I TOOK A LITTLE TRIP YESTERDAY...

I took a little trip yesterday, the kind we dont' like to take when we're mid age - the kind where I was just walking along, minding my own business, at work, in the hall, thinking about what my next work related task was and how I could play "Beat the Clock" and beat my best time, when all of a sudden, I pitched forward, and in that millisecond realized that I was going to fall, yet how "could" I fall, when I just don't fall. I don't hurt myself, I don't walk unsteady, I don't do things that bring pain near me......and yet there I was pitching forward, grabbing wildly at a half-wall, feeling my arm slide smoothly along it, no grip at all, wondering where I would come to a stop, realizing that my line of vision has somehow been realigned with carpet and then I hear/feel a thud, which evidently was my head hitting the large, round column which was trying desperately to stop me, yet No, No, it was my shoulder, dragging the length of the half-wall and then down the side to the floor, twisting awkwardly up, up and away, as my knees hit the ground with a thud and a bump..........and there I was looking like I'd just decided to stage my own "lay-in"...... OWWWWWWWWWW, OWWWW much later, and OWWWWIE today. I hate getting old. And I hate having body parts that all of a sudden come alive when they think they can cause you great bodily pain. So that's my excuse and I'm good with it.

Anyway, this is the piece for today.......but more will be coming later because even though I'm in pain, my tiny idea brain is always tickin'. Oh, yes it is!

Kate

HOW WOULD I EVER DO A WHOLE QUILT?

I am really trying to stick to my plan of doing something every single day (after work) on my quilting endeavor. So far it's coming in random ideas so I will probably end up with a huge pile of things that don't necessarily go together. But, that's the story of my whole little artistic life. I can do one thing, maybe two, that are kind of alike, and then my mind has wandered off onto some other idea that I can attach to it, or turn what I'm working on into something else. It's a lot of work for me to stick with one idea, no matter how badly I want to.

Anyway, these are the products of my last couple of days. The tiny quilted piece at the top is actually done and ready to either frame or attach to a mat board. My friend, Laurie, wants me to sell them as patches for people to put on their jackets, or turn them into Artist Trading Cards..... I just like to pat them and hold them. The small pieces are comforting to work on... and I don't have to wait to work on them like I do my other things. I can carry them in my purse and work on them while I'm waiting in my car for something, or wherever. It's not like waiting for kiln space, or waiting for paint to dry........ you get it........it's fun, it's nice...... tuck, tuck, fold.... I like to line them up and pat them. Weird, huh?

Kate

WORKING ON SMALL ITEMS...

Yesterday I started doing some little stitch work on the small hearts that I did. I think that my next batch might be stained with tea or coffee, I like that old look. Since the hearts are only about 3 inches, or less, I need to be very careful not to over do the hand work or add too many things. I started out with neutral thread and I don't know if I'll stay with that or not.... I think I'll go ahead and add backing and quilt them and maybe change my choice of frames and put them in a larger frame, or have them "float"... not sure yet.

K

THE SCRAPS KEEP GETTING SMALLER...

While I was whining about my flagrant use of thread, i.e. the long pieces before and aft on a little piece of sewing, someone wrote to me and said that she just kept two pieces of crazy quilt squares going at a time and thus, saved have to clip excess thread at least half the time. So I was thinking.. .. why can't I do that with my long strips and just butt them up, one right after the other? So I did and I was able to do probably 5 or 6 pieces before clipping them off and then I can snip them apart later. But it also keeps them in one place until I want to use them.... cool deal!!

And then I found a ratty (but clean) piece of old muslin that I had. The texture was smooth and worn to the touch and I've found my background for my "I Heart You" series of tiny hearts and frames. And strips off one side.... they were all chewed up, probably from bleach at some point and I'm going to print words on them after the hearts are done, and attach tiny messages.

What fun!! Here's pictures:

K