And I'm A Year Older

Who knew being 85 years old would be such a happy time? I just turned 86 and am amazed to recall the number of causes for celebration in spite of some serious concerns. But I find joy every day and feel blessed to have another year to enjoy. 

There have been puzzles with friends (and cats), flowers in my yard, USM student recitals, Senior Readers Theatre, and art shows. I got to rehearse and sing the music of Christmas with the Meistersingers. A new gallery in Flowood, Pacesetter, asked to show some of my fiber art. I won ribbons in South Mississippi Art Association's invitational show at Lucile Parker Gallery at William Carey and their 45th annual show at the Hattiesburg Train Depot. I was honored with a solo exhibition of my fiber art, and got to spend a week in Gatlinburg in a class with Paula Kovarik and four other awesome artists. 

Losing my beloved cat Tarbaby was sad, but he left me with wonderful memories of his unique personality, and I am grateful I could provide him excellent care and comfort during his brief illness. I made lots of fabric postcards and finished The Conversation, a quilt of my three cats, Tarbaby, Rahrah, and Elizabeth from a photo I took a couple of years ago. 

I look forward to making more fiber art, gathering with friends, and caring for this beautiful world in 2022. 

Tarbaby demanding my attention

Elizabeth helping Peg Hightower 

Blue Ghost-quilted Flowers

Fabric Postcards

Fabric Postcards

Wisdom, cheesecloth picture

Arrowmont at Gatlinburg

The Apothecary Shop, 18" x 18"

Tarbaby at the Vet

The Conversation, 24" x 24"
Tarbaby, Rahrah, Elizabeth

The Exhibit is Down

Sharing my fiber art with friends at the Lucile Parker Gallery at William Carey University from November 9 - December 16 was a great pleasure. I got to attend several times and talk about particular pieces and the stories or inspiration behind them. For instance, this quilt made from counted cross-stitch blocks was the transition that started my quilt journey. Linda and I began stitching these blocks around 1984 and it occurred to me that we wouldn't know how to make a quilt from them, so I left her to finish the squares while I learned to quilt. We completed it in 1991 and won several blue ribbons in quilt shows and I never returned to cross-stitching. 

75" x 95" From Cross-Stitch to Quilting
by Linda and Martha Ginn

With Dr. Ed Ford, Curator
Also pictured (L to R) Interleave Symphony, Fractured Roses,
Improv Music, Butterfly Crossing

(L-R) Butterfly Crossing, Round Robin Pathways
This Is My Story, This Is My Song,
Travel Poster, Finding My Way
(with two small ghost-quilted pieces)

Here are more pictures from the exhibit. Thanks to everyone who saw the exhibit and especially to those who wrote, called, or texted me with your kind comments. 

(L-R) Finding My Way, Rise & Shine, Inner City
Mississippi Orange Peel, Circle Dance

(L-R) Circle Dance, Wellness Center Pool
Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers

(L-R) Orchid, Campfire, In the Jungle, Return of the Trees

(L-R) Leaf Study Crotons, Green Fish,
Elizabeth My Almost Perfect Cat, Yellow Fish

(L-R) Mountain Snow Melt, Ireland Street, Triangle Extensions

(L-R) Twisted Trees II, Twisted Trees I, Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre, 24" x 52"

Twin Poppies I and II, Sunday Ties

Sycamore Leaf, Leaf Study I and II, Leaf Study Crotons,
Green Fish, Elizabeth, Yellow Fish

Thanksgiving Without Turkey

     Who says you have to eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day? I have many years' worth of holiday memories of meals with large groups of family and friends. But this year Linda and I celebrated our blessings with King Ranch Chicken, refried beans, and tortilla strips. And Scottish Eggs. And peach slices for dessert.

      I had enjoyed Scottish Eggs at Arrowmont in October and was curious about how they got that egg inside the sausage ball. It was actually pretty simple--they boiled the eggs first. The egg is then covered with bulk sausage and rolled in seasoned bread crumbs and baked. Here is my successful first attempt. I found a Betty Crocker recipe called Baked Scotch Eggs here.

     The King Ranch Chicken recipe has been in my family since we lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, near the King Ranch. There are hundreds of variations and I'm sure they are all good, but I think corn tortillas rather than flour ones must be used.

     This overcast chilly day was perfect for staying inside and making Christmas stockings my quilt guild, Pine Belt Quilters, will give to children. Shirley Wiltshire had prepared kits with instructions, and the project was easy on my serger. Well, it would have been easy if I had not left the serger unattended a while, giving Elizabeth an opportunity to bite and swallow the thread. She is my almost perfect cat, with a fascination for taut thread being her only character flaw. Rethreading the serger was a several hour task even with the help of the manual, the diagrams on the machine, and multiple YouTube videos. 

Stocking layered and ready to sew

:Finished stockings

I finished an abstract stitched art quilt (The Apothecary Shop) that I started at Arrowmont and have made some more progress on The Conversation, featuring Tarbaby, Rahrah, and Elizabeth.

The Apothecary Shop, 18" x 18"

The Conversation (in progress)

Opening Reception

 After 20 months or so of shutdown, it is wonderful to be attending some live events again such as the opening reception for my exhibit at the Lucile Parker Gallery on William Carey University's campus. Dr. Ed Ford, curator of the gallery, took the pictures I am sharing here. I love people looking at quilts! Sorry I do not know all the names. The exhibit will run til December 16.

With Dr. Ed Ford

With Mo Conville, Jackie Watkins, Karen LeBeau, Sara Ann Owen, Bettye Kin

With Charlie and Sherri Marengo

Barbara Hamilton and Dr. Read Diket

Happy Martha

Hanging the Exhibit

I made sure I had slats and/or wire in all the quilts we intended to hang, and loaded the back end of my Honda Pilot. Dr. Ed Ford, curator of the Lucile Parker Gallery, is an expert at arranging and hanging a show. He also had some help from his daughter Emmy Ford. Pictures from the Opening Reception will be in the next blog post.

Car loaded with quilts and wooden slats

Dr. Ford and Emmy hanging the quilts

Hanging Round Robin Pathways

 

Interleave Red & Green, Interleave Symphony, Fractured Roses

Mariposa, Round Robin Pathways, Ghost-Quilted Leaves,
This Is My Story, This Is My Song, Ghost-Quilted Purple Flowers,
Travel Poster, Finding My Way

Circle Dance, Wellness Center Pool, Blue Ghost-Quilted Flowers

Finding My Way, Rise & Shine Inner City,
Mississippi Orange Peel, Circle Dance

Interleave Symphony, Fractured Roses, From Cross-Stitch to Quilting
Improv Music, Mariposa

Viva Orchid, Campfire, In the Jungle, Return of the Trees

Leaf Study-Crotons, Green Fish, Elizabeth, Yellow Fish

    

"Artful Log Cabin" pieces Mountain Snow Melt and Ireland Street
and Triangle Extension

Twisted Trees I and II, Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre, 24" x 52"

Hibiscus Twins, Sunday Ties

Sycamore Leaf, Leaf Studies I and II, Leaf Study-Crotons,
 Elizabeth and Fish fabric collages