I Won the Tree Blocks!

A couple of weeks ago my quilting bee

(the Out to Lunch Bunch)

 met at Shirley's house. 

Remember the African Masks blocks?

Those were won by Judy.

Well the next block we chose to do was

a tree block.

We decided we could do

any kind we wanted,

using any technique we wanted.

My name was drawn to win them all.

WhooHoo!

We have a very small group,

but the following photos

show the 12 inch blocks that I won.

This block was done by Brenda.

She used some of her hand dyed fabrics in the sky

and middle section.

The bottom section is pieced,

in angular shapes.

I just love the sky,

 and the entire piece is very unique and artsy!

Love it!

This one was done by Joyce,

who says she is not an artist.

She is mainly a traditional quilter.

Here she took some of  her rusted/acrylic washed muslin,

that we did at Shirley's,

and added a tree using crayons.

I think she is quite the artist! Don't you!

Judy made this more traditional block.

It is lovely, and actually she made 2,

so I will surely do something with those.

Shirley made this bleach discharged piece.

She put hand stitching around the tree.

Shirley is famous for her petroglyph pieces like this.

Just wonderful!

And this one was mine. 

You may recognize this.

It started out as my

"blue moon"

piece.

As I was working on it,

the black fabric tore.

But never fear,

not all is lost!

I never throw anything away!

I cut it down, eliminating the torn section,

and had my 12 inch tree block

for the group drawing.

So, you can see how different each block is.

I probably won't put  ALL  of these together

 in  ONE finished piece.

But I think I will have some interesting

work ahead of me.

Thanks Ladies! 

I was thrilled to win all of these!

Next month is "wildflowers"....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

DTRH Blind Challenge-- Clue #3

NOTE:
I have added a photo of the back as requested.

Well, it's week 3 in the 5 week

Down the Rabbit Hole Blind Challenge

that Bea at Dog in the Hole is heading up. 

So far, so good!

It's all about interpretation Bea says.

Clue #3

Carefully cut apart the quilted fabric

 into at least 6 separate pieces.

(I cut mine into 7 pieces)

Be creative in  your cutting, if you want. 

Think circles, shapes, waves, etc.

(I have my piece below, showing how I cut it)

(I have some curvy ones

and some angular ones,

all sizes.)

After the pieces are cut apart

they are to be REASSEMBLED

into a completely NEW, NON RECTANGULAR SHAPE.

Play around with this until you are happy with the new shape's design,

(I tried many different designs,

but decided on this one in the end.)

THEN....

stitch it back together

into ONE WHOLE PIECE

with a backing fabric behind it.

(I put pink print fabric on the back

and stitched each piece together

with a decorative stitch,

using black thread and black bobbin.

Then I cut off the excess backing fabric)

back view

Another book on my wish list.

Does anyone have this one already?

If so, would love to know what you think of it.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Little Old Country Church

I have been very busy for the past few months.

I was asked to be Centennial Chairman

for our little church last year.

On March 27th, 2010, this little church turned 100 years old.

We had our celebration on March 28th,

which is also Palm Sunday.

I am posting about this

for all those who could not make it

to our celebration and for all of you

out there who have attended little old country churches

at one time or another.

I have only been going to this church for about 1 year,

and we are a very small membership church,

only about 15 active members.

We have an historical marker out front,

which tells the history of how it all began.

This is our Prayer Labyrinth,

that we installed last year,

with all volunteers and donated rocks.

This is our Centennial Cake.

Almost 100 people attended the celebration.

That's a lot for this little town.

We had our local Linda's Main St. Cafe

do the catering.

We had King Ranch Casserole

and all the goodies to go with it.

D.S. Larry Howard, Rev. Cindy Layton (my pastor), me, Bishop Jim Dorff

Pastor Cindy asked me to speak

about the history of our church,

 during the service.

I wrote up a little speech which at the end included this poem below.

The church began with people meeting in a one room building,

then this building was built 2 years later with $3,000.00.

It had a different name then,

and has gone through many changes in 100 years.

Now it's Riviera United Methodist Church.

This Little Old Country Church

The Riviera Methodist Episcopal Church, South

was organized on March 27, 1910.

By 1912, open doors, along with open hearts

welcomed the holy spirit in.

For 100 years people have gathered here

in this peaceful little vale.

Calling souls to look to Jesus,

for a hope that cannot fail.

I've learned of all the many changes

a new roof, stained glass windows, droughts and hurricanes

but, I want to tell you what I think most important.

That this house is God's, and the message remains the same.

For almost 100 years, within these walls,

many have bowed their heads to pray.

Many knees have knelt down,

as our hearts find the words we need to say.

Many good people have come and gone,

through the years since 1910

But they are not forgotten

we'll walk with them again.

In this quiet little town it is now the year of our Lord 2010

Midst the fields of bluebonnets and also the palms you see

Stands this little house of God...this little old country church

and all the seats are free.

Now every time you hear a mockingbird

singing from its perch

just remember...THAT is your invitation

to come worship in this little old country church.

written by Yvonne Quarles

Now I have been asked to put my poem in our local museum,

along with photos of the Centennial Celebration.

I am just thrilled about that,

almost as much as being asked to be the Centennial Chairman.

I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks to all who helped make this a very special day for everyone!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

March---Full Crow Moon art doll

The Native American Full Moon Challenge

that Bea at Dog in the Hole Studio

began at the first of the year

has been great fun.

I have previously posted

my January and February art dolls

for you all to see,

and now I will show my March art doll.

This is Full Crow Moon.

Full front view--

she is holding the full moon

in her right hand.

Full rear view

Close up

Full Crow Moon is only about 6 inches tall.

She is made from polymer clay,

over a thread spool base.

Her headdress is made from various feathers.

She is standing on a mesquite branch slice.

The crow has a bead for the eye.

She is similar to the February moon doll,

as I think I'm beginning to like that style.

I painted her and the crow

 with a wash of

 (watered down)

raw sienna acrylic paint.

My DH ask me if I was

going to paint the crow black.

I said,

"No, because art dolls

do not have to be realistic."

So remember when you

create an art doll,

things do not have to be in proportion,

or be realistic in shape,

form, color or size.

Just listen to your muse

and create something different.

I have several art doll books,

but this is one by

Sarah Lawrence

that is on my wish list.

 If you have this book,

let me know what you think of it.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

 

Peace and the Three Sisters

Spring's wonderful weather has inspired me to get outside more

and get my hands in the dirt.

Last year my DH and I (mostly my DH)

put in a Native American

Medicine Wheel Garden...of sorts.

We had a garden full of wonderfully fresh produce

and herbs that just smelled and tasted so good.

This year I want to document my garden progress here at the Attic.

Hopefully you will be inspired to get out there and start some kind of garden of your own.

It doesn't have to be a large one,

as you can have a small patio container garden just as easy.

This is the beginnings of this years garden. 

It has the 8 ft. tall Peace Pole in the middle.

I plant many different kinds of

veggies and herbs in the four quadrants of the garden,

and always try to use companion planting.

When friends come visit they bring me

prayer stones to put at the base of the peace pole.

On the top of the peace pole,

is several different Native American words for PEACE.

I burned it into the wood with a woodburning tool.

This year I am planting by the moon,

just as my Grandmother did many years ago.

I have this years Farmers Almanac for a reference,

and that helps me know just when to plant above ground crops

and below ground crops.

The 23rd and 24th of March were days to plant above ground crops.

I planted many things,

but the one I want to tell you about is

my Three Sisters Garden Plot.

The three sisters are

corn, beans and squash.

In one of the quadrants of my garden

I made 2 mounds.

In a circle on top of each mound

 I planted about 10 corn seeds,

6 inches apart and one inch deep.

After the corn is about 10 inches tall

I will plant the pole bean seeds 6 inches outside of the corn stalks.

One week after the beans sprout

I will sow squash seeds one foot outside the beans.

I found this at gardenweb dot com...

It is an ancient method of gardening using an intercropping system which grows corn, beans, and squash crops simultaneously in the same growing area that is typically a rounded mound of soil, often called a hill.

Corn is the oldest sister. She stands tall in the center.

Squash is the next sister. She grows over the mound, protecting her sisters from weeds and shades the soil from the sun with her leaves, keeping it cool and moist.


Beans are the third sister. She climbs through squash and then up corn to bind all together as she reaches for the sun. Beans help keep the soil fertile by coverting the sun's energy into nitrogen filled nodules that grow on its roots. As beans grow they use the stored nitrogen as food.

I will be posting pics as my garden grows.

Do you see St. Fiacre, the patron saint of gardening

overlooking the garden?

It was a gift from my DH.

I love it.

The book on the left is one I have about

Medicine Wheel gardens.

It is full of great information.

Hope you create some space for healing

and celebrations and more.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Great Book!

I love books and have quite the collection.  I wanted to tell you again about one of my favorites called the Crafter's Devotional.  It has 365 days worth of inspiration in it.  I have used this book multiple times, especially when I am in a rut and looking for some new ideas.  There are tips and tricks and techniques that I have learned about and I go to this book, sometimes as a reference, on a regular basis.

What is your favorite crafter's book?  I would love to hear from you.

Savor the Day!
Yvonne

DTRH Challenge Clue #2

This is the second week for Bea's

5 Week Down The Rabbit Hole Blind Challenge. 

Clue #2 ---
Quilt your altered piece to a piece of felt or thin batting using various threads...sew to the back.

I altered my piece of fabric  last week (clue #1) by doing some bleach discharging. 

I didn't use a pattern,

I just sprayed some bleach in a bowl

and wiped it up with a wadded up piece of black fabric. 

I let it sit for a time

 until I got the color I was wanting. 

Then I rinsed it out well

and added vinegar to the fabric

to stop the bleaching process.

This morning I proceeded with clue #2. 

I didn't have black batting so I used black felt,

placed it on the back

and continued to quilt the 2 pieces together

with various colored threads,

as directed. 

I decided to free motion quilt some various sized spirals

and another design to the fabric. 

Here is my 2nd week piece.

Tune in next week for the results of Clue #3.

If you are interested in this project visit

Bea at

Dog In The Hole Studio.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Bird Photography and my Mexican Green Jay

e

Here is a list of some great books I've heard about

 on bird photography. 

Right now they are on my wish list!

Some of you out there in blogland

have been asking me about

the Mexican Green Jay

that we have here in south Texas.

This is a photo I took last February.

The green jay is sitting at the feeder on St. Francis.

We probably get 5-10 at a time,

but I never can seem to get a good photo of them.

Isn't he a beautiful bird!

You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

There are other birds in this photo too.

I wish I had a better camera to get good shots

of the birds. 

Oh well, one of these days.

Any suggestions on what kind of camera to use

for birding?

the one I have heard about is the

Digital Rebel XT EOS 400D

or the Hasselblad H2D-39.

Anyone out there ever use either of these,

and if so

what is your opinion of them.

I've seen birders use some very large scopes,

in order to get a really good close-up shot.

We have lots of birds on the south Texas coast.

It is one of birdings hot spots.

If you love birding,

then you need to visit us down this way.

Anyone have any links to good birdiing websites?

I would appreciate any links.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Vernal Equinox Mar. 20, 2010

The first day of spring (Vernal Equinox)

in the northern hemisphere was yesterday,

March 20, 2010.

The ancients used to celebrate this important day.

We always know when it is,

glad it's here,

but we don't really celebrate it anymore.

Seems the ancients were more connected to nature.

Ancient Native Americans built stone structures which

marked the sun rise and sun set of the Vernal Equinox.

Native Americans will be saying good-bye to the season of Waboose,

the Winter, the North, the White Buffalo,

 and welcoming Wabun, the Spring,

the East, the Eagle.

The Vernal Equinox is a time to celebrate the balance of the seasons,

the arrival of Spring,

the renewal and rebirth of Nature,

and the coming lushness of Summer.

It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance,

the day is equal to the night, 

The forces of yin and yang

 are in balance at this time.

