today the sun is shining and i'm grateful~!!!~
i've enjoyed taking some time to familiarize myself with my new camera a little more. i'm excited by what it can do and overwhelmed by how much i need to learn about it~!~
i decided to take advantage of the warm afternoon sunshine coming in through the window this afternoon and created a couple of still life images. i love the beat up random nails chipped paint splintery look of the bench that i used as a background for a couple of small bits that i had close by . . . i also use this bench as a coffee table. it's care free and has tons of character~!!~

if you didn't happen to have any sunshine in your day, feel free to enjoy mine.

sometimes i have to get out a pencil and sketch in order to really make a decision about what to create next. that seems to be the case with my newest carrot quilt. one should not assume however that i will follow the sketch entirely . . . i sometimes make changes as i work along . . .

once i got started appliqueing the hearts i realized that this was a natural choice for this time of year. not only is valentines day coming up but today happens to be my 25th wedding anniversary. my dh and i have actually been a couple and making a home together for several years longer than that but this is the "official" date according to the marriage certificate. i have to say that the time has flown by in a (mostly) happy haze of memories and i feel lucky to be traveling through this world with a soul mate who understands, respects and loves me.

meanwhile i've been continuing my tide pool exploration . . . and the newest postcard is coming along nicely.

the base fabric is one that i was given by my daughter. it used to be a blouse and i always remarked how much i liked it and that she reminded me of a beautiful mermaid while wearing it. before she went to Honduras she was doing some serious closet/wardrobe cleaning and she gave it to me to create with. so one could say that there is the spirit of a mermaid lurking about within this emerging tide pool . . .

i've also been using some of the beautiful threads that Carolyn (from http://www.love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/ ) sent to me within a most fabulous give-away package that i felt oh-so-lucky to have won. doesn't that textured yellow thread make fabulous sea-weed~!?!~thank you Carolyn~!~

a white world revealed

bright cleanliness; a clean start

cold revelations

i woke up this morning to a fresh fall of snow. it's beautiful but i'm tired of winter . . .

i went outside (briefly) and got a quick shot of my freshly glittered garden and then felt like i could write a haiku to go with my minimalistic photo. i've been recently inspired to explore the world of haiku by a chance encounter in flickr and a couple of internet acquaintances so you may be seeing more of it within my blog as time goes on.

one good thing about winter is that i'm happy to be doing a little more quilting and have finished another doll (carrot) quilt. this one was made using some vintage star blocks that were given to me. i did a bit of reconstruction and added some of my own fabrics. it has a finished measurement of 16 and 1/2" x 21 and 1/2". i backed it with the lavender printed white fabric that you see used around the outer edges and bound it with a dark green print that i thought suited it. i can't say that it is one of my favorites but it will be a nice one to have within my doll quilt collection.

there is something about traditional antique quilts that i find particularly appealing lately . . . maybe it is that warmth of character that they seem to exude through their (often) hand stitched fibers. i see them and imagine the makers and their various circumstances and am amazed at how these quilts were frequently made using a minimum of resources, time and even good light to see by! i have such respect for both the beautiful finished quilts and their hardworking creators. i have recently discovered a few blogs that are fueling my current need for traditional and scrap quilts and the inner warmth that they spark up in me. if you are interested in doll quilts in particular go see Persnickety Quilts at http://www.persnicketyquilts.blogspot.com/ and click on her "doll quilts" label. she has a fantastically varied collection that i frequently drool over. for a bit of history with your doll quilt there is nothing like a visit to quilt author Kathleen Tracy's blog: A Sentimental Quilter at http://www.sentimentalquilter.blogspot.com/ . she's written three books on doll quilts with a fourth one in the works and has done a lot of research into the ladies (many of them young ladies) who made these gems. i recommend her books as well as her blog.

i recently discovered a delightful series for making a doll quilt called "Cheddar Cheese and Crackers" at Humble Quilts: http://www.humblequilts.blogspot.com/ . this blogger has many beautiful quilts, both large and small, within her blog. after reading this well done three part tutorial i've been inspired to add this pattern to my (long) "must make that(~!~) list". i do love that "cheddar" color used in many older quilts~!~

for further gorgeous fabrics and color choices you must see Inspired By Antique Quilts at http://www.inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com/. this blogger is a magician at the art of "getting it done" and i also love the many links she provides within her space.

and last but not least i must share this final blogspot not only for her fabulous use of scraps (which i so admire) but also for her humorous choice in blog names: What a Load a Scrap at http://www.whataloadascrap.blogspot.com/ . as you can imagine, this spot is full of ideas for using up one's final bits of fabric as well as a healthy dose of humor~!~

in addition to visiting tempting blogs i've been going through my own collection of vintage and antique quilt blocks in an effort to decide what to do as my next carrot quilt (# five~!~) and have turned up this cute embroidered "Hickory Dickory Dock" nursery rhyme block.

