The Wizard

Oh my gosh!! Kaffe Fassett is amazing in person too!! His lecture was a highlight of my quilting life!! He spoke off the cuff, no notes, just about his inspirations for his colors!! He mixed his knitting and quilting (patchwork as he calls it). He'd show a picture of something then how that picture evolved into a sweater and a quilt, a needlepoint pillow or tapestry or even a mosaic. He sees color in everything!! He had his new book, which I got autographed along with one of my others!! My Mom (she came with me) had a light jacket on that had stripes of all his colors (complete coincident, since she didn't know him at all) and he commented on it and touched it. She said she may never wash the jacket again. Even she was mesmerized by him, she's not a quilter or needle art person at all, but she found him very interesting and wonderful to listen to him get excited by the color!!

The wizard (way in the center with silver hair)

My second tribute to Kaffe (all his fabrics in the center of the blocks, his quilt like this one is on his next book coming out - now)

A quilt at the welcome center into North Carolina, I've always wanted to take a picture of it, now I have it. It's awesome!!

We are on our way to see the Gamecocks play (#6 in the nation people!!, thank you Steve Spurrier whom I don't like by the way!) then tomorrow a SIS BBQ fundraiser, then next Saturday our Halloween Party!

Pet Wednesday

Bogie here. Mom has tote bags in the hallway and clothes hanging on the door handle, I think she's going somewhere!! We, Starbucks and I hate it when she's gone. Although, Starbucks hasn't a clue as to what is going on, he's still napping on Mom's bed!! I think he even has his paws covering his ears, so he sleeps longer and deeper!! Me, I haven't had my nap, I've been following Mom, she's keeps walking up and down the hallway. getting stuff together for her trip. Right now she's doing the chargers, phone, camera, ipod. Why do humans need all that stuff?? She just told me she's off to a quilt lecture in Asheville, going to see some guy who she says is a genius, Kaffe Fassett, or something like that!!

Yes, folks I'm off to see the Wizard, the Fabric/Quilter Wizard that is!! I'm so excited!! Staying the night, because going over that mountain grade in the dark is so not fun!! Be back tomorrow!! Ok, Bogie you can have the keyboard back!!

Ok, so what are we to do while she's gone?? ummm.... I know dig in the lake bed, there's all kinds of dead fish smells down there, dead clams too, ummm... good smells. I've already been down there this morning, got mud all over my face and paws, or so Mom says. I don't feel dirty to me!!

More from the Fury People next week!

Farm Auction

Went to a farm auction yesterday, where they auctioned off 35 1920's & 1930's handmade quilts!! Went for big bucks!!

We have a Winner

My quilt wont 2nd place at the state fair!!! I'm so excited!! This is the first time I've ever entered anything like this and I won!! Wow, what a big head I have now!!! I'm a winner, got to go folks and quilt!!

A word from the wise

Mom says we can help on her blog!!! This is Bogie typing, Starbucks' paws are too fat! She said we can contribute to her blog on Wednesday, so Wednesday is Fury People Day from now on!! Starbuck says good morning, even though he's outside on the deck. It finally rained last night, so when Starbucks takes his nap on the corner of the railing his fur gets wet from the damp wood. Then he sits there a licks himself for hours!! Me, I get dirty, and once a week Dad takes me in the shower and I get a bath, which I just hate. Mainly, because Dad somehow manages to get water up my nose every time!! I do go to the groomers too to get a bath and a hair cut about once a month. Mom & Dad say I'm high maintenance because I'm all white, I think they should let me be the hound dog I want to be. Oh, oh, here comes Mom, she's going to see what I wrote and get mad!! Umm,,,, she said I could leave it and suggested I tell you how Starbucks and I got our names. Me,, well I'm a Maltese and my real name is Bogart for Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon, Bogie for short. Starbucks....well, when he was a tiny baby (before my time) he was the color of coffee with creme, thus the Starbucks. But as a full grown 14 lb cat, he's almost solid black now, but the Starbucks stayed. I'll tell you some more funnies about us next week. Starbucks and I are best friends even though the cat is bigger than me and sometimes gets irritated with my excited moods, he tolerates me. During the day if Mom is gone, we often nap together, we keep each other warm!! Bye for now from the boys, Bogie and Starbucks

All straight lines

My first try at a Nancy Crow style. I used mostly all my own hand dyes, I tried to use all straight geographical shapes. I was going to put a waving shape right in the middle but chickened out. I'm going to quilt it use straight lines within the separate colors, using tone on tone colors.

