Twas the Week Before Christmas...

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, no one is safe, especially that louse!  Just kidding!  After last weeks blog, my mood this week is shameful.  I have been busier than usual though as I picked up a babysitting gig.  I have been discovering that how one uses words really affects how they make you feel.  Last year, I didn't "have to go to work", I "got to go to work".  You see how one makes it feel like a problem and one makes it feel like a privilege?
Therefore, I am not babysitting, I get to hang out with my new friend Miles twice a week.  He is a really great kid and I think he will help me remember how to just play.  The ability to play is something I completely forgot how to do.  All the stuff I did for play/hobbies have become my means of work.  And I do a lot of work but am very stressed.  Crawling on the floor and playing ball or cars or just making noise laughing is so good for my soul!!!!  When I got home after the second day, a jealous husband asked if he could pay me $10/hr to play ball with him.  Maybe I should, it was fun when he taught me to play lacrosse a few years ago.  Later though, right now he is template cutting pinwheel pieces out of silk ties for me.  Isn't he great?
What a great week we have:  Happy Channukah, Solstice, and Merry Christmas!
Let light, love, and laughter abound!

Giddy-Up and Go Time

Today is the day I decided to wrap up and box all of the presents to be sent out.  My goal is to get them in the mail tomorrow which would be ahead of time for me.  I trained my family members years ago that Christmas is mid-January in my necks of the woods.  I've been slowly returning to my Holiday Duties (as I see them) for a few years now.  I remember calling my mom 4 years ago and asking if the family would understand if I just didn't do Christmas that year.  You see, my husband had just broke his neck (C2) and was in a halo and I just couldn't face getting everything taken care of.  My mom said of course the family would understand.
Well, I've been getting back into the swing of things ever since.  This time of year is really a reminder to hold those family members dear.  It is not about the purchased gifts, it is about LOVE!  Love for everything - love for all humans, animals, plants, rocks, light, laughter.  Love for those close to you and love for strangers.  Every holiday season, the people of Boulder get uglier and meaner while doing their shopping.  It is horrible and builds in tension each day until Christmas is over.  For years now, my husband & I jokingly refer to this phenomena as the "Christmas Spirit".  Honestly though, it is quite sad.  I believe it happens because everyone wants to make everybody else happy for the holiday.  News Flash:  Angry people aren't happy!  Instead of fighting for and/or over that "perfect gift" (i.e.- whatever is popular and expensive), invest some time or love instead.  Love is much more rewarding and definitely the longest lasting man-made item out there.
Good luck to all in the next few weeks.  Share smiles with strangers and maybe they will pass them on too.  

Quilting Companions

 I wanted to show you the quilt I did last week with Sid's help, but it is a Christmas present for a client's adult daughter.  I don't think she'd see it here, but I would hate to ruin a surprise for anyone.  I'll post photos after the holidays of this really cool t-shirt quilt.  I have Sid working for me again this weekend.  We have begun another silk tie memory quilt.  This one is going to be in a windmill pattern.  For some reason, I like doing traditional patterns with these beautiful silks. Sid and I have created many wonderful quilts together both traditional and non-traditional styles.  The quilt pictured here really captures both of our talents. 

            We are very proud of this quilt named "Kundalini".  It was made several years ago as a commissioned piece by someone who liked our seed of life quilts.  This client used the word Kundalini when describing what they wanted.  I did a touch of research and discovered that fire and snakes were associated with Kundalini energy.  The client thought it was wonderful and so we created the quilt you see here.
All of the fabrics were dyed by Sid and I did everything else.  I am fond of saying that my quilts are a series of mistakes.  I learn incredible things when I allow myself to make mistakes.
The lesson this quilt taught me was about bias tape.  I had made my own and used bias tape for years.  Then we got this brilliant idea to dye the snake fabric on the bias and cut it 2 1/2" wide.  This looked great! What I learned is that bias tape over a certain width will not lay flat in curves!  After an hour of freaking out,  I decided to methodically pleat the inner curves and sew them down.  This solved the main problem and gave the snakes such LIFE!  It really looks like the snakes are moving and writhing around in the knot work.  You can view other quilts we've made using the Seed of Life pattern at our website, www.mountainjoyquilts.com.
Well, it's truffle time.  I must dip and package many of these chocolaty delights to send to all my loved ones.  Sometimes, I think it's a cop-out to send truffles every year.  I know they are looked forward too though with great anticipation and I might even get in trouble if I don't send them.
We all need a yearly overdose of chocolate, don't we?  Happy quilting and creating!

