SUMMERTIME BLUES

Finally I am reporting in from Arizona! I thought I would spend more time on the computer, but it has been busy here. My brother and his wife came from Minnesota for a few days and we have lots of relatives to visit here, including my dad. Last time I was here I mentioned the cool Mexican tiles at my favorite restaurant, Tia Rosa's. I took a couple pictures of them, and of my dear old dad sitting in front of them. Does he look happy or crazy? Well, maybe a little of each. That's what I love about him--he is happy AND crazy! He is doing very well now after having blood sugar and oxygen problems earlier in the year. He turned 85 in February. Now that the weather is so nice here-in the 90's, he goes to the pool every day and swims, does water aerobics and then worships the sun for a while. He LOVES the sun! So he is all tan and healthy looking. How do you like that jazzy shirt he is wearing? He brought me three new pair of pants to hem for him. A pair of gray, a pair of canary yellow, and a pair of persimmon. Nothing shy about my dad! Have I mentioned that I adore him?

A while back I showed pictures of this quilt in progress. The primary fabrics are from the Prairie Paisley line by Minick and Simpson, from MODA. I finally completed the quilt top and took it over to my wonderful quilter who happens to reside here in Mesa. I dropped off two others as well that she will have completed for me before I go home. Pictures of those will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, this quilt is made from the Patchalot Pattern's Wintergreen design. I have dubbed it Summertime Blues. I will show it again once it is quilted, but couldn't resist posting a photo of it draped across the bushes in my son's front yard.

My aunt loaned me a wonderful little book called The Quilters, by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen. It has been around for years, but is new to me. I loved it! It is a compilation of interviews with quilters. The introduction says this: "This book is about a group of women who make quilts in Texas and New Mexico. They are our ancestors. We sought them out because we were interested in their art. We bought quilts from them, sold quilts for them, and in the process became so impressed with their wisdom and strength as individuals that we wanted to record what we could of their lives. Through them we came to know our grandmothers and mothers, and finally to know ourselves. Through long conversations, visits, shared work, we got a sense of our history we had not before experienced." This book is a little treasure, and a tribute to those women who have gone before us and whose work and art we carry forward. I love connecting with our roots! I bet you will love it too!

Bye for now! --Marcie