This post is inspired by Melanie Testa. Melanie is in the midst of writing her second book, going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. She inspires me a lot. When I read her blog post yesterday I commented, at first, that I find Melanie interesting. I think I could listen to her for hours. Yep, I could. I later commented on her blog that I collect rocks. A friend went to France years ago, asking me what I wanted her to bring back for me, a rock. She brought back a stone from Lisieux. It’s in my pink back pack.
I started collecting stones/rocks on the big trip from California to NY. We flew to Vegas, rented a car and drove home. With the exception of 2 days of not feeling well, it was a great trip.
I collect rocks, stones really and flat shells. The smoother, the more oddly shaped, unusual color or a special place/time with or occasionally not with my sweetie. Looking back I started really drawing and sketching on that trip as well. If I can find that journal I’ll post some pics.
My sweetie, encouraging quilting in my life, found a quilt shop in Vegas that I’ve wanted to go back to for a very long time. At the time I visited it was 10,000 square feet of lusciousness. The Fabric Boutique is where I bought the first set of fat quarters for my sweeties quilt – a double irish chain done in Amish colors and muslin.
He also found Christ in the Desert Monastery – while doing a search for quilts in New Mexico. That’s where we brought these beauties home. They were in a dry creek bed in Chama Canyon on our way to the Monastery. He thought they were just cool. He’s right, they have a character all their own.
When the kittens were little they were afraid of the red rock. They would very slowly back away from the rock while keeping an eye on where it was in their path their tails straight up behind them. My sweetie & I would laugh out loud at this.
I have a bowl full of stones & shells that I’ve collected over the years. I’m inspired by the striations and colors. The smoothness of many of the worn by years of waves washing over them or rain/water cascading, smoothing their surface. I wonder what were the years like, how long did it take to become so worn.
They remind me of quilts. . .
each one unique
each one precious
each one full of character
each one has it’s own coloring
each one has it’s own patterning
I’m more inspired than ever to go quilt.
I’m thinking too that the pebbles and stone work on my quilts might take a bit of a different shape and texture.
This is the pebble work I’m currently doing on a quilt. I’m having a lot of fun. There will be 4 sections like this when I’m finished. I’m going to change up the colors in the other 3 sections . . . perhaps grabbing a little bit of that red or a deeper gray.
Happy Quilting!
Teri
Rocks are great…they are beautiful to look at and wonder at, they feel good in my hand. I have stacks of rocks, I have clusters of rocks, a large clear vase, a random bowl and a jar. There are rocks randomly stacked on the mantle, the kitchen window sill, the shelf in my sewing room. I never come back from a vacation anywhere without some, or some shells. My family and friends contribute to the collection all the time.
I have several small vases made from rocks by having a hole drilled into them…a cluster of dried lavender is the perfect bouquet.
The ones that have a white circle of contrasting rock going all around are, by legend, supposed to be a good luck.
Melanie has always been an inspiration for me, but now there are no words that truly describe how much I admire her. Her courage, determination, and spunk is amazing. Since a young age, I have never come from outside with empty pockets. Stones, seed pods, feathers, etc. find their way home. I have rocks from all the western states in my yard, including the floor of the Grand Canyon. My husband says we live in a natural history museum. I look at it as creative fodder.
Overall a beautiful post with lots of interweaving…enjoyed the scared kitties…
I love the pebble work on the quilt!! I did a little free motion practice today. It will do better after I take my machine in next week and get her timing fixed and get a foot for my little one. When I grow up, maybe I’ll quilt half as good as you!! For now, I’ll do straight lines and make corsets! 🙂