Friday Feet - Flying Geese QGuild Quilt Show 09-13-13

I'll start out with a reminder about the Flying Geese QGuild show this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.   I was at the setup today to kibitz on the hanging of a special exhibit of 27 quilts from Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.  I didn't have time to look around the show, but what I saw going and coming to my little area was very impressive.  I will be there all day tomorrow (Saturday) and in the morning on Sunday.  Come and look at some great quilts and stop and say hello. 


These sandals look very comfortable and the wearer said they are.  I miss sandals, but can't wear them because my orthotics don't fit in them.
 

Aren't these elegant?  Love the toe ring - "bells on their fingers and rings on their toes."
Or do I have that backwards?  I've never worn thongs much because they gave me cramps in my toes.  One doctor said it was because I have flat feet.  Oh, yeah! 

Hope to see you tomorrow, I'm the one in a hat and sensible shoes.  And other clothes!  

Wordy Wednesday 09-11-13

I suspect it will be a big disappointment to some of you that I don't eat "high off the hog" most of the time.  At home I eat very simply and sometimes just fix a bowl of broccoli (my favorite) or Brussels sprouts or leftovers.  Last night I wasn't very hungry and didn't have much in the frig, but I had a great dinner - two slices of cooked chicken breast, half an avocado, half a delicious Bartlett pear and a glass of milk.  Sort of a "white" dinner. 



I spent most of today working on the labels for the special exhibit of quilt from TCQC that will show at the Flying Geese Quilt Guild QShow this coming weekend.  It is at Soka University in Aliso Viejo.   Quilts - old and new, vendors, raffle quilt....  all the treats of a good QShow.  Come and see us.

Unfortunately, Corky is needing to wear a diaper these days, but we can't find a "doggy diaper" that is effective.  Anyone have experience with poodles in diapers? 

And here is something else I need help with.  Does anyone know what this item is for?  We sold it at the Veranda Sale, but nobody has been able to determine what the purpose is.  The phone number on the bottom is no longer operating. 

I thought maybe it was a base for a lace pillow, but there is no provision for fastening the pillow. 

"Jack" completed 09-10-13

Just as with Kodachrome film, digital does have a problem with red-violet.  The tree and the fence below are all much more red-violet (purple) than the image shown.  I don't know what to do to make it more color true.  Not ever use red-violet in quilts to be photographed?

"JACK"  Del Thomas 2013  19.5"W x 15"L 
Fused, machine edge stitched, machine quilted.
Background fabric: "Midnight Colony" from Alexander Henry - 2010
I purchased this fabric for the yellow eyes on black which seemed usable - somewhere.
Jack, himself, comes from "Feeling Witchy" (Half to Have #566) a rather cursory pattern by Bloomin' Minds  http://www.bloominminds.com/multiplepagesection.asp?page=6

 

I didn't start out to quilt around the bats, but as I made the wavy quilting lines on the background it seemed a shame to ignore the bats.  Some unstitching was necessary, but I went back and outlined most of the larger bats.  And I added some hand stitching to give the tree some creepy fingers, along with withered grass by the fence. .
 

All my quilts have a bird in them somewhere - obvious or hard-to-find (even for me).  I looked through my fabric library for an owl, but they were all too large.  Finally I settled on this cartoon-like bird because the color goes nicely with Jack.
 

 
Backing fabric "Hocus the Cat" from Alexander Henry - 2010
 

Great spider (which is saying something from a arachnophobe like me) and even though it doesn't lend itself well as a label, I just wanted to put it on the back of this quilt. 
From a panel "Be Witched" by Carol Eldridge for Andover Fabrics - 2011
 

Here I am with the winner of the quilt, Jackie Buck.

"Jack" was the September Monthly Mini for Surfside Quilters Guild.   A member volunteers to make a small quilt, table runner, pillow, handbag, whatever, for a certain month.  At the meeting each month, tickets are sold ($1 each or 6 for $5) and at the end of the meeting one ticket is drawn from the bowl for a winner.  The funds go into the treasury to help pay for programs and other guild expenses.  The "take" varies from about $80 to less than $400.