Thanksgiving Time

I've been doing a lot of hand applique this past week. I have been doing a block of the month for a client. I began it last year and discovered I really enjoy doing hand applique in the middle of winter. It is a great way to still be working while not moving 5' from the wood stove. I started on it earlier than expected this year thanks to last week's power outage.
The devastation of wind-downed trees is quite sad and impressive. I am always in awe at the raw power of mother nature when in a mood. We did lose several trees on our property. Out back, the top of huge Blue Spruce came down and took out a Ponderosa pine and large aspen.
I've got Sid arranging another quilt for me at the moment. Our brains work quite differently and we try to use that to our advantage. He excels at creating chaos while I still try to find some kind of order even in a crazy quilt. This quilt is a memory t-shirt quilt for a woman to give her daughter for Christmas. The daughter is quite an accomplished runner with lots of track shirts. Sid is composing the crazy quilt look for the top and then he'll dye the backing too. I get to sit here and write to you folks about it. At some point, he'll announce he's done and go outside to blacksmith. That's when I'll get up and sew it all together into a top.
It is the time of year to remember how blessed we all are. I am continually thankful for all those who have helped me get this far in life. I am thankful for all those that love me and accept my love in return. I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Crazy Week

It's a good thing I was feeling caught up last week. It enabled me to say, "Sure I'll do a cake and cater a wedding for complete strangers with 6 days notice for 11/11/11!" All I can say is that people are funny and YES, I am quite a sucker. The wedding went wonderfully from all reports and everyone loved the food.
I am quite exhausted right now. It was seriously windy last night. The wind has not been bad for a few years now so the newcomers did not even have a clue as to what wind might be. All the area gulches lost power for about 12 hours because of downed poles. We had one tree go down. As Sid drove to town, he saw lots of trees down and lots of people wandering around outside looking for things that they left out last night. Sid got to explain to these newcomers about the Wind Gods up here and their demands for sacrifice. Our hatches were battened down and it still felt like we might loose a roof or 2.
I remember the first wind we experienced many years ago. It was shortly after moving up to the mountains and we had a very sleepless night. (That house really rocked and swayed) We headed off for work the next day and came upon some tin roofing somewhere in the driveway. My husband & I both turned around to see if our new rental had a tin roof. Luckily for us, the roof was shingled. We certainly had a good laugh until we realized that someone else was in need of new roofing.
There are many of us up here who can cuss a blue streak and put many a pirate to shame. The absolute worst cuss word around these parts though is a 4 letter starting with W---. Mention that one word and you will get all the locals riled up. I'll talk to you all in January about our other 4 letter swear word that rhymes with tow.

Quilting & Recycling

I managed to get all the quilts I needed to done on time. My reward to myself is that I now get to go through all my clothes. Not much of reward, huh? They've gotten out of hand over the past year. I'll admit, I am a bit of a pack rat. Not too bad, but I definetely hold on to things longer than I should. As a quilter, going through the closet is really difficult.
I start off all gung-ho, everything not worn must go! Then, I find they only go as far as the studio. After all, I got the clothes because I loved the fabrics. I'm sure I can make (and will!) make them into something. Now, I graduated from making quilts out of any old thing years ago. Yet I still have boxes full of old clothes waiting to be given a new life.
It's a funny habit, this fabric hording. I guess the clothes boxes aren't nearly as bad as the one box my husband spied while moving years ago. He momentarily stopped my forward motion to the storage unit with a box actually labeled "Scraps Too Small To Use". He asked if that was what was really in the box. I replied "Yep!" and kept walking to the storage unit.
What's the silliest scrap of fabric any of you have saved? come on, you can safely admit it to this fabric pack rat.

Happy Halloween!

Last night, I went to a friends house for chili and mountain-style trick-or-treating. As normal, the winds were at about 50 mile an hour gusts blowing snow all over these kids. One father organized a "hayride" (a.k.a. truck-ride) to a bunch of houses that answered the call. It was quite funny to suddenly see 20 kids bundled up so much you couldn't even tell what the costumes were. I hope everyone has a safe and happy one.
Speaking of chili, I thought I'd share my green chili recipe. I grew up in Taos, NM and am addicted to green chili. There are many different recipes for this savory stuff. My version is a simple one great for smothering burritos, enchiladas, and such and can be whipped up fairly quickly.
Here's how I make it:
1) Saute a small onion in 1-2 tablespoons butter.
2) One onions are golden, stir in 1-2 Tablespoon flour (this 1-2 bit lets you make a bit more)
3) After flour is absorbed, add:
about 1 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bullion (vegetable stock if you want a vegetarian form)
1/4 cup frozen green chili (or can)
chopped garlic
salt, black pepper, and dash cayenne
4) Let it all simmer and get good. If it gets too thick, add more water.
Use on everything you think it would be good on, you will probably be right. Green Chili Rocks!

A Beautiful Week

I spent my first week at home quilting and it was wonderful. Two quilts are done and the house is beginning to look better. In fact, today is quite busy with the normal blacksmith convention. My great husband however is busy fixing a part of our roof. It has leaked a river into what should be my walk-in closet since before we bought the place four years ago. It's a good thing it is usually dry here!
Anyway, a friend with expertise came over and they are fixing it right now. Whoohoo!!! Therefore, I am busy making them cinnamon rolls and apple pie. Later the friend gets a gift cheesecake too. I found it was his very favorite. One of the things I love to do is find out people's absolute favorite desserts and make them for them.
Short writing today as I'd like to get back to other things. Keep Quilting & Creating!

