September 30 Block

It's three quarters of the way through the year, so today's block and the extra block for the month together are the four quarters: winter, spring, summer and fall.... Mary

September 29 Block

On the way to the bus after work, we had 40 mph winds and horizontal rain.  Umbrellas were useless.  We all looked like a bunch of drowned rats sitting on the bus.... Mary

September 28 Block

Don't know if it's the change of season or the changing weather patterns, but I am so tired.  I'm going to bed as soon as I finish posting this block.... Mary

September 27 Block

Just three days away from the 3/4 mark of the year.  Amazing.... Mary

September 26 Block

No one does dinosaurs like Spielberg.  Terra Nova has an interesting premise and is fast paced, plus Stephen Lang is one of my favorite actors so it's a win/win....  Mary

September 25 Block

When I use silk thread for bead work, I save the snippets and ends because they are just too lovely to toss in the recycle bag.... Mary

September 24 Block

We went to see the movie Moneyball today.  It's a really good movie.  The film ends with a wonderful song, "The Show", by Kerris Dorsey.  The message is pretty straight forward:  Enjoy the show. 

A couple of weeks ago my friend JK sent me a Steven Colbert clip that I recommend watching with the same message.  I suggest listening to both.  Actually, get yourself some popcorn, put your feet up, and listen to them.  Then just enjoy the show.... Mary

September 23 Block

It's the autumnal equinox, so the darkness descends.  We need to go through the autumn and winter to get to the spring.  I doubt the folks in California or Florida appreciate the coming of spring quite like people in the upper Midwest.  And those first days in January when you can really tell that the days are getting longer feel like a miracle.  It's literally the light at the end of a dark tunnel.  But for now we need to start our long, slow cocooning into the winter.  Hopefully that just means more studio time....  Mary

September 22 Block

There is no fabric I could have chosen tonight that would have been able to compete with my morning glories.  And this picture was taken at 6:00 pm!  The gray day and cooler temps keep the flowers open all day.  Plus I've always had a thing for white on white fabrics.... Mary

September 21 Block

I love brown and blue together.... Mary

September 20 Block

Alas, my pinwheels didn't quite match up.  But the fabric is fun and colorful and flowery.... Mary

September 19 Block

I took the day off today, so stayed home and cleaned and organized in my studio.  I came across a bag of stained and damaged linens that I bought at an estate sale.  All of these lovely embroidered pieces will probably end up in a landfill somewhere because they are no longer nice enough to use.  Someone spent her time and talent doing this handwork, and the pieces were clearly used and used again in someone's home.  It's a shame to see these old, well used linens fall by the wayside, so I rescue them for some purpose, sometime.  Like today.... Mary

September 18 Block

We are more than half way through September.  The first day of autumn is next Friday, and the temperatures have turned to sweater weather.  Even if the dark days of winter are close behind, we quilters still have lovely florals and bright colors to keep us warm in our studios.... Mary

September 17 Block

It was a lovely, cool day.  Technically we're still in summer for one more week, but these cool nights are a good prelude to autumn and make for very good sleeping.... Mary

September 16 Block

It was a relatively good day.  I was able to give a seat to the nice, patient student.  Now I'll have about six weeks until students start worrying about spring enrollment.  There was only one relatively minor Friday crisis.  For some reason Fridays are notorious for problems.  We've had everything from power outages to keys broken off in locks to burst pipes gushing water down four floors late on a Friday afternoon, usually after all the folks who can fix these things have gone home for the day....  Mary

September 15 Block

Tomorrow is the drop/add deadline.  It's the last day that students can drop a course without it showing up on their "permanent record".  These are lab courses so it's not just matter of adding a chair to the back of the room.  It's a question of equipment and supplies and even fire codes.  I've got a student who has been attending one of our classes faithfully without any guarantee of getting a seat.  I sure hope someone drops it tonight so I can give her a seat in the morning....  Mary

