Cougar Alert!

There's a reason our local university, WSU, has a cougar as its mascot. We live in cougar country.. And in 30 years it is the rare winter that we don't have a siting close by and then the phones start ringing. But this is the first year we have had a cougar with twins and they were spotted just up our road.

No one has ever lost any livestock because the deer are easier to kill and plentiful... But also no one wants to come unexpectedly upon a kill or let curious dogs and cats out at night. And quite often the kill is in my woods behind our house. But cougars range over a large area and they will have a meal here and move on in a day or two... The cougars eat the large meaty parts of the deer and when they move on the coyotes move in and when they finish the magpies and ravens do the clean up...

Daffodil block

I finished the thistle flowers and I used three techniques. I put down a layer of long and short stitches, added long bullions over that and then tucked soft lavender beads in around the bullions. One of my favorite threads is silk by Waterlilies and this variegated color was hyacinth and perfect for thistle flowers. I then added a bee skep made of an odd gold cord and you know that, when finished, there will be little yellow and black bees flitting about...

I finished the evening by beading around 3 goldfinch buttons I painted and I will use them to fill in odd spots at the end... Now is a good time to take a break from this block... I can pick it up at any time now and work without decisions as I know what I want to do.

I'm anxious to work on my challenge block and my bead journal project for January. I also need to do the silkies for the encrusted block that will be mailed out next week...

Girl Talk!!!

Too my dismay the sport's bra I had worn and loved for years has been discontinued...so I have been trying out different brands... My first choice is to go braless but age and gravity have made that a unsightly option... I actually read the label on the latest and it said this bra has "bounce control"... Bounce control??? mine are likely to hit me in the chin if I bend over to fast...but bounce. This morning when I was doing chores I kept checking to see if I was bouncing....no... Asked my HWCH's opinion and he just rolled his eyes and shook his head....I don't think he even cares anymore if I'm bouncy!!!

Daffodil block progress

I cut the goldfinches out of the felt and have sewn them on the block.. Before the final few stitches I stuffed a little batting under the birds and thistle pods to give them more dimension... I drew in where the stems and flowers of the thistle will go. I thought about doing the thistle flowers either in bullion stitch or beads...maybe both
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I know that you're thinking "Now where are the daffodils on this daffodil block!" Well I have daffodils on the seam on the right which are ribbon rosettes and a bead center.. But I do have plans for LOTS of daffodils as soon as I finish a couple more seams...stumpwork daffodils, beaded daffodils, ribbon daffodils and cross stitch daffodils...You can see the little garden seam on upper right...

HWCH did actually get to have a few meals on the table before I started painting buttons....which will take a few more days...

Bib Aprons

When I used to do booths at garden shows one of my best sellers were aprons for women made from bib overalls like in photo on the left. I made one for Cathy (http://cathyscrazybydesign.blogspot.com/) and she has been making them not only for women but for girls also and adding clever twists of her own..

I used to buy the overalls in the winter on 99 cents days at thrift stores. Since I figured the thrift stores would be quiet with all the after holiday sales at Target, Shopco etc going on, I headed out to gather some bib overalls for Cathy... I hoped to get about a dozen but managed to find 22 pairs for 99 cents a pair.. Some very good brands also... BUM. Land's End, Tony Helfliger, Gitano, etc.

When is a seam not a seam?......

When is a seam not a seam?......when it is a little garden... I had this tiny yellow hanky lace that I want to use and thought I I'd incorporate the delicate part where the lace was attached to the linen... But after looking at it for several days I just wasn't inspired so I took the lace off and reattached it flush to the velvet rigbbon... Then I did some random stem and leaves to cover the ribbon. The next step was to add a piece of my favorite lattice lace (I only have about 9" left) Next a few beads here and there and my so-so seam turned into a tiny garden...

Progress of goldfinches

Except for their black "cap" the gold finches are done.
After I cut them out and sew them on the block I will do the finish work on the thistle flower and add the birds' legs. I used #3 perle to make the thistle bud and I was delighted with the results.... I can see this size thread will have lots of possibilities with stumpwork....especially needle weaving. I'm glad because I bought lots of it too in Breckenridge....

I have been alternately stitching and painting buttons in from of the fire looking after my patient.. HWCH* has a terrible cold and is totally miserable. Just hoping I don't catch it.


