What a beautiful, serene piece. You are right Susan, our styles are so very different. There is a simplicity in all of your pieces that clearly distinguishes all of your pieces as yours. When I look at the entire 7 months of our work, I can tell every single piece that you made and every piece that Elizabeth made. I know Elizabeth had in the back of her mind that we would try to display these after they are all completed. I think we should try to do that.

What I am most happy about with the whole challenge, is that I have come up with several spinoff ideas from some of my doodlings with the original months' pieces. Should keep me busy for a while.

We are up this early today to run a few errands and most importantly, to go to Cord Camera's scrapbooking center and try to sign up for a photography class. I am trying to get dh involved in something cerebral as he finds his way around retirement. I am hoping that part of their class will involve photoshop. If I could just get a little guidance on playing and maneuvering layers, I could carry out more of my ideas. I just get so frustrated with the complexity of the layers part of the program!

Congratulations on posting your first photo solo. I know that the baby steps on computer stuff are huge--it took me awhile to figure out the navigation rules for this blogsite. Even now, I manage to mess up when I am trying to edit my stuff before publishing.

Oh my gosh, I think I finally, after 6 months, have figured out how to post a photo! Here is the text I have on the piece:

Nature never did betray

The heart that loved her; ‘tis her privilege,

Through all the years of this our life, to lead

From joy to joy: for she can so inform

The mind that is within us, so impress

With quietness and beauty, and so feed

With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,

Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,

Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all

The dreary intercourse of daily life,

Shall e’er prevail against us, or disturb

Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold

Is full of blessings.

William Wordsworth

Wow, Linda, you really did hit the jackpot. It makes me want to run over to my JoAnn's just to see what I can find. I haven't been there since June, before we left for vacation. Right now I am going to attempt to get my July piece onto the blog without having to make Elizabeth do it. Susan

The jackpot

I went to JoAnns today just to snoop around the remnants bin. I found a piece of chiffon with a beautiful swirly print on it in deep blues. It had several white marks on it, the size of a pencil eraser, that were clearly a defect. I got 75% off the price of the piece.
As I was negotiating this deal, a woman had a bolt of the same fabric in greens that she was having cut. The fabric was sticking to the end of the bolt. Upon inspection, the counter ladies realized that the fabric (made in India) had been glued to the cardboard. When it is peeled off the cardboard, there are white splotches left. The woman left and did not want any of the green she had selected.
I promptly spoke up for the damaged part of the green colorway of this fabric also. I got a yard and a half of each colorway for $2.50. My head had already conjured up the next challenge piece using these little gems. The sole purpose of the trip was to look for remnants of slinky fabrics to use for the second arc piece of my miniseries. I found several of those as well. My other huge find of the day were several 5 yard roles of organza in all the beautiful colors that work with the India fabrics, each for $2.50. That must be my lucky number for the day.

And so I am off to the studio to fondle the newbies and begin to construct my August piece.

I will be teaching two days of surface design and embellishment techniques- everything from photo transfer to silk fusion to painting on fabric. Susan

I had fun doing this one. My friend Bobbie gave me this card for my birthday and the wording was so perfect. Then she gave me 4 different sets of birthday napkins,(she knows about my little napkin study), so I knew as soon as I saw them that this needed to be a piece. I am a bit disappointed with the stitching around the wording, but I have plenty of the napkins to make another one and correct it. Bobbie thinks we each need to make a calendar with our pieces. If I try one, this piece will be the bonus 13th piece and people can attach it to whatever month their birthday is.QuiltTrends will let us display our collection there also.

I can't believe I am caught up this month. I think that August I will be doing the 2nd in the arc miniseries, but I will be starting with a napkin base. I have to complete it in a hurry, because we started a round robin and it is due on the 28th:)

Where are you teaching in Columbus in the fall? I can't wait for us to all get together finally. I bought your newest book last week and Elizabeth told me she had planned on getting it for me for my birthday.What are you going to be teaching?

Linda!! Oh my gosh! My record is broken. Congratulations on getting your July piece done- it is very fun and cheerful. Mine will be very subdued because my background is dark violet. Our styles are SO different, at least for this project, so it will be fun to get all the pieces together in the fall. Boy, does Elizabeth have her work cut out for her! Susan

The Birthday Card

Hi Linda. Thanks for telling me more about your piece. It sounds like we both hold special places in our hearts for our fathers- after 14 years I still fondly remember things mine did and said all the time.

Our trip was again a test of patience and we may give up long road trips with the camper. But we saw gorgeous country, introduced the grandchildren to Yellowstone, and relaxed a lot. I even did a little fabric painting in the camper. We definitely will continue to enjoy the national parks and my July piece will include a couple of photos from the trip. Wonder how Elizabeth is doing.

I just gave my friend the address I use to get onto the blog and it worked fine. I don't even think she had to join anything. Looking forward to seeing your next piece (and mine!) on the blog. Susan

Hi Susan,
Welcome back. I hope you had some grand adventures on your trip. When Elizabeth told me you were out west, it rekindled fond memories of our 5 cross country trips in our pop up camper.

I am thrilled that I finished June's piece. It is really a piece about my dad's life. I keep thinking about all the different paths he took along his life and how all of the paths intersected in different ways. I guess it is my first healing piece. I know there will be many after this summer. My brother spoke at my father's funeral and said, "Dad was a colorful man--he lived life to its fullest measure."
I think that is why there is every color in the rainbow in it and why it is so very vibrant. It is full of energy and happy colors and that is how I think of my Dad. He was a happy man with lots of interests and energy.

I am already working feverishly on July's piece. Yesterday was my birthday and July's piece will be a piece based on birthdays and living life to its fullest. I hope to get it done this week. I just printed out the text of it using extravorganza for the first time. I assumed that the ink would be very heavy because the organza is so sheer. But when I set the printer for text only, there were skipped lines across the printed text. So I reprinted using text and photo setting and it worked better.

Well, I am off to play with the napkins for the base of the July piece.

One question. How do you get friends to be able to view our blog? I think my stepmother might enjoy seeing what we are doing.

Welcome back

Hi Linda, What a thrill to find your new piece on the blog! It is really spectacular. I used that Nancy Crow print for a piece once so it was fun to recognize your background. The friend who I shared our blog address with commented this morning that she likes your work a lot. I hope your life is settling down. It looks like I'll be teaching in Columbus is Oct. or Nov. so we'll have to meet then. Susan

June Piece