The Last Birds?

I made a few more birds for my Mom's quilt. These don't represent any person or idea. They are just birds based on fabrics that I liked and thought they were fun. 

This one has Laurel Burch fabrics. way back when, my Mom and I both had Laurel Burch jewelry.

The wing fabric on this bird was fabric I used in the backing of the Harlequin Scrap Slab Triangle quilt. I added some black on white fabric for the bird's breast, but something niggled at my memory. Turns out I used the same fabric combination in a bird with a green background, and it is in the Green Birds quilt. I made this bird facing in the opposite direction and I made sure the beak was a different color.

This reminded me that very often I would go shopping and later show my mom my purchase and she would say, "Oh, that's gorgeous! Can you get one like it for me?"

The wing fabric in this bird was fabric I included in the Needle in a Haystack quilt. The legs are fabric that shows a lot of drawing and drafting pencils, because my Mom and I both specialized in pencil drawings.

I've had the wing fabric for this bird for well over ten years, probably more. I liked the Art Deco feel of it, but haven't used it in many quilts. It seemed perfect for a bird.

I don't usually buy Fat Quarter packs, but the wing of this bird was part of a pack of Jane Sassaman fabrics. Both of the other fabrics are batiks, and were already in my stash.

These are all the birds. There are 43 of them. These are not arranged in any particular order, That will come next. 

You too, can make birds. They are an awful lot of fun. You can get my tutorial here, at my Etsy shop.

Sewing Bird for Mom

 

I made a sewing bird for my Mom. She made all my clothes until I was eight years old so I wanted to do a sewing bird for her.

Mom Update

 

This photo of Mom was taken in 2017 on our trip to Colorado. It’s one of my favorites pictures of her.

Hi Gang,

First of all, my Mom is good! She just celebrated her 92nd birthday, and she came to my house yesterday to check out the new floors.

She’s good. But she’s 92, and has a host of serious medical issues, which I will not divulge. The doctors would like her in the hospital so they can monitor her closely but she’s having none of it. The hospital is crowded, noisy and, as far as she is concerned, stifling. Stuck in one bed, with often noisy neighbors… she would rather be home.

And who can blame her? The docs are trying to find just the right balance. She would rather be home, where she can live her life in comfort with loved ones nearby. She gets to sleep in her own bed, eat her own food (or M’s) and do what she pleases when she pleases. She says if she feels bad, she can call an ambulance.

I can’t say as I blame her. Her mother spent the last five years of her life in bed, in pain, and in a nursing home. My Mom would rather LIVE the time she has left. She’s happy with M, and she has a reason to get up in the morning. That’s pretty good at her age.

I talk to her almost daily, and see her often. She’s only five miles away. I am well aware of how lucky I am that I have had her this long. Every day is a gift, and every day is OK. I’ve long since made my peace with it. I’m gonna miss her like crazy when she goes, but I’m not going to fret over whatever time she has left.

She could surprise us all. 

Peonies & This & That

 

Here is the final layout (minus one row) of the Peonies Quilt. As you can see, Cherie, I have arranged a few blocks into diamonds, and there are now 4 light green flowers.

The new refrigerator is terrific except for one thing. Maybe you can tell what it is. The front is NOT magnetic. EEEEEK!!! The sides are magnetic, but that's an awful lot of naked stainless steel. I'm going to have figure out what I want to see, and tape it to the front.

Inside it's almost the same layout as the older one, but it seems like I have more space. It was 101F when this was delivered so emptying one fridge, and filling the new one were exercises in FAST. That means I just threw everything in, and I have to do a bit of rearranging.

I went to see the movie THELMA, and I thought it was great. There is so much of it that is outlandish, but a lot of it is so true. 

My friend Pam and I went out to eat before the movie and got out so early we went to the local Barnes & Noble. I bought a jigsaw puzzle. This was a rug pattern designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It wasn't a big puzzle, and I got into it. It was appealing because it had some special pieces...

