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