Test Drive

New long-arm machine is now set up in the studio. Loaded with plain fabric, lets see if we can do something with this little roadster. Stay tuned.

Blank Canvas

My six-foot-high daughter is my gauge for how large a piece to make for downtown Rochester. That is, if I get an okay to install. I am sitting by the phone waiting for the call. Hello?

East Coast? West Coast? Neither

Somewhere between the great coastal beaches is this one from (great) Lake Ontario. A few waves, setting sun, footprints. As long as there is water, it is fine with me. (Now what you can't see in the shot is the ice cream from Abbott's.)

I Thought it Was the Deer

Most of my garden is eaten. I figure the deer liked my greens. Now that I am in love with this family with three young turkeys, I learn they eat GRASS. Which is what I planted as my anti-deer food. No peace, here.

Drawn with Chalk

Twice I passed this sign (on the street in Portland) and was struck with the image of the salad. I thought it was a photograph, at first. Then I fell in love with the great illustration in chalk that stopped me in my track. Tip of the hat for hand-drawing.

Manic Kin

I know that these ladies need their hair and clothes to be truly presentable, but here is how they appear in a riotous Portland store. Maybe it is just a way to desensitize us for eventual hair loss. Ha!

Peach of a Day

Michelle hand picked peaches in Delaware, and brought this cake as a grand finish to the graduation celebration (from college) this Sunday for my two daughters. Great to visit with "family" and remember how the years flew by.

Light and Dark

Bipolar disease is often called light and dark. Which intrigues me in this image. The green leaves are usually perceived dark on light background, not this shot of light and green. Taken at the Portland Japanese Garden, case you asked.

Below the Bar

Okay, so I was having some home brew last week in Portland, and I looked down and saw this fab tile work. How can it not be the start of some graphic quilt?

Fabric Monster

A day with the Peeps at the DeCamp studio and a feedback my next project. Bev and Ann not only have ideas galore, but are having great fun explaining the "form" as well.

Ellsworth Kelly in Portland

A visit to the Portland Art Museum to see the show "Ellsworth Kelly/Prints" that closes on September 16th includes stunning and technically perfect works that are all about shape and color. Just what I needed to see.

Fabric On A Roll

Whole Nine Yards, in Portland, has inspiration enough for any surface design lover. And I miss seeing these kinds of independent stores, where just when you thought you have see it all, another wonderful combination of color and material use pops up.

A Face in the Crowd

A collection of portraits line a construction site in downtown Portland. While last night, I became one of the crowd stuck at O'Hare when the airport went down . Then I was just a face at the gate.

Insert Change Here

Weiden+Kennedy, an ad agency in Portland, (think "Old Spice") held a fund raiser last night. Fun, games, and we all dropped "change" for their cause of sponsoring kid's art classes. I ate licorice candy. Ha!

Japan in Portland

A visit to the famed Portland Japanese Garden, in Oregon, is guaranteed to lower your blood pressure at least 10%. Beautiful sun light, moss galore and hardscaping to aspire to was what I found.

Life is Short

Katie Sciarrino had this work "Life is Short" as part of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild's exhibit at the Sisters Quilt Show this past weekend. I was taking her suggestion to "travel often" and am in Oregon to prove it.

Desert Rain

Last night at Redmond, there was lighting and rain. These critters did not mind me, or mind getting wet. At least it seemed that way. The Cascade Range of Oregon is in the distance.

Quilting Sisters

Here in Sisters, Oregon, there is one mammoth quilt show each year. It is hard to capture the scope of it, the variety, the skill. So, you will just have to experience it yourself. And it rained the first time in 37 years, so won't again for another 37. You will be safe.

Hi Desert

I have never seen the High Desert of Oregon before today. An unreal sight, with sage, grass gone to seed, and bits of barbed wire. Stunning, and an unexpected view. Plus I got to drive a new Mazda (rented).

Portland and a Blue Chandelier

Portland, Oregon, boast wonderful galleries. Bullseye Gallery specializes in glass, and this work of Seattle artist Dante Marioni, with exquisite blue goblets spaced throughout, is a stopper. And, yes, he blew those goblets. No stopping in Target for those.

Rock Solid

A look back at the weekend. Butch Bramhall's great rock wall reminds me of the post of the stream a few days ago . I love the flow of stones here, the antler capstone, and the added moss. He said it gets neatened from time to time. Who needs to train at a gym?

Jumping Through Hoops

It looks so easy to leap through this hoop. You hardly need a running start. Now, if only I could learn the effortless leap, then my hoops would not seem difficult. Ha.

Relief From the Heat

For all my readers battling the heat, I offer this rushing stream from the North Country of New York State. I know it is suffering hot. Just make this your wallpaper and at least the computer will stay cool.

Weaving in Silver

A visit to Pat and Butch Bramhall, the "Stonehouse Silversmiths" in Croghan, New York included Pat's show stopping baskets in silver and gold. They were near our visit to the Adirondacks this weekend, and this pack basket was endearing. Thank you Pat and Butch.

What Floats Your Boat

Shot a week ago midway across Lake Champlain, this photo has a ferry floating atop the railing of  my ferry's edge. So much for playing tricks with scale. Ha!

Relaxing Time

Off to Chase Lake in the sweet Adirondacks, where these noodles will lift my spirits (and extra weight) and allow for the long float in a warm lake. Can't wait.

Garden Delights

July is time for Garden Tours, and this one tonight was spectacular. Sited at the edge of a wooded area, there were hostas galore with a pond for reflection (and reflecting) as well as perennials to adore. Thanks, Regina.

Independence Day

I love the language of this family as they observe the fireworks in Brighton. It is time to enjoy the warm evening, the full (enough) moon, and the end of the Fourth's celebration.

Hanging Out

Just last weekend was the Vermont Quilt Festival where my work was shown in the "faculty" section of the show. I guess that is good. Thanks to Susan Brubaker Knapp for taking the snap.

The Scrap Bag

My experiment with vinyl scraps is seen here. In progress, at least. I can't see where it is to lead, but then, I have taken just a few steps. I'll keep you posted. Ha!

Volume Turned Up

Need some chroma? Got it here in the "Big Leaf" that Suzanne made in my Saturday class in Vermont Quilt Festival. Now just imagine watching 20 of these appear around the room. I was had to get my sunglasses.