Seeing the USA with my pals

We left Portland, OR at 7am today and are now cozily settled in our hotel in Twin Falls, ID, having traveled 555 miles. Pledges are still coming in for EarthShare's clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

A pledge of $1.00 per each state we travel through and will post our end result July 15, 2010. You can then pledge directly to EarthShare. Follow us on my facebook page (Maude May) or via twitter (maudeanne). Hope you come along with Robin, Jeanette and me to New Hampshire!

Guess what? It is raining AGAIN!

Well, it's raining . . . again. Good thing the garden loves this weather, 'cause it's driving me nuts.

80th birthday celebration - a lovely afternoon

the fabulous Shelley sisters before the party

(L-R) Laura (the baby girl), Virginia (the birthday girl),

Jeanie (the middle girl)

Participating in the planning of Virginia's 80th birthday party was such a honor. I love that she refers to me as her 'adopted daughter.' Attending the party and meeting many of her oldest friends was a delight. The weather cooperated and a good time was had by all.

we got all the flowers at Trader Joe's - calla lilies,

sunflowers

and more

delicious cakes, filled with cream and strawberries - so yummy

favors for all - matchbooks with Virginia's photo at age 15

Virginia says, "My dear friend, you are matchless!"

purple, orange and yellow balloons greeted the guests

as they entered the clubhouse

Adding more color to our world

Labels - more interesting than the garment

the yellow button

Browsing through stores and checking out stuff is a favorite past time. I don't have to buy, but I so enjoy looking at all the small details. Lately I've become interested in labels and how much more captivating they can be than the garments to which they are attached. Sometimes it seems as though the manufacturer's creativity is focused more on the label than the clothing. Resisting the urge to covertly snip out several of these charming examples posed a real challenge during my last shopping sojourn.

little blue flowers

loved this little map

this mermaid clothing only comes in one size

loved the embroidery on this very elaborate label

80th Birthday and quilt finally finished!

birthday invite front

Leaving on the train later today to Portland, then driving to Medford to celebrate Virginia's 80th birthday on Saturday. She is my brother's mother-in-law, but has graciously 'adopted' my family and we love her dearly. We sent out over 100 invitations to her friends from all over the country and about 100 people are coming, even her high school sweetheart! This Picasso quote fits her to a "T." She's one of the most energetic people I know. We feel so fortunate to be a part of her life and this momentous occasion.

hand quilting details

On a totally different note: I finally finished a lap quilt for my sweet daughter. It's been in the making forever. Thanks to extended TV viewing of World Cup Soccer games, I was able to complete the hand quilting on Monday evening. Yesterday I purchased fabric for the binding and sewed it on.

More photos later after I grab the quilt back from my girl, who's snuggling with it as I write. It feels really fantastic to get completion on this project, especially since I've got fabric to make another quilt!

sewing on the binding - cute fabric with seahorses

Go for coffee, get photos, too!

pointy house-like industrial buildings are my studio neighbors

As of late, our weather has been bizarre, even for Seattle. Going for coffee, a few mornings ago, the sky was so blue and full of puffy clouds. In the time it took me to get my java and purchase a magazine, the sky turned furiously black and rain pelted down. Stuck at Fred Meyer until I could walk back to the studio, I took some photos. After 10 minutes, the rain ceased and the sun peaked out again.

loved the graphic on these orange boxes

melons look like coconuts

gerberra daisies always remind me of crayola crayons

French junk is much more interesting

wooden letter press characters

I can't believe it's been a little over a month since I was in Paris at the Saturday flea market south of the city. Many wonderful (and unusual) items called to me, begging for my assistance in their quest to immigrate to the US of A. Unfortunately, my budget only allowed for looking, and occasionally touching, but very little buying. My sole purchase – a late 19th century photograph of two children dressed in their Sunday best.

I was most attracted to the arrangements of multiple objects: billiard balls, dolls, arms, letters, buttons, etc. I plan to make transfers of many of my photos, incorporating them into sewn collage pieces.

porcelain dolls under glass and a yellow bus

cast iron arms for heaven only knows what

mother & daughter?

fantastic bin of billiard balls, but 5 euros each

Wish You Were Here Postcard Exchange

postcard front

Gina of Rich Inner Life, a blog I enjoy, organized a postcard exchange. The rules stated that the card should be "from the place where you live and include a personal note about the place ... why you live there things to do if you visit, etc.".

