The Makings of a Machine

The place that made my quilting machine, HandiQuilter, is in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Their operation is meticulous and impressive, and I got the chance to snap some photos of their workshop.

Ahhhh! Sweet Slumber!

Cats sure can relax, especially on a quilt.

Hi Everybody!! I'm Back!

Whew!  What a long blogger break this has been.






Lately, I've been trying new artistic outlets.  One has been mixed media...stuff I've found at flea markets glued together.

And, I was foolish enough to do another paper-pieced quilt.  This one sold at a recent quilt show.

What's Up?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about this "oversharing" business everyone seems to be doing.  There are the blogs, Facebook,  reality TV, instant messaging, Twitter, Twatter and Twutter. 

Do we really need to know this much about other people?  Does anyone need to know this much about us?

It's starting to give me the creeps.

So I'm trying to work this puzzle out:

And Phoebe's thinking of staying hidden:

I'm not sure if I want to continue blogging.  So don't be surprised if I don't post for awhile.

Books, Broads and Breaking Bread

Today was our book club meeting at Jo's.

This is the most fun group of women ever.  There are fifteen of us, and I love us all (pardon if I do say so myself).  Our book discussions are lively, and even sometimes contentious, but always stimulating.

Jo made a fabulous lunch for us.  A salad with all the yummies she could think of:

And bubbling on the stove?  Hungarian mushroom soup!

And there was warm cheese bread with butter.

And (as if that wasn't enough),  a creamy custard thing with peaches on top for dessert.

Yum!

The day was beautiful, so we ate lunch out on her deck, which overlooks the Santiam River.

Beautiful Pre-Fall Outing

Today, the road ahead was a walking path through Bush Park in Salem.

 
A walk that would have been incomplete without flower photos at the conservatory.




Then there was the incredible exhibit in the Bush Art Center by Kristin Kuhns called "Acts of Reconstruction."

Her pieces are beautiful and intense, and I was blown away by the whole show.  Here are two of my favorites.

 

And before the day was done, a trip to the Wednesday Farmers' Market where there were local fresh organic vegetables,   

hand crafted objects (this is part of a purse),

and beautiful flowers, foods and soaps.   

Spiders, Seams and Struggles

Today, I was sweeping off the deck and came upon a frightful sight.  Behold my new best friend:

I really understand Miss Muffett when she sat on her tuffett, eating her curds and whey...oh, geez that's a big spider, climbing down right beside her, changing the mood of her day.

Most of my studio time today was spent piecing together my latest quilt top.  I'm still obsessed with curves. and lines that change color because of perfectly matched seams.  Here's a picture of what I have so far: