Before the Hurricane

Hurricane Alex is about to come  into Mexico.

We were lucky this time,

as it is far enough south of us,

that we are only getting rain and

about 50-60 mile an hour winds.

Right now we are in between bands of heavy rain,

and it is very calm outside.

So far we have received  6 inches plus,

and it's far from over.

I wanted to share some pics of things

I got in the mail yesterday,

and some from my bike ride,

before the rains started.

I love getting packages in the mail, don't you!!!

This is a clutch that I won from Mary Anne at

Magpies Mumblings.

She had a giveaway celebrating her 1000th post!

Way to go Mary Anne!

Click on her blog name above to see

all the neat things Mary Anne makes,

especially out of denim.

She takes some gorgeous photos of flowers too.

Below shows all the stuff that was in my winnings package.

Thank you so much MA!

My winnings included the clutch,

 that has great compartments when it opens up,

a neat bag pattern, and some great bone pendants from

Blue Moon Beads.

Go here to see their project ideas,

tips and inspiration.

Then there was another package from Susan.

This package had all kinds of goodies,

hand dyed silks,

beads, trim,

and my favorite.....feathers!

Thanks Susan for the surprise package!

Click on the following links to see Susan's creations,

and to read her blog.

http://www.threadsofinspiration.blogspot.com/

                                                  http://www.threadsofinspiration.etsy.com/

                                               www.picturetrail.com/guardiansandkeepers

 This was right before the rain started.

You can see the dark clouds.

But it was nice and cool to ride my bike.

This photo above is a memorial

to the fireman here in this little township

where I live.

This is the old bank building.

It was built in 1910,

and is now a museum.

There will be a big celebration

for it's 100 year birthday in the fall.

Behind the museum they moved in one of the towns oldest homes,

  and are slowly restoring it,

including

  furnishings from that time period.

For the bank centennial celebration

there is a quilt block contest.

All who win

 will have their blocks 

(showing history of town)

 put into a quilt

for the antique bed that is in the old home.

I plan on entering the contest.

The poem that I wrote for our church Centennial

back in March,

will also be put into the museum.

Pretty cool huh!

That was my bike ride for that day...

Of course, it started raining on me

before I got home,

and it's been raining ever since.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Your Inner Compass

An article by Owen Waters and some photos I took.

I ride my bike every morning.

After my ride today I am preparing for

Hurricane Alex's arrival,

hopefully far enough south of us,

so as not to do much damage here.

Your Inner Compass

by Owen Waters

my bike

The Nature of Change

One constant that you can count on in life is change.

Change exists because life is in motion, and motion is one of the three aspects of the original consciousness that underlies all of Creation. Everything in the universe springs from two complementary aspects of consciousness - thought and feeling – set into motion.

The existence of motion as one of the fundamental components of Creation guarantees that change is continuous. The point of life is to experience infinite variations of expression of the one underlying consciousness, Infinite Being.

the front of my hat

Changes in Your Life

Major changes in life are rarely easy, but our very reason for being is to work through changes and experiences in life.

Today, changes are being accelerated by our being in the global transformation called The Shift. Many would say that today’s changes are intense to the point of becoming chaotic. In physics, chaos is a temporary phase between one natural state of harmony and its transformation into a higher form. The transition phase between the two states becomes very choppy until the higher form is reached.

Today, we are in the storm before the calm.

We are so beset by change that it can become hard to discern what changes are important and what changes are just societal noise which has little bearing on the real paths that we need to tread through life. It is here that a sense of inner direction becomes an exquisite asset.

Navigation Through Life

Your purpose in life is an ever-unfolding saga. Like a journey across the seas by boat, your journey through life is made safe and direct by the use of a compass. In this journey, you have a built-in compass that helps you navigate in the most appropriate direction.


That compass is your sense of innermost joy. As an expression of your inner being, like a compass, your innermost joy points the way. When you think about the one action you could take right now which would move you towards the most long-term inner joy, you are seeing that course of action which is most connected to your inner being.


Because destinations in life are reached in steps or stages, your inner compass can actually point in seemingly different directions on different days. The key is to realize that the one task you can best address at any given moment is the one which is most aligned with your innermost joy.


Each step on a journey is different; yet, all steps lead to the final destination. If you are inspired to do one thing today and to do something different tomorrow, it is because those tasks are both steps along the pathway to the desired destination. Trust in the timing of your inner guidance. It’s wisdom comes from the part of you which is your connection to the universe and to Infinite Being.

