Hot, Hot, Africa Hot!!

Quiltgranny Sharon and I were trying to figure out who it was/where it was that this phrase came into our lingo. It's Hot Hot, Africa Hot goes way back into when we first knew each other about 15 years ago. Either it was part of Interquilt, or when we were both part of a group called Electric Threads. Either way, let me tell you, I have found out what Hot Hot Africa Hot really feels like!



Yesterday morning (Since we didn't have to visit the night time needlers for a guild program til last night..which gave us most of the day OFF!) I thought I could beat it by going out for a long walk/jog at 7am. It was already hot....I did 5.25 miles, saw lots of cool things on the way, that were also turning Hot Hot Africa hot!

Partway down the road I crossed an overpass with this little brook running by. It looked so lush down in there I just had to snap a pic!



I kept running in the way that i do.....run a little, walk a little, run a little (okay mostly the down hills) walk a little, and I came upon these two fellas, and they followed me from one end of the fence to the other!




Well of course, we all know the best grass is on the OTHER side of the fence. They were so cute and friendly I couldn't help but rest a bit and give them both some rubs and ear tickles :cD



Isn't this so pretty? AND HILLY!? Just a beautiful morning for a long ribbon of country road.



But within a couple of hours, the heat sensor on the outside of the car read 108!! CAN YOU SEE IT?!? Yep, definitely a cause for HOT HOT AFRICA HOT!!


I did do some shopping damage while out yesterday. The red was 50% off. I needed a big piece for setting some blocks, and this is perfect! The oranges were gifted to me by Sharon and may end up as the binding on Creamsicles. The turquoise and limes? 50% off remnants at Joann's yesterday. I'm such a big spender..lol!



A while later, a nap and a lovely cool pasta salad dinner, made by Sharon's terrific hubby K was just what we needed to hit the road again to visit the Night Time Needlers guild. Look at this sign that saved us the BEST parking spot by the door! This just tickled me. I've never had a designated parking spot before :c)

By the time we were done....it was way past 10pm. Put the car on autopilot home, kick off the shoes, head to bed. Life really has been non stop since I arrived on Sunday!

Today is the BIG DAY for me. I'm being picked up in the next 15 minutes by my editor, Jenifer...and we are going to go do the Photo Shoot for the next book! Still Hot hot Africa Hot.....it's going to be INDOORS! Thank you very much! At least with this heat and humidity it will be easy to get the creases out of the quilts from shipping!

And tomorrow....Dorothy is clicking her heels and saying "There's No Place Like Home!" I'm back to NC by Dinner time!

It's Hot hot hot in KC, MO!

I arrived on Sunday at around 11am, this is after I was SUPPOSED to catch a 6am flight out of Greensboro, arriving at the airport at 4:45am (YAWN!) to be where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there.......only to find that the flight had been delayed Two HOURS!! Oh I could have used that two hours sleep!!

It actually worked out okay though, my connections were closer than originally planned and I got into Kansas City only 45 minutes later than I would have other wise.

I had one really neat experience on the flight. I was sitting in economy plus, in the bulkhead row. This plane was too small for real first class in other words, and the gentleman next to me asked if there were any service men on board. Just about this time a guy in army fatigues comes through the plane door and starts heading down the aisle to his place in the back. The man next to me told the stewardess to tell that man that he wanted to change places with him. He wanted to give him his economy plus seat. I was just really touched. It was the nicest gesture.

Yesterday we met with the Lee's Summit guild for a lecture/trunkshow and we sure had a great time. you should have SEEN the show and tell these ladies brought...I felt like I could just pack up my bags and go home, their work was FABULOUS! I just love that. It inspires me. It's great to be in a room with people who are as compelled to quilt as you are!


last night I finished quilting the Creamsicles quilt! We were watching a murder mystery and I put in the last stitches! WHooT! This has been compeltely stitched while on the road, and it has just been a joy to tell everyone who asks about the blocks and where they came from. It is a happy quilt and I love how I feel when I run my fingers across all the blocks! I'll get it bound when I get home. Sharon has gifted me some perfect orange fabrics that are going to finish it off just PERFECT!



