Hi everyone….I haven’t  been a very faithful blogger laterly……I’m whining about no time. But I do have a photo treat for you to make up for it.  I just returned from a great trip to Scotland so you’ll find a photo journal below of some of the highlights. My friend Susan and I, who are both textile lovers of all kinds, took a group of six friends on this trip which was centered around places of interest for textile fans. We’ve shared a number of textile travel adventures….and it’s always a treat. What could be better….travel, textiles, and great company!

We saw lots of great textile treasures….including the town of Paisley where our favorite paisley shawls were originally manufactured.  I’m not a huge plaid fan….but seeing the tartans woven in the Locharron of Scotland factory was really a treat and made me even reconsider my prior prejudice against plaid! They were truly beautiful and are shipped from there all over the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And speaking of tartans, the Scottish men in their kilts could absolutely not be more handsome. I know it’s hard to believe that men in skirts could look good….but, believe me, they do. And the bagpipes add a certain charm too. We were lucky to come across a weekend bagpiping and Highland dancing competition……and that was really fun. Mostly men…but some women too….of all ages were performing in groups and really entertained us US visitors…and admirers!

Of course we took in all the history and charming country scenes that we could. It’s truly a delightful place to visit and the natives were friendly and helpful. I’m always on the lookout for color and design inspiration when I travel, and I certainly found lots of it there. In fact, we had such a great time and thought there was so many textiles treasures there….we’re planning another trip next year.

In closing…..enjoy a little more of beautiful Scotland….

 

 

No surprise…… I love bling for Christmas. The more sparkle, the more shine, and more glitz and glamour, the better! I mix gold and silver…..I’m a nondiscriminating bling lover!  I also gather these little glitzy goodies throughout the year….wherever I find them.

Above you see a shot of my living room mantle. I assemble a collection of golden goodies that have come from everywhere…..from the local Goodwill to far-away travels. There’s something  magical about the gold……it makes me feel like I’m living in a magical world….even if I’m just folding clothes on the couch!!  I believe in bringing the work to the decor whenever possible!

My tree is covered with vintage looking shiny ornaments  which I adore. Again, there’s a little sparkle and shine there. My grandchildren love looking at them time and time again. Even though there are hundreds, they know when I’ve added a new one and search each year for the favorites.  When I travel, I try to pick up an ornament wherever I go…..which I’m sure many of you do as well. I just love pulling those out of the box and reliving the trip memories. Even if they suffer a little in the storage (translation: break) I tuck the remaining pieces into the branches. I just can’t bear to throw them away! 

As long as we’re doing the Christmas tour….here’s my dining room table. Glass is another thing that I love using at Christmas time. It’s got that shine and reflection that shimmers when the candles are lit. I always use this red and white quilt on my table this time of year…..it’s one I made probably 15 years ago….but it’s still perfect for Christmas. That’s the great thing about quilts…..they really are timeless.

I collect Santas…. and I display them in the dining room along with the table you see above. I take all the dishes out of the corner cupboard (yuk….the worst part of the job) and replace them with my mix of Santas of all kinds. Once I get them up there…..they stay awhile. I probably put them up in late November and leave them well into January.  As long as they aren’t full time residents in the corner cupboard, I want to leave them there long enough to enjoy. I love stopping as I walk by and remembering where they’ve all come from. Again…I collect them when I travel and as you can see, I have many Jim Shore Santas . I particularly love the way he covers the surface with patterns of all types. My kind of look!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour……have fun with your own holiday decorating. It’s amazing how a few added precious treasures can bring  joy and fun to your home. A word of advice….take a few minutes each day to actually sit down and enjoy them. I’m trying very hard to do that!

Seasons best!

“Beautiful” doesn’t even begin to describer her, does it. In my recent trip to Bali, I was totally transfixed by the dancers and their dancing.  Not only were they elegantly beautiful, their make-up was dramatic and their costumers almost undescribable. Good thing I took lots of photos. In fact, when I got home and looked at them, I realized I had waaaayy to many dancer photos. I tend to do that when I’m totally fascinated by something!

