Where does the time go???

It has been over a month since the last post and I was really going to try and do a better job this year.  I even considered trying the 365 photo thing again.  Good intentions--- as they say.

I believe I was catching up from last year so the last quarter is going to be brief.  Kathy, ReneeL, Judy, Sheena and I went to the AQS Quilt show in Des Moines, IA at the beginning of Oct.  Had a great time, saw some beautiful quilts and saw some interesting country side.  I would love to spend more time in that part of IA.  Some of my family came from that area as well.

I took another class from David Taylor in Denver in Oct.  Stayed with my daughter and her family, which was close to the class location.  So now I have two quilts I am working on and no work has been done on either of them.

We had a less than productive corn harvest after the heat and drought last summer.   The dry land wheat didn't come up in some places and it is still dry!

Had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I managed to make three quilts for each of my grandsons.  I even had them wrapped and under the tree the Wednesday before Christmas.  So 2012 ended with the usual book work.  I think they should change the end of the year for closing ones books so it doesn't interfere with Christmas.  It is a drag and I dislike it more each year!!!  So we wrapped up 2012.

2013, I can start the New Year and two months have almost been completed !!  As the title states, where does the time go??   

As is usually the case around here the New Year starts off with more book work, which was the case this year.  I was really organized, didn't make too many mistakes on the info I took to the accountant, got all the nasty little forms required by our benevolent government completed quickly and mailed. 

   I was ready to take the Dyeing to Design class taught by Elizabeth Barton on QU.  That was something I attempted last fall and ran into too many other things.  I did get the black gradation dyed and then I managed to come down with strep again.  Grand kids share so many things with their grandmas!!!  So I was a little behind in that class once again and then I felt the pressure to dye fabric for Hollis' class in TX.  Now I did have an entire year to work that in, but it didn't happen and the class is very close at hand now.

So that is what I have been doing for the last two weeks.  Now I am sure there are some who would say, go to your sewing room and get some you have already dyed.  But that won't work!!!   I needed gradations and I have wanted to do some ice dyeing for some time now.  I now have a lot of gradations and some awesome ice dyeing pieces.  Thanks to Judi, who taught me how to do it during our Retreat almost 3 years ago now.

Golden Brown and Marigold

Caribbean Blue and Citrus Yellow

 These are some of the pieces I made using ice in one form or another.  Hopefully they will be useful somewhere along the way.

Golden Brown

Havana Brown

 I will post some of the gradations later.

   

Ice Blue and Citrus Yellow

A good friend sent word this evening that Carol Miller, founder of Quilt University, lost her battle with cancer.  When she founded QU, she did a wonderful thing for many of us in the quilting world. Thank you Carol!!!   

So Much for posting more in March

Another month coming to a close!!!  Where the heck to they disappear to?  The only thing I accomplished was a little watercolor pencil work, a sinus infection and while on medication for that, picked up Influenza A.  I totally missed participating in the Silk Dyeing class I had signed up for on QU with Marjie.  I have saved those lessons and will get to them one of these days.  I had really looked forward to that one as well. 

I was already in a class on Joggles with Dion Dior and watercolor pencils.  I did manage to get through the first lesson of that one before getting sick.  The water color pencils are going to take some more work and present different challenges.  It was a great class.

A new class started yesterday with Jane LaFazio. Just got the lesson printed off this morning. It is another "Watercolor Sketchbook" class entitled "Designs from Life" and is through Joggles. Hopefully I will get a little more done in this one than the last one I took from Jane. Don't remember what happened, but I became totally sidetracked in that one.

I did get the color wheel dyed for our Dyehard swap last week and packaged it up at the first of the week.  I didn't think much of the colors when dyeing it, but one should never rush to judgement due to the influence of the soda ash.  It turned out much better than I thought it was going to, particularly the one I used brown as an additive.  That did wonders for the fuchsia!!!   It is a great fall pallette. 

The light color wheel is on the left and the one with the brown additive to a medium color wheel is below.

 

I will have 8 different color wheels coming back from Mary in OR.  Hopefully mine arrived today, it was sent Priority, doesn't mean much at times though.

 

So it is back to the greenhouse and planting this afternoon. I received a very nice Moleskin Garden Log for Christmas from my husband. I have started keeping track of what is being planted. I write it down inside because if I were to take it out with me, it would be a mess. I guess he thought I needed something after seeing all of the papers I leave laying around with names and numbers on them of veggies, herbs and flowers. I have the peppers, onions

planted so far. Only a week late.

So it is back to the greenhouse and planting this afternoon.  I received a very nice Moleskin Garden Log for Christmas from my husband.  I have started keeping track of what is being planted.  I write it down inside because if I were to take it out with me, it would be a mess.  I guess he thought I needed something after seeing all of the papers I leave laying around with names and numbers on them of veggies,

herbs and flowers.  I have the peppers, onions

planted so far.  Only a week late on those.  Hopefully I will have the tomatoes and lobelia planted by this afternoon. 

It's Been Awhile

Hard to believe that January 2012 is coming to a close.  I am still trying to find October, November and December of 2011.  Where has the time gone??!!!   Might explain why I haven't posted in some time.


The photos are of fabric I dye painted when I took a class this past fall on QU with Marjie McWilliams.  Enjoyed that class immensely, learned how to dye paint using a different technique so that was good.  


Currently I am getting ready to travel to Oregon next week.  I will be taking the 3rd class in Hollis' 10 year program there.  Then after my return from OR, I will leave for Texas and will be taking class number 7 in the same program.  So I have two piles of items on the bed in the spare room waiting to be packed in the appropriate suitcase.  Sure hope I remember which is which.


Taking an online class through QU with Elizabeth Barton.  It is a very good class and I am learning a few new things and it is a good review of things I have already learned.  Never hurts to review as things just don't stay put in there very long anymore.  Maybe they just have a hard time finding their way into my mind anymore!!!    


I need to paint, I need to sew, I need to draw, I need to dye fabric and of course I need to clean.  So life is pretty much the same around here.