Winter Begins for Me

We have only had one snowstorm so far and even it was late. The weather has been beautiful and warm for the most part. We believe it all balances out, so this just means the third week of January is going to be colder and windier than ever. If anyone wants to whisk me away for that week, I'll gladly brave the rest of winter up here at over 9000'. Okay, winter has begun for me this week as my seasonal farm job ended. I am home now quilting full time! And cleaning too! I spent the last four days doing some Fall cleaning in the house. You should see the herd of dust yaks, gnus, and wildebeests I came up with. Wait, on second thought, it's best not to disclose such things.
I will be quilting and cooking today. Baking actually. I'm going to make bread and either apple pie or apple spice cake. There is also dinner to contend with, pizza or leftover steaks?
Sid will be busy today too. Sundays have become the Blacksmith Day. He has assembled his forge and set up in the driveway. Two friends also come by and they all have a great time making things and practicing their skills. They are planning on having me set up an Etsy.com store today in which they can sell their wares to buy more coal to keep this whole operation going. Work has been scarce for a few years for these guys. I am beyond words to express how they feel when they come over and make stuff. It's not just that we could all use a little food money. It's that they get to create something unique. The fact that they pounded it out of hot metal also seems to please them. It is quite an interesting thing that has sprung up in Mountainjoy's driveway. Many more people (male and female) would love to come over and do some smithing as well. They have all been invited and I'm sure this will become quite a regular thing. I just hope they all build a shop over the stuff before winter sets in! I'm sure that if you look for it soon, you will find Sid'sSmiths@Etsy.com. Give me a week or so though, getting these guys organized is not the easiest thing to do.

Moose at Mountainjoy

We have had a very busy week. There was a lot of work to do and a weekend getaway planned. We ended up leaving for a loaned cabin late because there was a dog bite/rabies scare earlier in the week as well. Luckily for me, casual exposure to one bite does not require treatment! Sid, however, is still slightly worried I think. The dog that bit him should be done with quarantine soon, nothing will come of it, and this story will just go into the many chapters of our life.
So, as we were about to leave for the cabin at the lake, it was dusk coming into dark. The dog was in the car with the door open. I walked out with the bagful of groceries (steak) and heard something down in the meadow. At first, I thought it was a bear. What to do? Dog is in car with door open, I'm on porch with STEAKS in hand and door locked behind me. Sid is in inside somewhere. I try to quietly find keys to open door and put groceries in house before going to close car door on dog. Just as I reach keys, Sid opens the door and I quietly fill him in that there is a BEAR in the meadow. WE look and it is actually a big old moose. So we sighed a deep sigh of relief and went and jumped in the car.
They are back today and there are three of them. They have eaten their fill of giant prickly thistles and yellow aspen leaves. Right now, the bull is lying down to nap. One of the girls is lying down as well while the third keeps watch. It is such a wonderful sight and worth coming home early for. I hope friends coming by soon don't disturb them too much. What a special place I live in.
As for quilting, winter has begun. We got our first snow storm this weekend. I only have three days of work down at the farm left and then it is quilting time! I am so looking forward to it this year. I have lots of quilts to do but always have time for more. Don't forget folks, I can help you get quilts done for the holidays or any occasion. So, please don't hesitate to contact me if you like what I do. Thanks so much for reading and have great week.

October is Here

Another beautiful fall week has passed. The aspens have been in their full golden glory. When I lived in Virginia for a short time, I was continually asked to compare the beautiful surroundings to my beloved Colorado. It is a difficult comparison like apples & oranges, they are just too different and glorious in their own right. I love the Eastern mixture of reds, oranges, and yellows. The oaks, maples, and hickories were my favorites. I feel this scene can be captured best by the Goblin Tapestry style of weaving my grandmother made. There is something very pristine though about glowing gold amid the evergreens against the clear blue sky though that really takes my breath away. As my husband & I discuss color often, he thinks he can get the color of aspen leaves by adding more orange. I maintain the belief that it is not just color that makes them special, it is also how the sunlight effects them. It makes them glow with an inner light. Fall is glorious!
We have had a visitor this week that we have yet to see. It's comes through in the evenings though and leaves it's evidence in our driveway. By the looks of it, it is a pretty big bear. We have finally realized (and put together) the different types of raised hair my hound dog gets for different wildlife. For the bear, it is a wide thick bristle all along his back and down the tail. He stays fairly calm now for elk, deer, or moose as he knows we like to watch them and leave alone. Bo gets pretty uppity for fox but not too mad. The scariest of his hair-dos is what we call the shark attack. This is reserved for very bad threats of any kind (usually dog) against us. The hair along his back raises in a very thin and sharp ridge like a shark fin. He is such a good dog though that when threatened, he still asks our permission to defend. If we say no (usually) he just stands there. My big, sweet Bogie-bear (snoring at my feet at the moment) jumped into my life to become my best friend. It's funny too, I was never a dog person. For nine years though, this boy has run my life. I'll have to take him hiking today so we can enjoy this wonderful fall day.
I plan to get out there and get inspired so I can use it when the winter snow drifts come.
Keep quilting and crafting!

