I've been trying to post some images all day, but Blogger hasn't been cooperating. I'm afraid I'm not done with Halloween - ya'all are gonna get at least another week of it from me. I feel like I've been deprived of two weeks of my favorite holiday, so there's no way I'm quitting yet.
It was nice being in England tho - some of the pubs and bookstores had Halloween decorations up. Of course there were far more stores with Christmas decorations in the front displays, but I enjoyed seeing that enough that I forgive it for being up TOO early.
I did some chores today, read my current book, "The Closers" by Michael Connelly (a last minute airport buy when I realized I was going to finish the one I was reading. Somebody tell my why it's already out in the UK in paperback, but won't be in the states until February.), and gave lots of attn to the kitties.
Sweetie and I watched "An American Werewolf in London" tonight. Just kinda had to, what with today being Hallowe'en and us having just visited London and several locations that the movie filmed in. Tottenham Court Road tube station certainly looks much nicer now with it's glass tile mosaic. It's a fun movie, just wish the director hadn't lost his mind and gone for the ultra-violent ending. It was great up until then...
Monday, October 31, 2005
I'm baaaack
Hello my friends, I have MISSED you. I have had a bit of access to the internet over the last couple of weeks and I've tried to check in and see how ya'all are doing, but I'm waaay behind.
I love England. What a beautiful country, even when the weather is grayer and wetter than I care for. The air was so clean and I could read all the street signs and the advertising. It was so easy to get around by walking and taking the underground. People watching was a great activity - fashion victims left and right. Looked like the return of Abba with pleather and fake fur. Lots of pointy toes and spike heels. And knitted boob holders? Can't believe women do this to themselves voluntarily.
I saw several doctors and while waiting for various test results to come in had free time to go visiting museums (my favorite far and away - the British Library) and see movies ("Serenity," which just made me overwhelmingly sad that it went by so quickly - this should have been hours and hours of quality tv - and "Wallace and Gromit - Curse of the Were-Rabbit" which was fun, but "Wrong Trousers" is still my favorite) and eat some excellent food. I loaded up on the salads, which have come a long way since my first trip to England in 1982 when all you could get was iceberg lettuce with something called "salad creme" but which seemed to be mayo.
I didn't work on any of the needlework I took with me, but I did read a lot. I finished Ian Rankin's "Fleshmarket Close," another excellent Inspector Rebus mystery set in Edinburgh Scotland, and "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell" about 19th century English magicians. The writing style fits the period and I expected it to be a harder read than it actually was; I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was enjoyable.
We were all set to come back home last week but then the radiologist giving a second opinion on my MRIs said he thought I had a certain kind of arthritis that can only be taken care of surgically. D'oh. I ended up having arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday. They did some biopsies as well as scraping out some of that pesky synovium (the knee lining that is causing me all the trouble). The results haven't come back in. Here's hoping I do have Ankylosing Spondylitis (the tentative diagnosis the rheumatologist gave me and which is treated with meds) and not the icky kind of arthritis that has to be removed surgically over and over again. Anyway, the doctors and nurses took excellent care of me and I'm recovering much quicker than I expected to. I managed to get around the airport just fine yesterday tho I was thankful my sweetie was there to help me.
Now I have loads and loads of laundry to do and kitties to be loved on. And lots of blogging to catch up on.
I love England. What a beautiful country, even when the weather is grayer and wetter than I care for. The air was so clean and I could read all the street signs and the advertising. It was so easy to get around by walking and taking the underground. People watching was a great activity - fashion victims left and right. Looked like the return of Abba with pleather and fake fur. Lots of pointy toes and spike heels. And knitted boob holders? Can't believe women do this to themselves voluntarily.
I saw several doctors and while waiting for various test results to come in had free time to go visiting museums (my favorite far and away - the British Library) and see movies ("Serenity," which just made me overwhelmingly sad that it went by so quickly - this should have been hours and hours of quality tv - and "Wallace and Gromit - Curse of the Were-Rabbit" which was fun, but "Wrong Trousers" is still my favorite) and eat some excellent food. I loaded up on the salads, which have come a long way since my first trip to England in 1982 when all you could get was iceberg lettuce with something called "salad creme" but which seemed to be mayo.
I didn't work on any of the needlework I took with me, but I did read a lot. I finished Ian Rankin's "Fleshmarket Close," another excellent Inspector Rebus mystery set in Edinburgh Scotland, and "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell" about 19th century English magicians. The writing style fits the period and I expected it to be a harder read than it actually was; I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was enjoyable.
