Sold!

I'm so thrilled to announce that my dear friend, Carol, has purchased Release - after I made her wait months for it. She first expressed interested in buying this quilt in August, I think it was, and I made her wait because I was getting ready to travel to the states for a month. Not too smart of me, but there it is. However, I couldn't dissuade her desire to purchase this quilt, and yesterday it became hers!
The best part about this sale, other than the quilt going to a friend, is the fact that she had a good understanding of what the quilt design meant. I don't usually mean much by my designs, but this one had some significance, and she got it. That is so cool.

Enjoy your new quilt, Carol. And thanks a bunch!

Work In Progress

Well, it makes me anxious to post pictures of works in progress. I'm worried about criticism, about someone stealing my design. Pretty silly, isn't she?

This is actually a sketch that came out of a sketch that didn't work. Often, I make a sketch and go with it without pausing to think. But this is a second attempt, which means I might still need to refine it before it gets made. But for now, I'm totally happy with it.




This design feeds out of the last series I was working on, which I finished yesterday but haven't post a pic of yet. You've seen some of it, tho. But I will get a good pic to post tomorrow.





And here is the design partially filled in. Raspberry lemonade, anyone?

Happiness in Sewing

I am so thrilled with my new sewing machine, it has made all the difference in the world for me.

For those who don't know, last July or August I purchased a Janome 6500 sewing maching off Ebay and had it shipped to my sister's house until such time as I could come and collect it. Well, I had that opportunity recently, and now I have my new machine set up and am using it joyfully. It gives me such better control, handles the different threads so much better, everything about it is superior to the old machine I had. Here's an example.



Over and over again this last year or so, I would come up with a quilt design I was happy with and would execute the fusing part with no problem. The trouble would start when I would go to quilt the durn things. Pay attention to the quilting outlining the circular shapes here - just the outside quilting. The interior quilting I did on the new machine, and it made me want to rip out the exterior quilting and do it over again. So I did.



This machine has allowed me to go from sloppy to meticulous. Now you can hardly even see the outlining on these shapes. And it wasn't any harder than doing it messily. I'm so thrilled!

This has given me new confidence, which I think I needed, and I can't wait to get off the computer and into my studio! Woohoo!

Random Acts of Chicken Giving

It is so thrilling to give something of yourself away, even if it's something cutesy and not life-supporting like say, a kidney. I asked and was invited to participate with the lovely people at The Toy Society. So I made a Little Orange Hen and finally got the chance to leave her for someone when I was in the states last month. I kept trying to do it here in Singapore, but it was always raining, and I was worried that L.O.H. would get moldy.

Well, you just have to go see for yourselves.

Back in The Swing of Things

Well, I've been back in Singapore for over a week now. Like 10 days, actually. I had an easier time with the jet lag than I did when I got back from England. I think that is because I was determined to not sleep through my life. So I kept my naps to a minimum and just really went to bed early. It seems like I'm back on my normal sleep schedule, and for that I'm thankful.

I also spent the last week doing housework. Not just the obligatory dish washing and laundry, but changing sheets and towels, sweeping and mopping, dusting and throwing stuff away. There was something territorial about it. And it helped with the feeling of being somewhat depressed because I'm still living here. Well, if I have to live here, I'm going to make it as nice as I can!

I bought a Christmas panel by Laurel Burch at Hancock's in Paducah when I was there, and I took some time after cleaning my studio and setting up my new sewing machine to make a border for the panel. Man, it's been a long time since I made a pieced border for anything!



Pretty durn colorful, no?

So, all in all, I feel like I'm back in the swing of things and everything has settled down to a quiet roar, as usual.