a new swiss one

Inspired by jude, I wove a few strips of fabric into the fringe I had already added to the white sampler. We brought in a few of the last of the roses and my husband added a new nutcracker to his collection.

rosemary and roses

Yesterday I took photos of rosemary and roses growing in our side yard. Today it is almost snowing . . . little flakes fluttering around but quickly turning into rain . . . and I'm thinking about working on a project in white.

Update: now it actually is snowing.

sunset revisiting

Last night's sunset inspired me to revisit this small pinwheel wip.

All this time I've been spelling her name incorrectly.

She was my daughter's cat and Laura named her Princess Amidala, from Star Wars. (I just looked up the correct spelling.) We usually call her Pretty Kitty Dalla or Dalla.

Judy Gelzinis Donovan

Last night's Main Line Bead Society meeting featured a program by Judy Gelzinis Donovan, a textile artist, beader and teacher. Born in Philadelphia but raised on the tiny island of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, she became fascinated with beads and textiles using vibrantly colored tropical fabrics, raffia, cowrie shells and beads. Her work, primarily garments and woven beadwork, has been shown nationally and internationally in juried shows, galleries, as well as in invitation-only fashion shows.

A highly entertaining speaker, she provided information on her techniques, ideas and inspiration. Attendees were encouraged to model her garments, and everyone had an opportunity to touch and look at them closely. It was almost enough to make me want to consider buying a sewing machine!

a new old discovery

When I decided I wanted to make quilts, I regularly checked books out of libraries to study them to try to figure out how. Some books were mostly about technique while others were primarily for inspiration and ideas. At the time I had a corporate job and probably studied these books for about a year. (My husband once commented that I was never going to make a quilt but only read about them.) New Discoveries in American Quilts by Robert Bishop (1975) is an old favorite and one of the books I frequently checked out of the library. This weekend I came across a copy at a book sale and even after all of these years, I still find it interesting and inspirational. Both traditional and innovative quilts are beautifully photographed. There are historical overviews of particular styles of quilts, and biographical information on featured quiltmakers. One was named Susan McCord and it was commented that "She deserves to be considered as important in her field as America's finest folk painters are in theirs."

fabric of tradition

Today's Philly Inquirer features a story "Quilting is Not Just for Girls." It's basically about three generations of quilters, including grandsons. It's also about the appeal of the machinery of high-tech sewing machines to boys. But some of the most interesting points are those made by Kathleen Jones, a quilt store owner, who says that "Beyond any gadgets or new technology, it is the influence of other quilters, and the inspiration that one takes from viewing others' works that is most instrumental in moving the craft forward."
According to Nayeli Rodriguex, author of the article, "And while the process of quilting will inevitably continue to progress, its pracice is still at its core a way of remembering the past. Jones points out that the creative recycling of old family mementos is one of the reasons that quilting remains such a lasting tradition."
Kathleen Jones concludes "There's a lot of symbolism because you pull it from your heart."