lowcountry Musings above

Heliotrope's Glassando (top Quilt) and Sunflower Afternoon

My friend Dottie holding Althea's Waltz and

other Guild friends.

Chris (holding the bars) is responsible for setup throughout the year. She's standing by Swamp Hibiscus.

Second Chance on the right

Missing and Inaction

Maybe some of you have been wondering where I've been lately as there haven't been any postings in such a long while. Well, I was under the knife! I had rotator cuff surgery and it's been a while for the recovery process. Although I can't work for a long period of time--or work on anything large--I am feeling lots better and, with therapy, will soon be better than I've been in a long time. Everything about my surgery went so well and I am very greatful. But you know us quilters--anytime away from our work is WAY too much. In the meantime, I've been reading a lot of "fluff" novels and sleeping through a lot of television. And for someone who was a production potter and still an organic gardener, it's been especially tough to not go on ahead and pick up whatever I want to. Oh yes, there have a lot of life lessons going on in this house.

So anyway, I thought I'd post what I HAVE done in the last month. This autumn wallhanging is the Fall Memories pattern from Laundry Basket Quilts. I had made it one other time and gave it away but I really liked it and wanted one for myself. I actually got all of the fusing done before my surgery. As soon as I could elevate my arm enough to thread the sewing machine, I was back at it and finished it about 4 days ago.

Yesterday, a friend came over and we each started on a paper-pieced placemat from Quilts With Attitude by Deb Karasik.

I am not a big fan of paperpiecing (or, as Jane Hall has corrected me more than once, foundation piecing) but I liked the looks of this mat and, since it was a small project, decided to tackle it. I hope to make 6 mats, but this one mat was an all-day project--and I haven't even quilted it yet! I do like it though and its gets faster as you move along.

I would like to make a couple comments on this particular pattern though. The picture in the book just showed this mat as an oval, so it was a little confusing when there was an extra pattern piece. Also, there was way too much text without accompanying illustrations. I guess this might sound picky, but I kept thinking about newer quilters and the difficulty they might have making this fairly simple project. When I write patterns, I try very hard to keep the instructions simple and clear--and even then students sometimes have problems. And in teaching, I invariably come away with ideas on how to improve the written and illustrated word. I think there needs to be some of that with this book. HOWEVER, I need to say that the quilts in this book are wonderful and if you're into paperpiecing, you will want to add this to your library of "can't do without" books.

One last word today--I didn't have the camera with me when I went places this autumn, but I sure wish I had. The leaves here in Hendersonville were beyond description in their beauty. There was one tree in our neighborhood that looked as if it were on fire with the mixture of orange and red leaves on its branches. I consistently kept thinking about some of Wordworth's poetry--especially his poem where he talks about his "heart leaping up" upon seeing a rainbow. That was exactly how I felt each time I saw one of these beyond-gorgeous trees--a beauty that is beyond measure and quantifying and brings far more satisfaction than most of our store-bought possessions. Now . . .if only I could capture that in a quilt. . .