It is the time when the World is awakening,

seeds opening, trees budding,

flowers stretching their leaves out to the sun.

It is a rebirth of the world

after the cold Winter months.

This is the time we begin to plant our gardens and our herbs,

so the warm summer sun will help them grow.

It can also be a renewal time for us.

We have this time to renew our thoughts,

our dreams, and our aspirations.

We think of renewing our relationships.

This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new

or to completely revitalize something.

  The longer hours of sunshine will

make us feel good.

So, get out there and

SAVOR THE DAY!

Yvonne

DTRH Blind Challenge--Clue #1

Bea at Dog in the Hole Studio

is having a

Down the Rabbit Hole Challenge.

The challenge will last 5 weeks.

She gives us a clue every Monday,

we do it, no questions answered about the clue.

The first clue was to alter one side of

 a 9 by 7 inch

piece of fabric.

So, I took a black piece of fabric and

bleach discharged it.

We don't know what comes next.

So this is a challenge for sure.

Go see Bea at Dog in the Hole

to find out more,

and to see what else Bea is up to.

Also you will find links to

all the others who are participating

in this challenge.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Blog Award Musings

Well, I am posting links below,

 to some great blogs...

to whom I am passing the Sunshine Blog Award on to.

First I want to say that I think blog awards are just fine...

for some that is.

Some people do not accept them,

others don't like to take the time with them,

and there are as many opinions as there are blogs out there.

But for me, blog awards are a fun thing,

so I give blog awards a

"heart".

Some blog awards have you answer questions.

Some people don't like that,

but me...I think they are sort of fun...

they make me think a bit about myself.

Other blog awards just give you links to other blogs

who they are passing the award on to.

This gives you a chance to surf to places

you normally would not go to.

This Sunshine award is one of those

that require you to link to other blogs.

I think that is fine too,

but sometimes you have to link to quite a few blogs,

and that does take some time,

if you follow the rules.

You have to link to them,

comment on each blog to let them know,

and then link back to the one who gave you the award

in the first place,

which I did in my previous post,

when I accepted the blog award.

This blog award requires 12 blogs

for you to pass the award to.

I actually think that is a bit too many.

I have noticed that some people change the rules,

and link to just one or two other blogs.

Why not...I think that is okay too.

I'm easy.  This is supposed to be fun,

so do whatever does not stress you out.

Have fun with it.

OK, now I would love to know what YOU think.

Here are the 12 blogs I'm passing this award to..

Go check them out sometime.

I bet some of them are new to you, right!

It's All About Books

Natures Brush Strokes

Quinceberry

Urban Pastures

Just Something I Made

Bean Sprouts

While I Was Waiting

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Elle in da Coop

A Conversation at Goodwill

Vagabond Creations

Glitter and Grunge

So, you guys,
my previous post has all the rules
and the blog award logo
for you to pick up
and put on your blog.
That is if you are so inclined
to keep passing this on.

SAVOR THE DAY !

Yvonne

Sunshine on my Shoulder.....

..............makes me Happy!!!!!!

I was so surprised when I opened my email and

 read that I had won this Sunshine Blog Award.

A big thank you goes out to the ladies at Threads of Magique

for giving me this award.

As with any award there are rules which I will post below. 

Thanks to everyone who drops in

and to all my followers

who makes what I do every day fun!

Rules...

* Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
* Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
* Link the nominees within your post.
* Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I will be posting the 12 bloggers that this award will be passed on to very soon.

I find awards are a great time to showcase some new products or info.

You may have noticed the new box on the right. 

I am doing more freelance writing for eHow. 

 Some of my featured "how to" articles are listed  in the box. 

If you go to eHow you can find 44 of my articles

just by putting in my name

in their drop down menu box.

 I write on all the things I love....

art, gardening and much more. 

I hope you read some of my articles

and let me know what you think. 

I'm sure you will find one that is very informative for you.

In my Attic Shop I have some Map Envelopes listed for sale. 

They are 4 by 6 inches

and I use vintage maps to make them. 

These are great for sending snail mail to your friends. 

