Summer Time

Love my flowers.

I tell the passage of summer through my gardens. 

Spending time watching a small boy skip rocks. 

Watching the changing colors of the pond. 

Berries.

Strawberries.

Golden cherries.

Blueberries.

Fat juicy blackberries.

Bing cherries.

Peaches.

Melons.

Northwest by Northwest

Beautiful scenery.

Might make it into a quilt. 

These too also are contenders.

My grandson and his gal know 

where to go. 

Hanging out

Just hanging out today.

Foggy Mornings

 Don't you love those late fall foggy mornings.

Muted-mysterious and moist.

 It has been a busy week as usual.

It was time to retrieve my art from the gallery

in Chesterton.  Now to change out the art in Delphi

Than the Monday after Thanksgiving the

Fair Oaks Farmhouse restaurant will be

switched to winter art.

 I am ready for Christmas just need to fill the 34

stockings. Beverly and I will do that soon.

I have learned that I need to have a couple of

quiet days before a Holiday so I can enjoy it.

You all have a peaceful Sunday.

Enjoy.

August

 Took a ride around the pond this afternoon before

going in the house. The green heron was sitting on the

wood duck box.  Next weekend I go on retreat with

Judy Tucker. We plan to have a great time,

30 quilt maniacs.  All on the same page.

 Finally my view of Lake Michigan.

I love the water and hope it cools off soon

so I can enjoy it again.

Looking back

 Face Book  post past photos and this morning

was a gold mine.

Just going back to these from 2 years ago I

have several ideas for art quilts this winter.

 I am so fortunate where I live in that there is

always something beautiful to inspire me.

Sometimes I forget and these photos reminded me.

I am going to the Chesterton Art Center this afternoon

to see the Phlein air painters show.

Doris Myers is coming with me.

Afterwards we will go to Michigan City and pick up

two of my works there from the Southern Shore gallery.

It will be delightful to visit with Ms. Doris my 93 year

young friend. I haven't seen enough of her this year.

Outside here at the RIdge

 The tree behind the Catalpa tree is ablaze again 

this year. I love the movement of the black branches

against the bright fall colors.

 Last look at the pond.

It doesn't look like this right now.

We are going to make it a circle of rocks

with water bubbling out of the top of the ricks.

We cannot keep the algae out of it and it is a mess.

SO a bubbler with boulders in the plan for next summer.

Love the view to the west from the deck.

It never fails to sooth me.

Something about living in the country is good

for the soul.

Quiet.

Just us and the birds and the squirrels.

The raccoons, deer, possoms, snakes, golphers

and the coyoties.

Water Water everywhere.

 We have had over 15 inches of rain in the past month.

Our rivers are full and over flowing.

The water is now up to the bottom of the deck in

this photo. Our county ariel photo looks like

Minnesota. Lakes in all the fields.

Hopefully it stops soon.

I am always fascinated with water  but quieter water.

I have been working like crazy trying to make more art

quilts for my solo show in 6 weeks.

Must get busy will take the camera to the studio today.

Phelps Mill in Minnesota

This photo of my husband relaxing  by the mill.

Phelps Mill in Minnesota is a unique and beautiful

place. We enjoyed a month in Minnesota last year.

Good memories.

Yesterday I organized me wet studio so I could start

bright and early Monday morning.

I went down stairs to do my knee rehab and

happen to glance in the wet studio.

It was wet alright.

The floor was floating.

My husband changed the iron filter Saturday

and did not get it screwed back on right.

It dripped for 24 hours.

I guess this is one way to get a floor mopped.

But now everything is piled on the table and

moved around to dry.

So much for an early start Monday.

Water everywhere

 Happy 4th of July everyone.

I love summer and I love water,

Rocks and the shore.

 Reflections in the water,

Blue skies reflected in the water.

Love   Love   Love.

Hope everyone has a safe 4th of July.

I am going to plant some flower seed.

Rope shibori some fabric and just have fun.

Water quilts

 I love to do quilts that involve water,

both abstract and realistic.

Water appeals to me.

Flowing, moving along and lots of color.

Bradley helped me on Monday doing all the up

things that needed done. New batteries in the smoke

detectors, changing light bulbs, clearing off the top

shelf of two closets. Hauling containers to the attic.

Putting white felt on a design wall.

Fixing the TV. He so slim he can get behind the

cabinet. The better to fix it.

I think finally of all my grand kids he found the

problem. The grand kids joke about the up list.

It is not good for me to climb ladders or to

get  up on chairs anymore. So I keep a up list

and when it is full I call a grand kid.

Today I look forward to starting a flower quilt.

Creating.

Rain

Its raining out today.

I am glad the pond was getting low and I was

concerned for the fish for the winter.

We need a lot of rain to get the water level up

before the pond freezes over.

Lots to do today.  Maybe I can make some more

quilt cards or a few mini quilts for the Holiday show

Friday. I was in Valparaiso yesterday and there

is a new store next to JC Penny. A Hobby Lobby.

How convenient. A closer place to get small

canvases. I use to back my mini quilts.

