It was a busy weekend; we went early to the annual Gardener’s plant sale on Saturday, but it was not as good as usual. I didn’t get much. From there we went to the Farmer’s Market where I found a few more things. Even so, it was hot and it took me most of the afternoon to plant everything so I guess it was a good thing I didn’t find more! Checked the peach tree and it looks like no peaches are developing so I guess the crazy weather wins in spite of our diligence in covering up. We did loose quite a lot due to the stress of the drought last summer and the harsh winter/spring. I keep finding missing plants and dead shrubs.

Sunday was the great grandson’s third birthday party and he had a great time, especially with his favorite gift, the John Deere tractor! It’s battery powered and he mastered steering and even backing up very quickly.

I started quilting in 1984, and also started collecting fabrics! In the beginning I was mostly doing traditionally based things, but with a slant toward something a little different, artsy, maybe. Fabrics were pretty calico-y for the most part, back then. Some of the stuff I bought then is still on the shelf today taking up valuable space. Those fabrics will never fit into the things I am doing now and more desirable fabrics are living on a chair for want of shelf space. The sensible thing to do is to get rid of some of that old stuff so I decided to make some charity quilts for my guild. They are always asking for kid’s quilts. One of the agencies is for the homeless population and every child gets their own quilt.

For some reason, probably because it wasn’t calico, I bought this whole line and have, over the years, only used a little of it. There was enough to end up with this almost twin size quilt that a teenager might like. Four different black and whites will make up the back and this is next in line to be machine quilted.

These are smaller, baby or toddler size. The smaller one on the top features a red truck print along with an abstract which is also on the back. The one below that has a very old teddy bear print with plaid and an an early Virginia Robertson print with plaid and two orange prints on the back. The larger one started with the Noah’s Ark animal print and attempted to use up the leftovers from the preceding ones, with an African print on the back. It is quilted but still needs a binding.

This one started with an old circus print. The back is black and white stripes, I quilted it yesterday, and have yet to bind it.

This endeavor was not fun.  I did use up a lot of fabric, which was good, but not enough to warrant the time I spent away from what I enjoy doing. I don’t think I can stand to do anymore and will probably just donate some fabric so people who enjoy this sort of thing can use them. I do feel good about having some quilts to donate that I hope someone will enjoy, but that is time gone, that I will never get back, and I do have art quilts that I am anxious to work on!!

In late April, I started having trouble getting online. When the provider found out that my husband had ordered an upgrade they would not help with the old system at all so for a week I was totally offline. When the scheduled day arrived for them to come and install the new system it was snowing. Hard. In May.

So they canceled and we had to wait to be rescheduled. When we were finally back online I discovered that AOL no longer worked. There went another few days as I worked with my “new best friend” in India who called me every day at 4 for 3 or 4 days. I got to where I could understand him pretty good and now things are seemingly back to normal. Knock on wood.

During that time I was pretty busy though. Maybe tomorrow I will show you. You will be surprised!

“Longhorn Splashdown” at LaConner in WA, and “Cloudy With A Chance of Rain” at TAG in Topeka, both won only Honorable Mentions this year. It’s nice to have the big win at Houston to soothe the disappointment!

I am currently working on drawings for a couple of new works inspired by Pokey Bolton’s announcement that they will be doing some exhibits/contests with pet themes in the future at IQA. These may have to be kept under wraps for a while, but I wanted to get the layout done for scale, so I could be on the lookout for fabric while I am shopping the vendors at Festival!!. That’s coming up fast!

Yesterday we went to the German Oktoberfest because Bierocks for lunch sounded good – and they were! But the plum kuchen wasn’t as good as it looked. There was rollicking beer drinking music and dancing, too, but my photos of that were not so good. It was 46 degrees, overcast and breezy so we were glad for  jackets as we watched the Weinerdog Races.

There were 48 entered so they were broken up into heats of 6 to start. We decided to leave before it was over, after a man got in front of me and took away my small window of photo opportunity.

This little guy caught my eye for his unusual color. The owner said they had petted him so much they rubbed the black right off!

On the way home

we saw this guy and had to stop and get a picture. Maybe the most unusual leaf man we’ve seen in a while!

We had a hard frost last night so finally had to bring the deck plants inside. Filling two of the three windows really closes in the studio. When I add the two Amaryllis plants, it’ll really be full! Nice to have flowers in the winter though….

I keep forgetting – I meant to post this sooner. After the KVQG meeting last month, Denise S., The Curious Kansas Quilter followed me home to photograph my studio for an upcoming guild program on studio spaces. If you follow the link you can  see some of the pictures that she took.

