i agree with lynnie, those flowers look great and bountiful!
i wish i had lost many things with menopause, suzie, but it turned out only my patience was missing. seriously, it went on for 10 yrs or so, and i feel safe in saying i am through it now. my sister had not even a day of symptoms.
the migraines may partially be from stress, but my dr broke into great gales of laughter when he asked me when i got them,and i said when i'm shopping. he figures we could make millions if we could sell that to husbands to ' give' to their wives. but he thinks it's the lights in the mall. i think there may be scents also, but 2 have happened in macy's. i went to jcp on tuesday and then to get my mani-pedi done and no migraine. so... what does it prove? i knew it! i'm allergic to macy's!! lol
dotty--what tips did you get re the fusibles?

New Start
 

I have decided what I am going to do for my new start for the new place in the new year. I am going to start dyeing some of my fabric again. Since I can't remember what I used before and the techniques have changed since I have done any dyeing, I am taking a Quilt University class on dyeing fabric and design with hand dyed fabric. It starts the 18th of January. I am excited to get going.

jb

Bodies are funny things aren't they? I keep trying to convince myself that my traumas are all helping me to make better art quilts..bg

Julie--Good for you! Can't wait to see what all goodies you come up with. What delightful fun fabric creation can be!
Now that I have even more excuse to do so here in Chile I have given myself a cart blanche to 'do what needs doing' in terms of creating AND using fabric. I'll be curious to know if your course uses some basic readily available items in oddball ways or mostly the newer 'add water to a bought dye' and do things to the fabric simultaneously(Besides tie dyeing). I'm limited down here to what I can get in grocery,hardware and student chemical packages.
I'd also like to know how you used up all your earlier fabric dyeing experiments? lol Like any of us ever do. I am still finding pieces I bought ,dyed,rusted,bleached and otherwise mangled from 20 years ago. But now due to lack of other goodies they are really getting used up so that's great actually.
Putting together any creative goodies b4 class starts? I have a little auction item for the local organization that is like 'Save the Children' that needs completing but then the bigger projects and their deadlines call too.........

Working w fusibles... my instructor's example was stitched free motion with a running stitch. I made a wreath from leftover roses to practice on. I tried several machine stitches and decided on a narrow zigzag in varied color thread. The stitching is slow & tedious. I wish I had a clear pressure foot.

dotty- what kind of machine do you have?
suzie- i'm pretty sure the traumas and life experiences are what provides fuel for everything we do. i had a serious hand accident years ago while making a sculpture. the road back was difficult and i had to work my hands to rebuild the strength. while i concentrated on finger strength and agility i 'massaged' plasticene clay. i would take a piece and work it, then put it down and start again with another piece. my mind was allowed to roam and my hands were autonomous. my young son came into the room and looked at the squiggles of clay. "Cool, mom! you've made a nativity scene." when i was finished i cast it in bronze and kept it on my desk at the school i was running. every child knew exactly what it was and who was who, including the generic animal , but the adults were 99% baffled. the children engaged in conversation and play with the figures and the adults mostly looked embarrassed. it brought me a great deal of pleasure and was one of the better results from the accident.

I love this story! Funny how as adults we lose so much of that sense of imagination and playfulness. Kids extrapolate so much more thoroughly than us more 'mature' grown ups. It seems that it can be recaptured and enjoyed as one gets older though and for that I am delighted.

Thanks I feel all inspired to get to work today on a pile of less than inspiring projects that need completing.

My new project for the year is to get over this bronchitis that has been plaguing me for a few weeks. "I'd rather be quilting!!" and you can quote me on that. LoL... cough, cough, cough.

Nancia- I am sewing on an Elna. Very simple but it does the job. I have been given a Brother, which I have been too lazy to use. I went to set it up and cannot find the power cord. So now, I need to drag it to the repair guy who is sure
he has a cord for me. I know I will love the Brother. This is the one that cries when something is wrong!! In the summer, I am visiting my dear QB buddy rfbrazell in Wash State. He gave me this machine & is a champion at embroidery. I want to watch him & learn how. I am not good with machines in general. The Berninas at my LQS totally intimidate me. I can barely use my cell phone!!

sometimes i think we are twins with different mothers, dottie! i have an embroidery machine and i haven't even plugged it in! i watched grann of 6 do some work on hers and it was really interesting to watch the machine 'build' the image! i may just try it this week end, but don't quote me on that!:o we were taking our son daniel to the airport, dh was driving and needed to know the gate number. whizzkid could not figure out how to get the info, so i took the smart phone and did it. totally blew my "you know i'm not good with gadgets" defense against having to use that ridiculous phone! oops!