Be*mused

Itchy feet

The last day of October.  With the arrival of Halloween comes the end of Socktoberfest and Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Has anyone else been surprised at how pink has come to rival black and orange as the color of the month?  Seemingly at every turn...at my bank, on my salsa jar, wine, sewing tools, everywhere!  It's been ubiquitous.  What a fabulous job has been done to promote public awareness and research on this disease which has touched so many.  Have you all had your mammograms this year?  Great.  Now I'm going to nag you about something else.

 
Molly and K, Halloween, 1986

Twenty years ago this month, I was diagnosed with 4th stage Hodgkin's Disease...end stage lymph cancer.  I was 33 and your average young mom...a room mother, Cub Scout assistant, busy,busy,busy carpooling, sewing Halloween costumes, teaching quilt classes.  In late summer, I had noticed that when I took my sneakers off at the end of the day, the soles of my feet would feel itchy.  When I tried to relieve it by rubbing or scratching, the sensation would continue up my legs. No rash, just an insatiable itch.  This seemingly innocuous annoyance was the first warning.

By the time I saw a dermatologist in October, I was feeling a little tired.  What young mother doesn't feel tired at the end of a day?  Within a week of my appointment, I had started what would be a year of chemotherapy.  Very successful chemotherapy, fortunately.  I benefited from then-recent medical advances and although I noticed a number of Hodgkin's deaths in the obits that year (you tend to do that when faced with dire possibilities, read the obits, hoping not to find any unfortunate victims of similar situation), my year of treatment was mostly forward-looking and positive.

I must admit that the Pink Campaign has always made me a little bit uneasy, because I fear that many women get their mammogram results and feel they're safe for another year.  And when some little, naggy, out-of-the-ordinary *thing* appears, it's easy to put aside.  Ignore.  I'm busy, of course I'm tired.  It's just itchy feet.  Whatever.

Visiting Molly, 2005

So here's my suggestion heartfelt plea.  When you see those pink ribbons, let them be a reminder to be attentive to your whole health situation.  No ache, pain, mark or itch should be ignored if it persists for several months.  I thank God for these last twenty years and shudder to think how close I came to missing them.

Feeding the stash

Last spring over coffee, a fellow blogger made a funny comment to me.  At least it struck me funny at the time.  It was something to the effect of *I want to watch you buy fabric.*  It's come to mind many times since and variations on that theme have popped up in comments.  I can understand why.  The selection of quilting fabric has exploded exponentially in the last few years and fabric shopping can be mind-boggling.  I suspect that's why so many new quilters stay within a line of fabrics when planning a project...it's much easier to end up with a cohesive look.  And that's how I started, back in the dark ages of the modern quilt revival, the late 1970s.

Jinny Beyer and Jeff Gutcheon were two of the first quilters to introduce fabric lines after the success of their first quilting books.  Quilt shops started popping up.  And following years of not being able to find much in 100% cotton beside percale calicoes at JCPenney's, quilters were in heaven.  The new lines were more expensive, around $3 a yard (ha!) as opposed to the $1.99 percales, but their early success spawned an industry.  From 1977 on, I regularly taught quilting classes in adult education programs, community college, regional quilt retreats and several quilt shops.  Unlike now, when every color and shade under the sun is available somewhere, colors changed with the seasons and you had to acquire a bit when you found it or regret it later.  Being a teacher, I was afforded shop discounts.  I was also usually trying to plan that next project to teach from 'the new stuff'.  Thus grew the stash.

(part of) The stash

I prefer to make scrappy quilts and my stash serves me very well.  I love to start with an idea and have the luxury of pulling fabrics from my shelves to start right away.  But I'm only human, people!!  These fabric companies keep rolling out new lines, new colorways, new designers...  So, not unlike sourdough starter, as it is used, the stash must be fed.  A little here and a little there.  The fabrics above, all newly washed and ironed, are from my recent trip to several quilt shops in Ohio.  (Including the Door Mouse, which caused such a frenzy from my last post.  Come on, don't you think I was quite restrained?!)  I think it looks quite indulgent piled in a stack like that, but not so much when you break it down.  Does it?

When I was working from Collaborative Quilting, I found I had almost no contemporary prints with a white background.  Needed some black and gray graphics, too.