So now..we are on to:



The more than 10 year old hexagon thing I started when still living in Idaho! I had needed a project to travel to Arizona to visit my grandmother in the hospital, not knowing it would soon travel with me to Minnesota for her funeral. I worked on it intermittently because it was always a good travel project, but in between moves and everything else, I really don't think I've touched it in 5 years >_< And it's time!



The "Mother Ship" has 4 of the 6 large points stitched on, The 5th one is ready to add, the last point needs one corner section, and then I'm off and doing some more motifs. I don't know if you can see this or not, but this is the graphpaper I taped together (LONG AGO!) and colored in how I thought I wanted the design to go:






And this looks like a dizzy kitty pic, but I caught Clyde as he was just deciding to get OFF the quilt...he had to come and inspect it too!

Today is going to be a longie...we have a guild meeting this morning and a half day afternoon workshop with the Greater Kansas City Guild, followed by another lecture/trunkshow at another guild in Olathe! Just color me tired by the end of this day. It's the longest one of the week.

Tomorrow I'll be with the Greater Kansas City quilters again for a full day Cathedral Stars workshop.

Thursday it's a lecture Trunkshow with the Night Time Needlers in North Kansas City.

FRIDAY IS MY PHOTO SHOOT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!! (I can so not wait! It's going to be a long hot day for sure) and Saturday I go home.

So if you don' get much from me over the next few days you'll know why!

Busy Weekend!

It's been go go go the past couple of days. Like that doesn't surprise anyone? Does it?

Thursday night I had a guild meeting presentation in Asheboro,and got to stay at my friend Mary's house.

Oops! I've just been interrupted by a car pulling in the drive! Jason has arrived to have a golf weekend with his Dad while I run off to Kansas City....

I had plans for many things today that just went out the window! I was going to piece a scrappy small top from leader enders and that left over piano key border piece so I can have another small hand quilting project for the plane tomorrow! (I guess if all else fails, there is that hexagon medallion thing that hasn't been touched in years..it can come, easily?? But I'd rather piece something new!)

I upgraded my laptop to Win7, and now my att wireless aircard seems to be incompatible, it freezes up when I try to install it, so I have to run to ATT store to get that sorted out. I need that on this trip, so that is also putting the piecing on the back burner.....

And I'm being called upstairs by the guys so I'll have to get back to ya'll later!

Have a great weekend! (And hold that thought!)

PA Souvenirs :c)

Guess what I finally unpacked yesterday! MY GOODIES! Yes, I know..I've been home a week, and this stuff was still in the bag on my cutting table down here. Yesterday afternoon I put a movie on, and cleared surfaces in my studio area...and I got to fondle this!:



I bought three of the flat folds at Sauders:



I was in search of things that would make great backings. They had a whole table that was $2.49 or some such ridiculously low price. Of course, you had to take the whole cut, so there are about 6 yards in each piece!



The brown/red/green one was from Zooks, and I think it was $2.29 a yard, with 4 yards in the piece.

That's the ONLY fabric that came home with me! But I had a lot of fun perusing the shops. One of the shops in Bird-in-Hand has a shop in the basement owned by one person, and then there is another shop up above. I can't remember the name, but I DID find the YLI hand quilting thread on the large wooden spools that I love in the basement shop. I love to quilt with colored thread, and I found a Cabernet, a Rust, and a funky pinky-tan that is called "mauve" but is ANYTHING but. It's a weird color, but I think it will look great against a lot of things. I also picked up another plastic thimble...still my favorite!

Oh, and the bulk foods at Sauders...lets just say that the peanut butter pretzels were gone before I ever got all the way home to Winston Salem :c) YUM! I love those.



Up above in the "main floor shop" I caught THIS on the rack! I was just so tickled, Especially to find it in a place so far and so different from my own home. I also enjoyed following THIS down the road: (These are things that make me slow down and breathe and appreciate...smell the roses--maybe that would be the CORN? etc...)



I know that people who live near these areas get used to seeing this. For those of us in areas that are not around this, believe me...it is hard to consider this as "Normal every day life". It just is. It fascinates me.



It just makes me think of what life would have could have been like for me if I were born 150 years ago. Not that I would choose that now...I mean....last night I cleaned my oven simply by setting the dial to CLEAN and completely cremated everything that was baked on. Do I want to go back to the days of cooking on a wood stove? No...but I did have "Little House on the Prairie" fantasies when I was a young girl (of course I was in love with Charles Ingalls! *LOL*)and seeing this takes me back to my childhood dreams.



