Remember these?

If not... you are younger than I!!!! One of my friendship groups is making a quilt for a telecom friend so a bunch of phones should be fun. This pattern is called "Let's Talk' and includes 12 old fashioned phones. The pattern called for satin stitched edges. There are soooooo many small pieces.... raw edge will work fine.... and some of the would be fabric changes like from the base to bottom, weren't necessary with some stitched lines to differentiate one area from another. Don't you love that background batik?!

Ofcourse, I inked in a phone cord rather than fusing that skinny little thing. Click on photo for detail. Even with 4 grandchildren visiting, I found a 'few' minutes of sanity in my studio.

Plumeria for Hawaii Cruise

To get my class sample photo to the www.worldofquilts.com organizer I painted and partially quilted this plumeria a couple months back. Even then I thought some more work on the palm was called for, so I best get on with it. Sometimes, for me, the inks stand alone.. needing nothing... but this time I thought some more work might enhance the greens.



Using a varigated thread... light to darker green... some additional texture emerges.

When working with nature images, I seldom feel called to make straight lines real straight. Nature doesn't often work that way, so why should we ? :-) Basically straight with occasional slight graceful curves seems more appealing to me.

While I often can manage the placements of lights and darks of a varigated thread, that was not the case working with this image. Where light values happened near the base of a palm leaf or where one dips behind the flower.... the light value was distracting to the eye.... all that to say.... this is one reason ink markers exist! Darken those threads if it helps.



Lookin' better overall....

Proud Heritage in route to Houston too.

I like this piece honoring my hispanic friend Margie Torrence. It has also been accepted to Houston so I am preparing that paperwork too. I need to get my insurance coverage updated what with 2 pieces traveling beyond my door. Houston asks for quilts really early.. ( eg August) so I won't see my quilts until late November.

When sending a quilt for appraisal

(click on pic for closeup)
The time has come the walrus said...... to create a good bio on yourself to accompany your request for a quilt appraisal. I am not an appraiser, but I have empathy for appraisers trying to determine a quilts assessed value. It is not always the quality of quilt alone that determines its value. More and more appraisers are wanting information about the quilter, the quilters quilt journey, etc. so I have like many others created a document covering just that including the following such information.

A small pic of yourself including contact, web/blog info as applicable
A paragraph overview of your quilting career, it's origin, your training, or the like.
A list of competitions
Sample pictures of your work
Exhibition timeline of your quilts
Publications about your work/you
Teaching History/Overview
Any retail products you offer.

In addition... you might include on the appraisal request form (whether specifically requested or not) any information you think would be helpful to the appraiser. I have in the past identified the number of hours included in creation of the quilt top, the number of hours or thread changes involved in quilting the top. I've sometimes included my hourly rate for contract work too. All this may not be necessary for appraisers that are familiar with your style of work, but thats not always the case, so tell 'em anything you think relevant and helpful to their job. Since most appraisals are really for replacement insurance value, this kind of information may be helpful in the appraisers estimate of what it would take to replace the quilt.
Hope this makes sense. Some appraisers like a list of past sales and prices as well.

As a side note, I note that I created mine in Powerpoint .. so that I have an option of printing it out as is. creating an electronic.pps (powerpoint slide show) version for emailing, or even a .pdf version for mailing or printing.

Usually Painful Paperwork is FUN today

Oh it is nice to be home to my studio! Great news awaited me. My "In Quito's Market" art quilt has been accepted to IQA Houston this fall, PLUS I received a request for early shipping as IQA is hoping to include this piece in their annual Quilt Scene magazine. That said, the accompanying paperwork is prepared and shipping required shortly. (Full image shown on May 12th posting titled "Prepping For Houston." )

Oh yeah.. I had to first get the sleeve and label on. I make my labels in Microsoft Powerpoint. Basically... My label is a printed slide. Powerpoint is very flexible and pretty easy so I love it. It is also a great way to keep a record of the quilt, including the artist statement, construction details, etc. In this case, I chose a gradated background that ranged from light grey to dark charcoal. I've put so much time into this quilt that it seems details on even the label are important, so I used both a light and dark value thread to applique it onto the quilt back.
click on photo for enlargement and readability
(c) copyrighted image

The final vacation day in Baja

A scuba lesson for grand daughter Kaley

A proud grandpa looks on as Kaley swims

and ME... I enjoy the most beautiful fruit plate ever.

Adios to Baja.... til next time!

Fiesta Time

Mexico is such a beautiful place... A fiesta on the beach brought dancing....

and a solo love song to my grandson who stared deep into the eyes of the singer who first asked if he was single so she could sing to him. Without a word, he nodded yes and fell under her spell.

until he met a caballero

who loaned him his hat.... too fun.

2 more days and I'll be heading home.

The Kids have arrived

Little idle time now with 2 grandchildren here in Mexico. Yesterday lunch at my daughters favorite place...The Shrimp Factory. Grandson Max likes his sisters Shirley Temple drink.

The rest of the LADIES

The last 6 victorian ladies. Believe it or not, I have already started on my next hand work project.

