Forever In Our Hearts...AMB

Today is a very sad day for our extended family.  It was three years ago that my niece, Allie was killed in a tragic auto accident.  Her loss is still felt acutely by my younger sister and her family.   It so hard to imagine how difficult it is for them to get through each day with such a burden on their hearts.   Thankfully, their faith in God and the support of their church, Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, has helped them through this troubling time.

There isn't a day that passes that I don't think of the beautiful young woman Allie was becoming and wonder what might have been.  She had so many interests and  so many friends that miss her as well.   Happily, their contact with my sister and her family keeps Allie very much in the 'present'.

My thoughts and prayers are with my sister and her family at this time and pray that God keeps them in his loving arms.


"'Til We Meet Again...."
AMB 08/01/90 - 03/12/07

Time Well Spent.

The trip to Hampton, VA to attend Quilt Fest 2010, was a wonderful experience....so many quilts and such imaginative work.  As I am not a quilter, I am awe struck with stippling -  heavy quilting that covers areas large and small - that can be totally random or follow a distinct pattern.  Whether done by hand or machine, its  remarkable.


The miniature quilt detailed here, achieves its three dimensional quality and various backgrounds colors by stippling in different color threads rather than different patterned fabrics to provide color.    Since the quilt is created from whole cloth [a single width and length of fabric], its pattern is derived from quilting alone, giving the artists the freedom to develop any pattern they desire.   Despite its diminutive size, the detail is marvelous and well presented.

Equally remarkable are the picture quilts depicting a complete scene.  The piece shown above is a superb illustration of the use of many techniques to achieve realism - thread painting of the figure's hair and spray from the water; water color washes provide the shadows in the water and texture of the rocks while quilting provides the illusion of depth.  The layers of color in the hair shows the lengths the artist goes to to achieve realism.  Wow!

Then there are the fabric painters who paint the design onto the quilt top and then quilt around the painted objects.  One particularly striking quilt was a whole cloth white top with black and creamy iridescent  fabric paint.  The quilting, done in black and gold threads, highlighted the contrasts between the values.

As much as all these techniques fascinate, I dare not add another medium to the number I have committed to already.   No need to court disaster. I'm already indecisive about what to do first.  

At home,  the little heart that has been waiting patiently for my return.  Meeting time is approaching and I want to have something to show that I've been "stretching my repertoire".  I picked two overdyes, Waterlilies Cameo and Fiesta and pulled corresponding flosses for each but ultimately chose the  Fiesta.  Nine squares of the thirty are completed out of the twenty that are true squares.  The remaining ten are triangles to shape the heart.  I'm thinking that since I'm working this design on #22 Hardanger, I'd rather make it into a biscornu which I can make better use of versus another picture.

In any case, I have resolved to complete one creative project per day.  Most will be small and easily finished, while working at least one square a day, perhaps more if I get into a rhythm, on the heart.  By next month I should have quite a few items to post.

As always, we'll see.....

Been Gone A Long Time.....

Apparently, the holidays were more taxing than I could have imagined.  Lots doing so there was no time to visit with the fascinations that occupy my mind, this blog and my world.  But now its a new year AND a new month [what happened to January?  And for that matter, February!?!].  So let's get busy...


Since November, my daughter and sister each spent over two months in SE Asia in the time spanning 2009-2010, both leaving and returning within a week of each other.  My sister to visit her daughter in Singapore and my daughter on a teaching/book tour.  How wonderful that they were able to briefly connect in Singapore during their respective trips.


"The Needlework Maven", my sister, arrived between snow storms and spent a few days with me before heading back home to Virginia.   There, 20" of white stuff was already on the ground with another 24" or so yet to fall.   We shared stitching stories, ideas, and good conversation.


My daughter, the world traveler, spent time in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam, before returning to Taiwan for a teaching retreat.  She returned to NYC and was preparing to come for a long overdue visit before returning to Arizona but the weather didn't cooperate.  We were socked in while nary a flake fell on northern New Jersey.  Rather than risk life and limb, she elected to stay close to an open airport. She is now back in the arms of her students in Arizona, teaching away.

Our recent blizzard conditions altered everyone's schedule.  This is the first time in memory that I've seen my neighbors shoveling more than once during any storm.. Perhaps because it just kept coming - for two days it kept coming - and coming!  We all took rotating turns at the sidewalks just so we could move around when the blizzard finally stopped.  All was fine by the next day.

The storm cancelled the February ANG chapter meeting among others.  Lucky for me...my embroidered heart appears to be in "cardiac arrest" and isn't doing so well and it'll be good to have another month  to resuscitate my flagging progress.

