The First of Many Sunday Hikes

This is just one of the lovely views we encountered on our Sunday "hike" through our new neighborhood. I hope I never get tired of it!

The Significance of Insignificants

This is probably the most uninteresting photo I will ever post, but it is so full of significance for us, that I had to snap it, with my cell phone camera, through the window of the car, on a misty evening...how's that for photographic challenges??

For this represents the first time driving through the gate as owners at Silver Creek Country Club! No longer do we have to stop at the gate and beg for admittance.
I was sure the guards were starting to recognized us, as week after week we trudged down to open houses, drove the streets, longed for the time when we could call this beautiful community our home.
How many houses did we look at?? And more than one offer was made! But finally, we are owners, we are in, we have the magic code that opens the owners' gate!

The Benefits of Rain

The rains stopped long enough this morning for a long hike through Rancho San Antonio, where the waters were flowing swiftly through the creek, the hillsides were verdant with ferns and moss...


and mother nature had done her part to prune back some of the trees...

The Winter Garden

Last Quilts Left Standing (9)

Last of the last, but certainly not the least, the Double Wedding Ring quilt I made for Tod as a wedding present in 1997. Most of it is lovingly hand pieced, then quilted with the new sewing machine he gave me as a wedding present, my Husquevarna Viking 1+. I look forward to finding spots to hang and display quilts in our new home, and writing a whole new quilt tour

Last Quilts Left Standing (8)

Mama's Little Secrets quilt sits on a fluffy looking bed in the old train room, converted into what we hoped would look like a bedroom, but more resembles an unused furniture storage room. Oh well, we tried.

And why so fluffy? Underneath Mama's Little Secrets is a secret stash of about 30 or so quilts that remained in the house while the others were stashed away at Jay's house.

Last Quilts Left Standing (7)

High up on an otherwise useless wall above the living room (well, I guess it's not totally useless, as otherwise our master bathroom would not have a wall) is a Christmas toile quilt made quite a log time ago, hung here after a precarious trip up a ladder, and never moved in over a dozen years.
I bet it's a bit dusty!

Last Quilts Left Standing (6)

The most quilts left standing in the nearly-empty house are in our bedroom.

The red, white and black log cabin on the bed:


The Lakehouse sewing bargello and the antique rose on the quilt stand:


Hanafubuki and Hyakkaryouran on another quilt stand:


And Japanese postcards on the wall:

Last Quilts Left Standing (5)

We talked about taking some of the quilts down from their unusual places, and in fact many of the quilts have been taken down and packed away, but then we thought the open walls might draw attention to little things like cracks and cobwebs.

So there on the left at the top of the stairs is another of my asian applique quilts, this one called "Wind".

Last Quilts Left Standing (4)

Truly "standing", one last quilt stand left in the family room, holding another Big Blossom Trio (on the top rung) and Five of Diamonds (on the bottom).

The handmade palm-tree motif window scarves and curtains will likely adorn the new dining room...I think they'll go nicely with the travertine floors.

Last Quilts Left Standing (3)

OK, these are more laying than standing, but in the guest room, my favorite quilt to "use", the vintage red nine-patch on the bed, and our most treasured quilt, the beautiful antique red and white appliqued rose quilt from Tod's grandmother, vintage 1860's.

House for Sale

When I got home from work today I saw the Real Estate sign out front. It's official! Our house is for sale!

Last Quilts Left Standing (2)

On the upper landing area, and hanging from the custom quilt hanger made by my dad. This quilt with it's earthy colors will look beautiful somewhere in the new house.

Last Quilts Left Standing (1)

Over the last several weeks, I have counted and inventoried all the quilts in my possession, which is a lot!

At the end of the exercise, which was to try to make sure nothing gets lost in the move, I counted that I currently own 178 quilts, 82 of which are in the house, and 96 are at Jay's (or on the way). Another 94 have been sold.
This doesn't count all the ones made before I started keeping the inventory on a spreadsheet, nor the commissions made for fabric companies and individuals.