We were all set to come back home last week but then the radiologist giving a second opinion on my MRIs said he thought I had a certain kind of arthritis that can only be taken care of surgically. D'oh. I ended up having arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday. They did some biopsies as well as scraping out some of that pesky synovium (the knee lining that is causing me all the trouble). The results haven't come back in. Here's hoping I do have Ankylosing Spondylitis (the tentative diagnosis the rheumatologist gave me and which is treated with meds) and not the icky kind of arthritis that has to be removed surgically over and over again. Anyway, the doctors and nurses took excellent care of me and I'm recovering much quicker than I expected to. I managed to get around the airport just fine yesterday tho I was thankful my sweetie was there to help me.
Now I have loads and loads of laundry to do and kitties to be loved on. And lots of blogging to catch up on.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Off to London
Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Life got hectic on me. My sweetie pie made it home safely Wednesday night, I still have a bit of a cold, and we're leaving in the morning for London.
I have no idea how long I'm going to be gone or whether or not I'll be able to check in while I'm away. Wish I could write a longer post, but the packing has yet to be done and there are chores that need to be finished up. Ya'll take care and I'm going to miss you. Cheers.
I have no idea how long I'm going to be gone or whether or not I'll be able to check in while I'm away. Wish I could write a longer post, but the packing has yet to be done and there are chores that need to be finished up. Ya'll take care and I'm going to miss you. Cheers.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Cranky Witch Top
I'm feeling better today. Not well, but better.
I got a fun package in the mail last night from my Mom and Dad. As well as birthday and Halloween cards, they sent me a bunch of tiny "bones" - which should be fun to embellish something with. I gifted myself with the book "The Quilt that Walked to Golden" by Sandra Dallas. I love reading stories about pioneer quilters. This particular book is frustrating me by talking about historically significant quilts and NOT showing pictures of them AND by just having small pictures of quilts that they do have. The other book I got is about Haitian Voudou flags, which are all sequined and have fabulous imagery. I'll talk more about that another day.
Today I had enough energy to piece my quilt top. It's roughly 47" x 48". The main fabric is by Alexander Henry and is called "Witchy Woman" which doesn't fit at all. I mean, it is a witch, but that is a song title by the Eagles and doesn't work for Halloween for me.
I love the fabric tho. I bought a yard of it awhile back and haven't been willing to cut it up. Very graphic, the red background is gorgeous and intense. Anytime I started thinking about what size block I could fancy cut, I would realize how few images I would actually get. So I showed them, I'm using it all. Almost. I took the yard of fabric and lopped off some of it to make it generally square. Then I added the orangeish-yellow inner border (1" finished on the sides and 1 1/4" finished on the top and bottom, just because I felt like it). The outer border - Jan Mullen starz - will be 4 1/2" wide finished. I liked the way the stars echoed the witches' pointy hats.
My job now is to get it basted. I started watching Desperate Housewives Season One yesterday, so maybe I'll put that disc back in and get going with those safety pins.
I got a fun package in the mail last night from my Mom and Dad. As well as birthday and Halloween cards, they sent me a bunch of tiny "bones" - which should be fun to embellish something with. I gifted myself with the book "The Quilt that Walked to Golden" by Sandra Dallas. I love reading stories about pioneer quilters. This particular book is frustrating me by talking about historically significant quilts and NOT showing pictures of them AND by just having small pictures of quilts that they do have. The other book I got is about Haitian Voudou flags, which are all sequined and have fabulous imagery. I'll talk more about that another day.
Today I had enough energy to piece my quilt top. It's roughly 47" x 48". The main fabric is by Alexander Henry and is called "Witchy Woman" which doesn't fit at all. I mean, it is a witch, but that is a song title by the Eagles and doesn't work for Halloween for me.
I love the fabric tho. I bought a yard of it awhile back and haven't been willing to cut it up. Very graphic, the red background is gorgeous and intense. Anytime I started thinking about what size block I could fancy cut, I would realize how few images I would actually get. So I showed them, I'm using it all. Almost. I took the yard of fabric and lopped off some of it to make it generally square. Then I added the orangeish-yellow inner border (1" finished on the sides and 1 1/4" finished on the top and bottom, just because I felt like it). The outer border - Jan Mullen starz - will be 4 1/2" wide finished. I liked the way the stars echoed the witches' pointy hats.
My job now is to get it basted. I started watching Desperate Housewives Season One yesterday, so maybe I'll put that disc back in and get going with those safety pins.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Trio of Halloween Crusties
I am the Queen of Snot, a title I will happily relinquish. Think I am over the worst of it now, which is none too soon.
