New Year's Eve 2007

This may be the last time I write a 2007 date, I wonder how long it will take me to remember to write 2008! I'm sounding more and more like my little Grandmother who died at 92. She had some pithy observations about ageing and, by golly, she was right.

Doesn't seem that the sun actually "set" tonight, it just sort of faded away. The wind is howling, pity the poor people on the parade route in Pasadena, and Corky is unhappy because he didn't get his walk this evening. Tomorrow will be a better day and, it is to be hoped, a better year.

I wish you a joyous and prosperous 2008, Del

Construction Fence & Roses 12-30-07

One of the reasons I drove north was to attend a birthday party for Jeanne Mills, a quilting friend who, among other activities, takes groups of quiltmakers to France. http://jeannemillstours.com/ It was a lovely party and we visited with many people that we don't see very often. The party, given by her adult children and grandchildren, was at Jeanne's house in Pacific Grove.

I took this picture a few blocks from Jeanne's house. The local planning commission requires an 'outline' of any house, or addition to a house, to prevent encroaching on the existing views from the surrounding houses. I've always thought these outlines fascinating. In the past few months I have shared similar images with Jeanne Williamson http://jeannewilliamson.com/, who uses the imprint of construction fencing in her fiber art. But this is the best picture yet - the outline of the addition is very well defined. Like a sketch in the air!

Since my drive home yesterday was entirely in the dark there wasn't much chance for photos. But when I was waiting at In and Out Burgers in Grapevine, CA, I noticed the abundance of blossoms on these landscape roses planted along the building. Usually we have roses blooming well into January, depends on the variety and the care they receive. Many people here prune their roses in February which gives regrowing time for a great blossoming at Easter time.

Corky is staying with me for a few days and today he 'helped' me with my quiltmaking. Which is okay, but in return he thinks he should receive 24 hour petting and rubbing. That means I don't get much sewing done, even with his help!

Home again 12-30-07

Yes, I did arrive home safely last night at 11pm. It was an easy six hour drive with several pit stops and, throwing caution to the wind, a stop for an In and Out hamburger w/fries! Haven't eaten that sort of thing in so long I had forgotten how good it is.

Here is a much better vineyard picture - it almost doesn't look real, does it?

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Hwy 101 North continued 12-28-07

West of Santa Barbara the highway runs along the ocean for 30 miles or so and then turns north/inland until about 60 miles further it hits the ocean again for a few miles at Pismo Beach. Then it doesn't touch the coast again until way north in San Francisco.

Along the way there are vineyards, orchards and cattle pastures. In the uncultivated areas the California Sycamore trees are bare this time of year, their ghost like bare branches writhing against the tree clad hills and blue sky.

The area around Paso Robles was once cattle country, but in the last twenty years much of it has been cultivated for vineyards and wine tasting facilities. On either side of the road there are miles of vineyards that start at the highway and roll away as far as the foothills - I can't help but wonder who drinks all that wine! After arriving in the Salinas Valley the grapevines give way to flat fields of every possible kind of produce crops. Much of what we buy in the groceries is grown in this area which stretches from the Coastal Range on the west to the Diablo Range on the east and more than a hundred miles north and south.

North of the town of Salinas the speed limit drops to 60mph due to the dangerous cross traffic along this stretch of 101. Believe the signs, the Prunedale speed traps are well know to locals and the CHP makes a lot of money off of those who ignore the law. Don't ask how I know. Just before the turnoff to San Juan Bautista the road splits an old eucalyptus grove. These groves, found all over Central California were planted at the instigation of sharp operators selling the seedlings in the second half of the 1800s when the railroads were first laid. Much to the land owners chagrin the wood is too twisted to use for RR ties or to have any commercial use. So the groves stand to shelter roadside rest stops, farm houses and resting cattle.

It was a six hour drive from Placentia to Mary's house - that is just the actual driving time, I spent an hour and a half eating breakfast, getting gas, stopping at the drugstore and sometimes stopping to enjoy the view for a few minutes. It is much colder here than in SCalifornia, and the promised rain has not appeared. I hope it doesn't come tomorrow whilst I am driving home.

Hwy 101 North 12-27-07

On Hwy 101 North - I think this is near Mussel Shoals - at 7am.

Jeannine's in Montecito, CA. Right across the street from Trattorie Mollie, one of Oprah's favorite local spots.

Chicken sausage, mushroom, red pepper scramble and one of those elegant lattes I have spoken about previously. At 7:40am- a very early breakfast for this night owl. But 'Yumm-O'!

North of Santa Barbara the highway hugs the coast, although the RR tracks run between the highway and the blue Pacific Ocean. On the horizon are two offshore rigs and to the left Channel Islands National Park - probably the two larger islands, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.

