Stripes Stash

OK!

here they are . striped fabulousness. mine.

all mine.

I just loves me some fabric.

lots of it.

love it long time.

stripes are my all time favorite.

over it!!!!!!!!!!

Well obviously the annual family 4th of July wouldn't be complete with out some CRACK so here ya go. Courtesy of my 11yr old niece Bailey( enabler) and 14 yr old niece Taelor( addict). We were headed down to the boat for some fireworks on the lake. Never a dull moment.

Since I was unable to download a photo of the stash of striped fabrics I have acquired recently, I thought the butt shot might lessen the disappointment. Maybe not. Ok! on to the title of this post.....

Sometimes I surprise myself with what I look forward to and / or dread and what the actual result in reality is!
Case in point: going back to work at the Mart.
I was looking forward to it, truly.
Now that a week has come and gone I have to admit
I'M OVER IT! who knew it would come with such lightening speed?
I'm blaming it on a combination of many things:
1. My vocation in life. This used to be a job that made me feel like I was doing something that was directly related to my passion/knowledge/education.NOW= Trained monkey w/staple gun.
2.My direction in life. Now I am pursuing this independant/machine quilting/flower farmer/quiltmaker/quilt history studies/lecturer/teacher/quilt shop wanna be owner direction.NOW= feels like a step or two back.
3. Capacity to endure tales /trials of dysfunction in the(previous) work place.I used to just let it erode by the slow drip method. NOW= My perspective is crystal clear and my precious mental health just wont allow it!! It saddens me to see several of my friends still enduring. And the perpetrators are becoming even worse!
4. Current job stupidity. Working with unorganized cheap companies that hire inexperienced help that can't even speak clearly!what? WHAT???? Always time to do the job over again but never time to do it right the first time.NOW= I just hope I can hang on and work through this temporary situation until the end.
5. Superior additude. Been there done that . I'm EVOLVING ... Experiencing personal growth!Working towards goals. Movin' on kids!! Not settling into a comfort zone ! WHAT A RELIEF to realize this!!!

Well Hey and Yeay!

Tomorrow is my last day at the greenhouse ! That's a good thing because today was painfully stupid. Mostly because I have "somewhere else brain". You know.... when you've finally made the decision to go on vacation , move on ,change your hairdo, get a new car...whatever!!I't almost impossible for me to focus on the present because I'm too busy wondering and planning for the big thing thats coming up!!In this case its not so much a big thing, but the next thing!!I will miss the view across the street. I watched the farmer pick up those hay bales 2 at a time and then fly across the field to put them all in a row. I mean that tractor was screamin!
All this week the boss has been giving away flats of annuals with any purchase of 25$ or more( which is really 50$ because everything is half off....) boy, people were just thrilled when they found out. ( I was instructed not to tell them until they had actually made the purchase, because I'm so sure the customer would stop at 25$ .....) my boss is not a retail wiz .......in fact he is one of those people who come out smelling like a rose despite himself. ( Top notch staff and sales crew no doubt!!!) So in retrospect.....I think it was a positive experience overall. I made some new friends, bought some more perennials(on sale!!) for my cut flower farm plans... and got an awesome( but slightly wierd ) tan . If I do it again next year,I know things would have to change. The line would have to be drawn somewhere regarding overtime. We did not get extra pay for over 40 hours, not to mention the lack of discount for employees. This is unheard of in my many many years of retail experience. I wanted to try selling at the the European Market(farmers market) this year but was unable to even have a normal life this past Spring. Due mostly to the insane greenhouse hours and the quilt show on top of it all. But hey live and learn right ?? Well..... hopefully!!!Speaking of ........on to Chicago and the daily drama that is
( DUN DUN DUN!!.).....THE MERCHANDISE MART!!!!!!

This should be fun for awhile , I hope.Let us keep our fingers crossed that I don't run into my ex-bosses lest I tell them exactly what I think of their dysfuntional duo and the sleezeball they still pimp themselves out for. Me bitter? Nah!

