Friday, January 25, 2008

I've become beige




When we were first dating, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I remarked to my husband that everything he owned was beige. His is an engineer-beige is the national color of engineering. He's not a beige person. He's colorful and funny and best of all, he loves me like a rock(earworm). As I dig my way through the fabric detritus of my life and work to date I have come to the awful realization that I have now become beige. Beige walls,beige floors, beige backgrounds, beige borders, wow...what the hell happened to my artistic spirit and when did I get to be so boringly safe. Granted, pale colors often punch up the surrounding colors but geeez louise, I'm sick of myself. It's probably the time of year as well. If it's not beige, it's gray.

The main reason is this. Hop on over to Jan at Be'mused, go ahead I'll wait.....Jeopardy music......See the gorgeous house blocks with the cheddar yellow sky. How cool is that anyway? Granted, Jan is a genius with color and it flows from her like a rainbow, but why Oh WHY can't I get back my color muse. I must be bold and go where I have not gone before(for a while). I must remember that there are many shades and pigments and even hundreds of shades of...gasp...beige. Some where in the last few years I got stuck in the netherworld that lurks between art and craft. I wanted to make things that worked in my house and as gifts for like-minded friends back then and I was hit over the head by the Coloring-in-the-lines Fairy. I've really got to get that bitch off my back. I, too, can imagine cheddar skies and Kaffe-like backgrounds. Is it because I'm lazy AND afraid? I think some of that is true as well. I am taking the no-beige pledge for my next piece. I will drown that awful Fairy in color. Stay tuned!
P.S. Still no thread-beige or otherwise.
Still more blah....

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Waiting on the Mailman & Eye Candy


I have many things to get done today since the weather is expected to get ugly soon. These lovely threads are from a photo taken in a market in Morocco. Yummy silk thread in delicious colors. My shipment didn't come yet from Hancock's so I'm still threadless in NY. When I went to open my blog for writing this morning I saw that a new entry was made to the Studio. I just have such admiration for someone who can turn out a piece like this. I know many people have done the Dear Jane quilt but looking at it is like looking at a piece of history. It's really lovely. This one was done by Debby of Quiltnbee fame. It's a beauty. I hope she doesn't mind my giving the link but after all the work that went into this quilt, she deserves a shout out..wOOt.
I'm off to the store and Pantry and elsewhere. Back soon.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Crimson Morning

Even though it means "red sky at morning, sailor take warning", this was a beautiful sight. The color took over the sky in minutes. It means we will get that icky mess this afternoon of snow and rain. Hopefully it will be more rain than snow. Since the current temp is 27, I'm fairly sure I know which of the two it will be.
There's not a lot going on in my neck of the woods right now. My husband was off yesterday for Martin Luther King Day and we celebrated by doing virtually nothing. Watched a great old movie on the morning. "The Lady Eve", with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. That movie is from the 40s and laugh-out-loud funny. I was pleased to find that Roger enjoyed it too. Spent the rest of the day loafing around. I would have finished the baby quilt but I came to a horrifying discovery-I'm out of thread! Well, I have thread but it's crappy stuff that my machine doesn't like. I usually use Mettler or Guttermann and I've got none of either. Because it's a little chilly(ahem) outside I would rather not make a trip way out east and a trip to the nearest Quilt shop would tempt me more than I can afford and more than I need-I think I will order some from Hancock's and just wait a day or two. Lord knows I have plenty to keep me busy in the meantime.
That said, I better get to it. Back soon with pictures-Hope your day is a good one.

Addendum to the Thread Shortage....Hancock's of Paducah has a sale on Mettler and King Tut. The thread is in the mail.