Cloud Formation 03-06-10

I had to stop for this wonderful cloud formation. Of course, a picture can't really do it justice - it was glorious. I had driven over to Hollister (about 8 miles) to do some errands, shop at Target, have the Gold Standard washed (it was solid bugs) and drink a latte at Starbucks. A really exciting day! Tonight after dinner Mary helped me sort through the TCQC quilts so that I could take some of Ruth McDowell's work to show to her Empty Spools students. We won't do it during class time, maybe some afternoon between the end of class and dinner at 6pm. I have a few of Sylvia Einstein's quilts with me also and will show them to her students the following week.

I am posting early tonight because I need to get a good night's rest and I haven't organized my stuff for class yet. I plan to leave here about noon ( it is about a 45 minute drive) for the 3pm check-in time at Asilomar Conference Center, but I have some errands to do in Pacific Grove and there will be lots of friends to greet and visit with before the Empty Spools 2-hour class introduction starts.

Computer connections are only available in the Administration Bldg, so I might not be able to post every day - but I will try.

Hanford, CA and SJB 03-05-10

Yesterday afternoon I drove from SJB to Hanford, CA, about a three hour drive mostly on good,open highway. It was an amazing day - bright blue sky, with puffy little white clouds and a view that stretched to the foothills of the Sierra - or almost. My eyes have been bothering me so I can't see as well as I usually do. But nothing could diminish the sunshine and the vast fields (to be planted in cotton maybe) stretch flat and forever. I went to do the evening program about the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection for Common Threads Quilt Guild. It is a lovely group of ladies and they seemed to enjoy seeing the quilts and hearing my explanations about each quilt. They kindly furnished four quilt hanging stands, in addition to my two, so we were able to hang six large quilts before the members started arriving. This gives everyone a better chance to see some of the quilts up close. Suzanne Kistler took the picture below of me standing next to Ruth B. McDowell's "Summer Lily", a quilt with a fantastic collection of fabrics that only Ruth could assemble. It is a pretty good picture even though all my pudginess is obvious. Hard to hide it these days. Maybe I should try wearing mu mu's!

The meeting finished a little after 9pm (I ran on a bit too long - sorry), I stopped at a gas station to scrape some of the bugs off my windshield (everything is green and growing and the bugs are eating everything in sight apparently - and then committing suicide on I-5) and headed back to SJB. Arrived about 12:20am and I was sound asleep by 1am. Quite a good drive.

Today I was sewing at Mary's dining room table (so I didn't have to haul my machine down and up stairs) where I could look out at the oak trees and the green, green grass in the open areas. I've never lived where the deer roamed (I know they can be very destructive) so it is nice to look up now and then and see these gals looking back at me. Lots of early shooting-stars wildflowers in the background. All day it looked as though it might rain, but I don't think we had a drop. Sure is cold up here though. The high is about what the low is in Placentia. I have layers and layers of quilts on my bed so I do sleep warm enough. And that is what am going to do right now.

San Juan Bautista, Pacific Grove 03-03-10

I drove up I-5 again last night, but it was dark, so no pictures of almond trees blooming!!. No rain, surprisingly. Tthere were a zillion stars shining and a gibbous moon, so everything was bathed in a pale blue light. I haven't driven this route at night for quite a while - it was very beautiful. Each trip I find it harder to 'get it together' and packing for a long trip in the Lexus is a new experience. Finally, I left some things behind - some on purpose, because there was no room, and some because I forgot them. I've already hit Mary up for thread (of the right color) and fusible. It is hard to make a list for a trip like this because each occurrence is different.

This morning we drove to Pacific Grove to meet up with some friends who have been taking classes at the Empty Spools Seminars Session II. We tracked down Franki Kohler, who had a "Tuesday Tote" package for me, and our friends from Washington state. It would have been better if I had been able to drive up on Monday and see them yesterday because today was the last day and everyone was packing to get out of the rooms and on the road. But we had a few hugs and Mary and I were able to see some of the classwork in Reynola Pakusich's class. Very nice.

Mary Leakey, Suzanne Lucy, Reynola Pakusich, Mabel Huseby when they were almost packed.

They have everything in except their design boards. They always manage to get everything in and they each have a seat! Rather amazing, but they have years of experience. That is Mabel on the right.

Suzanne and Franki were in Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer's class (along with two ladies we know from previous years who were already seated when we arrived at the Red House) and they all raved about Jeannette's class. You can check out her work at http://www.jdmeyer.com/ She is going to be on the schedule for 2011, but I suspect you'll have to be quick to get into her class.

Mary and I then went to lunch at the Red House. We had to laugh at ourselves because we never talked about where we would go. There was a parking place directly in front of the House and we automatically parked and went inside. They had Olallieberry pie! We thought about just having that, but needed something a little more substantial, so chose the soup of the day - curried cauliflower. It was very tasty, if a little salty for me.

Of course, we also ordered the pie which was, as always, spectacular. We decided we like it with whipped cream rather than ice cream (even homemade). And it was warmed to just the right temperature. A most satisfying lunch.