as well as these antique broken dishes blocks . . .

sometimes i think i just have too many choices~!~

maybe i'll think of some way to "marry" the two together . . .

i've decided to sit down with a cup of cocoa, some homemade shortbread cookies, and a few good quilting books and see how cozy i can make myself feel on this cold winter day.

won't you join me?

the senior party quilt top is finished and i'm happy with it's "sunny disposition". it goes to my guild this evening and i'm quite happy to have it off of my to-do list. now i am turning my attention to making another postcard.

think of warm days with sand between your toes, the sound of breaking waves and the magic of tide pools . . .

i think this will be a welcome diversion for me from my winter snows and cold winds and hopefully you will feel the same.

one of my Christmas postcards does not seem to have reached it's intended destination so i will be doing some verifying of that later this week and probably making and resending another card.

meanwhile i begin to gather supplies that speak to me of the magic found within these special salt water pools left behind after the ebbing of a tide . . .

i've never actually experienced a tide pool so would love to hear about tide pools from those of you who have. please tell me what you found fascinating and lovely within the tide pools of your memory. these shared thoughts will certainly help me to create a more beautiful postcard.

in return, as i continue to gather bits together and work on this card, i will share my progress with you.
it will be like getting to spend a few warm moments at the beach . . .

"It is a pleasure to a real lover of Nature to give winter all the glory he can, for summer will make it's own way, and speak it's own praises." Dorothy Wordsworth i have been kept away from blogland by one thing after another for far too long and i've really missed it~!~ it's good to be back with a post of my own and i am getting around to visiting a few each day. yesterday i visited Carolyn at: http://www.love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/ and Pom Pom at: http://www.pompomsponderings.blogspot.com/ . these two blogs were an excellent place for me to start as they both have created such wonderful "be happy" blogs to visit. if you are looking to be delighted, inspired and encouraged these two blogs will not let you down.

i realized that i had never posted a photo of the finished gift quilt that i made. it's been back from the quilter's for quite some time now and what with the holidays and all that goes with them, i ended up forgetting to get it in here. so this is the official "ta-da" moment for this child's quilt. it measures 36 inches x 44 inches and i'm very pleased with the small stipple pattern that was quilted into it.

see that bright yellow monkey print that i used for the backing~!?! it reminded me of Curious George and so i have purchased a boxed set of Curious George board books to go along with it. as a child i was a big fan of Curious George and all of his mis-adventures~!~ i think i still am~!~

now, with all of that monkey business going on, i've convinced myself that i need to add an adoreable handmade sock monkey to the quilt and books . . . i've never made one and will have to search for a pattern . . . or find a seller of fine handmade sock monkeys . . . if there are any ideas for me out there please feel free to speak up.

this gift set will be ready and waiting for the next gift, donation or raffle that comes up. my goal is to get (and stay) three quilts ahead (for this purpose) so that i'm not scrambling around at the last minute trying to hurry up and finish something (which is my usual mode of operandi) generally speaking they fly out of the house as fast as i can get them made so i better get out the fabric scraps and start another one very soon~!~

but before i do that i have to finish the current quilt project that has exploded all over my studio . . .

this is an almost completed top that i've been working on for the last couple of days. for the past several years i've made a quilt top and then handed it off to my guild sisters who pitch in and volunteer what they can (batting, backing, quilting, binding, etc) to get it finished for an annual senior graduation party. this party is thrown by the school, community members and parents for the graduating class. it is held (in June) as a way to encourage them to celebrate sans alcohol. it will be only one of the many (donated) raffled prizes. as much as i've enjoyed doing it, i've decided it's time to "pass the torch" and encourage someone else to take charge of this activity. there are many talented ladies within the guild who could bring great new inspiration to this and i need one less thing to do~!~
this top is being made using blocks that i won in a guild block exchange the year before last. i asked for half square triangles made from a black and white print on one side and a bright "happy" print on the other. my cup runneth over and i was given enough to make more than just the one quilt top. i used the remainders for this years top and added in the necessary blocks needed. it's going well and i hope to be done with it by the end of the week.

as you can see i've been quite busy and am so very glad that the pace has finally slowed down enough for me to jump back on the blogging merry-go-round~!~ i hope to be visiting a few of you each day and posting a couple of times a week now that i'm back on track.

just a quick hello and yes, i'm doing fine. i appreciate all of the comments, e-mails and hellos despite my lack of communication and hopefully i'll be paying some blog visits (as well as posting on my own) during the upcoming week.

in the meantime; try to stay bundled up and warm cuz baby, it's COLD outside~!!~

:)