Fraternal Twins Table Runner

Here are two similar yet different table runners I just finished. Both are in a modern style. One is more heavily quilted than the other, same colors, similar layouts. The back on one is plain while the other has a similar design to the front.

Adventure into Modern Quilting

This is my first effort into modern style quilting. I call it " City Racing" because it reminds me both of the city with its angles & straight lines, and racing colors of both bicycle or horse racing colors. Included are photos of both the front & the back since the back also has a simple design on it. I'm taking a class in Modern Quilting to learn more about the aesthetic . I've done a couple of table runners & this little quilt which is a challenge quilt that will travel for a year in a Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society show in 2014. I seemed to all come together to meet that challenges requirements, so why not. I currently have a quilt in this years challenge traveling show. It's the first quilt I've ever had in a show outside of the annual show my quilt guild holds each May.
Enjoy.

How hot is it?

Here's a pic of the temp at my house this morning, July 17 at 10:30 am.

Going a different direction

I've burned out on just quilting. So I'm implementing the "strokes" part of this blog & starting an art journal. My sketches, doodles & such will be all in one place instead of scattered everywhere. Here is the first page. Bear with me since I'm just beginning & still in the learning stages
On a side note the baby of a good friend must have brain surgery to correct a malformed skull tomorrow. I will be at the hospital most of the day and a good part of the week with them. Keep the child, he's 13 months old, in your prayers if you would & wish us luck. This kid's had a hard start to life already, this surgery is one on a long road to recovery. More later.

A iLittle Something Different

I'm taking a break from quilting since I'm bordering on burnout there. I'm looking into vegan/ vegetarian cooking. I'm not much if a meat eater anyway, so the shift might be easy. The other members if my family are meat & potatoes people, so I'll be making the change alone. I found a couple of recipe apps that resize servings for one person instead of 4 to 8 , servings that I'd have to freeze or throw out before I could use them all. I made a trip to the local natural foods store to get some of the stuff I couldn't find at the regular grocery store. Did I mention that natural, organic foods are more expensive than regular food? I don't think it's fair to charge more for that word " organic" or " natural" since it's just food anyway. We usually raise a small veggie garden & can the produce from it, that's natural & it doesn't cost any more. I don't understand it, it's not fair to the consumer who's trying to eat better. IMO.
I also have software on order called Master Cook, that's a recipe program that's really good & allows for resizing of recipes, it has nutritional analysis, shopping lists & such. I have an older version that won't load onto my current compute, not compatible I guess. I can use the new version anyway, it's more updated & will work on my laptop.
So I'll send the summer gardening & cooking separate meals for myself.& my family. Maybe I'll lose some weight , I need to do that. Maybe I'll begin to feel better, some of the aches & pains will disappear. That would be nice. At least I'll put my nutrition degree to work, I earned that PhD the hard way,mi might as well use it.
Stay tuned for progress or lack there of through the summer.

Moore OK Tragedy

Unless one has personally been in a tornado or in a school when a disaster happened at that school, you can't understand what the people in Moore Ok are going through. I have been there, in 1995, in a big high school when it got hit by a small tornado. I worked in the special needs room at that school, my kids were students then & my husband also worked there at the time. The chaos at the time & the urgency is unimaginable , then there's all that follows, the media, parents, the rebuild, the fear factor for storms following, even weeks later, weighs on everyone involved.
After that I became a storm spotter, I was already an EMT at the time, it I wanted to know the signs of severe weather long before it got to me. I also volunteered with the local red cross at the time. Long story, short, you can't fully understand what victims are going though. I understand, fully. Everyone there is doing ALL they can. Let the search teams work, they know what they're doing. If y want to help, if you're in the area, volunteer at a shelter, in any capacity. If you're out of the area & want to help, support your local disaster response services, Red Cross, Salvation Army & the like.
There are many, many groups who make things & send them to these organizations. If nothing else, give an extra quilt, handmade toy, pillowcase, whatever to your local fire or police departments to have on hand when disaster, of any kind, strikes .
Enough said.

Beloved Pet Died

Friday night my elder cat, Missy, passed away from kidney failure. She was 18 years old, 83 in human years. We had her for 17 of those 18 years. She was a very sweet cat, and will be missed greatly. Our other 5 cats feel the loss too, they are hanging close to me & looking for Missy. I made a small memorial quilt with the two photos I had if her. It hangs in my studio by the door. It will take me several weeks to get past the loss but I will move on but never forget her.