Well I better get started on my day.

First a quick pick up in the studio.

Left it a mess Monday.

Than time to create some small gift items.

 

 

Bsck Home in Indiana.

 Our last 2 days at Battle Lake were windy.

The  wind messed up the computer transmissions.

So I could not use the computer until I got home.

Traveling 13 hours home in a truck messed up my

brain waves. I will get back to normal soon.

My BPV is acting up but usually it takes only

a few days to return to normal.

Wow when we pulled in the driveway everything

was so green. As soon as I had the stuff unpacked

I spent a morning in the yard cutting back the jungle.

Now to resume studio time.

Traveling always makes me dizzy for a few days

so until it settles down I will refrain from

doing any damage to fabric. I should be back

to normal by the 4th of July. I need to finish

my 12 by 12 blocks to share I have received all

but one of the 5 from the others. I fear I will be

the last one done. Better to do them right

than to send out inferior work.

Water studies

 This is a great opportunity to study the movement

of water. It is fascinating to see the patterns  that

moving water makes.

 Add is some rocks and it changes again

 In still water I can see what is beneath. But my

favorite is water under pressure. These patterns

are the most interesting. This is the last week of

our Minnesota adventure. One more thing will

be crossed off of our bucket list. I have loved

the cool nights sleeping in fresh air. The air

is so free of any pollution and dust that

I sleep 6 to 8 hours a night. I will go home so

rested that I will be supercharged in the studio.

Phelps Mill

We went to visit Phelps Mill yesterday.

That is my husband fishing.

Fishing has been bad too cold yet,

My son-in-law is fishing by Detroit Michigan

and said the same thing.

I keep taking photographs to use in reference

for future art quilts. The scenes are nice.

Sunday our oldest son will arrive with his kids

so it will get busier. Having a quiet time in MN.

Wolf River finished,

 The Wolf River quilt is finished and hanging

in the Wells Cultural Center in Lafayette,

Indiana. The Gallery Walk will be May 17th.

We anticipate a big turnout. Lafayette is a town

that appreciates art. The inspiration for this

piece came from a photo I took while we

spent a week in Wisconsin at the Cabin In

The Woods on the banks of the river.

Yesterday my grand daughter got more of

 the spring yard clean up done. The plants

are growing fast now. The sweet spicy viburnums

are blooming now. They smell so good. The

lilacs will be next. We are getting a meal of

asparagus a day now. Having a garden is

such a pleasure. To have good clean food fresh

from your own garden is special. Looking

at the new leaves on the oak trees I sense that

the season will fly by and in no time the

leaves will be the colors of fall. Like

the song says Sunrise Sunset Swiftly Pass

the days. The way it goes.

Finally getting somewhere.

Closing in on the finish.

I stitched down all the trees and trunks and

am ready to move on to the reflections in the

water. It is finally looking like something.

Today I will add the stitching on the water

than it is on to some hand stitching to

emphasize the trees. The machine

stitching doesn't show up well enough so I think

it needs more texture-another layer of thread.

 I hopefully will be done by Monday.

Than I will move on to some medium size

wall quilts for the show. Well off to an early start.



SAQA auction quilt

I finished the hanging pocket on Sunrise and my quilts

 for The View From Here are ready to be shipped.

They will be with other SAQA quilts from the Midwest

at the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati Ohio

April 11-13 at the Duke Energy Center.

We are supposed to get snow Tuesday 5 to 8 inches.

I changed my Doctor appointment to Thursday.

I do not like to fight blowing and drifting snow.

I can drive through 5 inches  as long as I can see.

I will finish the SAQA auction quilt and go on to

another unfinished quilt from last summer.

The 12 x 12 needs stitching and some paint

to finish it. Maybe some hand stitching too.

I will show you the finished product.

Summer in the Woods

Love the sun on the rocks and the
 cool blue waters of Lake Michigan.
Strolling through the woods in and
out of the dappled sunshine.
I must make time to spend some time
up in the north woods again this fall.
Spent some time with my daughter
yesterday. She is such a good person.
A cardiac nurse for 27 years, mother
of 2 of my grandchildren and just a good friend.
She shared some of her gardens bounty.
Peppers and English cucumbers.
I made our first batch of tomato juice
for the season. With garlic, celery, jalapeno
peppers and a touch of cayenne.
This batch I will freeze instead of can.
Ready for a morning in the studio.
Life is good.

My least favorite color-magenta

 We were assigned a project of  using our least

favorite color.

Mine was magenta or anything pink.

The quilt above was the result.

I am thinking I will add more contrast

to the reflections.

The fabric below has been over dyed, stamped

and foiled.

These colors are more to my liking.

I really enjoyed QSDS.

It was intense.

The Masters class was interesting to observe.

I think this experience will broaden my way of quilting.

Seeing different styles of art quilting was interesting.

I was able to win the bid for Jane Dunnewold's quilt.

I bought TOO much fabric.

Luscious hand dyes.

Crazy colored T shirts.

Way too much fun.