Black & White

Once again, I've left the wallflowers and jumped on to another project. This time, it was because the idea kept bugging at me wanting to be created. When I joined the QuiltArt list, and they were discussing black and white images and how it would work in a quilt. The thought sat in the back of my mind and I knew eventually I would do something black and white.

Years ago in art school, one of our projects was to draw ten studies of one subject. I chose to draw my favourite pair of shoes. I photocopied my favourite drawing and cut general templates for blocks of colour. It still needs shading, but I'll do this with thread and then later quilting. Seeing the pictures together helps me see where things need to be changed or highlighted as well.

This one is exciting as it feels the most like "art" of anything I've done yet. Off to stitch some more. Somewhere in there I have to remember to pack. Less than a week until Japan. If I count it in tango nights, that is three evenings. Otherwise it is 5 more sleeps!

Wallflowers I

The first version of the wallflower quilt is finally finished. This sat in my pile of unfinished stuff while I played around with techniques and basically just farted around. It felt like writers block. I would try to come up with ideas, and my mind would skitter away. With a background fabric that I just knew would work, I started on a second wallflower quilt. I started with the same couple dancing, found a rubber stamp with an enigmatic face that will make the "perfect" flower. I was itching to work on it, when I went to the weekend with Julio and Corina. I picked up a card with Julio and Corina that I thought might work better, but it overshadowed the wallflowers. It was one of those ah ha moments. The problem with the first quilt was that the flowers were too random, therefore seemed overshadowed. So I picked off the applique on the first quilt, re-quilted and voila… Wallflowers I—In the Shadows.

The block is gone now too. The second wallflower quilt is partly done, and I have at least two more solid ideas. Now I'm off to make tablecloths for the July long weekend.

Shrek the Third

We went to see Shrek the Third last night. Very funny movie. Pokes fun at Hollywood (Far, Far Away) and every fairy tale's Hollywood ending. Cinderella is an airhead, Sleeping Beauty has narcalepsy, and Black Beauty is a closet goth. It was nice seeing a movie like this with Glen and Elizabeth. Often I'm the only one to get the jokes and with my big belly laugh it is very noticeable. Last night, at least there were three of us with big laughs all guffawing at the same time.

ID

My brother arrived for a visit yesterday. He, Elizabeth and I went to the Shark Club for a bite to eat after he got here. When we walked in, I warned Elizabeth that she would be ID'd. It turned out that her "age" was effected our seating and our service. We were ignored for at least 5 minutes at the door, so we found our own table. And waited some more. Once a waitress finally showed up, the first thing she did was card Elizabeth. She stared at both her BC ID and her Driver's license for a long time. Looked back and forth. Looked some more. Then asked us what we wanted to drink.

Later, as we sat with martini's waiting for our food, the manager walked past our table. He glanced back, did a double take and walked away. A minute or two he walked back and openly stared. He walked past again, and went straight to our server. You could see her nodding. Hum, ID maybe?!? Too funny. Elizabeth is almost 20, but looks very young. At least when she is my age, she won't look almost 50!

Seattle

Highlights of the Julio and Corina weekend:

If you want to know how they teach, attend a workshop. There are things best left unsaid.

The best pizza I've ever eaten. Ali Baba's doesn't even come close. They do internet orders, wonder if they deliver to Victoria?

Leads out numbered followers (yes, you read that right!) in every workshop we attended. These men are serious about their dancing and it shows. The dance community in Seattle is attracting a large amount of younger dancers. They are graceful and elegant and put my shoes to shame. I asked Illana about it, but she doesn't know how it started, although she is delighted to foster it.

Connection. Such an elusive thing on the dance floor, so it was strange to have one of the best connections in months in a workshop not in the milonga. I'd go back this weekend again just to have a connection like that on the dance floor. OMG, I miss that.