Saturday, December 31, 2011

Sisyphus Revisited...

The other end-of-year recap is in the UFO category--and shall we just say: not as good as the reading list? Or even: why bother?!
Actually, the list is helpful, if for no other reason than keeping track of what's in there? (as in: what's in that box? What is that item on this list? etc...)
When I take into account all of the items that were finished this year, it feels pretty good--but the majority of those were new items. I keep thinking up more to do...and then there was the show in December...and don't forget a variety of samples for the quilt shop.
Simply put: I haven't been avoiding the quilting loft--but I could be guilty of stepping away from the UFO list.
Looking at the list at the end of the year is also helpful in asking:

  • Do I want to keep this dang thang on the list for another year?! 
  • Is there a way to re-purpose the project into something I want to complete? 
  • Or maybe downsize the project into something nearer completion? (translation: cut your losses & move on...
  • Or maybe let go of the 'art' of the project & finish it up as a community quilt? 

It is a time of winnowing down for sure--and unfortunately, adding other items that now meet the definition of being 'unfinished'.
So here are the 2011 stats: started with 31 on the list & finished a whopping 5 (16%). Wow. *sigh*
For the 2012 list: 18 current items are moving forward, 2 are being "chopped" & 7 are being "moved". 15 new items are being added. Truly a 'Sisyphus list' of 33 items...
A note about 'moved' items: I always have a group of quilts that are fun & usually faster projects that work well for community quilts or something to grab for a quilting-day-out with my buds. Not really a focus for completion as much as ready to go as needed. So they're really not 'chopped'--just side-lined! 8-)
A note about 'new items: in the 'starting the year with a clean slate' department: 2012 will include a new challenge for myself. I haven't quite defined the 'rules' yet, but I definitely like the learning & creativity that come with a more structured focus. I missed that in 2011. More on that later. But in efforts to help myself out, the almost-monthly challenge of 11 items is going on the UFO list!
(...and no, that's not cheating! I thought up the dog-gone project before 2011 was over--so it's already a 'work-in-progress'! See how easy it is to get behind?!)
Wishing you finished 'lists' of your own in the new year!

Adventures in the Library

Okay--time for a couple of year-end wrap-up's. One is my list of 'finished' in the book queue. I must think I'm going to see some pattern or have an 'ah ha' moment when I browse back through the stacks. Can't say that happens, but it's fun to look.
Anyway--happy to say the library continues to call my name regularly & I've added over sixty titles to the 'read' list this year with little effort. I hit some of the first half highlights in July, so here's some more.

With my 'commute' time I've continued to enjoy books-on-tape--which is really books-on-disc these days! Helps me feel good about car time & definitely better than late night radio reception in our island world.
Got through 16 this year--including all three of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books--before the film frenzy began or I might not have ventured in. I know there are mixed feelings about this trilogy--especially as it pertains to women--but once I got past the beginning (hard), I was immersed. Salander is my hero--such a survivor. (I have mixed feelings about seeing the new movie, despite loving Daniel Craig. There are some things I wonder aren't best left in the mind's eye vs. splattered across the big screen. If you go see it, I welcome any opinions.)

I've continued my fascination with memoir, having logged another 16 this year.
By far the most notable is The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. Not a book for the faint of heart--but it's so well written & a right-between-the-eyes woman's book.
Few books make me want to start at the beginning as soon as I finish the last page...
I devoured eight Colin Cotterill books with only one remaining...*dang!*
I especially liked Killed at the Whim of a Hat. He's just great; that's all there is to it...
Added another 2 delightful Erik Larson books to the 'read' list, Thunderstruck I especially liked.
Sprinkled in a variety of historical novels & history for good measure--plus some just plain fun novels.
One of those was a gift from Nick last Christmas, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell--really an intriguing read--& discovered recently it will Tom Hank's next big screen event. Not sure how they'll translate it to film but it's got me curious...
Stay tuned! But now I gotta run to the library...

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wednesday on Whidbey

Happy Holidays from our little town park! 
Bright & shiny a midst all the darkness!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Show & Tell...

Here's a guy that's been on the UFO list for way too long!
(...but it's finished--woohoo!)
It started out many years ago as several traditional blocks for some forgotten project. When they went on the design wall at some point, their fish-like qualities became obvious so I had pieced it together with a wonderful mix of water fabrics--and then promptly stashed it away for some other urgent project. 
When I drug it out to finish, it seemed pretty boring. I added the wrong-way-Feldman orange fish & an asymmetrical border (of course!) with some fused sea flowers--and then added some interest with the thread design on the long arm.  I also added the three dimensional sea grass on the long arm--another technique trial that I will definitely revisit in the future. 
In the end I was okay with the mix--and also okay with saving a discarded project. It finished out to a fairly large wall hanging (48" x 31") that unfortunately required Jim to fabricate a special hanging dowel for me! (thanks, Jim!)
Anyway--a woman kept coming back to it at the show & finally bundled it up & took it home with her as a very happy camper! Doesn't get much better than that...

