Bluffton Pictures

Today's postcard

Brother Carlton and sister Cindy

Sister Cindy

Cousin Gregg

Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Darvin

Friday Fill-In # 74

Today's postcard

Today's Friday Fill-Ins answers are in bold.

1. For me, no time or structure to think and try new things is the opposite of creativity.

2. Loving Frank was the last excellent book I read. It's a fictional story about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, a really good read with a surprise ending.

3. I like fill-ins because they give me a chance to get out of my head and write about things that I normally might not. For example, I love to read, but almost never mention what I'm reading.

4. I nature, I like looking at the ocean. In stressful times, I always long for the beach. Or, the mountains. I look at the Smokies web camera almost every day and try to imagine myself there. Right now, it's totally overcast.

5. I don't know who should win the US elections. I'm really disappointed with what I perceive of as the lack of good leadership candidates. After the GW years, we really need a strong, experienced, non-egotistical leader. And I don't see one.

6. The last time I laughed with all my belly was - I'm sure it was with one of the grandkids. They light up my life, for sure.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to quilting the border on my quilt (and maybe putting on the binding as well,) tomorrow my plans include going to Bluffton, Ohio, for the funeral of my 96-year-old aunt. She was the last one remaining of my dad's sibblings and their spouses. My sister is coming from Lancaster, Pa, and I haven't seen her for ages and ages and I'm so looking forward to seeing her. Sunday I want to go to church then do something fun and relaxing.

Batiks and Ecovillage

Today's postcard - I love scraps (see below)

My waxing and dyeing and wax removing from my last two batik pieces is complete. The little birds below had three dyeings. The little purple ones are hard to see, but if you click on the photo to enlarge it you might find them.

Below are leaves, also hard to see. What I wanted, though, was a sun-washed look, so I'm not dismayed. I may do something further to help the leaves show up.

On Sunday, I saw that the little natural building beside the Sustainability and Environmental Studies House at the Berea College Ecovillage looks complete. Phil Hawn worked long and hard on it. It's made of four natural building materials - slip straw, cordwood, cob, and bagged earth. It has a green roof and, if I remember right, a stone floor. It looks so attractive - good job, Phil. The last I heard, it will be used for potting plants and housing gardening supplies.

Of course I had to check out the vine on the trellis on my former apartment. It's looking good, already up to the horizontal supports, and it's only May.

Sunday Flowers

Today's postcard. The pink thread won, and it wasn't even one I auditioned in the postcards.

The campus at Berea College looked lovely for graduation on Sunday, as it always does. Take a look at roses at Seabury Center,

rhododendrons at Phelps Stokes Chapel,

potted plants at the "Hardees" Mexican restaurant (not really on campus, and distinguished from two other Mexican restaurants in town by its location at a former Hardees,)

and a poppy at the Sustainability and Environmental Studies House at the Ecovillage.

Here are flowers of a different sort - one of my batik lessons, completed.

Drop In

Today's postcard

Yesterday brought a drop-in visit from the family on their way home from the zoo. Everybody was in a happy mood, with stories of zoo babies and merry-go-round rides.

Lots of smiles

Nora made a bee-line for the I Love Bugs book and took it home with her. She doesn't really love bugs, but she loves the book.

I wished I wasn't wearing my dyeing pajamas and that my house had been neat - it wasn't - but I was so happy to see them. This is, after all, one of the reasons I made the move here last summer.

Batiking

Today's postcard

Today I finally got started on my batiking lessons, just when everyone else is finishing. It took me awhile to get all the supplies together and think it all through. And at the end of the day, I had one lesson finished and parts of the other three as well.

Here's my new little fry pan with soy wax. I fooled around for awhile thinking I could locate a used pan at Goodwill or at a yard sale since it won't be used for anything except wax but finally gave up on that. I used soy wax, even though it wasn't suggested, and I'm glad I did - it was very clean and behaved well. In the picture it hasn't melted yet, it's little wax shavings

I knew that once I got going I'd be hooked, and I am. It's very time intensive, but I love the process. I'm eager to start some projects of my own and really put some care into them. The top two pieces below are just pieces I twisted and put into the dye once the main pieces were almost done. I knew that most of the color would already by gone, but I just can't resist getting a little extra cool fabric.