Sid's Stars

Well, I finally got some time yesterday to do some long overdue computer work. I added Sid's tie dye page to my website and listed the first of many fabric panels on our Etsy site. I have been very selfish for many years and kept his dyes for myself. After a while though, I felt as if I was depriving the quilt world of some really cool fabrics. So, I relented and we are now offering Sid's fabrics for sale.
You can find them at www.mountainjoyquiltndye.Etsy.com.
The aspen leaves are in their full golden glory this week. In fact, some leaf looking site must have mentioned our road as being particularly nice. We think this because one day last week, both sides of the county road (which you are not supposed to park on) were full of parked cars. It was almost impassable, especially with the blind corners. Now, I 'm all for going out and enjoying beauty. I just wish everyone thought a little more about the safety of things. Beautiful leaves and amazing moose are not good enough reasons to have an accident. Please be safe when you come play in the mountains.
And by all means, everyone play as much as you can. Most of us adults lose that ability to play for the pure joy of it. Do you remember how to play? What do you do for play?

Kitties, Quilts, & Computer Scams

Fall has set in here pretty quickly. The aspens are turning and owls are flying in the evening twilight. Hummingbirds are less frequent and we have begun lighting fires. This past week has been filled with quilt work and garden work. Next week proves to be the same. I am truly enjoying this fall and look forward to the winter. (Strange for me.)
I got up at 3:30 this morning because I didn't want to listen to the playful activities taking place in the 'torture dome'. Ah, love those kitties. I started quilting and before I would normally get up, the quilt I am working on was 1/3 done. There can be some good done in the wee hours.
Okay, I have something going on with my website that I would like my readers advice on. I've had some trouble with my email but I got it so people could finally reach me at rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com. For a long time, no one contacted me. My brother got a message to me so I knew it was working. Well, all of a sudden, I finally got some emails the other day. I was so excited until I saw that they were in Japanese or something. The only thing I could read was the date. They are all from the future! I've received 4 all together and have sent all to the junk box. I feel terrible about sending some of my first possible business connections to the junk box, but they look so suspicious. So, I want to know my readers opinions on this. Should I feel bad? Is my email just scrambling things? Or is it a virus/scam/evil thing? The one thing my husband wants to know is who wins the horse race in 2018?

Sunday Update

This will be just a quick update as I've sworn to myself to write each week.
First of all, my heart goes out to those whose memories and feelings are very strong today.
I wanted to include a nice photo this week but haven't found the time. Besides, everyone can see lots of photos of work soon as the Quilters Newsletter website extras is up (under workshops) and the subscriptions have been mailed. Whoohooo!!!
It has been wonderful here at Mountainjoy. The wildlife was quite active the other day. We had a momma moose and her two young come near the property. After we quieted the dog, Sid went out to get some photos. He got a photo of the mother but decided it would be smarter not to sneak up behind the babies. So, no photos of the smallest pair of moose we've seen. By the way, a while ago, I saw baby elk, they were all dark brown. I realized 2 things right then. The first was that I'd never seen baby elk before. The second was that just like deer grow out of their spots, elk grow into their big white behinds!
My friend gave me another few flats of plants to get in the ground before our imminent winter and I've agreed to work a lot at the farm this week. Quilt orders are beginning to roll in, I got to the other day out of the blue before 9 am. I am happy and busy as a bee.
Speaking of bees, there are only a few reasons I look forward to this winter. The cold will make the yellow jackets go away for a bit. They have been horrible the past few weeks. But I am truly looking forward to spending all my time quilting and cooking bread and stews again.
Of course I wrote longer than I thought. So I will bid you all a creative week. If you are feeling down because of the dates reminders, creativity is a great outlet. Use whatever you do to create something healing for yourself or someone else. This is what makes the world a better place.
Many Blessing!!!!

Chocolate Truffles & Quilting

It's quite amazing how far chocolate can take you in life. I have been making chocolate truffles for decades now, usually just to send around the country as Christmas gifts. On occasion, I've made them locally as well. It was during one of these local truffle makings that someone very special discovered me. It was love at first bite on a cold January day. On further inquiry, this special someone discovered I was a quilter and that my husband was a tie-dyer.
I've been holding on to this little secret since this spring when it all began with that truffle. So, I will finally share the news that my husband & I are now published tie-dyer, quilter, and artists!!!!!! Sid wrote an article for Quilters Newsletter Magazine about how to create his stars. I just saw the early copy of the October/November issue of the magazine. We are so excited!!!! I thought I should let you all know to look for it at magazine stands in the next few weeks.

Laboring on Labor Day

We had our first frost last night. The temperature dipped to 28 degrees. I've had iris in a paper bag since this spring and a friend of mine just gave me some more plants too. I guess I really should get outside and use this weekend to create a new garden bed and get it planted. That is one of the problems with gardening at high altitude, you have to find soil first. You can't just plant stuff outside, it is all solid rock. I don't mean it's rocky soil either, I mean it is bedrock! It is usually easier to build garden beds up than to dig them in here. So, I'll see how many of these plants are survivors. You have to be tough if you want to be in garden.
The cooler weather has started the mouse population migration as well. Luckily, my two cats really love to hunt them at night. They are a little evil, my kitties are. If you are a human, these cats are very nice cats. If you happen to be mouse, however, these two cats will now be your torture specialists for the evening. This is pretty horrible and gross so if you have a weak stomach, stop reading right now. The cats will catch a mouse and put it in the bathtub to play with all night. I can't remember if I've written of the "torture dome" in previous blogs or not. Where did we leave the plywood that we cut to fit over the tub? It's time again to close this torture dome.
The cool weather inspired a wonderful meal last night. I made some colcannon and steaks with a honey-mustard sauce. It was quite delicious and really fitting for a fall night.
Have a good week and keep creating!