A couple of new red stripes to use in this quilt...as well as two new off-white shirting prints.

Three KFassett discontinued prints.  I've been hunting for that blue bubble dot for months without success.  Score!!

Four lovely, subtle Japanese prints (the grays!) that I had to have a bit of.

Four really great colors (truer in top photo)...two bile yellow-greens, a saturated pumpkin and deep plum with green dots. 

These few that caught my eye for no particular reason.

 

And three great grass greens (see top shot) that refused to be photographed separately anywhere near their true colors....but two are long out of print and down to little shreds in my stash.

See?  Just a little of this and a bit of that.  Mostly half yards, a couple of quarters and a few slightly more.  Just to keep the stash fresh.   

   

I'm back!

Did you miss me?  I know, I know...you didn't even know I was gone.  I had planned to mention it before I left, but last week got crazy, quickly.  In the midst of planning a 5 day trip, I had a short notice call from family that they'd be driving through at the end of last week and thought they'd stop for an overnight visit if it was convenient.  The night before my departure.  They'd never been here before, so it threw me into a frantic, whole house cleaning frenzy...in the middle of packing and planning for my get-away and M's business trip.  In the end, all fun with the payoff of returning home yesterday to an immaculate house.  A rare occurrence!

Saturday couldn't have been a more beautiful day to drive up to Ohio.  I took some back roads and soaked up the spare, country scenery while listening to some Simon & Garfunkel, the perfect accompaniment.  America, My Little Town, Old Friends/Bookends...thinking about the old friends I was heading to see and virtual friends, so many of you gathering in Rhinebeck as I tooted along. 

Brrrr

The ostensible reason for the trip was a wearable art fashion show/luncheon sponsored by my old textile group, but it was followed by two days of do-whatever-we-want fun with my good friend and host, Mary.  Our daily exploits included hitting all of our favorite fabric, yarn, paper arts and book haunts, pausing only to indulge in some good eating.  It was freezing while I was there (snow!) and her place is at the water so the chilling wind effects were heightened.  Each evening we'd return to don our flannels, put on the tea or homemade soup and watch old movies & reruns while we knitted and flipped through crafty books and magazines.  A total *sans husbands* girls' visit in a dream location.  Mary gave me permission to share this shot of one of her quilts.  She pooh-poohs it as something she just made from a pattern, but I love it.

And that throw on the couch?  To.die.for.  If you like Kureyon colors but dislike the scratchiness, consider Noro's Blossom, from which this is made.  Soft as butter.

Yum 

On the drive home yesterday, I made a small detour to a quilt shop in the middle of nowhere.  Literally.  A barn in a field.

Need some pinks?

Yellows?

Don't see your perfect green?

Try around the corner.

I pulled in last night with suitcase, shopping bags and some kind of respiratory infection.  So today I'm scuffing around, washing fabric and catching up...on a pile of snail mail, an inbox full of email and 500+ Bloglines updates.  Back in a couple of weeks days.

Jumping off

The leaves have turned and started falling.  And here in the heartland, Socktoberfest was quickly morphing from *fest-ival* to *fest-er*.  I had wanted to use this year's sock project to learn knitting on 2 circs, but my yarn shop (from which I have a gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket) has been low on Addi stock.  So after several fruitless visits, I shelved that plan for now.  Sunday, I cast on some Koigu and I am cruising!

Look familiar?  It should.  First, I had to rip, rip rip.  Um, decide to rip, rip, rip.  The feather and fan socks, while fun to knit, were bandwagon knitting, pure and simple.  Swoon over a yarn/pattern/item in progress on someone's blog and jump right on.  I've been thinking a lot about bandwagon knitting recently and have decided that from now on, whenever I find myself ready to jump, I'll ask the critical (and should-be obvious) question...would you even pause and consider buying this to wear as a readymade item? 

So often, if I'm honest, the answer is no.  My wardrobe's small and simple and I like it that way.  You can usually find me in a black turtleneck from Labor Day to Memorial Day and a black t-shirt through the summer.  Accessories are something else, though.  Last January while I was packing to leave Japan, Molly laughingly observed that I always buy the same thing when I visit...scarves, socks and bags.  And...surprise!...that's what I've enjoyed knitting most. 

