patchwork of distractions...

Turns out, this is a really good day for staying home to sew! Gretta and I could barely find our way to school this morning, it was so foggy along the way.

One of my favorite aspects of the blog world is finding cool stuff all over the place. I thought I'd share a patchwork of  interesting things with you today, some in blogland, some in the real world. 
I am trying to stay clear of magazines these days (except my subscription to Quilting Arts magazine!) But I do pick up an occasional issue of ClothPaperScissors. They put out a special issue on studios every once in a while. The spring/summer issue is an amazing feast for the eyes. It's great fun to get a peek into the studios of other artists, to see their work and read about their journeys.
Real Simple's April issue caught my eye because of the lovely cover, and its story on cleaning with inexpensive everyday items. I enjoy the magazine at our library, but did buy this issue at the grocery store.

Also, check out this lovely blog post.  Susan L, the author does a beautiful job of summing up "Natural, Simple, Eco, Healthy, Frugal..." all in one place.

My friend Jane, co-author of Art Quilt Workbook and Art Quilts at Play was recently interviewed by Annie Smith, podcast extraodinaire. There's a link on Jane's blog to hear the interview. It's a fun listen.

And if you visit my friend Elin's blog (who co-authored the two books), you can link to see a book trailer for Art Quilts at Play. You'll also see her beautiful charm bracelet and info for a charm swap, hosted by ClothPaperScissors magazine.  I'm going to try to get some charms in by the deadline of April 13th. But that means I've got to get this quilt finished up, so I'm off to my sewing machine. Bye for now!

PS Speaking of Faith with Sherwin Nuland, yesterday was full of a-ha moments. Like "Healing is not a science, but an intuitive wooing of nature." And,  from the Jewish tradition of nefesh, "The soul exists in the universe, when we are born we inhale it." And, "Science and religion-it is not a debate, it is a conversation." And, "Everyone needs to be understood, that's where all kinds of love comes from."