At the Hershey show, after my lecture, I was gifted a special book by Jean Boyd! Jean must know that I ADORE books on antique quilts...there is more inspiration for my soul in these than in any amount of regular pattern books out there. This one is called "Quilted Memories of Schuylkill County (how do you PRONOUNCE THAT?!) All I know is it is full of beautiful quilts, the stories of their makers and information about the Schuylkill County area of Pennsylvania. Thank you Jean!



I also picked up a couple catalogue/programs from the Christ Collection, there was a display of antique 4 block applique quilts at the Hershey show, and one of the booklets goes with the display. Of course, no photography was allowed of the quilts, so I had to have the program right? Great for drooling and inspiration! And they had one of a previous viewing for 2009 as well, so...burn a hole in my pocketbook, I had to have them both.



Just a sampling...too many goodies in these to share them all!



I love how the green has faded to grey in this lovely....Oh. My. Goodness. I just might have to take up applique? I just LOVE it...it's the prep work that slays me. I'm a piecer, but I sure love the look of applique!



And anything ANYTHING with the makers name on it...big bold letters on the FRONT of the quilt? That is someone I wish I knew. It says to me: Here I am. I lived, I loved, I quilted. Who were you, Elizabeth?(Or is it really Eliza Beth ?) Would we, could we have been friends?

I have more pictures to show as I get time to edit them. As of right now, I'm running out the door for the gym, the bank, the pedicure :c) I'm teaching in Asheboro with a lecture tomorrow night and a Cathedral Stars workshop on Friday. Sunday I'm off to Kansas City and I don't return home until the 14th. August will be half over by then? It doesn't seem possible does it?

Color Trend Conspiracy!

I was asking for ideas on color choices the other day, posting the question to the Quiltvillechat@yahoogroups.com list, and to the Quiltville fans page on facebook "What three colors are wow to you right now?"

The majority of people, I'd say easily 80% All shouted out Lime Green! Fuscia! Turquoise! Orange! (okay, there are 4, but pick any 3 of those 4 mentioned and you get nearly the same effect! *LOL*)

I have this theory that there is a bunch of brain washing going on!

Especially amongst quilters who frequent TARGET!!!!

You want to know what I mean? Well just take a walk with me through target and see what I'm talking about......there are subliminal messages for quilt themes on EVERY AISLE!



Let's start with the school/office supplies. So, okay, highlighters have always been bright yellow, lime, orange, turquoise. So maybe...they were planting the seeds early on??



I love office supplies....especially when school is about to start! I love to see all the binders and organizers and goodies. Don't you?



This little notebook really wanted to come home with me. See! It's a conspiracy! It's not even FABRIC...it just LOOKS like fabric...it's getting under my skin!



School chalk in bright tropical colors. How come we never had these?! I think the conspiracy is to get the kids USING these colors so the parents become used to them.....it starts LONG before the fabric store!



It goes on to the lotions and deodorants! I still see a tropical theme going on....it's starting to hum a quilt tune to my brain! Orange! Purple! Lime! Fuscia! I can hear it...my fingers are starting to tingle! :cD



Who would have thought a shampoo end cap could have dangerous results for a quilter who is trying to tame her stash? Is this not madness?! It's everywhere I turn!



And this aisle blew my color senses!!



It's in the kitchen aisles! Little does DH know that this has me also contemplating changing the colors in my kitchen. Conspiracy indeed! Target, you are poison to my budget!



Summer dinnerware....I see some gorgeous turquoise lime and yellow (with a bit of raspberry) possibilities here, don't you? Uhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm! I'm feeling myself giving in, I can't hold back much longer!



Good grief! It's in the electronics department....even the CD labels are infiltrating our ability to think of color schemes ourselves. It seems the colors have already been chosen for us. We only THINK we are doing something "NEW AND FRESH!"



I'm running out of words.....are there any OTHER colors in the world other than Orange, Turquoise, Lime, Yellow and Fuscia?! ANY!? By this time I'm starting to feel like what's "New and Hot" is getting really,really OLD!