*Handsome, witty, charming husband

I've started my goldfinches... For those who are new to my blog I do my birds on felt on a hoop. Since felt has a tendency to stretch, the first step is to outline the bird with a very tight chain stitch. Also I added a few guidelines for the direction of the feathers on the bird on the left. Now I will fill in with long and short stitches...

You might notice that the bird on the right is from the same sketch I'm using for my bead journal project...so I will be doing it in two different techniques..

Something else I want to try a motif on this block in cross stitch on waste canvas. Also will be doing some stumpwork ...more than usual because I signed up for the stumpwork RR.....

Gathering the Goodies

This is my favorite part of doing the block... The possibilities are endless when I start searching through the stash. I did do one seam on the lower right and decided to put down the lace before going any further....I'm being more conservative with laces than usual... The round medallion of lace will mostly be covered with a gold finch.. Thinking ahead always on movement the upper left will eventually need attention. Won't add lace there but will treat it with motif...
Of course the daffodils are strong yellows so I will use lots of daisies because their centers will pick up, temper, and repeat that strong yellow....same with that little yellow lace and the yellow rickrack... I don't want the daffodils to stand alone like large blobs of yellow dropped on the block....

I have some fabulous green faceted crystals that will definitely be included.....

Eagle Watching

Yesterday we went eagle watching. Every year bald eagles migrate to the northeast corner of Lake Coeur d’Alene to feed on spawning kokanee, a form of landlocked Sockeye salmon . The surrounding forested mountains rise right from the lake and the narrow road is between the trees and the lake.. The trees along the edge of the lake are filled with roosting eagles and they swoop out and skim along the surface of the shallow water looking for fish.... I took the top photo less than 40 feet from the trunk of the tree. It is easy to find the favorite trees for roosting as there are fish scraps littered below the trees (much to the delight of magpies)

This picture I took from up the road aways and it has 3 eagles in it. As you look at the trees their white heads make them easy to spot. Eagle-watch weeks are in November and December and every year more than 50,000 visitors come to watch eagles. These eagle watchers come from far-flung places, including all 50 states, two U.S. territories and 36 foreign countries. That area of the lake has visitor areas to park and is lined with people with spotting scopes, telescopes, binoculars and all types of cameras.

This is only about 40 miles from our farm (as an eagle flies)... Occasionally they fly along the Spokane river and when there is a dead deer they have even flown over the farm... One of their nesting areas when they fly north is at my son's lodge in Alaska so I get to see them at both ends of their migration. A spectacular bird and in flight they are poetry in motion.

Socked it to me!!!!

My DIL Vivian, whom I adore, send me these fabulous socks she knitted... I have never had hand-knitted socks in my life and am so touched as I know the time it took to knit them.... As you can see they fit perfectly! I love the whimsey of the random stripes and colors. Certainly fits my quirky personality.... Our house is old (103 years), cold and drafty so these are toasty to wear with my slippers on winter mornings.... As we all know...something handmade is the best gift EVER!!!!!! Hugs and kisses to my Vivian....

Breckenridge Memories

The CQI retreat was held at Breckenridge, CO this summer and one day we made a trip to a marvelous bead store... I'm sure all of us made September a very happy month for the proprietor. I brought home these beads made of wood and bone along with the ceramic pendant made by a local CO artist. My beading friend came to spend the day today and I finally got it strung and will wear it during the holidays...

Completely Naked ......

When I made needle cases last year for Xmas gift I didn't do CQ piecing. Rather I embellished tapestry and was really happy with the result. As needle cases are one of the things I want to make for my GDs for college graduation I was on the lookout for the perfect pattern of tapestry to embellish and found this one the other day..
It has much more gold and moss green in it than shows in the photo...


Actually this block is also off color... It is VERY lime green and is for the daffodill/goldfinch block... Since this block has been floating around in my brain for several years I have some pretty firm ideas for motifs. Will gather laces etc. and start on seams soon as I get my lace dyed and buttons painted...

I had intended to limit myself to two RRs this spring but found myself signing up for a third this morning... So much self discipline!!!

There are craqy quilts and then there are crazy quilts...

There are crazy quilts and then there are crazy quilts... some are much more pleasing than others......the same goes for the RR blocks...