Hello Again!!!!!

Well.... It's been a few months since I've had the chance to get going on the ol blogger and I do apologize.......
Stuff has been going on:
frog poo on my spigot,
flowers bloomin and ..........mostly workin at the greenhouse( full-time plus hours!!) the past months also.....
getting ready for my guild quilt show(finishing client quilts,sewing hanging sleeves on my own, getting my stuff together for my vendor booth!) that has now come and gone............. so I have been busy!!!!!!















The above 2 purple flowers are lovies I've brought home from the greenhouse....passion flower vine and a delphinium. Needless to say I've drug home quite a few specimens ..especially when the 50% off hit ( we don't get a discount normally...shame on my boss!!) Today I called off , thunderstorms predicted and I hate being in that greenhouse during a storm!!!!!!! My last day is Thursday anyway .Next week I go back to Chicago to work at the Merchandise Mart for Hinson and Co......they are expanding and remodeling their showroom space and were in need of some experienced temporary merchandising help . This should be fun because I will be working with and across the hall from previous co-workers... I couldn't ask for a better temporary gig!!Uh.... not to mention all the discontinued fabric samples I get to drag home!!Tragic, really!!!

Testing!!!!!!!

Well the ol Blogger had some issues today. Naturally!
Cause I had prepared a farm fresh Springy ode to the old Polish lady who planted tons of stuff in her barefeet half a century ago in this very locale.
Sniff!
So....here's a little tip for all you XXL coffee drinkers who may have to mix up yer morning caffeine in the studio.
Without a large wooden spoon don't cha know!
This has been working for me for 2 weeks now.
Inkpens just weren't tall enough!!
Yet another reason to sing the praises of knitting.
So here's a mini indoor Spring thing.
Note the Rosemary in the discarded Penland pottery,the Jack -in-the- Pulpit to the left and the 2 very lovely and juicy Columbine in the foreground.
Please ignore the beat-up-left-over-from-Chicago-days-coffee-mug.
The 5-gallon buckets just weren't so portable.

Ode to Mrs. Pudlo

Back in The Day........circa 1949 Mr. and Mrs Pudlo built this house on the chunk of property that is now my farm, my neighbors property and a few acres that are owned and farmed by the neighbors down the road. Mrs. (Grandma) Hay across the road proclaims that Mrs. Pudlo used to garden in her bare feet. She could be found most days doing this.
I had heard tales of the colorful bulbs that would pop out every spring and this cemented my will to own this place.
The yard had a lot of random planted tree and bush wierdness, the driveway was completely overgrown but I couldnt wait to see what a new season would bring.

There are tons of tulip, daffodil and narcissus bulbs, violets, peonies, sweetpeas,and garlic growing in a spot I call "My Meadow". I have been plucking away at 50 plus years of
garlic overgrowth and various weeds.Some years more than others.This Spring has been the most abundant I can remember.
Or maybe its because
now that I am not working in the city, I have been able to enjoy the daily flora and fauna surprises that happen here at my farm.
I am looking forward to spending more time restoring and adding to Mrs. Pudlos work.
Once Spring hits its almost imposible for me to remain inside ,but I have quilts with deadlines and the least amount of housework I can get away with!!
What's that?
I hear my windowboxes calling to me ,pleading to be planted!!!
OK!OK! Twist my arm, but after I get some quilting in!!!




My Larch is larching!! According to the local nursery owner these trees, this size, in this area is rare!They are more common in the Northwest area of the country. Lucky me!!And they produce the cutest mini pinecones!!

Chicago/Houston International Quilt Festival

Here are a few of the pictoral quilts that really blobbed my nob tab. The top one on the right with the yellow flowers is by Ruth Powers I think she is the one who won viewers choice for her 3 robins quilt. Great Stuff!!!

Apologies to my 3 fans.....AND big city stories

Sorry !! I know it's been a while and all 3 of you out there are checking everyday to see if anything exciting is going on here at the farm.......I do have to say that I have been working full time at the new greenhouse gig . I am loving it but it makes me just plain ty-red at the day's end.

