Fabulous summer

I’ll be taking a blogging break for a couple of weeks and will be back no later than August 1st. I’ll be recuperating, rejuvenating (no plastic surgery or Botox, I promise), relaxing, renewing my creativity, refocusing my energy, recovering after a long year, reconnecting with loved ones that I don’t get to spend enough time with, and, last but not least, resting.
We’ll start our old fashioned (i.e. computer and sewing machine free) family time as soon as husband is back from a business trip. I’ll have to fill up my iPod to the last byte with my favorite podcasts before I put the computer away though and dig out any novels I have bought on a whim for the last few years. With any luck there will be a few fun and lighthearted chicklits between the murder mysteries so I don’t miss out on my much needed sleep. My plan is to rest both hands and mind, but we’ll see. I bought a box of Plus-Plus on our trip, and I see lots of building stuff in the future as all 3 generations are totally fascinated with these brilliant little plastic blocks (you can even design quilts with them, but don’t tell).

We’ll also be meeting up with the younger sister/best friend combo for a couple of days. Grandson had such a wonderful time playing soccer with my 3 nephews last week and is still talking about "the boys" (they are 7, 10 and 13, he's 3), so that will be fun for all of us. My dad is doing fantastic by the way; he was actually released from the hospital the day we arrived at their house, one week ahead of schedule. Thank you for all your well wishes; you see - they work!!

I wish you all lots of lazy lovely sunny days, and I’ll see you all back here at August 1st for the big Erosion Bundle Project reveal (of which you can see a little sneak peek above). The prayer flags are still hanging outside, a bit more tattered by the wind and rain. I’ll include new pictures of them on the 1st...

Pictures from the Mother ship

I’m terrible bad at taking pictures during visits (anything but quilting projects really), but we had a little photo séance the day we left (the one in turquoise would be me). Family photo time is always good for a few laughs. My mom and daughter probably have a few more from the visit, and at this digital day and age they are fortunately easy to share.
And off we were; new planes, trains and automobiles...

Duracell Day

Back from our short and excellent visit to my parents I have been having a Duracell Day. If you’re familiar with the commercials with the pink bunnies, you know what I mean, if not, you can envision me running around like a crazy pink fuzzy bunny all day.

The good thing is that I finally got my exhibition entries in the mail after pondering for several days and loosing several nights of sleep because of the English customs and VAT regulations which for some reason includes exhibition entries now. At last these little guys and their companions (and perfectly straight edges I might add) are safely wrapped up, marked with the appropriate labels and on their way to Birmingham.

The bad and somewhat amusing thing is that I wasted an hour or so looking for husbands missing keys at his work while they have been safely tucked away in his suitcase somewhere on the other side of the world all along. Oh well, I’m grateful that his now immobile car is parked at his office and not behind my car in our driveway.

I’ll hopefully have some photos from our family gathering to share as soon as I unpack my luggage. Have a wonderful Friday!

And a frame it is

The blaaaaah card from yesterday’s post is now a fun and colourful frame made of felt and scraps. The text says “Happy 75th to dad, the jogging mathematician” as he used to be an obsessive (!!!) exerciser and dedicated his professional life to education; from teaching math and science in middle schools, high schools, adult education, and to teachers, being a principal, and to writing text books and working for the national board of education. No wonder I love math so much, it’s probably in my genetic makeup together with the blond curls, cheeks, chin and grin.

I cut out the pop art pictures using a rotary cutter, and replaced it with another Lutradur picture. I will refine this idea a little and do a make-a-frame tutorial when the summer is over as they will make great keepsakes and gifts.

And no, my dad does not really have blue hair. My parents and younger sister were in the audience of a show that was taped and broadcasted on TV, and I of course recorded the whole thing on our little PVR box, just in case they would show up on the screen. My dad appears twice smiling and laughing, and I love this image of him. This picture is taken of the TV – hence the blue light.

On a totally unrelated topic; The Dream Rocket is up for Pepsi’s Refresh Project, and you can read and hear more about it and vote here. You’ll find my little contribution, Comfort on there as well. It keeps popping up here and there, and has been included in several exhibitions, so that’s quite an honor.

Well, I’ll be off for a few days for our little family gathering and I’ll see you all back here on Friday when I, amongst other things, will be adding this post to Amylou’s Sew & Tell.-)

In the meantime; happy birthday, dad!

Card in progress - or not

My dad will be 75 on Wednesday. Now, the plan was to celebrate him in August when he would be well recovered from his surgery, but you know, plans change. Instead of 2 weeks in bed, he was up and walking by himself after 2 days, and was transported to his local hospital in an ambulance yesterday with a promise that he would could be at home on leave on his birthday. Everyone is amazed about his recovery; he does after all have a 10” incision in his spinal cord. Anyway, how can I not be there on his birthday and how can I not bring something handmade and what can I make that only takes a couple of hours?? Of course I’ll be there, and I’ll bring daughter and grandson as well. Husband has to stay home and take care of business.

Now to the handmade something; I was thinking a wall hanging type of card using felt (very timesaving, no binding needed). I was working on this yesterday morning, but blaaaah; nothing’s right. I think I’ll cut out the Lutradur pop art picture and print another less colourful one; it’s just too much going on! I’ll also add a piece of dark felt to frame the whole thing.

Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and prayers for both of us; they were highly appreciated! Some of you had questions about my prayer flags, and you can read about the origin here. I knew of them as my parents have travelled in Nepal, and was reminded of them by my friend Corrine’s post. What meaning and thought you might put into yours would be up to you, but to me it was a comforting and healing process. They still hang outside in my tree.-)

Moment of truth

This morning it was time to open this little invention to see if it has worked.

Remember me worrying about the not quite perfectly flat edges on my exhibition quilts? Well, a couple of days ago I decided to spray them with water and layer them between towels and a couple of 24”*48” Styrofoam boards with an elastic band around. I also added a little extra weight on top to get a better effect.

Here they are; the first quilt and the binding looks flat, flat and flat. And the second quilt, also flat. They are still a bit damp, so I’m going to do the same to the other edges while the first ones dry. It might take a few days until the quilts are ready for attaching the labels, but I still have time so I’d better use it wisely.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Prayer flags

I don’t think I have ever worked that fast before, but the prayer flags were done and hung outside before noon yesterday – right on time for my dad’s surgery.
Most of the fabric scraps were white, and I didn’t really want bright white fabric scraps hanging in my garden, so, inspired by all the lovely dye work by Judi of Approachable Art, I decided to alter them. I did not have any fabric dyes, but I do have quite a collection of fabric paints, including two new ones, a deep purple and a bright orange. I filled two containers with a little water, splashed a little paint in each, stirred a little and soaked the fabrics and the leftover string from the bundles. I left them on newspaper to dry, but did not have the patience and ironed them dry between sheets of newspaper. I did hope some of the print would come off onto the fabrics, but no such luck.


I did leave one little scrap white for writing prayers however, and these are now safely tucked and stitched in between layers of bright colourful scraps and with string running through them for hanging.
Somehow working on these put my mind to rest. I feel happy and calm knowing that my prayers for my loved ones are blowing into the universe. They are hanging in the dead tree where the bundles were, at least until husband comes home. I hope they can stay out there; I would love watching them sway in the wind and change over time. My bundles have come to a full circle, and I’m happy to report that all is well with my dad.

I'll be adding this to Amylou's Sew & Tell on Friday.