But, anyway...

The ones still in the house are somehow a little more special, like the captain of the ship who stays behind while the others retreat to safety.

Here are a couple of the last quilts 'left standing'.

My two "best sellers" - Big Blossom Trio on the left, Dancing Diagonals on the right.

Packing up the Studio

Packing up the studio has been the hardest thing for me, not wanting to let go of the fabric, the scissors, the sewing machines, the paper, glue, glitter, ephemera and other essentials.
My worst nightmare is not being able to find and identify the boxes containing these my most treasured possessions. After all, there are now about 200 boxes in the garage.

I'm resolved to maintain for myself a pleasant little corner to work, albeit a little bare.

Once I completely cleared off the studio table , I needed a solution to cover the chips and scratches on the veneer surface.
Table runner to the rescue!

I could tell long stories about me and table runners. Suffice it to say that I once considered table runners in the same realm as rubber stamps...silly crafty things with no real place in the "Quilt Art" world. And suffice it to say I have had an attitude adjustment about both table runners and stamps :-)

This runner, which I just love, is my Starry Starry Days design, in warm provencal/tuscan colors, featuring the sunflowers that made Van Gogh famous.

And One from New Year's

Three pretty girls all grown up!

One from Christmas

It's become somewhat of a Christmas tradition to go to the movies on Christmas Day.
Lest that seem strange, let me tell you, the local movie theater, AMC Cupertino Square 16, was packed!
No, we didn't see the Squequal, although I fully intend to, but I did squal with delight to find these larger-than-life versions of Simon, Theodore and Alvin in the lobby.


I can quite surprise my family by singing this famous Chipmunk Christmas song, beginning to end, word for word!

Paris Tales

How lucky am I to have won this book, Paris Tales, from the generous Andi of Misadventures with Andi.
I can't wait to read it, and it was indeed a bright spot during some very frustrating times.

Merci, mon amie Andi, je l'aime!

New Boots

There is not much that can compare to the cheering effect of a new pair of boots!

Pictures can't capture the wonderful scent of the rich italian leather, the click of a fresh heel on the floor, the fun of taking pictures of my feet :-)

I can see for miles...

If you squint, you can see the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica pier in the distance.

How far do you think it is?

Farther than you would think.

Another Venice

In all our travels, I am not quite sure any place has made quite the impression of Venice.
When I think of Venice, I think of water, uniqueness, special people.

Until today, I had not given much thought to the Venice of the US, the very-unique, on-the-water, full-of-"special"-people, Venice Beach, California.

You can walk for miles along a wide white sandy beach, from Venice all the way to Santa Monica, along paved walking and biking paths, with unique and quaint beach houses on one side, the beach and the Pacific on the other.
Supposedly there are also canals in Venice CA, but I've yet to see them, so must put that on my to-do list!

And you can also come across a little artistic watery gem like this, a beautiful copper fountain, motion activated like some wonderful Rube Goldberg creation. On top of the fountain was a tiny patch of astroturf, and a sign saying "World's Smallest Back Yard".
Now that's making lemonade when life gives you lemons.



I quite enjoyed our long walk along the Venice waterfront, storing up inspiration for the day I get to return to my artwork!

Fabric Shopping

Oh to be a real photographer, able to capture digitally what I see in my eyes and mind. For what I see is lovely, interesting, exciting...

lines, shapes, colors, textures...circular fabric bolts, checkerboard floor, ladder and ladder rail and tall girl in black...

how I would love to climb that ladder and slide along the woolens...

and that is Megan just behind the ladder, hard at work selecting fabric for her final senior collection...

perhaps not a work of photographic genius, but so many wonderful things coming together, a moment to capture!

Transitions

I've closed my eBay store after 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days (I may be making up the exact time...it's my blog, my writer's license).


It's time to finish up the packing, cleaning and plan for new beginnings. The wheels are turning. the lights are shining.

Happy New Year 2010!