INCREDIBLE INDIA May Journal Block

After traveling for an extended time, it is taking me a while to get caught up on my sewing and blogging. I will catch you up as quickly as I can. I hate being behind schedule!

We quilters and lovers of textiles enjoy every aspect of our craft and I especially enjoyed seeing in India how differently things are done. A lot of work is done on the street and it was exciting to see and appreciate the similarities and the differences.

This gentleman was a local tailor. Whenever my studio becomes disorganized or I think it is way too messy, I just need to look at this photo to remind myself that productivity can take place anywhere, under some extreme circumstances!  His sewing machine sat about two feet from the street curb. Push and shove was his storage technique! I could relate. I use that technique at times too in my studio.

This gentleman was dying a piece of red silk fabric.

 To dry it, he waved it up and down in the wind and sunshine. Lovely!

This group of gentlemen were beading designs on the this lovely green silk. It reminded me of an old quilting bee, as they sat together around a frame chatting and seeming to enjoy their work and each others company.

I don't like to iron clothes but I do enjoy ironing my quilt fabric because it is during the ironing process that I get a lot of good ideas. It's rhythmic, soothing, and peaceful, conducive to letting your mind wander and dream of wonderful designs. This woman was the local ironing shop and she set up her workspace in front of her home on the street. Her iron was an antique model that was heated with coals placed inside the iron. Very effective for getting out those stubborn wrinkles. Notice the lovely flower designs carved in the wall behind her. She was so friendly and happy to chat with us once she knew we all appreciated the work she was doing and our fascination with her iron.

For my May Journal Block, which is my 3rd circle block, I took inspiration from the flowers that fill India. They are everywhere. From the real blooms...

 to the drawn and painted blooms.

Flowers grace the homes, the hotels, the palaces and shops.





Especially lovely is the floral embroidery that is incorporated in so many of the textiles of India.

When you think of India, these stylized flowers immediately come to mind.













My May Journal Block, the 3rd circle block, was done in all hand dyed fabrics and hand quilted. The flowers were done using traditional applique and the leaves were done in fusible applique, with a hand feather stitch edging the leaves. The stems of the leaves are done in a Stem Stitch using a Size 8 embroidery thread.   To set off the colors of the flowers, I used a two color binding and introduced a third color by Stem Stitching along the seam line of the two color binding with a purple Size 8 embroidery thread.

 The flower centers are fusible applique, sewn in position using irregular long stitches, using 2 strands of a 6-strand embroidery floss. Small beads were sewn randomly to the threads.

Cookies for You

When I was at International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, a promotional bookmark, with a cookie recipe on the back, was given out at the launch of my new book Quilting Those Flirty 30's. Inside the book you will find 12 more family favorites.  I wanted to share this recipe with you.  They are delicious!

Carrot Chip Cookies 
3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugars, and eggs in a large bowl. Blend in carrots. Mix all dry ingredients together and add to carrot mixture.  Beat just until blended. Stir in nuts and chips. Drop by rounded teaspoon full on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Makes approximately 4 dozen. Enjoy!

If you would like to read more about Quilting Those Flirty 30's, visit the publisher's website at http://www.martingale-pub.com/store/index.php?author_id=125  You will also be able to read the Author Interview which I had with Durby Peterson of Martingale and Company.

Fun to Play But Home at Last

Sometimes you have to get out and play with your man. My husband's idea of play is hiking in remote areas.  The more remote the better. The nature boy comes out in him and he's happiest when he's far from the maddening crowds. 

So in late April we headed to the island of Sardinia, via Rome, for 10 lovely days of hiking. Except for 2 days of cloudy weather with a little drizzle, that we never needed our raincoats for, the weather was perfect with blue sky and lots of sun.

We hiked from the mountains.... to the coast....and through lots of lovely countryside in
between.

It was very much a nature trek, as we saw deer, pigs, sheep, snakes, goats, dogs, a baby mink, butterflies, and of course some bugs.The dung beetles were my favorite.  Industrious little creatures!








Goats are the most curious animals. Most in Sardinia wore bells so even when you couldn't see them, you could hear all the bells throughout the hills and valleys.  It's music to your ears, as you hike along.







And of course we say many beautiful flowers carpeting the hills and growing wild everywhere. I loved the flowers....

my husband liked the local beer. 






And it seems no matter if you have great hiking boots or not, after more than 100 kilometers, hiking up and down hills, through valleys, across dunes, and along deer trails, sometimes blisters appear. We definitely got some doozies!

These were Mike's.

 These were mine!












 But no time to worry about blisters. It was time to head to where I like to play...International Quilt Market.  It would only be the 2nd time that Mike had joined me for Market. This year it was in Salt Lake City. Back to Rome and on to Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City is beautiful, ringed by snow capped mountains. 

This Market was fun and exciting with the release of my new book "Quilting Those Flirty 30's."

International Quilt Market is where quilt shop owners from around the world come to shop for their stores. During Market, at sessions called School House, shop owners come to learn about all the newest and the latest in the industry.  It's such fun to meet the shop owners, touch base with my customers, share what's new, and what I have been working on. 

This is an apron which is part of the project "Kitchen Garb" in "Quilting Those Flirty 30's."  There are eleven projects in the book, as well as 12 delicious cookie recipes, all family favorites, that I wanted to share with my readers. Yum!







