Who Gives Kudos: BellaDonna (1) Jana (1) ♪♪Kev® (1) -slj (1) ARTISTIC, b.. (1) Colleen (1) B-u-x (1) mia (1) julie ~ fan.. (1) Please dele.. (1) ~Susan~ (1) Mary Ellen (1) Bob (1) Wayfaring P.. (1) Baz (1) J. Floyd King (1) Dawn (1)

	BellaDonna	I have friends who are photographers, writers, musicians, and artists. One person made a lovely drawing for me for my birthday, and you just reminded me that I need to get it framed. I can do hand-coloring on B&W photographs, but I'm not sure how many of my friends even know that. I would like to hear a certain friend sing and play his guitar for me when he gets a chance, but he's been busy. Thanks for sharing these beautiful quilts with us. I also enjoyed the quotes. xo   Posted by BellaDonna on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:38 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hi Donna,  Here on MySpace you seem to me to be almost of vortex of creative people, because you are so creative and everyone is drawn to you.  You’ve certainly inspired me on occasion.  I suspect the same is true in your life outside of MySpace.  A drawing for your birthday sounds like a special gift indeed.    I’ve heard about the hand-colored black and white photography before, but I don’t think I’ve seen an example.  Maybe a blog topic for you?    I have a feeling your guitar playing friend will eventually give you that gift (ever so humble as it may be :~).   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:20 PM [Reply to this]

	Jana Jana Douglass	I love quilts.  My grandmother made some, but she sewed all kinds of things.  My Mom loves to cook.  I wish I could do both, or better yet make the time to do something like the quilt that is handed down as an heirloom.  The autograph quilt was beautiful. Thanks for sharing!   Posted by Jana on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:47 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hey Jana, Thanks for dropping by.  Cooking, sewing and quilting in your blood line.  You can’t go wrong there. The heirloom quilt idea sounds like a great project.  You also reminded me that I have another friend who sews, but she doesn’t happen to quilt.  She has made me all kinds of things over the years.  My favorite gift from her was a set of hand-made tote bags for my kayaking adventures.   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:34 PM [Reply to this]

	♪♪Kev®	These quilts are simply beautiful. You know I love the quotes. Thanks Mark. This was great!   Posted by ♪♪Kev® on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:49 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Thanks Kev, Glad I could add a little art to your life today.  :>)  ~m   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:44 PM [Reply to this]

	-slj	MY friend and colleague Brian.  He plays amazing guitar. It's always an honor and a pleasure to go to the local music store in Vienna and listen to him test drive guitars.  I offer to drive and pay for the fuel, or a beer at the end of the trip.  It's like my own cover charge.  I introduced him last June, and he inspires me to take up the bass. Concerts for One   Posted by -slj on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 6:08 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hey that’s a very cool friend to have.  I wish I was so good on guitar as to inspire my friends like that.  After all, I need more beer!  But really even a good folk guitar strummer can be a joy at a party.  Yet another way to give the gift of music.  You know, I have to say, if you have a good buddy who’s that clever on the guitar, taking up the bass could be quite cool.  You guys could jam  together and he could give you tons of “accidental” lessons along the way.  Of course you will face one risk, and that is that you’ll struggle to pay attention to what you’re playing for listening to what he’s playing!  Really, that can happen with great players like he sounds to be.  Good luck! Markus   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:38 PM [Reply to this]

	ARTISTIC, by NATURE	Thank you so much for sharing these lovely quilts. That is one of the arts I haven't tried yet. But I plan to. I have a box full of squares made from my late mother in laws gardening shirts. I plan on making a quilt for my husband with these squares. I have always wanted to try one. And I will!   Posted by ARTISTIC, by NATURE on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 6:36 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	I was just part of a charity project making quilts for the homeless for one long day (yesterday).  We made 82 quilts.  I was a flipper, the person who takes the inside-out quilt and turns it outside-out.  Then I would pin all the edges so that the sewer (the zigger) would be able sew without concern that the batting had shifted or lumped along the edges.  That said, during the course of the day, I managed to do every single job – even sewing.  I broke three needles.  Is that bad??  My friend helped me and she was very patient with my “guyness.”  Anyway, I would love to learn to quilt and when I have a clear shot at doing it, I’m going to take it up.  I know all the mechanics of it now, but the art of creating the pattern in the “top” can be very complicated and that I would need to study.  Were you thinking of making the quilts out of the squares throughout?  Perhaps with a border around the whole thing?  That you could easily learn from the Internet, I’m sure.  Of course you need a reasonably capable sewing machine too.  Or you could take a general quilting class at a fabric shop and do your project there. Either way, good luck! Markus   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:39 PM [Reply to this]

