Mela, Born Beautiful 7-27-13

Dave and my daughter, Melissa, brought a bundle of Mela into our world yesterday! 8 lbs 11 oz, 21" long. Mela is perfect. And beautiful. Melissa and Dave will add her to their family fold along with gorgeous Sophia. I love being a grandma. I love seeing Melissa be a mother. My heart is busting!

Mono Printing etc

Mono printing adventures today! I recently acquired a large mono printable surface and wanted to see how user friendly it was. It is very user friendly! On a whim I grabbed tubes of acrylic paints I bought at Michaels recently, the boards and some canvas and had at some mono printing. I love the imprint of my hand made circles. The time I spent inking up the surface's was well worth it. I love every one of the pieces I turned out.

I made 2 wonky star blocks too, to even out the blocks my art quilt group made for Michael while he was deployed. I will sew together and quilt to get it to him asap.

This quilt is a labor of love and concern from each of the blocks makers. I truly appreciate it and know Michael will too. It will be wonderful.

I also completed Connie's RRRR for guild within two hours of the guild meeting! My row is the hexi flower row at the top. Isn't this quilt looking awesome?! I know Connie will love it.

I subscribe to Linda and Laura Kemshall's DMTV. They work on and from their sketchbooks all the time. I decided today to work up a very quick collage using what was immediately around me. I used a Pennysaver, a bit of envelope from a bill, some acrylic paint and a bit of Marcia Derse fabric. I plan to try to do one a day for however long. I want them to be spontaneous.

Good day of mono printing, collaging, sewing and designing. Just what a good Sunday should be!~

Yesterday, after the wonderful guild meeting, I made a stop at Sally Ann's. I found this Old Navy t-shirt with the skeletal outline of a hand on it. I love it! I want to enlarge it and thread sketch it. It was a good day at Sally Ann's. I got a velux blanket for $4.99, a great summer cover up. Jeans for $2.50. You just never know when Junking will be rewarding.

Hillside Inn, in Wyoming, NY, is for sale. The selling agent is part of our quilt guild. We were able to  meet an picnic there and tour the site yesterday, thanks to Emmy. It is gorgeous. I could live there! For $699,000.00 it can be yours! We all see it as a quilt retreat destination. If only.

This is only one of the chandeliers in a bedroom. I lay on the floor to get this pic. If  I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have seen the star shape of the chandelier.

This cover was just too cool to not get a picture of! I assume it is for the septic, but who knows. This home has connections to the underground railroad. "The American Home" is about this property. Fascinating.

Last night I decided to take a nap at 7 PM. I woke up this morning at 6! I have been feeling tired all week. Not sure why. Heat. Age. Whatever. Felt good to sleep.

I have learned:

1. How to shuck the hulls from wheat and chomp on the nut. MMMmmm.
2. Check out this textile site. Really cool stuff.
3. When I take a hot bath, Clifford, my special cat, loves to drink the hot water. I guess it's like hot tea for him?!

Nancy Crow Quilted~!

Three years ago I posted this quilt, unquilted, on my blog. It is now quilted! Val Schultz, of Mountainview Quilting, did the awesome straight line quilting with threads that coordinated with the colors in the quilt top.

This quilted piece has met and exceeded all expectations. You can see the quilting better on the reverse. I am beyond pleased~!
I made this quilt in 2010 at QBL in Nancy Crow's class.  I will be facing it using a method I learned from Diane this past week.

Michael and Jenn are safely back home in Fort Campbell, after almost two weeks in town. I loved having him around, but am glad he has a good place to call home.

Mela Ann Zaporowski is holding her own. Melissa has not shown any signs of delivery yet. We have two weeks til the due date. I am so anxious to see her face and hold her in my grandma arms!

QBL quilt show today. Saw a few pieces that were inspiring, otherwise a waste of $6. Good time with good people saved the day. And more Marcia Derse fabrics for my stash!

I did manage to do a bit of machine quilting on my Big Leaf piece today. I added some pebble stitching to the linear leaf quilting. Looking good so far.

I picked up a copy of City of Lights yesterday. I don't normally reread a book since there are enough books that should be read, but this is a local story of intrigue and mystery. I thought I read it was to be made into a movie. I shall research that part.

I have learned:

1. Orange is the New Black, a Netflix original, is very good. 
2. Screenprinting will be part of my repoirtoire soon!
3. The Heat. Funny. Curse words work on a laugh scale.
4.  The Head & the Heart in Rochester August 1st.

Soy Wax Resisting Day

Washed and hung to dry....my soy wax resist, dye painted fabrics! I love them. A. lot. I was invited to participate in a little workshop with Maureen Jakubson, of Ithaca, at Bev Kondolf's wonderful old barn, by Pat Pauly. It rained ALL day long, but the five of us in that barn had a great, mutual creative experience! Liz Anderson was the other player.

Close ups of each of the pieces I finished, including a little note to my gestating granddaughter, Mela! I had such fun mixing the dyes to see what I'd get, that I came home and ordered dyes online. I knew once that at some point dying would be in my repertoire. The soy washed out in the machine easily. It is biodegradable, which is a plus for disposal of leftovers.

Bev is dunking in a bucket on the left, while Pat play at her station on the right, Rufus, the poodle, can be seen under my table at the back of the barn! He kept us company all day. Liz is off the the lower left Maureen, our teacher, was at the head of the barn.
The rain fell most of the day, but we were all tucked under old barn eaves, completely enveloped in our creative quest. A very good day off!

Mela has 4 more weeks to complete her dwell in the womb. Melissa and Dave have put all the baby goods together and are ready for her arrival. I have her pictured in my mind...wonder how close I'll be to that.

Michael and Jenn will be home, here, in Batavia by this time tomorrow! We will celebrate at Center Street Smokehouse at 7PM. I just need to get that strong, hardy hug and give him one right back. They will be in WNY until the 13th.

Val has finished quilting my Nancy Crow quilt! She used variegated thread and her infamous, fabulous straight line quilting. I will get it from her Saturday. I made this quilt in 2010 at QBL. I will treasure it.

Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. More rain.

I have learned:

1. Cooking & cleaning are not my thing. I hate them both. 
2. I'm tired. A lot. I never used to be. Is it my 52 years?