Be attentive to your inspiration and the ideas that it brings. Make a note of these ideas as they occur and, in retrospect, you will be amazed as to how insightful they were.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Graffiti Wall Project Done!

Well, it's been awhile since I traded

graffiti background papers

with Bea Neal

and Kris Henderson.

I loved them all,

but I had no clue

what I was going to do with them.

THEN....

I remembered a painting I saw once.

I don't know who painted it,

but it had some funky ballerinas

painted on it,

with a vase of flowers on the side.

That's all I remember.

I figured ballerinas,

especially funky ones,

would make a good contrast

on a graffiti background.

I don't know if I have the right colors

for their dresses or not.

There's so many colors

in the background papers,

that I just chose sort of split complimentary colors,

that would really stand out.

The hard part was cutting up the beautiful

background papers!

 Two of the pieces are cut from  Bea's papers,

two from Kris's,

and 3 from mine,

making it have a total of 7 pieces

in the background.

Can you distinguish them

from each other?

I just glued them onto a piece of canvas,

and then used acrylic paint

to paint the ballerinas.

Just...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Donna and more pretties

Remember my Fiber Art Society project?

Well, here is an  summary of what is happening...

We are doing a collaborative art quilt,

a variation of the exquisite corpse,

based on a Gustav Klimt print.

Since it was my idea,

they gave me the head. 

This shows my finished block,

with hair, hand stitching here and there,

painted face,

and quilted.

This is Donna!

Each one of us (11 women I think),

are doing a different part of the print,

not seeing what the others are doing.

We were to finish it,

including quilting,

within 1/4 inch of the edges.

Then Laura,

brave and talented Laura,

is going to put all the blocks together.

I will continue to update you on our project

as we go along.

Now, on to more pretties...

This is a necklace and earrings

that my dear sister Lanette

made and gave to me.

She is just getting into jewelry making.

I just love this piece.

The pendant is Roman era glass,

which I just love!

Then she used jade and shell beads

for the rest of the necklace and earrings.

Thank you Lanette,

I love it!

Keep up the great work!

Lanette is doing this for fun she said.

Her primary work is

being a musician...

bass guitar player and singer.

Congrats to her and her band,

as they are 2nd year members

of the very hard to get into,

Texas Commssion on the Arts.

Find many ways to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Answering your Questions

I received quite a few personal emails from several of you

requesting more photos

and information about this project.

 

Bricolage Petals Book,

from the class at

La Dolce Vita.

So to answer your questions...

I first saw the word bricolage

 when I visited France many years ago.

Then I saw it on La Dolce Vita,

which made me excited

 about the project Caterina was offering.

This is what it says in Wikipedia...

Bricolage (pronounced /ˌbriːkɵˈlɑːʒ/ or /ˌbrɪkɵˈlɑːʒ/) is a term used in several disciplines, among them the visual arts and literature, to refer to the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work created by such a process. The term is borrowed from the French word bricolage, from the verb bricoler, the core meaning in French being, "fiddle, tinker" and, by extension, "to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose)". In contemporary French the word is the equivalent of the English do it yourself, and is seen on large shed retail outlets throughout France. A person who engages in bricolage is a bricoleur.

So, here are a few more photos...

 This one above is the back of the book,

showing the hand stitching around the edge.

The photo is one of my favorites

and many of you ask about it.

It is an old parlor fernery.

I got all of my collage ephemera

for this project,

from a very old garden catalog

that I found years ago

at a thrift store.

It is literally crumbling

and falling apart.

  I thought this was one way to preserve

some of it.

This photo is the front of the book,

with the hand made fabric and silk flower.

This photo is the book open,

and yes,

 it does stand up,

which makes it look good

on the bookshelf.

Everyone who comes over just

has to take it down to look at it closer.

Each page uses a different technique

for the flowers,

as shown in my previous posts.

The book is really lovely to hold and to look at.

Each page, with it's collaged pictures,

flowers, stitching etc.,

 creates a lot of interest and texture.

Thank you for your interest

and your questions.

I hope I answered them all.

Hold on to your sense of wonder,

with questions,

and with a desire to learn more,

as that's just one way to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Petals Book

My Bricolage Petals Book is finished!

I just love it!

Caterina did such a great job

teaching me new techniques.