Mid-Evil Mountainjoy

We had a weekend straight out of the Renaissance days. My husband set up his forge and started to blacksmith. He had a friend over and the two of them were so happy, I couldn't believe it. There is nothing like seeing 2 angry, bitter men have a good time pounding at heated metal to force into new shapes/tools. They were off to a slow start until I told them to break up the coal a bit more to start the fire. You are given special inborn knowledge if you are a blacksmith's daughter, you know. I don't know how to smith, but I do know more than your average bear on the subject.
While the boys were smithing, I was working on a coat-of-arms for a friend of ours. He does a form of combat that starts with swords and ends up using some ju-jitsu forms. Anyway, I am currently decorating his quilted and padded jacket to resemble his chosen family coat-of-arms. It felt like all we needed yesterday was some horses, dragons, and a few more serving women here to complete the picturesque mid-evil Mountainjoy.
As for summer, it may come to a quick close for us. We saw a lone aspen yesterday that had taken on that beautiful orange/yellow. The hummingbirds are still around and the wild flowers are still in bloom. Yet, I do expect our first snow storm any day now. Traditionally, it likes to snow the first weekend of September most years. Let's see what this one brings.

Time Flies By

My goodness, it's been a month since last wrote? That is just unacceptable! I will strive to do better. Actually, that is what today is all about for me again. Does anybody else procastinate everything you can and then try get it all done in one day? Or is just me that "catch's up" every few months?
Now, I will attempt to share some of what has been happening at Mountainjoy. It has been a very rainy summer so far and there has been a lot of vegetation and wildlife. Pictured here is the one of the most attractive young bucks I've seen in a while. He strolled through one night and ate heartily from the patch of fire weed. Even though I was planning on harvesting a lot of flowers this year, I did not shoo this elk off. Have you seen how big they are? He didn't eat it all of it and he was so majestic looking that I didn't mind sharing. The are plenty of flowers for mead making anyway. It's become an annual tradition here to make Fire Weed Mead each August.
I've been working in the sun in Boulder and the studio up here too. I've made several quilts this summer actually. You see, I have taken more time to quilt and have been seeking new clients as well. I am pleased as punch that it seems to working so far. I finally managed to get through my website building boot camp. I still have much to learn and much to do about polishing my website, but it is up. If anyone wants to check it out, go to www.mountainjoyquilts.com. I would also welcome input from my readers as to the site's look/feel. I can now be reached via email to rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com.
Basically, it's another beautiful summer here in the Rockies. Busy as beavers and loving it.

July 4th & Coleslaw

Hello and Happy July 4th weekend to everyone! It's been quite a week or two for me with land disputes and photo shoots. I managed to find time yesterday though to clean the house and make my husband a nice dinner. I thought he deserved it as he has been working a lot and dealing with a car that likes to break down lately. Enforced exercise is a good thing (in the summer anyway).
This weekend is for bar-b-ques. How many have you been invited too? Or are you hosting one? I whipped up a coleslaw last night that had me surprised at it's wonderful flavors. Here is the recipe:
Red Cabbage Coleslaw
1/2 head red cabbage (grated with cheese grater)
2 med carrots (grated like cabbage)
Mix following dressing and combine together with cabbage/carrot:
1/3 cup Mayo
1 T Ketchup
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T Sugar
1/2 t each of Caraway, Sesame, & Poppy Seeds
Salt & Pepper to taste
I couldn't get enough of this colorful and delicious salad. Oh, if I had some sunflower seeds last night, they would have been thrown in too. I hope you enjoy this salad and all the other goodies at all the other bar-b-ques this summer!
Happy Independence Day!

My Life Update

I've been rushing through life lately. I do that in the longer light filled days, which is very different than my hibernating winter habits. Speaking of winter, it sort of feels like a fall day already. It is raining and snowing. Yes, I said snowing! Not a lot but a distinctive white covering everything.
Today is a gift day for me. You know, I was supposed to work (and actually walking out the door) when I got the call. It is too wet to work at the farm today. That is fine with me though as I have been trying to play catch up the last four days. My life, house, and business are not in perfect order yet. This one extra day will definitely see my world into perfection, right?
Anyway, I have been consumed the last four days creating my very own website. This is very exciting for me and quite a challenge. I have never been exceptionally gifted with computers. I have learned a lot over the past two years and was feeling competent enough to attempt a website. It is not as easy as I was led to believe, yet it is not that bad either. If I can do it, anyone can!
Note: I am still working on it and will let you all know when it is officially up & open. I will welcome all my viewers opinions, advice, and criticism. Please help me get this right.
That's some of the big news to share at the moment. There are many things happening in my life and I will share them once they unfold & blossom to yield the fruit of my labors.
For now, keep quilting and spreading the love!

Morning Moose

This moose has been wandering through our property in the early mornings eating my cute little aspen grove. It is one of the largest moose I have seen the area. It is standing behind our ax-throwing target which is 6' tall. When it was closer, you could see its legs connected to the massive body right about 6'. It was a beautifully quiet and foggy morning yesterday when we were graced with this visitor. Happy Memorial Day every one.

