A 99th birthday party 07-22-17

A lovely event in Costa Mesa today in honor of Shirley Huffman's 99th birthday, which is Monday, July 24th.   I haven't seen Shirley in a couple years and am impressed at how well she looks, definitely not 99 years old.   Her mother lived well into her 100s and I expect Shirley will also.   We have been friends since the late 70s, but not sure when we first met.  We worked together at the now defunct Textile & Costume Guild at the old Fullerton Museum, and also belonged to the Embroiders Guild of America at that time.  We are both life long stitchers, sew-ers, quilters, textile collectors, and foodies.

We had some great times together.  For several years we drove up to San Francisco in August  to take classes with Constance Howard at the home of Helen Pope, founder of the old Yarn Depot.  We traipsed around San Francisco and Oakland and Berkeley, shopping and dining and viewing textiles wherever we could.   When we were on the road up and back home we talked the entire way and usually had to call each other within a few hours of our arrival home.  What could we have talked about for all those miles?  Everything under the sun.

After my husband died in March 2000 Shirley convinced me it would be good for me to go on a tour of English textiles led by Constance Howard, so only three months into my widowhood I was off on a grand adventure with about sixteen other ladies, all with the common interest of sewing and textiles.  It was a fabulous tour that went to places not normally open to tours and we had a class with Constance along the way.  Too much fun.

Several years later we flew to Virginia to visit Shirley's home town of Staunton and tour around the area, staying at B&Bs and dining on fabulous seafood meals.  It was sort of like a search for the best crab cakes available.  Another great trip.

Lives, interests, and obligations change and Shirley and I have not spent much time together for several years, so it was great to see her and see her looking so young at her 99th birthday party.

Shirley on her 89 birthday and she looks much the same today!

 

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Friday Flowers 07-21-17

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Thursday Threads 07-20-17

I've posted this one previously, but it happens to be one of my favorites.  I did it while I was going through a streak of two color/fabric quilts.  I sold it and since then the buyer has died.  I wonder where it is now?   She loved it and I was so flattered by her enthusiasm.

"Sunset Strip: Orchard"  Del Thomas 2005  40"x18"

Cotton fabric, fusible, machine appliqued and quilted.

 

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Wordless Wednesday - KoKo 07-19-17

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Things Change 07-17-17

It is, I suppose, a part of aging when things seem to change too fast to keep up with them.  Living in a suburban town, I rarely am out among the movers and shakers of the world.  The world moves outside my safe haven in Placentia, California.  I do get out, but not usually to urban places.  I have a friend whose idea of vacation is to be in a city with music, fine dining, museums, art galleries... well, all that.  Whereas my idea of vacation is away from all of that and in a place with quiet, trees, flowers, birds, animals, open skies, mountains or seashores.  Lately I have been exposed to some more urban adventures which can be very tiring.  Some are interesting, some just mystifying.  I'll start a recurring series about these changes I observe or that impact my life. 

CELL PHONES   They are everywhere, aren't they?  How frightening it is to see people walking down the street and stepping off a curb without looking up from their phones.  And then there are times that one wonders who they are talking to.  Like this postman talking to the mailbox.  I can only guess that he has a wire to his phone.  Or maybe he really is talking to the mailbox.  How can one tell? 

 

 

TRAFFIC  During my four hour drive to San Diego on Saturday I thought about how much heavier the traffic is these days.  I expected the drive to be slow on Saturday, it was a glorious weekend and there were many events in SDiego including the Gay Pride parade which I understand is the biggest anywhere.  But I don't think that has anything to do with drivers passing on the right on the shoulder, something that occurred more than once this trip.  So, use caution, watch for illegal passing and, especially, motorcycles who seem to drive wherever they choose. 

 

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Latest addition to TCQC 07-16-17

Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles opened new exhibits yesterday and I drove down for the opening reception.  Most of the artists were there and there was a nice crowd for the evening.  The exhibits are:

 "Funny Bones" with quilts by David Charity, Jamie Fingal, Wendy Huhn, Nancy Lemke, Pam RuBert, Kathy Weaver.

A Solo Exhibit by Kathy Nida

"Female Folktales" by Charlotte Bird

"Masquerade"  Member's Challenge (14"hx10"w)

I think the Funny Bones quilts are witty rather than "funny", but some do make me smile broadly.  They show vastly different design and construction techniques and are created by accomplished artists.  Pam's quilts always make me smile, she has such a delightfully quirky imagination.  David's cartoons feature a pet Basenji who is a wry sort of character who has many adventures.  Nancy's furry creatures in clothes are clever and sentimental.  I was pleased to meet Wendy Huhn, one of her small pieces is in TCQC and it is one of the few pieces that is mounted on a board and cannot be rolled.  She mounts or frames all her small works to take them out of the realm of pot holders, something now done by many artists who produce small works. Charlotte has gone in an entirely new direction and her five pieces are large and thought provoking.  She plans to continue with this new series.  Seeing Kathy Nida's work filling the Anya gallery is astounding; it is all so complex and beautifully done.  Her technique is astounding (I follow her blog) and the completed pieces are large and "in your face".  I greatly admire them, but I don't think I could live with them on my walls.  However, she does sometimes make small animal pieces and I bought one today.  Here is one of her little owls that is now in TCQC. 

"Owl 2.0 Bird #18"  Kathy Nida - El Cajon, CA  2015  16.75"w x 10.50"l

Cotton fabric, fusible, machine appliqued and quilted. 

www.kathynida.com

Wonderful eyes and beak.

How about these feet?  Maybe I should have saved the image for Friday Feet!

On the back she has used a print from her stash with a matching sleeve.

A label that gives several ways to contact the artist. 

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