Vacuum for the water's edge? 08-14-09

Not all that exciting, but I was intrigued! Toward the end of July when I was at Corky's house in LBeach , I noticed these three people (two guys and one gal) with this strange contraption down at the water line. The far side of Marine Stadium is mostly sand, but the near side is rip-rap. I had earlier wondered why the stadium was closed to boating this day and finally I figured it out.

This is sort of a vacuum to pick up the debris that collects in the rip-rap. It would be almost impossible to collect it by hand because nobody could stand up or kneel on the rocks to feel around for trash. Boats can not be allowed on "vacuum" day because the wakes would wash up on the rip-rap and the water get sucked into the vacuum.

The three workers changed jobs periodically - one did the vacuuming, one tended the power on the machine and one cleaned the debris out into the blue plastic bags.

The flexible grey hose comes out of the machine and attaches to the fat, rigid 'nozzle' which has two handles on the top side - about two feet apart. The vacuumer holds on to the handles and manipulates the nozzle between the rocks, sucking the junk up. You can see that (just like my garage vac) there are repairs to the flexible hose using duct tape. What would we do without it?

Not a very exciting post, eh? But I am fascinated by how anyone figures out how to make a machine to fill a very narrow specific job. Do you suppose the crew had to go to a junk sucking class for training?

Quilt artists interviewed on Blog 08-13-09

I spent the evening with the Poodle Prince in Long Beach and took him on his second walk in about three weeks. He went to the groomer yesterday and his mom took him for the first walk. He just trotted along, tail up, ears alert, just like a puppy! The groomer did an excellent job and clipped him a little shorter because of the heat (which is sure to come, after all, this is August!). Acupuncture will be only every other week and the shots will be weekly.

I don't know how I discovered this blog: http://runningwithscissorsstudio.blogspot.com/ probably by surfing blogs linked to blogs linked to..... There are interviews with a half dozen different quilt artists which I found very interesting. You might also. One of the interviewees is one of my favorite teachers and artists, Rayna Gillman. Great pictures of the work of each artists. Check it out.

There are two interviews in back issues of the Quilt University newsletter - one with Pamela Allen and one with Judy Martin. Both worth reading. Check them out!

http://www.quiltuniversity.com/newsletter_archive.htm

# # #

Surfside Quilters Guild 08-12-09

Surfside Quilters Guild is the recently formed daytime guild that meets in San Clemente, CA., on the 2nd Tuesday morning of each month. Some of you are far away, but I want to do a little PR here in case you know someone who lives in south Orange County or north San Diego County. I live in neither, but I knew how much they needed a daytime guild down there and contributed what I could to get it started. NOW Iam doing the newsletter, which I am really enjoying except for having to learn Microsoft Publisher (or any other publishing program); each month will be easier, I know. Meanwhile (despite the hour drive) I have greatly enjoyed the meetings and making new quilting friends. There are now 219 members, so it is still one of the smallest (if not the smallest) guild in the area. There are a LOT of quilters in SCalifornia!!

This month's speaker was Suzanne Stanton of Ramona, CA. Suzanne taught quilt making for south county adult ed for at least a dozen years before moving further south. This meeting was somewhat of a reunion with her former students and they brought completed quilts they had started and/or completed in her classes. One of her star students is Candy Martin, who Suzanne acknowledged as being one student from whom she learned as much as she taught.

This is Candy's wonderful applique quilt (1990) , one of my favorites. I am sad that the pictures are not better, but they were taken whilst the quilts were being held up for Show & Tell. Along with the hand applique and hand quilting, Candy has appliqued her family in the center. She does beautiful handwork. The stage lights cast shadows from the people on the stage and there is no way to correct that. The quilt is white....

...as is the antique embroidered piece that is on the back.

Candy also showed a recent quilt she has completed. The pattern is "Rolling Waves" from a McCall's Quick Quilt Magazine. She said, "Scrapping it made it not quite so quick!" It was quilted by Lillian Gordon on a long-arm machine utilizing a seashell pattern. The quilt will go to Candy's grandson who loves to surf.

Corky Update 08-11-09

When Corky goes for his acupuncture treatment he feels like a puppy when it is over - at least he acts like a puppy. Bright eyed, bushy tailed, he is ready to run and jump and play. I think it is the acupuncture, the Poodle Mommy thinks it is the holistic shot he also receives. Who knows? He continues to improve and will now be able to go for a walk. Hurrah!

