Ahhhhhhh, Doesn't it feel good to finish a quilt?!!!! and find some giggles ....

Do you ever ask yourself, "How did my quilt end up looking like this, taking this direction and shape....I bought a pattern and fabric and some thread and then POOF!" or...."When I awoke this morning did I have any idea that this is what was in store for me? The mind and the heart is amazing to me especially during the creative process...whether that be creating a quilt, dinner, a love of your life or THAT moment when you just are grateful. With heart comes a need for courage to take the plunge sometimes and today....Porsche became SUP-Dog "Stand Up Paddleboard" Dog.....When I slow down....oh the beauty I see! Can you tell when Roxy is begging to quilt next?......And finally, 1 year later....the Van Gogh cats are ready to be pieced. I think Tula Pink may have the perfect pattern for them....at least for the initial plan, he he! And then there is the Poppy quilt to play with for a friend, Jen.... And how many hours are left in this day, Oooooooooooooo! Happy TOOsday, Em

Eye to the memories of loved ones while creating memories of my own and CELEBRATING the puddles along the way....

Memorial Day.....As I begin this post and found the bottom photo that speaks to me of an abstract eye with wisps of hair tickling the forehead, loved ones flash by like slideshows and I smile and sigh simultaneously. While remembering Grandpa I CELEBRATE the memories that my family and I are creating each day that will one day be a sigh and a moment of reverie. Last summer my quilting breaks were on an ATV....now they are a kayak and paddle board with my boys. And the quilt....so close!!!!!! The two side borders and then this little silly ditty that is not so little, DONE! Seems to have a childlike primitive ju-ju and I am enjoying it. I hope you do too! And the fun of this quilt....Friday night I attended Seattle Modern Quilt Guild and played with the author of Quilting Modern, Katie Pedersen. Her blog is SEWKATIEDID@wordpress.com. She is so fun!!!!!! and her inspiration, OOH OOH OOH! Buy her book and you will want to create every quiilt! Oh how fun this little life in the NW is!!! Love, Em

When you see the word BEACH......and Mom's current applique....

What came to mind? I make yummy noises and smile and begin to go down reverie road. As Roxy and I swirled and currented and imagined the markings of sea and sand....This quilt is my sketch pad. I practiced new fmq designs that I have wanted to try and was scared to do. My back is a complete disaster with the tension but that is how it goes. The learning curve, once what took me to to the psychiatrist's couch due to my perfectionism is now OK......The title of this quilt was once Sea and Sand...now it is, It has One Side, Front. And of course, gotta CELEBRATE mom's current applique project. Isn't the leaf fun? The little eagle is adorable that will soon adorn it! Off to play with Gwen Marston's Medallion ideas.......

"You know that feeling when you see someone you love and the only thing that matters at the moment is that moment?"

This post will be one of few words because it seems they would cheapen the sentiments of my weekend. I even become emotional as I begin to type the post. My boys were both with me for the weekend, mom and shop hopped to island quilt stores while eating ginger snaps and tatting and reading on the ferry and....a quilt class I will never forget nor could have imagined the beauty that was in store as I signed up for it. Sitting in a circle listening to Gwen's stories, revelling in the quilts as she brings them out and advises on the process of making a small quilt and my favorite....as she made the rounds and she sat down next to me and looked in my eyes as she spoke to me and nodded as she was listening. A woman who I admire and now I love because of a fun intimacy she shared with us. Her adorable stories and little giggles as she would tell the punch line, teach us the secret to small curved strips in a piece and sitting in a group as we talked about little boys and their love for scraps and how fun it must have been to be with girlfriends in a red tent.....She told me that quilting is the process and if we all leave having had a good time that day then it was a success and a quilt top would be a bonus.....And my project, a tiny quilt for a dear girlfriend who shares the joy of art inspired by maxi pads.....hence the stuffing left as embellishment and the labels from packaging. Off the wall but so is she! Speaking of off the wall, something about a lady coming up behind me and asking, "Are you Em?" Turning around to my delight and having Stephanie a dear blog friend introduce herself and have our cyber lives become real. We shared a table, stories and I found it hard to believe that we were together. Love to you on this Sunday! Em

Jean Wells, I like your inspiratoin!!!!!

I love Ms. Wells' advisement of finding inspiration for quilts in our everyday world...How about a surf magazine ad? I guess I did it a little backwards....began the piecing and quilting of Sea and Sand and then found the pic that was what I had visualized in my mind. With the help of the design Earn Your Stripes also. May you find some inspiration during your Friday moments!!! Em

Making progress.....

Rolling along as Roxy takes the helm. Thank you, Green Fairy, for your inspirations with quilting designs. I began to enjoy the quilting when I let the perfectionism go........Happy Thursday! Mom and I are off to Port Gamble to a quilt shop, ferry at 2:30 and I am so excited. I can imagine some fun with be had! And yep, 2 days!!! until Gwen Marston. I will post pics friends! Em

Seems only natural....that pebbles and tidal designs on the beach would....

