Category: Crazy-Fun Files (Page 4 of 11)

Pandemic Potpourri #1

April 3, 2020 / laura bruno lilly

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could do with getting lost in trivialities. Making small talk with strangers, while waiting for my coffee to be made, about inconsequential things. Nothing of importance that mean everything.” Andy Murray

Thanks for the inspiration, Andy and welcome all to the first of my new series Pandemic Potpourri. Herein I will blog, and commenters can comment, without feeling guilty about seeming to disregard the seriousness of our present COVID-19 Reality.
In other words, this space is reserved for escaping Reality – however that translates. Anything goes, so here goes!

Sign newly planted in the grass across the street from where we live:

I’ve been dying to do some baking lately – and took advantage of a straggling cooler day to bake up a batch of my “Laura’s Lovelies” *. I really wanted to share these with the neighbors, but honestly, if anyone gave us something homemade, would I trust their level of COVID Cleanliness enough to eat them? So, hubby and I ~~ate some of them~~ ate too many of them before I froze the remainder of the batch in packets of 3…guess who gets the second helping?

Cookies and Clorox

On our side of the street (across from that Margarita Curbside Sign) there is a fresh produce stand that also sells Christmas trees starting November 10th each year and then bedding plants starting the end of March. Their new stock of Gerbera Daisies caught my eye and I just couldn’t resist…

Gerbera Daisies newly planted on our front porch:

Wishing all of us a great weekend!

*Thusly named by Amy-next-door, during a ‘circle’ block party in the old neighborhood ~ Lafayette, CO circa 1988

ToDoTuesdaySix

February 25, 2020 / laura bruno lilly

It’s been 19 weeks since my last ToDoTuesday post*.
Here’s my first in 2020!
~~~
On-going goals since October 15^th, 2019:

Work on Michelle’s lime green African Fabric wall hanging in progress
Sew up scraps have on hand in progress
Practice free motion quilting in progress
~~~

How to use my growing stash of glorious authentic African fabrics without compromising the scale of design? That question is always the number one concern whenever I pull out those lengths of fabrics for consideration of use in a ‘special’ quilt project. Stumped for a satisfactory solution, I usually end up draping them over armchairs, the couch and the living room floor admiring their textures, rich colorations, and design elements. Soaking in their exotic vibes, breathing in their subtle, yet specific cloth scents – all feeding my imagination, yet still coming up short on a way through my dilemma.
And then, Along Comes Mary** …from Zippy Quilts! A few months ago, she posted a quilt design that seemed to answer that question. For one set of fabrics at least.

Cote d’Ivoire/Woodin fabric selvages

The latest yardage given to me by our middle daughter acquired during her last PhD trip to Cote d’Ivoire included a deliciously vibrant patterned Woodin material paired with a complimentary solid lime green waxy-shiny chintz fabric. The solid fabric is not African, but commonly added as a free component in the sale. Interestingly, this is because all dresses are sewn with linings. Michelle told the vendor she wasn’t going to have the material made into a dress, but he insisted it was part of the deal, regardless.

Floating Block Lattice wall-hanging top

Using the two together, this is the completed wall-hanging top. At this stage I can safely roll it up and pack it away to be finished at a later date. Meanwhile, I have a roadmap figured out for the next steps needed to finish this project:

I’ll be using the 80/20 batting to help stabilize the two fabrics under the needle when I do the machine quilting (the lime green chintz is thinner than the more densely woven African fabric)
Quilting pattern inspired by the gold streaks in the African fabric – as an all over design on lime green fabric with lime green thread and gold metallic thread as accents on some of the gold streaks on the African fabric
Binding is still up for grabs as is an actual backing fabric

Scrappy sewing is my favorite type of piecing!

