Tomorrow I leave for LAX and a flight to Miami, where we join our shipmates for an 8 day cruise through the Caribbean. We will have stops in Samana, Antigua, Barbados, Tortola and St. Kitts. When we're not stopped in our various ports of call, we'll be taking classes - Joe will be learning photography techniques and I will be learning EQ7. Mostly the EQ7 classes will be on using photographs in quilts, but hopefully I'll learn more about using the program itself during the course of things.
I'm SO looking forward to the cruise. The Xanax has helped me remain calm in these days before the cruise and I've been sleeping through the night... mostly. Tonight is the last night before we fly, so we'll see how things go. The packing is mostly done except for last minute things, so tomorrow I will play mah jong in the morning and leave the final preparations to my DH to handle.
E-docs are printed, boarding passes are printed... there's just so much to think about before a trip! I can't imagine how these ladies handle things when they have to transport their sewing machines by plane as well... Even with just a featherweight, it must be a nightmare to fly to a quilting cruise. Just bringing a pair of computers and all the camera equipment is a bit of a nightmare...
Speaking of nightmares... it's almost time for bed and sleep. Hopefully I will return home more tanned, with a stronger grasp of EQ7 and some lovely trip photos to remember this vacation.
It will be nice having a room to ourselves as well - usually we have to share our room with a dog, two cats and the door has to remain open all the time so the critters can get in and out at their leisure - they are very demanding when things (like closed doors) don't go their way. Makes having private time very unlikely at home... We will have a lovely stateroom to ourselves for 8 days and nights! hooray!
Well, off to bed with me... tomorrow this time of night I'll be winging my way to Miami... peace out.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Road to California
So... Three long-arm classes and $100 on tools and toys later, I'm home from Road to California. OMG, all the eye candy! I could have spent a small fortune there, but I was good and mostly stuck to my original budget, which was to buy one package of Thread Heaven, an Itty Bitty and a stitch in the ditch ruler for my long-arm. My two splurges (though I was sorely tempted to spend more!) were a blingy badge hanger and a fabric panel with tuxedo cats on it. It was too cute to pass up. I kept being drawn to the jewelry, but I didn't buy any. And there were some awesome sparkly fabrics I wanted to buy for my upcoming trip - but again I didn't.... I just walked away and sighed heavily. I passed by the Laurel Burch mugs I didn't already own and the other long-arm toys and templates that I could have just died for.... all-in-all a successful trip to the quilt show.
To top it all off, the show itself had some wonderful quilts... just gorgeous... and of course, now, I feel totally inadequate as a quilter after seeing the caliber of art being created by others. I will not let this deter me from continuing to quilt and create and grow in my art - despite showing at Road and taking 3rd place two years ago, I still am not nearly in the same league as these other quilters. I have so much to learn and do yet!
I prepare for the quilt cruise now.... we leave on Thursday - I have 6 days to hem a few pairs of pants and pack my bags... Sounds like a lot of time, but the stress is killing me... I am not looking forward to the flying part of the trip - hopefully the Xanax my doctor prescribed will help!
To top it all off, the show itself had some wonderful quilts... just gorgeous... and of course, now, I feel totally inadequate as a quilter after seeing the caliber of art being created by others. I will not let this deter me from continuing to quilt and create and grow in my art - despite showing at Road and taking 3rd place two years ago, I still am not nearly in the same league as these other quilters. I have so much to learn and do yet!
I prepare for the quilt cruise now.... we leave on Thursday - I have 6 days to hem a few pairs of pants and pack my bags... Sounds like a lot of time, but the stress is killing me... I am not looking forward to the flying part of the trip - hopefully the Xanax my doctor prescribed will help!
Monday, January 17, 2011
On the Road Again
I'm leaving for Road to California tonight... tomorrow will be 8 hours of classes on using longarm machines... maybe I will not only be inspired, but empowered, to use my own. I've had it almost a year and only done 3 quilts on it. I'm so intimidated by it still. I'll be spending the night at a hotel near the venue, with a friend who's taking the classes with me - so she can use my machine too! yay!
Tonight should be fun!... I think I'll bring a bottle of wine and my mah jong set - maybe we'll play a few two-handed games... it's not such a challenge to play two-handed, but it gives us a chance to learn the hands better for when we play 'for real' on Mondays and Thursdays.