Nice to be with friends

Such great friends.... it has been wonderful. Last dinner, we 'bought' a tuna off a local fishing boat ( the owners name ???!!! Marlin Brandon.. ya think that's a real name?) Local restaurants in Cabo (this one the Galeon) will cook your fish to your liking. What a lovely place. A fine dinner, friends, and live piano playing George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue! Seated left to right... Will and Karon Cornell (Yorba Linda Calif), Peggy and Ruben Huerta (Placentia, Calif.) and standing Hubby Ray Hughes and me. ( Mt Baldy, Ca.)
This afternoon....my daughter and grandkids arrive. I'm excited.

I have been working on a quilt, really!

Only about 6 years ago ( why hurry? ), I began teal work embroidery on 12 victorian ladies. I finished the last 2 while here in Mexico. I know I'm not known for such work... but it is great to be able to relax on a plane, in a doctors office, sometimes watching TV, hanging out by a pool, etc. I'll post a few here.











This was just a stack of drawings I bought years ago... so I will need create an interesting setting.

Still Eating

Oh My... what a lovely evening dinner at Cabo San Lucas' Pueblo Bonita Rose.. outside dining in soft light, gentle breeze. Lovely mild weather in Cabo this July. It is usually HOT HOT HOT. This is the "Small" sized portion of their Wednesday Night Grilled Surf and Turf event. I can't imagine what the BIG sized meal would be. Most of what is on this plate went back to our quarters with us. Uno caja grande por favor! (One large box, please!) We concluded we are lucky people to be enjoying such a grand time.

I'm in Mexico and I'm FULL

Surely I have done something besides eating since arriving last Sunday. But food presentation in the restaurants of Cabo are so very colorful, beautiful, and usually as in this case DELICIOSO!
The one restaurant I MUST visit each year is "Mi Casa"in Cabo San Lucas, a place full of color, culture,and plain fun.
Catch this however.... 2 other couples dined with us at Mi Casa. Both are close friends from Southern California. We all lead busy lives and decided to all come to Cabo at the same time so we could spend some relaxed time together. We are still laughing that this even seemed necessary to make us relax and visit. We have had a wonderful time watching World Cup together. Two of we gals (that includes me) are former Womens League Soccer players. We both bowed out of the game when there were lots of 20 year olds running past us like we were almost standing still. One of the fellows still plays with a mens league. It was great fun. We girls privately admitted we were pulling for Spain against Germany only because we three had traveled together to Spain years ago and the men there are just plain gorgeous.

A skunks warning

This morning.. the day after the evening ... this is funny... but NOT last night. Some remember Ray and I have just installed a larger than life mountain lion sculpture just outside our window. You might also recall us reporting that dogs in the canyon are barking at it like crazy. NOW.... We find a canyon skunk is warning our inanimate lion in the way they warn any possible threat. The special aroma was so strong last night that closing doors and covering our noses was not enough to protect us from his special aroma. Oh, the joys of living in the wild.

Off to the airport and the fresh seaside air in Mexico! :-)

Adios Amigas y Amigos

CABO SAN LUCAS... Here I come! THIS is why my quilting is suffering... tho...I am having a great time. I've been traveling the last couple months. Early tomorrow, I am headed for 2 weeks at one of my favorite places in the world... Cabo San Lucas... specifically Playa Grande Resort. For years I have spent 3 to 4 weeks each year in Cabo. Now I am splitting equivalent time between Cabo and Sedona(a new love). I have an extra timeshare in Cabo now if anyone is interested in purchasing cheap.. I now have more timeshares than time to use them.
This trip.... One week with friends.. then a second week with Daughter and grandkids. Call me Happy Girl!!!!
I'm taking handwork with me... my camera, a few clothes, and my laptop.....oh...and lots of 'stuff' for my grandkids ( it's a grammies job). I'll try to post if I can. I hope you have some great travel plans too.
I can hardly wait to enjoy one of my favorite cocktails " A Ticket to Fly" served at Finisterra resort ( translates as Land's End),

and FRESH Ceviche y Tapas (Chips) ... Num!
"
It's not like I LIKE these or anything." They are sooooooo good, I even photographed them last year! Perhaps the taste is enhanced by being on vacation!

Happy 4th of July Weekend

I so hope you have great time and food with family and friends. We are soooo lucky to live in the USA.

Ink Color Wheel

I've never known why Tsukineko does not display their ink line in color wheel orientation as opposed to numeric lists, but these are their inks in maximum saturation colors as I have generally placed them in color wheel fashion. Bear in mind, they had 36 inks til a couple years back then added 9 so I added the 9 to the wheel I had already begun.
The middle of the wheel are colors I consider neutral brown-like or near black-like colors. Not shown is black, gray, white and metallics of which there are several.
The outer colors from the main clean colored circle are more tints/shades of the main more jewel tone clean colors. Maybe this will be helpful to some of you trying to make color selections. Double click on photo for a close up view with ink color numbers. Update: You are welcome to print this out if it helps. Happy Inking! Patt ( c ) copy write photo 7/2010

Breathtaking Beauty

Not only is the wilderness of Alaska great... look at this quaint and REAL tribal fishing village in Hoonah, Alaska on a tribal owned island. This is begging for a painter to interpret it.
This large net (no longer used regularly) is designed for scooping up freshly caught salmon. This net is enormous as king salmon are likewise enormous.

I took a wildlife cooking class while on this island. It was on filleting and outdoor grill cooking fresh salmon and halibut. I think I might have learned something. YEAH!