As most of you know, I am a scrap-lover and enjoy sewing up the bits & odd shapes leftover from on-going projects on a regular basis. Heck, I even pull out old scraps from my scrap stash to fiddle with as a tension reliever! In this instance, I decided to use only the scraps generated from these two fabrics in the construction of the wall-hanging top.
I think they look quite artistic for such minimal effort on my part – yet with great therapeutic payback in the doing of it!
Speaking of therapy, on a whim, I picked up one of my made-from-scraps quilt sandwich samples to practice my free-motion quilting skills. This has been a frustrating technique for me to feel comfortable with, but it calls to me often to keep at it!
Well, to my surprise and delight, this impromptu session yielded a break through! My hand direction/foot pedal co-ordination/stitching speed miraculously fell into sync where the whirls of design took on a life of its own…what a thrill!
That’s it for now!

~~~
ToDo for the weeks following February 25^th:

Continue on-going goals

Thank you Roseanne for this opportunity to share and reflect

And thank you Zippy for showing off my completed top on your blog

*Geesh, almost sounds like a confession…Bless me Father for I have sinned. It’s been X weeks since my last confession…Just sayin’.
**This link leads to the YouTube of the song (give it a listen, it’s only about 2 minutes long) – which Zippy will no doubt recall listening to back in the day 🙂

Friendly Faces, Random Ramblings

January 29, 2020 / laura bruno lilly

Friendly Faces

How’s this for a cutie patootie picture – friendly faces – to greet you during the reading of my latest post?
Don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the little girl in the video featured in the previous post wore some fun glasses…and don’t ya know, but they reminded me of my ‘new’ glasses.
Say what? Do tell, Laura. (Oh, my goodness, those friendly faces also speak…)
Last October, I went to the eye doctor for a new prescription as it’d been almost 4 years since I’d had my eyes examined. While the frames were still functional, I decided to splurge on a new pair and use the almost 15-year-old ones as spares.
You’re nothing if not frugal, lady.

My new purple-y glasses, October 2019

Too true. But to continue…
Almost immediately my gaze fell upon a purple-y pair that weren’t in-your-face purple, but just the right combo of color, design and shape to give a ‘natural face lift’ to this just turned 65-year-old visage.
Shhhh! Now you gone and done it, everyone knows your age.

i-am-what-i-am-and-thats-all-that-i-am Popeye Quote

…and as Popeye says…

“Piffle!” (as Ma used to say)
And: “I am what I am, and that’s all that I am.” (as Popeye says)
Okay, we get it, you feel comfortable in your own skin (no matter its state of sag or wrinkle)…can we just move on?
Sure, but for being ‘friendly faces’ you guys do exude a certain air of edginess. Just sayin’…
Scroll up to early November and that’s when I became obsessed with obtaining my “MERRY COFFEE” special edition free cup from Starbucks (even though I can’t stand their coffee!).

Morning Pages 11/7/2019

(Morning Pages transcription)
Thursday, November 7^th, 2019
~5:45 AM eastern time
11/07/19

I set myself a goal for this morning and achieved it! Starbucks’ limited offer on a special free Red Cup marking the start of their holiday seasonal menu – The cups go fast & soooo – I decided to get there at store opening – Maybe even be 1^st in line!

Well.

There was no line…but I got in at opening & was 1^st customer of the day @ 5:03:01 AM! HA!
Walked out with a hot choco, cuppa java & lemon pound cake (for TWL) and My Red Cup!

Purple-y glasses, red cups, lemon yellow pound cake…is there a point to all of this?

You betchya, baby faces!

Me, my new glasses and my Merry Coffee Cup on the porch, Christmas Day 2019

I Truly Do Confess

December 5, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

A mere seven days ago – a full week ago – I innocently took my first bite of an Edwards Special Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Crème Pie.
I am not one for Pumpkin Pie, but I do take that obligatory bite on Thanksgiving for tradition’s sake.
However. This year?
Let’s just say I finished it off Wednesday, December 4^th, 2019. Slice-by-single-slice.
…all except one slice that hubby ate and liked that fateful Thanksgiving Day last week but which left me with six leftover slices because it didn’t agree with him.
Leaving me to fend for myself against over consumption temptation.
Oh, but like the advert says:

“Seize the holidays with a decadent new tradition – velvety layers of real cream cheese and pumpkin spice crowned with a double layer of whipped crème rosettes on a fresh-from-the-oven vanilla cookie crumb crust. Oh. My. Gourd.”

So. I did. Seize the (holi)days. Slice-by-single-slice.
…except on Wednesday – I had two slices. The second-to-the-last in the AM and the last in the PM.
So glad it’s a Limited Edition – I truly do confess.

ToDoTuesdayFive

October 15, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

It’s been three weeks since my last ToDoTuesday post. Here’s the latest.

(A Reminder of) My goals for the week of September 24^th through October 1^th:

Add sequin detail to PF eye √ done, sign/sew quilt label √ done
Work on post about music score edit process in progress
Get ready for out-of-town trip! √ done and back!

My PFWHK handmade label amidst a flock of PF’s.

All things must come to an end. In this case it is all things Pink Flamingo. The PFWHK is done and done! I am very tempted to hang her up facing the wall to show off the backing fabric and my snazzy label. But she has her eye on me…no can do. HA!

PF sequin eye detail

Our out-of-town trip was action packed. Not so much sight seeing as visiting family and investigating areas for us to relocate. More on that in a later post. Meanwhile, here are some family photos.

The Guys: my cousin Kayden (Gail’s son), my hubby Terry, Uncle Dennis (my Dad’s younger brother)

The Gals: Aunt Adua, me, my cousin Gail

As for that music score edit process post? It’s definitely ~~in the works~~ DONE. To catch a glimpse of the beginning of the process involved, take a look at this post I wrote in 2015. Yikes, has it really been that long ago I started entering my hand scored compositions onto NOTION?
While not mentioned on the goals listed above, the number of actual score edits becoming “Final Finals” now total 6 pieces. Including the Mo Giolla Mear piece featured in the 2015 blog post. This is a big leap in the completion of that portion of my Swimming with Swans:the music project and is worth noting.