Then, we'll go back to the show on Thursday to see the quilts and the vendors (not SO much interested in the vendors myself - I have enough fabric to last me a lifetime or two or three, and I don't need to spend money on toys either). Still, I'm looking forward to the show itself.
Originally our plans were to stay at the show from Tuesday through Sunday, take other classes and see the show leisurely, but plans change yanno? Still it will be fun.
My husband and I leave on our Caribbean cruise on 1/27, so that's looking good too. I am not looking forward to the flight (terrifies me), but my doctor prescribed some Xanax to calm me down and help me sleep during the nights before the flight, and to take for the flight as well. Haven't taken any yet, as I've been sleeping ok mostly, but I know that will change as flight day gets closer. I am looking forward to the cruise. It's an EQ7 & photography cruise, so there will be classes for both me and my husband to take.. he's the photog in the family - I just take the occasional snapshot. These are plans that better NOT change! I'm going on this cruise come hell or high water!
At the end of February, I'll be going to a Machine Quilter's Getaway in Trinidad, CA... that should be fun too - learning how to use my domestic machine better for quilting. I will probably always do smaller quilts on the domestic machine, even tho I have the longarm. Last year the Getaway was lots of fun and I learned a lot. This year I'll be going up with four friends - it should be a lot of fun!
Lastly, I'll be doing another Ramona retreat in April this year (usually we go in October, but we couldn't finalize a date everyone could make last year, so we turned it into an April retreat for this year). I'm so looking ahead to this for some time to finish my BOM blocks and just relax with the gals... give my husband the house for a week to play with his radio and his aquaponics project which should be back in swing by spring.
OMG, I sound so busy! I'm tired just typing about all these trips and projects... In actuality, with all the new things I've been doing and new friends I've discovered in the past year or two, I've really become quite busy! I'm exercising at the Y, taking classes, going out for weekly breakfasts, playing mah jong twice a week, playing D&D 3x a week... I am starting to have a real life instead of glued to the tv and the sofa daily... yay for me!
Tonight should be fun!... I think I'll bring a bottle of wine and my mah jong set - maybe we'll play a few two-handed games... it's not such a challenge to play two-handed, but it gives us a chance to learn the hands better for when we play 'for real' on Mondays and Thursdays.
Then, we'll go back to the show on Thursday to see the quilts and the vendors (not SO much interested in the vendors myself - I have enough fabric to last me a lifetime or two or three, and I don't need to spend money on toys either). Still, I'm looking forward to the show itself.
Originally our plans were to stay at the show from Tuesday through Sunday, take other classes and see the show leisurely, but plans change yanno? Still it will be fun.
My husband and I leave on our Caribbean cruise on 1/27, so that's looking good too. I am not looking forward to the flight (terrifies me), but my doctor prescribed some Xanax to calm me down and help me sleep during the nights before the flight, and to take for the flight as well. Haven't taken any yet, as I've been sleeping ok mostly, but I know that will change as flight day gets closer. I am looking forward to the cruise. It's an EQ7 & photography cruise, so there will be classes for both me and my husband to take.. he's the photog in the family - I just take the occasional snapshot. These are plans that better NOT change! I'm going on this cruise come hell or high water!
At the end of February, I'll be going to a Machine Quilter's Getaway in Trinidad, CA... that should be fun too - learning how to use my domestic machine better for quilting. I will probably always do smaller quilts on the domestic machine, even tho I have the longarm. Last year the Getaway was lots of fun and I learned a lot. This year I'll be going up with four friends - it should be a lot of fun!
Lastly, I'll be doing another Ramona retreat in April this year (usually we go in October, but we couldn't finalize a date everyone could make last year, so we turned it into an April retreat for this year). I'm so looking ahead to this for some time to finish my BOM blocks and just relax with the gals... give my husband the house for a week to play with his radio and his aquaponics project which should be back in swing by spring.
OMG, I sound so busy! I'm tired just typing about all these trips and projects... In actuality, with all the new things I've been doing and new friends I've discovered in the past year or two, I've really become quite busy! I'm exercising at the Y, taking classes, going out for weekly breakfasts, playing mah jong twice a week, playing D&D 3x a week... I am starting to have a real life instead of glued to the tv and the sofa daily... yay for me!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Late night ponderings
So I'm sitting here a little after midnight on a Saturday night. The house is mostly quiet - husband asleep, son upstairs with his fiancee... and I'm watching adult swim (Japanese anime) on tv. I'm afraid to go to sleep - I've been having the worst dreams and nightmares lately. I guess I should explain that my husband and I are planning a trip in a couple of weeks - we'll be flying to Miami - and I HATE flying... most of the nightmares about flying or travel. So my doctor prescribed me some Xanax to calm me down and help me sleep. I guess I'm a little afraid of taking them because I'm still reluctant to try sleeping - I'll only take them if and when I have trouble sleeping, not every night. So here I am stuck to the tv in the wee hours.