Both of these are crazy quilts and both have endless numbers of various patches but when examined there are some major differences.... mainly repetition of color and shapes.. In the top quilt there are no dominant or prevailing colors to move your eye around the quilt.. On looking closely at the bottom quilt you'll notice, even though there are a myriad of colors, red and black are dominant and repeated throughout the quilt... This technique brings a cohesive element to the quilt even with the chaotic use of other colors.

The same thing makes a block pleasing. Choose your main colors (one or two). Use them in various shapes, threads. and trims throughout the block... This is a subtle thing but very important.

Here is another example of a gorgeous, modern crazy quilt done by a group. The dominant color is blue repeated in every shade possible and it is the blue repetitions that hold the eye and makes this a successful quilt. Another element of importance to be noted in this quilt is repetition of shapes....squares and spirals. In the fan quilt above it is squares and triangles.. All the shapes are fairly consistent in size and complement each other in both quilts. There is no effective repetition of shapes in the first quilt.

I ran across a vintage poster which is a good example of these same principles. There are a myriad of colors but red and black move the eye around. You might think at first there is no repetition of shape but if you look closely, be aware of how a right-angle corner is repeated over and over throughout the poster... The same design principles apply to both the quilt and the poster... I'm really hoping that you are finding all this helpful

Oops!

Not what you want to see across the intersection from you when you realize you have just turned the wrong way on a one-way street... Before the light changed he was was flashing his light... No ticket though...just a warning. I was hoping I looked like his aged grandmother...whom he adores.

Finding Color Inspiration

This is response to a question on where to look for inspiration pieces.. A good place to start from scratch is Googles images.* First I just typed vintage posters and watched what came up and found two that had color combos I loved. One with peach, turquoise and brown really appealled to me and will be a keeper in my file because I like subtle color. It has your peach and browns along with soft greens and gold and then if you look closely you notice the turquoise as an accent.. The advantage to skimming through vintage posters is that most were silkscreen or lithography and had limited color palettes due to the printing processes available......

Another option is also using Google images... just type in what you think the colors are and add fabric or decorator fabric... ex "brown, peach decorator fabric" and all kinds of prints how up in those colors... The advantage of using these methods is that it is not only the combo of colors, the value and proportions of the colors are there for you to see. I typed in "lime green pink decorator fabric" because my new block is kinda limey and found this one I liked.

In the process of doing the vintage poster search I found this one which does not fit into any plan I have at the moment but I loved it and starting singing and dancing so will file it away until I need it...

* Never used Google images??? Go to Google's main page and look to the upper left and click on images. It is amazing....

Bead journal birds and another block needed!!!

I'm so drawn into the bead journal project I could just start and keep going and do the whole year in a couple months... Luckily I have enough other things going to keep me on track.. But the designs for a nuthatch and a gold finch have been floating in my brain so I sketched them out and tacked them on my bulletin board ready for March and April. The little nuthatches scurry DOWN the trees head first and make me laugh at how quick and agile they are. They never stay at the feeder....just take one seed and fly off to eat it and return.

And of course now that I have all those blocks sewn and ready, everything put away and the table cleared, I realized I need a green one... The last couple years I've wanted to do a block with goldfinches and daffodils and have never had time to make a block when I think of it...... Doing this gold finch sketch was a reminder....

And of course it requires a thistle... My ALL TIME favorite motif was a thistle done by Cobi and it wasn't even on my block...but I did get to fondle it as it passed through... I loved that thistle. Isn't it just too gorgeous ?... It was on lucky Leslie's block in an encrusted RR..

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Blocked Up!!

What was supposed to be a 2 day project has lasted about 6 days... Since doing blocks is not my favorite thing, I wanted to do bunch at once for the new year. I would cut them out one day and sew them up the next....right!!!

I had already finished the ones for the encrusted DYOB and then I planned to do 3 red (one for the goldwork RR - 2 extra),

2 gold (1 for use of special dyed laces and motifs = 1 extra),

2 black (for spider bag) and another set of DYOBs for a goldwork RR if it goes..

I have them all sewn except the black which I will do this afternoon. THEN I can expose the table. My HWCH* eyes the table wistfully every day when looking for somewhere to sit and eat.

Since I plan to do some serious needlework after the first of the year I don't want piddly projects distracting me... So that being said.....there are a few piddly projects to do straight away... One is to paint up some buttons, another is to dye some lace for the spider bag and gold blocks and the third is design two more pieces ahead for my BJP... Luckily these are all things I can do with my arm in the sling and luckily it is my left arm.....