May Showers Bring Hummingbirds

Like everywhere else in the world, our weather here in Colorado has been wacky. There was no snow in March when we normally get the most snow. April brought us a good deal of snow in the high country and May brought even more moisture into the area in the form of rain and snow. This moisture was desperately needed as we were already many experiencing forest fires back in March. People that live are used to playing in glorious outside weather 360 days a year. People around here are tired of the winter and weather. As for me, I know it is the weather and Mother Nature and I have a special relationship. She does what she wants and I put up with it or enjoy it.
The hummingbirds returned to the high country. I heard them yesterday and quickly got out the feeder. There is still snow on lots of the ground and these little jewels of birds must be hungry. So, I quickly found, filled, and put out the feeder for these harbingers of the imminent summer season. I truly enjoy the hummingbirds as they buzz around and I am delighted they are back.
I realize that I have been neglecting my cooking aspect of this blog. I do have a fairly decent reason - I have not been cooking lately. I used to do a lot of it by myself or with my husband. For quite a while now, he hasn't been working (goes back to mountain bike accident in which he broke his neck 4 years ago). That means he has been doing all the cooking and cleaning. And I have not thought about food (other than to consume). Life is changing again though. Sid has been working recently so I am sure will divide up the housework again. I hope to be sharing recipes and good food thoughts again soon.
I have been working on getting my long arm quilting business going. I plan to be pulling my hair out soon as I create my own website as well. Actually, I don't think it will be all that difficult and frustrating. Technology has come a long way and so have my skills. I just have to keep telling myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can".
Time to catch up on all sorts of other neglected duties, projects, and phone calls.
Keep quilting, crafting, and smiling.

Silk Tie Project Update

Here are photos of the silk tie quilt.
Photo below is before quilting.
This one is after quilting. ----------->
I am very pleased with how this quilt came out even if it still contains a "humility block" I might have put it on purpose as the client wanted a traditional piece.
This quilt crosses and blends traditional quilt design with modern technologies. I stated it was the most traditional quilt I'd ever made and people are willing to argue with me about that. The log cabin is a traditional design yet my use of the colors is not. The quilting design I used was the very traditional feather motif. Yet the way I did free-forming feathers in the diamonds is ultra modern. It all came together wonderfully and I created a quilt that is beautiful. I believe it will truly please the client I created it for.
I also got this quilt done in record time for me - only two months! On occasion, I can really pump some quilts out. I've also been known to take my time with some quilts too. ( Like my brother and sister-in-law's wedding quilt. I finally finished it after they had their 2nd child.)
Now, I just have to bind the quilt. I will be doing hand blindstitching to continue the traditional look. I prefer the look of hand blindstitched to machine stitched anyway. Besides, I can't finish a masterpiece like this with a below-par binding. It is a beautiful snowing spring day here in the mountains which is perfect for that cup of hot cocoa and about 4 movies. It usually takes the Lord of the Rings series and then one more movie to bind a queen size so I best get working.
I hope everyone else enjoys their day too.

Wind in the Pines

It has been so windy for a few days now. No snow in the wind today but my goodness the damage it's done is amazing. The first thing I saw when I got off the bus in Ned was a poor VW bus whose roof had been blown off. It was really quite sad. Heavily-weighted mailboxes were down everywhere. The Pine trees are all being whipped into frenzies every which way as I right this blog. We are used to wind up here, but this is pretty impressive! I wish I had a web-cam to share it with y'all.
I have been happy lately. It's because I've returned to work at the iris farm and Spring is approaching. I finished another 16 blocks for the silk tie quilt. So that leaves me with 20 left, and I've even gotten up to Strip 5 on all 20 of them. One of the reasons I chose to back the ties with interfacing was so that I could chain piece them. It's worked out really well for me. I can just zip through them with ease, knowing the strips are stable and behaving themselves. I always knew silk was tricky fabric, but it is nothing compared to velvet. I did a crazy quilt for a client once and discovered just what a squirmy, runaway, do anything but what you want it to fabric.
Okay, that's for all now. Keep quilting, dreaming, creating, and loving!

Silk Tie Project Stage 2

This has been a wondrously productive week for me. I have constructed 48 of the 100 blocks for the silk tie quilt. They are coming out absolutely gorgeous, you just can't go wrong with rich silk fabrics. I have been using interfacing in order to make the ties behave better as I sew them. This is making such stable blocks, I love it. I also have my husband fusing the interfacing and cutting my strips for me. It just tickles me to have ready-to-use strips appear before me. I recommend this method of construction if you can talk anyone into it.
I have a recurring lesson in quilting. I never buy enough (of whatever) in the first place. I even try to do the math beforehand and always end up short. One time, I had to go back to the store 5 times for a mint green fabric. For this project, it is the interfacing that I didn't get enough of. I have made half of the blocks and used all the interfacing that I ordered. As soon as I saw that I would need more, I ordered again. I am now waiting a day or so and paying for more shipping costs. The time isn't so bad, I needed to do taxes anyway. But paying twice for shipping because I can't do math is pretty bad. This is a lesson in better business management that I must learn.
Now for some personal news sharing. I went back to work at the iris farm this week. I only worked one day, which is good for breaking back in the body that didn't do 'physical' this winter. My soul sang with happiness to be in the sunshine and digging in the dirt. Do others feel the call to dig in the spring? I can't be the only one. Spring is here officially on Sunday, but for me it has already sprung. I wish you all a happy spring and many creative adventures!

