Practice

Her is one last photo of the 715 blocks that hung at the Whitney Center this summer.

My family helped me do a trial run in setting up for the Peace Island Picnic. We set up the standard from which the panels will hang and figured out how to solve the glitches that arose. Hanging against a wall is so much different than hanging in the gusty breeze! There are a few minor things to change, and I think things will be ready for Thursday. Provided the RNC doesn't abandon St Paul all together. See you Thursday!

Peace Island Picnic

Made a speedy trip to St Paul Wednesday evening to shore up some plans for the Peace Island Picnic. The picnic will be a finale event to the Republican National Convention being held in St Paul September 1 - 4. These are a couple of quick shots of the picnic area.

From 1pm to 8 pm there will be free food, music, the creation of the world's largest peace sign, and the display of the And Still Counting project. More updates and details here - the unconvention.

Keep sending me blocks! I would love to have 2000 blocks on display. I have about 1700 right now, and the more we have there, the larger the impact.

If anyone has access to those pop-up tents, I will be needing 4 of them to display the project. I would need to borrow them on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th to accommodate set up and tear down.

Saying it All

I received an email today from someone who kindly made a block for the project. She summed things up so well, "This was a thoughtful and meditative activity - every French knot I made hurt."

This project can feel like that a lot of the time. I have to focus on the calming and meditativeness of the stitches or the beads and hope that it will send it's calm and peaceful intent where it is most needed.

Thanks to all who are helping to remember those who have given so much.





Look! More base blocks from Annie!! Let me know how many you want!

THANKS! to Jean for the financial booster shot! RNC, here we come!

Other Stuff

While ninety plus percent of my creative energies end up here at the project, I thought you might like to see some of the other things I work on in my sewing studio. I finally got back to my flikr site to add a few more things and some labels. It's still a work in progress, but isn't that life?

Quilting Gallery

Hey - Look at this! The project was featured in Quilting Gallery's charity quilting month. Welcome to anyone stopping by from new places!

Keepin' On Keepin' On

My, how summer seems to be flying by. The RNC will be here before you know it!

We are a go for the Peace Island Picnic, and there is a possibility of a retail space in downtown St Paul for that week. (Sept 1 -6) Hopefully we can get the space donated. If we find something with great visibility, and some cost, I may come begging. You've been warned.

Here are some of the behind the scenes stuff I've been keeping busy with.

Because I can't be "all project, all the time," a preview of a new quilt pattern I'm writing.

bucket o' backs

Six inch squares of batting scraps.

These are the sleeves that get sewn onto the back of the top row of blocks in the 5 x 6 sections.
The "spaghetti straps" I came up with to link one section with another when hanging. Each section of 30 blocks hangs from a stick that loops through the sleeves sewn across the top row. The "spaghetti straps" hang from stick to stick in the back and keep the weight distributed across the sticks, and not the blocks.

Piles of completed blocks waiting to be pinned together.

Base blocks ready for knots/ beads - see the two big stacks of blue blocks in the back? THANKS ANNIE! 100 blocks and she's making more. Now you have no excuse to not participate - there are plenty of blocks already made!

I tried to make a video tutorial about french knots, but am having trouble making it load. We'll see.

Shelving Myself

1. I recently started a part time job at a branch of my local library. I am really enjoying the energy and atmosphere of the library in a whole new way.

1a. Last Saturday, I was interviewed by Katherine Bell. She is writing a book called Quilting for Peace, and will be including the And Still Counting project in her book.

1 + 1 = 2! How cool is it that next spring I will be able to shelve a book that has a bit of me and the project in it?!