On the road again! 12-26-07

Just a little bit of a tease. This is the view from a third floor room at Sea Crest Inn, my first choice of motels in Pismo Beach. I wouldn't mind spending a night on this trip, but there isn't time. The winds have been very strong through the canyons and passes, so I'll take Hwy 101 north and hope the wind isn't so bad along the coast. It'll be a quick trip, up to San Juan Bautista/Pacific Grove tomorrow and home on Saturday. I'll see what wonders my camera can capture.

One of the Book Group ladies made Rachel Ray's Five Minute Fudge Wreath for each of the members. It was delicious. It doesn't have to be a wreath - try it for Valentine's Day, maybe in a heart shaped pan. You'll find it at: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/kids-recipes/kids---fabulous-five-minute-fudge-wreath/article.html

Christmas Dessert 12-25-07

The other day Christine http://winnowings.blogspot.com/ had a recipe for Apple Crisp in her blog. It came from one of those cherished cookbooks created by the ladies of an organization, usually to raise funds for their causes. Some of the best recipes, and some of the worst, are found in these books and passed down from generation to generation. I remember this simple recipe although I don't believe I have ever seen the book Christine has. Since I had some apples on hand I made a pan of Apple Crisp and will enjoy it for Christmas Day dessert. Thanks Christine!

Santa has done his job 12-24-07

Christmas Eve is over and Christmas dawn will soon be here. While everyone is opening their presents, Santa is having a snooze - it is a big job flying around the world delivering gifts.

Hope your Christmas is merry and joy filled. Love, Del

Skinny Strips #5 12-23-07

All of the strips are sewn down along the edges.

I couldn't just stay right on the edge because I was trying to catch most of the little pieces in the stitching. I have the problem that I do not wash new fabric except that intended for bed quilts, so all my scraps are unwashed and the fusible doesn't always stick. I glued some small pieces down before stitching.

I had thought to cover the top with something sheer to keep all those little pieces from coming off, but I don't want to lose the bright blue of the background. Here are three different 'coverings' - left to right are crepeline (a very sheer and very expensive silk used in conservation of textiles), illusion netting in aqua, illusion netting in black. You can see where the pieces are pinned at the top and bottom. I like the aqua best, but I don't have a very large piece. I might have to go shopping for more.

I think you can click to enlarge the pictures. Opinions, anyone?

Christmas Quilts 12-22-07

"Teenage Reindeer" Del Thomas 1993 27" x 31.5"

Christmas quilts have always been special to me - quilts that would cover the bed or hang on the wall for only about a month each year. Every year they were new all over again. But I have stopped decorating for Christmas and wondered what I could do with the quilts other then let them sit rolled up on a shelf. So, I donated them back to Beach Cities Quilters Guild for their December live auction. All of them were purchased at previous auctions, so the guild has benefited twofold and now someone else will be able to enjoy them at Christmas time. I did keep the Red & Green bed quilt I made about ten years ago, it is the warmest quilt I own and sometimes SCalifornia can get very cold. And I kept this little reindeer. In the early 90s I taught a class based on a great book by Judy Hopkins of Alaska, " One of a Kind Quilts" and this was one of my class samples. In fact, I have always thought the best of the bunch! If you know someone who is struggling with doing their own original designs this is a good book to get them going. You might find it in a quilter's used book sale, there were two printings several years apart. Tonight this little quilt hangs in the family room and the Red & Green is on the bed. I'm all ready for Christmas!

Stormy weather 12-20-07

There wasn't much of a rainfall today, less than an inch, but we had a very grey stormy sky. I had lunch with the Poodle Mommy at the Long Beach Yacht Club and this the view from our window table. Don't you think the texture is wonderful? In the foreground is the flat, matte surface of the channel, behind that the very busy strip of vertical boat masts and palm trees, and on the top the smooooth grey clouds. It was quite beautiful. And not cold.

Last week a member of the Book Group told us she was reading a wonderful book by an author she did not know. I was so excited when I discovered it is "The Whistling Season" by Ivan Doig, one of my favorite authors. His books are few and far between and I had not checked lately to see if he had published a new one - almost two years ago! My friend loaned me her copy of the book and I am gobbling it up. Mr. Doig has a wonderful vocabulary and uses it like, well, music. His characters are so real that when I finish reading I feel as if I knew these people at some time in my life. His first book "This House of Sky" was nominated for the National Book Award in 1978, but it lost out to Peter Matthiessen's "The Snow Leopard". I read the Doig book the next year and have been buying, reading and recommending his work ever since. "The Whistling Season" is his eleventh book. There is a good basic article about him in Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Doig

Weather 12-19-07

Not much rain today, but more is predicted for tomorrow and over the weekend. So far it has been a gentle rain.

Skinny Strips #4 12-18-07

Here is the next step in working with my skinny strips. They don't really lean toward the middle, I just couldn't get far enough away w/my camera to 'square up' the image. At present this is 28"W and 13-1/2"L, but the verticals are not fused yet as I need to look at it for a couple days to see if some need moving. I used all scraps to make the skinny strips and a couple scraps had gold or copper foil that I had applied sometime in the past, it looks good cut up it little bits scatter throughout.

