Pondering Paper Pieced People

I’ve had foundation patterns for people waiting around in my computer for a couple of years. I have two sizes – 1” = 1’, and some 150% larger. I really want to get the patterns out, but they need testing. Marilyn Poole tested the man and woman (above left) and I have my free little woman pattern on the web.

I’m trying to figure out how to do a “virtual swap” online. I can send out Draft printed paper foundations by snail mail to participants. They could send scans of their completed people to me for posting on a web page. That might work. We would know if the patterns work. I am thinking of asking for family groups – traditional, non-traditional, or deliberate (mom, dad, kids; grandmother and kids; dad, dad and kids; mom and kids; commune; empty nesters; school class: and so forth.)

Someone wrote to me yesterday and asked if I had a paper pieced bride and groom pattern. I don't, yet.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

This walking program is getting to be a drag. I make good progress for a while, then loose my zing. I’m still walking on schedule and putting in the required time, but today was not a stroll in the park. It’s not been two months yet so I will keep on going. If it were not for Coach Robert I would have quit by now.

Later - Now I get it
I just went back and read the Program instructions. It is supposed to be hard! There would not be progress unless walking achieves the hurting stage with increased pace. Now, I feel much better. Only four months to go until things get better.

Fresh Spring Greens

To celebrate the first day of Spring I went looking for greens (green fabric) at Queen B’s Quilt Shop in Antioch. Sure enough, Bernie had a good supply. These are for my green circles in the About.com Circle Swap.

Willow, the Wisp

We had the big willow tree pruned today (and the mulberry, too). It doesn’t look very good right now, but later on this summer I’ll take a photo from this same spot. It will be lovely with its weeping branches hanging down and cooling us.

I sent out 20+ Draft patterns today to swappers on About.com. I am looking forward to finding out how the quilters do making their circles.

Learning How To....

I’ve been trying to photograph a complete fabric circle against a white background. It just doesn’t work. The white background blinds my camera and fades out the colors of the circle.
Yesterday, I photographed the circle against a dark blue towel. The circle colors stayed pretty true. The hard part was dropping out the blue background. I have Paint Shop Pro and I still have lots to learn even though I’ve been using it for many years. The edges of the circle got a little jagged. I don’t want to go to a professional for this shot, but it may be my solution.

A walking milestone –
Today I walked 35 minutes without stopping! When I started on February 2 I could only walk for five minutes in one stretch and then pause to rest.

A Great Little Boy and a Grand Weekend

Of course he is great – he is our great grandson. Joey’s sixth birthday was Saturday. (I became a grandmother at 39 and a great grandmother at 60.) We went to Santa Rosa to drop in and see him for a quick visit. He played a few games of chess with his great grandfather, Robert. He showed us his skateboarding skills. He is delightful.
His dad and mom (Joseph and April) are very proud of him. He is smart, polite, and interested in everything.
We stayed overnight at the Flamingo Hotel. It is an interesting place with wings of rooms radiating out from a central circle.
I used the Flamingo’s circular “track” around the swimming pool for my walking. Yes, I am being so good and continuing my program.
On our way home we visited our old house. It’s still there and in good repair. It was the first house we ever owned.
I am very proud of this sign “Olive Park Historic District” because I helped preserve the neighborhood. In the 1970s I fought City Hall and won! The city’s General Plan called for apartment zoning in the neighborhood – even in the park. Most of the old houses were built prior to 1906 and survived the big quake. The park was created by the neighborhood in the early 1900s. The neighbors got together and bought the land when apartments were being planned for the site way back then. Luther Burbank worked with the neighbors and supplied plants for the park. It was Santa Rosa’s first park. I told the city that Olive Park was once on the right side of the tracks, but now was on the wrong side of the freeway. Many good things happened after the city recognized its historic value.

Toni's Tryout

What better daughter-in-law could a quilter ask for than another quilter? I asked my DIL Toni to try out my circle pattern. I also asked her to try invisible machine appliquéing two circles because she has a Janome 6500 with a variety of stitches.

She got right to work. A few days later Toni sent me some photos and said, “I finished the quilt top with the circles. I did purple/lavender tones on white. I hope the photos come out okay. I used the invisible thread and it worked out really easily. I also plan to use my Janome 300E to embroider my friends' names and their wedding date and make this into a nice wall piece for their anniversary. (I used her favorite colors and some of the fabrics were from her stash.)”

I am so pleased. Thank you, Toni.

Remembering

I was in New York City with my parents on July 28, 1945. We were in a hotel and planning on visiting the Empire State Building that morning. My mother took a long time getting ready to go. My father was impatient. We finally left the hotel and were on our way to the skyscraper when an explosion occurred. I remember women screaming and debris raining down. A military plane hit the building in the fog. For the rest of his life my father never complained about my mother taking her sweet time to get ready to go anywhere.

The photos above were taken by William L. Coffey and used with permission from his son Ron. Ron has a website with more information about the crash and links to other sources.

I was only four years old.