Please go see what other classes she is offering this summer.

http://caterinagiglio.blogspot.com/

I love flowers,

so when I had the chance to make an upcycled,

altered book, on the idea of the flower petal,

I jumped at the chance.

The photo above is on the front cover of my book.

I made the flower out of fabric

and silk flowers.

Then I added a little faux diamond bead for the center.

This page  has some hand stitching and a flower cut out.

It is raised for depth, which I love.

This page has a pressed flower,

that I found in one of my old journals from

my trip to Italy, a few years ago.

It also has some vintage lace,

and the whole thing is raised off the page.

You can also see the blanket stitch

that I put around this page.

Each page is collaged, stitched

and more...

creating a different flower(s) for each page.

There is a total of 8 pages (4 sections) in the book.

Just think, this went from a plain old catalog,

to something beautiful.

Thanks Cat!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Midsummer... time of the rose

Midsummer...

Summer Solstice...

longest day of the year...

a time to celebrate...

This is the time of the rose,

 blossom and thorn,

 fragrance and blood.

Now on this longest day,

 light triumphs,

and yet begins the decline into the dark.

 The Sun King grown embraces the Queen of Summer

 in the love that is death

because it is so complete

that all dissolves into the single song of ecstasy

that moves the worlds.

So the Lord of Light

dies to Himself,

and sets sail across the dark seas of time,

searching for the isle of light that is rebirth.

We turn the Wheel

and share his fate,

 for we have planted the seeds

of our own changes

and to grow

we must accept

even the passing of the sun.

(The Spiral Dance, HarperCollins, 1999, p. 205)

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Vintage Sewing Mahines

Click here to see Mary Ann's blog Magpie's Mumblings.

She just got a great deal on a vintage 1950's sewing machine. 

It even works!

There are lots of interesting books out there

on vintage and new sewing machines...

 Info on old sewing machines like Mary Ann's,

beading with sewing machines,

and much more.

Just click on a link below to check them out!

Sewing machines have changed the world!

What kind of machine do you have now?

Do you have a vintage machine?

Do you have a serger? 

What kind did you learn on?

How did you learn to sew?

Would love to hear your feedback on this subject!

I guess our machines help us to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

A Good Day Out

  WhooHoo!

Happy Birthday Margie!

Margie knows this area like the back of her hand.

Born and raised here,

lived in the same house for over 60 years,

always smiling,

loves to dance,

great gardener,

still working outside the home,

ask her anything about the area,

and she knows it.

Just a wonderful person and friend.

Was out at the King Ranch a few weeks ago.

Learned about the good old days!

This building is the oldest (over 100 years old)

 of the original buildings

on the King Ranch.

It was where Richard Kings office was originally.

Then it was also a commissary

for all the ranch workers and

"kinenos"

or Kings men.

They even have their own school on the ranch.

This year a brand new school is being built.

Sometimes I wish I had lived back in the day

or horses and carriages.

This photo above shows the old carriage house

on the King Ranch.

(Mrs. King had many carriages I hear)

It was the Santa Gertrudis Ranch back then in the beginnings.

The ranch still covers almost one million acres,

and is still worked with "real" cowboys.

The ranch house is not toured anymore,

because some of the family ancestors

 still come and stay there.

Some of the Stitch and Rip group

I went on the wildlife tour at the ranch with.

Zita, Jan, Margie, Ann and Marilyn.

Ann is the lady who did the Mariners Compass quilt

in the previous post.

She is in my quilting bee also.

It was Ann who has introduced me to all these

ladies, and the quilting bee group too.

Thanks Ann!

She's such a talented artist,

in many genre.

She's a good friend.

This is Mary Lou.

She belongs to a mariachi band,

but we got her solo,

and were we lucky.

She has the most beautiful voice.

She sang lots of  Mexican songs during lunch,

under the shade trees.

 Her voice and guitar playing were so very lovely!

The day was gorgeous...

It was one way I like to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Out to Lunch Bunch

Last Wednesday was our little quilting bee at Shirley's.

We only have about 6 total women who attend these meetings.

The bee used to be very large, from what I hear.

I have only been a member for the last couple of years,

since I've been in this area.

But things change.

We still have fun and enjoy each others company.

We call ourselves the

Out To Lunch Bunch.

 Vou Best,

a quilt artist friend of Shirley's,

 did this reverse applique piece...

 Shirley said she wasn't happy with it,

so she left it with her.

