Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sunday Progress

I got to play with fabric and fiber today, and had time enough to take photos and write about it. That's almost as close to a perfect day as I can get!



I finished another purse using appliqued drink glasses from Pat Sloan's "Five O'Clock Somewhere" pattern.




I used one of the embroidery stitches on my sewing machine that reminds me of streamers, it feels somewhat party-like.



Isn't this the perfect use for hunk fabric, lining a bag with it? Well, my daughter would say a better use is having it on the outside, but I'm thinking the older, more mature recipient of this bag will appreciate it's being inside where she can steal a peek with no one knowing.

I also got to cut and wind some fiber spools for a trade with the Fiber Art Traders group. The top left two are a mohair type and metallic blend, and next to them is a soy/wool blend. Bottom left is a silk/wool blend, center is wool, right is mohair. They'll go to 10 different swappers, and I'll get 10 in return. Can't wait to play with the new fiber I receive!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Kidnapped!

My daughters decided my presence was necessary on their road trip to Las Vegas last weekend.

We filled Saturday with sight-seeing, as Andi, whose birthday we were celebrating, wanted to do more than just gamble and shop on this trip.

We started at Madam Tussauds.


When my younger daughter, Aspen, was in high school, everyone remarked on the resemblance between her and Cameron Diaz. When she smiles big enough, it can be shocking to suddenly see Cameron before you. I tease her and say she is channeling Cameron when she talks.




It is hard to believe I once resembled Lady Diana. She's only an inch taller than I, but she had on heels. (I wonder if I'll ever get my weight back down there!) My daughter Andi is a month younger than Prince William, and Aspen is a couple of months younger than Prince Harry, so I really felt connected to Diana.






I snapped this shot just because!









After Madame's, we wandered down to Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden. At one time I had wanted to work with the big cats, so I really wanted to see what they had to show us. I was not disappointed.

They have a glassed-in enclosure where tiger cubs get socialized with handlers. There is a lot of glare on the glass, so getting a good photo can be hard. You are also aiming at a moving target most often, as they have the tendency to turn their heads at just the wrong moment.


This poor guy (gal?) had been trying to nap on a shelf, but a littermate decided it was time to play.




Finally, one of the white (there were 3 whites and one orange) cubs came over right in front of us and I was able to get a decent shot.

We wandered on to the large animal enclosures. Since it was 100+ degrees out and humid by Las Vegas standards most everyone was sleeping.



Won't this one make an awesome art quilt? These are white lions, as you can tell by the washed-out manes.
















I sat down to rest by this guy, who seemed to sense my camera on him as he turned around almost immediately so I could catch his face.









We also hit the dolphin pools.

You can view the pools through plexiglass and watch the dolphins in action, or go to the second pool where a baby, his mother and older sister play.







At this point I was ready to all it a day. The misters and trees kept the animal enclosures somewhat comfortable, but the sun was just unbearable. We decided to head inside, the kids to gamble, and me to think about quilts to make from my photos.