The Silk Tie Quilt Project

Do you see all these beautiful silk ties? I am

in the process of turning them into something that will resemble the antique quilt also pictured. This project was recently begun for a dear friend of the family. This friend wanted a traditional quilt pattern so I pulled out my copy of Vintage Quilts by Bobbie Aug, Sharon Newman, and Gerald Roy. I found this most exquisite Log Cabin Barn Raising from 1860 made by Florence Mae Hart Diehl. I just fell in love with the color ways she used. In the next few weeks, I will show photos and share the progress. I want to get it done quick because I get to go back to Long's Gardens and play in the dirt and smell iris soon.

It's been quite a week of progress for the quilt and my husband in the quilt world. We started by having to arrange the ties in appropriate color ways. I put Sid to work on that part, because he truly is my color guy. He started putting them in groups all over my long arm. A couple of hours in, I noticed he might not realize what we were trying to achieve. I continued explaining and he kept rearranging the ties. After about four hours, we were ready to kill each other. So we put it away for the day.

Second day of working on it, we begin in same (wrong) direction. I finally gave him all the books on how to piece a log cabin block, the photo above, any math I'd managed and sent him to his room. About a half hour passed and he started coming downstairs every few minutes to ask a very pertinent question or two. Then he'd go back upstairs to study and think. He finally came down and I could actually see the light bulb shining above his head. He actually got it, he figured out what I needed him to do. Ties were flying in all directions as he arranged them in wonderful groups of colors. When he was done, I realized that now it was my turn.

Well, Day 1 was only 6 days ago. I have already completed 28 of the 100 blocks. And I must it is coming out gorgeous! The next time we have the blocks laid out, I'll take photo for you all to see. We could vote on favorite variations of the settings.

Ice Fishing for Star Flowers

Here is the next in our series of Star Flower quilts. My husband put the fabric into the soda ash one day to prepare for the next days dyeing. When he returned to the bucket, it was frozen on top. Now, this is a really salty mixture and doesn't usually freeze! It did this time though and Sid broke a hole in the top and proceeded to go fishing for the fabric. He choose to go for the purple/aqua combo that always looks great. I also had him pleat the borders. I learn something with each quilt and this one taught me not to quilt feathers on pleated borders. It took a lot of time and they just disappear into the pleats. Sid and I have just started planning and creating quilts together again. Sometimes our ideas work and sometimes they don't. This one came out quite nice though and is for sale at my Etsy shop, www.mountainjoyquiltndye.Etsy.com.
Speaking of Etsy, my mother and both sister-in-laws have Etsy shops now too. I love it that there is somewhere for all of us to do our thing. There are so many creative people in the world. It is simply fabulous! Keep quilting and creating!

Blizzards & Hydrangeas

Hydrangea Table Runner (for sale at www.mountainjoyquiltndye.Etsy.com)

One doesn't normally think of blizzards and hydrangeas in the same thought. That's exactly what I did this week though. It was a mild fall and now we are paying for it. Last week, it -32 one night and one of our pipes froze. Luckily it thawed and we didn't have to rip up the kitchen floor. That would have been a major problem for me. I've been sticking to my rule of only half the house can be missing floors at any given time.

After the cold snap lessened a little, the snow came. We got 4-5' fresh snow and it just won't stay put. The winds cause it to move and drift like it is a living entity akin to an ocean. Sid has been digging the Scout out from where it got stuck in the middle of the driveway. Better our driveway than any where else though, huh? He might be close to the road with it now. Maybe today is the day we get out. It'd be nice, we are almost out of coffee. No Bueno!

As Sid's been digging and the snows been blowing, I've been trying to stave off cabin fever. I have been quilting and drinking lots of hot cocoa. I decided I needed to get a few new items up again on my Etsy site. I made a few cute little fabric wallets. My battle against cabin fever was led by the mighty hydrangea fabric. It is so bold and beautiful and colorful, that it put me in a better mood. Those reminders of spring are very important and I think we quilters gravitate to florals in the dead of winter. I made 2 table runners and 8 place mats. It's a good thing I have plenty of fabric in my stash to keep me busy for the next month.

Spring must return sometime so just keep quilting and stay warm.