Monday, December 26, 2011

More Show & Tell...


We needed to have a few 'gifty' kind of items for the show--so I finished up a few more quilted table runners. They're reversible & cheery!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas to All!

Best wishes from our house to yours!
Richard joined us--what fun!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Show & Tell...again!

Before the show this month, I spent a couple of days at my friend's long arm studio finishing up some items--this being one of them. I finished the top when I went to retreat in October & it looks pretty sharp after it got quilted (if I do say so myself!). It's done with the same piecing technique that I started using when I made Devin's graduation quilt years ago--and then made a 'left-over' lap quilt a couple of years ago.
The border was done with red thread to add a little more interest (...and also highlight any of my advanced beginner quilting technique errors!). When the border was quilted, I went around the set in red-bordered blocks which makes them really 'pop' as a faux-trapunto look.
 The finished piece is about 44" x 60"--an okay size for a cozy lap quilt, or a large wall hanging.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

More Show & Tell...

Here's some more items that were recently finished up. They're all about 9" x 11" little wall hangings--fused, toule over, & embellished with thread. They got little hangers added to them after the photos were taken. 


The second set started with a remnant of Marimekko fabric that I scored some time ago & used the design to start the idea moving. They remind me of Dr. Seuss for some reason... 
...sorry for my blurry view...

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wednesday on Whidbey

Solstice greetings--let the days grow longer, yes?! 
I thought this photo of a slumbering Mother Whidbey at Ebey's bluff would be a fitting salute to the season's change 
(the same bluff from which the beach photo that always resides on the upper right column was taken...)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Show & Tell...

Here was one of the items that got finished up for the show/sale this month.
It started out with three different shapes that were each cut out three times & then arranged differently. (It was a long-ago exercise from the Art Quilt Workbook by Waterson & Davila that I was working through.)
Much later, I came across the three little pieces & thought I should do something with them--so I made the three panels & embellished them with paint & ink.
Then much after that, I finally got them together, but some purple toule over (more about that in a later post), & did some thread painting.
The piece came out about 29" x 20"--and went on to a happy home during the show...

Monday, December 19, 2011

It's Over...

The show came & went this weekend--whew! 
...my little 'section'...
No complaints, though, about attendance, sales or weather--good time had by all!--and now we're all pooped puppies!  8-)
...the 11 'partners in crime' at the end of a long 2 days...
(It's another month until Christmas, right?!)
I learned a lot & made new friends in the process--as well as reconnected with many 'old' friends!

The chatter about 'next year' has already begun...

Thursday, December 15, 2011

A Christmas Present, Finally...

8 years & 9 months

4,500 US dead
100,000 Iraqi dead
32,000 US injured
A new vocabulary: WMD, Abu Ghgraib, the Green Zone...
50,000 vets that will be unemployed next year

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Almost Showtime!

The three-day count down has begun--let the frenzy begin!
Jim & I had our brief moments of 'fame' on the event website--ha ha! Check it out when you have a minute. I'm trying to take pix of items as they get finished up, so I can share when I have a moment.
Meanwhile--may the force be with us; this is the time we wish we had a 'wife' to cook & clean while we're in our respective workshops!  8-)

Wednesday on Whidbey

from the bottom of Ebey's bluff facing the Olympics (west)
We've had some surprising--albeit brief!--sun-breaks. 
Beautiful, but also translates to uncommonly cold for our neck of 
the sound (high 20's). 
Those factors have provided some breathtaking sunrises & sunsets. 
(We'll just overlook that fact that this photo was taken at 
about 4:30pm...*sigh*...we're almost to the Solstice!)  

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wednesday on Whidbey

OMG--Wednesday on Whidbey on Friday!! So sorry...
Smith Farm on Ebey's Prairie--check out
the sun streaks (if you click to make it bigger)
The quarter just ended, the show is next weekend--life is full, but gooood! More later...

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Murmuration

Such a fun word to say!
Recently we were having a minor chat about Starlings--you know: what's the difference (if any) between US & UK variety, the love/hate cycle with them, etc. 
So while I was snooping the internet for useless bits of information I happened upon this little gem on Vimeo (but the YouTube version is the one I could embed...).

You may well have already seen this, but if not it's a very fun couple of minutes if you have them to spare! (make your screen full-size 1st tho...)

We've seen much smaller versions on the island while waiting for the ferry--but big enough to get your attention & make you wonder what the heck is going on. Hard to imagine an encounter this large & this close!
Per snooping done since I first saw this, the general response seems to be: can't figure it out, can't model it, speeds exceed 20mph at times, and...'no starlings were harmed in the filming of this video!'