Had myself a bit of a pity party earlier today. I have a cold, I don't feel well, it's my birthday and my hubbie doesn't get back from the U.S. until tomorrow night. To paraphrase The Sopranos, "pooooor me." Don't worry, I'm feeling better now. Have gotten some sweet messages from friends and family and that has helped. That and I broke into my birthday presents.
Anyway, I tried to do a bit of piecing today, but didn't get more than two seams done when I had to quit. Just a bit too woozy from the Sudafed and the stupid itty-bitty fever to do a good job. Now you might be saying, why is she starting ANOTHER project. And you'd be right. Why am I? I just want something to quilt on. I want to do my fans and not think about it. I am having massive fan-quilting cravings. I'm taking another piece of fabric that I love and instead of chopping it up, I'm going to throw a couple of borders on it and voila, quilt top. I hope to get it done tomorrow.
Anyone who is interested in trying the unmarked fans should do the same (I'm looking at you, Dawn). Take a piece of fabric that you love or hate, I don't care. You can consider it a doll quilt or a baby blanket or a practise piece. Whatever will allow you to relax and ENJOY trying this method. Doesn't have to be huge, 20" x 20" should give you plenty of room to practise. The central piece of fabric in Halloween Faces is 20 1/2" by 21 1/2". You could do something that size and not even put borders on it if you don't want to. Baste it up with your backing (no seams will be easier) and batting (I love 80% cotton 20% poly) and we'll meet back here to get started.
In the meantime, here are three crusties to show you. You already saw them from far off in my last post. Anyway, made these in the Fall of 2002 after reading a Quilting Arts article by Susan Shie (Turtle Moon Quilting - there's a link on the right). Not that these ended up looking like her work at all - which is the fun of it. That and they're glitzy, wild, and over the top.
I just realized I didn't post them in the order I made them, but that's okay. I completed the Jack O'Lantern after the other two. I now know I should have done the quilting stitches in the pumpkin in straight lines (rather than chicken scratch all over the place stitches) which would have emphasized the pumpkin shape. I do love the little plastic spiders. Unfortunately the bugle bead outlines don't show up very well.
Had myself a bit of a pity party earlier today. I have a cold, I don't feel well, it's my birthday and my hubbie doesn't get back from the U.S. until tomorrow night. To paraphrase The Sopranos, "pooooor me." Don't worry, I'm feeling better now. Have gotten some sweet messages from friends and family and that has helped. That and I broke into my birthday presents.
Anyway, I tried to do a bit of piecing today, but didn't get more than two seams done when I had to quit. Just a bit too woozy from the Sudafed and the stupid itty-bitty fever to do a good job. Now you might be saying, why is she starting ANOTHER project. And you'd be right. Why am I? I just want something to quilt on. I want to do my fans and not think about it. I am having massive fan-quilting cravings. I'm taking another piece of fabric that I love and instead of chopping it up, I'm going to throw a couple of borders on it and voila, quilt top. I hope to get it done tomorrow.
Anyone who is interested in trying the unmarked fans should do the same (I'm looking at you, Dawn). Take a piece of fabric that you love or hate, I don't care. You can consider it a doll quilt or a baby blanket or a practise piece. Whatever will allow you to relax and ENJOY trying this method. Doesn't have to be huge, 20" x 20" should give you plenty of room to practise. The central piece of fabric in Halloween Faces is 20 1/2" by 21 1/2". You could do something that size and not even put borders on it if you don't want to. Baste it up with your backing (no seams will be easier) and batting (I love 80% cotton 20% poly) and we'll meet back here to get started.
In the meantime, here are three crusties to show you. You already saw them from far off in my last post. Anyway, made these in the Fall of 2002 after reading a Quilting Arts article by Susan Shie (Turtle Moon Quilting - there's a link on the right). Not that these ended up looking like her work at all - which is the fun of it. That and they're glitzy, wild, and over the top.
I just realized I didn't post them in the order I made them, but that's okay. I completed the Jack O'Lantern after the other two. I now know I should have done the quilting stitches in the pumpkin in straight lines (rather than chicken scratch all over the place stitches) which would have emphasized the pumpkin shape. I do love the little plastic spiders. Unfortunately the bugle bead outlines don't show up very well.
I really love this one. I made holes through all the quilt layers for the eyes and nose and then used a specialty Halloween fabric (sheer with spider webs) across the back. I probably should have done straight (well, curved) lines for the skull to emphasis its shape. At least I did that in the teeth.
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