Some of the pieces were quite large. I have put them above the puzzle so you can see. You would think that these large pieces would have made the puzzle easier, but actually it made it quite a bit trickier. I enjoyed it.

My Mom was admitted to the hospital last week. She was diagnosed with AFIB, and they decided to do a cardioversion, which is restarting her heart. Yes, you read that correctly. It is normally a pretty straightforward process, but do remember my Mom is a month short of 91. The procedure was successful, they kept her an extra day. She's home now, but she's really tired. So, keep her in your thoughts, please. The doctor gave her an excellent prognosis, but the older we get the longer it takes us all to bounce back.

The Value of "Meh", Redux

This is an updated version of a post I wrote back in 2013 about Julie wrestling with her quilt, See Rock City. It was my Mother's comment that spurred Julie to make major changes in the quilt, which she had thought was finished. The "Meh" story is hinted at in Julie's book. 

Honesty is crucial in a good relationship. But so is kindness. Julie and I get along so well because we tell each other what we see in each other's work, even if it isn't complimentary. At this stage of the game, we have so much trust in each other that know it will be beneficial, and we have each gained from the other's perspective. Julie had worked so hard on her barns and they were truly breathtaking. Julie had really cracked open something inside herself and made a terrific breakthrough, but then she stopped. I knew it right away, but hesitated. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. When my mother expressed the same disdain, I knew i had to tell Julie. I knew I wouldn't be a good friend if I kept silent. So this was a big moment in our friendship. And I didn't do it via email. I picked up the phone and called her. I have to say, however, that I had NO IDEA that the SECOND part of Julie's quilt would be as big a breakthrough as her first. She didn't just go for it, she WENT ALL THE WAY. I was, and still am, so proud of her for her courage and the fearlessness with which she tackled it. And she did it (pardon the pun) like a barn on fire. Julie generally makes her quilts very methodically and patiently. But when she took the blocks apart and rebuilt the thing, she worked like a proverbial tornado. I don't think I've ever seen her work that passionately or voraciously since. Then again, I could be wrong. After all, I do live 1127 miles away...

(This jumps a bit ahead in our friendship story timeline, but I'll get back to it next time.)


Back in November of 2013, when I was making letters for Too Much Chicken, my Mother and I had lunch together.

"That quilt of yours with the box... " she said, "the one where the words pop out of it... (The Black Box)  That's a piece of art, and deserves to hang in a museum."

Then she continued, "The one you're making now, with all the letters," she paused. "Meh."

 This is an in-progress shot of the Chicken quilt. Yes, it was kinda boring.

I laughed. "Ma, the one I'm making now with the chickens is just a silly quilt. It isn't anything close to the Box. I'm not done. I've got a lot to do still."

I really enjoyed telling the story of lunch with my Mom, both on this blog and to my colleagues at work. What was really interesting though, was the reactions. Most of them were of the "You are so lucky to have a relationship with your Mom where you can tell each other what you really think," variety.

 My Mom thought Julie's quilt, "See Rock City," was a knockout, and deserved "Best in Show."

It was true, but that wasn't what struck me.

What really struck me was the concept that many artists simply don't have anybody to give them a good critique. What's a good critique?  A good critique recognizes craftsmanship (or good drawing), design (or structure), execution (or technique.) The rules apply to these no matter what the medium. A good critique will tell you if what you've created is what you think you're looking at. 

Let me explain.

Sometimes you work so hard on something you can't see it. You can't see what's wrong, you're too close. You need to step back, or take a walk and look again with a fresh eye. A good crit comes from somebody else who brings a fresh eye.

Somebody who isn't tainted by being in love with the idea.

The most important thing is the crit is about the WORK, and not the PERSON. My Mom can paint, and draw. She's been making a living as a working artist for over 40 years. She knows what she's doing, and she can tell right away. She knows to consider only what she's looking AT, and not criticize or offer her opinion on what I am trying to DO, whether my concept is a good idea or not.

