Ah Oui, But of Course

I told ya'all that I was going to spread my fabric acquisition photos out over time. Too embarrassing otherwise. And you want to know what is worse? There's more out there. Must look away. Must look at pretty fabric I already own.

Here's Pokey modeling. You've seen bits of the buggy olive fabrics in previous posts, but not these two Paris prints. I'm a sucker for words anyway, and these are in French:

Definitely had to get this Paris map fabric. I love it, but it doesn't have my favorite area: Montmartre and the basilica.

Even more French-inspired fabric winged its way to me recently. The ever so sweet Jan of Be*Mused surprised me with Japanese fabric :

I get the feeling I need to put all the frenchiness into one quilt.

By the way, I didn't mean to make it look like my condition is so dire. I am not chair-bound, not by a long shot. Spending a whole day in the chair with Pokey? That was just indulgence and wanting to have her close by.

Watched The Bourne Identity last night. Oh, Matt Damon was so cute and young and I loved the interplay between him and Franke Potente. When the stars actually have charisma and the suspense stuff actually works? Heaven. So fun watching them race around Paris in the Mini Cooper - one of my favorite chase scenes ever.

Woohoo, Fringe has gotten renewed for a fourth season. Thrilled about that. It has gotten sooo good this season. But argh, now have to wait for new episodes. If you haven't tried it, read this and just give a recent episode a try.

Alright, I have to stop goofing off and do chores. Later.

Hum and Demo

More wonderful blocks for the Bah Humbug! quilt:

From the top down, we have these wonderfully scrappy tropical feeling blocks from Beth, the humming hum, tiny bahs and wonderful sheep fabric (bahhhhhh) from Sandra, and Jen's wild bah and bug at the bottom.

Jen's practically been snowed in where she lives and meanwhile it's supposed to hit 90 here today. Remind me in July and August that I really do love living in Florida. Especially since the painters finished and took all the stinking plastic down and I could open windows, hurrah. Good thing because I was starting to get claustrophobic.

Yesterday I did two demos and some show and tell at the JaM Patch. I brought a variety of blocks to illustrate all the different directions you could take UnRuly Letters.

I think it went well. I actually felt relaxed and confident (what a difference from 6 months ago!). It helps that these were small groups and I wasn't up on a stage with a microphone. (eek. But I think I can do that too.) This was my first time ever sitting at a table signing books. Hmm, I must be an author after all. hee hee hee.

Is anybody reading this who was at the demos yesterday? I'd love to have you say hello in the comments. Actually, I'd love to hear from all (okay any of) the lurkers. Just say hello, maybe tell a bit about yourself.

You know why I'm thinking about that? Because I discovered a fabulous blog recently that I totally love reading. I went back and read through all the archives. Turns out she'd been lurking on my blog but never said hello. I only found her because I googled my name (that's embarrassing to admit). 

The blog is Completely Cauchy by Chawne. I want to give you a warning before you go visit. She's fabulous, she's funny, and she's uncensored. If you are offended by seeing profanity written out, don't go. Otherwise check out her great word quilt featuring George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on TV. I love the quilt, I really do.

To hear the George Carlin riff, there's a good version of it here. I admit to using some of those words quite freely and using one of those words never. It makes me cringe and I don't even like looking at it. But it does make me think of my favorite joke on Arrested Development about Gob wanting to buy a boat called the Seaward, which you can see here. I just rewatched that four times - always makes me giggle.

Alright, I really am supposed to be getting chores done today.

Obligatory kitty photo:

ya'all take care

Red and White Quilts

I have red and white quilt envy. How I wish I could see these quilts in person. The Quilt Show has produced an amazing video of some of the quilts on display in NYC this weekend at the Armory. Please please please, somebody publish a fantastic book with these quilts on big pages. Big, big book. Please.



I haven't even finished watching this yet, but couldn't wait to share it with you.

Monsters on the Brain

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the previous post since I definitely had fun putting it together. We need something to smile about these days.

Our building is being painted, that's why we're all taped and papered up. I'm almost (just almost) embarrassed to be showing you this after reading blogs and seeing enormous mounds of snow.

It is windy here if that makes you feel any better. The plastic is making all sorts of noise and there is a particular tapping that is driving me nuts.

The electrical device? That's my TENS unit. It's supposed to help with the pain. It's a sensation like buzzing needles jabbing you (only not pointy painful needles) and people either love it or hate it. I'm a lover, although I'm not all that impressed with this little gadget. Two hours of battery life and then recharge for four.... Lily is not amused (and that's Howler looking up):

I've been soaking up the kitty love. Last Saturday I could not turn the news off. Little Pokey stayed with me the entire day, usually voluntarily. I definitely needed that warmth and love.

You know how if it's not one thing it's another? Dragging my poor sorry self around the house, my foot smacked into a case of canned cat food. Sigh. It really hurt for a couple of weeks. Stupid foot.

My recovery from surgery is going sooo slowly and I am quite cranky about it at times. The surgeon tells me it will be another 6 weeks before I notice a real improvement. Gah! I'm enjoying PT though.

Good news though. I received my registration info for the Sisters quilt show and woohoo, I got into the Gee's Bend quilters' workshop and lecture. Yay!!! I might even be mobile by then.

If you happen to be in the neighborhood, I'm doing a couple of demos on Saturday at The JaMPatch in Stuart, Florida. 11am and 2pm. Stop by, say hello, see some quilts...

Bah Humbug is wrapping up and I figured it was time for some more fun. The group project is: Hallowistmas Border Town. (Someone is going to have to come up with a better name than that.) You can read more about it here and here  on the UnRuly Quilting Blog.

It's an idea I've been kicking around for years - Liberated Houses combining Halloween and Christmas. Why now? You know how monsterish I've been feeling. Meanwhile I still have my Christmas quilts up on the wall (had to keep them up for faux Christmas in February and then after surgery haven't been keen on laddering to get them).

See ya later

Transition Complete: I am a Monster

See this wonderful fabric? Classic horror movie monsters acquired in one of my recent fabric acquisition sprees.  Well, it's a good thing I like these guys because I am now one of them.

If the Bride of Frankenstein were actually pictured here, it would be my face you'd see. It all began innocently enough in 2006. I had a goiter in my throat. Disgusting word that, goiter. A biopsy of the goiter revealed cancer, so out went my thyroid. The swelling was sooo huge at first that it really did look like my head had been chopped off and replaced by a new one. Over time, the effect has diminished, but the scar remains:

In 2009, I had abdominal surgery and have a big old scar from my belly button down to where the top of my bikini bottom would be, if I were ever to wear a bikini (the odds of that? zero!). I am going to save your eyes the horror (and me the humiliation) and NOT post a picture of that.

Fast forward to now, 2011. I have a noticeable streak of grey in my hair reminscent of the classic Bride's although okay, she had streaks on both sides. It's modern times, baby, and asymmetry is in.

 

Last month I acquired a few more baby scars hardly worth mentioning. All of that not enough to make me a monster. But last week I got the pièce de résistance, the addition of electricity:

It's ALIVE!!! 

Now they've sealed me into the condo so I can't go out and frighten the villagers.

Creepy, isn't it?

Mwa ha ha ha