Working up to orange...

Like Jo, I tend to use a lot of monochromatic color schemes... pastel and muted colors at that... That's my comfort zone. I have a degree in graphics arts and graphic black and white design and typography have always been my strong area. In the "olden" days before digital printing, most things destined to be color were done in black and white first and colors separations were cut for the printers. Artists like Mary Engelbreit and our Lauri Burgessor amaze me as their use of color is so JOYFUL....It literally makes me want to sing and dance. I have visions of their brains actually being multicolored and whirling around like a Disney animation... Alas I struggle using many colors and I'm sure others do also... Here's my advice....

Even though I know how to use color wheels and have had umpteen classes in color theory, I still find it much more fun to gather bits of "color inspiration" from cards, posters, fabric etc... I tuck them away and eventually use them..... I used the vintage postcard for the 2009 challenge block and a piece fabric for the 2010 block....

My very, very, very least favorite color is orange and close behind that is royal blue....and eventually I want to do a block using those very colors. Recently I have found a couple "inspirations" with those colors and have filed them away.. It's the use of color NOT the subject matter that attracted me... Notice that in both pieces they both used a softened yellow also...

So if you see something that is not your color but does make you want to sing and dance....file it away for future color inspiration!!!...

Eye movement and a couple other thoughts!!!

In my predawn state of confusion yesterday I forgot to mention my favorite themes ...eye movement and repetition of elements....such as color, shape, line etc. As you can see here there is a regular "river" of elements carrying the eye across and up and out of the block.... The addition of the cherry branch and the peacock will STOP it ..pow! You can remember this photo and see the difference later....

Obviously the main color palette are shades of peacock but I've added the peachy/pinkish copper color as the main accent.....which will used often in smaller amounts. I want to do most of the stumpwork/dimensional embroidery (May) in the stream/pond with plants, stones, etc. I will start including gold from the beginning because I am so looking forward to the goldwork month.... The 2010 challenge list is so GREAT because it encompasses so many diverse aspects if CQ.....

As I write we were pumping water from the cellar out through the kitchen and the hose sprung a leak and flooded the kitchen.... Weeks like this I dreamed of condo living.....

Misc. thoughts on 2010 challenge block

I did get a few minutes last evening to start with the cherry tree and cherry branch.. The tree will be the measure for all else that goes into the garden and the branch will be the anchor for the silkie and peacock position. I'm really getting excited about having the landscape as the foundation and then encrusting and letting it poke in and out of the piece. These are the "bones" and need to be done before all else.

At this point I keep a note pad in the envelope with thread, etc. and jot down possibilities and firm up design elements. It is fun how one thing suggests another and soon they all weave together... I always make a long list of what I'd like to include and only a portion actually ends up in the block... I played with a lace cloud tonite and decided if I used a turquoise wash it would work... When I get to buttons I definitely want to do a cherry tree Dorset button and maybe some water lilies painted on MOP buttons (that's an if) The peacock is going to be quite stylized....still many decisions to make there...plenty of time tho as birds aren't until March.

But fans are another story...first up in January and I have some definite ideas on those as I want to try several techniques.... One will be beaded white and incorporated into the cloud. I want to try that stitchable wire mentioned on http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/ This challenge block is the best place to try something new and heaven knows I love trying something new. Second will be beaded peacock colors and incorporated into the silkie frame. The third will be stitched peacock feathers patterns. A couple smaller fans with mixed findings and ribbons will be tucked somewhere... Also extending the fan challenge I will be using lots of various fan seam treatments....

I've added another level to my personal challenge on this block.... Edmar thread... I listened to others rave at the retreat and then we went to a dealer's house and I bought 70 skeins at $1 each. I like the richness of it but the intensity of the color is uncomfortable and it tangles something fierce. Then to my dismay with that many skeins I didn't have the colors I needed and had to stop on the way home from the doctor's today and buy 9 more skeins at $1.50 apiece. Now I REALLY have to use it up... Does it count as retail therapy if it's something you're not to crazy about??? And good grief I get "wordy" at 4am....

No good deed goes unpunished!!!

