Creativity in the Time of COVID-19`

My blog has long been slumbering.  I've been busy, but the blog hasn't reflected it.

How are you doing?  That is what is on everyone's minds, what we ask each other.  The new buzzwords of our current situation are "pivoting", "be safe", etc..

My experience of the COVID-19 quarantine has been fairly typical of other creatives:  initially, I was unable to stay focused on anything that required much cerebral input.  My thoughts would easily scatter.  I think that was how I was manifesting my own anxiety and uncertainty.  I have been sharing this on Instagram, and I decided to stop worrying about it and just "do something":

So....gardening:

cooking...

 zooming (here with a weekly guild gathering)...

mask-making......

Constructing quilt patterns:

this is "Hunt", a pattern for hand-applique by 

Carolyn Friedlander

"Cabin Fever", a pattern by Joanna Marsh of

Kustom Kwilts (pattern coming soon)

made with my newly-announced line called

"Warehouse District", by Wishwell, a division of Robert Kaufman

And this one is still underway:

The "Proverbial Quilt" pattern by Denyse Schmidt 

made with more Warehouse District Fabric

I'm not following the layout but I am using her letter templates.

My quote is "We Are All Bozos On The Same Bus".

Seems apt for the times.

Here is a peek at the new collection:

I would normally be introducing the new collection at the Spring Quilt Market, which was to have been last weekend in Pittsburg PA.  Due the the quarantine, market was cancelled.

I'm thrilled about this line, which includes 15 prints on Pimatex cotton, 9 prints on cotton-linen Essex, 3 prints on 108" wideback cloth, and an assortment of cotton lawn prints.

The collection will be shipping to your favorite quit shop in August or September, depending on the manufacturing situation.  Print images available (copied from the Robert Kaufman website) below:

I hope you will look for it.  I can tell you have have been truly enjoying working with the collection.  I love combining the beautiful pimatex with the essex prints.  If you have never tried making something with Essex, you will love it!  The cloth gets softer and softer when washed.  It feels like linen and "behaves" like cotton, with far less raveling than pure linen.  I love it.

Here are a few of the objects made with Warehouse District:

Warehouse District Pimatex Cotton:

Warehouse District Essex:

Warehouse District Wide-Back Fabrics:

Here is the collection of prints on Cotton Lawn:

Italy, Part Two...Chianti

We ventured into Chianti twice during this trip.  Thanks to Jeannie, who had done extensive research before we traveled, we were able to have a wonderful day at Casamonti to have brunch and visit the home of the Cinta Senese, or Tuscan Pig.  These pigs were nearly extinct by the late 80's.  The owners of Casamonti formed a Consortium to bring it back from the brink.  The raise the animals for the typical Tuscan products that include salami, finocchiona, fresh sausage, seasoned pork loin, salt bacon, capocollo, cured lard, and the famous prosciutto and also grow grapes and olives.  We sampled all their products and I even ordered some to be shipped home.  Here are some images:

Anna Rita, the co-owner of the vineyard, talks to us about their wines and how to read the labels.

After lunch she walked us down to her kitchen garden.

She encouraged us to pick some vegetables!

Look at these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes.  

They were delicious!

One of their pigs.

And a piglet.

Chianti was simply breathtaking.

The colors of the grapes and the leaves, just beginning to turn red.

We took our beautiful vegetables, including squash blossoms, home to 

cook for dinner that evening.