Been a while since I have posted here. but I thought I would stop in and say hi. Hi. I did a little painting this last year. This fisrt group is are some results from a class I took from Amanda Evanston.

 
I also did some encaustics earlier in the year but had to cease due to ventilation issues. I will resume using encaustics in the summer when I can open windows. I also played with India ink, digital images, started a couple of new quilts and submitted three manuscripts to different places. I was sick for a good part of the year - chronic has become a new word in my vocabulary- which made me feel like I wasn't doing much since I could not go very far, but I did a lot of sitting work I guess and we did get to Houston to see Kevin and Bailey and got to go to the quilt show which was so cool.

ink and encaustic

India Ink and White gel pen

Bailey at the International Quilt Festival In Houston

So thats what I've been up to. How about you?

Dear Jane Blocks.

I have been making these small blocks. They are addictive. I started with row a and then jumped to row m, incapable of following a linear path. I have been posting them on instagram but I decided to add them here as well because I have not been able to let go of this blog. Not sure why. Maybe because it was my first. 

oops, not a dj block.
 but a concurrent project. My aim is to use up my stash.  

    I am completely uninspired to begin any new projects so I am toting my equilateral triangle bits to and from work each day and getting in a few threads. It is kind of relaxing and I feel like I am doing something at least. 

I have some things on my knitting needles as well and I have lost my startitis there as well. I guess this calls for finishing something. not a bad thing. it happens from time to time. (insert smirk)

     I have some applique blocks on my wall and I am avoiding them like all heck but there they stay, haunting me, whislering, 'just one thread'... Part of me wants to just do them on the machine and this part argues with the part that whispers "but you like doing them by hand" and, 'it will take forever...'  and they are at a standoff..

perhaps it is just august-that month when 

you just want to soak in the summer 

and avoid thinking about school starting

 in just one short month.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programing...
Bonnie Hunter, the czarina of scraps has come out with a new mystery and I am in!!
It is called Orca Bay and I am going to try very hard to use only what I have on hand. Since the quilt uses special rulers, I was hesitant, but I found them in a polka dotted suitcase that I brought back from Florida. Both Rulers. Right there. In the black and white, polka dotted, linseed oil smelling suitcase that was specially designed not to get lost and/or stolen in the airport, by none other than my mother. I imagine if she added charisma to her many talents, we would be reading about her in Vogue. Be that as it may.
So the hunt is on. I will be entering the dragon's lair to pluck some feathers and sequester some fabric to begin. It has been many months since I braved the cool environs of my sewing room. Armed with Netflix and a cuppa tea, I go.

If I am not out by six, call the mounties.

One thread

Comfy?

one or three threads on Pindigo before work 

digital doodles

This quilt needs corners so I painted some. I used a vase, whose picture I took at the met during our last walk around. I was enchanted by the shape of it and did a small oil pastel of it, and did some smaller mandalla type things and then photoshopped it until I stumbled upon a color that I liked.It reminds me of the beautiful Indian panels that we used to have in the 70's. I have seen some of them around lately. The original was dark blue. I uploaded the newly colored pictures into Spoonflower and walla. A digital age rendering of an ancient blue flowered vase. Yes it will be very bright. I am a little afraid;) but I am going to finish this quilt one way or the other.

threads....

Threads for the day are accomplished on Pindigo. 

As often happens it turns into more than one thread and if you have time and inclination, it can be a couple of hours of peaceful stitching. Such was my day thus far. 
We put on a pot of my father's famous secret recipe stew and I am trying out a Lingonberry bread mix from Ikea, which is rising on the stove as the pot bubbles. 
Tonight-be still my heart- I will cast on for Brooklyntweed's Juneberry shawl in the color called 'nest'. 
A blissful new years eve!

backing

Storm at Sea, preparation with Inklingo

Busy morning here at the cat ranch. The girls were very busy guarding the yard. Every noise brought them to full alert.
Cutting shapes for my Colors of the Sea quilt. I am very happy with the way I can cut many shapes layering just one printed piece on top of several layers. I do not get the benefit of stitching lines on each shape this way but I can manage a quarter inch seam allowance:) This will be a king sized quilt for us.