Happy New Year!

The Christmas tree was beautiful.

And it was a white Christmas in upper state New York.















Yes, I experienced the Arctic Blast, 
but managed to do a bit of seasonal sketching--snowscapes and shopping.

I tried to catch up in "The Circus in D.C." journal--to no avail.

I worried a bit at the airport...would we be snowed in?

But, we arrived at JFK for the final boarding of the flight home...close call. It was -11 F. at JFK. That's -24 C. It was a l-o-n-g trip.


Although I miss the kids and grandkids, I've never been so happy to return to my dusty corner of the world, where it is pleasantly warm (in the 60°s F.) and green.



My old bed quilt greeted me cheerfully last night. It will take me into 2018. 

And may the New Year bring you many blessings 

and lots of creativity!

How Did This Happen???

I turned the page on my calendar and there it was, the first Christmas tree and reminder of the coming holiday season...How did this happen??? Seriously???It seems like just yesterday I was making my calendar for 2017...just yesterday...

After getting over the shock, I decided that I should at least end the year with a finish, a big finish. So I pulled out the Pomegranate Tree and realized there wasn't much left to do. I've been stitching a few weeds and cutting bias binding. The end is in sight.











And in the meantime, I've been covering the white lattice of my worn utility quilt with triangles and squares (needle-turn appliqué). This quilt whispers to me in the evening, cheering me up with its colors, reminding me that "slow and steady" is a good way to work.

Trying to Make Sense of It All, 3

The weather is beautiful so outdoor work fills my days. Once the sun sets, I pick up my needle...and frequently nod off. But, still, I'm making some progress on my old quilt. 

In the meantime, I'm still working on this journal that documents the mess in Washington, D.C.

However, you can imagine the difficulty of keeping up with such relentless news cycles.

The cast of characters rivals the Cirque du Soleil.

The words and expressions continue to intrigue me.

The problem: 

I don't see how all this can end well...

for anybody...

Out & About

On errand days interesting subjects cross my path.

   





I try to catch people in movement.







Then there are the buildings, neighborhoods, and streets that look so different from where I grew up in Oregon.










Traffic presents challenges: we drove behind a shovel contraption (no idea what it is called these days--is it still a steam shovel?).



And our favorite small restaurant always has interesting possibilities.

The Beach, 2: Memories of Summer

Two activities keep me attentive to the moment when I go to the beach--stitching and sketching. 

The landscapes and the colors under the Tunisian sun are enticing

And the gardens are bewitching.

People-watching entertains me. We see lots of Russian tourists basking in the sun for hours, as if they will never see it again once they return home (this may be true).

A child's drawing of women served as a background for a sun-bather. I liked the contrast.

Usually, I have to sketch rapidly ...and then I turn the page.











Contour sketches without looking too much at the paper fill my pages.












Quite possibly, palm trees are my favorite subject.

In the meantime...

I Just Wanna Stitch! 2

Progress is slow, but steady, on my worn bed quilt.

Another hole required attention, the beginning of another set of wings.

Yeah, I know, another big project. 

Stitching into the wee hours of the night...

My friend's antique quilt, made by her grandmother and great-grandmother in Pennsylvania, gave me a diversion this summer. 


There was a rather large hole in the middle (mice, maybe?) that just begged for repair. 


Having mostly fabric from used clothing in my stash, it was easy to find similar fabrics and colors.
The repair job is almost invisible.




While I stitched and admired the work on this quilt, I could hear the makers whispering to me across the generations. I recorded the quilt's history on a tag stitched to the back. 

Of course, this made me remember that my grandmother's quilts await me for repairs. I would like to talk to her for awhile...

I Just Wanna Stitch!

The weather is lovely and warm, not too hot--Autumn in Tunisia is so pleasant, my favorite season along with Spring.

Autumn means that it's time to get ready for winter, and the house needs winter-proofing. Shutters, doors, and wrought iron work all need coats of paint...lots to do outside.

However, as soon as the sun goes down, you will find me in Grandma's rocking chair, stitching until the wee hours on my aging bed/utility quilt. This quilt talks to me so much that I drape it over the rocking chair in the morning and, while I exercise and listen to the news, I enjoy the progress I made the night before. 

Yes, it sings to me--

I just wanna stitch!

  

The Beach, 1

Warm weather and a beach culture define life in Tunisia. Mr. M. grew up on lovely, sandy beaches while I grew up in the shadow of mountains and rain forests. However, I have adapted. 

Once in a while we spend a weekend at the beach 45 minutes away. While Mr. M. wades into the sea, I hit the swimming pool and then join him under a parasol. If I can find a comfortable chair or chaise-long in the shade, I can now enjoy the beach for hours...as long as I don't have to go into saltwater.


For this excursion, I took an old friend that I have been working on occasionally for 7 years. 

It has whispered to me over the years, but, it never said anything to me clearly. I have waited patiently.











And while I stitched for hours under a glaring sun, and listened and ruminated, it finally spoke to me in a loud voice.

It is now part of my series on the passage of time that shreds the fabric of life. It gave itself a simple name: "Her Sun Set".

Now that this piece has spoken, I can see where it is going--still many more holes to stitch under a Tunisian sun...

A Summer Adventure

Maybe it's because of the heat (temperatures are still hanging around 100° F.) or maybe it's because summer is coming to an end, but, I felt a sudden urge to "fix" my bed quilt while gluing myself to the A/C.







This quilt has been on my bed for 20 years: the white lattice work looks a bit yellowed and at least one fabric is popping holes and shredding, while others have faded. 


A simple design, squares on point in a lattice, it now seems an appropriate metaphor for my life, for aging...



But wait! My quilt (like me) is certainly not going into retirement!

We're sprucing things up!

I began one corner with Jude Hill a number of years ago (the Diaries, maybe?), who had a wings theme going (and who is coming back to that theme, by the way). At the time, I thought more of Icarus, however, this has evolved into part of my aging series--the idea of life's wings shredding, filled with holes, yet beautiful. 

I am pleased that this regenerated corner has held up very well thanks to the added needle-turned fabric, embroidery and quilting.

In this new section, I first hand-stitched a wide purple layer (attached only at the middle third), then I needle-turned a square of new fabric into the middle.






I added a light purple fabric into the square (needle-turned), but have left the outer edges free.  














Now I am adding light fabrics underneath to cover the white lattice strips. I should have started with this step...maybe...of no importance...

Yes, I'm having fun despite the heat. Will I ever finish my utility quilt? No idea, but it gives me a sense of adventure. Soon I will be cutting into those pretty fabrics and going wild!


P.S.: Jodi asked to see my wall quilt in the previous post. I look at it every day and it gives me joy. These are the colors of Tunisia; these are the colors of my life.

Still Here...

Yes, I'm still here despite bumps in the road--like a 9-day severe heat wave (if only the temperature would drop to 90°!). In addition, the internet has been down for over a week, so I had to find a temporary solution. Amazing how attached we become to that magic box...

However, over all it has been an excellent summer. The Little People (who can now look me in the eye, not so little anymore) have come and gone, leaving an empty house. I have been cleaning up my studio, trying to keep up with my "Circus in D.C." journal. It would seem that those people don't believe in vacations.


I was thinking of doing a small sketch on fabric when I ran across my standing calendar. The rules I set for myself were simple--Be fast: no stitching, only glue, fabric and maybe pen or Inktense pencils.

I sketched several trees seen from my window, after gluing on fabrics. The calendar has a spot in my living room.








Gee, that was fast and fun!

Hope you've had a creative and exciting summer, too!