Movies

I recently upgraded my cable package to include HD channels.  The new cable box also has a DVR in it (who knew?) and I can get movies on demand.

With all this TV goodness I decided to explore On Demand movies this past week and I have decided that I have becaome a very shallow person.

Why?

Because the content of the movies is not as impressive as some of the clothing.

For example:

The Young Victoria - An Oscar winning movie about Queen Victoria's up-bringing and her eventual marriage to Prince Albert.  The story is great but the clothes are wondrous.  I would almost give my soul for the beautiful night clothes and underwear and the silk gowns took my breath away.

Bright Star - The story of a young fashionista in love with John Keats.  This time the garments are part of the story and they are wondrous.  All of them were constructed by hand and match the styles and techniques of the day. 

Coco Before Chanel - Yes, the clothing is part of the story but watching her actually work the fabric and the designs is an education in itself.  The film is mostly in French so don't try knitting a sock while trying to read the subtitles.  The story of her rise from an orphan to a leading light in the world of fashion is fascinating.

Valentino - Yes, the clothing is part of the story but the creative process is fascinating to watch.  I was entranced as he added ruffles to a beautiful pleated gown.  If you ar interested in Valentino and his story, this is a must see documentary.

So, yes, I am shallow, but with this kind of eye candy available to a fashion junky who can blame me?

UFO #14

As part of my effort to end the year with a burst of finishing I finally finished up the quilt originally talked about in my 'Tale of Two Quilt Kits' posting just over a month ago. Then I was loving the cheater cloth quilt and hating the Infinity Blocks quilt. I decided last night that I just had to get the Infinity Blocks quilt off the floor and into a finished quilt.

Here's how it came out:

Weirdly enough I am now almost in love with the Inifity Blocks quilt. It's very lightly quilted and I pretty successfully machine sewed on the binding without any hand work. It came out to about 60" x 60" ... agood size for three puppies to suggIe up with their favroite human. must admit though that what really makes me smile with this project is the back of the quilt. I originally planned on just using plain muslin for the back but ended up using a lot of dribs and drabs of sample dyes to produce this:

This has even been through the washing machine and dryer and the gold dye/paint stayed put. I did the dying with the fabric hanging off the metal gazebo in the back yard on one of those windy, sunny days we have a Texas. I guess the sun really can set al kinds of dyes without all that heat setting by an iron.

This project took about four hours to get done. How do I know? I watched two very different movies while quilting it and doing the binding. I watched 27 Dresses for the first half and Rendition for the second half. 27 Dresses is definitely good for this kind of work and is a nice light romantic comedy. Rendition is just too scary and I had to pause my work several times to replay key scenes. Rendition also plays with your sense of time with past and present intertwined seamlessly until near the end when the whole thing straightens out. I had to replay the last half hour before I got it all straight.

Have a great week!

Avoidence Projects

I have been avoiding finishing the quilting of a project for about four months now. Its not like I don't enjoy quilting, Its just that the quilting of this quilt has become pretty tedious. I stopped working on it when I realized that I had quilted a huge pleat into the backing. I could have ignored it and continued but, as this is a gift, I decided to stop and rip out the pleated portion. I finished doing that the other night and I still have not returned to the quilting. What I have been doing is avoiding it by doing other sewing projects like:

I re-did the dogs' leashes. The originals were getting pretty ratty so I cut off the hardware and re-did the fabric portion out of cotton belting. I also added some trims and some refective tape to each leash. These are probably not as durable as the originals (cotton versus nylon webbing) but I like them. I don't think the dogs care even though they went nuts everytime I picked up the originals to cut off the hardware or measure the length. BTW the leashes are hung from the door stop thingy on the front door - an ideal place to store them between walks.

I made a new everyday wristlet. I got a cute wristlet through the bag ladies swap and have been using it every day. Its pretty bold so I decided that I needed one that is a little less noticeable. In the mail from Craft Leftovers came the makings for my new wristlet. The pattern is called the Temari Ball bag. It came with two fabrics, pre-cut, and a zipper. The zipper was black so I swapped it out for a hot pink that I had in my stash. I also added the riboon decoration. Two other changes I made were to add lavender between the lining and the exterior and some fusible batting to the wrong side of the exterior. Its a pretty good size for me and I have already started to use it for runs to the grocery store and other errand running.

I went to the movies. A real avoidence activity! A friend and I got togeher the other day and we were both felling a little of sorts so we to see Hancock at our local multiplex. Hancock was very enjoyable and it will definitely by in my DVD collection when it is released. The best part about it is that the previews did not spoil the fun. If you get a chance, go see Hancock.. even if you don't like science fiction, I think you will enjoy it. There is one really yucky part, definitely not for kids, but the rest of the movie is a lot of fun.

I picked up a UFO. That's right, UFO number eleven is an hour or so from being finished. It's a beaded scissors' sheath and fob. I don't need either of these but they are elegant. I will post these in an official post later on. I just figured out that if I had just bit the bullet and finished quilting the quilt instead of doing this scissors project, I would be done with it.