Even though they were all breathtakingly beautiful….it was their movements that was so captivating. Almost hypnotic. Their body movements were graceful and alluring…….but the eyes and the hands were what held our attention. Their fingers were held just so and sometimes the only movements they were making were with those fingers. Amazing.

 

You can see in the above photo……her fingers are long and lovely….and command attention. I was sitting in the front row at a dance performance, and I almost felt as if I was being cast under a spell by those eyes. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. And, as you can see, there’s lots of color and glitz in their costumes. Anything with gold and glitter is automatically a favorite for me!  Definitely lots of Bali Bling!

 

Check out the masked man above. They weren’t all breathtakingly beautiful. The dances had a story and every good story needs a bad guy. He was fun to watch….and his costume was fabulous. We had our photo taken with the dancers at the end of one of the performances. Besides the beautiful dancers and the masked villian without his mask, are my friends Susan Nelsen, Linda Pumphrey, and I. Somehow we just don’t have the same glitz and sparkle, huh! Unless, of course, you count the shine from my glasses!

A few parting shots from Bali…..more to come.  Enjoy!

Here’s a little more on my Bali trip. You know that I’m anxious to share my photos and story of Bali when I post two days in a row! It’s not that I don’t like to do it……it just that there’s always soooo many other things to do first. This time I decided to share first…….and work on catching up later. The photo above is one of the many beautiful temples in Bali….more about those in posts to come.

I told you earlier that Bali was just a little bit humid…….that’s putting it mildly. I did find one photo of myself before the terminal hair frizz set in for the day. Just to prove to myself I started out with OK hair! Actually, the backdrop is of the lovely spot at one of our hotels where we enjoyed breakfast each day. There was a lovely tranquil pool, grasses, and foliage…..all creating a very peaceful feeling and a great start to the day. Frizzy hair and all!

  

 

One of the focuses of our trip was to view the amazing textiles created in Bali……in addition to batiks which we all recognize as  being created there.  We also visited village studios where both single and double ikat were woven which was really an amazing experience.  The single ikat studio uses chemical dyes to color the yarns and you can see some of the dyed warp in the photo below.

We watched  the dozens of weavers working away at their looms……and the colors were fabulous. Even though I admire the heritage of the natural dyes I have to admit to being a fan of chemical dyes…..that’s what we home dyers primarily use here in the US.  The double ikat weaving, which is done only a few places in the world, was done with natural dyes….and I’ll have some photos of those to come. Hopefully…..that was one of the days my camera battery died  (poor planning on my part!) so I’ll have to see if my friend Susan has some to share.  When you’re traveling all day in a bus viewing fabulous sights AND  you have only one convenient working plug-in in the hotel room, running out of camera batteries  just happened once in awhile.

                                                     

 

 

  Oh yeah….I need to apologize for these photos dancing all over the page. I’m using the new version of my blog software….and I’m still in the learning curve. It never fails…..just when I get the techie stuff mastered, it updates!

The market shopping was amazing. Besides the gorgeous….and inexpensive textiles I told you about earlier, we also visited a fruit and vegetable market. There were baskets of flowers being used to make temple offerings and the gorgeous colors and textures were out of this world….literally. Truly a cultural adventure. In spite of the crowds and the humidity…..those flower colors just took my breath away. Of course, I’m a flower lover as well as a fabric freak…..can you tell?

 

More to come…. I still have my fabrics stacked in my studio so I can enjoy the mix of  prints and colors. Believe me, getting them home was a little bit of a challenge. Even with an extra suitcase full, I had to abandon about a third of my clothes to make room for the beautiful sarongs, shawls and other goodies. Definitely worth it though!

Here’s a shot of  my friend Susan and I with one of our ever-present fans. They were a big help in the humidity….and we naturally had to try one of those shoot-it-yourself-photos!

And what an amazing trip it was.  There’s so much to tell about….but first I wanted to start out with a gorgeous photo. Isn’t she beautiful. More about the elegant dancing later…….in fact, it’s going to take more than one post to give you a little of the Bali experience.

As you might have figured out……I love to travel anywhere. Naturally I was excited about my trip to Bali with World of Quilts Travel in which I taught a small embellishing project to the other travels. I knew I’d have a great time…..what I didn’t know was that going to Bali is definitely an experience…..not just a trip.

