12X12 quilts from Thomas Contempoary Quilt Collection 10-24-23

I just can't seem to keep this blog going.  How did I do it every day for so many years?  I think my life is now so boring and limited I can't think of anything to say most days. I take the neighbor boys  to school only on Tuesdays now.  Immanuel goes to high school and  must  be there by  7am.  Julian is in fourth grade and I drop him  off at 7:15am.  And sometimes, like today, I have a nap when I get home.  Old age is creeping up!  Have a  lunch date tomorrow,  we are going to  our favorite spot, Fitness Grill  in Yorba Linda.  Then I hope to sew in the afternoon.   

I usually post TCQC quilts on Sunday, but I hadn't taken the pictures before the sun went down.  So, I'm showing these three today.  They are very special quilts because my SDiego friend Andrea Bacal made them and the images are actually my hats. She needed to meet a Challenge for Canyon Quilters with the theme "From Above". She called and asked if I would send  her some pictures of my hats, taken "from above".  I took  a  half a dozen and these are those she chose from that selection. The cream hat with the shiny green bow she submitted to the Challenge.   I casually mentioned about 50 thousand times that I would like to have the other two.  In 2020 she finished them and they look fantastic hung together on my cream walls.  They are fused with the raw edges stitched and she has done wonderful quilting to indicate the texture of each hat.  I think her use of colored pencils to show the bow and shadows is inspired.  They all have the same background and the  same fabric on the back. 

"View from theTop"  2013  Andrea  Bacal - San Diego 12"X12"

And the back.

                       "Del's Hat #2"  2020  Andrea Bacal - San Diego  12"X12"

And the back.

"Del's Hat #3"  2020  Andrea Bacal - San Diego  12"X12"

Detail of the stitched texture.

And the back.

A thousand thanks to Andrea for such special quilts, done perfectly.  I owe her a quilt and she wants one I started in Sue Benner's Tucson class.  I'll find  it in my mess somewhere, add the binding and label, and it will be hers.  Of course, I have to find it first!!!

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From the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 11-08-21

Why don't I write?  Sometimes I just can't think of anything to say.  Sometimes I leave it too late in the evening and I don't have the energy.  Sometimes I literally forget - after all these years!  But I always vow I will try harder!  I need to take some pictures of quilts that have been added to the Collection in the last year.  I will try to do that soon.  Meanwhile, here is a repeat from 12-17-17.

"Mad Hattery" 1999 41.5" square

Pamela Jenner, Barbara Cannon, Michele Lecrivain of Santa Clarita, CA

This is a whole cloth quilt with the design applied with permanent fabric pens and markers, crayons, and fabric paint. Machine pieced and quilted. I bought it at an auction to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. I was never able to locate any of the makers to ask further questions or to tell them I had purchased the quilt. I am always interested in connecting modern art quilts to the quilting traditions of the past - what a long journey it has been for whole cloth quilts over the last 200+ years.

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The Friday after Thanksgiving

Just a picture of the neighborhood showing the blue sky.  I took another one with palm trees, but it disappeared.   It was a lovely Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with friends Carol and Dick Bednar. We ordered a traditional meal from Cedar Creek Inn in Brea.  It was quite tasty and we had lots of leftovers so we could have turkey sandwiches today.  The wind was blowing up a storm yesterday afternoon and when I went to get in the car to drive home it took off my hat and rolled it down the street.  Carol got in the back seat and we drove down to where the hat was fortunately laying in the street.  Carol got out and retrieved the hat.  Thank You, Carol.  It is the orange straw that I have worn for probably 25 years; orange hats are hard to find.

I am improving very slowly.  Doing the PTherapy exercises and except for this evening, walking around the neighborhood twice a day.  I just couldn't get up the energy this afternoon/evening.  KoKo went out back while I watched for coyotes and I told him I would do better tomorrow.  

Hope your Thanksgiving Day was happy and safe.  

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New quilts for TCQC 04-23-20

Several years ago my friend Andrea Bacal of San Diego asked me to send her some pictures taken from above of a few of my hats.  She needed some inspiration for a Challenge called "From Above".  She chose three of the pictures and made three 12X12 quilts and submitted the one on the right for the Challenge.  I bought it and told her I would buy the other two also.  She got busy and they disappeared into her WIP and she just couldn't find them.  Then came the great clearing out of her sewing space and VOILA there were the other two quilts.  She gifted them to me and I have them up on my "feature" wall to admire every day.  I am so impressed with her work and the amazingly expressive quilting designs she used.  