	Colleen Colleen Sperry	thank you so much for sharing.. these quilts are amazing.. the love is clearly sewn in each stitch!     Posted by Colleen on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 7:11 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hi Colleen.  It’s a pleasure to share with you and thanks for dropping by.  Yes, I thought the quilts were lovely and these are but a tiny sample of what she’s done over the many years.  If you knew her, you’d see that “love in every stitch” is so true.    Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:39 PM [Reply to this]

	mia	This may sound funny, but I bake rum cakes (I only have 1 oven) so when I make five or six rum cakes I have to wait for the oven to cool inbetween.  Every one loves my rum cake and I make it and surprize each person with one whole one.  Thats what I do and it makes me happy.   Posted by mia on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 9:43 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Rum cakes work for me.  :>)  I think it’s great to have a trademark gift like that.  For one thing it’s a way of sharing love, but it’s also a sense of tradition and connectedness that everyone in your realm experiences together.  Very cool.   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:41 PM [Reply to this]

	B-u-x	Mark, you may be a new friend, but I already appreciate your thought provoking blogs ;-)  This one just succeeded in making me think of each and every one of the good people in my life and what it is they do that 'adds' to my existence...I hope I give something back to them.  Beautiful quilts by the way. Bx   Posted by B-u-x on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 11:08 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Thanks Bux.  Your comment reflects on the blog in precisely the way that I hoped people would read it. it.  People ‘add’ to our lives.  We are all artists of some kind.  There are so many ways to give and to love.  And there are so many ways that we are loved.  And by the way, you just added to my life :>)   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:42 PM [Reply to this]

	mia	I'm back reading again...this is a beautiful blog.  Thank you for sharing with all of us.  I couldn't get my mind off your writing.   Posted by mia on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 1:03 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Aww… shucks.  You gifted me with a double reading.  :>)  Thanks!   Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 31, 2009 - 5:42 PM [Reply to this]

	~Susan~ Suz Rocks	Oh wow!! Loved the quote quilt! My mother crochets and does some beautiful work.  My father is a musician like myself.  A lot of my friends enjoy some fiction I have written and I guess I'm known for that.  I do wish I was a better musician and writer, though.  I am my own worst critic and I'm always striving to do better.  My best friend has become somewhat famous for her finger puppets.  She sells them on etsy and has been published in several mags...etc... it's an amazing craze she's started, check out her work here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6084105   Posted by ~Susan~ on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 3:42 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hey Susan, I think we both have admitted to being our own worst critics.  But I’ve read several of your things, one of them an extended non-fiction, and certainly you can write.  I would love to read some of your fiction pieces too.  I don’t think I’ve seen any of those yet.  I did also go look at the finger puppets sites and she’s definitely got something going on there.  Cool how she can convey what makes people look like themselves with just a finger puppet.  I can see how she’s gen’d some buzz.  (And based on her myspace page she’s got interesting taste in music ;~)  Thanks for the link.    Posted by Mark on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:14 AM [Reply to this]

	~Susan~ Suz Rocks	Here's a link to a very short fiction piece I wrote on the group site: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=470985884&blogId=490250792 I lost a lot of my "novels" in hurricane katrina :( I have very little left to share these days and trying to reubild my collection... ugh!   Posted by ~Susan~ on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 - 1:29 AM [Reply to this]

	Mary Ellen	I have to tell you some of those quilts brought tears to my eyes. Some people sew- your friend creates- and beautifully. I have been blessed to know many artists. Artists of the word, painters, quilters musicians... I am blessed that my talent is the talent of appreciation. I truly love and appreciate the talent of others. I would love to write well, I think- and quilt- and...so many things. sigh.   Posted by Mary Ellen on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 11:09 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	I'm glad you liked the quilt, truly.  Giving the gift of receiving.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Sincere appreciation is what every artist craves.  And there’s more to it too, because while some people go off and create elaborate artifacts, other people give smaller gifts that let them stay more present in the lives of others.  It’s (as they say) all good …  Oh and one last thing – I just snuck over to your blog and YOU CAN WRITE.  Nice stuff.  :>)   Posted by Mark on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:17 AM [Reply to this]