Starting with a vintage postcard of Mt. Rainier, I added some of my own photos and drawings and my favorite part of the Seattle Times - the weekly weather forecast featuring the Space Needle. Jacquard ribbon, a Chinese fortune, a catalog photo of wooden birds and the border from an Italian map add the finishing touches. The front and back were created separately and then zig-zag sewn together.

postcard back

Creating my vision of Seattle and listing some of the reasons why I love it here was fun. This postcard will mail in a clear glassine envelope, to (hopefully) insure that it arrives in good condition to my recipient across the sea.

A to Z: always looking for letters

it always begins with "A"

these metal letter hooks at our beach house spell

O C E A N and the salt air has rusted them to a lovely red/brown

Typography - I love it, whatever the medium, whatever the font. While browsing through Anthropologie last week, I went on type visual-overload. A client meeting prompted me to leave before I'd photographed to my heart's content. Guess I'll just have to go back . . .

never can resist the "M"s

a "B" for my sweetheart

and ends with "Z"

Whimsical details that make me smile

fence at the Sorbonne

Decorative details, in both architecture and furniture, are often subjects for my photography. I am fascinated by the way artists and craftspeople enhance seemingly ordinary objects with non-functional decorations. These fanciful elements, which apparently have no task other than to catch my eye (and everyone else's), contribute beauty and whimsy and add so much to our visual landscape. I, for one, am most appreciative.

staircase at Versailles

mirror at Anthropologie

Anthropologie, always offering awesome photographic opportunities

paper skirt display

reminds me of sky blue popsicles from the Good Humor man

the skirt was is at least seven feet tall

Wandering through Anthropologie often prompts me to pull out my Iphone and start snapping away. The store's designers are so dang clever; using simple materials to create unusual displays. Their web page description: A sensory shopping experience for connoisseurs of unique beauty, rings so true. Yesterday I was captivated by a head-less mannikin (featuring a sleeveless red sweater) with this amazing skirt of delicately dyed paper.

their attention to detail delights me

got so stuck on the skirt, I never photographed the sweater

Iphone photo apps - which is best?

straight Iphone photo

It's Spring cleaning time at my studio, so of course I'm procrastinating. I just downloaded a new photo app, Shakeit, and wanted to compare it to my other photo apps (Best Camera and Hipstamatic) by photographing the same subject. The view finder for each application is slightly different, hence the varied views. I also have PSMobile, but except for cropping, which is a very useful function, I don't use it a lot. A clever way of artistically avoiding my cleaning duties, don't you think?

Shakeit photo

I like them all - for different reasons. All of these cheap thrills can be had for very little money: Shakeit - 99¢, Best Camera - $2.99, Hipstamatic - $1.99 (has other accessories that you can buy for more moo-laa) and PSMobile - free. Which image do you like best?

Hipstamatic photo

best camera - using the jewel setting

Tea Cozy finished - here it is

the finished cozy - keeping the pot hot

leaves ready for hand-sewing and the naked tea pot

Now that my brother has received his belated Christmas present, I can show the finished project. His favorite teapot is very plump and has an unusual knob-like handle. At first I was stumped as how to deal with both the handle and the shape, but finally came up with a solution that not only covers the pot but is also easy to get on and off. This flat, un-shaped design lends itself well to the pot's unique shape and gave me ample opportunity to indulge my embroidery passions.

The outside materials are wool felt (from Magic Cabin and my stash), cotton embroidery floss and buttons. The inside lining is soft Anna Maria Horner cotton flannel that I purchased at Bolt in Portland (there's also a bit of this fabric on the outside of the cozy). The lovely bee ribbon was purchased at Nancy's Sewing Basket, one of my favorite Seattle fabric shops.

The embroidered quote: The best quality tea must be wet and soft, like a fine earth newly rain-swept, my abbreviated adaptation of a Chinese proverb.

detail - showing the opening for the pot lid knob

here's how the knob fits through the top of the cozy

and lots of French knots, a favorite embellishment technique

detail - front button closure

detail of back - these glass buttons are just for show