I really love it.

It is unfinished,

and Shirley said she will finish it someday.

I've never done reverse applique,

but it looks like it takes a long time.

I do love the design!

We drew for the rooster blocks this month.

Ann got them this time.

This is her block above.

 Here is Joyce's rooster.

She made three blocks.

 

 And I couldn't find a picture of my rooster....

Next drawing is for a funky fish.

Ann does beautiful quilting,

embroidery

and hand work.

 She quilted 100 seahorses around the border

of this quilt.

 Ann's Mariners Compass quilt.

Ann hand quilted all of it.

This is a detail shot of the mariners compass block.

She made this quilt for a family member

who requested these colors.

This is not paper pieced,

but the points are perfect!

Great job Ann!

Remember to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Class Sneak Peek

I am taking a wonderful online class,

'Bricolage Petals Book',

 given by Caterina Giglio

at La Dolce Vita.

I"m so excited about it that

I wanted to give you a sneak peek

of what I'm making.

There's a bit of old paper...

a bit of ephemera and vintage buttons...

a bit of lace and pressed flowers...

a bit of stitching...

and more....

It's all coming together....

I have one  more online class

for the altered upcycled book to be finished.

Please visit Caterina

to see all the beautiful things

 she creates, and sells.

Caterina is offering 2 more online classes this summer.

Go check it out here, as it's one way to....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Market Days

MARKET DAYS

in Goliad!

Goliad has Market Days every month of the year

except for July.

As many as 200 vendors set up

around the court house square and beyond.

You never know what you will find.

I went with my friend Jackie.

I took her picture when we were about to stop in at the

Panache for lunch.

This was hanging in the restaurant.

Good quote.

There were many vendors with beautiful plants,

like these bouganvillas.

There was jewlery of many kinds,

vegetables, metal work,

antiques, knives, sausage on a stick,

turkey legs, soap, garden items,

spice and herbal mixes, canned jellies,

art, clothes, birdhouses, crosses,

and much much more.

This is the court house in Goliad.

You can see the "hanging tree" in this photo.

There is a lot of history in Goliad.

I came away with some handcrafted soap

by The Soap Lady.

Even though I make soap myself,

I still like to support other soap makers

and see what their soap is like.

I bought a twisted vintage chic bracelet

made out of old silver ware.

The bracelet came from

Susie Ahlersmeyer at

Susie Que's

Go check out  her  vintage silverware jewelry at

http://www.theforkdork.etsy.com/

Just wanted to show you something I made...

This was an old thrift store book,

that I folded the pages, decorated the sides,

and use it like a file,

at my desk.

I saw this in a magazine about junk to treasure.

I thought it was pretty cool.

That's it for now!

Hope you remember to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Thread Banger????

Another quilt guild meeting,

but not much in the way of show and tell this time.

This was my favorite,

so I took a photo of it.

We did have a rep from Moda Fabrics speak to us.

I learned a lot about fabric

and the fabric industry.

Here is a quick summary...

• The Janome Threadbanger sewing machine is now the nations top seller.
• The quilt shop of today is the fabric store of tomorrow.
• Premium fabric is superior because of many things...the thread count is 60-90 (which is excellent for needles...too high or too low is not good for sewing quilts etc.), it holds a pressed crease better, smaller diameter yarns are used, the length of the fibers are longer, more colors of dye are used (look at the number of colored dots in the selvage and if only 2-5 are used, it is inferior fabric), the dyes are fixed with a better quality process, there is less fading etc.
• premium thread  has less tension issues due to longer lengths of fibers and the thread is cleaner etc.
• there is a world wide shortage of cotton at present
• when your eyes burn around a lot of fabric in the fabric store, that is called "gas fading" due to the lights in the store or the heat of the store causing the dyes to fade and produce gas from the cheap chemicals used in the dye fixing.
• The amount of money per year that the fabric industry is bringing in now, world wide,  is just equal to about 18 of our H.E. B food stores here in Texas.  That's how the industry has gone down from about 12 years ago.
• They believe it is on the industry is leveling off and may be on the upswing soon.
• Fabrics like Moda have about 18 dots in the selvage, meaning it is high quality fabric
• Quilters make up a very small percentage of the fabric buyers...instead of quilt block of the month, there is 'skirt of the month' clubs and similar things happening in the fabric industry, drawing in a younger group of buyers.
• fabric is being used in many different ways today, not just for quilts or clothes or home decor, but the shops square footage of fabric space is decreasing and/or disappearing altogether.  All Walmarts will no longer carry fabric within the next three years.  Ours has already cut that department.  I have to travel one hour to buy fabric.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Musings on Native Plants

  Texas Ebony 

Don't you just love trees!