We went to explore the world renowned textiles that are hand-made in Bali. Hand printed batiks and one-of-a-kind single and double ikat weavings. Believe me, seeing them both created was truly fabulous. I don’t know quite how to describe  (and you know I’m rarely out of words!) visiting primative facilities in which the most complicated and breath-taking fabrics are created. Forget the world of mechanization and electronics. These were processes that have been done for the same way for generations. More about that later too…

The architecture, temples, idols and icons were awe-inspiring as well….photos coming…..but it was the people of Bali that left the most lasting impression on me. I know, I know…..you’re probably thinking “how can one group of people be more memorable than others”….but they were and they are. There is a happiness and contentment that comes from “a pure heart” (as was explained to us by our guide and mentor to the Balinese Hindu culture, Supy.)  I know I will always remember their kind, generous words and deeds…..and wish we all could be just that way. Sigh……ok, enough philosophy…let’s get down to the photos and details. Like I said, this will have to be a several part series!

As we traveled around the country by tour bus, we were treated to sights of ancient temples, elegant fountains and statues along sometimes side by side with the homes of the local folks.  It was a step back to another time…….and  great inspiration and elegance.

Here I am enjoying the sights outside one of our lovely hotels. Believe me, I was very tempted to jump right in. It was definitely hot and humid….especially for this Northwest girl who isn’t too used to humidity. It didn’t dampen the spirits of anyone; however, it did do a  lot of dampening of our clothing!  Of course, part of the fun was buying typical Balinese clothing….sometimes out of necessity as many of us (including me) brought far too many things that were toooo  warm!

 

 

Of course, every trip has its adventures and this was no exception. One day #1, we  stopped to shop in the local market……oh yeah, what an experience that was. Can you think Super Blue Light Special Sale x 10!  For a bunch of fabric lovers like we were, the gorgeous sarongs, shawls, clothing, bags, etc.  put us in definitel shopper overload as the prices were so cheap. Really. It was very fun to visit somewhere where things were actually a fraction of what you’d pay at home……..check out a photo  of some of my fabric goodies I brought home. Aren’t the colors wonderful. The culture and clothing is full of prints and colors of all types…..mixed together in a style that doesn’t need to “match.”   I loved it!

 

 

But I’m digressing from my tail of first-day adventure….after market shopping, we stopped at the ATM to get more Balinese cash….and, you guessed it, the machine ate my card. Always a crisis….but on the other side of the world from home, definitely a bigger problem! 

Our wonderful guide, Supy, ( a native of Bali and tour guide and local expert extrordinnaire) came to my rescue as did my friend Susan Nelsen who was my trusty roommate. To make a long story short….it involved Susan guarding the ATM while Supy and I hopped a car to take us to the bank to find out what to do…and oh yes, the tour bus patiently waiting (with the air conditioning on!)  In the end, Susan and I sat on the cement steps of the ATM waiting for the bank guy to appear on his scooter and rescue my card. The bus went on….and we observed the local market culture from the steps for several (sweaty) hours. But….we’re both experienced enough travelers to let a little thing like a card-eating ATM spoil our good time!

 

Besides, if  my card hadn’t been gobbled up, I never would have had the pleasure of meeting several very  interesting local folks….including the  guy (maybe 90 or so) who wanted us to hire him to give us a massage. We couldn’t do that….but we did share our face -wipes (must be an American thing….he looked pretty surprised by them) and our sunscreen. He was happy to share and stayed with us the rest of the time. I’m hoping Susan has a photo of us …….I’ll add it if she has one.  It is all about meeting people and spreading good-will….and that we did! Oh yeah, I did get my card back …but it was a long three hours on the steps!