I guess I should be happy somewhat - I'm sewing and creating again after a long dry spell. I finished a table runner and the top of a quilt made with the leftover fabric from the runner.
After such a long time without sewing I was beginning to doubt my devotion to my favorite hobby - quilting. I have a tendency to become obsessed with something til I'm done with it and move on to something else. I really thought quilting was one obsession that would stick with me, but I was beginning to doubt myself there as my quilting mojo seemed to fade away this past year. I'm so glad I've still got the impetus to create and to work with fabric. Besides, I think my husband might kill me after such vast expenditures of money if I just up and quit lol...
On the upside, I'm registered in classes at Road to California (big quilt show) on Tuesday and Friday, and I'll be actually seeing the show on Thursday. And of course there's the trip to the Caribbean at the end of the month. I'm also going to a Machine Quilters' Getaway in Trinidad at the end of February. I'll be going to a quilting retreat in Ramona in April, which should be fun too.
I've gone back to exercising at the Y three times a week instead of in the park.... the exercise is lower impact which is better for my knee. I'm hoping to take off a little weight before we fly to Miami and a good bit more before the Trinidad trip. I've just started reading the 17-day Diet book. We'll see if it helps. I'll start the diet as quickly as I can, start both Joe and myself at the same time. Maybe it'll work... it certainly can't hurt. Personally, I think all of these diets have some merit - if you follow ANY diet plan, it's bound to work... I just don't want to spend $50 bucks a month to belong to a diet 'club' when I can try to manage it at home. I know the support is great, but I'll be doing this with my husband and who knows - maybe a friend or two might join in.
Ok, on another note entirely, my Mom's BFF Millie is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. They are taking good care of her, but I feel just devastated that I've been unable to visit her as yet. Tomorrow we've set aside a day to drop in and see her. I feel like such a bad friend for not visiting til now, but I know she was sleeping a lot early on, and we've been so overwhelmed with activities here of late. I'm glad tomorrow is a free day for us so we can take the trip into the city to see her. Maybe her daughter Debbie will be there and I can give her the quilt I made for her. I'll take it with me anyway, just in case.
Enough rambling, because that's really all I'm doing here. But it feels good to get it all out... sometimes I feel like this is my only venue to vent sometimes... I'm glad it's here... I guess I could keep a paper and pen journal, but this is so much faster. IF anyone reads this, thanks for letting me vent.
After such a long time without sewing I was beginning to doubt my devotion to my favorite hobby - quilting. I have a tendency to become obsessed with something til I'm done with it and move on to something else. I really thought quilting was one obsession that would stick with me, but I was beginning to doubt myself there as my quilting mojo seemed to fade away this past year. I'm so glad I've still got the impetus to create and to work with fabric. Besides, I think my husband might kill me after such vast expenditures of money if I just up and quit lol...
On the upside, I'm registered in classes at Road to California (big quilt show) on Tuesday and Friday, and I'll be actually seeing the show on Thursday. And of course there's the trip to the Caribbean at the end of the month. I'm also going to a Machine Quilters' Getaway in Trinidad at the end of February. I'll be going to a quilting retreat in Ramona in April, which should be fun too.
I've gone back to exercising at the Y three times a week instead of in the park.... the exercise is lower impact which is better for my knee. I'm hoping to take off a little weight before we fly to Miami and a good bit more before the Trinidad trip. I've just started reading the 17-day Diet book. We'll see if it helps. I'll start the diet as quickly as I can, start both Joe and myself at the same time. Maybe it'll work... it certainly can't hurt. Personally, I think all of these diets have some merit - if you follow ANY diet plan, it's bound to work... I just don't want to spend $50 bucks a month to belong to a diet 'club' when I can try to manage it at home. I know the support is great, but I'll be doing this with my husband and who knows - maybe a friend or two might join in.
