Free as a butterfly?

I’m not home-free yet but I am feeling considerably lighter knowing that some deadlines and commitments are out of the way. Phew! This unusual butterfly was outside my studio the other day. Are there any lepidopterologists out there that can tell me what it is?

PS: My newsletter comes out this week. Sign up to the next issue of the Serendipity Studio Newsletter and go into a draw to win a copy of 500 Art Quilts.

Convergence

I made a Ricky Tims “convergence” quilt once. Actually, that’s overstating things. What really happened is that made a quilt top and then gave up in disgust when I looked at it on the design wall the next day and realised that I had pieced some of the strips out of order. Sigh. I’m not ashamed to show you a photo of this pitiful effort but it’s buried in my studio somewhere and I can’t put my hands on it right now.

Anyway. it seems like I have several deadlines and other activities converging on me. I think everything is under control. I just need to make sure that I don’t put things in the wrong order…

Snug and warm

There’s snow on the ground and the thermometer has been below freezing for a week. We are snug and warm but we’re looking forward to getting back to the beach, and back online, by the weekend.

Christmas Preparations

Whenever we arrive at my mother-in-law’s place in Pittsburgh, she presents us with a lengthy “to do” list and is astonished at how quickly we cross things off. We also had a list of our own. At the top was to get a Christmas tree. Mimi always protests that she has an artificial tree that would be perfectly adequate but secretly she loves the real thing and to see it tall and trimmed in her living room. Next on the list was grocery shopping. In this Italian household it is catastrophic if the holidays are not accompanied by food and lots of it.

We bundled up Mimi in her wheelchair and whisked her off to the markets in the Strip District. Of course half of Pittsburgh had the same idea but, aside from the hour+ “take a number” line for the cheese counter at Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, it didn’t take us too long to gather our provisions. So my sister-in-law and I checked out the Contemporary Craft Gallery and really enjoyed these metal cabinets by Jim Rose that were apparently inspired by the quilts of Gees Bend.

Better early than late

This message comes to you from a cafe right here at Copacabana. In a fit of super-punctuality (or misrembrance) I managed to rally the Laundry King and our luggage to the bus stop a full hour earlier than required. There’s no point taking our luggage back up the hill to the house and so our holiday has begun…

I will endeavour to blog while we are away but with dial up I’m making no promises. In the meantime, comment moderation is enabled until further notice.

Feeling Festive

Summer is definitely in the air (along with the smell of smoke from burn backs and the return of the pesky pantry moths). That means Christmas is just around the corner. I have something extra to contribute to the festive mood when that time arrives thanks to the warm generosity of the Lyn Rose Quilters with whom I shared a wonderful day yesterday as I taught my Bound to Please quilt finishing techniques workshop.

Negotiating Potholes

Our home is situated at the end of an access right of way that is shared with several other properties along its length. The condition of the section that receives most use, that is the part closest to the road, has been steadily deteriorating over the past few years. The potholes were getting so big that we feared our little car might fall in and never get out again and only the most daring of visitors would drive to our doorway. It was time to rally the neighbours and sort this matter out. Interestingly we secured the services of a contractor who quoted to concrete the entire driveway for $685 in the mid-80s. This job cost somewhat more but we have a shiny new driveway and we’re breathing easy again here at Casa da Praia. What’s more, after owning the house for nearly nine years, we’ve met all the neighbours at last.

Fairy Wishes

I have a very distinct memory from when I was young (less than seven years old) of making a wish on a frothy mass of “fairy” thistle blossoms that my chores would be done while I went on a walk. Upon my return, I was disappointed but somehow not surprised that my chores awaited me. I am in a similar predicament now as I survey my studio and confront the reality that I have too much stuff for the storage space available to me. I could close my eyes and make a wish but I know it would still be there when I open my eyes. More drastic action is required.

Fortunately, there is a market day coming up at the next Guild meeting on 15 August so I’m doing some more culling and will endeavour to offload some of my magazines, knick knacks and surplus fabrics there.

Fairies do have their place. Some time ago, I designed Fairy Delight - a whimsical quilt would make an enchanting gift for the little fairy in your life.

Fairy Delight

Quilt Size: 104cm x 139cm

(40.5" x 54.5")

Pattern: A$15.00

If you are interested, I also have some leftover panels of the fairy fabric that form the top and bottom borders of the quilt. The panel measures approximately 1.9m wide x 40cm deep and includes a two and half “repeats” as shown in the photograph including a full 1.9 metre run of sitting fairies and a full run of standing fairies. The price for the fabric is A$20 + postage. (You can e-mail me.)

Running the Numbers

I remember very little from the movie sex lies & videotape but I do recall a segment that went something like this:

Garbage. All I’ve been thinking about all week
is garbage. I can’t stop thinking about it.

What kind of thoughts about garbage?

I just… I’ve gotten real concerned over
what’s gonna happen with all the garbage.
I mean, we’ve got so much of it.

You know? I mean, we have to run out
of places to put this stuff eventually.

Indeed. Photographer, Chris Jordan is someone else that has been “Running the Numbers” and he has created some thought provoking art work. Plastic Caps, for example, depicts one million plastic cups, the number used on airline flights in the US every six hours. While Plastic Bottles depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes. Meanwhile NSW town Bundanoon has banned bottled water sales. Being a one-time regulatory lawyer, I’m not convinced about the banning mechanism but applaud initiatives to encourage less packaging. You know? I mean, we have to run out of places to put this stuff eventually…

Feeling zen

It’s a glorious autumn day and I took the opportunity to attend the Gosford Regional Gallery and Gosford/Edogawa Commemorative Garden.