I don't follow the "personalities" in the quilt world. I daresay I wouldn't recognize the names of most of them. So, when an interview with a fabric/pattern designer in my latest quilting magazine mentioned the popularity of one of her applique patterns, I had to go look it up.
Well.
They're really nice patterns, sort of traditional with a twist, for an appliqued nine inch block. And the patterns are for sale. For five bucks a block.
You read right. I thought at first it was the cost of a kit. But no. It's just the pattern. For one nine inch applique block. Five dollars each. Let's see - there's 25 blocks in the quilt. That's $125. For the pattern.
She's started to believe her own publicity. At least, that's the only thing I can come up with.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Christmas Lights mystery quilt
Is anyone going to do the Bonnie Hunter Christmas mystery quilt called Christmas Lights that just started in Quiltmaker (July/Aug.2009)? The only thing that's throwing me off is all the black fabric. It's supposed to be a Christmas design but it sounds too dark.
I know I shouldn't doubt so much because all her mystery quilts have been lovely, especially the one from this past January which is going to be my mom's birthday present. It's only that she uses such small patches in her quilts - they're a lot of work. I'd like to be sure it's in agreement with my taste before I spend that much time on it. I guess I should trust.
I know I shouldn't doubt so much because all her mystery quilts have been lovely, especially the one from this past January which is going to be my mom's birthday present. It's only that she uses such small patches in her quilts - they're a lot of work. I'd like to be sure it's in agreement with my taste before I spend that much time on it. I guess I should trust.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Of parks and parking permits...
About 7 p.m. last night, after he had listened to the NPR news on the radio and read the local newspaper while sitting out on the patio (I was feeding the mooching birds and watering the flowers), my husband said "Want to go for a drive? I'd like to get out of the house for a while." The temperature, which had reached over 90, was dropping and the evening was pleasant, so I changed clothes and we left. Since we hadn't eaten yet, he suggested we grab a bite and take it to the park.
For dinner we decided to get sandwiches at a local BBQ joint. It's pretty unspectacular to look at, but produces fine barbecue. He got beef, I got pork and we both had side orders of potato salad (mustard type) and sweet tea (it's the South, after all). We drove down the road about two miles and turned into a park by the river. There was an easily accessible picnic table with a nice view of the water, so we settled down and ate while the sun set.
The sandwiches were marvelous, and the potato salad just about the best I've ever had from a restaurant. The tea was a little too sweet but that's to be expected. It seems the further south you go, the sweeter the iced tea is. And the park was perfect. There was a slight cooling breeze off the water, almost all the people had gone and it was quiet, peaceful and green. The perfect ending to a warm early summer day.
I have four great parks just a few miles from my house. Two are state parks, two are city parks, three are on the river and all are well maintained and well equipped. You can picnic at a shelter, swim, play tennis, jog, walk your dog, or just sit and listen to the water lap on the shore. What an improvement - we only knew of one park in the last larger city in the state we lived in and it was scary. If you check the map you'll find more parks now, but I wonder what they're like. The availability of safe, well kept green space in a even a small city is a mark of how community focused the municipal government is.
Now for parking. I need to renew my husband's handicap parking permit next month, and according to the instructions on the application, his doctor has to sign a form certifying his disability every time the placard is renewed. Says so right there on the form. So, I looked up the form online and printed it to take to the doctor. But, before I went further, I called the county office which issues the permits to be sure it was the right form, and as importantly, the right VERSION of the form. Hey, I worked for thirty years in a paperwork-hobbled industry where the revision number of the form was as important as the form number. I know the ropes when it comes to forms.
The phone was answered on the second ring, by an actual human, no less. This call had possibilities of not being too miserable, as calls to government offices go. When I asked to to verify I had the right version of the form, she said "But you don't need to refile the doctor's certification to renew the permit." I was puzzled. I reminded her that the form said differently. She continued to assert that I just needed to bring in the current parking permit and it would be renewed, no other documentation required. But she never actually stated where that interpretation of the law came from, and didn't verify that I had the right form, so does she have a clue?
