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.