My Computer Sucks

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you all! Here's my annual pic that I'll probably use for forever, lol.

I would just like to say that my computer sucks. It just hasn't been right since that crash the other week. I was going to post my cool threads and stuff I got at MAQF, but noooooo, it had other ideas, LOL.

I am two seconds from getting a Mac. I had one in the past and loved it. I mean, I loved Macs at a time when there was no software for it and the computer guys literally laughed when I went to CompUSA and asked for some. It was really slim pickins then.

Now, I'm ready to chuck this PC I've got and call it a day.

Writer's Block from Beyond

Sorry it's been a while. I'm on deadline for that short story and I've got a vicious case of writer's block. Instead of rewriting, I decided to give my editor a brand, spankin' new one by the 24th. What was I thinking? Can we say "Elle, that's just darn crazy?!" LOL. It'll get done though (arrrgh).

In the meantime, I've had to put quilting on the backburner until that story's done. And I've got such an itch to do this sashiko thing-y I picked up at MAQF. My next quilt's going to be the "Grandma" one. You know, I never did post what I scored while at the show. I think you'll all enjoy it.

Awww. Darn. AGAIN.

Arrgh. This time Starbirth: Keyhole Nebula #2 didn't make SPUN. I almost want to just start saving my money by not entering these things already, LOL! Getting rejected twice in one week is more than a Sew Chick can take, LOL. As always, on to the next one.

I would like to give a warm "Congrats" to fellow AQ'er Rayna on her two pieces, one of which was chosen as the image of the exhibit!

Gordon Parks

I was talking to my best friend and lamenting my short story and my quilt being rejected all in the same day. She said, "Don't worry. You can write, you can draw, you can quilt. You're multitalented and versatile." On my end, I laughed and said, "Yeah, that's me--the female Gordon Parks."

Later on that evening I found out that Gordon Parks had just passed away.

Who was he? Photographer. Author. Director. Poet. Composer. He was all of these things. Some know him for making the movie "Shaft", others--"The Learning Tree", which made him the first major African American director in Hollywood. He was also the first African American photographer to work for both Vogue and Life magazines and is considered one of the best photographers of the 20th century.

For me, he was an inspiration. Proof that being able to be successful in many creative disciplines was not only possible, but very real. He was the embodiment of the concept that the creative mind is only limited by oneself...

Awww. Darn.

Well, it wasn't meant to be. I didn't see my name on the ARTQUILTSimages selection list. Rejected! Booooooo.

I guess "Just Me Being Negative" didn't work for 'em. That really sucks!

On to the next show for it.

Biting One's Nails

I just read the prospectus for ARTQUILTSimages and they're posting the participants on the website tomorrow. I hope mine gets picked! Cross your fingers for me!

Break Time

Took a week off from quilting after the frenzy that was prepping for entering those shows last week. I was looking at the "Grandma" quilt and thinking, "Hmm...I need to finish that." So I think that I will. I don't know how I feel about the starkness of that white. The original had a brocaded curtain behind her. Any suggestions for recreating the pattern?

More Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival Photos

Here's more quilting fun from the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival:

Diane Wold:
Carol Taylor, "Dispersion":


Marian Coleman:

Pauline Salzman, "Threads from Hell":

Marguerite Jay Gignoux:

My fellow Uhuru guild member and conference buddy, Sheryl, resting our hurting, hurting feet after a long fun day of guiltgazing and doodad-shopping:

I'm In! NQA Annual Show

I'm pretty excited. "Tish Groove" is going to be in the 37th Annual Show of the National Quilting Association. Yay!

Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival Tour!

Here I am at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival! Note the pre-quilt shopping frenzy smile! Some of our fellow AQ ringers had quilts there:

Julie's "Tarot: 5 of Wands"


Desiree's "Transformation" (Best Trad. Pictorial)


Diane's "Grotto"


Sheril's "Free at Last"

Pat's "Threads of Our Lives"

Here I am looking studious as I test-drive a dream machine for me--a Bernina with the stitch regulator. Mmmm...

I was almost overwhelmed by the amount and beauty of so many of the quilts. I'll try to feature some across the next two postings or so. Here is the Best Innovative, "Spirit of Tibet" by Barbara Swinea & Linda Cantrell and the fabulous Best of Show, Charlotte Warr & Aubry Kae Andersen's "Starcrossed."