This is a straw hat with silk flowers on the band.

This is one of my oldest hats made of fabric and constructed in a coil and a black & white band.  

Another straw - a Sunday Go To Meeting hat. 

And here are the original pictures she used for inspiration. I think she did an amazing job - the quilts are beautiful.  

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Hats 10-28-19

I don't imagine that all of the blog readers know this about me, but I wear hats all the time.  Morning, noon, and nighttime, too.   I even have some "turban" type hats that I wear to bed when it is cold.  I've been doing this for at least forty years, so half of my life.  I always liked wearing hats, they were part of most women's wardrobes in the 40s and 50s.  But when I was diagnosed with rosacea I wore hats more frequently and I would take them off and put them under my chair at meetings.   And go home without them!  So, I decided to just wear them all the time.   I imagine some of my friends have never even seen me without a hat.  

It is difficult to find appropriate hats in the colors I wear, but I am always looking.  I hit the jackpot at CVS in Monterey, CA, a few years ago and added green, blue, yellow, pink, and turquoise.  They are very sturdy and are wearing out fast.  

I store them in the linen closet in the hall, but sometimes I just start piling them up on the table near the garage door.  It is pleasing to see them in their various colors piled up together.  These are all hats I have worn in the last two weeks, some more than once.  

Just thought I would share this tonight. 

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Re-visiting some hat quilts 12-17-17

Here are two of the hat quilts in TCQC

Originally posted on Sunday, September 28, 2008   

For thirty years (give or take a year) I have worn hats. I grew up in a time when ladies hats were still popular and I always liked them. Sometime in the 70s I was diagnosed with Rosacea, a facial skin condition that is aggravated by sunlight. I started wearing hats when I was outside, but when I went somewhere I would take them off and then forget them. Ultimately, I had hats all over town. So, I decided that I would wear a hat ALL of the time, day or night, outdoors or in. That way I wouldn't be losing my hats all the time. As time went by, that turned out to be a good idea because ladies hats for sale are few and far between and I am always on the hunt to replace some of my worn out hats. I'd hate to be losing any. Because of my be-hatted status I have been gifted with several hat quilts and purchased these two.

"Lowanda Does Hollywood" Jean Ray Laury 2001 30.5W x 33.5L

There is a striking resemblance between Lowanda and myself, but Jean Ray did not use me as a model, even though we have known each other for years. In this quilt Jean has used many of the techniques she has taught over the years -- silk screen printing, Thermofax printing, hand drawing, hand painting, foiling, piecing and machine quilting.

A very special quilt for me, made by an artist I have always respected.

"Mad Hattery" 1999 41.5" square

Pamela Jenner, Barbara Cannon, Michele Lecrivain of Santa Clarita, CA

This is a whole cloth quilt with the design applied with permanent fabric pens and markers, crayons, and fabric paint. Machine pieced and quilted. I bought it at an auction to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. I was never able to locate any of the makers to ask further questions or to tell them I had purchased the quilt. I am always interested in connecting modern art quilts to the quilting traditions of the past - what a long journey it has been for whole cloth quilts over the last 200+ years.

One little block 02-17-15

Having not done much sewing for the past year I am inordinately proud of having completed a block for the outgoing Surfside Quilters Guild President's quilt.  The theme of the quilt, chosen by the outgoing President, is Hawaiian Christmas.  I have made many blocks for President's quilts in the past 30, or so, years and a number of them have been hats, starting with the first one in 1982.  All of the blocks have been small, this one is 5" finished.

 

 

My original intent was to fasten a very small silk poinsettia on the hat band, but I couldn't find one (although I know I have a garland of them somewhere), so I switched to tiny yoyos and think I like them better.

I'm not so sure of my applique skills these days, so I used Ruth McDowell''s piecing method, with which I am very familiar.   And I used the back side of the brim fabric for the inside of the brim.

 

Signature required, of course and this is how I always sign blocks.

Walking with Corky 11-29-10

Corky's parents dropped him off with me when they drove home from the desert on Saturday. He was really tired - all those people, all that excitement, and another visiting dog. It has been quite cold (for SCalifornia) and very windy - he has mostly just slept, curled up in his beds. But he does need a walk every day, so we tried a new walking spot at an industrial complex which is mostly empty. It isn't quite so deserted as where we have walked before - there is a residential inn that shares the parking lot, so there are business people coming and going. He prefers to not double back and at this place we can walk entirely around the building. We walked around twice yesterday about 4:30pm. It was a good walk, despite the wind.