OK soooooooo.

Fyyyyyyyuuuuuuuh!

Well it had to happen and now our friend Rich (the pyro) can sleep at night.

Until the next seasonal accumulation.

And if you happened to miss it this time...(sorry..it just kind of happened with out a lot of pre planning) you will be getting an engraved invitation to the next one.

Who knows maybe there will be a wedding thing too at the next one. OK! OK! Maybe.

So I made the trip into the big city today to surprise my friend Lauren at lunch. Her birthday is sunday and I havent seen her or the old Chicago work crew since last year around this time.She was completely surprised and pleased .....and preggers!!!!! Due in August.She looked adorable and I know she is going to be a great mom. Plus she will finally get out of that crazy place!!

I first started blogging so that my friends in the city would be able to check in on my comings and goings and antics out here on the farm. And I obviously had a relating- to- people -on- a- daily- basis need that wasn't getting met Alas most of them didn't get the" blog thing".. but.......

Today was like a welcome back party for me actually. I've never worked with a group of people that have made me feel like my daily presence is truly something they miss . It was so great to see all of them plus a few of the co-workers from other showrooms.

I got all the low down on the dirty deeds of the company owner(unethical grabby old gross schmoozer cheezeball) and his thong girl thing and both of their impending divorces.Gross. Such a surprise.And the updates on the "Dyfunctional Duo"management team. Will she and her brother finally "do it"after a planned romantic vacation together?Will his elderly father have to move in and find out after 45 years that his son is gay? Stay tuned for another episode of "The Mart Memoirs". Oiy. NONE of this surprises me , nor do I miss the daily draaaaahmah.But it was a bit entertaining to hear these tales. Not to mention the recurring feelings of mental instability while I was employed there.How on earth did I deal with all that stuff?

It WAS THEM( crazy!) not me! ( I KNEW IT!)

Ahhhhhhhh what a perspective a year doth make.

Sproing!!( Life is short... Stay out of Knox, Indiana ! )

Well yeay! SPRING! It finally showed up for a day! Here are just a few of the lovilies blooming here at the farm.

And as you can see the dogs were happy for the promise of better outside conditions.( they have inside heated quarters,too if they so choose)



I managed to get a few wheel barrow loads of willow sticks picked up ( tons yet to get to later...)

When Dougie came home a bit early and forced me( hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!) to go for a ride on the bike.He really had to twist my arm.OK! OK! Ouch! that hurts!Stop! I said OK! !!!!!!!!!not!

We took a ride down to N. Judson to Bailey's Discount Warehouse, looking for surplus bathroom stuff. I had heard tales of aisles and aisles of beef jerky but was quite disappointed. Must have been an urban( well maybe not so urban) myth.
I did find (at bargain prices!) :

SUCH AMAZING DEALS!!!!!

Quite the selection of Halloween 05 candy( Fresh Gummy Lifesavers!)I put the Giradelli chocolate back on the shelf...

Foodservice size cappacino mix ( hard to find Pumpkin flavor!had to try..)

Bath and Beauty Products: 10 bar(2 bonus!) count Dial Citrus Sensation Soap.....
Healing Garden Green Tea Therapy( my fave!!) gift set:cologne
and shower gel!
Needless to say, I got over the lack of beef jerky selection.

But the most remarkable thing about this outing was the encounter at the Knox Burger King.
Doug had parked the bike in front after getting some gas . We had just sat down to inhale our burgers when in walks this woman.She walks up to us and asks if it was our bike.Well yes .( duh those are helmets on our table)She then proceeds to inform us of her recent motorcycle upgrade( which up to this point is typical biker chit -chat) But then....... goes into how she had 5 miscarriages, a brain aneurism,was in a coma for months,came home, was in diapers,couldn't talk or walk...(20 minutes later, we had finished eating!) and is now riding her own Harley. Pretty amazing stuff( if it was true..) makes me want to ride my own........
If I hadn't stood up to put my jackets on, we would still be there listening to her story.
On the way home I was commenting on the encounter.
Naturally I was amazed by the incident.
Doug insists stuff like that happens in Knox all the time.
I'm thinking we were just a fresh audience!

