INSPIRED!

This week

I continued working on going through my fabric

and cutting strips and two inch squares.

Here's my orange collection.

I continue to really enjoy this creating of a palette.

I took my oldest to the new Chihuly Glass Garden

at the Seattle Center for a 17th birthday experience.

(yikes! 17!)

 http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/

WOW!

(for the wonderFULLness of a day spent enjoying each other's company

AND for the wonderFULLness of the glass art.)

Here's our reflection

with the Space needle

in an ORANGE ball from the garden.

I had to play with ORANGE!

(I am dancing with joy holding THE orange key).

Here's a stunning chandelier in GREEN!

Which made me think of my GREEN...

and Ireland!

Someone told me that I will be shocked not only by all the green

but also by all the shades that green comes in.

I just want to see a castle and a sheep.

(and a green cloud and a leprechaun and a fairy!)

A favorite was this Persian Ceiling

and the boat filled with POLKA DOTS!

SO MUCH COLOR!

I felt so inspired by all the bright bold big color!!!

Ultimately, whatever happens happens.

That's my motto.

ALLOWING WHAT IS

Here's me sitting peaceFULLy by the river

NOT getting caught up in all the stories (leaves)

just letting them gently float by.

BEEing in the moment

coming froma  place of LOVE.

meangadh (smile in Irish!)

ENTRY FOR BLOGGER'S QUILT FESTIVAL

I had been thinking about what to enter for the Blogger's Quilt Festival -

http://amyscreativeside.com/2012/05/18/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2012/.

when, this afternoon, a bevy of ring necked turtle doves

came to hang out at our feeder.

At one point we counted twenty four...

plus one guy in the tree as lookout!

Imagine my delight when I looked up what the meaning of turtle dove is...

LOVE!

Immediately, I knew which quilt to enter!

This is my most favorite quilt!

It's huge (kingish?!)...

it's wonkily liberated...

it's made soley from Freddy Moran's line of Pure Color by Quilter's Only

which my dearest friend and I frantically collected (and then hoarded all 40+ yards we found)

since both are IN LOVE with  the joie de vivre Freddy Moran exudes.

This quilt is special because it represents all that I am working on in my life.

I started with an idea (no pattern),

pulled out fabric I already had,

 and surrendered to my Quilting Muse,

trusting that all would turn out as it was meant to be.

No worries.

In the end, all that was left was

LOVE!

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” - Rumi

Thanks for visiting!

Make sure you check out all the creativity going on out there!

http://amyscreativeside.com/2012/05/18/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2012/

CLASS WITH FREDDY'S FRIEND GWEN!!!

Today was spent in a class with Gwen Marston!!!

She has written many books,

but for me (and Sue)

the initial thrill was that she wrote

and

with Freddy Moran!!!

(and you know how much we LOVE Freddy!)

Wonderfully, Gwen not only taught a fun class but was a very fun person herself!

I can see why her and Freddy make such a great pair.

I think it's possible that Sue and I have room in our heart for Gwen!

This class was based on the premise that you can free yourself

from lots of time and creative issues

by making small doll size quilts.

I like this idea.

Gwen has made over 400 since 1981!

I started out making parts...

and had this piece by the end of class.

Gwen suggested I work on the border

as she has noticed that Amish quilts never have symetrical

divisions of the border.

Hmm....

not a favorite...

yet?

Gwen shared a bunch of her quilts

(the one off to the left)

and Sue got busy with her own interpretation.

A highlight of this class

was finally meeting Em from http://mcelebrates.blogspot.com/ !!!!!

She has been a most fabulously supportive connection in Blogland

and today we began what will become a fun "real life" bond.

Here we are finally sewing together!

I also met the very nice Sharon from http://indigothreads.blogspot.com/

who makes FABULOUS quilts like this one.

How nice to spend a day with happy positive ladies 

creatively sewing,

laughing, 

sharing,

and relaxing into the joy in every moment! 

WEDNESDAY ALREADY?

I can't believe another week has gone by!

School is almost out,

with my youngest finishing his last year in elementary school.