Remember the huge magpie nest in the apple tree? Well after their chicks leave the nest the adults abandon the nest until the next breeding season. We have another squirrel who is smart enough to not try moving into the house but has decided to winter in the magpie nest instead.

This diligent little worker spends the day scurrying about the garden gathering seeds, nuts, and apples and stashing them in the magpie nest. But there are always 4-6 quail hanging out in the tree and the minute the squirrel dashes down the tree they rush into the nest to feed on the squirrel's stash.. Upon returning it chases the quail out of the nest, leaves its goodies and dashes off . And the quail rush right back in...

Rose Anne's Star Goddess!!

I did a star goddess as one of RoseAnne's celestial blocks. It will be part of a wall hanging to match a new quilt for her bed.
The gold mesh ribbon did not photo well...looks almost silver.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!

When we came home last night the water pipes in the upstairs bathroom had frozen and burst and water had been flooding through the ceiling who knows how long. The water is shut off at the pump house and every towel, blanket , and tablecloth is spread out upstairs and down to soak up water. I have been unable to reach my favorite plumber..... he's probably vacationing in Texas where pipes don't freeze..

Since I can't do anymore until I can get a plumber here I might as well stitch on Rose Anne's block...

2010 Challenge Block

I finished my block today to use for the 2010 challenge.. I'm trying to get as many blocks done this month as I may be having surgery on my shoulder soon. I did do some planning for this block because I wanted it to be able to to handle all challenges throughout the year. I wanted to do as Leslie suggested and choose a color that stretched my comfort zone and this jeweled aqua is it... Thank heavens Nicki sent me a bunch of it.

Then we needed to have curves so I added a lot of them because layered seams is one of the challenges.. Since landscape was another element I used a simplified landscape approach.. I don't want it to be a "landscape" block as such, but I do want aspects of the landscape to show through. It is an 11" square


This fabric swatch was my inspiration for color combinations and because of it I also chose to use an Asian theme. Fans and cherry blossoms fit beautifully. I am soooooooooo glad we are doing fans as I love doing them... I added the silkie to frame and it should be easy to work in blitz, buttons, spiders vines and goldwork etc. and for the birds I will do peacocks and swans...

This is part of a peacock with a paisley wing I did on someone's RR block and I want to explore it more on this challenge block... It'll be great with no deadline or pressure and just let this block evolve month to month....

2nd BJP block and last "Faces" block....

New project... I sketched the quail for my second BJP as, along with the magpies, they are one of our favorite and most numerous year-round birds. Since they are year-round I'm choosing to bead in fall wheat and spring wild roses with it.

If you're able to watch them over a length of time, you'll be amazed at their rituals and group dynamics... The whole courting scene involves elaborate dashes and dances between sexes and skirmishes between males. Once the chicks are hatched they are grouped communally and maybe 40-50 chicks will be guarded by 3 or 4 females. When they are brought out to the feeding and water areas "advance" guards secure the area and take up positions and the all chicks are ushered out....

I am totally addicted to #15 beads and ordered a lot from Out On A Whim.com.

I was going to make a face for Rose Anne's star goddess but found this lovely face pin at the thrift store last Monday.. I used butterscotch alcohol dye to soften the harsh white and will add more color to the eyes. I've gathered ribbons, beads, cording and threads and will start tomorrow.. This is my last block in this series...

Oldest granddaughter turned 21 today and is celebrating her birthday in Las Vegas....When I turned 21 I was married and had a child.... her dad.

What's for dinner this winter!

You can bet if it's blue and edible it is long gone... Some of the favorite summer blues/blacks include black currants, blackberries, elderberries, mulberries, junipers, mahonia, bird cherry trees (prunus padus of which we have hundreds.) Tasty summer reds include red currants, early crab apples, early quince, apples, pie cherries and raspberries to name a few.

But to be around for winter requires that it be a little less tasty or not available until needed....First there is a huge English walnut that litters the ground with nuts in the fall. The seeds of our numerous lilacs are a favorite and of course the myriad of nutritious rose hips for a start ... And there is an endless supply of pine cones, acorns, and seed heads from perennials, vines, grasses and weeds. What has to be the least tasty must be the pyracantha because birds will exhaust all else before they eat it... Just a few of the trees holding fruit are below but I couldn't possibly get everything photographed... So even if we didn't put out sunflower seeds there's plenty for dinner this winter......and I planted it all.