What's going on

I joined a minigroup of quilters through the local quilt guild, EBHQ. With a wide range of experience, the challenge would be keeping the more experienced ones interested. We agreed to at least start by working through The Art Quilt Workbook by Jane Davila and Elin Waterson. Not in sequence though.

Started with the chapter on piecing. Here's my four-leaf sampler from Piecing Workshop by Ruth McDowell.
And a nine-patch using double cutting methods from Quilting Outside the Box by Sandi Cummings with a free-pieced center block.






I can't see making wall hangings out of either of these samplers. They will morph into throw pillow covers. At least they'd provide an opportunity for machine quilting. Maybe even FMQ.

Our second chapter was on collage. Due to life, I have nothing to show for this.

Third, working with photos. This from the pear pattern provided in the book.
A more complicated piece based one of my photos.

They're small, so-o-o hand quilting? No border either, just a binding.

Masked bandits

Aaargh! I didn't get to enjoy the fruits of my own labor!

I planted four fruit trees one and a half years ago. Each was multi-grafted to produce four varieties of each fruit. Last summer the squirrels got the few fruits they produced. Or so I thought.

This summer, there were only a few apricots and European pears but many Asian pears and loads of plums. More than enough for me and the squirrels, right? I was willing to share but got short changed.

Fruit was gone before it was even ripe. I managed to pick a few plums to ripen on the counter. But the Asian pears were gone way early. I got nary a one. Maybe the squirrels invited all their distant relatives for dinner. But I had other suspicions.

One tell-tale sign was poop in my back yard. We don't have a dog and these weren't from the neighborhood cats or squirrels. Another sign were the broken branches. Unless squirrels got way fat and lead footed.

Then about 8pm one evening my headlights spotted them crossing the street about two blocks down the hill. Four raccoons. Big healthy ones. The rascals!

Fruit season is over now. I'd probably paid more just for water for these few fruits than they would've cost in the grocery store. I am scheming to keep these bandits out next year.

Postscript

Nancy mailed back my first check and envelope. The one that took two months to reach its destination.
It's all my own dang fault! In the interest of making a smaller earthly footprint, I used a pre-addressed envelope from somewhere. Stuck on a stamp, a return address label, and another label over the previous address and I was good to go. Wrong!
USPS directed it based on the pre-printed bar code instead of looking at the address on the label. The envelope was covered with markings and cancellations from the many detours that envelope took.
Tripped up by technology. Next time I'm being green, I'll know to cover up or cross the bar code out.

Glitch

I almost lost my spot in Nancy Crow's workshop.

The balance was due 6/1. My check went in the mailbox outside my office building on 5/27. But it hasn't been cashed. If that were still the case at the end of July, I planned on calling her.

She beat me to the punch! 7/16: Nancy left a message to the affect that she hadn't received the balance and she could give my spot away! Oh no! My plans! My reservations! My aspirations! It was late, but I left a voice message plus e-mailed her.

When we connected the next morning, she graciously promised to hold my spot. Whew! Another check in the mailbox directly outside the post office within hours. With five days for mail from California to Ohio, I e-mailed her yesterday to watch for it.

She replied that both checks arrived on 7/21 with both envelopes date stamped 7/17. How is that? Did my first check need a travelling companion? Did they somehow meet up somewhere? Did my snail-mail mantra work? Is someone up there testing me?

Any how, I am enrolled. I am going. But just in case, I am blessing the trip and workshop with another mantra. Other blessings gladly accepted.

A new leaf

I've hand sewn a leaf together - one three for my very first hand appliqué project started in Gabrielle Swain's workshop. The raw edges and ink marks are because it hasn't been appliquéd to the background fabric yet.

For expediency, I used a photo of an autumn leaf from Sierra magazine to make a pattern. I could have found an actual leaf or with a little research drawn my own leaf pattern – if I were more prepared or together. But I wasn't and I'm not.

The northern red oak grows mainly in the northeastern states and is not common in California. The leaf points and undulating edge make it a great shape. I was determined to finish at least one to test the technique and process even if I never do it again.

Hallelujah! I like hand appliqué. I'm not tied to the sewing machine and can take it just about anywhere without a lot of paraphernalia. It's relaxing repetitive work I can indulge in for a few minutes here and there. A Slow Quilt Movement?

All the recent talk on copyright issues on quiltart instilled a healthy respect for artists' rights. I wrote to the photographer identified in the magazine, Christopher Griffith. His book really captured the glory of autumn leaves. You can view it on his website. I requested permission and offered him credit on the label. Waiting for a reply before proceeding further with this leaf.

And if he does not reply? Or grant permission? I really like this leaf. Am I prepared to start again with another leaf?

Movie night

I am not a regular movie go-er. These days most movies seem to display pumped up testosterone more than anything else. Not something on which I'd want to spend a couple of hours and $10. Especially when movies show up on dvd in what seems like just weeks later. Not that I'd rent them then either.

When Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released, I made a point to see it. I've seen every previous Indiana Jones movies and always like watching Harrison Ford. So last Saturday – we had a hot spell and the house was an oven – I caught a late afternoon showing at the air-conditioned theater. Ah, relief from the heat!

Though I enjoyed it, I found some characters more like caricatures – the evil Nazis, the primitive natives, the greedy double crossing friend. I also winced at the HUMONGOUS footprint the movie made. In the chase through the Amazon, they plowed through a lot of vegetation. And imagine the cultural loss if all those native warriors were actually killed. I am always amazed by the wonton destruction of people and property in any movie. And the survival skills of certain characters.

Yeah, it's fiction – just a movie. That's not to say the destruction did not happen. How big a footprint does making an action flick like this actually leave?

A movie action does not make. I'd just like to see less action and more character or plot development. More thought. More balance. More shades of gray. Not just invincible heroes and ultimate villains.

Am I among only a few who wants this from movies?