Easter Bonnet

I remember Easter as a time for a brand new everything--from a straw hat, white gloves, new underwear, to patient leather slick bottomed shoes--and then off to church for a small Easter parade, a church service bedecked with lilies and daffodils, lots of singing, and pictures--lots of pictures--stopping at Roger Williams Park for pictures--at home in front of the forsythia bushes for pictures...

This Easter I've tried to get away with using what we have, and buying a dress from a thrift shop. My granddaughter loved the idea of decorating her blue floppy hat for Easter--the flowers and feathers are either pinned and basted on for easy removal. She picked out a deep red velvet dress that needed a few adjustments, but will do.

Happy Easter!

CA Coastline up Close

Rock layers and rock textures at Hazard's Canyon at Montana de Oro State Park.

My Son's Hanging Planter

click on pictures to really see those little succulents growing!

My son, who works for the tree company, Coastal Tree Experts --(you can see my charcoal drawing of him here), made this great hanging planter. He cut a V into a log, closed the ends somehow---looks like a cross section was nailed onto one end, the other might have a chunk of wood as a filler? Hung it up with heavy duty fishing line, and planted some little succulents! I love this--I'm anxious to see how it looks when those succulents root and grow!

A Letter to Pippin!

Those are her take off like an airplane ears,


At my granddaughter's suggestion, my daughter sent Pippin, our old cat, a letter. My granddaughter waited until Pippin showed up, (from hunting bunnies, or sleeping--but I sure wish she would go after the mice!!) to open and read the letter to her. Pippin sat and listened--she perked her ears when the letter was translated into cat language--meow, meow, meow, meow!

Leaning Pine Arboretum

Recently we went to the Leaning Pine Arboretum at the Cal Poly campus. I took so many pictures, but here are just a few.

Petticoat-------------Done!

What better way to procrastinate from doing my taxes, than to make a petticoat!! I used a very inexpensive, (larger weave, or smaller thread count?) white muslin--about $1.80 a yard. This, for fabric is about as low as you can hope to go. I bought about two or three yards?---can't remember, but each ruffle of course called for longer and longer strips. The final ruffle which I folded was too thick to easily gather, so I pleated it.
Sewing this petticoat made me think of my mom--she made many square dancing skirts--wow! This petticoat was only about four or more yards around the final hem--hers would have been maybe eight or more yards?! (My sister, Martha Miller tells of our parent's dancing days when you click on square dancing skirts)
I was also taken back to my seamstress days of sewing costumes with my best friend--we sewed like the wind!---well...she did, I was always a bit slower. What I learned from those days, was to sew with an iron. We had the best set up--A powerful steam iron--with the cord on some kind of a spring hold from the ceiling. It was always on, to fold and iron any thing to save a basting step. I pieced, measured and steam folded the eight yards for the final ruffle, thinking about those by-gone days--missing my friend and that iron!

Fleur de Lis Tire Tracks

Not really the fleur de lis design, but pretty nice for tire tracks--in this busy Morro Bay rock parking lot-- people surfing, fishing, walking, flying kites, walking dogs, walking children, catching some sun, lots of wind, chilly air...you'll have to imagine all those scenes, but here are the layers of tracks on a sunny, windy afternoon.

Working on a Petticoat with Do-Ho Suh in Mind

You've probably noticed that I like the way light shines through semi transparent material or paper. While working on my granddaughter's petticoat, it reminded me in a very small and very humble way of the art work of Do-Ho Suh. His fabric interiors are amazingly detailed, incredible creations of some of the spaces he has lived in. I've done a bit of sewing in my day, but was blown away when I first viewed these interiors. It is hard enough to sew with a pattern, but this? And with sheer fabric--difficult fabric to sew with! How did he do this? I was somewhat disappointed to know he had used the help of master seamstresses. I wanted to believe the impossible! But, however they're made--they are quite beautiful, I would love to see these in person--to walk inside those rooms!

Seoul Home 1999

348 West 22nd St. 2003

348 West 22nd St. Corridor 2003



Staircase, 2003

Spooktacular Dancers

My watercolor painting of a few little dancers from a past Halloween performance.
7"x 7" Watercolor painting

Planning the Next Halloween Costume

It's never too soon to plan for your next Halloween costume! We just finished reading,
The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks. I was told that next Halloween, my granddaughter wants to be an Iroquois Indian girl. I suggested she draw her costume. I love that she put in the face and the view of the back of the head! Next she wanted to try the costume on her paper doll. Who knows if she'll still want to be this next Halloween, but it was fun to see her plans!

Happy International Women's Day

Yes, it's international Women's Day today! I was thinking that perhaps this isn't the best image to put forth on this day, but I love the strong self contented pose, plus I just love great sculpture! Hope you have a good one!

On a Walk

I saw a footprint in the sky...

a very old and cracked painted line in the road...

a pirate figure...

some beautiful clouds!

The Simple Prairie Dress

My granddaughter directed me on this dress, she picked out the material--she wanted the opening in the front with buttons--no zipper, because that isn't the way dresses were made back then--back when? you ask?--why... back in the "Laura and Mary days" (for those of you new to this blog, I'm talking about Little House on the Prairie) Me... not wanting to buy another pattern, ($$) used the pattern I bought for her Halloween prairie dress, changed the opening--changed a few things. It fits--a little big--the shoulder seam hangs off the shoulder just a little, but she loves it!

I added the green trim--I had to break up the silly putty color of the dress just for myself, in order to work on it. I have a buttonhole attachment, but couldn't use it--(sewing machine troubles) I decided to make the buttonholes by hand with embroidery floss and couldn't resist the periwinkle blue--thankfully I heard no complaints. The buttonholes are kind of heavy duty and a little clumsy looking, but they'll certainly wear well. She's off to school in her new prairie dress!

Fimo Flower Necklace

My niece, Kaitlyn Duggan, who is a ceramic artist, made these Fimo flower beads. She made these years ago and some of the little curly petals and leaves have since broken off, but they're still beautiful! While looking for something else, we found these beads waiting to be restrung, so we did! My granddaughter has now worn them to school two days in a row--normally she doesn't like to wear necklaces all that much. Here she is doing my breakfast dishes in the Little House on the Prairie style, (but with plastic containers)--fine by me! She had the dishes done before going out the door! (This doesn't happen every day.)