Sunday, September 21, 2008

Miscellaneous Musings

Something from my Sewing Room
Here are two more little tape measures from my vintage sewing tools collection. The one on the right is much older--made of bone (the white spindle) and kokui (sp.?) nut, I think.

Lovely Linen
Linen is a favorite fabric of mine, despite its inherent wrinkling. It's easy to cut, sew, and press and comfortable to wear. Recently I spotted an interesting linen apron in a magazine I was reading and decided to enter the name of the company that produced it in Google to see if the company offered other similar products. Libeco was indeed online. The company is located in Belgium, near Bruges where I have visited (a lovely city where lacemaking still reigns supreme). The Libeco website offers a lovely, photo-illustrated discussion of how linen fibers are produced as well as some helpful care information. Visit
http://www.libeco.com/en/about-linen/from-flax%20to-linen.aspx

Armchair Adventures

I love how searching on the Internet leads you to forks in the road—like the Walt Whitman poem, The Road Less Traveled. Every time I visit a new website or blog, I find myself clicking on links and landing in new and unexpected places; I can while away an hour or more on these armchair journeys, but the creativity I see on screen is usually worth it. And sometimes I try to back-click my way to the original fork in the road, so to speak, so that I can take the other road and see where it leads! Talk about an easy armchair trip around the world! The Internet surely offers that if you're willing to exercise your clicking finger.

Here are some new interesting spots I found on my latest armchair adventures that you might want to check out if art quilts/quilting are of interest. Lots of inspiration in these spots!

http://twelveby12.blogspot.com/
http://www.twelveby12.org/water/index.html Check out the galleries on this site for inspiration.
http://candiedfabrics.wordpress.com/
http://www.quiltart.com/apc.html
http://nicquiltz.blogspot.com/
http://quiltspluscolor.blogspot.com/

Questions, I've Got Questions
I haven't done any sewing for the past few weeks—vacation in Colorado to visit my Mom and sister and catching up after vacation have eaten into my time. But, I have been sorting through the pile of magazines that arrived while I was away and in one of them I found an interesting set of questions posed to a current designer--one I'm not tuned into by the way. I thought I'd share those questions, plus a few I added, along with my answers. It was an interesting exercise, one you might like to try. Here are the questions and my answers. What might yours be?

Who is your favorite designer?
I don't have one. When I was younger, I loved to sew with Jeanne Muir patterns from Vogue.

If you could come back as a dress, what would it be?
A little black dress—always chic, always in fashion.

What's your favorite color?
Any shade of pink. It's so flattering to the complexion.

What's your favorite junk food?
Pringle's potato chips--I can't eat just one. Usually, the whole can disappears in a day--so I don't buy them very often, and then they are a real treat.

What are you most vain about?

I can't think of anything, other than trying to always look my best when I'm out in public.

What are you most shy about?
Entering a room where I don't know a soul.

If you could have somebody else's body, whose would it be?
Raquel Welch or Catherine Zeta-Jones; no actually, mine, just 20# slimmer!

Who are your fantasy dinner guests?
Oprah Winfrey, Louisa May Alcott, Barack and Michelle Obama, James Michener, Robert Redford, Coco Chanel, Paul Poiret, Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonarda DaVinci, Beverly Sills, Annie LaMott

Who do you most admire?
My mother

What's your favorite non-alcoholic beverage?
Starbucks Mocha (nonfat, no-whip, 2 pumps, extra hot)

What's your favorite soft drink?
Coca-Cola

Favorite alcoholic beverage?
A glass of Merlot—one's enough

Underwear of choice?
Sexy and comfortable, with a bit of lycra for support.

What can't you travel without?
My cosmetic kit—simple though it is.

Last book you read?
Plum Wine

What's the one thing you should be doing more of?

Exercise!!!!!


What's the one thing you want to do more of?

Sing and take singing lessons again


Any pets?
None

What's for breakfast?
Kashi cereal with 1% milk

What did you want to be at age 7?
A Catholic nun

Do you have any superstitions?
None

What's your biggest self indulgence?
Having my nails done every two weeks

Favorite place to shop
Wherever I can find what I want at a bargain price

If you were an inventor, what would you invent?
A sewing machine that could cook! No, seriously, a very low-cost efficient method of transportation that would be available to everyone at no cost to the environment

What's your favorite car?
Anything that looks presentable, runs well, gets decent mileage, and gets me where I need to go.

What was your childhood nickname(s)?
Bar-b-que, Spider Legs, Bibsie

When and where are you happiest?
Snuggling, talking, and laughing with my sweetie—my husband.

What was the best day of your life--so far?
The day I met my wonderful husband, followed by the day we married in 2006.

What is your most cherished accomplishment?
Setting and completing the goal to give a personal vocal recital before my 55th birthday!

Who's you best friend?
My sweet husband

Who's your worst enemy?
Don't have one

What piece of art would you like to own?
Anything by Monet or Mary Cassatt

What’s your favorite vacation spot?
Wherever I am at the time--being in the moment

Who's your favorite fictional character?
Jo of
Little Women

What is your favorite poem?
Barter by Sara Teasdale...Life has lovliness to sell, All beautiful and splendid things....

What's your most treasured possession?
My life and my US citizenship

Who's your favorite musician?
No one favorite—too many to name

If you weren't a writer, who would you be?
A famous world-traveling photo journalist

What's your biggest fashion regret?
Looking back, wearing the absolute wrong thing for a job interview—but I got the job anyway
Favorite trend of all time?
Loved large loose sweaters over skinny-legged pants or leggings

Worst trend of all time?
Football pad shoulder pads and "big hair." The Afro do wasn't very becoming either--at least not on me!

How would you describe yourself in five words or less?
A creative, practical romantic

Always…
Brush and floss your teeth—and pay yourself first.

Never…
Put yourself down.
Until next time,
Keep sewing and smiling!
Barbara

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
Mother Teresa

2 comments:

Kay Koeper Sorensen said...

Thank you Barbara for mentioning my Quilts + Color blog.
I'd also like to thank you for mentioning the Altered Playing Card swap I facilitated.

http://www.quiltart.com/apc.html

I certainly enjoyed your new post and enjoyed your comments on likes, dislikes etc.
K

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by the Twelve by Twelve Collaborative Art Quilt Project blog. If you haven't already done so, do leave a comment to go into our draw for some special notecards. While you are at it, you can vote in our poll for your favourite collaborative quilt mosaic!