Gifts - for me? 09-11-09

My family never favored gifts and I suppose the reason I am so uncomfortable when people give me gifts is that I never learned to be a gracious receiver. I just get tongue-tied (yes, I do) and don't know what to say. When the SQG membership gave me an orchid plant after the program in April I was stone faced, even though it was such a lovely surprise. But I was completely rattled when the British/Australian ladies gave me a bag of gifts in San Diego. I hope I said "Thank You" instead of just standing there with my mouth hanging open, I was too stunned to recall. They carried these charming gifts from home. I suppose they intend to fill the empty spots in their luggage with fabric. They were on their way to Rosie's on Wednesday, before their Thursday flights home.

I took a picture when they were still wrapped.

And several pictures of them unwrapped, because I couldn't get them all in the same photo. In the top left corner is a piece of cotton lawn fabric from Liberty of London that wrapped a gift. Then counter clockwise: two packages of quilt image note cards, loose English Breakfast tea in a red "phone box", a bar of Jojoba Oil soap, a jar of eucalyptus body rub, a sparkly beaded tassel (for my scissors?) and a mug from Malvern in the west of England.

Also a linen tea towel from Malvern with images of local historic buildings.

And another linen tea towel from a design by McIntosh.

If any of the ladies read this blog I say again, "Thank You", the gifts are lovely and welcome. And you all were a great audience.

Coincidentally, I once took the train from London to attend a quilt show in Malvern. It was a very nice show with lots of great quilts, friendly quilters and the area was lovely and green. It was held at a sort of fairgrounds, or maybe it was a large equestrian center, and outside here were little booths on wheels that sold food. After I left the show I tried a freshly cooked doughnut and thought I had reached food heaven - I went back for a second one! Good thing it was closing time lest I just stand there and eat them forever. They tasted like those made by our neighbor in Portland, "Gramma Roetz", who cooked doughnuts whilst I was dusting every delicate little treasure in her china cabinet. I thought it was a fantastic way to be 'paid'. I hadn't planned to spend the night in Malvern, but at the train station I discovered I had missed the last train and there was no Sunday train! So, for that night I found a pleasant B&B in a big, old, four-square house. On Sunday I took a cab to a nearby town that had a train to London on Sunday. It was a wonderful little unplanned adventure.

Update on SDeigo Trip - Blue flower 09-10-09

I have to tell you what a disappointment that shower was at the Westin. Yes, there are two shower heads, but two dispense the same amount of water as one! Yes, California is in severe water shortage, but it would have been more satisfying to spray myself with a squirt bottle.

The bed was pretty wonderful, but very high and it had a soft pillow top. When I woke up in the middle of the night to do a bathroom run, I couldn't get out of bed! The mattress was so soft I needed something to hang onto, since I couldn't reach the floor, and there was nothing to hang onto. I finally rolled on my stomach and flung my legs over the edge, followed by my rear end. Too bad there wasn't a video, it might have won a prize in the world's ugliest videos contest. With my short legs I certainly need to have a stool, or maybe a step ladder to get in and out of that sort of bed.

Nancy Ota took this picture just as I was showing how high a live Summer Lily is. The quilt by Ruth McDowell shows a huge version in a delightful fabric selection. This quilt is very popular with audiences - it is so colorful and the candelabra shaped plant is so graceful. You'll note that once again I have forgotten to exchange my sunglasses for my regular glasses - someone has to remind me. Later I realized and changed, but I always feel so silly when I discover how I look. Behind me are Joan Colvin's "Copper Tree" and Pamela Allen's "Getting my Ducks in a Row". And I am wearing an original Rayna Gillman silk scarf around my neck.

The blue flower I posted yesterday is one single flower from the flower head of Agapanthus Africanus or Lily-of-the-Nile. The picture was taken in the shade which gives the blue an extra glow. Several people were curious - maybe you were also.

Wordless Wednesday 09-09-09

A room at the Westin, Gaslight Qtr 09-08-09

I am in San Diego tonight, staying in a luxurious room at the Westin Hotel (near Horton Plaza). I drove down this afternoon to give a special showing of some of the TCQC quilts to a touring group of English + one Aussie quilting ladies. They attended classes at Empty Spools last week and are on a tour put together by Suzanne Cox, one of the triumvirate of Empty Spools. She is a travel agent in her 'real' live, so doing tours is a natural. All nine ladies seem to be having a good time. I think they enjoyed seeing the quilts. Since I live with these masterpieces all the time perhaps I am become jaded! It always surprises me when someone acts like I 'hung the moon'! But I do remember my first meeting with Ruth McDowell, after having admired her quilts for so long. I felt as though I was in the presence of royalty and her quilts were sacred icons!! Actually, I still sort of feel that way!