I did get a chance to meet Vikki and there we are in front of her quilt! Her guild, the 54-40 African American Quilters of Virginia had a very nice, large section featuring their quilts!

I had such a good time yesterday I was practically giddy!

WOO-HOO!! Off to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival!

I'm heading down to Hampton with my guild to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival! I am so excited! I've never been to a quilt show before. GASP. Yeah, I know, right? I'm really looking forward to it.

While I'm there I'll get to see quilts by AQ ring members Diane, Desiree, and Sheril. I also get to meet AQ member Vikki and the ladies of the 54-40 African American Quilters Guild of VA.

I'll make sure that I take plenty of pictures!

"Just Me Being Negative"--DONE!

D-O-N-E! This is "Just Me Bring Negative" (its full title). The smaller pieces are joined by needleweaving. I got my submission off to PAQA-South for their ARTQUILTSimages exhibit.

I cut it a little close for comfort, but I'm going to sleep well tonight. There's nothing like being up last night needleweaving at 2 am. Yawn.

Keyhole Nebula 2--DONE!

Remember the scorched fabric from when I was working on Starbirth: Keyhole Nebula?

Well, I cropped it and it's my SPUN entry now, LOL. Keyhole Nebula #2. I like the quilting I did on this little 12 x 12.5 piece better than #1!

Detail Shot--"Me Being Negative"

Here's a detail shot from "Just Me Being Negative." I just have to join the pieces and I'll be DONE. Then I can photograph it and send it off to the Images exhibit. I've been trying to be a bit more proactive about trying to enter my pieces into shows, you know?

"Being Negative" Quilt Challenges

I will be done with "Being Negative" tomorrow. I handquilted that central image and the smaller ones and freemotioned the rest of it. Once I back it, I'm attaching the smaller images via needle weaving--something new for me. Only problem is that I have no idea how to hang it as it would be from the top, smaller images. Any suggestions?

I intentionally quilted the central image in a way that would leave it a little full and poufy. I wanted it to have a more 3D-ish effect to make the lying on a pillow part really stand out. I am going to submit this to the PAQA-South "Images" exhibit. I see a FedEx-ed entry in my future as the deadline's Friday, LOL.

Thread & Memory

I am almost truly done with "Being Negative". Got Ol' Singer to work and everything, go fig. I realized I didn't have any lavendar thread and it would be a perfect color for a part. I went through my threads and there was my great-grandmother's little spool sitting there. I'll admit I was a little apprehensive. I keep it in there as a momento as we were very very close, but I figured she'd rather that I used it.

So I did.

And I think the color turned out beautifully. As I was sewing with it, I felt so good as I couldn't help but think that it was her favorite color and I was using the exact thread she had used herself. I think it was meant to be.

CRASH! AAIGH!

My hard drive crashed last night and was wiped out. I have spent all day getting my computer running again. AAAIGH.

Lucky for me, I backed up my novels and stories, websites, scanned ancestor photos/genealogy info and quilting stuff on a thumb drive 2 weeks ago. I saw that it was running slow and got paranoid about saving stuff.

I did lose my entire iPod library though. Damn. Now there's something to cry about. 2339 songs. I have all the CDs and backed up bought ones. I'll have to pull it from my iPod itself. I hope they'll all go over. Cross your fingers for me. This sucks!

Hoopla Traders

My husband and I had a little time to kill and popped into this wonderful little store called Hoopla Traders on Valentine's Day. Located on 8th St. SE in Capitol Hill (across from Barrack's Row) here in D.C., we found the enthusiasm of the sales rep infectious. They specialize in hand-crafted gifts and there's an emphasis on artists and artisans there. I love stores like that--unpretentious and where you can tell the owners really put a lot of thought into what and who they carry.

We really liked its vibe and the layout too. The whole store is set up in a series of rooms. It was like uncovering surprise after surprise. Great store!

