Is it fall already?

I can't believe I haven't written anything here in months! Life has been moving along at breakneck pace, and I wish I could just stop for a couple of days to catch my breath. But the weather has finally changed and the days are wonderfully sunny and crisp. I love this time of year in the Finger Lakes - and I hope to meet some people to share it with...

Save Internet Music

Greetings, all! I spend a good bit of most of my days working away on computer, and often I like to listen to music while I am working. When I'm stitching I REALLY like to listen to music! Streaming music on the Internet has been wonderful - I can find music to suit my mood, and often I hear muscians that are emerging as artists that don't get air time on regular mainstream radio. But recently, in a knee jerk reaction, the Copyright Royalty Board has proposed to increase royalty rates from 300 to 1200 percent!

As an author and as a musician, I certainly support the protections offered under copyright law, and believe in the paying of reasonable royalties for the use of copyrighted works. But what has been proposed in not reasonable.

Please consider sending a letter to your Congressional representatives and signing the petition by visiting http://www.SaveNetRadio.org

Psychology of the Stash

Recently Luana Rubin, of the great company eQuilter.com (if you love fabric you need to check out this site!) wrote this piece in her newsletter. She kindly gave permission for me to republish it here.

I think she was channelling me, because truly, truly, I could've written this. I think any of us who collect fabric could have.

Psychology of The Stash

"A Quilter's Stash is a thing of Beauty...... or Guilt....or endless Joy contemplating the endless possibilities. As new quilters, we work on Stash Building. As long-time quilters, some talk about Stash Busting. But what about the place in between? Last week I had 2 walls of shelves built into my house - one of them in my studio. As I moved books and fabrics and embellishments and UFO's around, piling up first, then redistributing on freshly laid shelving, it felt like cleaning out my refrigerator after a visit to my local gourmet health food store.

And then I realized that I will forever be updating my Stash - forever Stash Building, editing and sharing, and forever "spending" my Stash on new projects, gifts, fabric purges and artful experiments. Acquiring, creating, using and sharing from my wealth of fabrics and paint and threads and embellishments. I am in the Stash Abundance stage of Life. Let me make one thing clear here - I am not referring to the fabric here in the eQuilter warehouse. Yes technically it belongs to me until we ship it out - but in my mind our giant eQuilter Stash belongs to all of you! If she who dies with the most fabric wins..... I don't want to win that contest!

No, I am talking about my own personal stash that is not even in my studio above the eQuilter warehouse. I am talking about my domestic stash in my basement studio at home. All the textiles I have collected when living and traveling in Asia. My grandmothers' needlework and quilt tops. Secondhand clothes I have rescued from the trash because I thought it would make a good... *something*... some day. Satin and organza ribbons saved from gifts. Fabric dyeing experiments. Hand painted panels from African, Indonesia and Australia. Embroidered hankies from flea markets and silk scarves from my mom's toy chest. I walk into my studio like a cook walks into a pantry, and I start pulling out pieces that make me feel happy or somehow express whatever emotion I am feeling when I enter my creative space. I pile them up, spread them out, rearrange and then drip embellishments on top. If it looks like something I want to sew together, I start thinking about a design. But I always look at that pile and think..."If only I had - - - - it would make this composition just *perfect* !" (then I go shopping on the eQuilter website!)

My Stash is a work in progress... with no beginning and no end. It is the Milky Way. It is the New York City Library. It is the Smithsonian and the Louvre. It is looking out the window at the snowy peaks as I fly over the RockyMountains. It is a collection of best-loved Poems. It is Martha's Spice Pantry. It holds memories. It holds stories that are not yet written. It is a place of infinite potential. It is all the things in my heart that have not yet been spoken....What's in your Stash?"

So what do you think? What does your stash mean to you?

Super Bowl XLI

I have to say I think last night's Super Bowl was the most exciting football game I've seen in years. Part of it was the fact I didn't really have a vested interest, being a diehard Buffalo Bills fan, but it was well played with lots of exciting and unexpected turns. I'm happy for Peyton Manning, who finally has beat the criticism that he always chokes during the big games! And I was pleased to see two nicely done commercial homages to the socially significant fact that two African-American coaches brought their teams to the Bowl. I was touched by Tony Dungy's acceptance speech, when he was asked about that very thing - who pointed out that more important to both Lovie & him was that it was two Christian coaches - who don't lead by fear & intimidation, but by inspiring respect and fostering true teamwork - that brought their teams to Miami this year.

Of course I can't talk about the Super Bowl without mentioning the commercials. Which were your favorites? Did you miss them? You can view some of them at: www.cbssportsline.com, and look for the "2007 Super Bowl Ads" link. My favorite ad that aired was the Blockbuster Total Access Ad with the mouse. Not available on the CBS site, but here's a link to IFILM, which has them all. http://www.ifilm.com/video/2819648. My next favorite had to be the first of the Budweiser ads "Rock, Paper, Scissors", although their Bud Light "Wedding Reception" with the auction style wedding was very funny, too. The Taco Bell lions are a huge improvement over the little chihuahua. I wasn't so sure about the American Heart Association turning a heart attack into a slapstick comedy ad, but if it gets through (especially to the guys) then great! And I loved the the Lays ads (Doritos, and their homage to the history making event of two black coaches) and think it will be interesting to see if the experiment of having fans pitch ads to win a chance to see their concept made into a commerical moves more mainstream.

I didn't get any stitching done, of course. I started out doing some knitting, but soon became so engrossed in the game I couldn't continue "clickin' it".

New Poem

I'm a big poetry fan. Some of my favorite poets; Emily Dickinson (one of my first crazy quilt pieces I was really proud of is a wallhanging incorporating several portions of her poems), Shakespeare, e.e. cummings, Blake, Byron, Keats, and Edgar Allen Poe.

Occasionally over the years I will feel compelled to pen my own poem. This one came, nearly complete, in a dream two nights ago. I hope you enjoy it!

Captain, my Captain

I see you sailing on a stormy sea
Wind-blown, strong and calm,
Steering into each wave
Chin lifted to meet each new challenge.

Come to me, my captain
I offer you shelter from the storm.
Rest here in my cove
Breathe deep the still calm.

From my salty depths
Waters still, waters deep
Rock gently in my arms
Let me lull for just this little while.

I know you must be on your way
When the day breaks.
But for now, for this night
Breathe in, breathe with me.

The rhythm of my waves
Sing of life and love
Ride me, upon my tide
Call to me, I am here.

So used are you
To sailing this sea alone
King Neptune, Lord Poseidon,
Captain, My Captain.

Here now in this sheltered cove
For these moments few
You are not alone on the sea
You have me & you are mine.

©2007 All rights Reserved (Please contact me if you wish to reproduce this poem! Otherwise, just send people here to my blog. Thanks!!!)

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my blog! My passions include art quilting, Victorian crazy quilting, and creativity building. I am excited by the possibilities of 2007, and hope you will stop back often to see what is new!