Meanwhile, my attention has settled on curing a couple of problems that require multiple cures:  Adjusting to a new computer, revamping a failing wireless network and managing the tangle of wires for numerous electronics in a convenient spot close to a power source.

Both my PCs [laptop and desktop] fell victim to a nasty virus through the late summer and early fall, prompting a long overdue leap to the world of Apple.   Next, the wireless network issues were cured with an Apple Time Capsule, combining wireless router with wireless back ups allowing me to work anywhere in the house I choose.

The last item -  cord/wire/recharger management - well, that's  supposed to be easy, right?  Just drill a hole in the back of a bookcase, run a grounded extension cord through, add a surge protector and voilà - another gaggle of loose wires on a shelf instead of the floor!  After purchasing [and returning] two ready-made charging stations, it became obvious that my needs would not be met by what was available.  

So its off to the drawing board to design what will do the job in the space available.  Just a little foam core, straight pins and a lot of book repair tape and at last, a nice two-tiered box with a lift-up access door providing lots of room inside for everything.  A decided bonus, it looks good with the rest of its shelf mates.

Well, back to stitching.

New Year's Resolutions, Anyone?

Two days into the new year and it became apparent that a lot that was left over from the last year has made it through to the new.   Still haven't found those Peter Rabbit buttons...they may be lost forever.

Need to move onto other things, though.  Like the queen-size duvet that's been a work in progress since the fabric was purchased 20 years ago - way too long.  Great Jacobean pattern, so many great colors that will look great when finished.   Just needs to be assembled and then quilted along the border.   Must be its massive size that makes it such a daunting project and keeps it from being completed.  Will be tackling this shortly now that I've taken some classes in quilting at the Quilt Fest in Hampton, VA in February.  So, more on this one....later.

Other projects, equally old, keep getting pushed further back behind new stuff that keeps capturing my attention.  What a dilemma!   So much to do and so little time.  But then that's been heard before.

For instance, the February stitching program for my ANG chapter is a series of intricately stitched squares fashioned into a heart designed to expand the embroiderer's color and stitch repertoire using over dyed silk thread, Kreinik metallic braided threads, floss and perle cottons.   I bought only the over dyed silk and metallics as I already have an extensive stash of the other threads.  Much of this quantity was inherited from my mother and never sorted.   Oh, dear.  Had no trouble pulling the appropriate matches from this lot but then got caught up in reorganizing.  Its taking longer than I thought since I don't have an efficient means to house the numerous skeins of various types or their quantities.  The saving grace is that, in future, I'll have the advantage of knowing what I have and not "re-buy" it.  Until I can winnow down, I'll be judicious with any new purchases.

The program will be a true stretch for me as I have not ventured beyond needlepoint, crewel work, blackwork and general cross stitch.  Each one of these squares involves multiple threads and multiple stitches to achieve the overall look of the finished piece.  It will be interesting to see how quickly I can adapt.   Many of the stitches are unfamiliar to me, even though I have this lovely book with 100s of embroidery stitches, I have only leafed through it on rare occasions.

As I embark on this latest endeavor with a resolve to do well, learn something new, and FINISH(!), I realize that it seems almost daft to start anything new.  With so many unfinished projects looming, there is strong motivation to get a move on 'cause time's awastin'.

Until next time.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

The snow started here about 7:00 am and has been intermittent since then.  About 4-6" has fallen in the first 8 hours of our "winter storm warning" that is predicted to end around 6:00 pm tomorrow night.  Areas to the south of our Philadelphia-vacinity location have gotten upwards of 8-12" and Washington, DC is slated for 25" or so.

Why the weather report?  It reminded me of a winter ice storm long ago that coated everything with a thick layer of ice that I captured with a 35 mm SLR I bought while working in the photographic industry, another one of my former lives.  The next day the sun blazed, sparkling the ice into a magical wonderland before melting it all away. 

 Over the years, my lens was directed towards my children's athletic endeavors and objects less animated such as architecture, sculpture, landscapes, and perhaps wild life.  Reviewing old photographs has given me a treasure-trove of film material to work with while adding new images in digital format.

 Two outstanding black and white photographs taken, developed and enlarged by my brother  some 30 years ago, were recently reframed, becoming the focal points of an ongoing project - a two story, four wall, stair well gallery of all black and white media.  Since most of my photographs are in color, it was necessary to convert them to black and white with the help of a Kodak Kiosk.  Photographs, needlework, fabric, paper - any medium could be used as long as it fit the black and white criteria.  Its been a fun project and every item tells a story.