My Bogie Bear

Today was all about my dog, Bogie. He is the light of my life and my best friend. This is only funny because I was afraid of dogs for quite a while. You see, I was attacked by a dog when I was 3 1/2 and the same dog got me again just before 4 years old. My parents kept nice dogs around when I was little. Partly because they love dogs and partly to keep me used to them. Family dogs were fine, but strange dogs terrified me until I met my husband.
He taught me how to read dogs. There are many things that make good and bad dogs. Genetics in the breeding are the start for personality. I have learned however that nurturing can win out over nature. I have had the pleasure to meet 3 of the sweetest pit bulls ever as well as many not so good ones. This is the case with my sweet beast.
Bogie is a Catahoula mix of the mountain variety. We didn't quite know what we were getting into when the 7 week old was given to us. Luckily, we did some research and found out his genetic temperament. Catahoula's are not recognized by the American AKC because they don't breed true. They can come out grey with spots, brindled, or the mountain ones are brown with a white butterfly on chest and white feet. That's my little Bogie bear. He weighs 89 pounds and is the great at snuggling. The Catahoula's have a reputation for fierceness and a used in packs of three to bring down wild boar, bulls, and alligators.
I never wanted to be afraid of my own dog, so we learned and trained for specific things. Socializing him was a huge goal and we succeeded. He is friendly with other dogs, people, and children. Just don't bring food into the picture. As he ages, Bo is getting more aggressive over food issues. A good old codger we knew looked at me once and said, "You ruined that dog." To which I happily took responsibility for taming a beast into a sweet, snuggle dog.
Don't get me wrong, Bo can be quite a handful. As a puppy, we trained him the property boundaries by having tied to a rock climbing rope that was tied to the house. He could go anywhere on the property and we checked on him often. During one of those check ons, I found my dog looking up at me innocently with his teeth in the knot. He was halfway through untying the knot! Well, right then I knew I had thinking dog. He knew he wasn't allowed to chew the rope, we'd gone over that one. But to untie it... it was funny. I have thousands of Bo stories if people like them, I'll continue to share. The story of how he made me see a bear so he could eat the cake is good one, maybe tomorrow.
I'm writing about my buddy today because he is at me feet trying to shake some heavy anesthesia. Very fast metabolisms are another Catahoula trait, so the Doc has to give a rhinoceros size doping when my dog gets surgery. Yep, Bogie went under the knife today to get some lumps removed. We weren't too sure if it was a hernia, fatty lumps, or worse. Luckily, it was the fatty sort which can be dangerous as well. One of the lumps had tentacle-like things that were thinking of strangling an important blood vessel. He is going to be fine though and continue to enrich our lives. We are moving him to the back rooms now so I'll say goodbye for today. Thanks for letting me talk about my best friend while waiting for his recovery.
Dogs are the best. Bo's the first I've ever truly loved. Now I understand just like everybody else. If you have one, go hug your dog right now.

Seeing Stars

Psyche- delic Stars that is!

I have been so consumed with worries and frets and all sorts of stuff I couldn't get a hold of. Well, certain things have been happening for me lately. I am still not going to divulge everything, but I will say my pack of tired angels came to the rescue again. Frets and fears calmed down enough that when I had a day off yesterday, I actually decided to play. Work-play in a way as these pieces will be for sale at some local stores, but still play. I have so much fun quilting over my husband's stars and flowers. It is like.........coloring outside of the lines, or adding the lines to someone's coloring. We are newly inspired recently. We have plans of challenging ourselves to create daily. For husband (Sid) this means dyeing at least one awesome designed piece each day. This means they will pile up so I must quilt one each day. I think this will not only allow us to build up stock but hone our skills. Practice makes perfect (or better each time!) We'll see how this plan works out amidst all of our other works. I don't care so much about age, but if anyone has found the store that sells "spare time", let me know.

New Year Brings Renewed Adventures

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and have arrived in the New Year with as much enthusiasm as I have. Wow, it's been a regular roller coaster of life for us here. The snow and wind finally arrived and my world revolves around which wood stove is going at the moment. Quilts and new products are being created and shipped out. I'm working on getting my own website built for my long arm business. I do believe a website is necessary these days for exposure and an easy reference place for clients to visit. I'll let you all know when I'm up.
I am looking forward to spring already (of course). My mom in Washington just heard her first tree frog of the year the other night and all I heard was howling winds. Oh well, I love living here (especially in the glorious non-snow season). It is always hard for me to be frozen in January when I know springs thaw is just around the corner full of new life and new things to see. I look forward to the pretty purple violets on the snow laden ground-they bring such joy! I look forward to wanting to be outside again soaking up the Colorado sun, letting it warm my soul.
I'm also looking forward to creating a lot more quilts in the next few months. The only way to do that is to get quilting! So for now, everybody go do what you love most with the zest of new beginnings!
I thought I'd write a little more about violets. These are the most wonderful flowers that appear in the early spring as the snow gets lighter. That isn't until June around 9000' but look for them earlier elsewhere. One of the common names for Violets is 'Heartease'. This is because of its reputed herbal properties of bringing ease and lightness to the heart after the winter. I eat them every spring down at Long's Gardens. It does get harder to find ones that the 'resident deer' haven't done bad things too, but I search them out. They appear in Boulder in March-April so I can get them sooner than my mountain white variety. You can also make a wonderful Elixir by harvesting clean violets and adding them to honey. Let this set for a while and strain if desired. I usually just leave the flowers in. Eat by the spoonful or in teas to experience the spring joy that is the Violet! * Remember to harvest violets clean of known toxins. I am not claiming any doctoral advice here or anything. It is just something I do to bring in the spring.

For now, I must be happy and cozy with homemade bread and stew. However, I am curious what symbolizes spring for everyone else. I'd love it if you'd share with me what the thought of spring to come holds for you.