I guess this is about the middle...

of summer vacation and the middle of my 6" quilt challenge. I think this is number 26 in my petunias by the front door. It's been a while since I blogged because I haven't anything artwise to really talk about. I'm planning and making, but I don't have anything else I can show you today. This little Q has the reverse applique circles like the purse I showed you last time. I have been playing in the dirt just about every day. Some years I don't do any flowers, others I do tons; this year is an in-between year. It's manageable.

I am finding it very difficult to focus on the positive lately. This started a couple of weeks ago when a particular thing I had been looking forward to for a long time turned out to be somewhat disappointing. I don't think it was anybody's fault. So there's that, plus the overwhelming feeling that my girls are leaving me, and soon; Whitley Taylor starts Driver's Ed Tuesday. She has her permit and everything. Courtney is growing like a weed - she passed her big sister - and she got Heidi Klum Season 4 Finale Bangs cut this week. Between them, they put in 60 hours on the soccer field in a week's time. They ran a 5k yesterday. Court won the women's race with a fast 21:57 and Whit was second with a 22:33. That's Whit in the green. Okay - so that's positive. Court has on the brite yellow. Her Heidis are pulled back. The girls are always a positive.

The big thing that has me distracted is that the Crane Household is in need of a total Heating and Air Conditioning System replacement. I have had a parade of estimates, ranging from 48 to 68 hunnerd bucks. It's so stressful trying to make the right choice and pick a reputable company who will service the thing and not cheat us. I go back and forth from panic attacks to nightmares. YES, you're right, I should be thankful that we can afford to do this.

I had a minor Bad Thing happen on Friday. If the disappointment scale is:

1 - A shoulder shrug and an "oh well"

10 - Complete heartbreak and tears for a week -

this thing was about a 2. I got my contributors copies of the 50 Nifty Beaded Cards pictured above and MY NAME IS MISSPELLED EVERY SINGLE TIME - 4 - IT APPEARS IN THE BOOK. I DON'T HAVE AN E ON THE END. EVERY BIT OF COMMUNICATION I HAD WITH LARK WAS SPELLED D E B B I ! EVERY SET OF INSTRUCTIONS I SENT THEM SAID: DESIGNED BY DEBBI CRANE.

How did this happen? Yes, I know, shut up Debbi. Lots of people would be happy to be published at all.

Nonstop Begonias

These flowers have always been some of my favorites to look at, but I have never had much luck keeping them alive. They seem very finicky about water - easily drowned, easily parched. They require too much babysitting for my taste; I need a sturdy, self-sufficient petunia or Gerber daisy. J.R., however, bought me two hanging basket of the Dreaded Begonias for Mothers Day. Why in the world would you buy THOSE for ME? I asked him. His answer: They're pretty. I was pretty sure they wouldn't be alive when I got home from my week at Arrowmont, but here is proof. They look great. I had a weird dream in which they turned from red to orange.


Here are four more of my daily art quilts. I recently had a "discussion" with a person who works in another medium about these quilts. He was sure they were too small to be real quilts. He thinks it won't be a quilt unless I sew them altogether. Is there a size requirement that nobody told me? My definition is three layers, stitched or fastened together in some fashion. The one that says 19 was made the week of our 19th anniversary. The lower right hand corner features a Sublimely Stitched poodle.

About Arrowmont:
This was my sixth visit as a student to this heavenly place. Cheryl and I took another printmaking class, this time with Diane Fine.
For some reason, I did not take a single photo this time around, but Cheryl did, so scoot on over there to check out some images. One of the best thing about Arrowmont is getting to meet incredible artists from all over the place who are making amazing work with conviction and passion, but are not well-known in the mainstream of everyday culture. How is it that I know who Jessica Simpson is dating - BTW , what has Ashlee done to Pete Wentz? He used to be such a cute little punk. Now he looks like a housecat -and have never heard of Michael Mocho or Jennifer Angus?

Want to see a preview of a supergood book coming out this fall? Check this out and use the arrow at the top to flip thru a few pages. http://interweave.richfx.com/catalog_interweave/MixedMania/index.aspx

I made this purse yesterday. I saw some reverse applique on Rice's blog from the Alabama Stitch Book - I took a peek at the book on B&N on Sunday and it looks good, I may have to buy it - anyhoo, I wanted to give myself a little tutorial on reverse applique, so I made this. Why would I make something this big and involved with my beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics for a stinkin' self-imposed tutorial? I seem to have lost the concept of a rough draft. I want to use my precious studio to make real things, not to make practice things. Using fabric I love and don't have much of is also a great motivator to produce quality. I made a pattern, cut out the pieces, made the reverse applique panels, laundered them to get them deconstructing and them assembled the bag. It is quilted and fully lined. It has a magnetic closure.

Fabric keeps calling to me. I really love the design piece of making - having an idea, drafting a pattern, working thru all the steps in my head and on paper and then making turn out right, well-made, neat and strong. I needed to learn reverse applique for an upcoming project that my break a little ground for me. I am still in the thinking and drawing part of it, but I'll keep you posted.

The problem with having a successful day of making yesterday, is that I want to make something else today instead of clean my house. I was sweeping the patio this morning and discovered a dead bird.