Finished!!!

I finally finished this customer quilt. The dark fabric is a nice teal batik.This is a traditional Hawaiian design,hand appliqued and machine quilted in the traditional echo method.It belongs to my best customer Penny.I know it is very special to her. She was working on it as therapy during an ongoing personal health challenge. I suppose it symbolizes her overcoming that situation.This type of applique requires a level of patience and skill which, in itself, is quite an accomplishment! Hat's off to Penny!!!

NEXT!!!!!!!!!!

Tax preparer before the Gin& Xanex flight...
Well kids......I finally did it!
I quit my job Tuesday.It's OK really!!
My tax professional gave me permission.
(Thanks Mom!!)
So.....let's make a list of the things I won't miss!
1. Wearing a blue hair bonnet.(sexy!)
2. Dried out ,cracking skin on my hands.
3.Puree'd meat of any variety.
4.Chunks of food schrapnel on my person.
5.Melanie, queen bitch and mental abuser.
6.Improper verbage.(have tooken,ain't got)
7.Daily wearing of support hose.
8.Coming home with wet shirt,pants,grundies.
9.Making less than 200 a week.
10.Cleaning and changing the oil in the deep fryer twice a month.
11.Emptying the garbage cans.
12. Taking out the garbage and recycling.
13. Having to scream just to be heard.
14. Cuts on my hands from stainless steel pans.
15. The daily downward spiral into negative mental self-imagery.(LOSER!!!!!)
16. Physical and mental exhaustion resulting from #15
17. Feelings of hopelessness resulting from #15 and #16
THINGS I WILL MISS.........
1.Tegan
2.Kathy
3.Bacon ,Bacon,Bacon
4.That deeelish lemon custard layer cake thing.
5.Feeling intellectually superior on a daily basis.

Let's just say that I have been enjoying my newfound freedom immensely!!.I have been discovering new blogs with even more inspirational content.Which in turn leads to new ideas and possibilities for the future.I took a short roadtrip with a fellow long-armer today and we tossed around some ideas for our up and coming dog-and-pony-show for the quilt guild circuit.Not to mention ideas for saleable goods and educational opportunities and offerings.

I guess I could say that this job gave me the thing I needed to get back on the right track.
Motivation!!!To get out and focus on what makes me inspired and energized.It's amazing how much energy that job took out of me and how much I have now without it sucking me dry.

This also prompts me to remind everyone to listen to the good advice your tax preparer may give you.Especially if it's your mom!!

Laporte County Fair Darling and ramblings......

I love this pic of this goat!!!
2 years ago we were there eating fried cheese and perusing the various animal barns..( cause they MISS ME if I don't come to visit every year..) and I was playing with my new digital camera." Miss Thing "here was obviously ready for her close up!! I went back the next year hoping to find the owner so I could send them a potrait but alas...So she remains a mystery.

Seems i've been in a funk lately(still!) I worked myself into a rightous fit of mad most of the day
at work. I was ready to walk at the slightest off color comment or glance.
Could have just been low blood sugar.HUH! Or maybe the fact that my job(HATE! HATE!HATE!IT!!!) is making me feel like a moron.(cause I am,cause I'm still doing it) I did work on my new knitting project briefly at lunch .......but .........How bout that full moon? Well, now THAT sure as hell doesn't help but makes better sense of things. For today anyway!
I stopped by the house-with-the-cats on the way home and treated them to some DELISH FISH leftovers...and when I pushed in the brake to put the ol truck in R....the pedal went all the way to the floor! And as you all know ,as they say in these here parts, THAT AINT GOOD!

