No Photos :(

Alas, the USB ports are all broken, so although there has been much activity here, I cannot show you any of it :(

Nor can I show you the three new cats. Yes, three. I am becoming a batty old cat lady. We adopted two kittens, one from the local PicknPay notice board and one from the SPCA, and then while we were at the SPCA an adult tomcat SEDUCED us. I kid you not. He was ALL over us and so loving that we caved. He was neutered yesterday before we brought him home and he has been very grumpy ever since, and, I suspect, sore. Poor Matthew.

Mickey and Snape are the cutest and can't understand why the adult (cats) are so grumpy with them...

I have cut a gazillion strips and sorted through numerous old boxes of scraps, turfed out 5 bags, which will go out with the rubbish on Monday, and ironed all the ones that will be cut. A GOOD cleanout. The other fabric is stowed in the 3 lockers I bought at an auction once. They are open-mesh lockers, and my long-term goal is to reduce my fabrics to fit into these 3 only. I have way too much "junky" fabric (i.e. fabric I don't much like) and want to move it out of the way by making some scrap/charm quilts (possibly to sell).

At least that's the plan.

I have also made a few other things, but they will (sadly) have to wait until I can post pics. But I am Having Fun, which is a Good Thing.

Great fibre art blogs I've found

Fembellish Journal by N. Rene West

Layers of meaning by Serena Fenton

A bed quilt....??

I'm fond of reading the blog of Melody Johnson and she is currently busy PIECING a quilt. Suddenly this idea appeals to me too! (Sorry, I'm being such a copycat) The idea of cutting reams of strips and just sewing strips together sounds sooooooo soothing. And it would be fun to sort lights and darks again and work with tonal values. Melody, you may just have started something.... :)

The last one I did was with solid colours, but I have tons of printed scraps. Uh-oh.

Melody mentions Pie in the Sky Quilts which have some very yummy designs. I've also enjoyed this site, for designs: FreeSpirit although I've never made any of them. And for free quilt patterns you can't beat Free Quilt Patterns.

the reason why

I have been cleaning up, clearing old debris and organising papers, I found this piece I wrote about 12 years ago and since it relates to my art, I thought I'd post it here. It was written during my very long recovery from post-natal depression.

~~~~

I wandered around the exhibitions of art at the Arts Festival, reeling from the awe in my heart. The "high" art, the everyday art, the art that is a tribute to beauty and endeavour. I fearfully tried to let the beauty permeate; I tried to allow it inside, to feel it. I struggled with the fear; I wanted to run from it; I wanted to shut out the beauty and the light but I could not close myself, and then, at one moment...

... the beauty, the joy broke through my defences and touched my soul. At that point the tears arose and I felt pain. I stood, my heart tearing, joy and pain, fire and rain, mingled in a searing instant. I wanted pain, the familiar pain, not joy, but joy was not to be denied. And joy, once it came, did not come alone, there was no escape in the beauty, nowhere to hide from the pain.

... and I knew... the was the very heart of my life, the essence of my being, my reason why. The reason the cold tears run down my face while the warm blood runs through my veins. The reason why both must keep flowing...

... and I knew pain was not less than joy and joy not less than pain and that choosing life was to allow both, for in that, there is no choice.

Could it be...?

I do believe I am starting to feel better.... (she says cautiously and hopefully!) This is the time when I sing the praises of science, research and yes, pharmaceutical products! As much as I dislike the big profit-making machines of Big Pharma, I am grateful for medicines that enable us to have quality of life.
I have managed to make a few new things in the past few weeks, and at the end of the week I will get out the camera and get some pictures to post (and re-take some of the poorer shots that I posted).
Just two more days of work and then a 10-day Xmas break! Now that is one part of this "silly-season" that I CAN enjoy! :)

December

Halfway through the month already... have been cleaning the house, unpacking old boxes and throwing away junk. Not much to post, and not much to say :(
One of our cats was killed by the dog next door, and another went missing the following day, so we are not feeling very cheerful. I dislike this time of year, a time of seemingly enforced merriment, which is a challenge at the best of times, so the less said, the better...
Sorry about that.