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Progress

Finally! I spent all day on Monday working on the agapanthus quilt and got a good portion of it done. Many times as I worked on it I thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" But I am enjoying the process despite the many, many pieces. It's a lot like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle but deciding on the color of the pieces as you go along.

I was hoping to get it done down to the bottom, but I ran out of time before the last pieces in that final bottom curve.

Surprise!

Well, not a real surprise. We've been shopping for a Ridgeline for about a year now. We even came close to bringing one home twice before, but they didn't have the model/color/price/financing we wanted. On Sunday afternoon the planets aligned (ha ha) and everything worked out so we traded in our pretty little Accord for this baby.

While I loved the Accord, the truck fits our lifestyle much, much better and we can take it anywhere, even the beach.

I love it! I guess I'm just cut out to be a truck girl.

Now I Know Why Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear

It must have been because he had the urge to create, but had to work a day job and take care of other life and family responsibilities before he could get to his studio. That in itself can make a person crabby, irritated and maybe just a little bit crazy. I know.

Rarely do I whine on my blog, but this has been an extremely frustrating week. And in the grand scheme of things my problems seem quite small compared to many others. I'm not the only artist who has to work a "real job" to sustain a life that includes the basic necessities and a few luxuries. I have much to be thankful for...a loving husband and family (who continue to love and put up with me despite some my shortcomings); a life on an island in one of the most beautiful places in the world; a network of caring and creative friends; a great day job with terrific people which keeps me busy and challenged; and a place to create quilts that doesn't entail messing up the whole house.

So why my lament? Well, I recently achieved some hard earned success at a gallery show. The sale of a major quilt (which, according to the gallery, they could have sold ten times over), inquiries for commissions, and an invitation to join the gallery as one of their family of artists. All of this, all at once, a dream come true for any fiber artist! My problem? NO TIME TO CREATE MORE ART and the resulting frustration which has wreaked havoc on me all week long. So much so that it manifested itself physically. Not to mention the feelings of guilt and ungratefulness, thinking I should be happy I have so much already.

I am generally a very organized person, but I just can't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this instance. How do I make it all work? I know about goal setting, discipline, good work ethic. I can purge a closet (or any other room in the house) without remorse. But how do you simplify your life without losing touch with what is important?

Thanks for listening!

New Postcards

Last Sunday was my demo day at the gallery. They ask several of the artists to come in and talk or demonstrate their art. Last year I showed how I create a quilt from photo to pattern to finish, so this year I decided I needed to actually sew something.

Taking the agapanthus quilt to work on was out of the question because of size, so I decided to make some fabric postcards reminiscent of my Hana Bamboo quilt that is in the show. I came up with this:

And this:

I made a similar card for Nellie Durand last year for the Art Swap exchange.

The background fabric gives me lots of other ideas, too, but they'll have to wait. The agapanthus is calling me!

The View at Viewpoints Gallery Maui

I managed to get over to Viewpoints Gallery to take a picture of Honu before the end of the show.

I've had a number of people say that they thought it was a painting, then they got up close and realized it was fabric!

The painting of the hula dancer on the right is a good compliment to the quilt; they are even facing each other.

Here is a closeup of the grouping with beautiful wood bowls, the painting and a lovely lamp which is also wood.

The gallery opening was quite nice. As I was standing in the courtyard outside the gallery watching the hula dancer I got the inspiration for a new hula dancer quilt. She was dancing under a coral tree which had a similar female shape. I'm going to have to get some pictures taken of the tree and do some sketching to see what I can come up with as far as a design goes.

In the meantime, I've got to get back to the agapanthus quilt!

OOPS! Quilter's Home Magazine

I picked up Quilter's Home Magazine today at Borders, along with the newest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.

When the clerk scanned the magazine, no price popped up. Now, this isn't unusual; I've purchased magazines before and they sometimes need to enter the price. Funny thing was, there wasn't a price anywhere to be found! We carefully checked the barcode, scanned the cover and the back cover, peered closely at the editorial information page. No price listed anywhere!

I think the editorial staff spent so much time fussing over Mark's picture on the cover (BTW, Mark, I think you're a hoot, but not cover-guy material, especially on a quilting magazine) that they forgot some of the important details. Like the price!

The Borders manager kindly gave me the magazine for $2.99, which was nice considering most quilting mags start at about $5.99 (I was astonished at the price of CPS - $7.99!). The only other choices would have been to give it to me for free or not sell it at all. I was happy with the $2.99.

My Thoughts About Nancy Crow

Until now, I never really understood all of the hoopla about Nancy Crow. I've always loved the fabrics she designs - mostly landscapes and nature themes - but even after reading her book I still don't understand the connection between her work as an artist and her work as a designer.

At least I now I feel like I have a better understanding of her progression as an artist and what "makes her tick." I appreciate her observations about making her art, and I've even added a quote from her book to my sidebar that I find extremely relevant. I can also relate to her challenges with indecision and insecurity. And although I think she has a lot to offer as a teacher, I still don't think she'd be my cup of tea.

Definitely a worthwhile read, and the quilts and photography are stunning, but unless you're a big fan of her work I'm not sure it's worth the hefty price. Borrow it from the library or a friend, buy it used, or wait until it goes on sale at Amazon.

Another Little-Known Fact

Yes, I did get back in the studio this weekend! I finished my Kaffe Fassett "Turning 20" quilt - it's really striking and has become Bruce's new favorite quilt. The quilting on it is nothing to write home about, but it's for our use and enjoyment, so there. Better a quilt on the bed than one in the UFO pile!

I also have the Lily of the Nile quilt back on the design wall. In two hours I managed to complete another small (less than 1ft square) section. I'm glad to be working on it after such a long hiatus. I am committed to finishing it before I start something else.

Sorry there aren't any pictures, but my laptop battery ran out and my plug was at work. I'll post those later. Now, for that little known fact:

Bruce was channel surfing yesterday afternoon and asked me if I had ever seen the Lawrence Welk Show. He, of course, was joking, but little did he know...when I was little I used to watch that show when I spent the night at my grandma's house. Then I startled him even more by singing the song they always sang at the end of the show:

"Good night, sleep tight, and happy dreams to you.
Here's a wish, and a prayer, for happy dreams to you.
From now until we meet again,
Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen,
GOOD NIGHT!"

How's THAT for a childhood memory?