I took the girls to the vet. This one is true avoidence! They were both due for their annual exam and vaccinations. I originally stopped by with them to get all of them weighed and ended up wasting about two hours between weighing and exams. I know I needed to get this done but it was quilt or put them through some anxiety. Anxiety won out and they are safe for another year. I'm pretty sure the girls don't blame me as they competed to lay on me all evening.

I have nothing else I can do today in all conscience to avoid the quilting. I have the whole weekend ahead of me with no scheduled events so I should be able to get the quilting and binding done in time to get it packaged for the mail on Monday. Wish me luck!

And to my Canadian friends in Ontario - Happy Civic Holiday on Monday! I don't know when it became Civic Holiday but that's as good a name as any for a freeby in mid-summer.

And, to my big brother - Happy 59th Birthday! And to him and his wife - Happy 38th Anniversary!

Definitely a big weekend coming up. Have a good one!

Indiana Jones #4

This afternoon a friend and I went to the movie 'Indiana Jones and the City of the Crystal Skull'. I am so glad I went because I don't have to feel deprived about not seeing it. It was not as good as my expectations but it was definitely worth the $7.25 it cost to get in ... excluding the popcorn that is!

The plot is a little convoluted and the movie had several continuity issues (as all these movies do) but it was good to Harrison Ford as the goofball man of action character that he plays so well. It was a little disconcerting to see a man of his age doing some pretty athletic stunts. My knees were aching by the time the movie was over. This may be a movie that I would go and see again with a larger, more diverse audience because I think audience reactions really can enhance this kind of movie.

For those of you keeping track, I did not do another survey of male versus female weight issues as the lights were down by the time we made it to our seats. Next on my list for summer viewing ... Hancock.

I Am Legend

As part of my decompression from my trip to Canada I took yesterday afternoon off to see the new Will Smith flick 'I Am Legend'. As a science fiction lover this movie met and exceeded all my expectations. Heck, there was even a scene where Will is doing pull-ups where even the most jaded of us will be gasping for air at the sight of his incredible six pack. During an interview that I saw on Sixty Minutes he talked about how he and his manager have plotted his movie career based on the fact that the best selling movies are science fiction, heavy with computer graphics and include a love story. It seems that Will has covered all three in this movie.

If you are a fan of '28 Days Later' some of this movie will seem old hat but I still think you will love this movie.

As a side note, I took particular notice of the audience at the Tuesday afternoon screening. The audience was split pretty evenly between men and women but I noticed about 50% of the men were there alone while the other half were with a female companion. The women were there with a male companion or a female companion (seemed to be mothers and daughters). I was the only single woman at the screening. Women don't go to the movies alone?

I noticed something else really odd ... about 90% of the men were very overweight with their bellies hanging over their belt buckles. About 70% of the women seemed to be just right... not too heavy, not too slim. Of the half dozen kids present only one of them seemed to be a little heavy. Given my informal and purely subjective poll why do I see news reports and ads focusing on over-weight women and kids when I mostly saw fat men?

Both of my observations may have had to do with the fact it was a science fiction movie but both facts seemed curious to me. Next time I will have to go to a different genre and see if I can repeat the results.

Challenge Project

The Seams Possible Neighborhood group of the Houston ASG has a challenge for next year. The organizers handed out little CD envelopes with three things in them - a paint chip, a sample of a stitch and the name of an old movie. The challenge is to take these three inspirations and create a project that incoporates them. Not too tough, right? Well, here are my three design elements -

The blue is the envelope the pieces came in. The paint chip looks Mauve to me or a dusty Rose color. The stitch looks like a standard utility stitch. BUT the movie... Sergeant York, from 1941... that could be a problem. The movie is based on the diaries of Alvin York, a Tennesse hillbilly, sharpshooter, pacificst who becomes one of the most decorated American heroes of WWI when he single-handedly attacks and captures a German position using the same strategy as in a turkey shoot. The real York chose Gary Cooper to play him and Cooper won an Oscar for his acting skill. I have no idea how to incorporate all these elements into a project but it must have been fate that gave me this particular challenge as I received it just after visiting Hobby Lobby and picking up this clearance fabric -

Looks pretty good doesn't it? As I have seven yards of this thirty inch wide fabric I certainly have enough to execute any design but Gary Cooper in Rose... I don't think so... maybe a military style jacket and match up the stipes or a knapsack or 'go to meeting' type dress or.... I don't know but ideas are always welcome. Fortunately I have a few months to figure it out.

Wish me luck!

BTW - while I wrote this I was watching Happy Feet on HBO. What a delghtful movie! Great music and a wonderful 'ugly duckiling' type plot line. Watch when you need a good smile.

Movies, Movies, Movies

I've had a movie marathon lately and thought a couple of reviews would be appropriate.