Since it is summer time,

I have been out riding

and seeing things in this

Wild Horse Desert

that some people don't

see the beauty in.

 The above Ebony tree is the largest of this kind I have ever seen.

This wonderful tree, located on a local ranch,

 was covered with blooms.

This is the reason people see it as a 'trash' tree.

 

But it is trees and plants like this that helped

the Native Americans

and  settlers of this country survive.

The seed pods are thick and woody.

In Mexico, the green seeds are cooked

and eaten and the ripe seeds are roasted.

Early settlers ground the husk

of the beans to use as a coffee substitute.

There are many other uses for this tree

and most native plants.

The leaves and seed are a food source for wildlife.

It is the preferred nesting site for

white-winged dove.

I always think of how people of long ago

 used almost everything in nature,

and how that has become a thing of the past.

I recently went on a wildlife tour of a local ranch,

but the plants interested me too.

I didn't get photos of everything I saw

but here is some info in case you are interested,

as I am.

I would like to know what you have in your area.

Lotebush...

The leaves are grey-green and coursely-toothed.

The roots have been used as soap

and a treatment for livestock wounds.

The fruit and leaves provide

food for wildlife.

Retama...

The Native Americans ground the seeds to make flour.

Texas Prickly Pear-Nopal...

This is the flower of the cactus prickly pear.

The pads and fruit provide food for humans and wildlife.

The Mexican people and

Native Americans used this plant extensively for food.

The young pads (Nopalitos)

are cooked and eaten.

They selll these in the local markets here,

or canned.

The white wooly webs,

sometimes seen on the p lant,

are the cochineal Bug,

a source of red dye.

Spanish Dagger...

Some parts of this plant are edible.

The roots are pounded and  used for soap.

The flowering head is often the first sign of spring in South Texas.

Brasil-Capul Negro...

The wood of this plant yields a blue dye.

I would like to learn how to

 dye fabric

with some of these plants

one day.

 Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Her year long journey has ended...

Well, I haven't posted in awhile....

I've been busy with SUMMER!

Lots going on here...

harvesting garden veggies,

putting in new garden beds,

going to 'Art Fest',

going to 'Art in the Garden',

playing tourist in my hometown,

taking tours of the King Ranch,

and much, much more!

It's been hot,

but summer is great!

BUT...

best of all...

my art doll round robin is finished,

and my doll came home today.

I can not say enough, how much I have learned

and how much fun I have had in this last year.

So, Sani ( as she was when she left home),

 looked like this.

 Her pilgrimmage lasted one year plus

and she traveled a total of over

7800 miles

throughout the United States

and Canada.

Sani became Shimasani...

or Two Spirit.

She came home with many things

 acquired along the way!

She has a look that is,

 as one of the artist stated...

"a tribal shamanistic look",

and "ancient and earthy."

The artists gave her so many great things,

that all seem to go together so well.

The journal came back as I wanted and more!

I requested that it return

fat and overflowing

with every artists creative endeavors...

and it did indeed. :)

It's a good thing I had a leather strap
with a Tagua Nut button
for closure!  :)
This journal is a piece of art in itself.
It is full of wonderful drawings,
words, prayers,
quotes, poems,
photos, and more.
Here are some of the people Shimasani
encountered along the way.

and many others.

In my journal I had included some fragments
such as sari ribbon,
along with some milagros "miracle" charms,
for every artist to keep as a gift.
In return,
they added fragments of their own.
These fragments are inspiration
for another art doll.

So now it ends....
I am just amazed and thrilled at the results.


I want to thank...
Gail, in North Carolina, for inviting me into this project,
and for being a great project co-ordinator/leader/artist.
Thanks also goes to each of the other artists...
Barb in New York,
Mary Anne in Ontario, Canada,
Karma in SK, Canada,
Em in Washington,
Jeanne in Oregon,
and Robyn in California.

You are ALL amazing artists,
and I'm glad I've gotten to know
each of you.
You surely know how to....

Savor the Day!
Yvonne

Please visit
Art Doll Cool-aberration 2009 Project
for details on all of our dolls.