Okay. . . which is right? I did another web search and am fairly sure the form is current. It's the same form we filed two years ago and says the same thing - new or renew, the doctor had to sign it. So either the lady answering the phone didn't know what she was talking about (gee, thanks state government - I REALLY appreciate the help) or the county office here doesn't enforce the state law. I'll go by the office tomorrow - it's close to my house anyway, so it's not a lot of excess driving around) but I'm betting that they will look at me like I'm an idiot and demand the proper paperwork. I already printed the form and composed a cover letter with an SASE to leave with it at the doctor's office for his certification, because I figure in the end we'll have to have it. This is why I hate dealing with bureaucracies.
For dinner we decided to get sandwiches at a local BBQ joint. It's pretty unspectacular to look at, but produces fine barbecue. He got beef, I got pork and we both had side orders of potato salad (mustard type) and sweet tea (it's the South, after all). We drove down the road about two miles and turned into a park by the river. There was an easily accessible picnic table with a nice view of the water, so we settled down and ate while the sun set.
The sandwiches were marvelous, and the potato salad just about the best I've ever had from a restaurant. The tea was a little too sweet but that's to be expected. It seems the further south you go, the sweeter the iced tea is. And the park was perfect. There was a slight cooling breeze off the water, almost all the people had gone and it was quiet, peaceful and green. The perfect ending to a warm early summer day.
I have four great parks just a few miles from my house. Two are state parks, two are city parks, three are on the river and all are well maintained and well equipped. You can picnic at a shelter, swim, play tennis, jog, walk your dog, or just sit and listen to the water lap on the shore. What an improvement - we only knew of one park in the last larger city in the state we lived in and it was scary. If you check the map you'll find more parks now, but I wonder what they're like. The availability of safe, well kept green space in a even a small city is a mark of how community focused the municipal government is.
Now for parking. I need to renew my husband's handicap parking permit next month, and according to the instructions on the application, his doctor has to sign a form certifying his disability every time the placard is renewed. Says so right there on the form. So, I looked up the form online and printed it to take to the doctor. But, before I went further, I called the county office which issues the permits to be sure it was the right form, and as importantly, the right VERSION of the form. Hey, I worked for thirty years in a paperwork-hobbled industry where the revision number of the form was as important as the form number. I know the ropes when it comes to forms.
The phone was answered on the second ring, by an actual human, no less. This call had possibilities of not being too miserable, as calls to government offices go. When I asked to to verify I had the right version of the form, she said "But you don't need to refile the doctor's certification to renew the permit." I was puzzled. I reminded her that the form said differently. She continued to assert that I just needed to bring in the current parking permit and it would be renewed, no other documentation required. But she never actually stated where that interpretation of the law came from, and didn't verify that I had the right form, so does she have a clue?
Okay. . . which is right? I did another web search and am fairly sure the form is current. It's the same form we filed two years ago and says the same thing - new or renew, the doctor had to sign it. So either the lady answering the phone didn't know what she was talking about (gee, thanks state government - I REALLY appreciate the help) or the county office here doesn't enforce the state law. I'll go by the office tomorrow - it's close to my house anyway, so it's not a lot of excess driving around) but I'm betting that they will look at me like I'm an idiot and demand the proper paperwork. I already printed the form and composed a cover letter with an SASE to leave with it at the doctor's office for his certification, because I figure in the end we'll have to have it. This is why I hate dealing with bureaucracies.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Recycling
I continue to be amazed at the steps my city is taking to support recycling and trash management. We have monthly curbside pickup of nearly all recyclables except glass (which as of September will become bi-monthly) and can take materials such as glass, aluminum, paper, steel, cardboard, used motor oil, fluorescent bulbs, computer/electronic equipment and batteries to multiple recycling convenience centers throughout the city. There is also a monthly disposal day for chemicals and paint, a burn pit for brush and tree trimmings and a disposal center for trash such as building materials. There is a monthly brush pickup, too, and you can schedule a bulky trash pickup like old appliances with a call or a visit to the city website.This is only one example of services from city where there are benefits in living inside the city limits, and you feel you get something for your city taxes.
This program seems very forward-thinking for a medium size southern city with a industrial past and reputation for pollution. Add the fact that they employ mentally-challenged adults from the local education and training center for children and adults with mental retardation and mental developmental problems and you get an effort which truly serves all citizens of the city.
Kudos to the city government for their actions (and thanks for the Recycle Right logo). I have lived in several cities and towns in the state and visited many more, and I have to say that this one is the best of the lot. I was a little apprehensive when I moved here, but it has turned out wonderfully. There are so many positive things about the city - services, parks and public areas, a recovering downtown and growing tourist attraction base to support it, decent crime levels, affordable real estate and cost of living.