They will bring a smile to their face.

Also newly listed are 4 of my small watercolors. 

So, I hope you take a look

and enjoy your visit.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

2 Art Dolls and a Quilting Bee

Bravura Personified belongs to Gail in the

Art Doll Coolab 2009 Project.

Bravura is pretty, impudent, wise to the world, assure of herself,

 has a great deal of audacity,

 thinks it fun to flirt, and she is surely not boring.

She is a very interesting character.

She is made from paper mache,

a glass vase for her body

and a paper clay face.

This is one of the last dolls I will be working on

in this Round Robin.

I can hardly believe it has been almost

one year since we started this RR.

It has been a wonderful ride,

and I have learned so much from

all of the very creative artists involved.

Gail's blog is Dollistic, so go see what else

she creates.  She is amazing with

paper mache.

I have two dolls at the same time,

here at the end of our project.

Long story, but it just worked out that way.

Here is the Queen of Hearts.

Isn't she amazing!!!

The Queen started with Jeanne in Oregon.

When she arrived, the box was crushed.

I was so worried that something was broken,

or that she had gotten hurt.

Then, I heard her screaming,

"Off with their heads!"

I knew she was okay.

When she got out of the box,

she ask me where she was.

I told her "You are now in Texas."

She said "Good, I want to see a cowboy!"

So, I guess I will accomodate her and

take her to the famous King Ranch here.

But, I did tell her she had to behave,

that cowboys didn't like loud, bossy women.

She has been fairly calm since then.

Hopefully she will stay that way. 

Each doll in this project has many interesting and unique accessories.

The journals that go along with them in this project

are pieces of art by themselves and all of them tell a wonderful story.

If you are interested in the progression of these two dolls,

their journals

or any of the other 7 dolls  in this project,

go to the Art Doll Cool-Aberration 2009 Blog.

Quilting Bee

This morning I went to a meeting with my quilting bee.

Here are some photos of our show and tell.

Joyce with an unfinished quilt top.

Judy with her sweatshirt jacket she is working on.

A cute little pin cushion that Brenda made.

Brenda is working on her hand stitching she said.

Front of Shirley's wearable art jacket.

Back of Shirley's jacket.

I won some quilt blocks at the meeting.

Every month we choose a theme for the blocks,

and each one of us will make 1 or 2 twelve inch blocks for a

drawing at the next meeting.

Judy won the African masks blocks last meeting.

Remember seeing those!

This time I won tree blocks.

I will be showing them to you soon.

Our next theme is "wildflowers".

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Fiber Art Society--Mar. meeting

Clue--Gustav Klimpt

I met with the Fiber art group this last weekend.

I recently had an idea for us to do.

Ten of the group were interested so

we are starting a project

that is just going to be amazing.

 Are you curious...intriqued a bit!

Well just tune in now and then,

as I will be posting about the project

as we go along

for the next 6 months or so.

Now on to Show and Tell

This beautiful artsy little bag was made by Laura

for a friend who is going on a quilting cruise.

Darlene made this wonderful heart piece.

There are 25 small blocks here that

a member appliqued, each flower different.

She puts in about 20 stitches per inch

in her needle turn applique.

Very nice work.

Here, Lisa is holding a small loom

that she just adores. 

These looms were popular from

the 1930's through the 1970's.

You can find vintage ones for around $250.00

but they are making new ones again,

2 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch sizes,

for much less.

She saw this loom in Piecework magazine.

This large batik piece of fabric is just lovely!

Our hostess and president, Happy,

is showing us her in progress bib necklace.

And here Happy is showing us her sari/shawl

that she designed. 

 It is made from one piece of

beautiful fabric

and can be worn

very cleverly in different ways.

She even beaded part of it.

More creations below!

Hand Dyed Fabric and a Tea Bag Swap

Aren't these pretty colors! 

They remind me of the mottled colors of wildflower fields,

among the mesquite trees.

 

The fabric was sent to me

by my good friend Lana at

Lana's Threads and Musings

The black piece was monoprinted with metallic paint.

