October Travel 11-06-08

I was so busy reporting on PIQF that I didn't ever talk about the trip up or back. I DO love road trips and always see interesting things, places and people. And seeing the places in a different season is a special delight. I drive north on I-5, turn west on CA152 and then slight southwest on CA156, which is mostly a two lane road and has lots of big, slow trucks. But it gives me time to look at the crops and and the changes since I drove that way previously. Turning off on San Juan Canyon Road I am on a narrow twisting road that goes up the canyon to the state park at

Fremont Peak.

After turning left San Juan Canyon Road is lined on both sides with Sumac trees (I don't know the variety). Sometime earlier this year many were cut down to allow celery to be planted in the field behind them. I didn't cry too much because they are very resilient with many new trees growing rapidly to take the place of the fallen.

After a bit of a straight stretch I pass this still working farm with its falling apart barn - very picturesque. There are both cattle and sheep, and maybe a few goats! Very old eucalyptus trees grow on the East side of barn - shade and windbreak.

Across the road a gate closes off the track into a pasture which is always occupied by cows, but sometimes also by wild turkeys.

In the Fall it is easy to identify Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), also known as Indian Tobacco, by its clusters of tubular yellow flowers and grey-green foliage. Native to Peru it has naturalized through Southern California and Western Arizona. Used as an analgesic or poultice it has many medical applications, however it is deadly if taken internally. In the early years of settlement here people fatally mistook the young plant for Poke weed, a wild plant eaten as a fresh green in the Eastern USA. It is thick along the roadway for a mile or so and then diminishes - the rain runoff from the pavement keeps it green and healthy.

Up the winding road until I see the Lombardy Poplar and know that just beyond it on the right side of the road is the turnoff into the gated community where Mary lives.

Doggie Rainsuit 11-05-08

Corky in his makeshift raincoat - February 2005
When I took Corky out yesterday morning at 6am it was raining, which doesn't bother him a bit. But it started me thinking again about a doggie rain suit - or maybe a poodle rain suit would be more accurate. In February 2005 we had quite a bit of rain, so every day Corky would get wet on his walk and whenever he went out for business, then he needed to be dried and brushed out. I don't mind doing it, but Corky gets a little tired of it. So, I thought maybe I could make him a rain cover with a plastic bag - it worked pretty well, but the big problem are those fluffy trousers he wears. I tried four small Baggies with a hole cut in one corner of each for his feet to go through and they worked fairly well also. But it is time consuming to prepare the Baggies and then get him dressed in them. I've tried several designs since, but they are all time consuming and not very effective. Now I am inspired to work at that design again and see if I can keep his legs dry. He went back to his Long Beach house yesterday - soooo happy to see his mom and dad, he was really dancing. I miss him.

"New Growth" 11-04-08

"New Growth" 2001 Del Thomas 14" x 14

This is the little quilt I made for the "America From the Heart" exhibit. It was all I was capable of during that horrible week. Even at that time I believed that the USA would grow out of the disaster. Now, seven long, dreary years later, I feel it finally has started. President-elect Obama's speech was healing and heartening. I hope the cry of "Yes we can." will echo everywhere in America and around the world.

Still no autumn 11-02-08

California Sycamores in the park behind our house. The color you see in the leaves is just the setting sun reflecting.

The leaves are brown on the trees and they are brown on the ground. Corky pays no attention.

These are the trees behind Rayna Gillman's house in New Jersey - just what trees should look like this time of year. [See her blog http://studio78notes.blogspot.com/ for October 28, 2008]

Mary and Joe in San Juan Bautista can enjoy the Lombardy Poplar just outside the main gate. It takes at least a temperature drop to 40F to start this sort of color. The bare Buckeye tree midway up on the left is still loaded with the Buckeye fruit. And even the California Sycamore on the right side above the middle of the picture has yellow leaves. For a contrast see my post for 09-06-08 showing the same Lombardy.

Quilts from TCQC 11-02-08

"Fox Trot" 2002 Patricia Klem - Rancho Santa Fe, CA 20"Wx21"L Machine Pieced and Machine Quilted.
I saw this quilt at La Jolla Fiber Arts as part of Patricia's 2004 exhibit called "Contemplation of Color". After I drove home I kept thinking about it and after a few days called the gallery and asked to buy it. It is one of the few quilts I have purchased from a gallery. Not because I have something against galleries, but because my life doesn't take me to them very often. I just couldn't resist this colorful and rhythmic work. It cheers me up and makes me smile. Notice the wonderful way Patricia has incorporated her signature in the quilting line.

http://www.patriciaklem.com/

A few more from PIQF 11-01-08

I am a great fan of Pamela Allen's, I think one reason is that she does wonderful things that I cannot - because I am too structured in my thinking. I will have a class with her in the spring and I hope I don't get an "F". Maybe I should practice!!

BUGS AND OTHER LIVING THINGS - Pamela Allen 2006 , 57"x42"

"A sort of micro view of the garden, one that I learned to enjoy once the grandchildren explored our backyard with me. Little people see the little things!"

Shown at Aullwood Audubon Museum 2006, Chandler Art Center 2006 /07, PIQA 2008. This quilt is covered with bugs, including gold metal snakes, grasshoppers and fish (not a bug, I know).

 

Notice that Pamela put a little box in the fairy's left hand - for the teeth or for the money? Gotta be the teeth, all that money wouldn't fit in there.

I guess I was so impressed with the traditional quilt below that I forgot to photograph the sign, so Jackie kindly e-mailed a copy of the sign info.

“Nearly Insane” Jackie Seidell - Walnut Creek 90”W x 90”L

"This quilt is a reproduction of an 1870’s Pennsylvania quilt made by Salinda Rupp. Liz Lois drafted each block from a picture of the original quilt that she found in a book at a friends garage sale. There are 98 six-inch blocks that are all different. Some were quite simple, but some were very challenging (block #18 has 229 pieces). I was inspired to make this quilt because of the challenge of piecing the intricate blocks. Each square was like a miniature quilt. I also wanted to try using the original color combinations which I find fascinating."

I think the colors are brighter 'in-the-fabric', but I still have the problem of photos getting darker when I transfer them to Blogger. Awesome workmanship and it hangs square and flat.

 

This quilt is 64"W x 65"L.

Both Mary and I think this is another knockout quilt. It was in the "New Quilts from Northern California" so there isn't much information about it. The colors are wonderful - perhaps even brighter than this. I'd like to take a class with Angie Woolman, I see so many great quilts from her students.

Sandi's choice of quilting pattern may have been inspired by the great Marimekko cherry fabric in the top middle of this photo. If you click to enlarge you can see that the pattern is vertical rows of big cherries, each attached to the one below with a long stem. Whimsical.