 Like the blackwork ship that was worked on when keeping my son company during hospital confinement for a broken leg.  He was young and he was happy to know his Mommy was there while he watched cartoons to pass the time.  I was occupied as well and had a nice bonus when it was finished and he was home again.   Antique and modern silhouettes of family.  Pen and ink drawings from a trip to Williamsburg, VA.  A triptych of pin hole camera photos taken for a class project illustrates the artistic eye of my daughter.  A cross-stitched sampler came from my sister that was done specifically for the wall

Hard to believe just two pictures started it all.  There's room to grow although I like how it has that "work in progress" look.  Will post pictures soon.

It's Christmas Time...

Is everyone engaged in the business of decorating, food preparation, gift buying, gift wrapping, etc. this holiday season?  This year, I vowed to get my decorating and shopping done before December 1st and  not go near a mall from December 1st to December 31st.  Both vows were broken within five days.  Who needs to wait until the new year to make resolutions; I'm still not able to adhere to this year's.

The decorating got delayed until the 6th and the mall, well...a visit with my sister who was taking her daughter and several of her friends to the mall, squashed that vow as well.  It was a Saturday and I felt sure it would surely be mobbed.  Surprisingly, it wasn't!  Apparently, the economy has affected everyone's spending habits and traffic was light for a Saturday.  Perhaps the anticipated first snow of the year was a deterrent...we may never know.

Was able to leave the mall with "empty hands" having curbed the urge to splurge.  Rather nice feeling since much of my shopping had already been done on the internet and the rest has been manufactured in my version of Santa's Workshop.  I've harkened back to a time when gifts came from one's imagination, were made with TLC and given in the truest sense of the season.  I have baked batches of cookies for my neighbors, wrapped all the presents, planned an open house for after Christmas, designed and constructed most of the decorations that festoon my home and have planned every menu between December 20 through to New Year's Eve.  Of course, the best laid plans can surely go awry...as they say.  I'm sure there will be some glitch that arises to dislodge the delicate balance of these holiday plans.  No matter; all will come right in the end.  Won't it?  The holidays are what you make of them.

Which brings me to the crux of this post:  As I reflect this year on Christmases past, I have found that the hardest thing for me to do was to recapture the Christmas traditions of my childhood for my children.  Decorating a certain way or at a certain time, holiday baking, special meals, planning Christmas Day activities, etc. somehow didn't always meet the expectations I placed on these traditions.   My children are now adults and the holidays have evolved for them in such different ways than for me.  So slowly I change, which allows me to let go of the past and move forward into the future and create new traditions that replace the old.   I've stopped  trying to duplicate those events that foster special memories.  Instead, I'm concentrating on the enjoyment of the season and its true meaning and not trying [and failing] to make everything 'perfect'.  Now that's a vow that can easily be kept!

May everyone share the season with those they love both near and far.  Happy Holidays, all.

And The Search Continues....

Woe is me! The whole house search has not revealed the location of those Peter Rabbit buttons.  But lo, the treasures that search has uncovered!  Several sweaters in various stages of completion; cross-stitch samplers with threads pulled, fabric selected, and patterns all assembled into tidy packages waiting for the hand to put needle to thread; fabrics purchased for garments desired long-ago; craft books of intriguing media yet to be tried.  Ah me, so much to do and so little time.  Twenty-four hours is not very long, indeed, considering one must sleep as well. 

In the meantime, work continues on a variety of projects of which there might be at least three to four in the works at all times.  These  projects currently include one knitting, two needlepoint and two counted cross-stitch. 

The first of two socks in a linen yarn on size 2 bamboo double pointed needles has been completed with the dreaded second sock yet to be started.  There are books depicting the method of using two 29" circular needles that allow the knitting of both socks simultaneously but mastering this technique has alluded me.  So I move on...

...To a needlepoint zippered case that is a styled after one of the many persian rugs that grace my sister's home.  A detail of the rug is at the right.  Loved the colors of the original and hopefully they translated well to the finished piece which is shown to the left and was done in three strands of Vineyard Silk Classic for the background and Impressions silk and wool for the remaining colors on #18 canvas.


