March Take It Further Challenge Finished

Today's postcard

March Take It Further challenge: Pay attention to the details. Sometimes the small things become emblematic for something larger.

My quilt is 8 x 12 inches and contains many circles. It is constructed on a multi-colored gauze background and has many little details that comprise the whole.

My original thoughts were to have lots of beading. While there are more beads than I usually use, there are fewer than I originally envisioned.

Thanks to Dena Crain, with her Darned Quilts class, for her influence. I didn't start out thinking about doing something similar here, but that's where I ended up. If you ever have a chance to take Dena's class, jump on it.

Touching Home

Today's postcard






What's the deal with the plaid postcards? I'm taking a Quilt University class that works with just this - weaving fabrics and adding more fabrics, ribbon, and trim to make a new fabric. The instructor warned us that it takes lots of fabric and time and I decided to go small first to experiment. I like this arrangement and like the colors, so tomorrow I'll start on my larger piece, which will be related to, but not just like this.

I got mail from Bluffton (home town in Ohio) which included a copy of last week's Bluffton News article about the dedication of a memorial honoring the Bluffton University baseball players who died in a bus crash a little over a year ago. My cousin Gregg Luginbuhl sculpted a bronze marker called "Touching Home," which has handprints and cleats. Gregg's work is wonderful as usual, but I really was touched by this paragraph from his dedication speech.

"Visually, I am asking all who visit this site to think of rounding the bases as a metaphor for our work, for our lives, and especially for our spiritual journeys. Through individual achievement, a hit or a walk, we get on base. We make judgments, decisions, take risks, maybe steal a base, but by and large we survive or progress with the help of our coaches and teammates. Sometimes we make it home, and celebrate the journey - know the joy of our contributions to the team. And then we try to get on base again."

Home run, Gregg.

Easter Blessings

Today's postcard

How wonderful to spend Easter at Steph and Mike's. Thanks, guys. Sarah, we missed you.

Nora decorating a bunny cake.

Grandma, Aunt Tina, and Nora.

Pap and happy Aaron.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone.

Favorite Statue

Today's postcard

This is one of my all-time favorite statues, on the Ohio River in Covington. It's where Steph and Mike had their wedding pictures taken.

Unfortunately, someone wrote in his book. It's probably a continuing cleaning process, but . . .so rude.

Can You See The Shark?

Today's postcard


Just before noon I took the shuttle to Cincinnati for the Good Friday services. While I was waiting for the shuttle, I noticed this puddle with a reflection of a shark from the aquarium sign. Can you see him?

Here he is again, a little bigger.


The service started at Fountain Square, then moved down the street to the Freedom Center. Afterwards I joined friends from church for a walk across the river into Covington. We were on the John Roebling Bridge, which was a prototype for the longer Brooklyn Bridge.

Looking up -

And down. I find this bridge scary to drive on because it feels so slippery.

Yesterday the Kentucky House passed a bill to make the nearby I-75 bridge a toll bridge to help pay the huge cost of a replacement. It's part of the interstate system, but the feds are no help on this one. It's hard to imagine how to keep traffic flowing smoothly with a toll area, since this is a bottleneck area anyway.

Here's the newest addition to Covington's skyline. Some people really like it, some hate it. I think it's pretty cool.

High water (that's what the orange sign says) - the river is a foot below flood stage. Because of the high water and fast current, barge traffic in the city area is restricted to daylight hours. It's a difficult area to navigate with the bridges and bend in the river.

My friends walked back to Cincinnati and I took a different bridge to Newport. No use feeling virtuous about the walk, though - my path took me to my favorite bakery and a piece of cherry strudel.

Artist Trading Card Workshop

Today's postcard (three-dimensional bobbin work - it's better in person)

Happy spring, everyone.

Last month I was disappointed when snow cancelled the Artist Trading Card workshop at Crone Cottage in Bellevue, but tonight was worth the wait. There were all kinds of luscious things to play with -

and nice people to meet, too.

I'd never made an ATC before, and it was good times.

Here's a quick update on my March TIF challenge. Last week it just wasn't working, but I stitched down most of the bright pink twirled ribbons, and I'm happy now, ready to go forward.