~~~

My creativity trinity* is as follows: fiber art – MUSIC – writing. Each is intertwined with the other, offering needful respites between projects which in turn aid in the completion of various Works-In-Progress as new perspectives appear from such respites. Ultimately, it’s all about the music but tracking fiber art Works-In-Progress is lots easier to communicate in such a setting as this – hence the linky-party connection.

* a term I recently invented

ToDoTuesdayFour

September 24, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

I’m thinking 2 weeks between ToDoTuesday posts reflects the beat of my creative biorhythm. Thanks again to Roseanne for sponsoring this opportunity to share and reflect.

~~~

Add sequin detail to eye on PFWHK Ø and apply binding √
Get ready for out-of-town trip N/A – rescheduled for next week

I enjoy the process involved with binding a quilt. The construction & ironing of the binding strips, to the attaching of the strips to the neatly squared raw edges of the quilt with the best product to hit this quilter’s tool bag: binding clips; to machine sewing the binding onto the quilt – mitering corners with finesse, then turning it all in position to clip in place for the final stage of hand sewing with a blind stitch.
Yes, I do enjoy the process, but I always forget how much time such a ‘simple’ task stated as ‘bind the quilt’ takes. Added to that this time around, I had to be extra diligent in squaring the quilted, finished pre-printed fabric panel before beginning with the actual binding process. My, what a lot of fuss and fidgeting was involved with all of that!
In such circumstances, it becomes glaringly obvious how I am so not a patient person – but I am a person who wants stuff done as close to perfection as is humanly possible.
Not the most enabling and/or compatible combo of character traits.
Now all that’s left is to sign and sew a label on the back, figure out how to hang it, and oh yes, get after that sequin detail on the Pink Flamingo’s eye.

The PFWHK and Maddy

Because our trip was rescheduled, I was left with some unexpected and unstructured but welcome time available to use as I chose. I ended up blazing through some immensely satisfying and productive times on the practice stool with Maddy. Proving once again the profound effect each slice of my creativity trinity has on the other.

~~~

ToDo for the week of September 24th – October 1st:

Add sequin detail to PF eye, sign/sew quilt label
Work on post about music score edit process
Get ready for out-of-town trip!

