Light Hearted Tuesday

I hope this tickles you as much as it did me.

Happy Tuesday!

Eye Candy for Kittens

Ain't she the ultimate?

Miss Conservative

Sometimes random elements seem to call to me. I look at them and shove them around and all of a sudden I see why I was called. When I look at these diverse elements, I wonder why put a scarab with Turquoise and Pearls but the harmony of the whole is the only explanation.
I do love Turquoise. Any kind of Turquoise, from anywhere in the world. So I can tell myself that this is Persian Turquoise brought back to Egypt by the Pharaoh's men. And the Pearls are from off the island of Crete (even though they are fresh water Pearls). The romance of stones is never ending. And the stories are never ending as well.

Bright Shiny Faces

These flowers greeted me this morning. They reminded me of Catholic school and the nun coming into the room and saying to us "What bright shiny faces we are this morning". When she said that I always felt a little perkier. So much for subtle suggestion.
These bulbs did not bloom last year and I was so happy to see them this morning. I don't know the name but I will make it a errand today to find out.

Light Hearted Tuesday

This is another birthday card. I though it very funny and left it out for days. I decided to be the girl on the right. I don't think I would have ever done my hair like that but at least the dress isn't too bad!

Lump in the Rug

With cats, one expects that kittens have games. But the games do not last very long. The kittens grow into cats. And cats "put aside their childish games".

Chester still gets a lot of pleasure from his games. One of the games that survived is "Lump in the Rug". Late last night I captured this photo. Of course, the lump is that character, Chester.

Almost Ashes

This was taken in the early, early morning. I almost burned the whole thing. I was so disgusted last night. I had gotten no where in this thing called "progress". It was sew, rip out, sew, rip out. Now that it is garbage, I will rip out and salvage what I can.
But on the "up" side. I have improved the design. If I had finished it, as it was, I would forever regret it.

Sweet, Sweet Memories

Whenever I am sitting at my desk in the shop and on the phone or doing paper work that taxes my strength, imagination, or patience, I open the top drawer and pull out this little bar of soap. I inhale and float away. Stress seems to diminish and I feel immediately better.
I brought this little bar home with me from a sales show that I did at least 20 years ago.
It comes from the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. The Audio Show was there and and to make life simpler, we stayed at the hotel. The time of the show was a very difficult time for me. I had challenged myself to do this show and I was about to go through a divorce. Very complex times.
However, it was the very best time that I ever had at a sales show. Then, we were the only women at this show. But after the session was over, we were free to wander around. The hotel was in the French Quarter. And it was wonderful. We ate wonderful food and heard wonderful Traditional Jazz at the Preservation Hall.
We went on a shoe string budget but what those dollars bought, were worth everything.
The trip filled me with hope for the future and that hope sustained me through all I had to go through.
Now, when I need to pass through the portals today's world and re-capture a time when I felt relaxed and positive, I open my drawer and deeply breathe in the fragrance of this little, tiny bar.

The Face That Launch a 1000 Riots

I have changed Penelope's name to Princess Brouhaha because like Helen of Troy, she can launch a thousand riots (not ships) with her face. Sometimes I look at her and wonder what makes her so very pretty. But pretty she is!!

Light Hearted Tuesday

I just realized that these cards are only what I find funny, amusing or light hearted. But since I don't have the "Universal Mind", here it is.
I think this is quite funny. If I leave a card out to look at for more than a week, it fits into my "light hearted" mode. And this one was received for this year's birthday and it tickled my fancy for at least two weeks.
The quote seems right out of a very bad mystery novel from the thirties. Can't you hear Humphrey Bogart saying that?

The Monday Need for Color

My new project is far from done. It is at the stage where I am convinced it will never come to light and I will hate it.

But when that occurs, it does help for me to feast my eyes on color. I am always in the need for intense, contrasting, and odd combinations of color.

These items are from Mexico and Guatemala. I just like to hold and study and luxuriate in them. I have had the belt for at least 35 years. Oh, how I have enjoyed it, and the change purses were brought to me by my uncle many years ago as well. But when tucked away in a drawer, the colors have stayed fresh.

Maybe I needed to be tucked away in a drawer to have kept my color?

Colors of Life

Last year my daughter-in-law, Rebecca, went to offer her services to a clinic in Ghana. Being the wonderful person she is, she came back laden with fabric and stories.
Rebecca told us about the open air markets that are in the larger cities. The fabric stalls are adjacent to the seamstresses. The normal way of life, when you want a dress or outfit, is to go to the fabric stalls and purchase the fabric. Then, you would take it to someone to sew for you. Rebecca said that the seamstresses stalls have many designs on the walls. You would point and the seamstress would sew it for you. How much nicer to have your own individual design made for you, than to go to a store and go through racks and racks and still not find anything that makes your heart sing.
When I made this top, I went on line and looked at the clothes that are made for people in America but still have the flavor of Africa. This is the design that I came up with. A sort of in-between Africa and America design. The fabric for the top is from Ghana, as well as the belt. I feel like royalty wearing it.
My feeling is that a person can't have too much color in their life!