OK, Ok, at this rate I’m never going to get through the trip! I’ll have to speed up…..One thing we did was visit several small studios that make batik fabric and sell it locally.  Here’s an example of local woman drawing with  wax with a tjanting tool.  Once it’s dryed, it’s dyed and then the wax washed out…….only to begin the process again to add more colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Some of the batiks were hand drawn while others were stamped with wax using a large carved wood or metal stamp-like tool called a chop. What a treat for us….we each got to try our hand at chopping, and, needless to say, it was much harder than it looked when they did it! It was very fun……and they also dyed our fabrics in indigo dye and we got to bring them home. What a treat. Here’s my chopping experience!  It brought back memories of years ago when I used to paint with beeswax on silk before I painted it with chemical dye………        these days were definitely natural.                                                                                 

 

 

 What a great treat…..and after seeing it  done by hand, we all agreed we’re never going to complain again about paying $11.00 a yard back home for batiks! Even the commercial batiks sold back in the US are chopped and dyed by hand mostly here in Bali …..amazing, huh.

Here are a few shots  to give you an idea of the beauty and culture of Bali…..

 

 

 

                                                                                    

How’s that for inspiration? The colors, the culture, the people…….all part of the Bali experience. More to come…..I promise. as a final shot for the night………since I always have a soft spot for little boys and girls, how about these young men…..proving once again, that boys will be boys….not matter what side of the world  they’re on!

That pretty much says it all,  doesn’t it. The world is a very small place! Oh yeah, they did speak a little English and when they heard we were from the USA….their first words were “Obama, Obama!”

Next chapter……weaving and dancing!

 

TOMORROW!!! That’s right. Tomorrow I leave for a wonderful textile tour to Bali where I’ll be teaching a little hand embellishing to the tour travelers….as well as enjoying the glorious sights of Bali.

It’s been a loooong, snowy winter here in Washington State….and the idea of basking on this paradise island is so exciting. I absolutely deserve a great vacation. Me and everyone else who’s enjoyed the four months of snow here!

Besides the fabulous beauty of the countryside and culture…..there’s the fabrics. You know I’m a total textile junkie, so a textile tour is my idea of pure heaven. Bali is known for its batiks….but there are other fabrics native to the island as well. I’ll give you a full report on my return plus I should have a lot of photos to share too.

I’ll be teaching and traveling as part of a World of Quilts tour, and for more information about their upcoming trips and cruises, check out their website at www.worldofquiltstravel.com.  I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again….if you love textiles and quilts, a textile tour is such a pure delight. You’re surrounded by people who share your passion….and you’re privileged to see things you’d never be able to view traveling on your own. There’s nothing like getting out of your own environment to get a big charge of inspiration as well. I’m looking forward to that zing of new colors and compositons that I always get from travel.

By the way, how about that photo? That glorious purple looks good enough to eat. I’ve always had a soft spot for passionate purple. If this is typical of the sights in Bali…..I  know we’re in for a visual feast.

SOOO…. I’ll sign off until my return on May 13….but I promise to have goodies to share. Think of me basking away in the sunshine and exploring the native batik production. Remember……I’ve endured a very long winter AND a new computer!!

How’s that for an attention grabber! Here’s a link to the website that shows what a group of South Carolina quilters are doing  for Breast Cancer Awareness.  The “art bras” are fabulous……and the cause is so worthy. Congratulations to all of you. Check it out at..

If you’ve been around the world of quilting, you probably know that the word “challenge” doesn’t mean an insult to your good name…or a duel to the finish. Not likely….in this world it means “here’s-some-fabric-now-what-can-you-do-with-it!”

You know….a chance to show off just what you can do using your imagination, skills, and lots of good fabric! Now that you get the idea….let me tell you about the challenge I received.

It was from my good friend  Sharyn Craig (and soon-to-be-coauthor) whom I affectionately call The Queen of Sets or The Princess of the Challenge.  If you know Sharyn’s work……you’ll know why those titles fit her perfectly! Anyway….she and I are both big fans of the fabulous overdyed fabrics created by Wendy Richardson.  What arrived in the mail from Sharyn was a gorgeous collection of Wendy’s fabrics….as you can see above…..along with the Challenge for both of us to use them to create a  garment!  You know, as in one we would actually WEAR. Ok….now that’s a challenge! Sharyn shopped for some of Wendy’s fabrics, divided them in half and sent half to me. The official  deadline is next year’s Road to California gathering in January.

Now….remember, Sharyn and I are experienced quiltmakers…..but we’re not experienced garment makers. In my case……I DREAM of making fabulous wearable art, but so far that’s just what it is. Still a dream. However, I have decided that this is the year to work on that. You might remember that from my early posting on goals for the year.

