To those who thought I may have dropped off the face of the earth…. I really think I did!!! It has been over 2 months since my last post. I didn't even have time to keep up with much of my email or anything.
Since last checking in, I finally have found life outside the greenhouses and much prefer to keep things that way. So much for part time….. The job did help me get the money to attend QSDS a few weeks ago, and QBL next month. The month of May and first part of June were filled with just about every day at the greenhouses. Thankfully, the worst is over, and I am hoping that more of the flowers and plants will still sell there. It was super stressful, making all the purchasing decisions for someone else. Also scary was being the only one who knew what needed to be done. Good thing for fast learners, I still have a bit of teaching to do before working out of that job, but next year, I will not "live" in a greenhouse again.
QSDS- the Quilt Surface Design Symposium, was held in Columbus, Ohio. I earned a scholarship that paid for a 1 week class that I took with Rosalie Dace from South Africa. I really enjoyed my time in the class. We were encouraged to go in our own directions, trying new techniques in our work to add textures. It was great fondling the many fabrics and fibers everyone brought and that were available for purchase. The only thing I would do differently next time, would be to rest up more before going.
To be sure Ken had the least extra work while I was gone, I spent every daylight hour for over a week before leaving, planting all my new treasures acquired from the greenhouses. OK, really bad for me to work there- too many neat, fun plants I want to take home. On top of being tired from gardening, my plan of arriving in Columbus early, checking in at the hotel, and napping before things began, changed due to a bit of car trouble 90 miles from Columbus. Don't you just love it when you are tooling down a 6 lane highway at 65 MPH in traffic, and the car decides to die!! Roll off the road, check vital fluids, will it start again?? It restarted, but died again many times before finally getting the last 40 miles to the hotel in 1 run. So much for the nap….. At least it was "just" a fuel pump problem- not the first time for this car- formerly our son's. When I called him about it- he just said "pull over, let it cool a bit, start again, go until it dies again" and repeat until my destination. 20 year old VW Jetta- needs some work… or replacing….
This is what it looked like as I was ready to leave from home. The cooler was bungied to keep it from falling into my lap around corners. the trunk was full as well. You need a lot of stuff for a week of quilting. I also had a bunch of stuff to drop off at my sister's house on the way, for a garage sale she was having, so not all went all the way to Ohio. Amazing what that thing will hold.
This was taken at a rest area in Ohio on the way to Columbus. I always carry my camera in my purse for just these occasions. The rest areas have some pretty impressive gardens. My travel day was very nice, sunny and a bit hot, but OK with the windows down. Yea, no AC.
My great accomplishments at QSDS. I really felt discouraged the first couple of days. I was too tired to begin with, and my fibro was trying to flare up. For some reason unknown to me, I began to work with fabrics I consider to be muddy and not so pretty. I guess I had the pictures of the Mountain Laurel on my mind. The plants looked like there were barely hanging on to the rocky, vertical roadside. The road we live on was widened to 2 lanes many years ago, and like many PA roads, is cut into the side of a mountain. I ended up with the top left rocky piece first. A little piece trimmed from that is what inspired the piece on the right with the sunflower photo in it. You never know what you will need at one of these things, so I packed everything I could think of to fit in, and had a selection of photos printed onto fabric with me. This was perfect. I added rocky looking beads, mossy yarns, and stitching to the piece, and as soon as I get a canvas covered with the fabric it is displayed on, I will have a completed piece. I'll get a better picture later. The lower piece began on the next to last evening. I actually had the energy to stay and play late one night, and this piece got well on it's way. I found the fabric for the sky and middle green piece at one of the vendors there. OK, I didn't have "Everything" I needed. We learned to look at our fabrics in different ways, and to consider different types of fabrics to add texture and interest to our work. I came home very tired, but very happy to have had the chance to spend time with a great teacher and great classmates.
Upon my return home, I was discouraged to see that a severe hailstorm had shredded much of what was in my gardens. My front planters looked like someone's little kid took off all the leaves and mashed the flowers.
This was a photo of a Hosta and a spirea flower I took before my trip.
The square planter was quite full of flowers and foliage when I left. Only one lonely Pansy flower looked very good.
At least my deck planters were under a roof, and still were OK. I have some good looking plants at least.
The great thing about coming home, was that my son and his family were home from North Dakota. I have a new baby granddaughter!!! She was 5 weeks old when I first saw her and took these photos.
Here are photos I took the first day home. My sister gave me the dress we have her in. My mom made it for one of my niece's baby dolls. My sister thought I would like to have the outfit for Jenna to use for a future baby doll. She was so tiny, we tried it on, and it fit!! Her brother is 4 1/2 yrs old, and loves his baby sister. It will be even better, now that they will be in PA instead of ND.
This is what Rhubarb looks like after a hail storm. They have new leaves, now. Fast growers!!
My lilies look battered, but had some flowers opening. the plants look ragged, but the flowers only have a dent or 2 in them.
I guess this gets you caught up with me. I plan to get back into regular posting again, along with re-starting my web stores, and maybe even being able to get my website updated. It's hard with my tech support in Texas on an Army base. Maybe he can figure out how to teach me long distance what I need to know.
I am a former textile artist and new pattern designer with a degree in horticulture, wishing to share my love of nature, flowers and gardens with everyone through my photos, sunprinted fabrics, and now pattern designs. Chronic Lyme Disease has caused major changes to the direction my life. I have to limit the amount of time spent digging in my gardens, and quilting has become more difficult. I discovered pattern design as a way to get art back into my life. I now use my gardens and photos to inspire designs that can be used on fabrics and print on demand items.
Wow! Great to hear from you again. That was a lot of news to catch up on.