Zeus II

I’m still working on the studio re-do. I’ve made good progress but still haven’t installed my Featherweight. I’ve been drawing instead of piecing. This is the second try of the Zeus photo. I had an idea that it would be fun to make a drawing and perhaps print it on fabric and do some stitching. I’m working on Zeus III. The first two were supposed to be drawings just to draw, using copy paper and a UniBall Vision micro, a new pen for me. I added color by getting out my Pitt pens. Zeus III is on print paper and I hope to play with some watercolor.

Zeus

Steven’s roommate Hassan is the “parent” of Zeus, a pit bull puppy. I was very anxious about pit bulls in particular and college seniors having enough time to properly “adopt” this puppy but I must admit that he is a very lovable pup.

I was amazed that this dog became such a big part of the boys’ senior year of college. During our visits this year we were able to spend some quality time with him, including a digging party at the beach. And of course he was at the graduation party. This sketch is from a picture—photographer unknown but surely one of the dear boys on Del Playa.

This and That

I’m playing mom (we had a wonderful time in Santa Barbara for Steven’s graduation but he came home and promptly popped a strep infection) but I am also doing some piecing. It’s my reward for a beginning a massive clean-up that is long overdue. My plan is to move Steven into Andrew’s room and take over Steven’s room as my studio. I’m giving up the fabulous upstairs while Steven is home. It was originally a “family room” which I had taken over as my studio. Actually, I have taken over the entire house and it’s time to organize and consolidate.

Rebecca Rohrkaste, colorist extraordinaire, showed a Postage Stamp quilt at the EBHQ “Show and Tell” (the November meeting each year) a couple of years ago. We were all agog and inspired. She cut 1-1/2” squares and started putting together 2s and then 4 patches, etc. It was very inspiring, especially for all of us who save scraps. I thought that if I put a pile of squares near my Featherweight, I could piece when I felt like it and eventually, I’d have something. I decided that I would take some 16-patches (4 x 4) and use some of my Kaffee Fassett fabric that I’ve been hoarding. Here is a sneak preview.

Roses and Quilts and Summer

A friend of mine once remarked that anyone can make a spring garden because Mother Nature does all of the work. Well, spring is over. I've been planting seeds and deadheading and weeding and I'm about to do some ripping out. I need to be feeding if I expect to have very many more roses before next spring. The lemon basil is up and I am beginning to see some bean green. I have beet and cilantro seedlings and the Thai basil is poking up.

We had both boys home for the last weekend in May and that was so great. We will all be together again for Steven's graduation on June 14 in Santa Barbara.

This small quilt was what I came up with for February 2008 and the G4 challenge of Crazy, Crazy in Love, Crazy Love, or whatever the challenge was. I found these “crazy” log cabin blocks in my WIP file. They were inspired by a quilt by Jean Wells.