Rooted in Mississippi

I am feeling better.  Sorry for the pity party.  I am moving on and that feels good.  I did go out and look at studio space today…decisions, decisions.

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I enjoyed the Tamalyn Dallal workshop and got a lot of great ideas.  I want to teach Bellydance Fitness classes.  I have wanted that for a while, but between being Trish’s assistant at La Salsa and the workshop, I am convinced that I need to find a way to really pursue this.  I felt good about myself on Sunday and had a lot of ideas…even if I had no way of knowing where they would take me.

Then I had a really bad day yesterday.  I can not explain it, the day started out just fine, but something happened during yoga to make me feel just awful about myself, my practice, my physical body, my spiritual journey…the whole shooting match.  Then I went to the gym to work out on the elliptical and dance a little.  There was a trainer with someone in the program room, so I had to wait until afterward to get in there.  After over 90 minutes on the elliptical, my balance was off and I was not at my best.  By time I made my way home, I was miserable and down on myself.

I am feeling a little out of sorts. It happens.  I think I am bring tripped up by pride and ego, but I am not exactly sure how to let that go. Ironically, I have been listening to the song Pride by Syntax…it suits my mood lately and I had been looking for it since I heard it in the soundtrack for an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent this season.

I guess I am just trying to figure things out and it is harder than I imagined it would be.

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Tamalyn Dallal taught our Thursday night belly dance class. I was excited, because it was a small group and we were at Butterfly Yoga, which is sort of home turf for me.  After all, I am there five to six days a week for yoga and dance classes, so it feels very comfortable.  I was thrilled beyond words when Tamalyn complimented my hip slides and undulations.

Tomorrow, I will be attending the workshop in Clinton, it is part of her Back Roads America Tour.  I plan to drive over right after class at La Salsa.  I am thrilled that I will also be attending the Business of Bellydance and Adding Drama to Your Dance session on Sunday too.

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As always, we have some amazing articles and projects to share with our readers; Maureen Greeson has provided a Block of the Issue and another installment of Keep It Simple, Lynn Schoeffler offers us a lesson in photo collage using Microsoft Word, Barbara Blankenship shares the details of her trip back East to visit friends and fellow artists, Julie Yonge introduces the readers to pin-weaving, Leslie Ehrlich continues her exploration of trees, and Allison Aller discusses the latest Alliance for American Quilts contest. We are grateful that Cindy Thury Smith and Victoria Adams Brown have also contributed articles.

This issue also marks the first one for Lynn Schoeffler as Assistant Editor. Lynn has been quietly and selflessly doing a lot of work behind the scenes for the last few years and I am so glad that she will be publicly acknowledged for her hard work. We have had a great working relationship for many years. Lucky for me, she long ago recognized my odd sense of humor and strange ways. Also, since I am not a morning person, the time difference has never affected our ability to communicate. I do not want to embarrass her, but I certainly want to acknowledge her hard work and dedication.

As editor, I have to admit, some issues are harder than others. Over the past six months, staff members have lost loved ones, broken bones, had surgery and cared for aging parents. Even if we were paid staff members, many of us would have called in sick or taken personal time during the last few months. I am so proud of our staffers for being able to pull out an issue, despite it all. It is amazing that the love of crazy quilting and commitment are incentive enough to keep this free, online magazine going for so many years.

I hope you will enjoy this issue and consider submitting an article or photo’s of your latest project to the Readers’ Showcase.

Rissa Peace Root, Editor/Publisher
http://www.cqmagonline.com

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I finished another version of the Sweet Biscornu by Periphaeria Designs  (Gift of Stitching, Issue 18 July 2007).  This one has small, gray faux pearls around the seam line, as well as the top and bottom anchors.

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This is the second time I have picked our fig tree this year and, as usual, there are more figs than any ten people could eat! Figs have no shelf life, they rot at lightening speed.  I am not one for making preserves, but I suppose I should, even if I end up giving them all away!

My husband calls these Delta Figs. All I know for sure is that they are a small variety that grows well locally.  This year has produced the largest, most tasty figs in recent memory, despite the lack of rain.  The trees seem to respond well when you harvest the fruit regularly.  In addition, this past year, the neighbor trimmed the trees, because the branches were hanging over his driveway.  I need to remember to trim them again next year, a couple of the branches go over our roof, where you can not reach the fruit.

Princess sat out back on her ragged throne, surveying the landscape.   Please note the mud on her snout, she has been enjoying the ground that was softened by the recent rain.  Now that it is drying up, she is losing a little of her enthusiasm for digging.

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Oh my goodness, these were so much fun to make!  I finished the first one into a tiny little brooch, complete with a pin back.  The pattern is one small section of the Sweet Biscornu pattern from Gift of Stitching by Periphaeria Designs.

I got the idea for this from the EGA blog post regarding submissions to Piecework Magazine. I just went a little smaller than Kim Beamish.

I made another one into a tiny scissors fob. I am often looking for a place to park my needle, especially when I am on the road. Since my scissors are almost always with me, it seemed like a good place for a very small biscornu!

These baby biscornu are truly miniature, they are just about an inch square and less than half an inch thick.

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I finished another biscornu!

I also decided to post a picture of some homegrown vegetables that someone gave us, before I ate all of them.  Nothing beats a homegrown tomato.  I only buy tomatoes still on the vine at the grocery, but even those do not compare to an actual vine-ripened one!  I wish I had a decent place to have a small garden of my own.  Maybe I need to try something else next year.

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I have been stitching in the doctor’s office, waiting rooms, sitting at the train station, and just about everywhere that I have been in the last few weeks.  Biscornu are certainly very portable projects!  I finished two more and have another two in process.

The one on top is from The Gift of Stitching, issue 18, July 2007 (Periphaeria Designs) and the beaded one on the bottom is from the Spring 2009 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread.

I was surprised to discover that no one in town still carries Mill Hill beads, so I had to go with what I had in my stash, which were some Mill Hill Petites.

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OK, so I have been diligently working on making the tops for more biscornu pincushions.  Here are three versions of “Sweet Biscornu by Periphaeria  Designs” from The Gift of Stitching, Issue 18 July 2007.  I like using variegated threads.

I also could not resist sharing a couple of photos of my favorite stitching companion.  Rudy is curious about everything I do.

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