	Copernicus	My Grandmother was a quilter and pajama maker.  She would use the leftovers from the pj's to make her quilts.  So since she had so many grandsons the quilts were usually made with Santa'a or baseball players for the grandsons and with remnants of dress material for the adult quilts.  I had one of her adult quilts which I received at age 21 that I used until threadbare.  My brother's is still pristine and hangs on a quilt rack.  Go figure.  Who do you think had more enjoyment.  Quilts were meant to be used in my book. Oh, I make my peeps laugh.  I've been doing it for years with impersonations of people and my silly sense of humor.  And how are you doing Mr Mark?  Long time no see;-)   Posted by Copernicus on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 2:32 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Now a pajama maker in the family would just have to be cool.  And baseball player quilts would certainly rock!  :>)  That’s funny that she worked with pajama fabric, but it makes perfect sense.  You definitely made use of your quilt as I’m guessing your Grandmother had in mind, and that’s the way that I am too.  I put quilts on my bed.  Although just the same, it’s nice that your brother has served as a quilt curator – keeping a memory of Grandmother’s quilting days well preserved.   And yes, I can imagine that you bless the family with your humor and are known for it.  :>) Thanks!  ~m   Posted by Mark on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 - 2:52 AM [Reply to this]

	Bob Bob Daalder	Hi Mark, this is a great blog. It gives me a kind of 'Chrismas feel'. It makes me realize more that every single person in my life has some kind of meaning with me. They add special 'things' to it, not only material, and that is probably why these persons are into my life. Almost every day, when I'm about to go to work, I write my wife a little message just to let her know that I love her. Maybe it's not art in a common way but it's art to us...   Posted by Bob on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 5:44 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hey Bob, I like the story about your notes to your wife.  That is absolutely the spirit of creative love-gifting I’m talking about.  The thing that each person brings into the circle does NOT have to be tangible.  I guess I would say that to fit my blog, the “gift” should be something the person is known for.  In one relationship I was “known” with my girlfriend for my bedtime stories.  She used to practically beg for them like a little kid.  I’m sure your wife anticipates your notes and really likes getting them.  Thanks, by the way, for dropping in and commenting.   Posted by Mark on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:20 AM [Reply to this]

	Wayfaring Panda	Those are beautiful quilts: I hope the friend's husband gets better. It must be nice to see so many people "signing" it with those quotations. I have no special gift of my own, but I do have a friend who has a touching habit of buying presents for people when they're feeling down. When one mutual friend went through a relationship breakdown, he coordinated all of us to buy separate presents for her. It was very sweet.   Posted by Wayfaring Panda on Monday, June 01, 2009 - 7:54 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Ha!  You have no special gift of your own?!  Come on, don’t be shy.  I LOVE your stories, even if I’ve been absent from reading of late.  Of course MySpace sharing IS different from sharing with family and close real world friends.  It’s funny because I have a few talented people in my immediate midst, but very few these days who write.  I make of for that shortage with MySpace.  And yes about the gift-giver friend.  I have a sister who is like that.  She always sees where the tribe needs to show a little love and gets us coordinated.  Very cool.   Posted by Mark on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:21 AM [Reply to this]

	@--->--§ Dana §--<---@	These are lovely! I did.....it was my grandmother---she didnt quilt but she croched and made most of the female families special occasion dresses: Prom, wedding, banquets etc. One year she made us all "special" dressy made for a queen jackets/coats. She also was the family cook. Everything southern she could do---I miss her fried potatoe still. She use to make home made tamales in buck. Throw hillybily tea parts. An her house was surrounded by at least 50 flower beds she even maintained with cancer the last years of her life. I just adored her. She is irreplaceable.   Posted by @--->--§ Dana §--<---@ on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 12:40 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	I hear about the people of generations gone by and how they did so much on their own like sewing, crocheting, cooking, gardening, and on and on, and I wish that people today could fit that into their lives just for their own sanity and (as the blog says) to show a little love.  It is good to be connected to people through bits of creativity.    Your grandmother sounds like a woman full of character and lots of love.  And yes, she does seem irreplaceable; but the love is all still there.  The times have changed but we’re all people inside.  And you grandmother’s spirit is right here in your comment.      Posted by Mark on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:23 AM [Reply to this]