So.........Poor Dougie Fresh will be starting his vacation with an early haul- my -ass- to- work and then to the auto parts store.I still can't believe he doesn't curse the day he met me and my never ending lawnmower/house/vehicle /pet repair predicaments.

I have been inspired almost daily( BIG HUGE YEEEEAY!) by the creative people out there sharing and blogging .I think back to the time when there wasn't this internet option .And it was a dark time indeed. How did you find people to connect with, talk shop with?It was so exciting when and IF you did and hopefully they didn't think you were a freak because you were just too excited beyond words and hoped your head didn't explode in their face because you could hardly contain yourself!!

So now I'm cranked and ready to start dyeing again!!I want to begin with something I can use in my knitting...hopefully sell at the quilt show in June.....I've got a ton of ideas,been researching wholesale dyeable yarn sources but no $ for implementation.It's the proverbial catch 22.And it's been messin with my serenity.So less blogs cause I don't want to bum anyone out.Positive people...... Im tryin to stay POSITIVE!!!

So go ahead and send cash or checks or chocolate or cheddar chex mix (the 4 C's!) to help support this" Struggling Artists Midlife Crisis Fund".For every donation received you will get a !Free!!!!!!!Flaming-Bag-O-Cat-Poo Kit!!!!! NO Muss NO Fuss!!!!!!!!!Just Light and Toss.... on the overpaid elected government officials doorstep of Your Choice!!!! Act Now!!!
You must be 18 or older ...Size,color and quantity may vary..
freshness Not guaranteed....One offer per household per day please...

Is it Any Wonder????

QUILT FROM TOKYO QUILT FEST





Today I had to take the just finished -under-the-wire- Russian Quilt to the Post Office.( No this isnt it! See previous post"From Russia with Love") Since I had to work and the P.O. is just across the street I took it to work and planned on shipping it during one of my breaks.One creative co-worker in particular I knew would be interested .So I brought it to show her and she did seem to enjoy seeing it. Now I have to ask you...how often do you get to see a handcrafted item from Russia?? In person? At your work? Now I know these weren't the usual audience of quilt guild members.And I know this is Monday morning at 8:00 am. I didn't bring it because I have to have attention brought to every stinking thing I create or quilt.There were 3 positive responses. One asked me more questions and actually knew what a long-arm was!The rest of the groups response was akin to any reaction associated with...... oh say......a lint roller.(But not the waay cool big paint roller ones!)

Is it any wonder I search the internet daily just to visit the sites of the people doing, making,teaching, musing creating and inspiring through sharing their passion?

Today on the "Fibermania!" site Melody was singing the praises of connecting with her students.That's it in a nutshell. Connecting and sharing =inspiration.

I know I have to be in the same proximity of these co-workers. I do try to make the best out of it everyday.Today was the realization of what I knew I previously suspected but tried to ignore.

I still gotta get out of there!

More from the "In Progress Department"

This close up is what my friend Vickie was working on while we were in Shipshe. She blows me away with her accuracy, attention to detail,color and design choices.Unlike myself she gets them SQUARE and FLAT!! As do most of the other quilt makers in our renegade group....with the exception of one red-headed stepchild.


.......................and another..............by that stepchild......also known as "Liberated Quilmaking"!!
Gotta love Gwen Marston!!!

"Black" ( sheets of empty canvas)

This in progress top has been entitled " Black". Our quilt guild had proposed creating a quilt category for our show for quilts inspired by songs. Who else would name a quilt after a "Pearl Jam" song???? Well how 'bout "Pearl Jan"?
Come on!!
You know you want to too! Gotta keep the quilt ladies guessin!!
.....She lived on a curve in the road...in an old tar paper shack.......

Is it SPRING yet?

It happens every year... right around this time. Usually I could blame it on the lack of sunlight,but this year has been very unusual. Instead of counting the days without it....I've lost track of how many days we've actually had sunny blue skies.Im not complaining..I wish winters around here were always like this.

I feel like I'm stuck in this major rut!

