Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas everyone
with the love of my life, George

What am I doing writing a blog?

Quilting is one of the few places in my life where all the corners meet and stay put. On this blog I plan to ruminate about quilting and life, the quilted life, cat and quilts, and any old thing that falls in and out of my brain. I'd be pleased to hear from you on all of this or any topic of interest!

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Friday, April 30, 2010

Buster on the prowl (or know your own cat from 20 paces)

Buster, our supposedly geriatric cat, took off after Brutus, the neighbor's cat this morning and George and I ended up on a wild "cat" chase. We walked all around the neighborhood, calling "kitty, kitty, kitty" and shouting promises of chicken, when George spotted a orange cat and followed him across Ridgeway Avenue, a part of the neighborhood way too far for our old guy to go.

Well, we chased this cat for a few minutes when it occurred to me that this feline was moving like a young guy, not like our old guy so I told George, "I don't think this is Buster." Sure enough, we walked back home and there was Buster waiting for us on the sidewalk, wondering where that promise of fresh meat was. When we got inside (all three of us), we discovered Vinnie had eaten both his own breakfast AND Buster's (of course). Just like Vinnie to take advantage of the situation and fill his tummy!

What a cat adventure it was!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Summer Reading list


Now I start sewing the 15 rows together


Once the quilt squares are laid out and numbered, I start pinning the blocks together and sewing long rows of 15 blocks in each of 15 rows.




Using a really hot steam iron, I press open all the seams. Then I sew the two strips together. By the time I was sewing the two strips together last night, it was 11:00 and I sewed them on wrong and had to rip it all out and try again.

I have today off so I will continue sewing strips and adding them to each other. Maybe I can get the center done by tonight????

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Laying out the 225 squares in a spectrum pattern

Now that all the squares are finished, it is time to sew them together to make the center of the quilt. Here they are (progressively) as I lay them out on our bed. Buster decided to help at the very beginning.







In the last two pictures, you can see the number tags on each block, just to keep me from screwing up the design while I sew it together. For a few hours today, I thought I had lost a block but I found it when I pinned all the tags to each individual block. Whew!

Hosta walk this morning

Every morning I take a "hosta walk" and check out the gardens. Here's what this morning looks like.







Here is my summer 2010 project area. This was previously a 12 foot wide swath of tangles and brambles and poison ivy. Soon (I hope) it will be grass, hostas and ferns!




My northside neighbor, Verna who is an expert gardener, took out an old evergreen last year and this year, we have agreed to extend my hosta garden to her house. This picture was taken from my 2nd floor window!



Not all of us get to putter in the garden on a fine spring morning. Some have to grade student papers as the semester is fast ending! (Gardening isn't George's thing anyway but he does appreciate all my efforts!)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Spring Artists Fair at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Today was the second annual Spring Artists Fair at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, an event that, as Museum Shop Manager, I am responsible for! And what fun we had! There were 27 artists from potters to paper cutters, jewelry makers to painters. Not a huge crowd attended (about 200 people) but that was twice the number we had last year and they were in shopping mood, which is great since this event supports both the artists and the museum. Here are some pictures taken by my wonderful husband, George.




There was my friend Nan with her lovely spring felt flowers (and her new website, check it out on my links! Cindy, you did a great job!)




Jan McNeel filling in for Daughter Carolynne McNeel who makes stunning jewelry from watch parts and typewriter keys, to name a few.



Marta Urban who does Pennsylvania Fraktur.



Quilter, Jim Mikula who was one of the featured artists of our past exhibition, "Man-Made Quilts."




Sue Pollins (in blue) with Nadine Reposky, a new paper artist in the Museum Shop. Sue does watercolor paintings of Greensburg, our town and just about everything else at and for the Museum: she's a docent, an art teacher, a shop volunteer, a member of the Women's Committee - and that's all volunteer work! What a girl!



Bob Jones, painter and print maker and Shirleah Kelly, paper artist and photographer. Bob has been a long time friend of the Museum and Shirley has just joined the docent corps and the Women's Committee.



Gorgeous wood turned urns by George Radeschi, represented here by his wife, Loretta and friend.



Glass by Rose Kmetz.







Five fabulous jewelry artists, top to bottom: Billie and John Humberger, Carol Pollock, Susan Hill, Gerry Florida, and Merriann Grant. I am wearing the "Ginnie" necklace by Gerry Florida in my profile picture.



Scherenschnitte (paper cutting) artist, Kathy Trexel-Reed, who will be featured in our small gallery paper cutting show in July 2010.



A very versatile artist, Alexis Dillon who is a photographer, a paper artist and a potter.




Potters, Bridget Mayak (Touchstone Artist of the Year) who does raku birds and Ben Eisaman who does functional items (where did Ben go????)





Three painters and printmakers, top to bottom: Gloria Hersch, Tim Thompson, and Tom Norulak wearing a "Pittsburgh is Art" tee shirt (must get some of those for the shop!)






Four more fantastic jewelry artists, top to bottom: Pat Fitzgerald, Dora Lee Rosenfeld, PamelaJean Werner and Tristine Herb.







The weather was wet and cold outside but the friends and conversation were warm and friendly inside the Museum this April day. A good time was had by all! Thanks to everyone for helping make it such a smashing success!