SO….this  should get me started thinking anyway. I’m very excited about it  for a number of reasons. First and foremost….because it’s just for fun. Believe me, when your hobby (quilting) becomes your profession, as in our cases, there isn’t a lot of time left over for doing it for “fun.” This one is just for us AND it’s a stretch and a challenge for both of us.

The idea of a challenge isn’t a new thing for us, though. We’ve been working on a book for the last several years called Quilt Challenge…..”what if” ideas for color and design. The book is all about doing just that….challenging yourselves or your friends or whomever to work out of the box….try something new….challenge yourself. It will be released late this summer and is published by Martingale & Co. I’ll include more details to come as the date approaches…but of course, I HAD to mention it now since we’re on to this garment challenge!

Trying something new can be a wonderful antecdote to ho-hum projects or just operating in the same mode. Creative change is almost always a good thing. In fact,  I’m so excited about this personal Challenge thing, I’m thinking of making a challenge to another of my friends. It seems we both have this pile of signature blocks that have been sitting around for a couple of years. I’ll keep you posted on that one. …..how about you? Any body out there that it would be fun to challenge to an exciting, new project?

SO…are you into New Year’s resolutions? You know, those things you vow you’re going to do or not going to do in the next year….loose weight, read more good fiction, visit the neighbors, walk every day, join a worthy cause. I’ve had lots of them over the years.

Even though I have perfect intentions, I’m not so  good at keeping those resolutions  after about, oh, January 15….but one thing that works for me is writing down my goals for the year. Sounds kind of lofty, huh.  They aren’t really. Just a way for me to focus on the things I want to accomplish this year.

Focus is always an issue for me. Because I do so many things in the textile world….art quilts, teaching, designing fabric, writing how-to books for quilters, etc. etc…….plus my family activities…..if I don’t write them down, prioritize them, and put them into a time frame, I always feel like I have soo many things to do that I can’t possibly get them done.

Just putting them on paper is kind of a stress reliever for me. I even break them down into months as best I can. I realize this may sound a little anal or neurotic….but it seems to help.  If you haven’t tried writing down your year’s goals, give it a try. See if it doesn’t make you feel like you just have it together a little better.

Of course there’s a balancing act in there between the things I need to do and the things I want to try or experiment with.

I won’t bore you with all the details (the list is long and some are small goals)…but I am planning to work a little smaller this year with my art quilts. I’ve decided to devote this year to “thinking small” and see where that leads me. Small to me is anything under, oh, say about 20″ square. I do like working large with my collage style….but I’m going to change my focus a little although it might by simply a yearly diversion.

I’m also going to experiment with making bags. Not just plain ol’ bags….but lovely bags. It’s one of the things I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and if I don’t get those things down on my goal list, I don’t get to it. I’ll keep you posted on my work in both.

Maybe next year I’ll be ready for one of my other “always-wanted-to-do” things…..knitting. I love looking at the gorgeous yarns and fibers and dream of having the time to do it just for me. It’s not going to be this year, but maybe next. I think it’s important to set some goals that you’ve just wanted to do…..not just have to get done. This one is purely personal…..and that’s a luxurious goal for me!

How about you….any goals for the new year? Write them down….oh yeah, post them somewhere where you can’t help but seem them. Mine are right here on the bulletin board by my desk. I check them regularly to make sure I’m on task!

Happy New Year!

 

Here’s wishing all of you a restful, and relaxing holiday with family and friends. I love this time of year because there’s just a little joy in the air……but the “restful and relaxing” thing I’ve yet to master!

This year here in Washington State we are truly buried in snow.  The photo above is right outside my studio door…we live in a wooded area and probably have about three feet on the ground. Of course, with all the plowing my DH has to keep doing, we have mounds that look like mountains! The trees are beautiful……like they’ve been frosted in blobs of marshmallow cream!

Nothing to do but enjoy its beauty. I hope your day is full of the same. Well, maybe not the snow….but the time to reflect and enjoy.

Here’s another shot……believe it or not, that’s the table and chairs on the deck off my kitchen. Lunch, anyone?

All my best for a blessed Christmas….and a fabulous New Year to come.