*a term I invented recently

ToDoTuesdayThree

September 10, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

It’s been 2 weeks since my latest ToDoTuesday post. It’s nice to be back for a check-in. Thanks, Roseanne for sponsoring this opportunity to participate each week!

~~~

Finish “Christmas Medley” and start another NOTION score-edit piece √
Finish PFWHK vertical quilting, start 3-D portion of project, figure out something special to add to PF’s eye (button, sequins?) √
Enjoy a time to snuggle down and read newest novel(s) √
If it’s cool enough (big IF), share some porch-time with hubby and a glass of Chardonnay (me), Beaujolais (him) √

Ahemmm, all those 2-week-old items have check marks after them. Yes, they are Done!
As mentioned before, a dedicated post is forthcoming on the score-editing process, but for now, suffice it to say “Christmas Medley” is finished with another score-edit begun and close to being finished.

Notice the binding clips used to keep piece neatly rolled up during stitching?

As for the PFWHK. I discovered my favorite binding clips worked well in keeping this small project neatly rolled up while finishing the vertical quilting and adding the 3-D feathers to the piece.
The instructions on how to attach those 3-D feathers to the Pink Flamingo Body were spotty at best, so I devised my own method. Instead of pinning (as suggested) the stiff triangles onto the quilted thickness of the PFWHK, I used the ¼ quilters tape to hold them in place. Also suggested was to straight stitch them ‘close to the edge’.
Ick.

quarter in. tape used to hold feathers in place and blanket stitching

Yet another use for 1/4 inch tape – holding 3D feathers in place during blanket stitching on machine

Instead, I used a blanket stitch. This covered the exposed raw edge of the 3-D feathers, adding strength as well as a more finished look to the overall application.
I have to say, I am thrilled with the way the ‘double’ batting experiment is unfolding. It handles well under the needle and is beginning to show promise as a desirable aesthetic (enough weight to hang well, with enough poofyness to show off quilting details).

The PFWHK – ready for the final touches

~~~

ToDo for the week of September 10^th through September 16^th:

Add sequin detail to eye on PFWHK and apply binding.
Get ready for out-of-town trip

*a term I invented recently

ToDoTuesdayTwo

August 27, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

Even though I feel like there’s not much to report, I’m chiming in on this week’s linky-party for the sake of continuity. And, remember, Roseanne at Home Sewn by Us who sponsors this says it’s okay however I decide to participate!

~~~

My creativity trinity* is as follows: fiber art – MUSIC – writing. Each is intertwined with the other, offering needful respites between projects which in turn aid in the completion of various Works-In-Progress as new perspectives appear from such respites. Ultimately, it’s all about the music but tracking fiber art Works-In-Progress is lots easier to communicate in such a setting as this and hence the linky-party connection.

My goals for the week from August 20^th through August 26^th:

Continue edits on various NOTION scores √ – “Christmas Medley” almost finished and soon to move onto another score-edit
Finish PFWHK Ø – decidedly not finished!
Maybe have something to post on next week’s ToDo Tuesday linky party √ – today’s posting is evidence of this!

Yes, I worked on NOTION score edits for the “Christmas Medley” piece and realized I needed to de-clutter the score by 80% of previously inserted information. There is a delicate balance in music scoring between suggested fingerings and performance directions and OCD control of the performers every interpretation of the musical score. The fact that I de-cluttered a slew of fingerings shows I am closer to completion than before. In fact, with this particular piece, I have only to recheck for notation mistakes (think of this as being like ‘spell-checking’ the score) and add the fun stuff like title, arranger/name, date, copyright and dedication (if so choose to do). Then it is done and onto another piece to score-edit.
The PFWHK is not finished. Duh. In fact, as I continued with the vertical machine quilting, I found myself making dumb mistakes. So, I wisely decided to quit while I was ahead. Meaning: I did a few lines of reverse-sewing and set the PFWHK aside for another day/week. The interesting thing of note here is that the reverse-sewing (okay, seam-stitch ripping out!) went smoothly and left absolutely no small holes in the fabric top or back. I think that is due to two things: 1- the quality of the fabric itself and 2- the use of fine 60 wt thread in the bobbin.

