Friday Fanny 08-09-13

I think I am running out of steam with Friday Feet, though I do have some pictures I haven't used.  This week I will switch to Friday Fanny.   I couldn't get my camera out of my purse fast enough when this lady walked up to the counter.  I like her jacket though.


I'm not sure if she bought these jeans like this, or cut holes in them so she could practice stitching. She needs a LOT of practice.
 

I think it is sad that she went to all this trouble and did such a lousy job.  But maybe she thinks this is Artistic.   I feel this way about some quilts, too. 
See what an old fuddy duddy I am?

More on Quilt Festival - LBeach 08-08-13

I found an image of Betty Busby's quilt so you could see different aspects of her work. This quilt is part of the SAQA exhibit "A Sense of Scale".


 "Diatom 2"  Betty Busby   77" square

You can see more of Betty's work on her website:  http://bbusbyarts.com

I looked for pictures on blogs, usually there are quite a few, but the pickings are lean.  Maybe people haven't found the time to post.  You can Google "Quilt Festival Long Beach 2013" and maybe find some good images.  There are a few here:

http://www.historyquilter.com/2013/08/a-visit-to-international-quilt-festival.html

Luana Rubin of eQuilter hasn't posted anything, maybe she wasn't in LBeach.  But if you ever want to look at quilts from all over the world check out Luana's Flicker pages:
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/luanarubin/sets/

"The Quilt Show" with Alex Anderson presented this Smilebox of the "Maps" exhibit at LBeach:
http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d7a63314e446b774f44453d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link&partner=neverblue

Wordless Wednesday 08-07-13

 

Dinner at Ikiru, again. 08-06-13

I have held off on posting this wonderful dinner (07-25-13)  at Ikiru in San Diego, in the same complex as Visions Art Museum.  San Diego has been very busy the last month with several large conventions and special events. Crowded.  I know you are going to want to run down there immediately to duplicate this deliciousness for yourself.  It is an excellent restaurant and the fish is very, very fresh. 

 
Beth ordered the crunchy shrimp roll which is covered with white crunchy stuff - sort of like Panko.   We have enjoyed it in the past and will continue to enjoy it - such a treat.
 

I tried something new which was not only delicious, but beautiful.  That is one thing that I enjoy at good sushi restaurants - it is like eating art!  This is the protein roll.  On the inside are: tuna, tai, salmon, hamachi, crabstick, avocado, kaiware, soy paper. On the outside: cucumber wrap, ponzu sauce.
 

The cucumber on the outside is about 1/8" thick and just underneath is the soy paper - it doesn't seem to have a taste, but adds an interesting texture.
 

Here I have eaten it down to the last piece which looks like an exotic flower.

Contents of the protein roll:  tuna, salmon, avocado, carrots, cucumber, tai, crabstick, hamachi, kaiware, soy paper, ponzu.

tai = tai snapper (Pagrus major), a species of reddish-brown Pacific sea bream

crabstick,= Alaska pollock is commonly the main ingredient, often mixed with egg white (albumen) Contains no crab.

hamachi = Japanese amberjack or buri commonly used in sushi

kaiware = Daikon radish sprouts

soy paper = (called "yuba", "tofu skin" or "soybean skin") a thin film derived from soybeans

ponzu = soy sauce blended with Japanese Citrus and salt.

Quilt Festival - LBeach '13 08-05-13

I'm still house bound - taking pills, using an inhaler, drinking plenty of fluids, sleeping a lot.   I plan to repeat this for the next few days to be sure that I am really over it before I resume my "normal" life.  Fortunately I have adequate groceries, books yet to read, and, as is to be expected, piles and piles of unfinished projects and paperwork.  I'd like to be able to go to VAM in San Diego to a special program they are offering on Saturday.
  http://visionsartmuseum.org/calendar-dtl.asp?calID=146

Below are all the pictures I took at Long Beach.  As usual, I look at quilts and then go back to photograph, but that didn't work for me this year.  I only looked at maybe half the quilts and developed this bronchial thing so couldn't go back to take pictures.  Bummer!


Betty Busby is so talented, she covers so many techniques and styles it is always a surprise and a delight to see her work.  For some years I thought there were two Betty Busby's.  The work that I saw was so varied that I was continually surprised - still am!
 
