Adaptations:What empty nest syndrome?

The Fiber Arts Connection in California has a challenge called Adaptations...how we adapt to changes in our lives. I pondered the subject for a long time and finally decided that I would create a happy quilt about how I have adapted to an empty house after raising 4 children. This quilt is the result. The "nest" began in a class with Carol Taylor where I learned how to couch wonderful yarns. The small embroidered pieces were inspired by an article in Quilting Arts or Cloth, Paper, Scissors...I love both magazines and can't remember which one I got the idea from. If you click on the picture, you can see a larger view of it.

I thought about how I fill my time now that the kids are gone and travel is high on my list of things to do. I went to Egypt last December and will visit my daughter who is an au pair in Italy this Spring. My oldest son is getting married in Thailand this coming December so my life is full of travel plans.
I love being out in nature and I try to walk in the mountains every day...if it isn't raining.
Rascal is my Labradoodle and my baby. He follows me everywhere and I would be very lonely without him.
Art is a high priority for me...especially any kind that involves fiber.
I love to read and since my daughter, Marni published her autobiography last year, it had to be one of the books in the pile.
Gardening is a new adventure for me. I grew wonderful tomatoes last year and the deer even left a few for me to eat. This year they will be seeing stronger fences around my garden.
My newest hobby is playing the guitar. I treated myself to one for my 55th birthday and have been teaching myself by watching DVDs. I absolutely love it.

Each embroidered piece was done on linen and then mounted on timtex and felt. I used variegated embroidery floss, crystals and some silver needlepoint floss to add glitz. I also used fabric markers in places to add color. The nest was made as one large piece and then cut into smaller units. I sewed each unit to a backing fabric so they are all finished pieces. Everything was sewn to a piece of tulle and then mounted on a larger piece of purple felt. This was an ongoing project over a number of months just because I only did the embroidery at odd moments when I had time. I loved getting back into embroidery and hope to do more of it in the future.