Norbit - an Eddie Murphy comedy that I knew nothing about before I saw it. Let's just say that if I had known what it was about I probably would not have watched... maybe if I was drunk and befuddled I would have but not stone cold sober. I will say the special effects are incredible as Eddie, once again, plays multiple characters and, in the case of one female character, is completely believable. Definately a pass if you are over 18.



Premonitions - Sandra Bullock plays a wife who has learned her husband has died but wakes up the next day with him next to her in bed. The premise is pretty good and well executed though the ending seemed a little bit of a bummer. I liked it and, at least, it made me speculate about the ending until the last 15 minutes.



Flags of our Fathers - A war film by Clint Eastwood about the men who were photographed while raising the American flag on Iwo Jimo. Good acting, well done character studies and incredible battle scenes but it really didn't go any where. One of the surprises is that Clint Eastwood composed one of the more interesting pieces of background music. A pass unless you really like the genre.



The Shooter - This movie is about an expert marksman and an attempt on the President's life. I really enjoyed it, learned a lot about marksmanship and was fully engaged in the plot. Although the ending was satisfying to me, others may not agree. A film worth checking out.



On another note - I have been invited into a new swap. This one is for doll quilts themed for the four seasons so it would be a year long committment. I know the moderator is looking for participants so if you would like to join the details are here: http://quiltsoflove.blogspot.com/ With such a small format it should not be too much of a pain. Check it out.

Freedom Friday

I think I should make this a part of my week every week - even if its not Friday. This is a day where I do not have to be anywhere but where I want to be and no-one but the dogs have any claims on my mind or time. I went to bed last night wanting to watch more of the movies my son had downloaded for me, to get the dang sweater I've been kntting to the 'shaping the yoke' stage, create some additional kitchen accessories from the leftover apron fabric and to buy some guilty pleasure food at the grocery store. I made it to the grocery store and picked up some Marie Callender's pot pies - the guilty pleasure. I watched The Messengers (dumb), Breach (unsatisfying) and Bridge to Terebithia (excellent) while knitting up a storm such that I only have half a sleeve left before I can start shaping the yoke (whatever that is). As to additional kitchen accessories, well no such luck... or at least none to share as the potholder I did try got all wonky... maybe I'l share more successful attempts, if there are any, later.

Medical update - saw the doctor yesterday and she says my vocal cords are as smooth as a baby's bottom. I think that's good.

Have a great weekend!

Movies, Movies, Movies

Each summer I join Netflix due to the complete lack of originality on summer TV. Also, as the summer heats up (highs for this week will be in the 90's) I spend a lot of time doung hand work so 3 or 4 new movies very few days is good for keeping me looking up every few minutes so my eyes don't get glued to my rpojects. Any way, three movies I saw this weekend were Queen, Venus and Letters from Iwo Jimo.

Queen was excellent for giving me some insight into the days after Diana's death. Although I am completely in awe of the Queen I knew very little about many of her roles and responsibilities as a head of state with very little power but lots of tradition behind the office. Helen Mirren was superb . I especially enjoyed watching the characterization of Tony Blair as he is stepping down from office the day after I retre from the Bank.

Venus starred my favorite actor from my teenage years - Peter O'Toole. It was odd to see Lawrence of Arabia as an aged actor , interested in women but unable to do much about it. It took a while to get into the story line but it became completely engaging so that I was sad to se it end. A quiet movie with great characters that I began to really care about.

Letters from Iwo Jimo is a movie that that I generally don't like to watch. It was 98% in Japanese so the whole thing is subtitled. It was a completely different perspective on the battle and the human stories, as revealed in the letters home and the interactions of the characters on the screen, were fascinating. This is not a war movie per se and I recommend it for an afternoon when you can concentrate on the action and subtitles.

As mentioned yesterday, here are some photos I think you might enjoy.

This is the apron from Hable construction on my dress form. I've read more about this company since the other day. The compay is run by two Texas sisters who relocated to NYC and use the name of the defunct family construction business for their interior decorating business. An interesting aside is that the package with the apron was sent by a British textile magazin mailed from France but was probably made in New England... go figure.

And here is an unusual picture of the little prince himself ... sleeping on the couch after a hard day following me around and getting into trouble. Note the classy zebra striped bedding.

Here is another a few moments later ... he must be thinking I am nuts to be flashing lights all around when he is trying to sleep.

On a purely seflish note, I received the tea towel from my tea towel swap partner. This is the fourth swap I have been in and the first time I can truly say that I am completely disappointed in what I received. I spent most of a Saturday embroidering the towel I sent to receive a mostly polyester one with a piece of purple craft ribbon and three buttons on it. The ribbon was poorly sewn and looks unwashable. I must be a bad person to be so dissappointed. Its either that or I'm pretty down about my voice taking so long to come back. Its probably the latter as I get up every morning expecting to be back to normal and it just isn't. Maybe tomorrow....