Labor Day Weekend

In the true meaning (that is Pat's meaning of Labor Day) of Labor Day weekend. I celebrated by devoting my time to work that is close to my heart. I finished my purse, walked the dog, played with the cats, and to top it all off, I made these pajamas for Sweet Lucy.
I purchased the main fabric at FIDM, my favorite shopping spot and the insert was a remnant from Joanne's.
I had purchased the tops several weeks ago. I was charmed by the color combinations and immediately saw how I was going to use them. I knew that I didn't need a lot of time to do it and I put them together on Sunday afternoon.

I hope the weather doesn't change to fast but then Lucy burns hot and so she will be able to wear them for little while longer.

And lest I forget my photography assistant, who put in a lot of hard work trying to make it hard work for me: Mr Chester !

Lighthearted Tuesday

I think that this is one of my favorite cards. I love the woman and what they stood for as well as the sentiment in the card. The tag line says so much about self-confidence and what really is important.

Happy Tuesday to all my beautiful friends. (Grey or otherwise)!!!!!

Happy Sunday

I am happy to report that this project is done. It is always a good feeling, and now I am looking forward to the next project. I have not found one yet and there is always another wonderful, consuming project on the horizon. I have just not gone to horizon to see it but maybe tomorrow on my walk, I will see it.

I purchased this fabric when I was with Lucy, looking for her "book bag" fabric. It tripped me up. I was not looking for anything for me and when I saw it, I picked up the roll and walked with it. It happens like that sometimes. Don't you love that kind of experience. Like kismet.

It reminds me of Russia. Maybe the colors, maybe the design of the blue tapestry but to me, it is the Russian purse. I combined the red lacquer ball with the fabric because of the relationship of Russia to China. Plus the colors are terrific together.

The strap is navy blue leather, purchased at the FIDM store downtown, my serendipitous store.

The inside is navy blue Satin, with three pockets.

Revisisting the Past

Yesterday, I spoke with my son about my posting about his children. He looked at baby Hollis and said the immortal phrase "where has the time gone?". I responded with "Well, how do you think I feel when I look at baby pictures of you?"
Since he will be having a birthday next week, that comment is even more poignant for me.
When I made this baby quilt for him, it was my third baby quilt. It was going to the ultimate of all my quilts so far. And at the time, I did not know if I would make another (I have made many more). It was made from fabrics from all of his relatives. I guess it is a story quilt because we would sit in the living room and I would tell him who had sent me which triangle. I had so much enjoyment asking my relatives and Martin's relatives for fabric. Everyone responded so positively and with so much happiness to be included in the quilt.

But I reserved the center part for my child. I didn't know boy or girl but I knew that this child would be a "star" in his own right. And that fabric was new and purchased just for my new baby.

When I got to the point of assembly, I realized that I needed fabric to fill in the area of the star to connect with the triangles. Now, when that occurred, I was about 2 weeks to my due date. I remember standing in line to pay for the fabric and just remembering that, I can feel my ankles swell up. I went from one foot to the other, shifting the weight. Th weather was just like it is now, very humid. I did not finish in time and completed it about 2 months later.

In this close-up there are triangle of a dress I had made for Jordan's cousin (red with tulips),Martin's Mother's dress sample (blue paisley), several triangles of outfits I made for Patrice as a child (green with purple flowers and the pique with multi-colored flowers), Patrice's father Tom's underwear (for lack of other fabric to send) and several tops that I made for me (green seersucker and red with blue flowers) and the piece de resistance is Martin's Father Richard's gold lame "Gambler's vest" fabric. It is mated with the fabric of Martin' Mother's fabric.

As you can tell, I still remember the fabric and the people who sent them to me. There are many more samples and many more people. I loved making that quilt and the reason I still have it is because Jordan felt that it would get damaged with his children. I am sure that wouldn't have happened and the love would have just continued.

Happy Birthday Jordan!!!!

Facinating Photo

These children are my grandchildren, Lucy and Hollis. I love them dearly. The photo was taken by my son about 2 years ago. It is so telling of their different personalities.
My son threw out their television before Hollis was born and Lucy was in day care early on. She had seen television and was quite interested in it. I believe because she enjoyed stories. However Hollis was and is very discriminating about what he will watch. If a movie gets too scary, he leaves. He does like to use the computer and play games on the computer. I think that he feels that he can control the environment while using the computer.
Anyway, with this photo that I leave out to look at, you can see how blase' Lucy is and how Hollis looks like he thinks something will jump out at him. They are both wonderful and this photo says so much about them.
The illumination in front of them is the light from the computer. My son does have cartoon that they can watch.