When I took him to see Dr. Woods last week we had to wait our turn. Corky sat in his stroller, put his chin on his pillow and went to sleep.

Dr. Woods is preparing the needles and Corky wouldn't even look at him.

I guess they make the needles pink so they can be found in all the hair - no dogs with pink hair, right?

The needles need to stay in for fifteen minutes. So, what to do? "Gosh," Corky thinks, "I'll just take a nap." And he did. Mellow little guy.

Special post - Online Auction to be held 08-12-09

Anytime we can do something extra for someone who needs something extra, it is a good thing, in my book anyway.

Friends of artist Anna Millea have organized an online auction to help provide funds for her chemotherapy. She has no insurance to cover the cost. There are some lovely gifts on-the-block made by artists from all over the world and I hesitate to share the URL because I want to get there first!! Seriously, check out the offerings at https://www.artfulhome.com/heartsforanna

The auction takes place on 08-12-09 and I thought I read that it started at 10am, but now I cannot find that reference.

You could also check out Anna's website https://www.artfulhome.com/artist/6188.html for her great leather pillows and other items. Very classy.

* * *

Food Notes 08-10-09

Yes, this is a BLT! Sans the top slice of bread since I am only supposed to be eating one slice of bread a day and lettuce works just great. I am showing this because it is my one BLT of the year! I do love them, but I don't usually eat tomatoes which have become very acidic and I don't usually eat bacon because it is bad for me. BUT if I can find someone in late July or early August who will let me have one of their vine ripened - I mean REALLY ripened so that the sugar has fully developed - tomatoes, I prepare my feast. This year it was excellent! I thank Cindy Croucher, a member of the Surfside Quilters Guild board, for the tomatoes - I'm writing her down for next year!

Meg Messervy in Australia talked about an unusual salad a few weeks ago. Admittedly the combination sounds odd, but sometimes those unusual ingredients really work. I printed it out and gave it a try and it was delicious. Since then Meg and I have had some e-discussion about it and I want to share it with you. I used 1/2 of an large navel orange cut into 1/2" bits, about 2 cups seedless watermelon in 1" cubes, 5 good size radishes cut into slices (cut thick rather than thin), half of a small can of sliced black olives, three medium Romaine leaves cut into chunks. I mixed everything together in a bowl large enough to toss the salad. The dressing is about 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a medium lemon, but will have to do it to suit your taste. Put the dressing on and toss just before serving.

Meg uses a mix of greens that sound like what are called "field greens" in the markets here - baby spinach, radicchio, arugula, oak leaf, etc. - they are all small leaves and I think they would be better than the Romaine. I'll use them next time.

Meg's blog is great - shown by the fact that she has 362 followers all over the world. I love it when she uses Aussie expressions that one must interpret the best they can. "Crapsticks" isn't a good example, but it did make me LOL. http://lifesfreetreats.blogspot.com/

Frieda Anderson quilt from TCQC 08-09-09

I keep a list of the quilts I have posted on my blog, but I took it with me to Long Beach because I had some help with reorganizing the files. Of course, the job is only half done and I brought back all the files and paperwork divided into "done", "half done", "need more info", "not done". But now I cannot find that list! I suppose it is misfiled in one of the folders, but I can't look tonight. I don't believe I have previously posted this gorgeous quilt.

"Walks in the Woods" Frieda Anderson 2002 65"W x 56"L

In December 2005 it hung in Mary Leakey's house in San Juan Bautista - it was perfect for Christmas.

I bought this quilt at the Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2004. It was traveling with the Husquavarna Viking Gallery of Quilt Art "Spirit & Strength" Quilt Tour. And it continued to travel until September 2005. I had gone to the Market as Ruth Powers' helper - it was a grand trip - and had no idea of buying a quilt (I usually don't plan it - it just happens!) Ruth had gone around looking at the exhibits while I watched the booth. When she returned she told me I needed to go look at the "Masters Exhibit", that I would love a couple of those quilts. I looked at the quilts and immediately found the Quilts, Inc. table and wrote out the check. I could hardly endure the wait for a year and a half until it 'came home'. Unlike many of Frieda's more recent work, this quilt is pieced, not fused. The name of the quilt derives from her many walks in the woods with her dog, George. This was the second quilt with the "walk in the woods" theme, the first was by Noriko Endo. http://delquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Noriko%20Endo

You can see more of Frieda Anderson's work on her website: http://www.friestyle.com/