Be happy dancing people when the quilt is turned on its side. Not done purposefully but I am excited with the happening. Wishing Green Fairy was doing her own magic with this quilt, but knowing that I will get it done, off I go to quilt some more.

My sister's "visual aid" for her class she is teaching this Friday at Quilt Beginnings in Columbus. This is her pattern and so cute! To hear the delight in her voice as we talked about the success of her first class she taught a couple of weeks ago on the Mariner's Compass, I wish I could be there for the class this week. She is such a sweetie and her quilting is amazing!

Monday's Mantra.....Row row row your boat....or is it the question, "What floats your boat?"....the ebb and flow of the tides.....and of course a favorite of mine...The ripple effect...And while on a easy river paddle, what better than a hot dog for the picnic....Mom's current quilt is the red and yellow quilt taken from the book photographed on this post from the pattern, Dancing Squares. Mom loves hot dogs so she and I have decided to name her quilt Mustard and Ketchup with relish on the side since one of the yellow squares will be a green POP!.....How do you like Noah's assistance with my Umbrella Girls quilt, he went to my garbage can and picked out the tiny yellow scraps to make the tennis shoes into stilettos...He is a funny little boy. Happy Monday, friends. In 6 days, 6 days.....Gwen Marston and a room full of quilters, CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!! Love, Em

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm! mmmmmmmmm, Good! "M" is for....Mom, Muertos, Moving in, Me, Mayhem, hmMMMMMMM!

Me oh My! Mom's the word.....and having raised a wonderful son who I did not carry for 9 months but carried through 15 years of his life so far....Mom means so much more than just what Hallmark writes in the middle of a card. I CELEBRATE the women who are moms in every nuance and essence of those three letters. And a special hug to ladies who dreamt of being a mom and experienced heartache month after month....With every holiday comes 2 sides....and for special sisters whose Mother died this past winter, thinking of you on this holiday weekend. May: Matriarch Month! Love from a woman whose new bestfriend is an umbrella, Em

Huffing and puffing....I forgot to look up!

The moment I saw this boardwalk at the beginning of Sunday's mountain bike ride at Duthie Hill, I thought....Jean Wells and her book,Intuitive Color and Design. And that was where the thought stayed, in the middle of a plank floating on the boggy waters......beyond this pathway, all guts and a lot of huffing and puffing!

"Noah and Sean, let me go ahead so that I can photograph you as you come down the boardwalk...." I love comparing the top boardwalk that I met at the beginning of our virgin ride to this mountain and then this photo of Noah leaving the park on the boardwalk. Initially, there was only the unknown and nature at its naked raw..... and leaving, memories and real stories of my family's mayhem. If you were to ask me a regret I have from my younger years.....that I did not train and go to the Olympics in mountain biking. It is a passion of my mine that so many people know little about......

Do you see what I see with the theme of this blog post in mind? I bought this fabric last week imagining it to become a part of a quilt with a bird theme....birds of a feather....but instead, tread of bike tires in the mud of Duthie.....and how fun that the bike tread is skewed hearts hooked! Oh the metaphors when one chooses to look and see and play with ideas!

My boardwalk planks are cut from a fabric that was aspen trunks. Little too light in color I realize so I tried to darken with the tan quilting thread. Initially I was disappointed because the planks look like a spine to me. But then....gotta have a backbone to ride the mountains so it seemed to work out for me. I am one who does not like to unpick my quilts so a good spin is a relief for me.

Finished piece......and the story behind the title of this post. The theme of this art piece is, Along the journey don't forget to look up, there are treetops if you take a moment to enjoy them. There are not any tree tops in this piece because I was so focused on breathing and picking my line since it was technical and my first time to this park that I never looked up, just at the trail or my surroundings eye level. While quilting last night on the porch, a friend of mine who has had quite a journey with drugs and alcohol and is now sober and completing college, texted me and I realized this piece was meant for him. He commented at one moment in the conversation that he could not wait to finish school and get on with his goals. I asked him to remember to look up during this final year and see the tree tops!.... Love, Em

How did I do, Miss Green Fairy?.....

This patriotic dolly quilt is complete minus binding and what a wonderful piece to practice with Roxy. If you are new to this fmq thing, have you found that fabrics that can guide your quilting with echoing is helpful. It sure is for me. The Green Fairy quilted a flag for my father a couple of years ago and I did my best to try and remember ditties that she had quilted in the stripes. I also used her idea for gettiing a the puffy trapunto effect by using double battings. Now for the fun part...shopping at a fabulous moms-and-pops toystore in my neighborhood for the doll. I could get used to this non-career thang! Happy Wednesday, nor more wilderness but a whole lot of celebrating still! Em