National Read-a-Book Day

"I cannot live without books"  Thomas Jefferson

Some historical facts about books.........................

• The very first books used parchment or vellum (calf skin) for the book pages.
• The book covers were made of wood and often covered with leather.
• The books were fitted with clasps or straps.
• Public libraries appeared in the Middle Ages.
• Books in public libraries were often chained to a bookshelf or a desk to prevent theft.

And today: 

E-books are rapidly increasing in popularity.  E-book (electronic book) refers to a book-length publication in digital form.  They are normally available through the internet however,  can also be found on CD-ROM and other forms.  E-books are read either by computer or via a portable book display device known as an e-book reader, such as a Reader, Nook or Kindle.

What will you read today?

Lesson Learned!

This seems to be my week to learn new things!  It has been said that you should learn at least one new thing each day--in my case, I'm happy if I learn something new each week!
Recently, I've been working on this star block called Emery's Stars from Quiltville.

For me, it is easiest to make half square triangles from printed paper.  I print the pattern from Quilting and Whatnot on regular paper. 

 I wanted this block to be 10.5" so am using finished 2.5" half-square triangles from the website.  I've used this site many times and worked up most of my blocks

and this is the layout so far, but it needs more blocks--this isn't going to make a very large quilt.

so, back to the website to print off more patterns--I worked up several pages, cut them apart

and then measured--

I don't know if you can tell, but these 1/2 triangles are suppose to measure 3" but they are 1/8" off--

do you have any idea what that 1/8" would mean to a block?  Or many blocks?

Back to the drawing board--why were these pages coming out slightly off?  Then, it hit me--like a ton of bricks--I got a new PC and it is running different software--well, duh! that would do it!

That's why the brilliant people at Quilting and Whatnot--have this at the top of their page!!

Measure for Accuracy!  Well, I didn't at first and I wasted lot of time and effort on these 1/2 triangles--(of course, these will be cut down to 2.5" for another project! so not really wasted!) 

Reformatted my brain and printer and printed off the correct size!  and...................

We have the correct size!  

I Won't Do That Again!

Have you ever parked in a large garage and forgotten where you parked??

Well, I have been lost in a parking garage!!

and walked around and around looking for my car--

then I push the alarm button and wait to hear

"Where is my car?"

I look like an idiot--searching....

well, this time when I took my grandson to the airport

I did the smart thing!

I took a photo of my parking space

before I entered the building!

Whew!  that was one of the smartest things I've done in a long time!

oops--almost broke my arm, patting myself on the back!!

Paper--Airplane Art

Oh, to be in Cleveland during September to view this interesting paper exhibit at Morgan Conservatory!  This fascinating exhibit will be presented by bookbinder/papermaker/ letterpress printer Kerri Harding of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who creates site-specific installations on particular themes.  Here 1,000 paper airplanes will be installed!  What a sight this will be!  and how great to have a place that exhibits nothing but paper exhibits.

 

“The making of Murmuration was long and process-oriented, and provided a time and place for personal reflection of the ever-changing nature of heartache and recovery,” she says. “The scale of the piece, exceeding 1000 airplanes, is a reference to the Japanese legend of the making of paper cranes. It is said that anyone who makes 1,000 paper cranes will be granted a wish or given relief from illness.”
I remember a time when hubby went to an event and one of the exercises was to make paper airplanes--of course, it was an engineering event and these engineers needed to use their skill and knowledge to fashion the perfect paper airplane.  Our son was ecstatic--so he tried his hand at the perfect airplane made from paper.  That was before the use of Google too!  Here is a site that will let you finish that perfect flying paper!
Fold and Fly!

Chigiri-e--Collage

Chigiri s a Japanese art form in which the primary technique uses colored paper that is torn to create images, and may resemble a water color painting. The technique dates from the Heian period of Japanese history when it was often used in conjunction with calligraphy. Handmade paper is essential for the creation of chigiri-e images.  If you just saw chigiri-e from a distance, it looks similar to a water color or sometimes an oil painting.  But, then upon closer inspection you realize that the image is actually created with paper and it takes one imagination by surprise.

In Japanese, chigiru means to tear or shred and “e” (eh) means picture.  The technique begins with tearing washi into small pieces to create depth, texture and dimension for the image, a method similar to collage.  The pieces are then pasted onto an art board – like painting with paper.

Purple Mountains Majesty by  Barbara Harmer

Free Digital Catalog--Unraveling Identity: Our Textiles, Our Stories

 

George Washington University Textile Museum has this interesting

free digital catalog to view. 

This publication explores some of the exhibition's themes and pieces on display through essays by museum curators Sumru Belger Krody and Lee Talbot, Research Associate for Southeast Asian textiles Mattiebelle Gittinger, and GW Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Ingrid Creppell

Folded Woven Paper.......................................Art!

We continue with more lovely paper pieces! 

MAYUMI KANEKO works with great sense of design--take a look at the website to see how paper can be transformed into lovely art pieces!