On Quilting & Connections

Years ago back when I was an intern at a magazine, I was wrapping up my last college semester and preparing to leave. My editor asked me if I'd like to go on a press trip somewhere warm. I said "Okay" thinking Florida or somewhere like that in the States and then she said "Kingston." I was off to Jamaica! I had a great time with the other journalists as we visited wonderful hotels and resorts, the Bob Marley Museum, Devon House--where I met actress Sheryl Lee Ralph by accident (her mom had a shop there), and sipped fresh Blue Mountain coffee on a plantation high in, well, the Blue Mountains.

I made a friend, a fellow journalist named Nathasha, and we lost touch a few years back. She's now an editor and recently contacted me because she found me through quilting. Turns out she's an art quilter too! How cool is that? (Ohhhh...did I just go all Rachael Ray with that expression? Yikes, LOL.) It's nice to have found an old friend again through quilting!

Snow Daze

Well, it seems like the weatherfolks were on point for once. Yup, that's my car.

Ughhhh...I hate winter and snow. I could absolutely do without it.

Hand Quilting for Dummies

I haven't hand-sewn in quite a while, but since Ol' Singer's on the blink, I thought I'd try it again. While I enjoy the experience of feeling the thread being pulled through, I now know that I like using my machine better. There are certains "effects" I like in my quilting that I can't get by hand.

I've also found that, despite owning 6 different kinds of thimbles, I hate using one for the most part. Now I have a callous on one finger ("Wow, now that's ladylike!" my husband joked. Ha.Ha.) and prickmarks on my thumb. I have this thing about being able to feel what I'm doing. I do like using these little ThimblePad things. Okay, I really like using these ThimblePad things. They slide around a little once they warm, but I still feel everything. For you hand quilters who hate thimbles too, what do you like to use?

I've quilted all of the smaller "snapshots" now. I don't know how well the stitching comes up in these photos, but here they are!

Elle's Ziploc O'Fun!

Working on the "Negative" piece. Each of the small ones will be handquilted as I haven't tested Ol' Singer yet and, well, I like the effect. I got some work done on the way in to work this morning--hence, the Ziploc bag. I wish it was warmer, because during lunch I'd go sit somewhere outside and work. Right now, there are very few places here in downtown D.C. where you can go and do that without feeling like someone's waiting for your space.

I'm about to go fight it out at the Social Security office this afternoon. I went to file my taxes and the IRS told me my birthday was wrong. What?! How come no one has ever let me know before? How come no one let me know when they caught it? I called S.S. and sure enough, my birth date was reversed and always has been for over 31 years!! Can you imagine?! Arrrrrrgh. What a pain!

"Being Negative" Quilt Beginning!

Well, the photos are printed out and the main one fused down onto some lovely painted fabric by my guild member Elsie Houston. When I first saw that fabric it spoke to me. I knew exactly then that I'd make this quilt from it and told her I had a great idea for it. She found it funny as she didn't like it or how it turned out. I was like, are you kidding me? What you can't see it that the pale green has shades of very pale blues, lavendars and grays as well.

I've got an idea for this inspired by some African textiles I saw...Hmm...

New Quilt Beginning: "Me Being..."

What do these images have in common? They're part of a new quilt I'm working on. I've been going through something really emotional for me and this will be a reflection of how I've been feeling.

I'll keep you all posted as I make progress. I've been printing the images out today. They've been turning out pretty well. I haven't killed my printer yet, so cross your fingers.

When I took the pics (w/my camera phone!) my husband was like, "What in the world are you doing?" I have to admit, I was looking pretty strange. I told him "Art." He said, "Ahhhhh." Nice to have a dude who gets me.

Art Quilt Inspiration & One's Own Style

Picked this up at the bookstore the other day. There are so many incredible pieces in it that I felt really inspired. It was great to see fellow AQ ringers Melody, Alison and Lisa in it.

Lately, because I seem to be working in portraiture, I've been feeling as if my pieces aren't as "artsy". I know, I know, I suppose they are, but I see so many wonderful abstract pieces and mine feel very...different. I guess every artist goes through this from time to time. All I know is that my backgrounds are really influenced by African textiles, and I think that all of that time spent in the museums overseas seeing the works of so many great master painters really affected me. Maybe I'm getting a feel for my own style?

Make A Difference!

Coretta Scott King holding her daughter Bernice by Moneta J. Sleet Jr.