AAAAUUUUGHHHHH!! Our feminine products have gone to the Tropical Side! Do they think we will buy them more just because they are in these "NEW" cool hot colors? *snicker*



Okay. Lime, Orange, Fuscia, Turquoise on BLACK!! That's one we didn't think of before! We'll really buy into it now! ;c)

I came home exhausted from color sensory overload. It was like there were no colors in the world that existed beyond these tropical colors. I came back to my fabric...looked at what made me feel peaceful and content. Maybe I can tone it down a little. Maybe my next quilt doesn't have to match the shampoo aisle at Target to be considered "NEW"....the fabrics I already have have served me well and will continue to do so. Orange is always a staple around here, but maybe I want to try a different combination this time around.

For the November mystery...I need some warmth, but not HOT HOT HOT. So be ready. I've decided on Chocolate Browns, Raspberry pinks, Green (not bright lime...but you could use it if you want)and a deep red. Neutrals will be my canvas, whites to creams to beiges all the way to a light tan. My eyes like it better. My brain likes it better. It's my quilt.....I'll color it my way, and not feel like I have to follow some trend.....

(But I still think I need to go back and buy that NOTEBOOK I liked!!)

More Cheddar.....

This time in STARS!!

This is the one that really had my jaw dropping when I opened the box. You guys KNOW me..you know how I bleed cheddar and red! And I love small small small....and LOOK AT THIS!?

This is "NOT" a quilt I would ever make myself. I love the scale, but to do the whole thing in 3 fabrics? All those white open spaces for heavy hand quilting? I just can NOT make myself stay focused with my ADD to do it. I might dream it..I might want to, but I KNOW ME. (Knowing myself is half the battle!)

And as much as I was blown away by the stars (Just over 2 3/4" each)I was doubly blown away by the quilting. Or make that QUADRUPLY!? The alternate blocks are filled with quadruple rows of wavy lines followed by a negative unquilted space, and then the 4 wavy lines repeated again to fill the area. Just check this out!!

These stitches are smaller than the previous applique peony quilt I showed the other day. There are no answers for why....we don't even know if they were quilted by the same person. But this one could have been made earlier when the quilter had younger (and better!) finger control. The batting is thinner, which also allows for smaller stitches.



Can you see the cross-hatching in the small blocks between the stars?



I also love how this quilt was OBVIOUSLY not squared up before adding the binding...by all counts, this border was probably rippling with the wind before it was quilted, so is this a story of "It will quilt out??!" Look at those diagonal lines behind the border feather and how they alternate direction...AWESOME!



This pic is a close up of the quadruple parallel lines of the quilting behind the border feather. Look at those stitches!!



More close up of the border quilting. Be sure to click all these pics to make them BIGGER. Really, seeing it up close just gives me the tingles! (I'm sure my DH wishes I said the same thing about him..hehehe!)


The stars are also quilted with triple lines of quilting. Remember the scale...these stars are just over 2 3/4"..less than 3"....how many triple lines would you do in a 3" space? There are 15 lines of quilting in each 2 3/4" star.



I wanted to get a pic with the ruler to help show you the scale. Does this prove it to you?



How about if I plunk a 10 cent euro piece down...maybe THAT will give you a good idea :cD



Am I the only one who's mouth waters at quilting texture like this? I took this pic out on my back deck in natural light to see if I could get the quilting to pop....and pop it did! I really am in awe. I wish I knew the maker. As hard as I try, I can NOT get small stitches like this. I am a tall/big woman. My hands are NOT dainty, the distance between my knuckles and how my fingers bend pretty much dictates that I will not have the same small stitches as some small boned woman even though we use the same rocking stitch. This is beyond my ability, but oh how I love it!



And THIS my friends, is what inspired my pondering over the past week. This is why I feel compelled to leave a part of myself, my OWN SIGNATURE, directly on the quilt. See this signature? The family name is Adams. I believe it says A.S. Adams, February 18th, 1862

Dear Miss Adams,

I just wish I could let you know how much I love and appreciate being the care taker of your quilts. Seeing as the gentleman down your family tree "Couldn't Care Less" (Being of the male gender and all!) I think he did a real fine job of passing them on to someone who will cherish them the rest of her life. Thank You!