Ok, on another note entirely, my Mom's BFF Millie is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. They are taking good care of her, but I feel just devastated that I've been unable to visit her as yet. Tomorrow we've set aside a day to drop in and see her. I feel like such a bad friend for not visiting til now, but I know she was sleeping a lot early on, and we've been so overwhelmed with activities here of late. I'm glad tomorrow is a free day for us so we can take the trip into the city to see her. Maybe her daughter Debbie will be there and I can give her the quilt I made for her. I'll take it with me anyway, just in case.
Enough rambling, because that's really all I'm doing here. But it feels good to get it all out... sometimes I feel like this is my only venue to vent sometimes... I'm glad it's here... I guess I could keep a paper and pen journal, but this is so much faster. IF anyone reads this, thanks for letting me vent.
Monday, December 20, 2010
It DOES rain in southern california!
It's raining... It's pouring... the old man is snoring! I love when it rains and it's been raining steadily for 2 1/2 days now, with at least 1 or 2 more days of rain expected... maybe more... I just can't get enough of it... I'm so glad my shopping is done. I have one package to mail tomorrow plus cards to mail or give out... omigosh, I almost forgot about the cards - they will be late - new year's cards I guess, but I'm not gonna stress over them... no stress this holiday!
My poor dog hates the rain... she doesn't want to go out ever... but she just has to have some potty time, yanno? The cats never go out - they are indoor kitties, but they hear the rain and they get a little weird when the weather turns like this - like they're all stir crazy or something.... or maybe they are simply sensing the urgency in the air over the holidays.
Slowly I am getting done all the things I need to finish - I have a tablerunner to finish the quilting on, but I think it will be a 12th night gift, so it doesn't need to be finished until Jan 5th. All the presents are wrapped and ready for gifting on the 25th, which is a relief. Of course they are all wrapped with Chanukah paper cuz that's what we had left on a roll lol... It's all very festive and pretty so who cares.
I got a lot of nice responses from people who saw my quilts on 'The Quilt Show' gallery... that was really a pleasant surprise!
Today I am grateful for indoor plumbing esp. toilets. I know that sounds kinda weird, but we don't think about it much. Having indoor plumbing is such a wonderful thing... and not having to trudge out to an outhouse, esp. in bad weather? I'm not sure I would have survived even a century ago... I'm so arachnophobic... not to mention this rain has put me in mind to stay indoors more than usual. To have to run out in the middle of the night in the rain to pee... well, I'm just SO grateful for the porcelain throne sitting in the next room... 'nuff said...
My poor dog hates the rain... she doesn't want to go out ever... but she just has to have some potty time, yanno? The cats never go out - they are indoor kitties, but they hear the rain and they get a little weird when the weather turns like this - like they're all stir crazy or something.... or maybe they are simply sensing the urgency in the air over the holidays.
Slowly I am getting done all the things I need to finish - I have a tablerunner to finish the quilting on, but I think it will be a 12th night gift, so it doesn't need to be finished until Jan 5th. All the presents are wrapped and ready for gifting on the 25th, which is a relief. Of course they are all wrapped with Chanukah paper cuz that's what we had left on a roll lol... It's all very festive and pretty so who cares.
I got a lot of nice responses from people who saw my quilts on 'The Quilt Show' gallery... that was really a pleasant surprise!
Today I am grateful for indoor plumbing esp. toilets. I know that sounds kinda weird, but we don't think about it much. Having indoor plumbing is such a wonderful thing... and not having to trudge out to an outhouse, esp. in bad weather? I'm not sure I would have survived even a century ago... I'm so arachnophobic... not to mention this rain has put me in mind to stay indoors more than usual. To have to run out in the middle of the night in the rain to pee... well, I'm just SO grateful for the porcelain throne sitting in the next room... 'nuff said...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Holiday Cheer
Wow... I haven't posted in forever... just been busy I guess... besides, I dont think anyone besides me reads this anyway. So it doesn't really matter, except that like keeping a journal, it's a matter of personal discipline... not my forte. But here goes...
Since August I've been going thru a lot of periods of depression. I'm not sure why I've been on such a rollercoaster of moods - I've been taking my meds. Was playing a lot of Evony, but I was before August too, so that's not why I haven't posted. I've been trying to keep myself busy with mah jong, gaming, reading, watching TV (now there's a real mental vacuum if ever there was one), and other time wasters.