Getting the wax out was easier than I expected, but the little blue piece didn't really have a whole lot to start. We'll see what happens with some of the more heavily waxed pieces.

The little blue piece was a sampler to get used to getting the wax on the fabric.

The red will have two more wax and dye processes and hopefully it will end up with red and purple birds on a brown background.

The flowers were waxed first, then painted on the fabric. We'll see tomorrow what they look like. I forgot to add the soda ash and salt on the first two colors, and I'm not sure what will happen. Maybe I'll just paint over them tomorrow, that would probably be the best thing.

To Berea

Today's postcard

Today I put on a float-y skirk and sandals and went to Berea (KY) for graduation.

Irene, Sophia, Bella, and I had an impromptu lunch at the Mexican restaurant.

After lunch we met Bella's mom and went to Seabury for the ceremony. We ended up on the steps just as the graduates were coming down, so we got to see everyone before they went into the gym.

Full house.

After the ceremony the graduates tossed a beach ball as they waited to leave the gym. You can see it on a chair as the last graduates wait to file out.

One thing I don't like: even though the families are asked to remain seated until the processional is finished, most leave once their student has left the gym. See all those empty seats both in front of and behind the last graduates and the people walking up the aisle while there are still several rows of grads? By the time the students whose names are at the end of the alphabet leave the gym, it's almost empty. How unfair for those students. Off soapbox.

Other than that, it was a perfect day with lots of happy people. There was a party in my old neighborhood for a few graduating international students, including my host student Kaydene. I got to meet her sister, who came from Jamaca for the graduation.

Shoe Shoppin'

Today's postcard. You'll be seeing several similar postcards that I made as I was auditioning quilting colors. Truth is, I still haven't decided on the color yet.

Tonight Steph and I went clothes and shoe shopping for ourselves, but luck wasn't with us. We did find some great buys on little girls' shoes, though. We were really excited about one find. When we got home, Steph had Nora hide her eyes

while she put the awesome shoes on Nora's feet.

Surprise, it's Crocs! The decorated crocs were a crazy $35 at the big department store, but this pair was $12.99 at Gabriel Brothers.

We found these girl-y sandals there too. Too pretty and inexpensive to resist.

But wait, there's more. How about these sweet little plaid slip-ons, on sale at the big store.

Nora is one lucky girl to discover the joys of shoes at a young age.

Friday Fill-In # 73

Today's postcard

Time for some Friday Fill-Ins. Answers in bold.

On my laziest day, I like to read all day and eat a real breakfast. Preferably a book I can't put down and scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast.

Going grocery shopping makes me feel like I'm being productive. It's the business of getting out, bringing home nourishing goodies, unpacking things. My grandmother used to say that as long as she could "push the cart" she was still getting along ok.

This summer I want to make my yard look pretty. Or, at least mowed. So far, it's been slow going, but hey, I've been busy.

Red dyes and orange dyes. Dyes of all colors, actually, but red and orange are my favs. Forest green and black, not so much, but still good.

And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to WalMart shopping that I've put off forever, tomorrow my plans include working from 9 - 5, and Sunday I want to go to Berea for graduation. My international host student from Jamaca is graduating, as well as some special student parents. Should be a great day.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Quilt Pictures

Today's postcard

It's been awhile since I've had any quilt pictures because . . . well, there weren't any. I've been holding on, trying to at least do the postcards.

Today I have a few pictures - it was a good day. My circular quilt got a sparkly binding a few days ago and some beads today.

I did a little quilt to practice machine embroidery over the weekend and free motion quilted it last night.

I couldn't resist taking a tea dyeing class with an instructor I really like. Here are some results.

I did a little more tea dyeing today and the pinks came out a little better although still pretty light. My plans are to make a 5" x 5" quilt with them for May's Take It Further Challenge. The end of the month's getting close, so my quilt plans are getting small.

Wednesday Potluck

Today's postcard

Today is a potluck of various subjects, just a little about each.

Hey, Steph, there's a rabbit on your porch. (I work about a block for a house where Steph used to live, and I saw the rabbit when walking by at lunchtime.)


Here's my niece Ariel, home from Penn State for the summer. Ariel's a senior and will have a term abroad in Egypt in the fall.

These glorious roses were on a corner in downtown Newport.

Called for the doctor and the doctor said . . . . .