The principal has had one or more of my boys for the last eight years, so....

of course...

she needs a quilt!

Here's the pattern I settled on

 from the book Modern Blocks by Susanne Woods.

I think it was supposed to be just one block,

but I made it a lap quilt.

I really like how super easy and but fun it was to make

as I used lots of different Kaffe.

My youngest is holding it right before I passed it on to Judy for another magical quilting.

I am trying another modern-like pattern

with yummy Lotta Jansdotter fabric.

I think the next strip on the right will be the word

"possibilities".

The fabric is dandelions and dandelion seeds.

I seem focused on the beautiful idea that all around us

are these opportunities

to wish...

just close your eyes and blow...

and imagine...

whatever you want...

possibilities!

Wishing away is what I have been doing!

Stating my intentions and following through with action too.

I am leaving soon

on a tour of southern Ireland

and the International Irish Quilt Festival!!!!

I read that you shouldn't ask the Irish if they believe in leprechauns.

Doesn't matter...

I do!

(My leprechaun is holding a passport!)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

I am linking up one more time!

new projects - 1

finished projects -1

Works in progress (really?) - 6ish

A PALETTE OF LOVE

A sunny WIP Wednesday to you!

I am currently feeling inspired by:

So,

 I have been doing

 a lot of reacquainting with my stash 

by cutting two inch strips and two and five inch squares

to create my palette.

The whole process is just making me smile and smile!

While creating this palette,

a few pieces from my stash 

actually begged 

(more loudly than others)

to be used immediately...

so this quilt top was born.

So many ideas!

I am thinking about these four for a top...

and these two for another top.

I like the idea of a dandelion 

representing possibilities

(from the wishes you get when you blow the seeds).

Speaking of possibilities, 

as I continue to focus on my health,

one of the students, in a class I subbed for, drew me...

THIN! Is that a waist??!!

Speaking of thin,

I continue to work on letting love in.

Loving my self.

Feeling worthy of a good relationship with food.

In order to let love in,

it's time to let Fear go...

not through resistance

not through indulging.

Letting go... 

stepping back,

seeing the story for what it is...

a fearfull story I made up.

Chuckling

at how I am here again,

with Fear,

but choosing, this time, to not stay with Fear.

SEE THE TRUTH.

IN THIS MOMENT THERE IS PEACE.

Letting Fear go....feels good.

deep breath

(no need for brownies!)

This is me (made of bee fabric, since I am "be-ing" in the moment)

With my healthy coping skill glasses on (since I can see better with healthy coping skills)

Laughing at Fear (with gnashing teeth and made of  sweet cupcake recipe fabric!)

Surrounded by LOVE!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

WIP WEDNESDAY

I'm trying something new this week and hooking up with the totally cute blog Freshly Pieced

and her Work In Progress Wednesday link.

http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/

A sea collage is what is currently up on my design wall 

and I LOVE it!

I am cutting and glue sticking  using fabric from Jennifer Sampou's Color Rhthym

and will raw edge the whole thing.

I am having so much fun with the creating and the imagining of being in there,

in this quilty sea,

with all that peace and color!

I am also creating a support army for my dear friend "H" who is in need

of rallying love while she battles cancer.

I am up to 25 little pins!

"H" is getting a kick out of passing them out 

and everyone just loves wearing them!

Since I shared a picture of the most deliciously fattening chocolate shake is a recent post

and then lamented how it was time for a long overdue doctor check up...

I wanted to share that I am continuing to work on my physical self 

and indulged  in...

a frozen yogurt with fruit from Red Mango.

It was quite yummy!

I leave you with this thought, 

from Aldous Huxley's book, Island

which pertains directly to the biggest idea I am ALWAYS working on,

being present in the moment,

In order to help the islanders remain in the present, 

the wild birds that are all over the island,

are trained to say,

"Here and now, boys. Here and now, boys."

Everywhere you go, a bird is chirping a reminder!

Hmmm...

It's all we really have on this glorious Wednesday...

Here and now, quilters! Here and now!

Thanks for dropping by!

Smiles!