Of course, there are issues - any place has them - but on the whole I feel that the city government is trying to get it right. Recently, I have been dismayed at the perks and incentives they have showered on a company to entice them to establish a manufacturing center here , but that's not unusual. Most cities anymore practically give away the farm to lure a new employer to town. I'm just hoping that it works out and brings in ancillary companies as forecast. We could use more semi-skilled jobs and it might even raise my property values!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The double wedding ring quilt at home
Since I didn't think to photograph it before it was wrapped and mailed, I thought I'd show a picture of the completed double wedding ring quilt that was a wedding gift for my brother-in-law T. and his new wife L. They brought us some photos when they visited us last weekend.
I'm thrilled with the way it turned out and hope they enjoy it for many years to come. Here's to you, T. and L.: we hope your life together is long and happy.
I'm thrilled with the way it turned out and hope they enjoy it for many years to come. Here's to you, T. and L.: we hope your life together is long and happy.
I'm not good at waiting
Remember this quilt? 
It's still only blocks stuck to my design wall. Why, you ask? I wanted to see what SuzGuz Designs' full quilt layout looked like before I committed to using my own heart and swag border (already designed and ready to go). The company said they were going to sell a center medallion pattern, which would make the quilt both bigger and more interesting than just an appliqued border, so I decided to wait.
It's still only blocks stuck to my design wall. Why, you ask? I wanted to see what SuzGuz Designs' full quilt layout looked like before I committed to using my own heart and swag border (already designed and ready to go). The company said they were going to sell a center medallion pattern, which would make the quilt both bigger and more interesting than just an appliqued border, so I decided to wait.And wait. And wait.
The last BOM block was released in December 2008. It's been five months and the completion pattern isn't published yet. This is a little irritating.
The company has released several new patterns since the first of the year and had quilt designs published in major magazines, so they're definitely out there working. So, why not throw a bone to those people who followed your BOM? It's not like they were going to give it out free, they were going to sell it. As in "revenue production" for the business. There's probably more people than only me waiting to see how they finished the quilt.
It's kind of a good-will killer. And it's a shame, because after I found the website, I, wonder of wonders, bought a pattern to make one of her quilt designs (binding currently being applied - photos to follow). Long time readers should know that I don't buy patterns. So, they actually made money from me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. In truth, I bought it, even though I could have figured it out myself, as a gesture of support for small quilt-related businesses.
Yoo hoo, SuzGuz Designs, where are you?
Yoo hoo, SuzGuz Designs, where are you?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Yellow Japanese Iris
These are the yellow irises that my sister-in-law gave me in March. The gentleman that lives across the street from my mother was digging and thinning an iris patch and knew that my sister-in-law loved gardening, so he gave her a heaping paper grocery bag of plants. She couldn't use all of them so she gave me five. I had just straightened out my side yard flower bed, so I planted them between the roses where they would get sun.
When she said yellow irises, I was thinking about the pale yellow bearded irises I had seen. I didn't know they were these vibrantly colored Japanese iris. The shade of yellow is quite spectactular, a bright lemon color.
Here's a close up of a bloom showing the color to best advantage. I hope these multiply and spread, because they are quite showy.
And here's a couple of pictures of the strange mushrooms which have sprouted near my oak tree during this wet weather. This one looks like something from an old B science fiction movie. 
And this one is the most beautiful orange color. Notice the nibble marks on the edge. I'm sure it would be poisonous to people, and now I'm worrying about the squirrels and chipmunks. No bodies have shown up yet, so hopefully they weren't harmed.
When she said yellow irises, I was thinking about the pale yellow bearded irises I had seen. I didn't know they were these vibrantly colored Japanese iris. The shade of yellow is quite spectactular, a bright lemon color.
Here's a close up of a bloom showing the color to best advantage. I hope these multiply and spread, because they are quite showy.And here's a couple of pictures of the strange mushrooms which have sprouted near my oak tree during this wet weather. This one looks like something from an old B science fiction movie. And this one is the most beautiful orange color. Notice the nibble marks on the edge. I'm sure it would be poisonous to people, and now I'm worrying about the squirrels and chipmunks. No bodies have shown up yet, so hopefully they weren't harmed.
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