Although there is a bag of flecked, tweedy Peace Fleece in the closet, waiting to become a sweater.  A plain sweater.

*After the last post, I got a number of inquiries about the tiny pumpkins.  I found them recently in a gift shop Halloween display, being sold by the scoop .  They're not really pumpkins, but some kind of little pods (did the saleswoman say *puka pods*?) that have been dyed orange.  I threw a few in my sock photo for scale.

If it's October, can you-know-what be far behind?

The now familiar scenario...the mums are in full bloom and I've just brought home a few choice pumpkins. I've teetered on a chair to reach the top shelf for my lovingly stored witch and scarecrow and auditioned them around the house until I've found this year's perfect display spot.  Then, the inevitable.  The distinct sound of jingle bells coming from the TV when I step away during a commercial.  This month, I had been bracing for that always-jarring reminder of the impending season after I started noticing references to the *C* word popping up in blog posts.  And though I always reserve the right to leap into a last minute, creative frenzy if the whim strikes, at least I don't have any current plans to make gifts this year.  Ahhhh.

I did have the shortlived idea that I might finish this quilt to put up this season, and, in truth, I am quite regretful that I've made hardly any progress toward that goal.  Note to self: dig that out again...2007 will be here before you know it.  Anyhow, the down side of working on a queen sized bed quilt in the midst of all of your fabric stash is that once decisions have been made...colors, block size, design...cutting and sewing 121 blocks gets to be, well, boring.  The eye and the mind start to wander.  And before you know it, you're pulling fabrics down.  You'll just try a quick block or two.  And then you start thinking, maybe a little holiday quilt to throw over the back of the couch is still doable.  While you're finishing the bed quilt.  Of course.

Just what the doctor ordered

The weekend forecast was for gorgeous, warm weather but Friday evening I could feel a cold coming on.  By Saturday morning, it was in full bloom...tinny ears, sore throat and runny nose.  Having made a course correction on the 16 patch mid-week, I decided to spend the afternoon making some headway on it.  In my compromised condition, resistance was low and I found myself off on another adventure.  Just a small veering off the track.  Really.

Due to my bleary-eyed state on Saturday, we had declined an invitation to a family event Sunday in Ohio and expected a low key day.  By late morning, however, I was feeling better and after much internal back-and-forthing (I'm so good at that), I got dressed, grabbed the camera and headed out.

Yesterday was the opening of the new show, Gee's Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt.  And the ladies were in town!  At the time I spent that day with them in Cleveland two years ago, we were preparing to move and Mary Lee Bendolph had told me they'd be here in 2006.  'Come see us!'  It sounded so far off.

As when they visited us for the opening in Cleveland, the day was filled with events such as this panel presentation,   

book signings,

and gospel singing, first by the quilters and finally, a rousing presentation by the Kwanzaa Choir. 

I had a chance to chat with Mary Lee Bendolph again and met some of the quilters who hadn't made the Cleveland trip in 2004.  It was a wonderful afternoon and I urge any of you who have the opportunity to see the show if it travels to a city near you to try to go to the opening day. (Here's the show's touring schedule...scroll down a bit.)  The quilters are so warm and friendly...anxious to meet visitors and chat about quilting.  Their stories are exceptionally moving when read, but when you hear them in person, retold in their humble way, they are quite inspiring.  They are such spiritual, special women.

And the quilts!  When I heard there would be a second show, I was afraid it would be a pale comparison to the original tour of The Quilts of Gee's Bend.  Wrong!  This show has over 70 quilts drawn from the same time frame, the 1920s to present, and is every bit as powerful as the first.  Of course, no photography was allowed in the galleries, but here are two of my favorites from the accompanying book.  I loved this bold one, by Loretta Pettway (second from the right in the panel photo.)  It almost jumped off the wall! 

 
Housetop variation, 2003      86" x 68"

In contrast, this workclothes quilt by Martha Jane Pettway was positively luminous.  It amazes me that such an old, worn piece could glow the way it does.

Blocks and strips, 1920s    72" x 67"

And me?  I'm feeling much better now, thanks.

As good as it gets

Did I mention how much I love my Swallowtail shawl?  It's impossible to photograph, however.  The color of the yarn is a cool (as opposed to warm) cocoa brown, quite neutral and thus difficult to contrast except against white, which is quite harsh in photos.  In desperation, I dragged a pot of mums in and that helped a bit.  Of course, my exasperation wasn't eased by these shots of another Swallowtail.  Gah...talk about eye candy!

