Christmas Goodies

Well, the house is decorated, I've started shopping, and I've run out of Christmas cards. So I'm feeling relatively secure, although I still have lots to do. Here are some photos that show what I've been up to.  I gave away my cookie stocking at the ornament exchange, but I made another one to keep.

This is the cute Santa that I received in the ornament exchange, made by Darla. I just love him.

The tree's up. I go for the eclectic look, so there are lots of wonderful homemade ornaments, many made by friends, mixed in with ornaments that my kids made when they were little.

Small ornaments get lost on the tree, so this year I hung my favorite little guys on this branch in the dining room. It looks very cool. You may recognize a few of the felt balls I made last year.

Here are a few of the felt business card holders I've been making. I made some similar to these to give to my Cut-Loose friends. I'll have some available at the Craft Festival at the Muckenthaler on December 20 (more info in previous post). I dyed white wool felt with Silk Color and other silk dyes that I had. It's fun to make each one a little different.

I was so happy to get my "Go With The Flow" quilt back after its trip to Quilt Festivals in Long Beach and Houston in the "Detours" exhibit. I hung it up, and it looks great with my Christmas stuff.

My "Fifteen Selvedges" quilt also recently returned home, and I happily hung it up also, in the midst of my Christmas decor. It was part of the "Edges" special exhibit that also went to Long Beach and Houston Quilt Festivals.

Houston Quilt Festival 2009

 

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my photo of Matilda on my fabric was selected to be in the "Eye of the Quilter" photographic exhibit at Houston Quilt Festival!   I also have two quilts at this festival in special exhibits, "Detours" and "Edges." Here's a photo of my "15 Selvedges" which is in "Edges.

Long Beach Vidcasts!

If you click on the link below, you will reach a Quilts Inc page with info about the Long Beach Quilt Festival. On the bottom left of the page (I had to enlarge the page a bit to see it on my laptop), you'll see Vidcasts. Click on that, and you will see videos about the Edges, Detours and other special exhibits. My "Fifteen Selvedges" is among the quilts featured in the Edges video. And I am one of the people interviewed in the Detours video. I'm near the end - several of my friends also speak on the video. It's kind of unnerving to see oneself on a video, but anyway it's kind of fun, so check out these videos.

http://www.quilts.com/lbqf09/enVivo/

"Edges" at Long Beach

Pacific Coast Fiber Artists and Friends present "Edges," a 21-piece collection of art quilts, curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison and sponsored by Quilting Arts/Interweave. This special exhibit will debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA July 23-26th at the Long Beach Convention Center.

As I have mentioned before, my "Fifteen Selvedges" quilt will be part of this exhibit. Here's a detail image.

moo, meow and Gramps

My Moo Cards arrived! Now I have some nice cards to give out/trade at the Long Beach Quilt Festival and beyond. I've been making do with cards printed out on my computer, a page at a time.

In other news, the "Edges" exhibit has been accepted into the Houston Quilt Festival. Woohoo!

I'm racking my brain for an idea for a "summer" quilt. I am currently leaning towards my desert tortoise, Gramps. Summer is his time (heck, he hibernates for five months a year in the colder months). Or I could make a summertime quilt about my fluffy cat, Olive. She doesn't have much to do with summer, but she's prettier than Gramps.

Hummers, Tortoise and Quilts

These photos were taken Tuesday, Wednesday and today, Thursday. They seem much more alert than before. So jaunty! It's as if they're saying, Mommy, teach me to fly right now! I can see their little hearts pounding away.

I should mention that their nest is visible to our living room, which is the center of our house. The mom couldn't have picked a more public place to raise her babies! The cats and we are enjoying the show and dreading empty nest.

I've been reading up on them. It takes 3 weeks from when they hatch until they fly. Since I don't know when they hatched, I can only guess they will fly in the next few days. When they have learned to fly, they're called fledglings. Their eggs are the size of Tic-tacs. Oh - and hummingbirds don't walk! When they want to move somewhere else, they always fly.

Here's something non-hummingbird. My tortoise Grampa T attacking his ear of corn.

Here's something else non-hummingbird. I turned in my Edges quilt to be hung at Long Beach Quilt Festival. It's five weeks away! I can't wait.

I am working on my "Sweet Dreamy Dreams" quilt and it's been challenging. The sides refuse to be symmetrical, so I'm finally deciding to embrace the asymmetry. Hopefully, I can begin embroidery soon. I wish I could show it here, but I would like to enter it in something, so I can't yet.