Monday Browsing - Portals 09-09-13

Fans of Kaffe Fassett  and Brandon Mably will enjoy this interview done by Luana Rubin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV5y0rvOKqg&rel=0

 Kaffe’s autobiography is colorful and full of interesting tales, but a bit on the pricey side.

Check out this Bio on his website: http://www.kaffefassett.com/Biography.html

An old guy takes a chair on a trip around the world:

http://designtaxi.com/news/360360/IKEA-s-Ad-Inspires-You-To-Start-Something-New/#.UiYG33rWaTI.facebook

The view of the USA by a student from India:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-weirdest-things-about-america-2013-8

And then there is the growth of yarn bombing:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/19297128

The “fashions” of everyday people:

 http://on.aol.com/show/the-sartorialist-517912860?icid=acm50_thesartorialist

 

Artist’s  journals from those participating in the SAQA “Seasonal Palette” exhibit.  Fascinating.    http://www.saqa.com/about.php?ID=2494

 

Front gate in Long Beach, CA  07-03-10

12X12 quilt by Ann L. Scott in TCQC 09-08-13

At the Visions Art Museum Veranda Sale last month there were a number of 12X12 quilts that had been donated to the museum by Visions members.  Although they had all been available for purchase they weren't on permanent display.  So, I hadn't seen them prior to the Veranda Sale, I was excited to purchase some of them to add to TCQC and several as gifts for friends.  The one below I purchased just for TCQC - partially because it is painted, a technique that is not represented in my 12X12 collection.  But I also find it beautiful and in some way inspiring - "write about now"  something we should all be doing. 

Ann L. Scott's work in collaboration with her son Cameron B. Scott was shown in the Valya Gallery at VAM during the same time period as the Fashion exhibit.  Both exhibits closed August 25th.  Already hanging and continuing until October 20th is a VALYA Retrospective.  On the "challenge wall" are the member's responses to the felting challenge.

This quilt is from the Text and Texting Challenge held in 2012.


"Write About Now"  Ann L. Scott - San Diego   2012  12X12 
Whole cloth quilt, hand painted using stenciling, stamping, wet on wet, and dry brush painting techniqes.  Machine quilted.
The inspiration for this work was Ann's adult son who is a writer and artist. 
 

Hands are notoriously difficult to draw or paint or stitch.  Ann has done a pretty good job with these typing hands on a symbolic keyboard. 
 

The background of hand painted fabric is heavily machine quilted.
 

The back has "ghostly" hands on a backing fabric showing scattered leaves.

 The label is cursory - not enough information. 

 

But Ann did sign the back and include her location.  That would be some help to a person interested in locating more of Ann's work.  But an e-address, website, or phone number would help more.  Check out Ann's website:  www.fiberdesignsbyann.com

A weekend with the Poodle Prince #2 09-07-13

Sunday 10am - Well, Blogger just doesn't like the set of pictures I posted last night.  Four attempts was not a "charm".  So, here are completely different pictures.  Del
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Corky hasn't been staying with me very often lately, so I was delighted to welcome him Friday afternoon. I return him to Long Beach tomorrow this afternoon. Of course, I don't get much of anything done when he is here, but he is such a dear little guy. At seventeen he pretty much just sleeps, eats, poops, sleeps, takes meds, sleeps, ...... etc.! .

2004 - Placentia  Corky "helps" me sew. I used to put him up on the table in his bed so he could look outside. He kept creeping closer and closer to me until I was worried about sewing his ear into my quilt.

2005 - Long Beach   As benefits a Prince, Corky has a selection of beds in the different houses he commands.  This is his leopard bed in Long Beach - his nanny made the matching pillow.  
 

 2006 - Lake Havasu   He can look so thoughtful at times.  Sometimes I think it is because he wants me to stop taking his picture. 
 

2005 - Long Beach  Corky in a snit. I don't remember what I had done to make him mad, but he kept it up for a long time.
 

2006 Long Beach  Is there a prince hiding here somewhere?
 

2007 - Pacific Grove, CA    The prince on his throne.  From the first minute he was in his stroller he has been content and never tries to get out.  Here he is waiting patiently to move on to a new activity.