Corky, the Poodle Prince 12-17-07

I am a Poodle Nanny and this is the little guy that I take care of. His parents run a business from their home and they travel places that Corky cannot go. I have been his nanny for eleven years next month. Sometimes we stay at his place in Long Beach or in the Arizona desert, but mostly he comes to my house - we call it "Camp Del" and he understands what that means. I had always heard that poodles are very smart and I assure you this one is! He picks up words without us knowing, so sometimes we have to use a code to talk in his presence. However, it isn't long before we have to change the code because he figures it out! He likes riding in a car, but he prefers to go fast, when we slow down he complains. Here he is all seat belted in for a drive, as you can tell, he is eager to be off! I don't have grandchildren and Corky takes their place - he is my grand doggy!

A distant view 12-16-07

This is a follow up to my post of 12-03-07. That image was taken at sundown looking east to the mountains and I said I would go back to the same spot to try for a picture of the skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles. I think I need a UV filter, or something, to cut out the haze. But this morning it was rather clear for this area and I took my chances.

I took the pictures from the top of Bastanchury hill looking to the northwest. Downtown LA is in the middle of the picture, between thirty and forty miles from this location and is rarely visible due to the smog and haze. But sometimes it sparkles out there like the fantasy land of Oz and I find it fascinating that I can see so far.

Here is a cropped magnification of the top image so that you can sort of see what I am talking about. If I ever get a new camera that has changeable lens and accepts filters I will give it another try.

My thumb is going to be fine. Thanks for asking!

Skinny strips #3 12-15-07

Here is another experiment with skinny strips, not unlike something I have done in the past except I have carried it a bit further. These somewhat wedge shaped pieces are butted together and fused. I put the fusible down with the paper side against a pressing sheet on the ironing board, arrange the strips right side up on the fusible side, put kitchen parchment over them and fuse them with a hot iron.The paper backing is still on. This piece is about 13" x 6".

Now I have made wedge cuts in the long direction, turned them end to end, mixed them up, cut them again into 6" lengths,and removed the paper backing. The pieces need to be carefully butted up to each other so fusible doesn't show between them. They are fused again.

I wanted it to be even more scrappy, so I cut really skinny pieces (1/8" to 1/4") from the leftovers and fused them on each 'join'. I may cover it with light blue tulle to keep the edges from fraying. I intend to use this as a sky.

My thumb is much better, still a little swollen and a little stiff, but I can do almost everything in the same old way. I'm so thankful.

"All Thumbs" 12-14-07

"All Thumbs" Del Thomas 2003 14.5"W x 14"L

Almost five years ago I made this quilt and also one titled "All Thumbs #2" with the same theme - the name refers to how we all feel when we are first learning to do something, like Free Motion Quilting.

The reason I am posting this today is that I have a REAL fat thumb, because I closed it in the door of the van. Can you believe it? About sixty years ago my stepfather closed the fingers of my left hand in the car door and it hurt so bad I have always remembered to be careful. This time I dropped my keys just as I pushed the door closed and was afraid they had fallen inside the door, so I grabbed for it. There I was with my thumb stuck in the partially closed locked door and, lucky me, the keys on the pavement. If there had been anyone close by I would have asked for help. Fortunately, I could reach my keys with a little gyration and was able to click the button to unlock the door. Of course, it is my right thumb - creating a bit of a problem for me to do much of anything. I put ice on it, still have ice on it and I hope the swelling goes down soon. Hard to type with eight fingers and one thumb. Oh,yes! It does hurt, hurt, hurt!

Alliance Auction Quilts 12-13-07

"Cat House" Mary Lou Weidman 2006 14.5" x 20.5"

This quilt is machine pieced, appliqued and quilted. It is embellished with buttons, rickrack and fancy trim. The back is a solid blue fabric. It is very typical of Mary Lou's work.

"Under One Roof" Yvonne Porcella 2006 15" x 19.5"

Machine pieced, hand appliqued, hand quilted.

This is very different than any Yvonne quilt I have seen previously and unlike any other quilt in my collections. However, I find it very appealing - soft and peaceful. If you are familiar with Yvonne's work you know that she likes bright colors, so I am showing you the back of the quilt....

...where she has indulged her taste for bright fabrics. Cute, eh?

I am very pleased that my bids on these quilts were successful, everything else I bid on was out of my budget range long before the bidding was over.

The Alliance made $10,429.91 on the auction of the quilts. The highest price was the $1525.00 for Pam Allen's "Icon - Domestic Goddess". My "Tree House" sold for $710.00.

Skinny strips #2 12-12-07

Here are the same skinny strips that I showed stacked vertical and horizontal on 12-05-07. Now they are all going the same direction and are placed on two different backgrounds. I have also added a strip of sheer across the bottom to sort of 'ground' them. I tend to like bright colors and I like this blue/gold background.

But this green batik has possibilities. Comments?