Last photos of return from Asilomar 05-01-09

It was very windy on Monday, April 27, when I drove home from Mary's. Much too windy to be taking photos as I drove. I notice the wind more in the Lexus than in the Dodge van - I imagine it is because the Lexus has a higher center of gravity.

Mary's 'deck boxes' are lovely with yellow, violet and pinky pansies... and the every present alyssum to cover the bare soil.

I do love to stop at Harris Ranch at the intersection of I-5 and CA 198. Besides being an oasis of green and color no matter what time of year, they have very clean bathrooms that are always well stocked. I frequently walk around in the parking lot for some 'mid-point' exercise, or at least around part of it. It is a very large parking area that goes completely around all of the buildings.

It must have been very cold up around 20,000 feet because the jet contrails made air maps in the sky. These go north/south and east/west and one even made a wide curve - wonder where he was going? Many of the planes are from/to LAX, San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland. It is a busy air corridor all of the time.

See how much green has disappeared since I went over the Ridge Route a month ago? This is just at the top of the first long grade. The sign says "Tejon Ranch" one of the large historic ranches established in the 1800s. It is still a working ranch and also offers some historical talks about those olden times.

Toot my horn! 04-30-09

The members of Valley Oak Quilters Guild in Tulare were a great audience earlier this month when I visited them. They must have really enjoyed seeing the quilts because they sent me their newsletter with not one, but THREE little items about my program. A great group of ladies, they made Liz and I feel right at home.

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Dyanne Cox introduced Del Thomas,
Quilt Collector, as the featured
speaker for April. Del showed her
outstanding collection of quilts from
various artists, including a fascinating
biography of each quilt. Del
demonstrated how she stores her
quilts: placing a pool noodle covered
with acid free paper or fabric in the
middle or making a “stuffie” which
is a long noodle shaped cover stuffed
with fabric scraps. She shared some
on–line sources—a list of quilt artist
sites and talas.com for acid free
storage.

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[From President's letter] I really enjoyed seeing the collection presented by Del Thomas. This guild is predominantly a traditional quilting group, but I do enjoy seeing the different
styles of quilting. You all know the work that goes into these quilts and for some it really pays well.

Flowers -wild and tame 04-29-09

The wildflower season is definitely over for this year.

But there are garden flowers blooming. This is Pride of Madeira which is grown extensively as a landscape plant in the area around Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel. The flower spikes can grow very tall - 6 feet or so - and the bees are constant visitors along with hummingbirds. The flowers last for a long time, but the season is beginning to end now.

Lots of California poppies on the north facing slopes going over the Ridge Route, but not many anywhere else. This little clump is just west of San Juan Bautista where it grows all alone at the very edge of CA Hwy 156.

Here is a view looking eastward along 156. There is a little marshy area to the right of the picture, but it has already dried up for the summer.

These are the flowers of wild radish that grows everywhere that wild mustard grows - in disturbed soil areas. The seed pods taste very much like radishes, maybe a little spicier, and are good in salads.

From the Past 04-28-09

When I drove back to Mary's on Friday after the Empty Spools Session ended I followed a couple very old cars occupied by couples in 'dust coats' and hats. They turned into the motel at the main intersection and joined dozens more. Mary says they come every year about this time - part of a horseless carriage organization. They trailer the cars in from wherever they live and just drive around the local area.

Parked all the way to the end of the lot was this touring car - I assume the engine is covered to try to keep out the dirt, because the wind was really blowing that day. And all weekend!

A Reo and a Brush (which I've never heard of before).

Here is a car leaving the motel parking lot to take a tour around town. San Juan Bautista is a very old town with its Mission, so cars like these probably once drove on the old dirt roads.

I think there are seven beauties lined up here. Bracketed by some modern cars and lots of modern guys having a look. And look at the dilapidated old barn in the background, one of many in the area - the motel is surrounded by farms and fields and pastures.

Pamela Allen Class Photos 04-27-09

Pamela Allen is a great teacher and all of the students in the Asilomar class were challenged and creative and enjoyed the class. I will certainly take a class from her again in the future. If you get a chance, I hope you will also. Even if you don't have a desire to be an art quilter, I think everyone could learn from her some techniques and ways of thinking about their art that will make them better quilt makers, artists, thinkers!

I have put all the pictures in an album, but I must warn you there are 70 pictures! Some good, some marginal and some just awful, but they were the only ones I had. I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of everyone in the class, but Pamela kept us all so busy it was hard to stop and photograph much of anything.

I brought from home the scrap bag that we spread on a sheet outside the room (for lack of space inside) and Kay Allen brought a fabulous selection of leftovers from her daughter's dancing costumes that stood us all in good stead. They appear in everyone's projects.

http://tinyurl.com/c4x28y

Pamela taught in several other venues and some of her students have posted comments in their blogs which might interest some of you. See:

www.highfibercontent.blogspot.com
http://artquiltmaker.com/blog/
http://pages.citebite.com/g1b7a3m6d6vdd
http://cindysblog.wordpress.com/

Quilt from TCQC 04-26-09

THE GATEHOUSE Elizabeth Barton - Athens, Georgia
37” W x 27” L ©2005

Using photographs and memories of her childhood in England, Elizabeth has created this image which suggests the gatehouse of a great estate. The fabrics she dyes, paints, screens, stamps and discharges, give the scene a dreamlike elegance and the yellow trees mark the time as autumn. This piece started out as a much larger quilt which Elizabeth felt needed cropping and it works as a more intimate view of a timeless English estate.

Hand dyed, painted, stamped, screened, discharge fabrics.
Cotton, silk, rayon, wool, furnishing fabrics.
Machine raw edge and turned applique, machine piecing and quilting.

One special thing about this quilt is the fence, which Elizabeth has used in several quilts. It is, I believe, a silk screen and lends itself to many different applications, but it is especially nice as the fence in this quilt.

I am still waiting for replies from my Empty Spools Seminar classmates about whose quilt is whose. When I have their answers I will post the pictures of the class. I am still at Mary's, but the car is packed and I plan to leave early tomorrow for the drive home.