I went on one quilt retreat in November and finished one quilt 'Lucy in the Garden' for my friend Janet. It was a surprise for her birthday, and she loved it. I need to get a new photo of it however - this one was taken prior to beading and other embellishments.
I made one tablerunner, which I'm in the process of quilting right now. Don't think it's gonna be done in time for the holidays, so it won't be the present it was intended to be - I will give it as a 12th night gift.
I am working on designing a new quilt (really not designing, more adapting) for my guild's fabric exchange. Designing something entirely new and different is hard - every time I think I've got something cute and original, I see the same or similar pattern somewhere on the web. Very frustrating. This time I am merely adapting, so I know from the outset that it's not original.
I did manage to get through Chanukah without major upset. I thought it was very sweet that my son's fiance, who isn't Jewish, followed along with the candle prayers with us. Since we are a multi-cultural household, we also have a solstice tree for the holidays - and that is finally up and decorated with Star Trek ships for ornaments. They all light up and make sounds, so it's very festive (and noisy). The cats are fascinated with all the wires and dangly things. Lovely.
On an upnote for me, we are expecting a week or so of rain... I LOVE rain! So far we've had a full day of drizzles - tomorrow should bring some real rain coming down. I am looking forward to it.
Today I am grateful for family and unconditional love. I suppose even among family, love is conditional, but so far, in our small nuclear family unit, while sometimes we aren't thrilled with each other's actions or decisions, the love remains unconditional... gotta love it!
Since August I've been going thru a lot of periods of depression. I'm not sure why I've been on such a rollercoaster of moods - I've been taking my meds. Was playing a lot of Evony, but I was before August too, so that's not why I haven't posted. I've been trying to keep myself busy with mah jong, gaming, reading, watching TV (now there's a real mental vacuum if ever there was one), and other time wasters.
I went on one quilt retreat in November and finished one quilt 'Lucy in the Garden' for my friend Janet. It was a surprise for her birthday, and she loved it. I need to get a new photo of it however - this one was taken prior to beading and other embellishments.
I made one tablerunner, which I'm in the process of quilting right now. Don't think it's gonna be done in time for the holidays, so it won't be the present it was intended to be - I will give it as a 12th night gift.
I am working on designing a new quilt (really not designing, more adapting) for my guild's fabric exchange. Designing something entirely new and different is hard - every time I think I've got something cute and original, I see the same or similar pattern somewhere on the web. Very frustrating. This time I am merely adapting, so I know from the outset that it's not original.
I did manage to get through Chanukah without major upset. I thought it was very sweet that my son's fiance, who isn't Jewish, followed along with the candle prayers with us. Since we are a multi-cultural household, we also have a solstice tree for the holidays - and that is finally up and decorated with Star Trek ships for ornaments. They all light up and make sounds, so it's very festive (and noisy). The cats are fascinated with all the wires and dangly things. Lovely.
On an upnote for me, we are expecting a week or so of rain... I LOVE rain! So far we've had a full day of drizzles - tomorrow should bring some real rain coming down. I am looking forward to it.
Today I am grateful for family and unconditional love. I suppose even among family, love is conditional, but so far, in our small nuclear family unit, while sometimes we aren't thrilled with each other's actions or decisions, the love remains unconditional... gotta love it!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Kitty Corners
Not a new finish, but I just got this quilt back from the Ventura County Fair, where it took a blue ribbon. This is my first ever rag quilt and was a lot of fun to make. I'm not sure I'll ever make another - all that clipping! I love the kitty and all the paws on this quilt - and with flannel on the back, it is so warm and cuddly, I won't be able to use it til winter - right now we are in triple digits here in so cal!
I'm grateful for movies and television. I know people survived for millenia without them, but I don't know what I'd do without the comforts of old movies, tried and true, to enjoy again and again.
I'm grateful for movies and television. I know people survived for millenia without them, but I don't know what I'd do without the comforts of old movies, tried and true, to enjoy again and again.
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Etude de Cabines, my first truly modern quilt
While my EPP has progressed exponentially, and I'm enjoying it a lot - I had to struggle to finish another project - A modern quilt usin...
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While my EPP has progressed exponentially, and I'm enjoying it a lot - I had to struggle to finish another project - A modern quilt usin... -
First of all, I'd like to say that I didn't invent this technique - I was taught it by a friend in a group I belong to. It is by no... -
The quilt is finished - all except the label. The label will be hand lettered in the bottom left corner of the quilt, in the light grey squ...