I was fortunate to have Nancy Ota and Jan Hirth, quilting friends from Orange County drive down and serve as holders and folders. They were great and made it so much more enjoyable for the 'audience' since they could just sit and admire. As it happens Nancy, Jan and all the others in the room had seen each other at Empty Spools last week, some were even classmates. Enormous thanks to my two Orange County friends.

Suzanne knew that by the time the program was over and we had dinner that I would be too tired to drive the three hours home (after dark!), so she provided this room. I have all the quilts in their wrappings laid out on the 'wrong' half of the bed - plenty of room for me on the 'right' half. I didn't want to have them stacked up all night because the weight of those on top tend to set any little crease in the lower ones. But the bell hop (is that still the proper term?) left the cart, so I will just refold and pile them on in the morning.

There is this odd pillow on the bed, along with two large and two medium normally shaped pillows. I've never seen one before - does it have special purpose? Under one's neck? Between one's knees? In the small of one's back? Do tell!!

And there are these two shower heads! Another first. The sign says that one can save water by using just one head, or push the button on the pipe of the lower one and engage both to enjoy a "Heavenly Shower". I'm going to at least try both - not very 'green', I know, but everyone should experience a "Heavenly Shower" once in their life. Right?

Oh-h-h-h-h, I can hardly wait - I'd better post this and hop in the shower, before I go to sleep in my chair.

Datura/Jimsonweed 09-07-09

Along parts of I-5 when I was driving home on Friday were Datura plants blooming along the pavement. They get more runoff water there - when there is water - but they live in very dry conditions and are found throughout the great Southwest. The pavement you see in this picture is a frontage road that parallels the highway which is on the right beyond the fence.

Datura inoxia has a number of common names, including jimsonweed, angel's-trumpet, thorn-apple, Indian-apple, moonflower, sacred datura, prickly-burr and toloache (via Wikipedia and the USDA PLANTS database)

When the flowers die back the prickly seed pods develop, inside are four compartments that contain the seeds. The Native Indians used the seeds in their rituals and, of course, they were very popular with the Hippie culture of the 70s. One must be careful to treat the plant with respect because all parts of the plant are toxic along with the smoke and if ingested it can kill. I don't know how it is smoked and doesn't kill everyone, but some do die from the smoke.

You may recognize the similarity with Brugmansias, commonly called Angels Trumpet, the garden shrub with the hanging trumpet shaped blossoms that is blooming now in our gardens. The plants are both members of the solanaceae family (also known as the nightshade or potato family), as are mandrake, deadly nightshade (belladonna), capsicum (paprika, chili pepper), potato, tobacco, tomato, eggplant and petunia.

Every plant was alive with bees which, as you can see, burrow deep into the flowers and then come up to walk around on the stamens - they collect pollen on their hairy bodies and carry it between plants to pollinate them.

Prize winning quilt by Ruth Powers 09-06-09

I first saw a Ruth Powers quilt in 1998 at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles and asked about availability, but they had no information. No pictures were allowed, but I stored the image of "Vireya" in my brain somewhere and didn't forget it. In early 2001 a friend heard about a new group "Kansas Art Quilters" and sent me the URL for their website. I was so impressed that they had a great website up so soon after they formed that I sent a query about membership. They replied that I could be a member, so I sent my check. When I looked at the membership list I found that Ruth Powers was a member and we exchanged the first of years of e-mails. I was so glad that I could purchase this quilt in 2006, although it is hard to choose a favorite among Ruth's many masterpiece quilts this one in particular 'spoke to me'. KAQ is a group that I have enjoyed very much, even though I live so many miles away.

"Early Birds" Ruth Powers - Carbondale, KS 2005 49"W x 38"L
Best Of Show at Celebrate Spring! IQF, Rosemont, IL 2006 and was in the Celebrate Spring! Special Exhibit at Houston in 2006
Published in Fons and Porter’s ”Love of Quilting” May/June 2007 and the SAQA Journal Vol. 17 - #2 Spring 2007

Ruth machine pieces EVERYTHING using commercial fabrics almost exclusively and FMQs her quilts on her home machine. She also does exquisite thread painting on some of her work.

The texture of the fabrics she selected for this quilt give the illusion of depth and the one that show the distant trees is an inspired choice. This quilt is one that requires many close viewings to see all the details.
Ruth has a commercial pattern business where she sells designs that are just a little different than others on the market. She is currently working on a pattern series named "Picture Piecing" and has just posted the third pattern "Bluebird" on her pattern site: http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/patterns.php The first in the series is "Coneflowers" and the second is "Poppy".

Look at Ruth's work at: http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/ Her blog is www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/weblog