~~~~

ToDo for the week of August 27^th through September 3^rd:

Finish “Christmas Medley” and start another NOTION score-edit piece
Finish PFWHK vertical quilting, start 3-D portion of project, figure out something special to add to PF’s eye (button, sequins?)
Enjoy a time to snuggle down and read newest novel(s)
If it’s cool enough (big IF), share some porch-time with hubby and a glass of Chardonnay (me), Beaujolais (him)

* a term I invented recently

6 for 6

August 24, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

I have to admit, 6 days in a row of posts is taxing! Here it is day six of 6 years on WP.org and I still haven’t a clue as to what to do for a Finale. That’s the performer in me, always thinking in terms of set lists, intros, outros and yes…Finales. But the ‘winging it’ aspect seems to suggest completing this self-imposed challenge more along the lines of an improvisational finish.
I’m gonna go with that, then. Here is a Haiku I just now thought up – enjoy and thanks for joining with me in this 6 day bloggoversary celebration!

Courage walks Into.
Holding Onto – Hope. Belief.
Clinging Onto – Love.
laura bruno lilly

PLUTO my favorite planet next to Mars…

August 23, 2019 / laura bruno lilly

When I was growing up I had an imaginary friend. Her name was Zelda. Zelda was a witch. That’s right, this little half-Italian Catholic girl had an imaginary witch-friend. She flew on a broom stick and traveled to oh so many places I could never go. Like Pluto. Actually, Zelda lived on the planet Pluto.
Pluto, my favorite planet next to Mars…
When I was an 8^th grader in what was then called Jr. High, I entered the science fair. It was kind of a new thing in the 60s, not at all required for students as part of any pre-set curriculum.
My project was an in-depth study of – you guessed it – the planet Mars. I won several firsts and seconds and ultimately made it through district with an Honorable Mention. That HM meant I couldn’t go on to ‘state’, but it was still quite a feat! Back then, this thirteen-year-old school girl scientist didn’t know that it was considered unusual for a girl to be interested in math and science.
Scroll up a few decades to the 21^st century.
When New Horizons was launched in 2006, hubby and I kept periodic tabs on its journey. As the internet improved, so did the ease with which we were able to keep up with all the photos and info NASA had to offer. The Jupiter fly-by photos in 2007 awed and inspired the world – talk about in-your-face beauty.
Early on in the mission, it came out that Queen’s Brian May is also Dr. Brian May the astrophysicist. Because he was dubbed an official “science team collaborator” to the New Horizons Team, I scrutinized his collaborations to see if rock stardom would overshadow scientific curiosity.
I was not disappointed, Dr. Brian is the real deal on both counts.
I’m confident he helped advance the cause of math and science showing nerdiness to be on a par with rock stardom.

Pluto & Charon from New Horizons

By late 2014 New Horizons began its Pluto encounter, rapidly entering into its approach phase to the planet. The infamous Pluto fly-by began in July 2015 while it was a mere 7,800 miles above the surface of Pluto. That’s just 601 miles above Santa Fe, NM in terms of an Earth distance comparison!
Because of this close encounter of the (formerly) 9^th kind*, a map of Pluto was compiled featuring names recognizing people of significance to Pluto. Approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in September 2017, it includes an area named after an 11-year old girl.

Map of Pluto with features approved by the IAU, September 2017

Burney crater honors Venetia Burney (1918-2009), who as an 11-year-old schoolgirl suggested the name “Pluto” for Clyde Tombaugh’s newly discovered planet. Later in life she taught mathematics and economics.
I wonder if Zelda ever visited Venetia as a young child growing up in Oxford, England back in the day?
*Pluto was considered to be the 9^th planet in our solar system back when I was a child…now it is classified as a Dwarf Planet.
Pluto photo credit, Pluto map credit

note: this is for day five of my 6 years on WP.org posts