I was so excited to catch up with Donna Ward and her daughter Ashleigh.  Donna machine quilted all the quilts in "Quilting Those Flirty 30's", as well as my other books.  She is such a talented quilter!  We have worked together for about 8 years. We email frequently and send many boxes back and forth but we only get to meet at Quilt Market, when we both attend.  Donna lives way down under in New Zealand.

Left to right, Ashleigh, Donna, and me.


When I had sent the quilts for "Quilting Those Flirty 30's" to Martingale and Company, U.S. Customs did a terrible thing and slashed two quilts that were to be featured in the book.  I had seen photographs that the Staff of Martingale had sent me of the damage but it was gut wrenching to actually see it in person, when I picked up the quilts. 

Thank goodness for the talented staff at Martingale and Photo Shop where the damage could be repaired and the book remained on schedule.

Not a word of apology or any type of compensation for the damage done to my quilts from U.S. Customs.   A sad experience but I count my self very fortunate that this is the first time in 14 years of business that I have had a quilt damaged. That hand coming through the quilt on the left hand side is not supposed to be there!

Such a fun Market...meeting old friends and making new ones, and sharing the whole experience with Mike.  He had fun hanging out with the quilters.

No time to rest. The logistics of moving lots of luggage and lots of quilts to the next stop is never easy.  I really envy those people who can manage to travel the world with only a carry on.  I am not one of those people!


Next stop, Hawaii, for my son Zachary's graduation with his PhD.

This trip will be very productive for clocking some air miles.

Proud parents of the happy graduate at the University of Hawaii!

While we were on Ohahu, we thought we better tour the island and check out the sites.




Zachary, his girlfriend Stacy, and Mom.

After 4 days of celebrations we head to Michigan, home ground for both Mike and I, to visit family. Michigan greets us with perfect blue skies and sunny weather, rather rare for Michigan. All the flowers were in bloom.


I must say that Michigan is one of the most beautiful locations ever, in the summer.  I'm just not sure I can handle the winters there any more.  I think my blood has gotten much too thin, after living in the warm climate of the Middle East for so many years.

After Mike left Michigan to return to work, I stayed on for another 3 weeks to help my Mom downsize, sort her home, pack and move, to a retirement location in Grand Rapids.  With her new apartment and her patio filled with flowers, I think she will be happy and hopefully it is a good move for her.

It feels so good to be home and in my own bed in Abu Dhabi.

It will take me a while to catch up after being away for so long but it was a good trip filled with good times, family, and friends.

We couldn't have asked for anything better.

INCREDIBLE INDIA April Journal Block

You know, I own a Jeep Wrangler and never, in a million years, would I have thought you could carry so many people in one. I have come to rethink that!  There was a large group of people standing along side the road and one could assume that a large bus was coming soon. Wrong.  This Jeep Wrangler was the local mode of transport and they all managed to get in or on.

Fully loaded!  How many persons can you count in the half of the front area that you can see?

Note luggage rack on the top that many passengers are seated on.

And there is definitely room for several more to stand along the back.  Makes "economy class" air travel seem spacious and extremely generous by comparison.

I decided to base my April Journal Block on the Sun Temple of Gujarat.

The scriptures of the Hindu religion refer to the sun as the store house of inexhaustible power and radiance. Surya symbolizes the Sun God and he is considered the only visible form of God that can be seen every day.  There are many hymns describing the celestial body as the source and sustainer of all life on earth.  The origin of the worship of the Sun in India is thus several centuries old.  

There are seven sun temples in India and we were lucky to be close to the Sun Temple at Modhera in Gujarat and were able to visit. There are many legends and beliefs associated with each of the temples but all of the temples believe that a visit to the temple followed by a dip in the sacred tanks associated with them would bring relief to the believers ailing from blindness, leprosy, and other skin disorders.

 Interior arches and columns of the temple.

Wonderful detailed carvings on every column.

Elephant carvings on the steps leading to the temple.

Intricate carvings on the exterior of the temple.

 These little black bats make their home on the ceiling of the interior of the temple. They seemed totally oblivious to the comings and goings of the many visitors.

Unfortunately, we were not able to stay until twilight and watch the bats come to life and leave, when I'm sure the bats would exit to feed.








Every temple has a religious caretaker and this gentle man greeted us all as we left the temple. You will note that he is wearing an orange turban and shirt which symbolizes his religious devotion.








The wearing of bright orange as an overt sign of religious affiliation is common throughout India.

I decided to use Surya, God of the Sun, as the focus for my April Journal Block.  And of course he must be depicted in bright orange hand-dyed fabrics to show his religious significance in the Hindu religion. This is my second journal block which must include a circle.

 The background fabric is a yellow hand-dyed fabric. Stem Stitching is used for the facial features. The sun is done with fusible applique, with the inner circle stitched using a modified Herringbone Stitch.  The points of the sun are outlined with a Feather Stitch.

 Orange iron on sequins enhance the sun's radiance, his eyes, checks, and forehead.  The points of the suns on his forehead and cheeks were painted using Pebeo Setacolor fabric paint.

The block has been hand quilted in a circular design to portray the radiating sun.