SC State Fair Update: didn't win, but I'm not discouraged, I like my stuff, so maybe somewhere someone else does.

Halloween Quilt 2007

Pieced this whole Art Quilt while Ken was one the phone with technical support switching our outlook account over to the new computer!! And I'm not a fast piecer!! This is just a quickie with some of my cross stitch as the center for my house. Really like how it turned out, maybe I'll be a great quilter someday!!

Tommy's Bella has nothing on our sweet Bogie. He's starting to do better in the car seat, I love it!! We did some errands just around Chapin, and he relaxed by the end of our journey.

Here's one scene from Halloween Central. These are one of the two bookcases on either side of the fireplace. I have all my Dept 56 on cake plates and/or domes. I love it like this. Come to our Halloween party to get the full effect!!

Today is the day I hear about my results from the submission to the State Fair! My first art quilt. We shall see. Plus I'm going to see Kaffe in 11 days, oh my gosh, so much pleasure for one person, how lucky am I!!

Hairspray vs. Quilting

I got my hair cut!! Watch out Tommy and Victoria Beckham!! I was so inspired by Posh Spice, but alas; I have three double chins and really fat cheeks and no chin bone to speak of, so.... I have to be very careful on my length so my face doesn't look even fatter or more bloated!! It really looks like Katie Holmes but a tad longer!! Plus I am a year or two older than those girls!!

I turned in my first ever art quilt to the State Fair!! I feel so very cool, sort of like all the ladies I stalk out there in blog land, now I am officially a quilt contest participant (maybe not a winner, but at least a participant!)

Halloween 101

It's beginning to look a little spooky here on Lake Murray, SC. I've been putting Halloween up all day!! I put my whole spooky village (dept 56) in my glass plates with domes, it looks really cool. I saw someone on the web somewhere do that last year and have had it in my head to do ever since. Of course, one never has enough power plugs and adapters, so off to the store tomorrow, yet again for more Halloween necessities, yah right!! Bogie is all excited to see things turn black and orange here, he loves decorating too! Martha Stewart had some good images in her Halloween Issue this year, I've used a couple of them!! Of course, to placate the husband, I have to keep up some art work and "lakey" stuff, none of which matches Halloween... at all!! But a happy husband is a happy home!! Starbucks sort of freaks out at Halloween, he gets very nervous, him being almost solid black, but he fits the decor!! Can't come up with a costume for Bogie for the Pet Smart costume contest. Last year is was Bogie's Anatomy and the year before that it was Desperate Housedog! He's won crowd favorite both years, but the dogs can't get prizes, because it would show favoritism and we don't want the pets to have fragile egos!! They give all pets a little chew toy and then have a parade!! Of course, my dog tries to pee on every display the store has (you know he has to do the alpha male thing, him being all of 9 lbs!!)

Halloween 2006

Halloween 2005

Fireman Quilt

It's finished and here it is.

The top picture is it done, without the 9 on the yellow emblem, and the bottom picture is a closeup of how I quilted the whole thing. It is binded in my red hand dyed fabric, and the firemen's emblem (cross like object) is embroidered on a solid sheet of red on the back. I have my label on the back explaining the symbolism. This is my label: (Hand dyed and commercial fabric, hand sewing, machine quilted. The White background symbolizes sympathy for the families left behind, quilted shapes represent the chaos of flames, the helmet is embellished with soot. The Chin Strap of the Helmet has the names of all 9 Firemen who perished that day, providing strength, courage and most of all protection for all firemen in all future fires.)

