Summer Reflections...

It has indeed been a long time since I last sat here and posted this and that, the happenings of Here2There. It seems perfect to do now that the weather has changed in the last few days and the last of summer visitors has left and life returns to a kind of routine and quiet. Walk with me as I reflect on the last few months. I'll start with one of our occasional visit, when Amy and I are in the same house and working together bringing pieces of fabric to life. When I arrived, I had a birthday quilt tucked into my suitcase. The pattern was inspired by the Tula Pink Book, a quilt called "Stacks." The color palette was very different for me, but I loved the oranges and pinks against the different gray backgrounds. I call this one Amy's Stacks of Days.

Soon we got right to work on several projects that had been in our minds, mostly Amy's.

This is an original block using yellows and greens from our stash. It is ready for borders.

This is another original block we tried using reds and blacks with a great diagonal in each block.

This is one Amy has been thinking about for some time and finally we are putting it together with indigo and some lighter neutrals.

This smaller quilt is another in our series we call "My Lines"...this one is using small pieces of oranges and bits of black and white. It is finished and ready to sell.

When I left San Francisco, I had Amy's year project packed so that I could finish it with quilting. It is stunning....a forest of green with one pink leaf. It is now hanging on a wall in her house and I can't wait to see it when I return.

This is just a portion when it was being quilted.

After the visit, my summer days will full with family and friends visiting here. The grandboys came in sets of two and kept me very busy. The youngest wanted to make a quilt since last summer. So, he picked out his fabrics, laid them out on the design wall (which kept him entertained for many hours), then he learned how to sew a seam. We had to put the foot pedal on a stack of books so that he could reach it. But he did, and he did! His quilt top is ready to be sandwiched and quilted next visit.

My newest furry friend is Obby, an American Bobbed Tail, who is my constant companion in my studio. He is still a kitten, so there are issues with chewing and clawing furniture, but he does make me laugh. He sleeps on 'The Chair' in my studio, sometimes with his four legs in the air and his head hanging over the edge of the seat....he loves anything that moves on my work table!

There are two creative challenges keeping me focused in these days. One is Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters Challenge Group. This was my first sketch: Draw a Shoe. When I started to apply watercolor, I saw the lines running....my new pen wasn't waterproof! So it stands as a reminder to me to always check first before painting. But, I had taken this photo first.

The other daily challenge is Katrina Kennedy's Capture Your 365+1 photo challenge. I now have my camera with me everywhere I go. Sometimes (mostly) the prompts are indeed challenging for me. The prompt on this day was "Faceless Portrait".....:)

Well, just a few more things. Amy and I are working on a large commission for a bed quilt. We are almost ready to sandwich and start quilting it. It is on my design wall now, and everytime I look up, it takes my breath away. It is really beautiful.

This is just a portion of it.

And finally, we are very proud that two of our quilts were juried in to the LaConner Quilt Festival to be held the first weekend in October. Both of these are original designs and really beautiful quilts.

This is Orcas Flowers:

The title of this is Red Flowers:

The hummingbirds have left, and the air is cooler. Fall is just around the corner. The daylight hours will be shorter and night hours longer. It is time to make bread, can fruit preserves, and work on the projects stacked on my work table. It is time to start thinking about holiday projects. I hope you, too, have projects that you are anxious to start or get back to.

opal