The other two were hand dyed.

Thanks Lana!  I love these pieces.

Go visit Lana and see all of her

wonderful creations! 

Tea Swap at Artfully Ooglebloops

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.

                                                        ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims

I was recently involved in a tea swap that

Pat at Artfully Ooglebloops hosted.

Shown in the photo above is what I received from

Patty at Magpie's Nest .

She sent me 3 tea bags, a handmade card that she said

a friend made and she was passing it on,

and a OOAK artist trading card.

The only thing not shown is

 the Yogi tea bag that was placed in the cup.

I sat down to enjoy that one right away

and forgot to include it in the photo.

Patty, thanks so much for the tea

and all the other nice touches.

I have enjoyed all of them.

I sent Patty some Rooibos tea and

some of my own tea mix

from the herbs in my garden.

This was on the inside of the handcrafted card.

Take the time to savor the day!

Yvonne

Savor the Day

Sunrises are one of my favorite things. 

Sunrises on the water are even better. 

This photo was taken early one morning

on the Texas coast

near my home.

The wind is still,

the air is warm

the water calm,

as it often is around sunrise.

Sunbeams shooting across the sky.

Salt air aroma

mixed in with the smell of rain.

Night insects quiet now,

but still I hear

Nature sounds all around.

Songbirds singing,

pelicans and herons fly by,

 hardly flapping their wings.

Fish jumping,

no fisherman around.

Take it all in.

Savor the day.

Turtle Carries Earth on his Back

I love turtles!  Don't you!

Near by there is a Ridley turtle rescue facility

and if you ever get the chance to learn more about turtles,

you will find they are amazing creatures.

I walked outside in my yard and what did I see!!!

This turtle! 

It brought a smile to my face!

No it's not a sea turtle,

just one that came out of a nearby pond.

Sometimes here on the coast we see

lots of pretty good sized turtles,

much bigger than this one in fact.

He was about the size of a platter.

 When I got close he of course ducked into his shell,

as turtles do. 

But soon he peeked out and said hello.

I didn't bother him,

snapped a few photos and

just watched him slowly walk off

and find a hiding place

in some tall grass and wildflowers

in the empty lot next door.

When I first saw him I thought of

an old Native American story

about the turtle.

Remember...it's the simple things that bring you the most pleasure.

The Turtle...

In the beginning there was no earth to live on, but up above, in the Great Blue, there was a woman who dreamed dreams.

One night she dreamed about a tree covered with white blossoms, a tree that brightened up the sky when its flowers opened but that brought terrible darkness when they closed again. The dream frightened her, so she went and told it to the wise old men who lived with her, in their village in the sky.

"Pull up this tree," she begged them, but they did not understand. All they did was to dig around its roots, to make space for more light. But the tree just fell through the hole they had made and disappeared. After that there was no light at all, only darkness.

The old men grew frightened of the woman and her dreams. It was her fault that the light had gone away forever. So they dragged her toward the hole and pushed her through as well. Down, down she fell, down toward the great emptiness. There was nothing below her but a heaving waste of water and she would surely have been smashed to pieces, this strange dreaming woman from the Great Blue, had not a fish hawk come to her aid. His feathers made a pillow for her and she drifted gently above the waves.

But the fish hawk could not keep her up all on his own. He needed help. So he called out to the creatures of the deep. "We must find some firm ground for this poor woman to rest on," he said anxiously. But there was no ground, only the swirling, endless waters.

A helldiver went down, down, down to the very bottom of the sea and brought back a little bit of mud in his beak. He found a turtle, smeared the mud onto its back, and dived down again for more.

Then the ducks joined in. They loved getting muddy and they too brought beakfuls of the ocean floor and spread it over the turtle's shell. The beavers helped-- they were great builders-- and they worked away, making the shell bigger and bigger.

Everybody was very busy now and everybody was excited. This world they were making seemed to be growing enormous! The birds and the animals rushed about building countries, the continents, until, in the end, they had made the whole round earth, while all the time the sky woman was safely sitting on the turtle's back.

And the turtle holds the Earth up to this very day.