There is the "Gold Standard", the only car in the parking lot, although while we were walking someone else parked a few spots away. I could see the light of a computer screen through the tinted windows of the building, someone was inside keeping an eye on the building and us!

Lots of leaves being blown around - mostly sweet gum/liquidamber - and the trees on the other side of the building were pretty bare.

As I have said, I like to check in on http://www.dooce.com/ to see the "Daily Chuck". I have been amazed at the things Heather can get Chuck to wear on his head while she takes his picture. http://www.dooce.com/daily-chuck/2010/10/06/got-it I've tried a few things on Corky, but he hasn't tolerated them well. I guess this big Sycamore leaf is light enough - he seemed to not know it was there.

But it works better when the stem is facing front. Reminds me of the palm frond hat the lovely ladies at Westside Quilters gave me http://delquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Hats when they had the program in the garden in August. It seems that Corky has the same stunned look on his face as Chuck sometimes does. And as I probably did when I tried on the palm frond hat!

Birthday Purses and Hats 09-01-10

Thanks for all the Happy Birthday wishes. I have finally reached an age when I see each year as a gift - being 72 is not to be sneezed at! It was a lovely day - weather wise - and a lovely day spent with my friend Mary. She has been slaving away in her studio making me a purse.

This was her first fabric choice because I am such a fan of bird images.

But she made some slight error in her sewing and decided that it wasn't good enough.

Then she made this one - which is perfect and has colors that will go with everything that I wear except for maybe brown and I haven't been wearing a lot of that. The fabric on the inner bag is some that she dyed herself.

The other side has a rich dark red-violet with a little acid green - perfect. And more hand dye on the inner bag. These purses are two completely separate constructions that are then joined to provide pockets inside and out. She even stitched in a pen pocket so maybe I can find my pen.

We drove to Pacific Grove and fondled fabric at Back Porch Fabrics. Naturally, we couldn't resist buying some very special yardage. Gail Abeloe has stacked the shop with fabulous new fabrics, some from manufacturers and designers I haven't previously heard of. But I hope I see lots of their work in the future - gorgeous stuff. She has a wall of new Kaffe Fassett bolts and some 'far out' tie dyes. If you are anywhere in the area you need to check out the wonderful, colorful fabrics that are in stock right now. Too soon we had to go for lunch before it got too late. Mary's treat for my birthday, but my choice. So, of course, I chose the Red House where we split the carrot/ginger soup (so good) and I had my favorite Portabella Sandwich. I almost licked the plate! We stopped at the market close by that sometimes has Ollallaberry pie and tucked one in the backseat to have instead of birthday cake tonight. Served with vanilla ice cream it was devoured in silence out of respect for it's deliciousness.

When we got back to San Juan Bautista we stopped in town at a funky clothing shop that Mary had noticed carries a range of hats. Since I am always grousing about not being able to find hats these days she thought I might find something there. They have some unbelievable hats - some good unbelievable and some "Oh-no- unbelievable". I selected two that are a little fancier than what I wear for everyday, but now that I am of an advanced age I figure I can wear anything and people will just consider that I am old and eccentric. When we were back at Mary's she obliged with some picture taking.

This is a very fine weave and lightweight. The bow is intended to be worn in the front.

This one is actually beige and a rather strange green and I just love it. This is the way the designer intended it to be worn. However, I think....

...it looks better with the bow in front. I was making a terrible face when Mary snapped this shot. But it is the best one of the hat.

Most people know that I always wear a hat - even in bed with the weather is cold. So, when a few of the ladies at the Westside Quilters event on Saturday were browsing in the gift shop at the Fowler Museum they found a hat made from the outer sheath of a new palm frond - it is all one piece, no seams. This hat is from Columbia and is part of a project to provide work and income for the people there who are struggling with poverty and unemployment. I can't imagine that they would sell millions of these, but I love this one and plan to wear it to very special occasions. Maybe even a quilt guild meeting. Brace yourself!

I like it this way, with the tip poked into the fold.

But the card that came with the hat has a picture of a man and a woman, both wearing the tips swinging free. A little dangerous - might poke someone in the eye.

All during our photo session Sassy, the Sussex Spaniel, was under my chair begging for some loving. Such a good dog and very clean after his morning bath today.

It has been a special birthday and tomorrow we celebrate Joe's birthday and send good wishes to Gloria in Sonoma.. But for me it will mostly be a day of rest before driving home on Friday. Yes, I know it is the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, but Corky needs me to be home that evening, so I must be there!!