The French Connection

From Canada flew in sweet Colette Copeland for a weekend of teaching at our dear Paper Crown here in Oklahoma City.

My daughter having just returned from an exchange program to France spent the morning with us working on her French.

CoCo was so so sweet to her. I melted.

Also Jackie made these, French donut holes, bluebirds and "C" cookies.

I would show you a picture of Jackie but instead there is this,

her thread...

and her freaking banner for her cottage project that actually had people living in it.

There was a cottage class, and birdie making.

Collete brought her wares. Such a loving restraint in her work...

We Oklahoma gals snatched them up without incident. (Sorry Beth, I guess you can give your Collete Original to whomever YOU actually choose.)

Jemellia is adorable in her sporty spicy haircut.

I spend so much time alone using texts, blogs and emails to keep in touch with people, I forget how much I enjoy the actual people.

Collete is set to return to Glitter Market this November. I don't think I will wait that long to spend time with the actual people. And that's called growth mon ami...

1600 Inches with Mrs. Hilfiger

I am so very happy to have gotten back to my machine.  I have been mostly sewing on paper for a long while but my great love is quilting really and I had forgotten just how good it feels.

1600 Inches Quilt by Jemellia



I enrolled in an excellent class at out premier quilt shop Quiltworks, turns out the teacher was my best bird Jemellia.

The class quilt is made with a 'jelly roll' or 1600 inches of two inch wide strips packaged as a roll. I used Rouenneries Deux from French General, but of course.

Let's take a moment and be reverent...

Je was a great teacher, really, she is such an excellent seamstress and whisperer of fabric. and that's not just for the whoopie pies...handmade whoopie pies...

Dear Lord, thank you for my sewing machine, hands and time...

Here is my completed quilt top in the entry.

Oh Spencer, get offa that!

And finally, speaking of naughty boys...April 11 is my beloved father's birthday. What a great dad he was. I love this picture of him (middle) in the Armed Air Forces. He and a couple of buddies about 1941 "half-tight" before their European sorties during WWII.

That optimism is bittersweet.

I need to say...

That I want to call my mother and talk about this heat. I want to talk to her about the drought. I want to talk to her about how we are 12 inches below where we should be. That the earth feels scorched. That it rained today.

Why did I not learn to make her potato salad?

Why was she sitting like a statue on my couch last week?

I ironed a blue pin-striped oxford for my daughter's senior pictures today. I flashed to to an outfit Penny gave her that I ironed for her six-month photo 3 years ago. Six? Ten. Not seventeen years ago.

When listening critically to The Who this weekend, sober, in the daylight and turned to a medium volume, I realized, they suck.

Where has Radiohead been all my life?

I love Jemellia Hilfiger. She is one of the funniest, wittiest, sweetest people I have ever known. I want to draw her close to me like a rag doll. Then slap her away.

I love my body. I am 47 years old. It has looked better but I have never loved it more.

I am almost over my nose.

I do not think it sucks to grow older. Once you have no parents you feel odd, young and vulnerable. I will never say that it sucks getting old.

I want to live and feel joy. Gratitude is the key. Guiltless is the way.

Did I actually fall for a Beck song? When did I start to love Beck?

I say "Yes" to tears and sadness. It somehow brings comforts. It's what lies under agitation and anger.

I will see my Shelley since the first time since mother's funeral. I texted her that I will probably break down when I see her. She said "Good! I won't be the only one!" That is what epic friendship looks like.

Big 'ol Reversible Shopper

Time for my monthly installment  for Jemellia's Style Stitches Monthly Bag Challenge.  February's bag is the Reversible Everyday Shopper.

Kinda' love faux bois.

Right?

Lots of cute bags on the Flickr group.

Next month zippers. I'm scared.

Cake Tops and Holly

I have blogged in my short bloglife already about Miss Holly. I am fixin' (yes I said fixin') to do it again. In a prior post , I admitted to having found a pretty avatar on Flikr which I followed to Holly Abston and found that she teaches classes right here in Oklahoma City. Not California. Not New York. Oklahoma! where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. I made her Butterfly Crown and now it lives on a lamp in my craft room, or studio (wait, I might be struck by lighting for saying studio....) okay we're good.

I took another class this last Saturday for a Cake Top Box. Mmmmmm. She has terrific little kits. I love the anticipation of what lies beneath...

The pretties inside the kit. Her kits are so complete, absolutely all you need to bring is your glue gun and an ability not to cuss as hot glue sears your flesh.

Along the way.

Later that day.

My cake top box lives alongside the jadite pieces in my china cabinet.

I will be going to Holly's house later this week because I totally weaseled in Holly's request of my friend Jemellia to make a slip cover for her. See what a sweet little bundle Jemellia brought to class for me just because I am her friend? Clearly that was before she realized I getting all up in her slipcover.

So I will be ogling Holly's house taking my stalking of her to the next level. Lucky girl...