Another civil rights era icon is gone. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away in her sleep last night. Mrs. King was always by her husband's side, supporting him in his endeavors to end segregation. After his death, she fought to have him remembered with a holiday and established a foundation for nonviolence in his name.

I've already been hearing a lot of discussion about "Where are all of the new icons in the African American community?" I think that they are there, but unlike segregation--which was so blatantly offensive and dehumanizing--the problems within our (and other ethnic and lower-class) communities seem to be battles fought on smaller scales: promoting education and combating poverty, unemployment, hunger, drugs, and violence. There are community leaders out there making a difference. It's just a matter of going out and supporting them. It doesn't matter if you're in a big city or a small town, go out and make a difference in the world!

So many times problems seem so big that we wonder if we can make a difference and we can! Two great sites to start are Network for Good and VolunteerMatch. It only takes one person to effect great change. Dr. King proved that.

Slow Period

I haven't done anything but fuse some postcard tops since the Ol' Singer strike. I'll probably tinker with her tomorrow to figure out what's wrong. I'd like to get going on some things.

Just Dyeing to Know

As many of my regular readers know, I have been leery of all-out dyeing. I'll use fabric paints, but I'm sooo jealous of the fabulous effects that dyeing creates. Also, given that I have a very limited workspace makes it a little daunting too. Combine those fears with my perception that it seems to take a lot of ingredients and materials to make it happen and well, as a result, I just haven't done it yet.

I like the concept of Procion MX, etc., but do I have to deal with the powders and urea and stuff? Do they come pre-mixed (I can hear all of the more hard-core dyers out there rolling on the floor with laughter)? I know, I know...so sad.

Another Uncertain Brush with Celebrity

I've regaled you all with my story of how I ticked off Spike Lee, now here's another of my uncertain brushes with celebrity:

In high school, I was an intern at the Corcoran Gallery of Art's Education Dept. here in D.C. I had plenty of freedom to roam the museum at will when I wasn't busy and had a chance to go behind the scenes. I could visit Conservation and see a Degas or an Ansel Adams print unframed. It would sometimes be quiet--especially if I was there on a closed museum day when it wasn't open to the public. It was a wonderful experience for me.

I was also used to having visitors come through speaking in other languages so one day, I'm going through exhibit and just as I get to the door a man stands in front of me. I'm confused. Why is he blocking me? Why is he in my way?! So I'm going, "Excuse me. EXCUSE ME." I just want to get through the door and thought he was being a jerk. I turned as I saw his eyes follow to a pretty, tall blonde woman in a pink suit with another man. With a nod and a smile to me from her, he suddenly stepped out of my way. Hmph. I thought. A bodyguard? I got home and told my grandmom about the incident and she raised an eyebrow. Holding up her newspaper to me, the woman was on its front page in full color--and the pink suit. "You didn't see this today, huh?" she said.

The lady was Margarethe II, The Queen of Denmark.

Bounce Rock Skate Roll!

I took a break from the G'ma quilt. I just had to step away. Besides, I had a triple birthday weekend. My husband's was yesterday and we went to a Brazilian BBQ (skeweredmeatlicious!) and my sister's was the day before (manicotti-chianti-licious). However, it was my little 6-year old cousin's skate party on Friday that got me. I had so much fun. When I was younger I lived on my skates. All around the neighborhood. Why walk when you could skate?

And at the rink, I could cross over, skate backwards, twirl, I could do it! Now, it's so sad. 4 laps around and my shins hurt. Went back out again. 5 laps around. The plastic skates were so heavy I was scared to cross over and they were cutting into my ankle. Darn low boots! Ow! Then, to add insult to literal injury, my left thigh cramped up. I barely made it back to my exit and laid down on the bench with a napkin over my forehead. It was sad.

It did make me realize how much fun it is and how much I've missed it. I'd get myself one of those nice pair of boot ones again like I used to have, with some pompoms and I saw the coolest light up wheels. All of us wanted those! LOL!! I had too much fun. I should do that again soon--but with my own skates.

Grandma's Shaping Up!

Thanks so much for the encouraging words everyone. I had to admit to my husband that he was right, LOL. If anything, I'm relieved to be able to spend more time on it. I think it deserves as much.