Maybe its just cabin fever.I'm even tired of being in my studio. I haven't been out much...work does not count!! My first clue was when I drove over to Mich City to the Hob Lob to meet a new client and pick up a quilt top. It was like I had been set free!! I went to Meijer and poked around at the yarn( shah!) and found the generic dayrunner calendar stuff I was looking for...and then just to make sure I went to Office Max to get the other size I needed....That was last week. I certainly havent been as productive as I would like. Poking around on the internet ,researching undyed yarn suppliers, art quilt bloggers in Florida.....I did some updating of my website but I'm still in the template mode.And I was sick yesterday.

I have a million things I could be doing....just stuck in a Funk....
I have to get this Russian quilt done....tomorrow!
Ok!!!! Im going to fight Funk with Funk... tomorrow I am going to find a radio station that will get me movin...there's got to be something on Sirius radio.....Funky Funky but Chic...!
Funky But Funky But Alright alright alright alright!!!!! that's it !! I'm on the right track now!!

From Russia with Love!!

Check this out!! This quilt top was made in Georgia, Russia by a group of 10 women.
This group is being taught and mentored by Karen Musgrave of Naperville, IL. She has been over there to teach and help gain grants and help these women to create native Georgian art they can sell for income. Living conditions over there are quite challenging. They have electricity or gas or water for only a few hours a week.Employment opportunities are sparse if at all and not for a fair wage for sure.She has since made several friends there and you can read about her travels at http://www.quiltalliance.org click on the Center for the Quilt , weblog and the Georgia entry.
The man
in the image is a bishop from the 10th or 11th century( nobody can remember exactly who he is)
and the lettering is the old Georgian alphabet.I am very honored to have the opportunity to be part of this global collaboration!!The quilt will be on exhibit at the traveling Quilt National Exhibit in Bloomingdale, IL in July!! First it will be shown at the Pride of the Prairie quilt guild show on March 10 and 11 also in Illinois..... in a chicago suburb I'm not exactly sure of ...more details later.....now on to the quilting!!!!!!!!

Shipshewana 2006

Well another fun and productive retreat we had. Lots of inspiration. Now I really want to attempt something other than my typical big block thing. Thanks guys. Mostly I made some design decisions I had been hemming and hawing about.It's also the tought part.Now that I know what its going to look like I tend to lose interest.Our quilt guild is having our show this June so I need to get these sewn together and quilted (DUH!) for our show. The more examples I have the better chance I have of getting more business.It's a theory.
We stayed at the Farmstead Inn, which has many options for conventions and in our case sewing marathons. And a pool!
Lolly's has opened their new shop in the bigger and better Davis Mercantile which is a must see. Huge wooden beams and a very large tree trunk smack dab in the middle of the center staircase. And JO JO's pretzels. Instead of dinner.
We stopped in to say hello to Rebecca Haarer at her shop of course. Then on to next door where I snagged a cool old quilt top and some vintage red striped sack fabric.Almost bought the black velvet riding cap with the bow but decided it wouldn't go with my not so formal carhartt coat.But no matter!
Yoder's was our first stop of course. Who knew I would find some comfy winter clog slip ons along with my obligatory fabric purchase????
We have booked our quilting retreat next year to coincide with the" 30% off if you wear your PJ's" sale at Lolly's next year.Sorry but that's not even a challenge.Go ahead! Give me a discount for not getting dressed!!How bout an extra fat quarter if I don't comb my hair? hahahahahahahah

1969

Whoops! All I wanted to do was post a small pic near the profile title. help please.

Meowy Christmas

B'Olivia doing her " Love you long time" thing

LOVE THIS GUY IN THE HAT!The girls are diggin him too.....Santa Baby!............

So........this is my second attempt . so far sew good.
This is the extent of my Holiday decorating.And now since I've had this card( Meredith Parmelee Stone,Getty Images) on my desk for more than a week, I can't get the Jose' Feliciano song out of my head. Thanks Mom! again.


Snarf and Mama playing hard to get.( whatever! we were NAPPING!)