September 14 Block

A family member lost her sister this week.  Since they are both very private people, all I will say is that our sympathy is all those close to them.... Mary

September 13 Block

I just love this black and gray confetti fabric by Quilting Treasures.  It also comes in a black background with white and gray confetti.  I only bought a fat quarter at the Quilt Expo, so I may need to visit Mill House Quilts.  It seems like a great background fabric to go with brights like the turquoise dots.... Mary

September 12 Block

Tonight I decided to do something tropical since this will probably the last 80+ degree day we'll see until next spring.  By Wednesday night we'll be in the 30s.  It's unlikely we'll stay that cold, but you never know....  Mary

September 11 Block

There were some lovely quilts at the Quilt Expo that were done with wool.  In the past, I haven't been fond of wool quilts, but some of the wool ones at this show were really quite lovely.  Don't know if quilters are getting more expert in the use of wool, or if my tastes are just changing.... Mary

September 10 Block

Rick and I went back to the quilt show today so he could take pictures of some of our favorites with his much-better-than-mine camera.  JK and I agreed on a favorite, Sailor's Delight, by Susan Liimatta from right here in the Madison area.  The picture in the link above shows the color of the quilt beautifully, but it doesn't show Susan's amazing quilting, so I've added one of my photos from the show just below my block for the day.... Mary

September 9 Block

The quilt show was amazing.  JK and I are so good at doing quilt shows together.  We did half the exhibit, ate lunch, went to a talk on Civil War quilts (and rested our tired feet).  We went back for the other half of the exhibit, attended a talk on Amish quilts (ditto the feet), visited some vendors, and went through the exhibit again to revisit all our favorites.  It was a perfectly wonderful day.... Mary

September 8 Block

Tomorrow is the quilt show!  Early to bed and off for a day of inspiration.... Mary

September 7 Block

Tomorrow is the end of my work week because Friday is the Wisconsin Quilt Expo!  JK and I are really looking forward to all the amazing quilts, lectures, and goodies like fabric and thread.  In the past the Expo has always been such an inspiration.  Here's hoping it gets the creative juices flowing again this year.... Mary

September 6 Block

The New York Times has a "Nine of a Kind" feature for Fashion Week with the favorite shears of industry craftsmen and women.  It is delightful!  As any seamstress, quilter, or even scrapbooker knows, you live and die by your scissors.  My children once used my fabric shears to cut poster board.  I nearly hit the ceiling I was so mad.  Thankfully the shears seemed no worse for wear, and I'm still using them.... Mary

September 5 Block

It was a nice, long weekend.  The dining room is clean, and my studio is in much better shape if not completely cleaned.  And I will only have a three day work week because Friday is the Wisconsin Quilt Expo, and JK and I will be there when it opens and only be leaving as they lock the doors at the end!  Mary

September 4 Block

After the 92 degrees on Thursday, it's hard to believe that it will be 40s tonight.  It's sure delightful for sleeping.... Mary

September 3 Block

We have a lovely little hummingbird who really likes our impatiens.  Every year I wonder if I should do something more adventurous than impatiens, but they're easy, shade loving, and very colorful.  And every summer they attract hummingbirds.  I think I'll be planting them again next year....  Mary

September 2 Block

When I went to work this morning the first thing I was going to do was create the spreadsheet for the section swaps in one of our big courses.  Needless to say, I got nothing done on it at all.  There were endless emails, faculty with crises, phone calls from students, and on and on.  Only one student cried, though, when I told her that she would not get a seat in the course she needed.  Thankfully it was over the phone.  It's so hard when they're sitting in your office.  There's just nothing I can do except hand them a tissue.  We were able to add ten seats to one of the courses, so I got to make ten seniors very, very happy.... Mary 

September 1 Block

Well, tomorrow is the first day of classes.  We'll see how many students show up in my office asking for a seat in whatever course they desperately need.  Not my favorite day of the semester.  But then it's followed by a three day weekend.... Mary