We know that juries or judges don't care how much work you put into it, or how hard you tried to come close to the idea you had in mind. If the artwork doesn't say it on its own, there's not much else that can help it. (Quite frankly there's nothing that bugs me more than a little story next to the piece that explains what you should be seeing. To me, that's a crutch, and it's like cheating. Like somebody explaining the joke. Unnecessary.)

A good critique can help you know if the artwork (or quilt) says what you WANT it to say, or if it doesn't.

A good crit tells you what is working, and what isn't. What isn't? Maybe something is taking attention away from the main idea. Maybe some elements are competing with each other. Remember, a good piece of art is one where all the elements convey the main idea TOGETHER.

  My Mom and I also know the difference between what we like (subjective) and what we're looking at (objective.)  I am not interested in making traditional quilts (subjective), but I can tell a really good one from a mediocre one (objective.)

This is what my Mother looked at and said, "Meh."

 
The subjective is what the "Meh" came from that day. My Mom simply loves color, and a mostly grey chicken quilt just doesn't float her boat. (Meh!)

But "Meh" can also mean, "It's not as good as it could be." or, "It's just so-so."  It could be a good idea and poor execution, or some variation of "good start, lost energy, direction..." whatever.
  

 My Mom thinks this could be an award-winning quilt and deserves to hang in a museum.

Regular readers know I'm always after the emotional response. I want you to look at my quilts and say "WOW."  The Black Box does that. If you followed along my journey of making that quilt, you know there were times when it just didn't have that punch, and I set it aside for a while to regroup.

"Meh" isn't necessarily a BAD thing. "Meh" can simply mean, "I've seen it a million times before, it's pretty, but it's boring." If you like making pretty and same-old-same-old, that's OK. It's not for me. Which is not to say making lovely quilts is a bad thing. There are a lot of truly beautiful quilts out there. Hell, I make pretty quilts too, in between the "Arty" ones. They are different, and they have different audiences.

When my Mom looks at one of my "pretty" quilts (Sunshine, Exquisite, Rainbow Baby) and says "It's nice," in a rather bored tone, I know what she means, and I'm not offended. (For the record, my Mom loves the Red Sticks quilt, and the Sunburst Rainbow.)


The "Meh" can also be a swift kick in the ass. It's a "Look, it's okay, but you can do better than that." It's a call to action. It's a "What happened, did you lose your nerve?" or a "Is that it? You're stopping there?"

Want proof? When my Mom saw the Barns quilt when Julie first put the blocks together, do you know what she said?

"Meh."




Yup. I had had my own reservations, so I called Julie and told her. Julie had been having second thoughts on her own, so she took the quilt apart, removing the dark blue border around each barn, and then went into her studio and made it better. The result is the second photo in this post.

We learn best not by the things we do RIGHT, but from the things we do WRONG and if we're paying attention... by the things that elicit the "Meh."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the way, a few days later I told Julie what my Mother said about the Chicken quilt in progress ("Meh"). I told her my job was to change my Mother's opinion from "Meh" to "Magnificent."

"You're not worried about doing that are you?" Julie asked.

"Too Much Chicken" finished.

"Hell no," I replied.

When I showed my Mother the finished quilt, "Too Much Chicken," she loved it. "I love the way you used the colors."

 

I laughed, "Ma, four months ago you hated the colors."

 

"Yeah I know."

 

Don't let a "Meh" stop you in your tracks. Use it to push from "Meh" to "Magnificent."

Yellow

 

My Mother's favorite color is YELLOW. When I showed her the finished Golden Zebras quilt, she said, "I love this. Can I have it?" I said No. I made it for my couch and I'm keeping it. She wasn't thrilled, but I said I would consider making her a yellow orange quilt kind of like it. "Not too much orange." Well, we'll see. I don't know what will happen when I make my quilts, so we will see.

Anyway, look at the book my mother is reading. It is YELLOW: The History of a Color, by Michel Pastourneau. I gave it to her for Christmas. This photo was taken in my house Christmas morning after we opened presents.

This is a picture that took itself, as soon as I walked into the room. Yup. This is an example of keeping your eyes open and NOTICING. Yellow book, yellow quilt... yeah.




