Sunday, October 28, 2007

Quilt Show



This is a first for me. I was asked to be one of the judges for the African American Quilters of Los Angeles Quilt Show which is to take place Saturday, November 10Th at the Carson Community Center. There were some pretty amazing quilts. It was a totally new experience to judge. Looking for crisp points, straight lines, even stitching and god forbid puckering. Drawing on all the help my little left brain could muster I took the challenge and tried to be fair. Then we got to make our choice for the quilt we like the most (Judges Choice). This time I allowed my right brain take over, choosing instead the quilt that I would want to take home. The quilt that was technically the best was not the one that I wanted. It called to me, spoke my name, whispered sweetly "I am Special".

I think the quilt show is the same weekend as the Stamp Convention at the same location. I sure hope so. I'm ready for a little power shopping.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

The slow learning curve



Sometimes it just amazes me how slow I am to learn new computer things. Case in point; how long has it been since blogger has allowed you to add a banner at the top of your blog? A month, six months or maybe it was there when this blog was birthed? I don't know, but it has been there for a while. After looking at a lot of peoples blogs with all their cool graphics, you tube video inserts and the like and drooling over other blogs. I saw that I could add a header/banner. I whipped one up - really a trial run - inserted it, easy peasy, then decided to give it a fall flavor by changing some of the colors. One of these days I'll learn something else and try that too. This is a work in progress just like my life. I'm not what I will become but surely I'm not what I was. Onward for the adventure has just begun.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Confess and Grow



My sister Char and I had another adventure last weekend. She had bought a pattern for these cute bags which we decided to make. Each of us brought a bunch of fabrics from our stashes and of course we just had to go to the Cotton Shop in Redondo Beach( http://thecottonshop.com/ ) to pick up a little more yardage. They were having a sale on batiks so we loaded up. That is what is piled up on the table. I also threw on the pile some of the finished bags. We set up our sewing machines facing each other so that we could chat and sew. The Margaritas just added to our fiesta.

Now on to the confession. For a number of years I belonged to a group of crafters where we got together and made things, clothes, purses, jewelry, dang good stuff and then sold them at craft fairs and trunk shows. One of the women was very good at getting venues for the sale of our goods, another had a gift for setting up the displays and the rest of us could turn out the stuff for sale. Now comes the rub. How do you get out of the way and allow each person to do what they have a talent for? Why is it that there is always someone who thinks they know everything about anything? It's their way or the highway. I thought I was a team player, working for the good of the team. Then the light went on and I had an ah ha moment. I was smacked right upside the head, bam. I had brought my camera and Char said we need a picture to remind us of what we got this weekend. In my head I saw the picture, as you see it posted, with all the stuff piled up, with the sewing machine set up and the Margarita glasses to commemorate our adventure. She began to neatly display the fabrics, get rid of the water bottle trash receptacle sitting on the table. I put everything back, snapped the picture and that is when it hit me. Even though her idea was just a valid as mine it had to be my way. Now I realize I don't have to always be in charge.