	Cyndi Dawson (of Dawson/Scott) wordrocker!!	(I also love quilts) and these were beautiful and heartfelt pieces. I hang out mostly with musicians so for me, sharing their gigs, songs, cds, gifts and talents is extremely communal to me.   Posted by Cyndi Dawson (of Dawson/Scott) wordrocker!! on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 8:38 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	You're sort of immersed in a circle of friends with talent.  And of course you're one of those people ~ sharing the love with your poems.  I must say I envy you being in a circle of friends who are all creative.  Of course all people are creative and love sharing in their own way, but some people are "driven" to be creative.  I like being around such people, and it seems you've accomplished that.  What a great commune!  ~m   Posted by Mark on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 3:02 PM [Reply to this]

	Glenice	I don't think you've added me as a friend yet; am i allowed to add a comment? I, too, am a quilter, although my thoughts are more in the fabric than the words. But these are lovely quilts and also lovingly made. How is the friend's husband? Better news I hope. My quilts have memories sewn into them, with the material - my late mother's dress, my sister's first own-made skirt from school, material that made me a cuddly toy etc... They are soooo comforting - curling up in bed when you feel down, with a cup of tea, and looking at all the pieces of fabric and letting memories come back when you look at each piece of material...   Posted by Glenice on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 - 1:31 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hi Glenice, Thanks for dropping by.  Of course anyone can comment as my blogs are completely open. And it's very nice to get an actual quilter here commenting.  Perhaps you should blog some photos of your quilts.  That would be cool.  Your comments, by the way, were very poignant.  When you talk about quilting, you bring in the history, the memories, of the fabrics used in the quilts.  That's really "stitching life together" isn't it?  I was thinking about that very idea when I titled this blog.  Of course the sharing of art stiches our ongoing lives together so there's a double entendre. A quilt when made from fabrics we've used connects use to our own lives too.  Like Scott above whose grandmother made him quilts from his pajamas.  :>)  Please, Glenice, drop by any time. Markus   Posted by Mark on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 6:48 PM [Reply to this]

	Glenice	I will have to add a photo of one of my quilts. I don't do the snazzy well-dsigned quilts like you've included in the photos in your blog, although they are completely beautiful. Especially the shell one. But I think those take a lot more design and planning. But they are done by machine, aren't they? No, mine are done entirely by hand!! Every stitch!! I make them from scratch, from squares of material, some are just scraps! This evening I have been doing something similar, in terms of retrieving old bits of material... I am making "bunting" (rather than buying it at vast and impersonal expense) to have at our camp pitch at the Glastonbury Festival (- I'm working there in order to get a free ticket, I'm so lucky to just live about 5 miles from the festival, and I can't wait to see Bruce Springsteen!!) - anyway, I thought I would decorate our little cluster of tents (and also help us to find them) with some hand-made bunting - so this evening I've been cutting out triangles of fabric from my big box of old bits of material. I got quite distracted; nearly every piece brought back a whole flood of memories that I could describe quite well! And the best bit of material that I found was a blue-ish/purple-ish piece of patterned material that I recognised; my mum was wearing this in a very old photo (black and white) where she is holding me as a small baby - I'm now 42!!!! How amazing is that - the material is 40 years old and it's still brightly coloured! So I will happily attach that to the bunting, and when I see it later this month around our tents I will think of my mum holding me in the back garden as a baby! You can't get much better than that for memories evoked by "art" in my book!!!!   Posted by Glenice on Friday, June 05, 2009 - 12:52 AM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Thanks for this account.  It's fascinating to think the fabric sort of parallels your life to land in your creative hands today. ~m   Posted by Mark on Saturday, June 06, 2009 - 3:13 AM [Reply to this]

	Byron Getonefree Byron Getonefree	Only just seen that Mark. So beautiful... thanks for sharing it. Byron   Posted by Byron Getonefree on Monday, July 27, 2009 - 4:12 PM [Reply to this]

	Mark	Hey Byron, thanks for dropping by.  I agree the quilts are gorgeous.  I think that when I settle down (back in Seattle soon), I'm going to take up quilting myself.  I guess we'll see if I have any knack for it anyway. ~m   Posted by Mark on Monday, July 27, 2009 - 10:21 PM [Reply to this]

	Dawn Dawn Carpenter	Absolutely beautiful quilts and a wonderful collection of inspirational thought provoking sayings!  I am the artist in my world.   Posted by Dawn on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 - 11:46 AM [Reply to this]