catching up with Mary J news

The summer is gone! School meetings all last week - started Aug 10th. The break is always too short. A few quilts were finished and more were started. I had a lovely trip to SAn Francisco with gal-friends. We stayed 4 days near Union square. I had the chance to visit Brittex Fabrics down the tiny alley by Union Square. What a dreamy place for a fabriholic. I did buy buttons and remnant pieces of a yummy mix. They also had men's wool samples, a dozen packets of 10 fabric samples(precut, stapled) in the scrap box - if I wanted to make a wool quilt/comforter of all grays, blacks, small (tiny) weaves-checks, stripes...it could have been done for under 10 dollars. If I lived in Minnesota, it would have been snapped up in a second. Here in the valley - we don't use/wear wool. We like sheep, eat lamb. It's just too hot to wear any. Also too hot to buy dark wool when Brittex is full of yummy silks and colors.

The above quilt is almost ready for the fair - the Goldfinch Gazette: narrative art, with comments both humorous and political. The birdies are typing or editing the local news. The bottom has a row of hanging feathers, the top has arched branches fastened to the backing dowel, to make a tree-themed hanger.

The next quilt comes from my Co-Dependent therapy - lessons learned and behaviors noticed from well-meaning friends (who are also Co-Dep "fixers") who just want the best for me. What they haven't learned is that sometimes the "you should do......" sends the message that one is not OK. We already have insecurities and don't need kind friends telling us what we should do. There is humor in this quilt. I have had great fun, beading the past week, making dangling earrings and necklaces for the sheep. One sheep even got embroidered spike High heels! Last minute details add color and pizzaz! The question - should I border it with more peach color? should I look for some curls of wool (hard to find around here)? to sew on the boarder? Hmmm - the finishing is the most fun.

Getting 2 quilts done over the summer, with weeding, watering, visits, naps, and travel is about my speed.

I have recently had daughter home from Pittsburgh PA for a week. A wonderful whirlwind visit, always welcome. She's back to school now.

The rest of the family, son and I, face school too. Kids start Monday for me. Son Ben is fighting the CA Univ system budget cuts and having a hard time getting classes. We'll see what happens.

I will definately try to keep up on the blog a bit more. Summer was just too much fun away from home! - 2 trips to San Francisco (King Tut museum trip then later the Union Square trip) and a wonderful stay at high Sierra Mt, Lake Huntington with friends. We sailed and hiked in the cool air (while the valley here was heck-a-hot).

The school bell rings now...back to work.

mary j

This is the Matisse Inspired Rhyming Quilt set. I have been drawn to the Matisse paper cut blue nudes done in the late 40's. Something about the curves, thighs and raised arm - it's all so fluid. (Matisse had huge round cantelope breasts on his design.)

The humor of rhyming overcame common sense - I couldn't help myself. Top left: Matisse with Geese, top right: Matisse in Fleece. Middle left: Matisse in Chemise, Mid right: Peace Matisse. Bottom left Matisse in Breeze, b. right:Police Matisse. I loved doing this and have more rhymes, but decided to move on.

Made spring 2009

Arizona Landscapes 3 quilts

I love Arizona and the Southwest. I sketched these from photos - both mine and book photos and had fun finding odd fabrics to make them work. I feel a strong kinship to Arizona and to New Mexico.

This is the Christmas quilt - obviously - Southwestern Santa who is feeding little quail some tortilla chips. Notice the corn in the gathering basket on his back, a chili ristra next to it, and with feathers hanging. I drew up the design and worked at making it fit our home with its Southwestern art.

Since all the Southwestern art is now gone, I take the quilt to school and hang it in my science lab. It's festive and fun.

I use this as a fall theme - maple leaves stitched on muslin, brown and orange thread - 2 in one needle. The outer edges are shaded with rust stain and tea, sponged on gently.

Finishing up with the Chili Pepper ANger Quilt. Thanks to friend who suggested I make the chilis as pockets - we both love manipulative-interactive quilts. The chilis hold 16 different quotes that positive anger can do for a person (me especially). I was taught that "nice girls don't get mad." It's taken some time to get over that - so this is more therapy - important enough to express as a quilt. I printed the quotes on fabric, cut them apart, bonded to a yellow print, whipped stitched yarn to the edges, and beaded the ends. I curled the strips into each chili. Sometimes they hang out in a twist. I won an honorable mention at the Fresno Co. Fair last year with this quilt. The best part? I'm learning to stomp my foot when necessary and stand up for myself.

down to the end of the divorce

These two quilts are the beginning of the end. The Journal of Anger was a great therapy quilt. I wrote probably 4 pages of ranting with a felt pen on the fabric, good emotional release, then made the pencils with quotes, quilted it all, and chose to use "Peace sign, tye dye" fabric? go figure.

The figure (me with wings) is about morphing, as I go through the stages from grief, to anger, to strength and power. I had added angel wings at first - humorous error -definately had to change those. The bird at the top is a red tail hawk - have some history with rescuing one-39 years ago.