This quilt has such gentleness and grace, it made me stop, admire, and photograph, even though I was just walking through the exhibit area en route to somewhere else.

   

There is love there.

On the same walk through I came to this wall of quilts which I found appealing and stopped to look, read and photograph.  The two on the right are by two of my favorite artists and the one on the left is a pattern I have thought about making for many years. 

 

Just the name "Endless Chain" is intriguing.  As a child visiting the quilting ladies at the Grange I thought it was "Endless Change" because the Grange ladies made only scrap quilts and the scraps were endlessly changing.  The colors here appeal to me and make me smile.
 

 

Bodil's work is so distinctive - always colorful and filled with fun bits that one must search to discover - the little sheep roaming the hills, the tiny mug on the ground.  She is represented in Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection and I always hope to add another of her works.  The words written in the border are:   "I arise from dreams of thee in the first sweet sleep of night when the winds are blowing low and the stars are shining bright."

Every edge is applied with zig-zag stitching.
 

http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/

 
This dear little guy was created by Ruth Powers who makes realistic images, but with the feeling of a painting rather than a photograph.  Look at the wonderful "cloudy" background made of soft flowers and the graceful leaves with their quilted veins.  She has a good eye for color and chooses her fabric prints carefully.  And notice the FMQ on the background - Ruth is a pro on a home machine. 

Monday Browsing 08-05-13

Here are a few sites that show quilts from Quilt Festival – Long Beach  2013 - the last of an era and a big loss to SCalifornia when the show moves to Portland next August.  There will be many pictures posted on blogs over the coming weeks.  Google "Long Beach Quilt Show 2013" to see images and read what other quilters saw at this QShow.   

A book  view of the exhibit “An Exquisite Moment” , presented by the Dinner at Eight Artists: http://www.blurb.com/books/4461280-an-exquisite-moment

WANTED: Fiber postcards to raise funds for Houston no kill Animal rescue: http://pokeysponderings.com/2013/06/28/quilters-its-time-to-get-busy-quilt-festivals-pet-postcard-project-is-back/

A few quilts from West Coast Wonders exhibit:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3198efad1b46f384628234749&id=95f53fe3a1

Quilt Festival Facebook page:    https://www.facebook.com/QuiltFestival

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And here is the Poodle Prince - half in and half out of his "boat" bed. .

He was very tired by the end of the day.  Company came to watch the power boat races on Marine Stadium which is directly behind the house.   And his Nanny came by to give him some lovin' and a little grooming.   He is 17 now and sleeping is what he does best.
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Quilt Festival - LBeach '13 08-04-13

I have very few photos of the quilts at QFestival - Long Beach.  Last Sunday I developed a cough and treated it all week.  I didn't have any cold symptoms until Friday and by the end of the day I was miserable (dripping and sneezing and snorting and moaning) and so was everyone around me - afraid I would pass it on to them.  I opted to stay home yesterday and spent most of the day in bed under the influence of cold meds.  Everything I've tried in the past makes me drowsy or just completely knocks me out.  If I want to be knocked out Benedryl is the best - swallow, go to bed, in half an hour I am unconscious and stay that way for about four hours.  But my nose doesn' drip and my head doesn't hurt while I'm asleep.  Daytime I can take Claritan D, but not drive or "operate machinery", which I assume includes the sewing machine.  I'm not sure about computers. 

Today I decided I would go back to LBeach and take a few pictures and pick up the potted orchids I provided for the VAM table.  Alas, I thought they closed at 4pm, but they actually closed at 3pm. A lot of people were out the door exactly at 3pm, I think.  I hope the last to  leave will drop the orchids at VAM.  Maybe I'll get down there this week and bring them home.  I stopped at Corky's because his mommy had bought me some Greek lemon-rice soup and it sounded like just the thing my cold needed tonight.

I've completed the SQG newsletter and sent it to the proof readers.  Hope to have it online tomorrow. As soon as I finish this post I am  swallowing a Benedryl and going to bed with the humidifier humming.  

The quilt below is enormous..  I'm only guessing, but I suspect it is about nine feet high and seven feet across.  And it is just charming with windows that open and little faces peeking out here and there. It is for sale, but I didn't buy it.  Much too large for TCQC.