Also in the works is an Etui, or a collection of keeps for sewing tools.  Included are a tape measure cover, a scissor holder and fob, a pinkeep, an ort box and a zippered bag that will hold these tools and future works in progress.  A series of Celtic motifs in rust and gold have been chosen to follow the shapes of the objects they will cover, hold or contain.   The motifs are moderately intricate and the fun is watching the blank canvas evolve into a colorful rendition of the black and white printed diagram.  All the components of the Etui are done on #28 canvas, with #355 and #738 DMC floss using three strands while the zippered bag is done on #14 canvas, using  #355 and #738 DMC #5 pearl cotton.

The two counted cross-stitch pieces are small pin keep and a needle book.  Mostly for practice to improve execution of cross-stitch and finishing techniques.  The finishing will be the area the most practice will be needed.  It has been some time since I have done finishing on a piece of needlework, be it a pillow, picture, etc.  As these two pieces are nearer completion than the others listed above, we should see how well my skill sets have improved.

So What's On Your To Do List....

Another week has come and gone.  I find that I have done the preliminary work on a surprising number of projects but one item in particular is proving difficult to finish - a knitted "amoeba" that requires some buttons.  As luck would have it, they've gone missing within the stash pile.  All the various "logical" locations have been scoured and it looks like I'll have to mount that full-house search.  Not my favorite thing to do when I would rather be working on one of these many existing projects.

There is one benefit to the search at hand...I'll uncover some of the dozens of projects that have been started and yet, lie languishing in some forgotten location having moved on to tend some emergency that distracted my focus.  Gives me another chance at consolidating, cataloging and relocating these projects into a more accessible venue. 

By the way, can anyone identify what the "amoeba" pictured above is supposed to be?  Recently, I fielded several "What are you knitting?" inquiries.  I asked for guesses as to what it might be after laying the piece out on the table.  One bright young thing came right out and gave the correct name of the pattern!  Needless to say, this was a jaw dropping experience since this is a very old pattern from 1968.   I came across it during a trip to Florida with my sister, the real needlewoman, and just had to have it.  Apparently,  one can get confused during its progress; I know I did and needed to do the "frog stitch" [rip-p-p-it, rip-p-p-it - but you knew that already, didn't you?] on several occasions before binding off the final row.  Just need to find those darling Peter Rabbit buttons and it'll be ready for gifting. I've included a photo of the finished  garment.

Baby Surprise Jacket

So the search continues, along with the collecting, cataloging and completing of projects great and small.  Next time I'll include some details of works that have actually made it to completion.

Until then, be fascinating and fascinated.

Art For Art's Sake

Art has been a part of my life as long as I can remember.  I think that interest is a direct result of being surrounded by my paternal grandmother's paintings growing up. She was a classically trained artist in the impressionist style who studied in Philadelphia and abroad.

Her son, my father, was a television producer and director in New York while active in regional theatre.

He designed and built sets for many productions staged in Bucks County. In addition, he inherited the editorship of J. Gruber's Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack [www.almanack.com] from his mother as  a direct descendant of the founder, John Gruber. His line drawings complimented the woodcuts that illustrated the page tops of that publication.

My mother was an avid needle woman who owned the Kneedle Knack Shop in Peddler's Village, Lahaska for over 15 years. Her family

was equally artistic which became evident when I came across a portfolio of pencil drawings completed in January, 1878 by both maternal great-grandparents.

So it would appear that I have artists on both sides of the family whose talents have filtered down to my generation: My sister is a teacher of needlework with ANG and EGA chapters in Virginia. One brother is now the editor of that publication listed above. Another brother has designed sets, lighting and sound boards for productions in both Pennsylvania and Atlanta, Georgia.

As for your correspondent, in school, I must have taken every art course offered. Drawing, painting, sculpture, etc. in the hopes of emulating these prodigious predecessors. While these interests persist, paints, clay and chalks were put aside in favor of other artistic ventures. These new pursuits included many of the needle arts such as knitting, sewing,  needlepoint, blackwork and counted cross stitch, all of which were easy to pick up and put down without the need for a special space. New art forms are always looming in the background and periodically take the lead. One point of interest is precious metal clay, but more on that another time.

For now...well stay tuned...

As Time Goes By....

I was recently brought up short with a hard fact: I've spent far too much of my time earning a living rather than actually 'living'. While this is a necessary evil, paying too much attention to what one has to do versus what one would like to do can add a new dimension to the adage "...all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy." I've resolved to change all that.

First, those pressing tasks that never seem to end will be put in their proper place and not be allowed to prevent the pursuit of those things that have fascinated me forever. Those fascinations will become the focus of this blog.

Second, this blog might get a bit unwieldy since there are so many fascinations that interest me.

Third, I vow to stop wasting time and get to it. So without further ado....