FILLING THE COLOR VOID

 Welcome to Seattle in December!

Enjoying the holiday season

decorating our tree with my oldest's 

hand blown glass ornaments!

Feeling mostly chilly

making you want to curl up by the fire...

or under some quilts.

Often craving carbs...

especially Great Great Grandma's oatmeal cookie recipe.

Desperate for color since the outside world is

 almost always gray.

(Did I mention gray?)

Here's veggies for Italian soup from Pioneer Lady.

Lovely oranges in a hand blown bowl!

And veggies for pico de gallo.

I think Seattle's chilly gray weather is one of the reasons

 I love quilting so much.

Fabric fills the color void!

I have been doing a lot of color self medicating

these past few weeks!

I asked my youngest if he wanted to give any teachers a gift this year. 

"Yes," 

he said, 

"my reading/writing teacher needs a gift that is significant. 

She is a hippie and a good teacher."

Hmmm....

A peace sign tote 

with joyful music, 

hearts for love, 

and inspiring words 

including a focus on "gratitude" was born!

Two new littlebits...

And two more littlebits inspired after reading one of my favorite blogs!!

http://mcelebrates.blogspot.com/. 

She asked, 

"What is in the window?"

Me and Jim are in the window!

with "Olive you" fabric, 

love music, 

three trees for our boys, 

great background fabric, 

all under a roof of love

with "Happily ever after does exist" for an awning.

AND...

Carmen Miranda...

OF COURSE!

With friends,

dancing and grooving, 

in a pineapple house

with bluberry grass,

letting go seven lucky balloons,

fire works,

and a flag waving the word of 2013

ABUNDANCE!

SIMPLY CELEBRATING

the beauty of being!!!!!

Thanks Em for that delightful inspiration!

I was also inspired by another blog I love...

Nifty Quilts.

http://niftyquilts.blogspot.com/

In her November 5th post she shared about her 

pine burr quilt...

I didn't get as far as a whole quilt, 

but I really like my pillow!

I've also been preparing for my Web class in March at Aunt Mary's quilt shop.

I don't usually paper piece,

but there is something very meditative

and gratify about 

all the pieces.

I am still playing with 

this colorful yellow and red Kaffe table runner.

This lap quilt in a softer sweet color way is ready for quilting!

Sew,

another Seattle winter

shall be more than just survived.

Each moment

continues to be

another opportunity!

What do we get to do?

What color do we get to use in my next project?

What yummy nourishing food

do we get to create?

Peace and

to you!!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 12-12-12

ART OF LIVING - BELLA FIGURA

Here's two clearer pictures of the happy happy happy quilt 

that Deb, a wonderful woman and quilter, 

was making using fabric 

she had won from my giveaways!

Gorgeous hand quilting!

More 

fun and happiness 

was had at Judy's last Friday. 

It all started 

when I spied this yummy bag of scraps!

I put a more-black-than-white piece together. 

Without a plan...

I made a more-white-than-black piece.

After I sewed them together, 

I went to press...

Judy walked by and said, "Oh, it's a house!"

Yes! (grin)

It wanted to be a house!

(thank you quilting muse!)

I have "played" many times before

BUT

Victoria Finlay's new book

15 Minutes of Play

is filled with inspiration...

taking "play" to a whole new level...

and just happened to be sitting on Judy's gigantic pressing board!

Something was missing...

a fun and happy 

love fairy

OF COURSE!

Here's another house on its way to be quilted.

I used Jan Mullen's Daisiez pattern,

but they looked more like snowflakes!

These were so much fun, I couldn't stop!

Well,

maybe I stopped once... 

to treat my self 

(in the midst of this crazy season) 

to some

much coveted 

Mendocino line from Heather Bailey

from Etsy - the Janeymacshop!

(Ask me how many times I walked by these bolts 

at Fourth Corner Quilts 

and thought,

"Gee, that's cute, 

but I don't need some of THAT, do I?"

Then it was gone 

and it was time 

to pine 

and obsess 

and wallow 

in remorse over

a missed fabric opportunity!!)

I am also treating my self to Italian lessons! 

Why?

More happy and fun thoughts

about all things Italian... 

Amalfi Coast

Rome

Cinque Terre

Venice

music

pasta

history

art

I'll leave you with a charming passage 

from 

La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales -

She is talking about the Italian phrase, "bella figura", 

which sort of translates as courtesy, the way a man rushes to open the door, the way Italians take an extra minute to dress well not to show off but to always present their best self..."Italians are innately more fluent in the language of courtesy."

"But I relish the the flourishes of bella figura, each an opportunity to transform minor interactions into memorable interludes. When I confide my perspective to Enrico Paoletti, president of Societe Dante Alighieri in Florence, 

his elfin face lights up.

"Ah Signora, you are learning the Italian secret!"he exclaims. 

"And what is that?" 

"Our greatest art: the art of living."

Ahhh!

I am curious 

if you have any fabric you saw, 

didn't buy, 

and now covet?

ULTIMATELY GRATEFUL

Several years ago I was lucky enough to take a class with

 David Walker.

(I didn't realize that he was on his last sweep of teaching and was on his way to becoming a photographer.) 

He started the Tarot themed class 

with a meditation and a lit candle!

He talked about having a quilting muse!

 He shared wonderful quilty/creative quotes including one I love till this day, "Test visual things visually." 

I can't remember all the details behind the quilt I made, 

but I was a sun symbol and I "had all the tools I would need".  

I am a Leo, so I included a key in my teeth. 

Since then, 

without conscious planning, 

the key 

has become a reoccurring symbol

 in my littlebits of fabric therapy.

My Peace Portal, created a few years after David Walker, 

with door ironically not open,

but look at the key conveniently dangling from the doorknob!

Then there is last year's 

Orange-aganaza.

She is so happy, because she has

the key!

This week

was wonderful!

Turns out, I am (we are) deserving of a peace filled life!

An undercurrent of peace 

ALL THE TIME!

REGARDLESS!

I know, I have read it and said it a gazillion times.

This week, I actually felt it more than just a glimpse!!

So, I created this littlebit of fabric therapy.

It's a snowglobe.

Something we already have,

 stuck on a shelf,

collecting dust.

NOW...

it's broken and unzipped.

It's time (the clock with a heart)!

There is a key!

And love (x and o Valentine confetti) is oozing out!

LOVE!

Speaking of love,

I LOVED teaching my first class last weekend!

Two favorite student comments:

"I think I have been liberated."

and

"You're groovy."

I am already on Aunt Mary's schedule for next year!

YES!!!

January 20th - I am going to share and encourage creation of Littlebits of Fabric Therapy!!!

What a great way to start the new year - creating art that focuses on

what you love

what makes you happy

what you want in your life

February 3rd - Spreading LOVE with fabric postcards!

I couldn't wait for Valentine's Day, 

and have made a few to mail on Monday -

 gratitude postcards!

Here's two...

"I am grateful for you, my treasure!"

and 

"peace" 

for an old hippie relative whose honesty about being a recovering alcoholic 

was quite a powerful story to share with  for my teenage boys

(heard a lot louder than my words have ever been.)

AND there's one more planned class!

(perhaps one more I will share in the future.

Maybe even one more at a different quilt shop!)

WOHOO!

March 3rd - Striped strips 

adapted from Modern Minimal by Alissa Carlton

and Quilts Made Modern by Weeks Ringle

front

back

(perhaps there's even one more that I will share in the future.

Maybe even a different class at a different quilt shop!)

WOHOO!

So/sew,

lots 

of 

reflecting,

ideas,

love,

and

GRATITUDE

I am very grateful 

for YOU!

What are you grateful for?