Sunday afternoon I drove down to Bella Vista, AR to do a program for the Calico Cutups Quilt Guild on Monday. Everything went very well and I enjoyed seeing that beautiful area again and meeting some great new friends! Monday was a loooong day, as I hit the road right after the meeting and didn’t get home til  8:15 – about 4 hours driving time with only one short break for gas, food, etc. Tues was spent getting everything sorted out from the trip and getting the Silent Auction piece sent off to Houston.  Good to be home!!

It’s been quiet around here lately because I have been so busy! I finished Bignonia

and the wind turbine piece and have started another.

I got word from IQF in Houston that my entry, “Prairie Fire”, for the World of Beauty contest was accepted so I will have three pieces on display there this year. In addition perhaps a piece in the silent auction, if I can find the time to make something.

Word just in that “Longhorn Splashdown” was juried into LaConner Quilt Museum’s fall show in Washington.

Currently showing are “What’s Up At The 4-H Fair” and “Haybales Study at “Culture and Agriculture” an all-media art exhibit in MN, “MonGrand Pere”, “Spring Encounter” and “In The Bleak Midwinter”at The Aullwood Audubon Center in Dayton. OH, “Harrier Hunting” at “Celebrate Spring” at IQF- Long Beach, CA. and of course “Chicory” and “Coneflowers” at the Topeka Art Guild Gallery right here in KS. These can all be seen, including detail shots, by clicking on GALLERY in the side bar. It’s almost a full time job just keeping up with what’s where and what’s next!

Last week was a very busy blur!

On Monday I drove into MO for a lecture and workshop with the Lee’s Summit Quilter’s Guild. What a fun group of ladies! That always takes at least three days, getting ready, going and then putting everything away afterwards.

There was also an Art Guild meeting and a theater date to go to. We saw “Every Little Crook and Nanny” which was really good with a twist at the end that no one saw coming.

One day it rained most of the day which was wonderfully welcome and perked up the gardens immensely. I spent an hour or so pulling weeds the next morning as conditions were perfect. The temperatures even became more bearable with highs only in the 90′s but now they are back up into the hundreds again.  I have been reading a book about making gardens that are easier to take care of.  I hope I get some good advice!

I have been busy between other things working on the Bignonia and it is all quilted. Yesterday I cut and sewed the binding so perhaps today I will get that finished.  I forgot to get a photo of the finished top before starting the quilting so have nothing to show you yet, but it looks good!!

The new project is finally back up on the wall and I even found he time to cut a few pieces yesterday, but I’ve been pretty busy. Sunday was Father’s Day, with company. Monday we had to go to town for lunch and errands. It was SO hot it just drained me and I came home and took a nap. Monday evening there was a board meeting of the Art Guild to attend. Tuesday, I went to the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild meeting where KAQ member Mary Elmusa was the speaker. I was so intrigued I took the last available slot for her workshop today! This evening I will go to Topeka Civic Theater to see “39 Steps”. Tomorrow I have an appointment for much needed perm and then I think I have a few blessed days off!!! On the way home yesterday I stopped and bought PhotoShop Elements for the laptop and perhaps I will find a bit of time to load that tomorrow and process some of the earlier trip photos.

Or maybe I will take another nap!

I have managed to find a few snatches of time to sew the final seams together and prepare for the quilting –and even to start the quilting a little bit. I was hoping to be further along by now but there have been too many distractions.

Everything had to go on hold so I could clean up the studio for a local magazine writer who was coming on Friday. The photographer for some reason didn’t come, so I guess I get to do it all over again later.

Tomorrow morning we will have roofers here tearing off all of those 30 year guaranteed shingles that they put on 3 years ago. It must have been somewhere in the small print that the guarantee was only for wind, not hail. Anyway–the dish on the roof will be down for a couple of days which I think means no internet for me. So I will get at least this one post up and probably no more til I get back home from MT as I don’t know how to do it on the road. Which is where I am going to be, because:

Thursday I get to start my much needed vacation. I will be flying out to meet my friend Del in Las Vegas and we will drive up to Montana to enjoy a week long workshop with Ruth McDowell. It is going to be so much fun! Del and I are always looking for a good excuse for a road trip and this is one for sure. This will be about the last (if not THE last) workshop Ruth is doing before her retirement so we figured we needed to be there!

I got an unexpected surprise in the mail Saturday – an envelope with a First and a Second place ribbon from the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild Show!  They do Viewer’s Choice and don’t announce it til the following guild meeting which I had to miss. The small butterfly quilt that I had donated to the Charity Silent Auction won First and Majesty won Second. That’s crazy. The butterfly was not that special! Click on July 2011 in the side bar to see it again.