She's missing her collar and jewelry and I haven't done any quilting beyond her face and arms and no detail work yet. I think this'll be a pretty cool quilt.

G'ma Quilt Fiasco

You know, I was trying to get the G'ma quilt ready in time for the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival deadline today, but all sorts of crazy things happened. Once I stitched up the background, I realized that the proportions were all wrong. That she needed to be much bigger. It looked as if she was being swallowed by so much background. Lucky for me, I had printed out a bigger version of her, but now that entailed a total repaint for her new version.

Then...I couldn't find the fabric I used for her original dress. Things were just not looking good for me and got worse when Ol' Singer decided to act up. It was skipping stitches and snarly and the results were just not what I wanted. I mean, UGH. O.S. has never behaved like this before. I changed needles, fiddled with the dials, cleaned out the bobbin case, nothing worked. I felt it was messing up my quilt!

I got so frustrated that I finally had to turn it off. I was so upset I put my head down on the table. My husband, in an effort to console me, said "It is more important for you to do it justice by doing it well than for it to make some deadline." I agreed. I suppose it'll still be eligible for next year and I can enter it in other places. Crap.

Pluggin' Away

Still working on the G'ma quilt. Stitched the background together today. Stilla little if-fy about it. Maybe once the quilting's done, I'll feel differently...

No Clue Whatsoever, But Ooo...

Like the Jazz quilt, G'ma's is going to have a cool "tie-dye"-style background. Her favorite color is green, so the choice was easy. I never know what I'm doing (see: fabric sitting in the sink photo) when it comes to coloring my fabric--and I say coloring because I use fabric paints instead of dye. Me 'n' dye still have a fearful relationship. I just take a chance and go for it--mistakes be damned!

I fan-folded it and applied metallic green to each end. I will admit to being influenced by West African tie-dye methods. I'm starting with the simpler ones right now though. Thing to note: the gold always floats despite shaking so you really have to saturate it to get a more green effect. Since the original photo has her against a brocade curtain background, I wanted a vertical effect for the background. I'll be slicing the fabric to achieve the look of folds. I'll get the brocade pattern in my quilting. A-ha! I just figured that out!

G'ma Pieces Fitted...

Well, I finished all of the pieces today, so here she is all fit together, lol.

Now I have to do that darn background. You know, painting and dyeing fabric is a little too messy for me, but you have to do what you've gotta do! LOL.

G'ma Quilt in Progress

Well, I wax pasteled-painted my grandmom (my mom's mom--the transfer one is my dad's)and her arms. As if seeing her really young isn't weird enough, seeing her bald is even weirder.

I prepared and fuse-readied her dress and created the collar. I'm going to hand embroider the collar and you'll see what I'm going to do to that dress. This is going to be a cool quilt.

Now to get crackin' on that background fabric.

Fun with Transfers!

Hmmm. I've learned that a little means a lot.

I gave it a go at image transfers yesterday. Used a foam brush. Fine. I now know that it's probably best to put a very thin layer of medium on. The green version (go figure) was as if just the excess had transferred . The brown version of my grandmom and her older sister was from what was left on the transparency--and little medium. I also learned to even burnish it evenly. You can even see my white burnisher from when I took a graphic design class a while back. Oh, the joys of Letraset and transfer sheet fonts. And...reverse the image! And yeah, that's me looking through the transparency before the goo.

The original photo

Just so that you know what the original photo looked like. It's of my grandmom and her older sister in North Carolina in the 1930s.

Have Travel Channel, Will Watch Again

YES! I just found out that we have the Travel Channel again! My local Comcast had abruptly stopped carrying it about 3 years ago ("Not enough viewership," I was told when I immediately called and complained. What?!) We used to watch it all the time. My hubby & I had been living in travel show withdrawal ever since and were wistfully missing it. I was so happy I shrieked when it came up on the lineup. Woo-HOO!

Starbirth, Carina Nebula: DONE!

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!

Here is the finished version of Starbirth: Carina Nebula.

The photo didn't pick up the white quilting as well as the paler oranges. I wanted the quilting to be as integral to the design as the actual art of the fabric. I was trying to capture the wispiness of these powerful clouds.