Update # 2: Mom has asked for practically every quilt I have made for the last two or three years. It's getting old. I love her, but no. I designed the quilt for myself, and I don't make copies. She already has five of my quilts, and yet she only has one bed (and no wall space). I agreed to make her a variation. You're entitled to your opinion, but in the end the quilts I make are mine and I have the final say in where they go.

Binding Dairy Cream

I'm  pretty sure Donna at Quilted Threads was shocked when I picked this colorful diagonal stripe for the binding of my Dairy Cream diamonds quilt.

Believe it or not, I don't usually like to use fabric for the binding that is in the quilt already. Reason: because if the binding touches a piece of fabric on the quilt that is the same, it looks like one area is bleeding into the other. I want to keep them separate.

For this quilt, I wanted something mostly white or cream, and a color, but I couldn't find anything that really made my heart sing.  I found this pretty stripe in the kid's section, and I knew it was perfect. The reason? In this case, the binding was selected because it is perfect for who the quilt is FOR. My mother, who's an artist and loves color. And the stripe was happy.

And when I joined the binding strips, I did this DELIBERATELY.  I like the little bit of zing it provides for the viewer who will notice it.

My Mother is so eager for the quilt she told me I could machine sew the binding down on the front, and not to do it by hand, so this will be finished very soon.

Thursday Thoughts

I'm still feeling under the weather and have been sacked out on the couch, napping.  My Mother, however, is out in California visiting my son and DIL and getting to know her great-granddaughter.

My Mom is 83. I hope I look as good at her age.

My DIL and granddaughter. Two happy smiling faces!

Apparently Little Miss has begun to notice the two cats. When one strolls by her face lights up, and if she happens to touch one, she gets all excited.


Actually, I do have some quilty news. I received a notice today that my quilt, Too Much Chicken, has been accepted into the AQS show in Lancaster PA, March 29 - April 1, 2017.

You said what?

My Mom and I were together on Saturday and I asked her if she wanted to see the finished Chicken quilt flimsy.

Remember back in November she didn't think much of it. (The Value of "Meh.")

As we spread it out on my bed, my Mom said, "This is handsome. The colors you used are so beautiful together."

"They aren't my colors, but you've done a beautiful job with them. Those greys and the fabrics you chose for the dull words are just beautiful. This is wonderful."

Thanks Mom!


When I told my pal Julie about my Mom's "Meh" remark back in November, I added, "Now my challenge is to take the Chicken Quilt from 'Meh' to 'Awesome.'"

"You're not worried you can do that, are you?" Julie asked.

"Hell no."

Way back when I was a teenager and I was making myself some clothes, I got to a point where I just thought it was going to be terrible. My Mom reassured me, "Lynne there's always a point when you're making something and it just looks awful. It's not far enough along so you can see anything good about it. It's all in pieces and you don't know how it's ever going to look the way you imagined. But you have to stick with it."

Gifted!

When I was working on the Sunburst Rainbow Quilt, my Mom saw the pictures.  "You have to give that quilt to me. Only I can appreciate that bright color."

When your Mom is 80 years old, an Artist and lover of the unconventional and the unusual, you say yes. So it was that my Mom unwrapped this quilt as a Christmas present yesterday. As you can see, she and her dog Missy are very happy.

Equally happy are my son and future DIL who received the Spools Quilt for Christmas.

Their cats love the quilt too.

Finally, Laughing @ Home

My quilt, Laughing Out Loud, is all finished.
This morning I folded the binding over to the front, pondering which thread to use, black or white. The quilt, of course, had the answer. Chris had quilted it with a yellow green. There on my thread rack, this spool of thread called my name, and said "Me! Me! Use me!"
Once I was finished, and I pulled out all the pins, and signed the back, I folded it up, and brought the quilt to its new home.

When I told my Mom and her husband I was gifting them with the quilt, they were both speechless. They both cried, and my Mom asked, "Really?"

Yes, Mom. Really.