I have become completely smitten with lace knittin', but Latvian mittens have been at the top of my *to knit* list for a long time.  Last year I tried stranded knitting but had a terrible time maintaining tension with the thin yarn.  I decided to practice with worsted weight and was pretty happy with the result, but then I was off to Japan after the holidays and never got back to trying the mittens again.  Until this week. 

I am not a happy camper.  Let's just say there has been much gnashing of teeth.  I'll write more about this another time, but I have a question for the knitters.  Have you ever tried one of these little do-dads?   Or this similar knitting thimble (scroll down)?  I think I could better address the tension issue if I didn't have to worry about keeping the strands straight.  I don't need another gadget, though, if the experienced among you think that's what these are....just gadgets.

It's time to clear the desk of some links I've been accumulating.

• Diane has compiled a long list of online quilting-related tutorials.  She also recently wrote a tutorial on how to insert piping as a design element in a quilt border, which I don't see on her list.
• Emily recently wrote a great post about her set-up for photographing her art quilts.  Lots of good information here, as well as a few laughs. 
• Jerri (creative mom of Lisa and Stephanie) on wrote a post about how to insert color slices into a quilt design after her workshop with this quilt artist.
• Sharon has a couple of posts about her attendance at Gwen Marston's retreat last month.
• I've come across two wonderful string quilts, in progress.
• Blackbird is quite fond of this sweater, recently featured in the Sundance catalog.  Me, too.  I'd start knitting sweaters again if I could find a pattern for it.
• Laurel is a dedicated artist who has devoted each month this year to sketching a particular topic (animals, food, garden, still lifes) in anticipation of her monthlong sketching trip to Paris.  She's just arrived and you can follow her sketching adventures in France at her blog, Laurelines.
• And finally, you should go see this, linked from Blackbird, who found it through Corey. 

I'm not going anywhere this time.  Well, maybe upstairs to sew. 

Mystery solved

Strawberries  1969

About fifteen years ago when I first stumbled across Japanese quilt magazines, Patchwork Quilts Tsushin was regularly showcasing the work of a particular applique artist.  At the time, I had no way of figuring out her name but once I realized the piece was a recurring feature, I was happy to just look forward to each new issue.  The series of articles appeared in many consecutive issues, always as a two page spread...a full page applique photo on the left hand side faced with an accompanying page of text.  As each new issue arrived, I quickly thumbed through until I found the new piece, always a depiction of plant or fish, using a range of traditional Japanese fabrics. 

Baby trouts   1970

So many things appealed to me about these appliques...the use of fabric pattern, the sensitive interpretation of simple subjects...but what really grabbed me was the stitch.  The artist's humble stitch.  And the always perfectly placed signature, her initial, appliqued or couched. 

Turnip   1976

Several years ago while visiting K in Japan, we made the requisite stop at Maruzen, a favorite bookstore.  I had already exhausted the art/craft area and was browsing the fine arts section when I did a double take.  There among the coffee table art tomes were these three little books.  (As always, click for closer view.)

I couldn't believe it...what a find!  Subtitled in English, they are FLOWERS in applique, VEGETABLES in applique and FISHES in applique, all by Ayako Miyawaki.  (Mystery solved!)  They're wonderful little books (approx. 7"x7") each filled with over 50 charming color reproductions.  And still available, apparently.  I've never seen them anywhere again but this morning I did a little poking around and found them...where else?...AmazonJP.  I've linked to their pages.

 
Scanned from a snapshot

A few years ago, I made this small fish piece (with Miyawaki in mind) as as part of a group project.  A good friend was opening a resort shop in a coastal area in a rustic, open building.  Thirty or more of us...all *fiber friends*...each made a 14" square quilted piece using a fish theme.  In the planning, someone had the bright idea to attach ties to each corner so that the squares could be tied together in multiple possible configurations.  She ended up assembling groups lengthwise and hung them as banners from overhead, rough hewn beams, but because of the ties, they can always be reassembled in different groupings.

One last photo, my favorite from the vegetable book.

 
Persimmons with twigs   1979