Finee!!

I have finished the quilting on my Fireman Project, made the label for the back, have made the binding, have to do the wording in the Chin Strap, and put the back onto the front. The back will have the firemen's symbol sewn into the back, very subtle. I have to take it to the Fair on Tuesday. I feel a sense of accomplishment!! I sewed the borders on my Kaffe project too!! Maybe Ken can eat dinner on the table without a sewing machine in his face!! (My sewing room table is overloaded, I can't sew on it right now!! It's a mess!!) I think I might clean it in the near future!!

State Fair

I'm working hard on my Firemen Tribute Quilt for the State Fair!! Pics to come at completion! I'm on a deadline!

Kaffe Day Results

Here is step 1 - complete with my Kaffe Quilt. It is a take off of his Tapestry Quilt, but I didn't want mine as big as his, so I altered the size of the blocks and left out his largest block. I just love his colors!! Oh, I said that last night, well, still love them!! Of course, this project interrupted the State Fair Quilt (a tribute to the Charleston Firemen who died) which interrupted my Scrap Quilt, which interrupted my House Quilt which interrupted an Inchie Project. Speaking of interrupting, my Starbucks is trying his hardest to get me to pet him while I'm typing this! He wants to cuddle RIGHT NOW!

Kaffe Step 1 Done

Cousin Pfeebee christening my Kaffe!

Kaffe Affair

Went down to Charleston to visit Lili on Friday night. We took her out to dinner and did a little shopping with her, showed her where the dealership for her car is so she can get it serviced, showed her where Trident Tech was (on the map) so she could take her defensive driving class, (thus reduce her latest speeding ticket) on Saturday. We really enjoyed her. Fun part was on Saturday a.m. on the return trip home, stopped in my new favorite place - People Places and Quilts. Oh, a tiny shop but great fabric selections, they love the fabric genies Kaffe Fassett too. I bought a few (hee, hee) fat quarters and started my version of one of his quilts. It's gorgeous, I love his colors and his patterns. I can't wait to wrap up in the colors, brings a smile to my face!

No, no, bad dog!

This is what the Bogie, (cute white Bogie) looks like when he's covered in flea spray and sneaks off the deck to rub in the pine straw and dirt. It takes three cycles of showers to get him white again!!

Just Too Cute

This pic requires this second blog for the day!! Came from a friend of my Mom's. How cute, a roomful of Bogie and Rileys. How come I can't ever get Bogie this still?

Normal Afterall!

I'm normal, yes I'm in pre-meno..... thank goodness, I thought I was going crazy. Thank goodness for Ken, he's the best! The dr put me on soy isoflavones, rather not do hormones yet. After two days, I'm sewing, might even feel like cleaning!! I've been decorating baby clothes for my sister-in-law's new grand baby. It's a boy, and Daddy's in the Special Forces, thus the camo one. I put my little tags (poppies and palms) on the back, there's no threads on the inside, so baby won't itch. Get well Austin, and peace to Diana's boys.

Sailing on the River of Denile!!

My sister says I'm in denial, I say I'm going through menopause....

I'm painting fabric yesterday and today in exchange for my sanity!! I sure hope the dr tells me I'm in early menopause - cause I am a wreck! Can't sleep (that's been happening for awhile), can't concentrate on anything, don't feel like doing anything. Hey, maybe I'm really an artist and I have a creative block, sounds better than insane or menopause to me!! Anyhow, this is what I did yesterday, one is Diamond in the Rough (WIP) and the the other is Going Green (WIP)

Inchies

I've discovered Inchies! How much fun. I've been playing around all morning, well I guess now into the afternoon too! Fun!! I'm such experimenting right now, but with A.D.D. playing a large part of my creative juices, these little projects are things I can complete!! I forgot to mess with my pictures first, so they are a little dark. I'm now going to embellish each 1 inch square.

My Michael Miller fabric

A New York fabric with Michael Miller border

Playing with Starbucks' help, he thinks because he can't see me, then surely I don't see him!