It had been raining off and on since we left Mary's house and it came down very hard at times. After we were back home it REALLY rained. I spoke to Mabel about 7pm and they had only gotten as far as Eureka and were going to spend the night. They had serious rain and hail that slowed them down. I hope the weather clears up before they have to drive over the Siskiyou mountain summit tomorrow. No fun.

Orange 03-01-10

Terry Grant has been talking about orange - one of my favorite colors. So here are a few orange things in my life.

"Cactus Flower" Del Thomas 2000 61"W x 48"L

I designed this quilt in Ruth McDowell's class in 2000, took the design back the next year and refined it. But still no fabric - by this time I had three 32gal plastic bins full of orange fabric. I took the design and the fabric out to Corky's house in the desert and did a four day construction marathon. No people, no interruptions, no excursions - sew, sew, sew. This is all pieced, there is no applique in this quilt. The first thing people notice is that it is very ORANGE.

Someday I will do a poppy quilt, I'm sure. Some years the poppy fields in the Antelope Valley look like this - glorious.

"Green Trails" Del Thomas 2005 36" square
This is the only quilt top I have ever completed in about 40 classes at Empty Spools! It was a Sylvia Einstein class with a most compatible group of students. I couldn't believe that I was actually sewing the blocks together on the last day. I am easily distracted in class because I live alone and work alone, so all that creativity and energy just does me in. The various shades of orange with the red, yellow and green make this quilt glow.

Someone gave me this 'quilt ladder' which leans in the corner of my working space. I started draping orange fabrics on it several years ago, but it hasn't turned into anything. They all don't go together, they are just there for inspiration. I'm always trying to find a word that rhymes with orange, but the closest I have come is sponge.

Corky was in the Orange County Register this morning! While he and his mommy were at the vet so he could have his acupuncture treatment there was also a photographer and reporter from the paper doing a feature story on acupuncture for pets. You can see it at:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/acupuncture-236582-woods-cancer.html
Click on PHOTOS tab at top.
The Poodle Parents and I think that Corky is living a longer, healthier life by having a treatment every three weeks. He tolerates the needles very well, but finds it hard to hold still for the fifteen minutes they must stay in place. I am considering human acupuncture for my arthritis, if I could only decide which part of me hurts the most!

Joan Schulze quilt 02-28-10

"Vest Pocket Tour II" Joan Schulze 2001 7.5"W x 7.5"L

This tiny quilt was offered at auction in 2003 and somehow I didn't even write down the price I paid - sticker shock, maybe. But at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles last week I didn't think the prices on her quilts were terribly high. Perhaps I have come to appreciate the cost of a terrific quilt made by an accomplished artist. This quilt is cotton, silk and paper and Velcro on the back to mount it. I don't have much space for mounted works, but this is so small it just goes in the (acid-free) box with the one-foot square quilts in the Collection. When I display it I prop it on a standing plate holder and have never hung it on the wall.

You can see Joan's work at her 40-year retrospective "Poetic License: The Art of Joan Schulze" continuing through May 9th at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. I blogged a little bit about it last week when I was there at the opening http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2010/02/joan-schulze-40-year-retrospective-02.html

She also has a book out with the same title. And you can see her work on her websites:

http://www.joan-of-arts.com and http://www.joan-schulze.com

Pictureless blog 02-27-10

I save up 'blog able' stuff for days like this. I have been working like crazy today. Mostly trying to finish up the Surfside QGuild newsletter which has to be posted tomorrow (Sunday). Besides the fact I keep forgetting how to do things, my computer was giving me fits. It may have been something about the weather - heavy rain, thunder, lightning, strong/erratic wind. I turned it off when the thunder/lightning started, but I was fearful that it wouldn't start up when I turned it on again. It did and things seemed to improve. I am also getting ready to go to Empty Spools, so packing is required- packing for three different classes. What was I thinking? I won't get on the road as soon as I thought I would, but I'll get there eventually.

Terry Grant has a terrific video on her blog - if you read her blog you will already have seen it. But if not, go to http://andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/2010/02/oh-this-is-good.html which is the particular post the video is on. She is getting ready to fly to Cleveland to film some segments for the Quilt Art - she has been getting ready for weeks (maybe months), while I have not gotten ready at all. And I am leaving first and for a longer period of time. Woe is I. Such a slouch.

We have been blogging a lot about blogs lately, so maybe some of you would be interested in this site: "The Internet has made it it easier than ever to gain inspiration and learn from other quilters. There are many quilters that blog about their recent projects. The website Quilterblogs.com reads nearly 900 quilting related blogs every day and posts snippets of what these bloggers are blogging about. What a wonderful idea. If you blog, please ask to add your blog to their database. It is FREE. Check them out today." 02-16-10
I am always looking for grist for my newsletter column "Quilting Online", especially for the large number of guild members who are interested in traditional rather than 'art' quilting.

And finally, since I know there are lots of Calvin and Hobbs fans out there, here is a site I came across that is funny and interesting. To me, anyway!
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2009/12/28/more-calvin-and-hobbes-covered-by-artists/

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